Sport-Blog.com

My beloved University of Georgia Bulldogs fell from the ranks of the unbeaten yesterday. I am heartbroken for the national championship that will not be yet again. It doesn't matter that the biases toward the USC Trojans, who had had to come from behind more times than one this year, means that we had little chance of being shoved into the spotlight anyway.

It isn't the lost national title that saddens me the most. It is the fact that we lost to the University of Florida. When I was a kid, we had a party for the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party every year. I lived close to Jacksonville and loved the atmosphere of the game. There is something in the air on the day of the game that you cannot explain to someone who hasn't experienced it.

Back then, Vince Dooley was still reigning in the SEC, and Herschel Walker was a recent memory. And we always won. Beat the Gators. There was no question.

Then Dooley retired to become the athletic director, and he hired Ray Goff. Georgia fans gave Goff too much credit. An excellent quarterback in his playing days, Goof was a disaster as a coach. He had talent. He had people who grew up wanting to be a Georgia Bulldog, but he couldn't make anything happen.

Then we got Jim Donnan. He had worked wonders at Marshall, making them a contender in their conference, though it was no match for the SEC. Donnan proved unable to control his players, though, which Georgia personnel should have realized. He had no problems with troubled players, but he couldn't reform them.

So we got his antithesis. Mark Richt is the image of Christian morality. You don't have to meet him to think that he is a "good man," the kind everyone should strive to be. And the fact that he'd cut his coaching teeth under Bobby Bowden and had coached Heisman trophy-winning quarterbacks didn't hurt either.

Richt started winning. He beat Georgia Tech. He beat Auburn. He beat Tennessee. But Florida still eluded him. In the 2002 season, UGA finished third in the nation. We were back, but that 12-1 record hurt so much because the one was Florida. And we hate Florida.

We beat them in 2004, but we had already lost to Tennessee. This year, we went to the Cocktail Party with a 7-0 record. This was the year; the win would matter.

This year didn't happen. I cannot explain the sadness when a year of hope falls in the waning minutes of a game when your team's players have worked so hard. Even with third-generation Bulldog Joe Tereshinki started at quarterback for the injured DJ Shockley, it seemed we had a chance. "This kid bleeds red and black," the commentators told us all week. His dad was a Bulldog. His grandpa was a Bulldog. He said he's dreamed about this game since he was a kid. He gets it. He knows how important this game is.

In the end, Tereshinski was everything Georgia fans want and need. He made the plays; he gave it his all. But he couldn't do it alone, and the Bulldogs left Alltel Stadium on the losing side of a 10-14 score. Heartbreak in Jacksonville once again.

By Julia Mercer

My husband grew up in Cincinnati. When I met him in 1998, he said he had never watched football. Having grown up in the South, I though he was joking, but he was not. He watched the Bengals in their unsuccessful bid for the Super Bowl title in 1988, but that was all. "Why watch?" he asked. He has a point. Cincinnati has been an embarrassment for a long time, and the University of Cincinnati is no better.

When we decided to move to Cincinnati in 2003, I admit that I was still a little unsure. I was leaving my beloved South for what promised to be - and was - an uninviting city. I hated Cincinnati with a passion. I got sick of hearing about Pete Rose and Marge Schott and the Cincinnati Reds. Apparently no one told the people of Cincinnati that the Reds are not any good either.

The people of the city seem obsessed with running. There are marathons and 5K walks every weekend. I didn't understand.

The one thing I did understand about Cincinnati, though, was the Bengals. There are lots of negatives about Cincinnati, and I've uttered most of them, but they are fans. They love their Bengals. Even with more than a decade of losing seasons under their belts, the people of Cincinnati cheered for the Bengals.

The year we moved was when Chad Johnson started to become a name around the city. He promised that the Bengals would beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who had started the year at an impressive 9-0. "Confident kid," the people of Cincinnati said. They were proud Johnson was so happy, but they were shocked when his "guarantee" became a reality, and the Bengals beat the Chiefs.

A newspaper reporter wrote that she was amused when she was grocery shopping during the game, and someone made an announcement over the loudspeaker that the Bengals had scored and were ahead. She was amused, but the city's other inhabitants were enraptured. The Bengals won! There was hope.

Many people in Cincinnati see Marvin Lewis as the savior the city needs. He has done much in two and a half seasons to resurrect the laughingstock franchise. This year's Bengals are 5-2 and are playing the disappointing Green Bay Packers (1-5) today.

