Buh Bye, BCS; Hello Democracy

Now that the tryptophan has worn off, it's everyone's favorite time of year again: the time where we all moan and gripe and lobby and complain about how our favorite college football team deserves a shot at the BCS title and our rival doesn't.

With four one-loss teams, an undefeated team, and several pretty dang good two-loss teams clogging up the rankings, just about anyone could make their case. It makes for fun conversation, but logistically it's a problem.

That's why All on the Field has devised an exclusive solution, one that keeps the bowl format in place and spares the big wigs from getting their underwear tied up in a bunch over a pesky playoff system.

Ladies and gentlemen, we propose to you a fan voting system!

Yes, hanging chads darned, it's the perfect solution.

The point of the bowl games, most of us know, is to make money (and here some of you thought it was to determine rankings... ha!). See, the more people that watch, the more people who will use FedEx to ship their stuff and buy Tostitos to snack on during the game, or so the prevailing logic goes.

But if we somehow were forced to watch a Kansas-Hawaii BCS championship -- won't happen now, I know -- eh, I'll pass on the game, I have to drop something off at the UPS store.

Instead, we vote for who we want to see (Florida vs. West Virginia, anyone?), and the BCS gives it to us. Millions of us watch, the sponsors see a spike in sales, and everyone's a winner. Except for Kansas, that is.

Postscript: Of course, this proposal should be taken with a bag (not just a grain, mind you) of salt. If the bowl championship was determined on the basis of fan voting alone, can you imagine the problems? We'd have a Notre Dame - Ohio State final every year!

10 Things I'm Thankful for About Sports

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect about a few of the things I'm thankful for. At the top of the list, of course, are my faith, my wife, and my family, but somewhere a little further down is a set that deserves a category of its own.

Sports.

I got to thinking this morning about what a big role sports plays in my life, and contrary to what some might say, watching, reading about, and writing on sports is anything but a waste of time. I could write for pages about my favorite things about sports, but for purposes of brevity I'll limit it to 10 things I'm thankful for about sports.

1. I'm thankful for Saturday afternoons when I can settle in and watch a college football game (or three). Sundays are cool, too, but the end of the weekend and the onset of another work week loom. Plus, compared to the NFL I find the college scene refreshing: the live mascots, the bands taking up 10% of the stadium, and a generally less corporate feel.
   
   
2. I'm glad that upsets happen on a regular basis. No one in their right mind would have predicted Appalachian St. beating Michigan, but it happened, and that was all anyone could talk about for the next three weeks. It feels good when the little guy pulls it out, even when you know they couldn't do it again in 10 tries, or when it may be their only win of the season.
   
   
3. I'm grateful that free speech has led to the advent of sports talk radio. (And these days, I'm glad that radio has thus far survived the progression of the internet and satellite television eras.) I like that fans all across America can not only hear what happened in the game last night, but they can hear hours and hours of analysis. And those with some guts and a lot of patience can usually pick up a telephone and weigh in as an instant pundit. How cool is that?
   
   
4. I appreciate the dynasties in professional sports, like the Spurs and Patriots -- and now, maybe, the Red Sox. I like that there's a team with a bulls eye on its chest, a team you can predict with relative certainty will be there at the final showdown. I like watching teams try and slay the giant on a weekly basis, and as much as I root for the underdog, it's pretty cool when the team favored to win at the beginning of the season is still standing at the end.
   
   
5. I'm thankful for rumors in the sports media. I generally try to avoid gossip and People magazine doesn't do much for me, but when I hear that Miguel Cabrera may be headed to the Giants for Noah Lowry, Jonathan Sanchez and cash (not a real rumor, so don't spread it), it gets my heart fluttering. There were days when I would go ahead and make the trade on a sports video game, but I've since learned the wisdom of waiting until the rumor comes to fruition -- it usually doesn't -- and abstaining from video games -- I usually do.
   
   
6. I'm grateful for rivalries in sports, because it makes regular season games anything but regular. Even though the players generally don't have much personal animosity toward one another -- trades and free agency increase the likelihood that you'll be sitting next to Joe rival sometime in the next few years -- but for an hour or two, fans are able suspend that and see gladiators clashing on the field or court.
   
   
7. I continue to love the print newspaper sports section, even though everyone says it's going the way of the dinosaur. I'll freely admit that I spend more time online reading blogs like The Big Lead and Deadspin, but it's a great feeling to be sitting in an airport or a lunch table at work with today's sports section in front of you.
   
   
8. I actually like controversy in sports, because it gives us something else to talk about. Sometimes the games are enough, but other times it's fun to read about Kobe's latest trade demand, the espionage tactics of Bill Belichick, or for what purposes Paul Byrd ordered $25,000 worth of HGH.
   
