Maddux Sports Blog

With the GMAC Bowl in the books, there is now just one college bowl game left before the countdown to the college football season begins in earnest. Luckily for us, the last game is a gem. As we get closer to the Florida - Oklahoma showdown, I find myself changing my mind about the game a few times a day. I like Oklahoma a lot more than I like Florida from a personal bias basis, but my confidence has been shaken in them by the struggles of the big Big 12 teams in their bowls. As I drive my self crazy about the game, here are 10 things that will likely factor into my ultimate decision:

1. As I said, I have been concerned about how the Big 12 has measured up in bowl action. Texas won, but they made Ohio State look much better than most Big Ten teams have looked this year, and better than the team looked against their other top five opponent. Texas Tech was mostly pitiful. Oklahoma State was outclassed by Oregon after a tough fight. Mizzou needed overtime to get past Northwestern. There hasn’t yet been a powerful performance by a ranked Big 12 team in a bowl game.

2. The SEC, on the other hand, has been better than expected in many of their bowls. Mississippi rose up against Texas Tech, Georgia beat Michigan State, LSU crushed Georgia Tech, and Vandy got past Boston College. Alabama is the only big disappointment from the conference.

3. It’s been hard to have faith in a Heisman winner in their bowl game. Tim Tebow got beat in a game he should have won last year, and he wasn’t alone. Heisman winners are just 2-6 in their last eight bowl games after a win.

4. Special teams mismatch? The Gators are ridiculously fast, and that translates to a good return game. Oklahoma has struggled at times, giving up four return touchdowns. Things would be much easier for Florida if they were to have good field position all game.

5. Strength against strength. Few teams in history have scored as often and as easily as the Sooners. Only three teams allowed fewer points per game than Florida did. Only one of those units is going to be able to play their game. It goes without saying that knowing which team that will be would be helpful.

6. Travis Lewis. There are few players in the country that have more of a singular impact on their unit than Oklahoma’s linebacker. If Lewis plays well then the Oklahoma defense plays well. Lewis will have to have a big game to contain Percy Harvin and the rest.

7. No-huddle. Florida hasn’t seen a team that runs a no-huddle offense anything close to as effectively as Oklahoma. Mostly because there isn’t one. It remains to be seen how Florida  responds.

8. Speed. Obviously, Florida is fast. Really, really fast. We have heard all about that a million times. The question is how much of a factor it will be.

9. The crowd factor. The game is in Miami. Miami is in Florida. Oklahoma will have their fans, but this could look a lot like a Florida home game.

10. Dan Mullen. Mullen has been Florida’s offensive coordinator since 2005. This will be his last game - he is the new head coach at Mississippi State. He’ll still be in charge for this game, but he has been splitting time between the two jobs. This could raise some issues. The impact will be mitigated somewhat by the

I’m watching Canada attempt to win its fifth consecutive World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal right now. They are playing Sweden. Canada is obviously hockey-crazy, and this tournament is massively important. Beyond the Olympics, no hockey event matters to the whole country more than this. Canada is fairly heavily favored (-180 at Pinnacle, or -0.5, -115). This plus the Fiesta Bowl ensures that this will be a good night. Unless we lose, of course.

That’s obviously not the only story in sports today. Here’s a look at some of the other things that are catching my eye:

Boston College is freaking ridiculous. If they were actually to fire coach Jeff Jagodzinski for interviewing with the Jets as it is reported they will then all they will do is ensure that rising, forward thinking coaches won’t think about taking a job at BC. Jagodzinski has done a good job, and there is a very good chance he wouldn’t get the job and would still be in college. This just makes no sense at all for the program - especially since they have to pay him if they fire him. Ridiculous.

So far, the NFL had given out six of their awards. Defensive rookie Jerod Mayo narrowly missed out on the playoffs. Offensive rookie Matt Ryan was bounced in the first round. So was coach of the year Mike Smith. And MVP Peyton Manning. And comeback player Chad Pennington. Defensive player James Harrison obviously hasn’t played yet. That trend’s almost enough to make you the Steelers.