Now, fans have players beyond Chad Johnson who capture their attention and hearts although Johnson's leading the pack. Chants of "Rudi" can be heard most Sundays and the Cincinnati faithful cheer on running back Rudi Johnson. There are even some Saturday Ohio State fans who cheer for former-Michigan standout Chris Perry.

The defense is shocking this year. Delta O'Neal lights up the crowd with his interceptions. Rookie linebacker Odell Thurman is winning them over. Thurman, who's been praised throughout the NFL, has become an important part of the defense this season, showing that perhaps he should have been the Bengals first-round pick.

Bengals fans have been cheering for years, but now they have a reason. Now they have a team to make them proud.

By Julia Mercer

Last week, the Chicago White Sox won their first World Series title in 88 years. While I think it's safe to say that it was truly a team effort -- from the incredible starting rotation and bullpen staff to the timely fielding of Juan Uribe and Joe Crede to the hitting heroics of Paul Konerko, Scott Podsednik, and Geoff Blum -- sports writers of course have to choose a single Most Valuable Player from the winning squad. This year, Jermaine Dye earned that distinction. Let's take a brief look at Dye's journey to this point in his career.

Dye was originally a 17th round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves back in 1993 when he was just 19 years old. He didn't break into the majors until three years later when he played in 98 games for the Braves in 1996. But he did so in style. Dye hit a home run in his first career plate appearance, and would end the season with a .281 average, 12 home runs, and 37 RBI in 292 at-bats. However, he also had a terrible strikeout-to-walk ratio. In fact, he was fanned 67 times (that's about one out of every five trips to the plate) while walking just 8 times.

Then, prior to the start of spring training in 1997, Dye was traded to the Kansas City Royals. In his first season with the Royals, Dye suffered from many injuries and was only able to play in 75 games, which is less than half of the schedule. He only managed to hit .236 with 7 homers and 22 RBI in 263 at-bats. Things didn't get any better the following year, either. Dye, again limited by injuries, appeared in just 60 games for the Royals, hitting just .234 during those games.

The next season, 1999, was a turning point in Dye's career. He was finally healthy and played in 158 of the Royals' 162 games. He hit .294 with 27 home runs and 119 RBI en route to being named the Player of the Year for Kansas City. He also established himself defensively by recording 17 assists from the outfield, which was tops in the American League. In 2000, Dye's progress went even further. He was voted to the starting lineup in the All-Star Game, and won a Gold Glove for his defensive efforts.

In 2001, a mid-season trade sent Dye to the Oakland A's where he saw some good years and even went to the playoffs. But at the end of 2004, the A's decided not to pick up his contract. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox and appeared in 145 regular season games for the South Siders, hitting .274 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI.

But he really came on in the postseason. He had clutch hits in all three playoff series, and got things going for the Sox in Game One of the World Series by belting a first-inning home run off of Houston Astros' ace Roger Clemens. It was fitting, then, that Dye also ended the scoring in the series with his single up the middle of closer Brad Lidge to drive in the winning run in Game Four. For that, Dye now has the MVP trophy on his mantle and a new Chevy truck in his driveway!

Part of the great fan appeal of the NFL is that you never know what's going to happen from week to week. Sometimes, teams that look like they have no chance of winning on paper come out and play strong or get a couple of good bounces, and all of a sudden you have an upset on your hands. At other times, teams that look pretty evenly matched will engage in an epic struggle that isn't decided until the final seconds tick off the clock. And at still other times, we get to sit back and watch a good old-fashioned blowout. Let's focus on the latter scenario this week and take a closer look at some of the wide open games we were treated to in our favorite sport.

New York Giants over Washington Redskins
The New York Giants badly wanted to win this game in honor of beloved owner Wellington Mara who passed away earlier in the week at age 89 after a bout with cancer. After an emotional pre-game tribute, the Giants got right down to business and proceeded to blow out the Washington Redskins by a score of 36-0. Running back Tiki Barber rushed for a career-best 206 yards on 24 carries, and made good on his vow to score a touchdown in honor of Mara. Kicker Jay Feely also had a career day, booting 5 field goals under very tough, windy conditions.

Denver Broncos over Philadelphia Eagles
In the middle of the game, the Eagles looked like they were poised to come back and make a real contest out of it, but the result ended up being a 49-21 blowout, so I'm including this game in the list. The Broncos dominated early, scoring 4 touchdowns in the first half to jump out to a 28-7 lead. Quarterback Jake Plummer continued to play well and had his best game of the season by going 22-of-35 for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns with no interceptions. Running backs Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell both rushed for over 100 yards and both scored touchdowns (Bell scored twice). The Broncos were helped out by the fact that Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb threw 11 incomplete passes and one interception on his first 12 attempts of the game before finally connecting with running back Brian Westbrook for a short gain.

