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Jeff Kent, who currently holds the record for career home runs by a second baseman with 351, was one of the first to showcase offensive skills at this middle infield spot. In 2009 there were ten second baseman that hit over 20 homers. Ten! And that’s even post retirement of Bret Boone’s suspiciously growing head and Roberto Alomar spitting into people’s eyes. Check out Bret’s curious home run spikes - http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=111214.

The American League East has an amazing crop of young second baseman. Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia, Aaron Hill, Brian Roberts and Ben “Zorilla” Zobrist, all have put up big time numbers at second base. Its a joy to watch any of them play on a daily basis so don’t forget to grab your mlb tickets. For the the purposes of this article, we are going to closely compare and contrast Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia. Both athletes have been all-stars and vital cogs in recent championship teams.

Dustin Pedroia actually looks and plays like a throwback second baseman. The Red Sox list him at five foot eight which is a complete stretch. But, Dusty showed he was no joke in 2008 when he won the MVP honors along with a gold glove and silver slugger award for second base. Pedroia is gutty, gritty and plays with a chip on his shoulder that is nearly as tall as he. He forced another great second baseman, Ian Kinsler, to transfer from Arizona State University because he had a strangle hold on the position. Pedroia is your classic overachiever and is the type of player you love on your team, but despise when hes on the opposition.

Robinson Cano is the complete and utter opposite of Dustin Pedroia. The tall and slender Cano plays smooth and never seems to break a sweat The only time I saw him sweat was when his BFFL (for the older demographic that stands for best friend for life) Melky Cabrera was dealt to Braves this off-season. Although that “sweat” may have actually been tears. Cano makes difficult plays in the field seem effortless and hit .342 in 2006. He is a career .307 hitter and hits in a very comfortable number five spot in a Yankee lineup surrounded by future Hall of Famers.

Physically Cano and Pedroia couldn’t be any different. They have contrasting styles in the way they approach the game. But, the output is the constant between the two. Both hit in ballparks suited to their skill set and are still reaching their prime. Cano and Pedroia will be at the forefront of the great Yankee Sox rivalry for many years to come.

Randomly Matt was given Florida State and I was given Gonzaga. Unfortuantely they are playing each other in the first round. So, tomorrow one of us will be eliminated. Each of us have penned a story and I urge you to take a gander…

http://www.lastfanstanding2010.com/

I was watching ESPN’s Sportscenter last night as the Lady Huskies were donned “King of the Night” after they beat Notre Dame for their 71st straight win. Merril Hoge, Tim Kurkjian and Jamal Mashburn were forced to (cough) discussed what a streak like this would mean for other sports. It would equal to about half of a MLB season, about 85% of an NBA season and almost 4 years of flawless NFL games. However, they were discussing men’s professional sports. The athletes that compete in the MLB, NFL, and NBA are getting paid for what they do…these young women on Connecticut are competing against other student athletes. It’s impossible to compare.

What if a Men’s College Basketball team currently had this streak? Would it be all over the press day in and day out? Of course it would. Why? The competition is spread across the country. Teams from every major conference get the best recruits and then there are times when players fall through the cracks to other schools and we see “Cinderalla” stories (see: George Mason 2006). 

What is my point?…The point is that the talent quality and quantity for men’s athletics can not be compared to those in the women’s game. Yes, UCLA won 88 consecutive men’s basketball games from 1971-1974. We will NEVER see another streak like this in the men’s game…never. There is way too much talent. Too many things can happen. 

It’s different for women…this streak is impressive, yet unimpressive all at the same time. USA and Canada women’s hockey teams were beating opponents 251-0 (an exaggeration) and no one was even flinching.

To show how little people care about this streak, ESPN put a poll on its front page asking how this streak has affected your interest in women’s college basketball? Currently 68% said it hasn’t changed. What is second? People are LESS interested (19%) compared to more interested (12%).

In athletics we need an underdog or Cinderella team to root for. The underdog always has a fighting chance…in women’s athletics, especially against the Lady Huskies, they have no chance. Until the talent level is spread across the country, this streak will continue to be unimpressive and leave fans “less interested”…

I whole-heartedly agree.