   
9. Much as I enjoy controversy, I'm a bigger fan of the good guys in sports, like Tony Dungy and Dikembe Mutombo. So many athletes and coaches are wrapped up in themselves, and with salaries in the tens of millions and 24/7 media exposure, it's easy to see why. But when somebody breaks the mold and does things a little differently -- when they manage to consistently act in the interests of others instead of their own -- I admire that.
   
   
10. I'm thankful for the lessons sports teach us about life. Not to sound overly philosophical here, but I'm amazed at how often sports are a metaphor for real life, and the lessons we learn by watching our favorite teams can be extracted and applied long after we flip off the tube. Lessons like succeeding in humility and failing with dignity, the consequences of cheating, and the reality that the nicest guys don't always win aren't easy to learn, but sports can make the process a little more palatable. And I'm thankful for that.

Thanks for putting things in perspective, Nick

Pearl Harbor. September 11, 2001. A loss to Louisiana-Monroe.

Alabama coach Nick Saban is reaching deep into his bag of tricks, asking his team to rebound from a "catastrophic event", the likes of which this country had only seen twice, apparently.

Following a loss to a middling team in the Sun Belt, a lower-middling conference -- the Crimson Tide's third consecutive loss and fifth of the season -- Saban had to pull out all the stops to rally the troops.

"Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event," Saban explained at yesterday's news conference.

In this case, that change in history would be a win over rival Auburn Saturday. To close out its season with dignity, Alabama needs to be swift, precise, and explosive. Like the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Hmmmm, that didn't come out right. How about "Win one for the Gipper", instead?

Mr. Boras, You're Fired!

In a move that must be making owners across baseball pump their collective fists, Kenny Rogers has fired agent Scott Boras.

To the Detroit Tigers, this simply means that Rogers will be sticking around for another season. Rogers let it be known that he wanted to stay, Boras informed the club that he and his client would be entertaining offers elsewhere, and Rogers finally decided it was time to show Boras who is boss around here.

For the second time in this relatively new off-season, Scott Boras overstepped his bounds.

And for the second time, a client has stood his ground. We all remember Boras's announcement during Game 4 of the World Series that Alex Rodriguez was opting out, and we remember how baseball's owners treated Rodriguez like a Bentley for sale on a street corner: admirable, but not affordable or practical.

So Rodriguez, following the advice of his heart -- yes, we think he has one -- his wife, and Warren Buffett, crawled back to the Yankees and started contract negotiations.

Without Boras.

Now make no mistake, Scott Boras will not go broke, nor will he be wanting for business anytime soon. He's still the shrewdest negotiator in the game, and lest we forget, Boras will still be earning commission on deals such as the gold mine he and client Barry Zito struck in San Francisco for years to come.

But perhaps the tide is turning. Maybe players are realizing Boras doesn't always have their best interests in mind. Sure, he will help them make a buck -- lots of them -- but what's an extra five million in exchange for betraying your fans, teammates, and worst of all, your heart?

For some players, at least, it's not enough.

For more on Scott Boras...

The Extortionist (New Yorker ... a few weeks old, but a great read)

Boras out, Rogers in (AP, via Yahoo! Sports)
Buffett advises Rodriguez (Bloomberg)

Bonds' Indictment a Long Time Coming

Ultimately, it may not be his use of steroids that does Barry Bonds in.

At this point, lying about his knowledge of what he injected or ingested into his body may be enough to put Bonds behind bars. At a minimum, you have to figure the indictment that came down Thursday will be enough to keep Bonds out of baseball.

After years of being the one in pursuit -- of Mark McGwire's single-season home run record, of Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, and of the World Series ring he never won -- Bonds' past seems to have finally caught up with him.

To those that say Bonds is being singled out, there probably is some truth to the notion. Bonds is the most selfish, arrogant, and surly player to wear a baseball uniform since Ty Cobb. But don't forget that Bonds lied under oath to a federal grand jury, and that's a crime.

Like any celebrity with more money than brains, Bonds will probably hire a team of lawyers shrewd enough to get him off with little to no jail time.

But for every (non-juicing) pitcher who surrendered a home run -- or six -- to Bonds, for every teammate who was forced to tiptoe around the issues and the Issue himself, to all the fans who felt all along as if this was an act they were tired of seeing, the indictment has to feel like a victory.

Will Ricky Trade the Bong for the Ball?

Ricky Williams is coming back.

At least, that's the plan. Lest we forget, Williams announced his return to the NFL this spring, only to fail yet another drug test -- his fifth violation.