Carolina Panthers over Minnesota Vikings
How much worse can the Vikings season get? We're about to find out, as quarterback Daunte Culpepper was carted away during this game following an injury. Initial reports indicate that Culpepper could be lost for the rest of the season, which spells trouble for the dismal Vikings' offense. The Panthers weren't concerned about who was playing quarterback for Minnesota; instead, they took care of their own business. Quarterback Jake Delhomme threw for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns, wide receiver Steve Smith hauled in 11 catches for 201 yards and a touchdown, and running back Stephen Davis chipped in 2 touchdowns as the Panthers ripped the Vikings by a score of 38-13.

Be sure to check back next week for another quick rundown of NFL highlights!

If you took a poll of average college football fans and asked them who the leading rusher in the Pac-10 is, chances are a majority of them would answer Reggie Bush, of the USC Trojans. That's an understandable response, since Bush gets most of the press in the national media. That's what being a Heisman Trophy contender on the #1 team in the country will get for you. It's also an understandable response because Bush has put up huge numbers this year. But what most people don't realize is that a sizable portion of his stats come from receiving and returning yards. So while Bush does lead the nation in all-purpose yards, he is not the leading rusher in the Pac-10. Instead, that distinction belongs to Jerome Harrison of the Washington State Cougars.

Jerome Harrison is a senior out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He actually began his college football career playing in the South Coast Conference at Pasadena City College, a junior college in California. Harrison's outstanding play at PCC led to his being ranked as one of the top 30 junior college prospects in the nation in 2003. He then transferred to Washington State University in time for his junior year.

Harrison played in all 11 Washington State games in 2004, including 5 as a starter. His WSU career got off to an inauspicious start, as he carried the ball 3 times for a net of -1 yards in his first-ever NCAA Division IA game against the New Mexico Lobos. Harrison gained positive yards from there on out, and really came on in the fifth game of the season when he ran for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks. He then showed the nation what he was really capable of when he rushed for 247 yards and three touchdowns against the UCLA Bruins on November 6, 2004. Harrison would finish his first year at the most prestigious level of college football with 900 yards and 9 touchdowns on 174 attempts.

Harrison has continued his success this season as well. He currently leads the Pac-10 with 1,310 yards and 12 touchdowns through just eight games. That puts him on pace to gain more than 1,800 yards and 16 touchdowns for the season. And, dating back to last year, Harrison has rushed for over 100 yards in a game 11 consecutive times. During that span, he has gone over the 200-yard mark three separate times. You just get the feeling that if Harrison were playing for a team in a bigger national market, he would be getting a lot more attention in the press.

All of these numbers point to one thing: Jerome Harrison could make some solid contributions to an NFL team in the future. So even though he's not getting much notice in the large shadows of Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and the entire USC team, you can bet that the NFL scouts are indeed aware of him. And now you are, too. So the next time someone asks you who's leading the Pac-10 in rushing, you'll be ready with the answer: Jerome Harrison.

After a number of critical calls in the recent baseball playoffs, the hue and cry for Major League Baseball to consider instant replay has begun once again. With most other professional sports having some form of replay, the question no longer seems to be should Major League Baseball consider introducing the concept, but rather when and for what situations.

There is a general consensus that balls and strikes should be exempt. On the most likely to be reviewed side are the issues of whether a batted ball is fair or foul and with many ballparks now having lines designated as in and out of the park, on whether a batted ball is a home run or not. Clearly using replays would help umpires get these calls correct.

For others, a safe or out call is not clear. Some feel that such calls are judgment calls and should be barred from being reviewed. For others, there should be a mechanism for when an umpire seemingly misses such a call. Those who advocate that safe or out be reviewable suggest that baseball managers be allowed one or two challenges per game, much like the limit placed on professional football coaches.

Still others state that reviews should be controlled by the men in blue, with only the head umpire being able to ask to take a look at a play. For this group, the thought is that whether a sinking line drive was a catch or trapped, whether a batter was hit by a pitch or not, whether a third strike hit the dirt or was caught, even for the case of a potential third strike on a check swing, the crew chief would have the option to get assistance if he was concerned in any way about the decision on the field.