The NBA and NHL seasons are winding down, the MLB season is just about to begin and of course the NCAA tournament captivates the country. March Madness is phenomenal, amateur athletes playing for their schools with no other allegiances or endorsement deals (except for USC). There is something so pure and real about the emotion and the way the games are played. Also, throw in the office pools/brackets and you have involved the sports casualist as well. Who doesn’t love a little incentive to watch more television?

Whether it’s watching the opening Thursday and Friday games at work or furiously checking your brackets, the tournament holds your undivided attention for a solid three weeks. Buzzer beaters, upsets and Cinderella are tournament lingo that will reach its wear-out level until the following March. The tournament as currently structured has 65 teams with 31 automatic bids. But, there have been some discussions this year about expanding the tournament. The proposed new tournament will be 96 teams large. This means there will be a ton more “play-in” games. Part of the reason for this is that the NCAA also owns the NIT tournament and they are looking to bury it in the next coming years. The other reason is money! Shocking right? ESPN will be making a bid to air the expanded tournament on it’s family of networks.

Usually I would be all for more college hoops, especially in March. But, at what point does March Madness become over-exposed? Would it be possible for it to “jump the shark”? Jumping the shark is a term that refers to a television show or actor that was once successful and critically acclaimed, but has hit a point of over-exposure and annoyance. What about the cliché “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it?”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the current tournament structure and changing it could be a mistake.

To put this potential over-exposure into perspective let’s take a look into the life of Diddy aka P Diddy aka Puffy aka Puff Daddy aka Sean Combs. Sean Combs started out as a party promoter and developed a friendship with Christopher Wallace and the rest is history. But, now Diddy has his own vodka, clothing line, cologne, bands, reality shows and probably his own toilet paper. Diddy obviously is willing to brand himself with anything and everything. He now lacks credibility because its quantity over quality.

Other pop-culture examples of this are, but not limited to, Dane Cook, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and the CSI franchises. The first three are relatively self explanatory and CSI has a new location every month. I love watching David Caruso take off his sunglasses and say corny things as much as the next guy, but when is enough, enough? Once CSI Poughkeepsie starts I think that will be the end for me. My fear is that the NCAA tournament one day reaches this Diddy state when they expand it even further…

Fifty plus games into the 2009/2010 NBA season the bottom half of the draft class has proven the draft experts wrong. Darren Collison (21st overall), has stepped in for an injured Chris Paul and kept the Hornets in the playoff race. As a starter Collison has averaged 18 / 4 / 8 while still shooting 45% from the field. The speedy former Tar Heel, Ty Lawson (18th overall) was though to be too small to receive big time minutes at the NBA level. Similar to Collison, Lawson stepped in while Chauncey Billups was injured and averaged 17 / 3 / 6 to go along with an astounding 57% from the field.

Kings forward Omri Casspi (23rd overall) became the first Israeli to be selected in the first round. Casspi has shown a well developed skill set and will be a part of the Young Kings rebuilding project. To further his stardom he should take on a better nickname at some point, my vote would be for “The Israel-ity Show”, which is leaps and bounds better then his current “O.C” nickname.

Brandon Jennings (10th overall) captivated the league in the first half. Jennings exploded for a 55 point game in his first month but has tailed off of late. However, he did sport the sickest high top fade since the Fresh Prince. So, that clearly counts for something. Other rookies that have contributed thus far include PF Taj Gibson (26th overall) for the Chicago Bulls, PF DaJuan Blair (37th overall) for the San Antonio Spurs, F Jonas Jerebko (39th overall) for the Detroit Pistons and SG Marcus Thornton (43rd overall) for the New Orleans Hornets. There were some solid players waiting awhile for their name to be called.

As for the top half of the draft, Blake Griffin will miss the entire season due to the injury, Haseem Thabeet has found himself in the D-League and Ricky Rubio will never ever play for the Minnesota T-Wolves. But, dont worry! There are two potential all stars atop this rather deep draft class.

Tyreke Evans (4th overall) has consistently been good to great this season. So far this season he is averaging 20/ 5 / 6. He doesn’t seem to be a true point guard but has a similar game to Dwayne Wade. Tyreke plays well with the ball in his hands and can create shots for others, but also can score the basketball at a high level. At this point he seems to have Rookie of the Year honors all but locked up.

