NCAAF Preseason Preview: Pac-12

The Pac-12 will look to prove that it belongs as one of the stronger conferences in college football as teams like Oregon look to retain their dominance of previous years while USC looks to recapture their dominant form of years past in this conference after a bowl ban due to NCAA sanctions. These two schools will attract a lot of attention to the west coast for football; however, there are other teams on the rise in the Pac-12. With four new big-name coaches joining the conference, fans are likely to see a change in this conference for the better. It will look as though the Pac-12 will continue to produce the best offenses in all of college football; however, the cream of the crop must reach a BCS bowl in order to compete with the SEC and Big 10 to prove that west coast offenses are the way to go in the year of 2012 in college football. Here is a preseason ranking of all twelve teams in the North and South divisions of the Pac-12:
North Division
1. Oregon Ducks: The Ducks left off the 2011 season with a Rose Bowl victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. They return with a talented but young roster and a great offensive-minded coach in Chip Kelly. The Ducks have had great success with Chip Kelly as head coach with three consecutive conference titles; however, this is the first season Coach Kelly does not have LaMichael James. James left for the NFL, which should be an enormous loss for this team considering he was a Heisman candidate; however, the Ducks have found success last season without him. James suffered an injury midway through last season; however, the Ducks managed to put up big offensive numbers with De'Anthony Thomas at RB. Thomas (aka The Black Mamba), a sophomore, will put up huge numbers in the Ducks' offense with his blazing speed and his shifty moves. The Black Mamba ran for 155 yards and 2 TDs in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin... on only 2 attempts. He will be the key to success for Oregon even if sophomore QB Bryan Bennett underperforms. The Ducks already have an opportunistic defense that is much better than other Pac-12 defenses; however, the offense puts them head and shoulders above the rest. Projected record: 11-1

2. Washington Huskies: Head Coach Steve Sarkisian has taken these Huskies from the bottom of the conference into serious contention. Last year, the team looked as though the loss of Jake Locker to the NFL would be too much of a letdown; however, QB Keith Price outperformed Locker. Now a Junior, Price looks primed to become one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12. There are a few areas of concern for the Dawgs though. The lost RB Chris Polk to the NFL (even though he wasn't drafted) and there defense was awful last year. The Huskies managed to score 56 points in last year's Valero Alamo Bowl and they still managed to lose because their paper-thin defense surrendered 67 points to Baylor. Their running game and defense look to be the only areas of concern. Other than that, the Huskies show a lot of promise for the 2012 season. Projected record: 8-4

3. Cal Golden Bears: Never underestimate Cal in the Pac-12. They have an under-rated tradition in football, and this year, they have quite a bit of potential. Coming off a 7-5 regular season and a Holiday Bowl loss to Texas, QB Zach Maynard and RB Isi Sofele both look primed for a big season. The lefty QB had flashes of brilliance last season; however, he always looked a bit unpolished. This offseason, he has worked on his throwing technique. RB Isi Sofele enters his Senior year looking like a solid NFL prospect who has both speed and power. Cal has a rich RB history, so Sofele figures to be key to any success in the 2012 season; however, Cal can also count on Zach Maynard to have a quality season with WR Keenan Allen leading the recieving corp. Projected record: 8-4

4. Stanford Cardinal: Head Coach David Shaw needs to have a successful season with Stanford, or else it will prove that the loss of Andrew Luck is too great as the Cardinal slip back to mediocrity. I don't think Stanford will have a poor 2012 campaign; however, I do believe that they will slip quite a bit. If you take away Andrew Luck from the Stanford offense, you basically take away the passing game. This is the best-case scenario for the Cardinal since their offense is  run-first system. The O-line does have a few holes that need to be filled, but they should still control the ground with RB Stepfan Taylor. Taylor is probably the most NFL-ready RB coming out of the Pac-12. Stanford will continue to play solid defense, which will lead to a decent record and maybe even a bowl, but the loss of Luck will be greatly evident since they don't even have a starting QB. Projected record: 7-5