Finally, there is the group that says that baseball games take too long now, so the regular season should be without replay. After all, the going consensus is that the calls would average out over the course of a 162 game regular season. But come the playoffs with some much at stake, Major League Baseball should institute some form of replay system that would address the aforementioned calls in some manner or another.

And with the men in blue seemingly getting more than their share incorrect this last post-season, Major League Baseball appears destined to bring the instant replay concept to the big leagues in some form or another in the very near future.

With the PGA Tour struggling to maintain fan interest and television ratings beyond the month of August, Commissioner Tim Finchem is set to announce a revamped PGA Tour schedule beginning in 2007. The new schedule will include a NASCAR-like points chase and a new late-summer, "high-stakes," tournament format.

For golf, after the PGA Championship in August, fan interest begins to decline. With the opening of the college and professional football seasons in late August and early September, the PGA has difficulty drawing fans to its final tournaments of the season. By the time the baseball playoffs begin in October, golf is relegated to third or fourth tier status for most sports fans.

But in an effort to regain interest at the same time that the Tour seeks to renew its television deal, Finchem appears destined to tinker with the current format. Critical to making the concept work will be the ability to draw the game's best players to the links in the new late season format.

Commissioner Finchem appears ready to unveil some details this coming Wednesday as the Tour's top players gather for the Tour Championship in Atlanta Among the changes set to be unveiled are a points chase that culminates in a playoff system. During the season, players will accumulate points that will qualify them for a series of four tournaments in August and September that will carry significantly higher purses. As part of that new concept, the Tour Championship will again act as the final top event but it will move from November to September.

Early indications are that the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, the Barclays Classic near New York and the Cialis Western Open just outside Chicago will become the three events that will lead up to the Tour Championship. Though six to seven tournaments will follow the Tour Championship, those events won't be part of the NASCAR-like points chase. Those tournaments will still count toward the official money rankings and allow players to earn spots in majors and other top events.

The new format will definitively appeal to the players who believe the current season is just too long. For Woods, Mickelson and others, the length of the current season has been a constant source of criticism. Those golfers point out that the PGA season is longer that any other in professional sports, beginning the first week in January and going through the first week in November.

But for others the changes are not seen as entirely positive. Tour regular Robert Gamez has already spoken out against the changes, worried that the new format might take away the opportunities for the second tier players to make a living on the Tour.

In addition, many tournament directors are concerned as well. Gerald Goodman, who runs this week's Chrysler Championship, relayed his concerns as this week's event is one of the late-season tournaments that could be affected by the new format.

However, those criticisms will likely be set aside as the Tour seeks to build upon its biggest source of revenue, a new television contract. While the new schedule will appeal to certain sectors of the Tour's players, the real key is to create a format that will allow golf to stay on the radar screen just as the football season gets underway and the baseball season moves towards the playoffs and World Series.

Since Ozzie Guillen took over as manager in 2004, the Chicago White Sox have played the kind of baseball known as "small ball". This means that a team emphasizes the fundamentals of the game and gets things done through the execution of old-fashioned basics. Here is a typical small ball scenario that ends up scoring a run: the leadoff man in the inning gets on base by being patient at the plate and drawing a walk. The next batter lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the baserunner over to second with just one out. The third man up in the inning hits behind the runner (to the right side of the field) to advance him to third base with two outs. The fourth man up in the inning might then get a base hit to drive the runner in.

That's small ball in a nutshell, and those are exactly the kinds of things that the White Sox did all year long en route to their first World Series Championship in 88 years.

But that doesn't mean the White Sox can't hit for power. Chicago demonstrated just how powerful the lineup really is during their four-game sweep of the Houston Astros. Series MVP Jermaine Dye got things started for the White Sox in the first inning of Game One when he took Roger Clemens deep to make it 1-0. Dye's home run set the tone for the entire series for the White Sox offense. In Game Two, Paul Konerko blasted a grand slam in the seventh inning to put the White Sox ahead 6-4. Then, after the Astros tied it in the top of the ninth, Scott Podsednik, who hadn't hit a single homer in the regular season, connected on a Brad Lidge fastball to win the game. And Geoff Blum, a mid-season trade acquisition, homered in the top of the 14th inning in Game Three to put the White Sox ahead for good.

The power is clearly there, but it was small ball and great pitching that brought the World Series title home for Chicago. That's why it was so fitting that the White Sox clinched the championship in a 1-0 game that hinged on doing the little things right. Pinch-hitter Willie Harris led off the eighth inning with a single. Then Podsednik did an excellent job of handling a hard, high pitch for a sacrifice bunt. Carl Everett followed by grounding out to second base, which allowed Harris to move over to third. Finally, Dye came up and hit a grounder back up the middle to score Harris.