Pat Burrell joined the Rays for two years to be their DH. There is absolutely nothing not to like about that deal as far as I am concerned. Great move for the Rays and for Burrell.

The Fiesta Bowl is about to kick off. My gut says that Texas is going to take it, and take it convincingly. As much as I hate to admit it, my heart hopes that Ohio State can pull it off. I hate them, obviously, but the Big Ten desperately needs the boost. That being said, I gave up the points and took Texas, and I feel good about it.

1. Joe Flacco was 9/23 for 135 yards. Eery isn’t it just how good Baltimore is at looking good in the playoffs with barely adequate quarterbacking?

2. I’m not sure that I have ever seen a defense more in the head of a decent quarterback than the Ravens were in Chad Pennington’s. It’s like Ed Reed was in the Miami huddle.

3. Can we ultimately be that surprised that a 1-15 team last year lost in the playoffs this year? It would only make sense, really. But then, nothing about their turnaround makes sense, so what can we expect.

4. Ed Hochuli was the head official in the game. The league sure was serious about cracking down on problem officiating, weren’t they?

5. I don’t have kids, but when I do and they are off at college, I strongly suspect that they will be watching Ray Lewis play linebacker in the NFL. And he’ll still look good. Stunningly ageless.

6. Adrian Peterson was as ineffective as a running back can be while still scoring two touchdowns. Take off his 40 yard TD run, and you are left with 19 carries for 43 yards. No wonder the Vikings struggled to a bad loss.

7. Tarvaris Jackson is not a long term solution in Minnesota.

8. Watching Donovan McNabb celebrate and dance like a giddy school girl at the end of the game was very interesting. He obviously has gotten over his issues with the team and the city. For now. Strange what winning can do.

9. I am not at all convinced that we saw a Super Bowl team playing today. I’m not even convinced we saw a Conference Championship team.

10. Three favorites won on the weekend, but just one game went over. It was a split weekend for the public.

1. Larry Fitzgerald is a freak. He changed that game several times over.

2. Kurt Warner - he may be old and all, but it’s hard to count him out when the chips are down. It’s not impossible to imagine him taking them a long way. Not likely, but possible.

3. This was the first time in more than 40 years that a rookie QB and coach started a playoff game together. It will happen again tomorrow. Ryan’s struggles raise real questions about what Joe Flacco will have to bring tomorrow. I don’t know what to think. Flacco is a different player than Ryan, and his team’s success doesn’t rely on him as much as it does on Ryan, so my gut feeling is not to rule him out. Or maybe that’s just because I like the Ravens.

4. So Edgerrin James isn’t entirely washed up after all. He wasn’t world class, but he was a heck of a lot better than he had been in a while. I also got a real sense that the offense was using him in a way that better suits his not inconsiderable talents. That big smile he was wearing all day was reason to believe that this team just might not be a total write off - we know how dangerous he can be if he is right and motivated.

5. All that being said, I find it really, really hard to believe in Arizona.

6. If I was a lesser man I’d go on about how Peyton Manning didn’t look very MVP-like today, or how he didn’t come through in a big game again, but I am better than that. Sure, his numbers were pretty good. He just didn’t come through when he needed to. He’ll have a while to reflect on what happened, I guess.

7. The thought of a team that was once 4-8 winning a playoff game makes me kind of ill. The thought of them winning again is enough to make me puke. Sadly, it could certainly happen. After all, they have now won five in a row with their lives on the line.

8. I said that if I had to pick one team to go al the way it would be the Colts. They made it as far as the first day. I’m not sure why I bother sometimes.

