New Mexico State Fans Disenchanted with Their Team

Free tickets to Friday night's game?

Nah, you can keep 'em.

Most New Mexico State fans apparently had somewhere better to be last night, as only 12,268 showed up to watch their Aggies lose a tight one to Nevada.

NMSU has been drawing an average of 15,000 or so fans this season, which is pretty lame when considering WAC rival Louisiana Tech has consistently sold closer to 20,000 tickets a game.

But Friday night, the ESPN cameras had to search long and hard for sections of fans concentrated in one place. Based on the cameras that panned the crowd, I would say 12,000 plus was a liberal estimate.

Front row seats, 50 yard line, wherever; once you were in the stadium, the best seats in the house were yours for the taking. The fans that did show up, however, were rewarded with a close one; the Aggies missed a field goal attempt for the win in the closing moments.

At least, that's what we think happened. We haven't been able to locate any witnesses to verify the game story.

A-Rod Won't Sign in S.F.; ESPN Can't Spell

The probability of Alex Rodriguez landing in San Francisco appears to be comparable to ESPN's chances of winning a spelling bee.

Not a great "likelyhood."

According to the Associated Press story (they don't write the headlines, you know), Giants general manager Brian Sabean is calling it a "reach".

Reading between the lines a little, I'd say the Giants are about as likely to snag A-Rod as Britney Spears is to star in an award-winning movie.

It just ain't going to happen.

San Francisco already overpaid for a Scott Boras client last offseason, when it forked over 7 years, $126 million for Barry Zito. After the Zen-meister produced an 11-13 season with a 4.53 ERA, the Giants should be feeling duped.

And if Boras can talk a team into $18 million per for a guy like Zito -- who had averaged a 4.05 ERA and 27 HR surrendered over the previous three seasons -- imagine what he'll negotiate for A-Rod, who is coming off the biggest season any of us has seen in a long time.

Rodriguez will sign a $30 million per season contract, and at this point Boras seems willing to send his client to the Toledo Mud Hens to get it. As long at the check is signed and it clears at the bank.

In other Giants news...

Barry Bonds insists that he will boycott the Hall of Fame if his milestone 756th home run ball is branded with an asterisk, as voted on by the world.

"I won't go [to the induction ceremony]. I won't be a part of it," Bonds said. "You can call me, but I won't go."

Later in the interview, Bonds broke dejectedly broke out into song.

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms..."

Is it a Sport: Bull Riding?

There's a certain type of person that's into bull riding, or at least a stereotype that I picture.

The guy is sinewy -- either wiry or well-built, but never overweight -- he wears a cowboy hat, hit teeth are at least a little crooked, and he usually has a two-day beard.

Basically, I picture Tim McGraw, only uglier.

Give the man credit though, because it isn't easy to do what he does. But the question is, as always, is bull riding a sport?

Why bull riding might be considered a sport

Bull riding is definitely competitive in nature -- whether it's the Professional Bull Riders World Championship (this weekend in Vegas!) or your local roundup, bull riding contests always have a winner, and the rest are losers. And having a gold standard -- 8 seconds on the bull and a score of 100 is perfection -- certainly helps its case.

The physical fitness element of bull riding is a little trickier, as the object of the game is to stay seated. But if you've ever witnessed a bull riding event, you know just how flexible a bull rider must be to be competitive. From the looks of it, it's like getting into a car accident every time the gates open.

And while I've never ridden a bull myself, I can imagine a great deal of strength is required to maintain your grip.

Why bull riding might not be considered a sport

Bull riding is far from a mainstream activity, and while there has always been a certain element of athleticism involved in riding a bull, it seems that widespread competition has only arisen in recent years. In fact, the first official bull riding organization was developed in 1995.

Some people might have a problem with the subjectivity involved in bull riding. The score a rider received is out of 100, 50 points of which is determined by the bull he's riding on. Call it the degree of difficulty, if you want. The other 50 points are style and form points, but all 100 are determined by a panel of judges. Some sports fans are just uncomfortable when a winner can't be determined objectively.

And lastly, there is that image issue. Sports are played by athletes, right? When I look at cowboys, though, I may think a lot of things, but I usually don't think of athletes.

Final Ruling: When it's all said and done, bull riding gets the nod. In my books, it's a sport.

Nevada Basketball Player Robbed and Beaten; Kicked off the Team for Good Measure

There's a price to pay for breaking the rules at the University of Nevada, and apparently being robbed and beaten isn't always enough.

Tyrone Hanson, a sophomore on the basketball team, was specifically warned by head coach Mark Fox not to go out to a party Sunday night. Hanson, assuming naturally that his coach could not be serious, went anyway.

The result was mayhem, which wasn't Hanson's fault. A couple of uninvited guests crashed the party and lit up the night, shooting and killing three partiers at a rented home near campus. Hanson got off easy, losing only his wallet and his spot on the roster.

According to Fox, this was Hanson's second violation of team policy; Hanson was forced to sit out a team scrimmage Saturday for the first. Although Hanson was supposedly expected to play a critical role in the Wolfpack's success this season, his numbers -- 1.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 30 games last year -- suggest the decision was an easy one for Fox.