Chicago reliever Bobby Jenks was strong in the bottom of the ninth inning, shortstop Juan Uribe made two great plays, and the next thing you know, small ball had prevailed and the White Sox were celebrating their World Series win on the pitcher's mound at Minute Maid Park.

In this day and age, where home runs seem to be valued over everything else, it was nice to see old-fashioned baseball take center stage. Here's hoping that Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox utilize the same formula next season!

As the 2005 golf season comes to a close, Vijay Singh's short run at the top of the World Rankings is rapidly becoming a distant memory.

The last two weeks have been very unkind to Singh, who began 2005 ranked Number One in the world. He missed the cut a week ago at the Disney after a triple bogey on the 15th hole of the second round. Then Singh, the defending champion at this week's Chrysler tourney at Innisbrook, went 74-71 to miss the cut for the second straight week.

For almost two plus years, the title of World's Best Golfer had become a two man race. After holding the number one position for five plus year and 332 consecutive weeks, Tiger Woods coughed up the number one ranking to Vijay Singh late last year.

In 2004, Vijay had arguably one of the finest seasons in golf ever. The Fijan won 9 events on the tour including his third major championship, and took home more than $10 million in prize money, setting a new Tour mark for total earnings in a single season. With his phenomenal year, Singh finally unseated Woods at Number One and also earned his first ever PGA "Tour Player of the Year" award.

Though most pointed to his fine 2004 season as the reason for his rise to Number One in the world, his move to the top actually began back in 2003. That year, Singh won four tournaments and more than $7.5 million in prize money. The total earnings were also the best on Tour in '03, giving him back to back titles as top earner.

Singh and Woods would swap the top ranking back and forth twice during in the first five months of 2005. When Tiger earned his fourth green jacket and another major championship at the Masters in April, he regained the top ranking from Singh for the second time in '05. But Singh immediately responded to Tiger's charge, promptly winning two of the next four events on Tour and finishing third in the fourth event

As he moved back on top of the rankings, Singh also moved back on top of the money list for 2005. At that time in late May, Singh had already topped $5 million in earnings for the year. As he re-emerged at number one, fans noted that Singh had won more than $23 million in earnings compared to Woods total of $16 million over a two and a half year period. That fact helped Singh retain the title of World's best as the Tour headed towards the summer months and the final three majors of the year.

Despite missing the cut at the Memorial, Singh still was giving Woods a go for the top ranking as June gave way to July. At the U.S. Open Championship, Singh would finish in a tie for sixth, at the Barclays he would tie for 7th. Singh continued his outstanding run of strong play at the British Open, tying for fifth and in late July he would win the Buick Open for his fourth title in '05.

But while Singh was playing well, Woods began another of his incredible runs. As Singh missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament, Woods tied for third. Woods would also top Singh by finishing second at the U.S. Open Championship and then reasserted his claim to number one by taking home another major at the British Open. When he wasn't winning, Woods was also racking up second place finishes at the Cialis Western and Buick Opens, and a fourth at the PGA.
Then, Woods really put the throttle down by winning both the WGC-NEC Invitational in August and the WGC-American Express Championship in early October. Woods onslaught and his six titles in 2005 buried the rest of the golf world including Singh.

Though the Big Fijan was not quite playing at Woods level, many thought that he might yet give Woods one last push for the top ranking during the latter part of the season, especially given the lucrative Tour Championship still yet to be played and Singh's strong finish in 2004 won he won twice very late in the season. Many believed Singh definitely still had a chance to make a final run at Woods.

But just prior to the last big tourney, Singh has now missed two straight cuts. He is stuck at $7.7 million in earnings for 2005, still good enough for second on Tour but after his fast start a rather disappointing total. And he already trails Woods by more than 6 points in the World Standings even before Singh's most recent missed cut.

Vijay could return to the tips of fans tongues if he gets it together for next week's Tour Championship. But if he continues his recent stumbling, his fine start to 2005 and his brief run at the top of the World Rankings will be just a distant memory as the season comes to a close.

Not quite a month after blowing a 15 game divisional lead, the Chicago White Sox are on the verge of one of the best post-season runs in major league history.

First, everyone needs to recall that the Sox swept the Cleveland Indians over the final weekend of the regular season, three victories that eliminated the Indians from a spot in the playoffs. In the first round, the Sox drew the 2004 champion Red Sox, a team who slipped into the playoffs because the pale Sox eliminated the Indians.