Nellie’s pet project Stephen Curry has emerged as the second best player in the 2009 draft class. Curry started slow while getting accustomed to the NBA game. But, Curry flourished while Monta Ellis was out of the lineup and has not looked back. Since the All Star break Curry has averaged 21/ 7 / 9 while shooting nearly 50% from the field. Stephen has shown that he can be a primary ball handler at the elite level.

This class will be judged on how Blake Griffin returns from injury and how Rubio’s game translates to wherever he lands in the NBA. There are always draft busts and its a bit too early to proclaim any player a bust, Thabeet cough cough. But, there are numerous players in this draft class that will be very successful NBA players for many years to come.

The Story: It’s no surprise that Kansas and Kentucky remain atop the college basketball power rankings.The Jayhawks, who received all but one first place vote in the Coaches’ poll, won in a close battle against Texas A&M before handling Colorado relatively easily. Kentucky on the other hand had a harder week. The Wildcats won two games on the road, beating Mississippi State by six in overtime followed by a thriller at Vanderbilt. Last week’s No. 3 team, Villanova, falls to No. 7/8 after losing two in a row to Connecticut and Pittsburgh. Purdue, Syracuse, and Duke round out the top five thanks to Villanova’s departure. Gonzaga falls six spots to No. 15 in the Coaches’ poll after losing at Loyola Marymount. Georgetown and Michigan State also dropped a few spots in both polls. Ohio State, previously No. 9 in the AP poll, has now also cracked the top 10 in the Coaches’ poll. The Buckeyes split their games last week, losing at home to Purdue, but they bounced back to beat Michigan State on the road. Wake Forest is the only team to fall off of the AP poll this week and is replaced by Northern Iowa. Wake and Baylor fall from the Coaches’ poll and are replaced by Richmond and UTEP.

 Connecticut pulled off a much needed win at home against West Virginia yesterday. Just goes to show you how hard it is to predict ncaa basketball picks, especially in the Big East. If the Huskies win out, they’ll finish 10-8 in the Big East and that may be enough to get them in. Do you think they deserve to be in field?

Enough rambling…here’s a look at this week’s games….

Tuesday, February 23:

#13 Georgetown at Louisville

#17 Tennessee at Florida

Wednesday, February 24:

Dayton at #18 Temple

#23 Texas A&M at Baylor

Saturday, February 27:

#2 Kentucky at #17 Tennessee

#8 Villanova at #4 Syracuse

Missouri at #6 Kansas State

#12 New Mexico at #11 BYU

#21 Texas at #23 Texas A&M

Illinois State at #22 Northern Iowa

Sunday, February 28:

#14 Michigan State at #3 Purdue

Ryter’s Block: I haven’t brought this up in awhile, but here goes…Why can’t both polls get on the same page? Butler is No. 10 in the Coaches’ and No. 15 in the AP. Vanderbilt is No. 20 in the Coaches’ and No. 16 in the AP. A 1-3 spot differential is relatively acceptable, but 5 spots for Butler? Come on. 5? There shouldn’t be that much of a difference.

How good is John Wall? The block he made in the closing seconds at Vanderbilt that led to a Kentucky victory was amazing. Please take the time to watch it. He doesn’t bite on the pump fake (which enabled Vandy to hit a 3 on the possession before from the corner), stays on the ground and rises just as Vandy’s John Jenkins rises to shoot. You can try to teach this stuff as a coach, but that play was made by Wall’s instincts. He’s a game changer, we all know that, but instinctively he’s got what it takes to lead Kentucky deep into March.

I realize the Big East beats up one another because it is such a deep conference. However, I wrote last week that it was ridiculous that Georgetown was ranked in the top 10. Well, they lose again, granted it was to Syracuse, but manage to only fall one spot in the AP poll. Really? This team has no depth. They rely too heavily on their starters and if Monroe is in foul trouble, it equals disaster for the Hoyas. They should be lower in the polls at (18-7, 8-6). They aren’t consistent enough to be just outside of the top 10.