5. Washington State Cougars: I just moved to Pullman this Summer and you can easily tell what the talk around town is: Mike Leach. Coach Leach won't lead the Cougars to a BCS bowl, but his high-flying passing offense should keep the Cougs competitive. The QB competition between Sr. Jeff Tuel and So. Connor Halliday is probably one of the better ones in the Pac-12 since both look as if they would be able to put up big numbers in Leach's spread offense. The biggest are of concern for Wazzu is the defense. It sucked last year and it still looks like their Achilles heel for this season. If the defense can stop the bleeding and allow the offense to play shootout every week, they won't win a lot of games, but they'll stay competitve in most of them. Projected record: 5-7

                                                                                                           6. Oregon State Beavers: The Beavers had an awful 3-9 record last year, but they still show some promise. So. QB Sean Mannion played well last year, but he threw too many INTs. With some more experience, Mannion could have a good year with WR Markus Wheaton. I'm not saying the Beavers will have a good season since their defense was terrible last season, but they do have some talent on offense (like the rest of the Pac-12). Projected record: 2-10

South Division

1. USC Trojans: 2012 will be the first year Matt Barkley will be able to play in a bowl game. I'm betting that it's gonna be the National title game. USC is loaded on offense and defense. They have the best corp of WRs in the conference, the best QB, and a talented backfield thanks to the arrival of Silas Redd. The defense will continue to be one of the best in the Pac-12 due to speed and size. The reason as to why the Trojans will be successful is because their team is built like SEC and Big 10 teams. If USC beats Oregon on Nov. 3, it will prove that the other power conferences are too strong for other the spread offenses in the Pac-12.  Projected record: 12-0

2. Utah Utes: As a newcomer to the Pac-12 last year, Utah still managed to finish 8-5 and a Sun Bowl victory. That was mostly without their starting QB Jordan Wynn. With Wynn back, Utah is primed to win quite a few games. They possess one of the better defenses in all of the Pac-12 and can shut down spread offenses that do a lot of running. On offense, they can do a lot more than just handing the ball to RB John White who had a monster 2011 campaign. The offense looks to have a nice balance of running and passing, which works in their favor since the defense won't let any game turn into a shootout. Projected record: 9-3

3. Arizona Wildcats: The arrival of Rich Rod at the U of A will put an emphasis on offensive football. Too bad the Cats' problems last year came in defense. Just like the other upper to mid-tier Pac-12 teams, the Cats will have a good spread offense. They just need to hope that their own defense can stop the bleeding if any game turns into a shootout. Sr. QB Matt Scott and So. RB Ka'deem Carey look as though they'd be a good fit for Rich Rod's spread offense. The defense doesn't look as though there is an increase in talent, but more players have more experience and the starting role for every defensive position is a competition. The defense won't be good, but they'll be good enough to stop the bleeding. The offense should be a bit more run-oriented and able to put up points. Projected record: 7-5

4. UCLA Bruins: The Bruins have the strength to out-muscle other teams; however, they don't have the speed on offense and their defense isn't nearly as good as it should be. New Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. should focus on the defense, since they let up a bunch of yards and points last season. Sr. QB Kevin Prince should bring some experience to the UCLA offence; however, he doesn't throw to well, is fragile, and likes to run way to much. RB Johnathan Franklin is the bright spot for the UCLA offense, but he is more of a bruiser than a speedster, which is bad for any shootouts that the defense may get the offense into. The defense could easily get better since they are bigger and stronger than most Pac-12 defenses, they just need proper coaching. Projected record: 5-7

5. Arizona State Sun Devils: I must admit, I am extremely biased against the Sun Devils, but 2012 doesn't look too good for ASU. Last year's roster was very talented and they still managed to shrivel to a 6-7 record. This year, they have a new coach in Todd Graham, but no proven starting QB and an offense that will likely revolve around Sr. RB Cameron Marshall. Their defense also looks worse than it did last year, which is never a good sign in football, especially in the Pac-12. Projected record: 4-8