9. Darren Sproles kind of made Tomlinson’s injury status irrelevant, didn’t he?

10. It appears that home field advantage is worth the fight. At least it was today.

Ravens Vs. Miami

Run, Ravens, run: All of the Baltimore starting pass catchers are listed as “questionable.”  Wide receiver Clayton has a bad knee, tight end Todd Heap’s having back trouble and wideout Derrick Mason’s shoulder is injured. Will the three starters play? Most likely, yes. But their range, durability and output will probably be reduced. Rookie QB Joe Flacco will be handing the ball off a lot to running backs Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee. The best thing that the Ravens’ offense can do is play cleanly, allowing the team’s defense to play its game and control Miami.

Tricks of the Trade: Miami will do anything to win, including a myriad of trick plays. Fake punts, the flea flicker and passes by running back are all on the table. They will have to do something in order to make this a game against the stellar Baltimore defense. The good news is that overall the team is healthy. Also, home field advantage will help. By all rights, Baltimore should crush these guys. But if Pennington and company can break through the Ravens’ “D,” taking them out of their game, the Fins can win.

Eagles Vs. Vikings

Secondary is Sound: Philadelphia got some good news today. It was announced that Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who sustained a hip injury during Wednesday’s practice and was held out from Thursday’s practice, will be ready to play in Sunday’s Wild-Card game. Samuel’s past playoff performances have been first-rate as the corner has returned three interceptions for touchdowns. He could certainly be key on Sunday.

Viking Spirit: With less than a few days to go before Minnesota hosted Philadelphia, the Viking’s had not sold about 24,000 of their Metrodome seats. That’s because many season ticket holders decided to forgo the purchase of playoff seats. Viking fans, facing a blackout of the game by the NFL, started buying up tickets. The Eagles promoted ticket sales to their fans. It’s unknown how many Philadelphia fans purchased game tickets. But if enough did, the Vikings could lose some of their home field advantage. The Metrodome is now sold out, which means that the NFL will allow the game to be televised locally. By the way, if QB Tarvaris Jackson falters in the contest, look for Minnesota’s former starter Gus Frerotte to replace him. Head coach Brad Childress will act quickly if Jackson plays poorly. 

Falcons Vs. Cardinals

Anquan Bolden: He’ll play and be used in a variety of ways by Arizona to create a pseudo running game today. Bolden is an expert at catching short passes and gaining a lot of yards after the grab. The Cardinals don’t have a running game, so this will have to suffice. This can turn the game around if it works.

Falcons Running: It’s true that Michael Turner is simply one of the best. The other good news for Atlanta’s running attack concerns one Jerious Norwood. Norwood is a versatile threat who averaged 5.1 yards per carry and 9.4 yards per reception. Along with 489 yards on the ground, he also had 338 yards in catches. Norwood also notched 1,311 yards on kick returns this season.

Colts Vs. Chargers

LT: LaDainian Tomlinson’s tear in his tendon may keep him from playing today. The detached tendon connects to his adductor (groin) muscles to his pubic bone. He’s had some relief through physical therapy. But whether or not he plays will be a game time decision. If he does not play, the Charger’s running game will be severely crippled and so too will their chances of winning. Another problem for the Chargers is that TE Antonio Gates is questionable. Gates is essential to San Diego’s success, especially if  LT does not play.

Indy: For the most part, the Colts look healthy and 2008- 2009 MVP Peyton Manning is on his game. Look for him to spread the wealth today. He’ll also go long right at the top. This game is starting to look like a blowout for the Colts.

It’s halfway through the Sugar Bowl, and I have contentedly been watching college football almost non-stop for three days. This is such a great, great time of year. As I sit here at halftime hoping that Utah can hold on and keep Alabama at bay, it seems like a good time to look back to see what we have learned the last few days:

1. Watching Rice operate was impressive. They were relentlessly efficient, and they just beat the heck out of Western Michigan. That was fun football.