After serving his time, though, Williams has jumped through the necessary hoops and the league has announced his reinstatement.

As I said then and will repeat here, Williams' days as a top-tier NFL running back are behind him. He's over 30 years old, out of football shape, and seemingly out of touch with reality.

But despite all he's got going against him, Williams is returning to just the right franchise at just the right time. At 0-9, the Dolphins are among the worst teams in the NFL, and with leading rusher Ronnie Brown on the sidelines, Miami can't welcome Williams back fast enough.

Aside from the questions of whether he can hit a hole or break a tackle, my biggest curiosity is whether Williams can stay away from the dope. Getting caught once could happen to just about anybody, but failing five separate drug tests means you really like the stuff.

Personally, I'm rooting for the guy. After years of erratic behavior, perhaps he's decided that football is more fulfilling than drugs. But after a game or two with the Dolphins, he may change his mind.

For more on Ricky Williams...
Ricky Williams Reinstated (AP, via Yahoo! Sports)
Zenmeister Returns to NFL (All on the Field)

Battling it out for the Worst of the NFL

While the Patriots continue to distance themselves from the pack, and pundits and fans are left to argue over who's second best, a far more intriguing discussion has largely been left untouched.

Who is the NFL's worst team?

Plenty of teams could make their case here, but we'll limit our discussion to the following: Miami (0-9), New York (1-8), San Francisco (2-7), and St. Louis (1-8). And yes, I know that your favorite team isn't doing well either this year and should probably be included -- Oakland, cough cough, Atlanta, cough, cough -- but we don't have time to sit here and sift through the whole league.

We'll judge based on four categories: offense, defense, strength of schedule, and worst loss.

May the worst team lose!

Offense

Since somehow managing victories in the first two games, the 49ers have averaged a paltry 9.57 points per game. Injuries to Alex Smith and tight end Vernon Davis haven't helped anything, but bad is bad. San Francisco is also last in the league in yards per game by nearly 50. Everyone else on our list for discussion has performed at various levels of ineptitude, but they all shine in comparison to the 49ers.

Loser: San Francisco

Defense

If you're a struggling offense in the NFL, there are few other teams besides the Dolphins that you'd rather face. Miami is near the middle of the pack in defensive yards per game, but the Dolphins still manage to surrender an average of 28.6 points per game. The Rams and Jets are close in this category, coughing up 27.6 and 25.3, respectively. Perhaps a more telling statistic is the turnovers caused by these teams, or the lack thereof. The Dolphins have forced just 13 turnovers, the 49ers 12, but the Jets have them all beat here: New York has managed only 9 turnovers, or one per game. That's a far cry from the league-leader Detroit, who has 29 on the season.

Loser: New York. In addition to the high points per game and the low turnover numbers, the Jets' defense has forced a league-low 9 sacks.

Strength of Schedule (Weakest)
The Dolphins and Jets have it worst, easily. Both teams have already played conference foe New England and the New York Giants, and they both get to travel to Foxborough later this season. So pathetic though they may be, a tough schedule gives these teams somewhat of an excuse. Not so with the the 49ers and Rams. Playing in the NFC Worst truly leaves these guys without an excuse, and it certainly bolsters their respective cases for worst of the worst. San Francisco and St. Louis have faced nearly identical schedules up to this point, with the primary exception being the 49ers playing the Steelers and the Rams falling to the Cowboys.

Losers: We'll call this one a draw between San Francisco and St. Louis.

Worst Loss
For a team with only one win, the Jets have typically kept things interesting; excluding a Week 1 38-14 drubbing by the Patriots, New York hasn't lost by more than 11 points. The 49ers won their first two games, but that was just fools' gold. Reality bit hard when the Steelers crumpled San Francisco 37-16 in Week 3. NFC West division leader Seattle (5-4) is not a very good team, but the Seahawks managed to manhandle the Rams 33-6 three weeks ago. As the only team in the league without a victory, every loss is the worst loss for the Dolphins. But if you had to choose just one, losing to the otherwise-winless Jets is pretty bad.

Loser: Miami

Well, after reviewing the variables, the ruling on the field is that all of these teams are terrible, maybe even worse than you think. But despite a better record than some of the others, the 49ers are the league's fastest-sinking ship, and in my opinion, the worst of the worst.

One footnote to all this, however: the Dolphins' upcoming schedule only gets more difficult. In addition to traveling to New England, as I mentioned above, Miami has games at Philadelphia and at Pittsburgh remaining on its schedule. In a season in which the Patriots could go undefeated, how ironic would it be if Miami went winless? No wonder Don Shula has been so irritable!

Cast your vote! If you disagree with my assessment here, cast your vote in our poll to the right.