6. Colorado Buffaloes: It's never nice to pick on the team that doesn't do well and criticize them when they already know they're bad, but the Buffaloes are going to have to wait for quite a while until people will start to talk about them seriously. Last year, they went 3-10 and this year figures to get worse. The Buffaloes lose their two best players from last year in QB Tyler Hansen and RB Rodney Stewart. Their defense is pretty bad and there are to many vacant leadership roles for a batch of inexperienced players. Projected record: 2-10

According to my predictions, the Pac-12 will send seven teams to a bowl game, which is pretty good. However, Pac-12 teams are known for their poor play in bowl games. Last year, only two teams from this conference won their bowl game. Due to a relatively dull choice of non-conference games on their schedules, we'll have to wait until Bowl season to see how these spread, pass-first, fast-paced offenses fare against larger defenses from other power conferences. If the Pac-12 can prove that these offenses can thrive in the game of football, there is potential that the offensive mind-set may be changed in all levels of football.

China shouldn't block my blog

I have never once said anything bad in my blog about China... in fact I have never even mentioned China in my blog, yet they have chosen to block blogspot just cause they can. Well you know what? I am currently blogging in China and I'd like to talk a little bit about their sports in this post. The Summer Olympics are approaching, meaning that there is an international fervor about the upcoming event. This doesn't exclude China. The Chinese have been looking forward to the Olympics a bit more than most countries, considering their successful results from Beijing 2008, where they won the most gold medals. An extremely popular sport here in China is basketball. Their national team is not that good at basketball and neither are most Chinese citizens; however, Yao Ming has left a permanent footprint on the Chinese sports culture since many Chinese people still follow the NBA and are even willing to wake up early in the morning and watch the NBA Finals. Ping-pong, badminton, tennis, soccer, and golf are also relatively popular sports in China, since the Chinese  appreciate skill-sports as opposed to physical-sports, such as baseball, hockey, and football. Especially football. I brought a football to China and they won't allow me to throw the ball since they think it's dangerous. The Chinese have such little interest and exposure to this sport that they think the violent aspect of football is the simple action of throwing. It also seems that they have little loyalty for the sports that they actually appreciate, such as soccer. The Chinese National Soccer team is seen as a joke to most Chinese people. When I walk into the Adidas store, I'll spot a Rajon Rondo jersey, a D. Rose jersey, and the world-famous Kobe Bryant jersey. I'll even see all of the countries whose soccer teams sport Adidas (including Japan, whom the Chinese are not too fond of); however, a Chinese soccer jersey is nowhere to be seen. The Chinese would rather support other winning soccer teams, such as Spain, rather than their own country. A few hours after the Spanish won the Euro Cup, all of the Spanish Adidas Soccer jerseys were sold out. The culture is simply different here. Children are focused on school rather than sports, which makes some sense, but I still think that there needs to be a healthy balance of sports and education in China. Strengthen your mind AND your muscle.

Ranking all 30 MLB team hats from first to worst

In this post, I'm ranking all of the 30 MLB team hats from first to worst. The rankings may be a little biased since this is my ranking, but I'm also looking at the popularity of each hat from how often you can see one being worn by some casual fan on the street. (I'll also indicate whether or not I own it) Well, here it goes:

1. New York Yankees: Don't get me wrong, I hate the New York Yankees. However, I also happen to love the game of baseball. That's right, if you're a true baseball fan, you've got to have some respect for the Yanks even though they buy all of the good players. The Yankees have so much history to them that they have affected baseball in many ways, so it's kinda hard to overlook this hat since it hasn't changed that much for most of their proud history. Plus, they also have the largest market so you'll probably see quite a few folks sporting a Yankees hat. (owned)

 
2. Atlanta Braves: They're a successful team. They have plenty of fans. Their hat is red, white, and blue. Their hat isn't too shabby. That's why I ranked this hat at number two. The Braves became quite popular due to their success during the '90s, but this hat finds most of its wearers outside of Atlanta and on the street. Atlanta has quite a few gangs and many gangs outside of Atlanta wear this hat. What's even better is that you can get it in blue or red or blue & red. (owned)