2. Oregon and Oklahoma State played the best game of the bowl season so far. Two thing stuck out for me. First, Jeremiah Masoli was incredibly impressive. He was as dangerous with his feet as he was with his arm, and he didn’t look intimidated for a second. Impressive for a guy who was playing in community college last year. Oregon is apparently opening their QB competition up next year, but I find it hard to believe that he could be beat if he plays half as well as he did in this game. Second, I was very impressed by Zac Robinson. I have rarely seen a QB get beaten up that badly that often, but he just kept getting up and trying again. Unbelievable. It was especially tough for him with Dez Bryant ineffective for much of the second half with knee problems.

3. I didn’t watch the Sun Bowl, and I am glad. A 3-0 game would have forced me to poke my eyes out.

4. If Todd Reesing had played like that all year then Kansas wouldn’t have wound up in the Insight Bowl.

5. LSU. Wow. I absolutely did not see that one coming. I thought that the Yellow Jackets would be challenged by the SEC speed that they weren’t used to, but not like that. This is a perfect example of why college football is so perfectly confounding - Georgia Tech beat Georgia, Georgia beat up on LSU, and LSU annihilated Georgia Tech. That’s one of a dozen confusing circles this and every year.

6. It’s a very rough time to be a fan of the Big Ten. When the only sign of hope for the conference is Iowa then it’s not a good year to be a fan of my favorite conference. I hate that I have to cheer for Ohio State in order to salvage some pride.

7. The Gator Bowl wasn’t the Holiday Bowl, but it was still pretty exciting, and it got more so as things went along. Bo Pelini is going to have a long career in Lincoln.

8. Begrudging respect for Virginia Tech. They looked better than I gave them credit for.

9. Very disappointing performance by Texas Tech. Inconsistent offense, brutal defense, and truly bizarre play-calling. I had much higher hopes. Mike Leach didn’t seem to have his head in the game for a second.

As NCAA basketball starts conference play, this is a good time to look at the top teams in the nation. They’ve played non-conference clubs primarily. Many, but not all, of those games were cupcakes as some of the best in some of the toughest conferences met weaker teams in weaker leagues. Now the battles begin to determine league dominance and national prominence. Each team has about 16 regular-season contests left to go. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the five top-ranked clubs in the nation.

#1 North Carolina (13-0): The Tar Heels have six players who are double-digit scorers. The frontcourt is dominant and includes Tyler Hansbrough (23.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG) and Deon Thompson (14.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG). Versatile swingman Danny Green (12.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.1 APG) is a major factor in this team’s success. They play their first ACC contest on January 4 versus Boston College. The Tar Heels have the depth, talent and experience to finish number one in the nation. They should certainly beat B.C.

#2 Connecticut (11- 1): Don’t expect Connecticut to hold onto this spot. They got the #2 ranking prior to their first loss, which was to Big East conference rival the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas are presently ranked 11^th nationally. UConn is good but not good enough to be number 2. Guard A.J. Price (10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.5 APG) is a solid playmaker, but thus far this season his assists are down. Senior forward Jeff Adrien (14.5 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.2 BPG) has four double-doubles in 2008- 2009. Against Georgetown, Connecticut’s rebounding and second-shot chances suffered. Center Hasheem Thabeet (13.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG), who is averaging a double-double, was also for the most part shut down by the Hoyas. UConn is a top-25 team but not a top-ten club.

#3 Pittsburgh (13- 0): The Pittsburgh Panthers, also members of the Big East, won their first conference game versus Rutgers 78- 72. Two forwards, senior Sam Young (19.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG) and sophomore DeJuan Blair (13.7 PPG, 12.1 RPG) have dominated the front, while senior point guard Levance Fields (10.4 PPG, 6.4 APG) runs a fine game. The Panthers are for real this season, but more depth would be helpful. If they stay healthy, they could finish somewhere in the top-ten nationally and in the top- three in the conference.