But what's tricky is the report that there were other basketball players at the same party earlier in the night. What if Marcelus Kemp, who was first team all-WAC and averaged 18.5 ppg last season, was there too? Would he be booted, or just slapped on the wrist?

For more on the Nevada shooting
Hanson kicked off team for violating ban on going out (ESPN.com)
Hanson dismissed from Pack basketball team (Nevada Appeal)

Something for Mike Gundy to Yell About

The best story to come out of Oklahoma State this year does not involve a screaming Mike Gundy at a post game press conference (although, if you somehow missed the legendary press conference, watch it here).

Come to think of it, the story doesn't involve much noise at all.

Martel Van Zant, a cornerback for the Cowboys, is deaf. The roar of a crowd on a 4th and short late in the game? Doesn't hear it. The barking of a disappointed coach after he's blown a coverage? Let him grab his interpreter.

At 6'1, 220 lbs., Van Zant may or may not be NFL talent. But he's taken the physical attributes he does have -- a 4.4 40 isn't too shabby -- and used them to overcome the ones he doesn't.

Give credit to Van Zant for sticking with the sport when it would be just as easy to live a life of self-pity. And give credit to Oklahoma State for taking a chance on a special athlete whose special needs scared off many other big name programs.

For more on Van Zant:
Overcoming the Odds: Oklahom State Football (YouTube video)
Loud and Clear (SI.com)

Cast your Votes

I added a polling feature to the blog on the right hand side, just under my mug shot. Cast your vote for who you think will win what some fans and writers are calling Super Bowl 41 1/2.

5 Storylines to Follow This Offseason

The World Series is over, and unless you're a Red Sox Fan, it all happened quicker and with significantly less drama than you'd hoped.

Next April can't come soon enough for the die hard fan, but this year has the ingredients for a rather interesting hiatus from our national pastime. Without further ado, here are five storylines to follow this offseason:

1. Where will A-Rod land and how much will he pocket? It's hard to imagine opting out of a $27 million a year contract, but Rodriguez has done just that under the guidance of his agent, Scott Boras. Somewhere the Rangers, who have been paying something like $7 million for A-Rod not to play for them, have to be smiling.
   
   Potential suitors for Rodriguez include the Angels, Cubs, Giants, and -- despite their promises not to chase should A-Rod opt out -- the Yankees. I predict Rodriguez starts spring training in an Angels' uniform under a 7-year, $225 million contract.
   
   
2. Who will win the Johan Santana sweepstakes? New Twins' GM Bill Smith has a tough decision this offseason: trade Santana now, at the deadline, or hold onto him through the season and lose him to free agency. Given what he's got to work with, I think Smith starts shopping Santana now and looks for the best deal he can come up with before spring training. I predict the Mets will land Santana in exchange for a boatload of prospects, possibly including Lastings Milledge (who would serve as a nice replacement to Torii Hunter, don't you think?).
   
   
3. Will Bud Selig allow Mark Cuban to buy the Cubs? Cuban has already expressed sincere interest in purchasing the club, and he's let it be known that the bleachers better make room for one more bum should the deal go through. Given Cuban's occasionally bizarre antics in the NBA, you could understand Selig's hesitation to invite Cuban into the fold. But the game is changing, and Cuban is just the type of owner needed to usher it into the next generation.
   
   
4. Will anyone take a chance on Barry Bonds? Talk about irony: the all-time home run king is unemployed. Bonds has let it be known that he'd take a pay cut to play for the Giants, but I think that relationship is over for good. I can't imagine Bonds not getting a meaty contract somewhere, but at the same time I can hardly fathom where.
   
   
5. What names will be on the Mitchell Report? Sports writers everywhere are licking their chops, salivating at the knowledge that the soon-to-be-released Mitchell report will name names. To me, this is potentially the biggest story of the offseason. How will you react if you find out that David Ortiz got a little help in becoming the mammoth home run hitter he is today? Or what if you learn that Albert Pujols isn't only a nice guy, but he's also a juicer?

Yes, the World Series left a little to be desired. Let's just hope this offseason doesn't do the same.

Remember Us? It's the Super Bowl Champs!

The New England Patriots are disgusting. Let's just get that out in the open, in case anyone disagrees.

The undefeated Patriots were at it again today, crushing the Redskins, 52-7. Tom Brady threw for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more. Washington, which came in with the third-ranked defense in the NFL, looked like backups to the practice squad.

In sum, it was another dominating performance from the NFL's most dominating team so far this season.

New England isn't the only dominating team in the league, though, nor are they the only undefeated team. Defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis is also unbeaten, but thanks to the gaudy numbers posted by the Patriots, the Colts have flown under the radar.

Mum has been the word about Indianapolis, but that won't last for long.

New England and Indianapolis face off next weekend at the RCA Dome, and I fully expect the Patriots to be the favorites, maybe even by a touchdown or more. What I don't understand is why.

The Colts have scored a few less points per game, but they have a slightly better defense than the Patriots. Indy's wins haven't been as flashy, but they've counted the same in the standings. Despite a number of injuries to significant players -- Marvin Harrison, Joseph Addai, and Bob Sanders have all missed time -- the Colts have gotten the job done each week.

In short, despite all the hype about New England, the Colts are still the reigning champs.

Next week will be a tight game, but I'll take Indianapolis, 30-27.