 3. St Louis Cardinals: Winning a World Series sure doesn't hurt your popularity. I've always liked this hat because of the color scheme and logo. Once again, this hat comes in red, blue and blue & red, but I think that the cardinal red cap that has their main logo is the best. The idea is simple, but the logo is so well crafted, making it an instant classic. The St Louis Cardinals are also the second most successful team in October with a total of 11 World Series titles. (owned)



4. Boston Red Sox: Lots of people back up the Red Sox since they don't like the Yankees; however, they are the second largest market in MLB. The "B" is so classic, even though the team has had a history of coming up short in October. This isn't necessarily a gang hat since you can get it in many different styles, such as the hat with an pair of Red Sox stitched in it, a green BoSox hat, a pink BoSox hat (for the ladies), or even their 100 year anniversary hat for Fenway Park. (owned, Yeah, I own both a Yankees AND a Red Sox hat)



5. Detroit Tigers: Nothing say "Imma G" More than wearing this Detroit hat. It's a nice hat with an almost gothic style "D", which makes it look intimidating for opposing teams. This hat is extremely popular around Motown and amongst gangs. I felt like when they made this logo, they forgot that they were called the Tigers, which is why their away uniform has the same hat with an orange logo. What could really boost their popularity is if they can win a World Series with the team they've assembled this year. (owned)



6. Philadelphia Phillies: I really like this hat but it isn't the most popular outside of Philadelphia. However, Phillie does have a huge fan base, so this hat is everywhere in the state of Pennsylvania. I like both this logo and their old logo since it's just a plain "P" with a plain enough color scheme to back it up. Their blue & red hat is also pretty nice. I think that their popularity would've been boosted even more if their "best rotation in baseball" actually won a World Series title. (owned)


7. Pittsburgh Pirates: Shocker!!! Well, not really cause if you look at the logo and the scheme, it's a pretty nice hat. Pennsylvania is still the Phillies' country, but you'll probably find more Pirates hats outside of Pennsylvania than Phillie hats. It is also an extremely popular hat amongst gangs and it's gotten even more popularity thanks to Wiz Khalifa's song "Black and Yellow". Also, if you're a multi-sport fan of Pittsburgh, this hat is a pretty good buy since the Penguins and Steelers both share a similar color scheme. (owned)



8. Minnesota Twins: This hat isn't that popular and the team has lost a lot of support after a few underachieving seasons, but this hat is brilliant. Red, white and blue, interlocking letters, and it also has a history behind the logo. Minnesota used to sport an "M" hat as their main logo, but people from St. Paul refused to support the team since they thought the logo was just for Minneapolis. This sparked the change fro the Twin Cities logo so everyone in Minnesota could just settle their differences and hold hands, literally. (owned)


9. San Francisco Giants: I don't like them as much anymore since the Diamondbacks have started to become competitive again, but this hat is nice. It used to be a symbol of Barry Bonds, but he team has earned a whole new identity as of late thanks to Tim Lincecum & co. and their 2010 World Series run. Like the St Lou. logo, the "S" interlocked with the "F" is simple and perfect. My love for the Diamondbacks only allows me to put them this high, just saying. (owned)



10. Toronto Blue Jays: A top ten with hats that just have letters on them? Nope! I like how the Blue Jays decided to go back to the bird and the maple leaf, much like their older hat during the '90s when they won back to back World Series titles in '92 & '93. It makes this hat almost have a history even though this is their first season with the new/old design. The Canadians are quite optimistic that this hat will bring them back to the glory days. I certainly hope so. (owned)




11. Los Angeles Dodgers: I don't like the Dodgers and that's the only thing that prevents me from buying this hat. They've got a pretty good history and they have a bunch of fans on the west coast. In California, you can see this hat in every single city and with the recent success of the team, LA might be a baseball town once again. The hat is really plain and simple with a royal blue color and the interlocking "L" and "A". This is a relatively popular hat amongst gangs. (not owned)