#4 Oklahoma (12-1): The Sooners were 12- 0 when the poll was taken and have since lost to the unranked Arkansas Razorbacks 96- 88. Sophomore Blake Griffin (22.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG) has been massive. He’s had 10 double-doubles in 13 games. The outside scoring game is the purview of freshman guard Willie Warren (16.5 PPG). This team has talent but it is young. They will probably be in the top-25 by the end of the year but a lack of depth and experience will see them losing some games this season that they might not next year. The Sooners play their first conference game on January 10 when they meet the Kansas State Wildcats. They should beat the Wildcats. Texas (1/12 and 2/21) and Texas A&M (1/17 and 2/04) are two clubs that will test Oklahoma.

#5 Duke (11- 1): The Blue Devils, like the Tar Heels, play in the high caliber ACC. Duke plays its first conference game on January 4 when they host Virginia Tech. They should win that contest. The team will be tested on January 17 when they meet non-conference opponent Georgetown. North Carolina, Wake Forest and Clemson will all be major in-conference challenges. Sophomore forward Kyle Singler (16.3 PPG, 7.8 APG, 3.4 APG) is an all-around talent who thus far has managed three double-doubles. Swingman Gerald Henderson (12.1 PPG) can score from inside and out. Duke is not a number one club, but it’s also not a number 15 team. They will be in the top dozen. The Georgetown game is a major meeting. In that one, I’m going with the Hoyas.

When the rubber hits the road, I think the Tar Heels and Panthers are the best of these five. The Huskies are near the top of the second tier nationally with Duke somewhere in the same general vicinity. Okalahoma will do okay, but they will most likely prove to be somewhere around #20 nationally.

Let the conference play begin! We’re taking the next step towards March Madness.

All the best to you on this day.

May you have a great year, and a profitable one.

Now get it started by winning some cash in the the bowl games today. And take a look at the outdoor hockey game if you’re bored.

If you’re looking for something or someone that might tip the scale this week in the playoffs, I’ve got a few ideas.

Matt Leinart: Remember him? He was supposed to start for the Arizona Cardinals at quarterback this season but a funny thing happened on the way to his being named the first-string QB. Leinart played poorly in the pre-season and vet Kurt Warner looked great. Warner has had a fantastic season. But what if Warner goes down when the Cards meet the Atlanta Falcons? It’s possible. Warner is old and prone to injury and the Atlanta “D” is extremely brutal. Leinart certainly knows the scheme but can he pull it off? I say “no.”

 Groin Pull: The league’s premiere rusher, LaDainian Tomlinson, has a groin pull and has not practiced this week. It would be unusual if he didn’t play but he may not be 100-percent and that could affect the San Diego Chargers chances of being competitive against the Indianapolis Colts.

Age Versus Beauty: Another way to say this would be “experience versus youth.” Flacco, Rivers, Jackson and Ryan are all young, talented and fairly inexperienced (two are rookies). Rookie Flacco leads the Baltimore Ravens against veteran Chad Pennington’s Miami Dolphins. Rookie Ryan will QB the Atlanta Falcons as they take on old man Kurt Warner and the Cardinals. Three-year man Jackson will run the Minnesota offense as they host the vastly experienced Donovan McNabb and the Eagles of Philadelphia. Finally, Phillip Rivers, who has five years experience, leads the Chargers against the 11-year vet Peyton Manning. This first week is definitely newbies versus oldies. The grandpas have the advantage.

Weather: Guess what? It’s not a factor since the Vikings play indoors and the other three games are in climes that should be friendly. But in the second week of the post-season, the weather could be decisive. The Giants have home field advantage throughout the post-season and the Steelers should get to host a game too. Brrrrrrr!

 Coaches: Tony Dungee certainly gives the Colts a big advantage. Experience, smarts and fine game management define his tenure. On the other end of the spectrum is John Harbaugh, the former secondary coach for the Eagles and the rookie head coach for the Ravens. He’s young but has a good head on his shoulders. Miami head coach Tony Sparano was of late with the Cowboys as their O-line coach and assistant head coach. His offensive coordinator is veteran Dan Henning. Together, they have put together one of the least predictable offenses in the NFL. Watch their trick plays—they work. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Andy Reid, like Dungee, possesses playoff experience. He’s got a cool mind. And although conservative, Reid knows the game inside out.