The Story: Kansas and Kentucky remain the top two teams in the Coaches’ poll this week, while every other spot within the Top 25 changed. Kentucky also moved up one spot to earn No. 2 honors in the AP poll. Villanova, No. 3 this week, has already been upset at home by Connecticut and will likely drop out of the top 5 in next week’s polls. Purdue, after an impressive performance at Michigan State, is No. 4, while Syracuse falls to No. 5 after losing at home to Louisville. Ohio State (No. 9/12) moved up four spots in both polls and are riding a six game winning streak. However, the Buckeyes face a tough week as they play host to Purdue (Wednesday, 2/17) before traveling to Michigan State (Sunday, 2/21). Georgetown drops to No. 10 in both polls after losing at Rutgers. Fellow Big East powerhouse, West Virginia, drops out of the top 5 to No. 8 after losing to Villanova and Pittsburgh. Georgia Tech and UNLV have dropped from both polls. Cornell has fallen from the Coaches’ poll after losing at Penn. The Quakers, 4-16 on the season, defeated the Big Red by fifteen points last week in a game that’s being dubbed “upset of the year.” Northern Iowa, previous No. 19 in the AP poll, has dropped from the rankings after losing at Bradley. Texas A&M and Wake Forest are newcomers in both polls this week, while Richmond (AP) and Baylor (Coaches’) each join in separate polls.

Polls: AP and Coaches’

Ryter’s Block: This is a huge week for Ohio State. After watching All-American Evan Turner fall during a dunk attempt earlier in the season, it seemed as if we could count out the Buckeyes for making a run in the Big Ten. Turner then came back earlier then expected and currently sit ½ a game out of first place behind Michigan State and Purdue, both of whom they play this week. Can they get mentally prepared for both games? Buckeyes fans sure hope so. Realistically, they can take one of two, however I see them winning both and shaking up the Big Ten race. Is Texas finally out of their “slump”? It seems as if the Longhorns have been heading in the wrong direction ever since they earned a No. 1 ranking. They face a very tough Mizzou team this Wednesday. Hopefully they can build off of their 40 point win against Nebraska. How is Georgetown ranked in the top 10? They may be the most schizophrenic team in the nation. They beat up on Duke, lose to South Florida (at home), beat Villanova, and struggle against Providence, before finally losing at Rutgers. You can’t lose to Rutgers and still be ranked in the top 10. You just can’t.

Here are some games to watch this week…

Wednesday, February 17:

#4 Purdue at #12 Ohio State

#17 Texas at Missouri

Thursday, February 18:

#5 Syracuse at #10 Georgetown

Saturday, February 20:

#2 Kentucky at #19 Vanderbilt

Illinois at #4 Purdue

#7 Kansas State at Oklahoma

Siena at #13 Butler

Sunday, February 21:

#3 Villanova at #21 Pittsburgh

#12 Ohio State at #11 Michigan State

Your first annual, 2009 NFL Playoff Picks Champion, Buddah!

Finishing with a stellar 8-3 record, the Buddah aka Mini B, has shown his dynamic and impregnable ability to handicap games. Buddah finished one game ahead of Spi “The Greek” in a showdown similar to ending of the Rams/Titans Super Bowl XXXIV. To the rest of us “experts” who brought up the rear of the league, “If you’re not first, you’re last”.

Per Chad Millman, ESPN’s betting expert, the public is on the Saints money line and the over. The “wiseguys” are on the Colts money line and the under. Interestingly enough the “wiseguys” are split on the point spread, so that means this game will come down to one final shot of Jim Caldwell possibly not breathing.

Typically the experienced gambler goes against the public, as they are usually wrong. If the public was right more often then Charles Barkley and Antonie Walker types wouldn’t be losing millions of “hard” earned cash. The house always wins in the long run.

Another interesting aspect of Super Bowl betting are the prop bets. Prop bets are bets like “Heads or Tails” on the opening kick off, or “Will Peyton Manning throw a 2nd quarter touchdown”. There are always some novelty prop bets that are good conversation starters. I recommend using them as effective and efficient pick up lines with the ladies. For instance, if you notice a lovely young female, you could say, “Hey Madam, will Kim Kardashian be wearing a Saints shirt this Sunday? If so, you can get +140 odds”. She will either fall lovingly into your arms or run away screaming because you called her madam. Either way its really a win-win.

Given that everyone has an opinion and this is my website, you know my opinion is coming. Yeah, so what, big whoop wanna fight about it?

40oz Super Bowl Picks (Including Props)

- Saints + 4.5

- Over 57

- Drew Brees to throw a first quarter TD + 190

- Devery Henderson to score a TD + 240

- Will Pete Townsend smash his guitar at halftime? YES +140