12. Chicago Cubs: If you like the color scheme of the LA hat with the color red, plain hats, and losing teams, the Chicago Cubs hat is a pretty good buy. They have a lengthy history of losing, but they still have a ton of fans. You won't see many Chicago Cubs hats outside of Northern Chicago unless you're watching a Little League game, but I'm sure the hat would be a lot more popular if the team would finally win a World Series. (owned)




13. Chicago White Sox: The Cubbies finally beat the White Sox in something... my hat rankings. This hat is very popular amongst people in Southern Chicago and gangsters. I would've ranked this hat higher, but I don't like the team that much. The design and style is quite similar to their AL Central rivals, the Detroit Tigers. However, the team just doesn't cut it for me. They're called the White Sox even though they wear Black Sox on their uniform. That doesn't make any sense to me at all. (not owned)



14. Cincinnati Reds: I don't like this hat that much just because of the "C". It looks a lot like the Chicago Bears logo and it makes this specific all red hat look very plain and boring. They do have a black & red hat though which looks better and is very popular amongst gangs. Cincinnati also loves their Reds even though the days of the Red Machine are long gone and both the Griffeys have retired from the game, but they are experiencing some recent success in the crowded NL Central. (not owned)



15. Baltimore Orioles: I think this hat is pretty nice, but it would look  better as an old fashioned batting helmet. The Orioles also wear a black & orange cap with this logo that looks better, but it's not their main cap. I think it was a good idea to go away from the profile of the actual Oriole and reestablish a cap like this. Like the Blue Jays, the O's hope that bringing back an old hat will spark the rebirth of a franchise, and so far, it's kinda working. (not owned)



16. Cleveland Indians: This is a controversial logo, but I think it looks rather playful, kinda like the Oriole. This hat is nice, but Cleveland hasn't enjoyed great baseball success for a while, so they don't have as many fans as they used to. Their hats with the "C" logo aren't that bad, but they're extremely plain. I would've put this hat a bit higher if the team had more playoff success and if people weren't so opposed to the logo, but you never know, maybe they can jump on the contenders in the AL Central. (owned)



17. Texas Rangers: I don't like the Rangers that much, but htis hat is basically a Cubs hat for winners. Winning two consecutive AL Penants doesn't hurt your popularity, but the team was supposed to win both World Series, only to come up disappointingly short. Their red version of this cap looks really bad in my opinion since I think a red outlining of the white "T" makes it stand out from the blue hat rather than an entirely red hat. Maybe if they had won a World Series with Nolan Ryan and another two recently, this hat would be seen more often outside of Texas. (not owned)


18. Arizona Diamondbacks: My favorite team sadly doesn't have the best logo. The purple D-backs that won the 2001 World Series behind Gonzo, Johnson, and Schilling is almost nowhere to be seen in their newer logo. The older D-backs logo had the same idea of the snake "D", but the sedona red version looks more like the Walt Disney "D", which is partially why this hat is popular amongst Little Leaguers. Their alternate black cap is pretty sick though. (owned)



19. Colorado Rockies: Oddly enough, the purple & black color scheme is almost perfect for the Rocky Mountains. The team is always overlooked and dangerous though, which makes it unfortunate that they don't have many fans. Coors Field has the highest elevation in the MLB, which gives the Rockies a dangerous offense every season, but not many people support this team. If they could somehow win without a large market and fan-base, this simple and plain hat could potentially find its way to the casual baseball fan. (owned)



20. Kansas City Royals: The name of the team both fits perfectly and doesn't at all. This hat demonstrates how a royal blue hat should work, but there is nothing royal about this franchise. They lose. However, it is a nice and youthful looking hat for a franchise that is looking towards their young players for a quick change. Perhaps the All-Star game can show the nation what a beautiful ballpark and handsome hat the Kansas City Royals have. (not owned)



21. Seattle Mariners: This hat really symbolizes what Seattle is. It's next to the water and it looks sad. No other hat really uses the colors that the Mariners use, from navy blue to northwest green to metallic silver. The logo's compass makes a simple hat look a bit more complex, which makes this hat look more interesting without going over the top. I would've ranked it a little bit higher if the Mariners had a better fan-base and also if they made it to the World Series just once. (owned)