 D-fence: Ravens, Falcons, Indy and Eagles all hold the edge this week in this area. If defense wins playoff games, then those teams will be your winners. Of course, a QB with a hot hand or a running back with a steamroller mentality may have something to say about that.

That’s my take on the upcoming weekend. Enjoy the games.

So, the question is, “How much football can you watch?” The answer is, “A lot.” But if the gridiron scene is starting get a bit old like this week’s Christmas turkey leftovers, here are a few events that are certainly worth a look if not a watch.

1)    The NHL will play its annual Winter Classic hockey game as the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks meet at Wrigley Field. It’s a great show—a little bit of pond hockey (although there are heaters on the benches) and a lot of great play as over 30,000 fans will watch live. Catch it on Thursday, January 1 at 1 pm on NBC.

2)    In college hoop, #3 Pittsburgh takes on #8 Georgetown in an early but massive Big East match up. The Panthers are presently 13- 1 overall and 1- 0 in the conference, while the Hoyas are 10- 1 overall and 1- 0 in the Big East. Pitt is coming off a 78- 72 win over Rutgers today and Georgetown beat UConn 74- 63 on Monday. They meet on January 3 at 7 pm. You can catch it on ESPN.

3)    The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets will battle on January 7 at 9 pm. The Nuggets are one of the top clubs in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division. The Heat are presently in third-place in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division. This will be a good test for Miami as they try to get back to the playoffs after a disastrous season last year. Both teams do look to be playoff bound this season.

4)    The time for Major League Baseball players to file for salary arbitration runs from January 5- 15. The Hot Stove has been boiling recently with some players who had been offered arbitration by their clubs deciding to go the free-agent route. Owners get first dibs on offering players arbitration. That happened in December. In January, it’s the players’ turn to hand their fate over to an independent evaluator who may reward them with more, less or the same amount of money that the team has offered them.

5)    In women’s college hoop, the #1 UConn Huskies will meet the #2 North Carolina Tar Heels. Both teams are presently undefeated as the Huskies are 12- 0 and the Tar Heels are 14- 0. The game will be played on January 19 and carried on ESPN2 at 7 pm.

6)    On Friday, January 9, FRIDAY FIGHT NIGHTS will premiere on ESPN2. The entire fight card has not yet been determined. This first of a long list of quality offerings will come from Primm, Nevada, and will feature Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Roger Gonzalez, 12 rounds, featherweights; Odlanier Solis vs. TBA, 10 rounds, heavyweights and Erislandy Lara vs. TBA, 4 rounds, welterweights. Gamboa is 12- 0 with 10 knockouts. His opponent, Gonzalez, is 27- 2 with 18 knockouts. This looks to be Gamboa’s fight to lose. Gamboa, who may be given a title shot in 2009, is an amazingly skilled and sometimes reckless fighter. He’s a lot of fun to watch.

7)    The PGA will premiere the 2009 season with the Mercedes-Benz Championship, which is held at the Kapalua Resort in Kapalua, HI. You can catch this first of 47 PGA events on The Golf Channel from January 8- 11.

   Men’s college basketball gets into conference match ups this month. So, scout out the offerings in each league. There will be a lot at stake in the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Big East, Pac-10 and ACC.

That’s what the first month of 2009 looks like. Of course the primary thrust is football as the Bowl season builds towards the BCS National Championship game between the Florida Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners on January 8, 2009 at 8 pm on FOX and the pros push towards the Super Bowl on February 1, 2009 at 6 pm on NBC. Enjoy it all!

As we stand here on the brink of a whole new year, I thought that I would do what we are all supposed to do at this time of year and make some resolutions. Don;t worry - I won’t talk about going to the gym or spending more time with my wife. We’ll just focus on sports betting.

1. I won’t get sucked in by losers. No more Jacksonville, and all of the other teams like Jacksonville out there in all sports. No more falling hook, line and sinker for a team that ends up in the gutter.

2. I will be more objective about the Manning brothers. Oh, who am I kidding - that will never happen. My response to them is irrational and eternal. I just plain hate those guys.

3. I will go into the Triple Crown accepting that it probably isn’t going to be won. It will be less crushing when it doesn’t happen that way.

4. I’m going to pay at least a bit of attention to the WNBA this year. I’ve heard too much about all of the betting opportunities it presents not to.

5. I’ll learn to respect Marvin Lewis and Charlie Weis - two guys who have worked hard to reach the pinnacle of their profession. Nope - that’s not going to happen, either.

6. I won’t gloat too obnoxiously when Michigan wins a national championship. I’m better than that.

Time for the second half of the year in review. This time we go from the summer to the end of the year, looking back at five more events that I won’t soon forget:

Cliff Lee’s emergence - If I could be one thing in sports it would be a starting pitcher. That means that I love seeing guys that are in a groove. No one was in a better groove than Lee this year, and the truly improbable nature of his emergence made it all the more impressive. He had every excuse to flounder - he was pitching more than he was used to, the rest of the rotation was gutted around him, and his team was truly lousy. Through it all, Lee just kept winning and winning. The most remarkable part was that he seemed to avoid the ebbs and flows that mostpitchers face throughout a season. Memorable.

Jacksonville’s collapse - Every year in the NFL there are teams that do much better than I ever thought they would (Atlanta), and others that don’t have anywhere near the form I anticipated (Minnesota, Dallas). It has been a long time since I was as wrong about a team, or as disappointed by their performance, as I was by the Jaguars this year. They had everything they needed to succeed coming into the year, but they failed miserably. They had the injury issues that got in the way, but instead of fighting to find a way to get past them as other teams did, they used them as an excuse to quit. A pitiful waste of a good opportunity.

Matt Cassel in week 11 - My perception of few players have shifted as dramatically and swiftly as it did for Cassel this year. I was unimpressed early, and I didn’t come around as the season progressed. That all changed in week 11, though, and I am now quite convinced that Cassel has a bright future ahead of him. It was week 11, an overtime loss to the Jets, in which Cassel seemed to figure out the whole football thing. He had 400 yards passing and three touchdowns. He was even better the next week, and was one of the best pivots in the league in the second half of the season. Time will tell if I am right or not, but right now it feels like that week 11 game was the birth of a very solid career.

Michigan’s win over Wisconsin - As you may know, I live and die with the Wolverines. Needless to say, this was a very difficult, challenging year. Things started off badly, but the win over Wisconsin, then ranked number eight, allowed us fans to believe for a brief moment that everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t. In the end, Wisconsin was just a lousy, overrated team, and we were totally flawed and without a quarterback (or much else, for that matter). For a while, though, we were able to dream and look ahead to a much brighter future. That was almost enough for this year, but here’s hoping that we will have much more to live for next year.

Texas Tech over Texas - I could pick pretty much any of the big Big 12 games here. No group gave us more tense, exciting, meaningful games than the Big 12. The best of the lot, though, was the Texas loss to Texas Tech. It had everything. Texas looked shaken early. Texas Tech asserted themselves. Then Colt McCoy woke up and dragged his team with him. He almost certainly should have won the game with a late TD, but then Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree connected on the score of the year. Through it all, the rabid Red Raiders fans rushed the field three different times. The most enduring image from the game, though, was seeing McCoy pick himself off the turf for the umpteenth time and wiping the blood from his mouth.

As the year draws to a close, I wanted to take a look back at the last year in sports and sports betting. Instead of just doing a general look back at the things you’ll be able to read everywhere, though, I wanted tolook back at the things that mattered to me over the year. Over the next two days, then, I’ll look at ten of the events that I will remember when I look back at 2008 years from now.