22. Tampa Bay Rays: It's an improvement from the Devil Rays hat, but it isn't special whatsoever. Different shades of blue don't make an intriguing hat, yet the designers of their uniform somehow managed to make their alternate uniform look quite tacky. Like the hat, the team doesn't have much going for them. They are an extremely talented team in an extremely tough division and they have somehow managed to consistently make the postseason which is truly amazing, but their fans don't even go to support them in the shabby Tropicana Field. If your fans won't support you, who's gonna wear your hat? (not owned)

23. Washington Nationals: The Nats are on the rise in Major League Baseball, but I just don't like this hat. It's all red except for that Walgreen's logo right in the middle of it. Who would want to wear a hat that so closely resembles a well known pharmacy? Maybe if the Nats can finally get into the postseason, people will start supporting them by wearing this foolish-looking hat. (not owned)





24. San Diego Padres: This is just a plain hat for a bad team, enough said. The hat itself isn't that bad, but the team sucks and so do some of their uniforms. It's already bad enough to support an awful team, but wearing an ugly uniform also is a double whammy. However, in all honesty, this hat isn't bad. It's not special, but the Padres' uniforms are especially bad, which is why I'm not willing to wear this hat. (not owned)



25. New York Mets: The Mets are in a lose-lose situation unless they can win. I know that sounds dumb and redundant but it is true. The only people who support the Mets are those who live in New York and don't like the Yankees. Other than that, it's hard to find a true blue-blooded Mets fan. The team has plenty of money since they are based in New York, but they always dispose of their better players thinking that maybe next year will be better. Don't do that. You already have enough money to win, so why don't you do it? Also the logo is a bit funky looking on this blue & orange hat. (not owned)  


26. Los Angeles Angels: I have to admit, I did not intend for this hat to go this low, but looking at it now, I don't like it that much. I know that an Angel can be both male and female, but this hat is a bit feminine. I think it's because of the "A" and the halo on top. This hat doesn't look bad, but it'd be better on a girls head than a guys. Maybe if Pujols, Weaver, Wilson, and Haren can bring a World Series title to LA, this hat would be more popular. (not owned)





27. Houston Astros: "Houston, we have a problem" cause our baseball team sucks. The hat isn't that bad, but the team is so bad that you won't find many people wearing this hat. This goes to show that even though your hat ain't too shabby, if the people of Houston won't wear your hat, no one will. (not owned)

28. Milwaukee Brewers: I really like their old hats, but the new Brewers logo/cap looks like Miller Lite, which is probably why they play in Miller Park. The team probably won't enjoy the success of last season since they lost Prince Fielder, which is why only people in Wisconsin wear this hat. (owned)





29. Oakland Athletics: If this hat or the Oakland uniform was nicer, Moneyball wouldn't exist. Oakland is a small market and the A's don't have that many fans. Plus they play in a football stadium. All of this goes to show that the A's have it tough and there's no way they can truly stay competitive. If you can't stay competitive and the people in your own town don't go to your games, not many people are gonna wear your hat. The fact that it's green also doesn't help. (not owned)



30. Miami Marlins: When I first saw this hat, I was grossed out. When I saw their away hat, I threw up and got blind at the same time. What was their goal with this logo? I heard that they tried to revive the world-famous Miami beach scene from the '80s, but all this logo does is remind me of Maroon 5. The Florida Marlins hat already looked funky enough, but this one is an abomination to hats and baseball. You will not see me put this on my head (not owned)


              

The Agony of the Upset

The Upset: Whether you are an athlete, coach, or fan-addict of any team, and whether they are professional, collegiate, or even little league, there is always the possibility of defeat. Defeat always lurks whether you are the favorite, an evenly matched opponent, or a doormat, and that feeling of defeat will strike you in many different ways. As the favorite, you are expected to win. Victory may and should be easy, but there is little to gain other than maintaining your reputation. However, if the favorite loses, there can be dire consequences. I think what makes the upset most painful is the fact that you were supposed to win and that the possibility of losing should never even have crossed your mind; once you do in fact lose, you won't even know what hit you. Here are a couple of ways the upset will shock you:

David vs Goliath: This is the most surprising type of upset. Every major upset starts out the same way: the underdog proves that they have come to play. Whether it's playing stingy defense, scoring first, or actually running away with the game for the moment, the only way an underdog can hang around is by showing their mettle. Once the underdogs establish themselves, the favorites wake up and usually take over the game. However, every now and then David holds on and trades punches with Goliath. The two teams go back and forth with a finale that will either be seen as a scare or a shocking upset. Towards the final stages of the game, Goliath will either finish off David, or David's sling will deliver an unexpected and decisive kill-shot of Goliath for the victory. At the end of every major upset, one thing is for certain: David deserved it.

The Underestimation: The title is pretty straightforward and this element is always in every upset; however, for the bigger games that we have, both teams got there for a reason, which is why you should never underestimate your opponent on a big stage. They are there for a reason. We see examples of this in all sorts of playoff games, but especially in playoff runs. Many teams gain momentum throughout their playoff success, making them into an entirely different team with a new expectation to win. These kind of teams expect to win it all after recent successes by gaining large amounts of confidence.

The Fluke (The Underdog): These upsets happen when the favorite just does not show up to the game. Oftentimes they can get away with it by waking up late in the game with a sense of urgency, but every now and then, they suffer the consequences of arriving to the game flat: the underdog will get lucky and they won't. The cheap defeat hurts less when the favorite can recover and play the way they are accustomed and expected to for the rest of their season. Most players/coaches/fan-addicts hope every upset is this fluke, not...

The Fluke (The Favorite): What can be a wake-up call could also spell disaster for the entire season because it shows that the favorite is a fluke. Oftentimes, people like to rank certain teams relative to others or predict how well each team will do. Every now and then, there's that team that people will overrate. This only means they have a longer way to fall. Personally, nothing more disappointing in the world of sports than false hope. Everyone has it and everyone will be upset.

Which is better in the world of Sports: Left or Right?

Who's better: Lefties or Righties? That question has always bugged me, whether it's from watching the Rocky movies or wondering why Matt Leinart was so bad. Personally, I was born ambidextrous so I could never decide which hand was better, but I had to stick with the right hand because of an accident and Bible school teachers. Historically, the left hand was never seen as a good thing, whether for spiritual reasons or cause it was just the weaker arm. Anyways, that's besides the point because we all know that there are some dominant lefties in the world of sports, which leads to my question: are lefties better athletes? Some people believe that lefties are more artistic and maybe even smarter, given that Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and Opera Winfrey are all left-handed. Here's a look at some of the more dominant lefties in the world of sports:

• Football: All I care about here is the quarterback (although David Akers is a left-footed kicker who recently set the record for most FGs made in a single NFL season).

• Tim Tebow: His throwing motion is the  ugliest thing I have ever seen and it doesn't seem as though he's the brightest kid. Is that cause of his left-handedness? Probably not. He's been banged around too many times and he doesn't really have a thrower's body, so you must excuse him for that awful delivery; however, he has a will to win. He's also a great runner, like the next player on this list.                                                                                         

• Michel Vick: He's a great talent and he's got some great moves, but he's never really been known for his arm until recently. He's also not the most liked character in football... in fact he's the most hated according to a recent NFL poll. Is that because he's left-handed? No, of course not. His left-handedness probably helped him a lot in football because it forces defenses to reverse their defensive formations if they want to contain a scrambling QB that always runs left instead of right.

•  Kellen Moore: Another lefty that has a will to win. Just look at his 50-3 record as a starter in College Football. But he was never invited to play in the title game and he wasn't even drafted. Is that cause he's a lefty? Of course not, don't be silly. It's because he lacked arm strength as a passer... wait a sec, is he weak cause he's a lefty? Nope, again look at the two guys ahead of him on the list.