Curlin’s win in the Dubai World Cup - I was a big fan of this horse since before the Kentucky Derby. His 2008 season didn’t work out entirely perfectly, but it certainly had its high points. The World Cup was, in my view, Curlin’s best win. He was totally and completely dominant, and proved that he was the best horse in the world at that time. Given the soap opera involving the horse’s ownership, it was refreshing to see how just-plain-good he was when he was in his element. I’ve watched every Dubai World Cup, and I am not convinced that there has been a champ who would have beat Curlin on that day.

Memphis blowing the final - I’ve been a big John Calipari fan since his UMass days, so I was very much bought into Memphis from the start. I also really don’t like Kansas. I was absolutely convinced that Memphis was going to win the big game. I was absolutely gutted, then, when everything went to hell in the final seconds of the game. Crushing. At least Derrick Rose has bounced back well from it all. Coach Cal still didn’t learn the big lesson - his team is still lousy from the free throw line.

Big Brown blowing the Belmont - If the Memphis thing was crushing, then this one deeply wounded my soul. I was not quite three years old when the last Triple Crown was won. Since I became aware of what that meant I have been obsessed with seeing another one. I am always convinced that it is going to happen, but I have never been more sure than I was this year. It seemed like everything was aligning, and it was meant to be. But then the most perplexing, mystifying, incomprehensible thing I have ever witnessed happened. Seven months have passed, yet I still don’t have a theory I believe to explain why he misfired so badly. It was almost enough to turn me off of the Triple Crown entirely. Or at least that’s what I thought until the big two year olds started running later in the summer.

Israel Vasquez vs Rafael Marquez III - I’m not a huge boxing guy, but I happened to catch the second fight between these two junior featherweights, and it was so good that this third and likely final meeting became mandatory viewing. It didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was perhaps the best fight I have seen. It was absolutely brutal. You wouldn’t think that guys that small would pack a punch, but each guy just unleashed a thousand furies time and time again. It was relentless, vicious, and thoroughly entertaining. Vasquez won by a split decision, and I’ll never forget it.

Atlanta taking Boston to game seven - I’m a sucker for the underdog, so I was rooting for the impossibly outmatched Hawks over the Celtics. It seemed so unlikely that it was ridiculous, but Atlanta almost pulled it off. They got all the way to game seven, and that game was a close one for a while, too. In the end, it was the best thing that ever happened to the Celtics - it woke them up and made them more careful, and they were all but unbeatable the rest of the way. For a brief while, though, it seemed like the ultimate Cinderella story was being written. The Hawks’ franchise sure deserves a break.

Brett Favre should retire tomorrow. Actually, he should have retired a year ago, but it’s too late for that. He was pathetic today. Not at all good.

His coach should retire, too.

The Browns didn’t waste any time. GM Phil Savage is out the door already, and coach Romeo Crennel is rumored to be right behind him. It’s a miracle that it took this long. The way the Browns played today, it looked as if Crennel had already packed it in.

If Herm Edwards has a job past this week then there is something wrong with the world.

I feel very bad for the Pats. The Chargers should give them their spot.

Dallas should fold.

My Bucs should be disgusted with themselves. I am certainly disgusted with them. The Raiders?!?!?!?!?!?

I will believe that Big Ben is healthy only after I have seen him take ten snaps and look convincing in the playoffs. I’m not holding my breath.

Good work Detroit. I knew you had it in you.

This Bill-Parcells-as-potential-free-agent story is the most ridiculous, meaningless thing I have heard in a while. Or at least I hope it is. That guy is ridiculous, but this is too much even for him. Isn’t it?

Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan both in the playoffs as rookies. If you say you saw that one coming at the start of the season then I am calling you a liar.

Mike Singletary got the full-time gig with the Niners. Well-deserved. He won five of his last seven with the same team that looked like a minor league squad the first half of the year under Mike Nolan.

The supposedly potent Titans’ defense made Jim Sorgi look pretty darned good today. Oops. I’m willing to give them a bit of a pass because the game was meaningless, but only a bit.

Way to go, Denver. Such an impressive finish to the season. You have shocking amounts of pride.