Left-handed fortune for football: Being a left-handed QB will make you a good runner, rather than a good passer. You'll get you many wins, but no one will like you.

•  Baseball: Most batters/pitchers are right handed, but if the batter is left-handed, they'll have more success against a right-handed pitcher, vice versa. Given that notion and the right-handed majority, it doesn't make sense to be a left-handed pitcher.


• Randy Johnson: Probably one of the greatest pitchers and the greatest lefty of all time. With 303 wins and 4,875 Ks in his career, he's one of the exceptions of a great left-handed pitcher since the ratio of Cy Young winners between righties and lefties is about 2:1. Another exception to Johnson is that he usually threw side arm. This allowed for his pitch to have much greater movement on a horizontal plane rather than a vertical plane (it also looked like the pitch would hit a left-handed batter.)
• Barry Bonds: Now here's where being a left-handed batter gives you an advantage. Bonds was probably one of the most gifted hitters to ever play the game and being a lefty gave him an advantage over many pitchers since there are more right-handed pitchers than lefties. But then again, he used steroids (well then again, who hits tons of homers AND didn't use steroids). Even though he hit 73 homers one year, he also batted .370 the next year.

• Babe Ruth: The Sultan of Swat, The Babe,The Bambino, whatever you want to call him, he was the first great slugger in our past time. And guess what, he was a lefty. Even though he played against weaker competition, he still hit 714 homers and .342 over his career. I'm not even sure if they had steroids back then, but the Babe was pretty fat and he wasn't a likeable guy ("pull my finger").

Left-handed fortune for baseball:  Avoid tossing lefty if you're a pitcher, but if you're a slugger, switch to the left side for contact. Again, all of these left-handed athletes weren't likeable guys.

• Basketball: Now, you probably don't know that many left-handed basketball players, but defending them is quite different. As a good basketball player, you must master dribbling in both hands; however, a righty/lefty player will have their natural tendencies as to which side of the hoop they'll attack (a lefty will go to the left, a righty to the right).

• Chris Bosh: The third wheel of the Miami Heat's tricycle currently has a flat tire, but he would probably help D-Wade and LeBron since he brings more attention to the left side of the hoop. However, ever since he came to Miami, his numbers have gone down and people don't like him that much anymore.

• Manu Ginobili: I personally can't stand this guy and I think many people are with me on this one. The guy isn't too talented and he flops all the time, yet his Spurs always win games. No matter how old they are, they keep finding ways to win. For example, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Ginobili led a 4th quarter comeback for the Spurs in which they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder.

• Lamar Odom: Another unlikeable guy. I'm not sure if it's cause of the Kardashian wife or the lack of effort and heart (and eyebrows), but this guy just ticks me off. He does indeed have talent, but in Los Angeles, he just seemed like Kobe's back-up. However, I can't hold a grudge against him just in case the Phoenix Suns get him.

Left-handed fortune for basketball: It's different and you'll have some success, but it doesn't make you more talented than right-handed players. Once again, none of these guys are liked.

Overall, the left-hand may present issues for your opponents in all of these sports since both football and basketball defenses must adjust to the different hand, but that advantage stops once the opponent gets used to defending the opposite arm. Baseball, on the other hand, has quite an advantage for left-handed batters. Unlike the other two sports, it is relatively easy to force yourself to bat left-handed, which is probably why there are so many left-handed or switch hitters. Whether or not your handedness affects how you behave or how people behave towards you hasn't been scientifically proven yet, so that's for another article. Baseball has a true advantage for lefties whereas football and basketball have little to no advantage for the left-handed athlete.

 

Cole Hamels hits Eight wins as the Phillies top the Mets, 8-4

Cole Hamels is gonna make big bucks soon. Not only cause he's one of the better young lefties in today's game, but also because he's good. He's so good that he's been outperforming the Phillies' ace, Roy Halladay. Speaking of the Doc, doctors are examining his shoulder after he was roughed up by the Cardinals last night. Hamels still has a lot to do if he wants to be considered the Phillies ace, but being the first to reach eight wins in the Major Leagues doesn't hurt.