But as nice as Chicago was to help Boston get in, the White Sox proceeded to sweep yet another three game series, bouncing the defending champs out before the lengthy post-season was barely underway. For the White Sox, the win of a post-season series was the franchise's first since the days of Shoeless Joe Jackson.

A team with outstanding pitching also began scoring runs in the Boston series. The White Sox pounded Boston for 14 runs in game one, then put a five spot on the board in games two and three. With the pitching talent Chicago has, when they score five runs they are tough to beat.

After winning their first post-season series since 1917, the Sox dropped their American League Championship Series opener to the Los Angeles Angels, 3-2. The two runs scored gave rise to concerns that perhaps the Sox were not going to hit enough to beat another quality team with talented pitching.

But the Sox managed a game two victory, in another offensive 2-1 struggle. It was the game known for the third strike that may or may not have hit the ground prior to being caught by the Angels catcher. That play could have been one of the lesser known in baseball history if not for the following player, third baseman Joe Crede's clutch double to drive in that very runner for the second run, and tie the series at a game a piece.

Whether it was the call or the clutch hit will never be fully determined but the Sox exploded from there. They swept the next three games, winning 5-2, 8-2, and 6-3. With the Sox pitching again dominating and the offense putting up at least five runs a game, the team sailed through the ALCS and ran their post-season mark in 2005 to 7-1 in the process.

But that proved only a warm-up to the World Series against another pitching rich team, the Houston Astros. Houston was led by three of the games best starting pitchers, future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, the veteran of many New York playoff starts, Andy Pettite, and the emerging star, Roy Oswalt. But the White Sox continued their post-season scoring pace, putting 5 runs on the board in game 1, followed by 7 runs in games two and three, all White Sox victories. Though the Sox pitching has struggled for the first time in the post-season, it has still been strong enough to keep the Astros behind on the scoreboard.

That means the White Sox have now won seven straight post-season contests and are 10-1 overall in the 2005 playoffs. Taking it back a bit further, the team is now 12-1 in October and has 15 wins in their last 16 games. The hard rushing Sox have made the concerns of a major collapse in early September nothing more than a distant memory.

Like the Red Sox who swept the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series, finally purging the ghosts of season's past, the White Sox have the opportunity to sweep the Astros with a victory tonight.
And if they do, the White Sox will bring home their coveted first championship since, well since 1917 and the days of the legendary Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Let me say right up front I am a huge New England Patriots fan. As a real and honest fan, I know that this year's team defense has been terrible from the very start of the season. I know that defense needs a real shot in the arm.

But still I say no. Tedy Bruschi, no, you should not play football. Not now, not ever again. Tedy, it just ain't worth it. Yes, the team needs you.

But Tedy, your family needs you more.

Initially, Bruschi had decided to sit out the 2005 season because of the stroke he suffered less than two weeks after helping the Patriots win their third Super Bowl in four years. It was categorized as a mild stroke and it came just three days after he had played in the Pro Bowl and a mere 10 days after helping New England beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl XXXIX.

The Patriots leader on defense has been sorely missed in 2005. Bruschi has been the defensive signal caller during the team's recent championship run of three Super Bowls in four years. Bruschi is unquestionably seen as both the intellectual and inspirational leader for his teammates on the defensive side of the ball. The loss of Bruschi has been likened to what the Patriots would be like if they were to somehow to lose quarterback Tom Brady.

But as good as Bruschi has been as a player, he is also known for his character and for his ability to lead by example. And who could forget the television cameras focused on Bruschi hours before the Super Bowl last year. The handsome father chasing his children around the field, tackling them and falling to the ground and rolling over as only a father and his children can do. That moment was considered signature Bruschi, preparing for the ultimate game by being an example for anyone who has to balance the complex role of professional athlete and that of being a parent.

Bruschi's decision to return to the New England Patriots dominated the Boston airwaves this past week. Talk show hosts noted that surgeons have corrected the heart defect thought to be the cause of the attack. They also noted that every heart and brain specialist that Bruschi has consulted cleared him to play professional football. According to the medical experts, waiting for 2006 was unnecessary.

But I can't help but think of just a few years ago, when Reggie Lewis, the gifted scorer for the Boston Celtics collapsed during an NBA game. Though Lewis received some advice not to play again, he also had other doctors indicating that the issue might have been taken care of. Just two months after receiving a favorable diagnosis he sought from a doctor, Lewis died shooting baskets at a local gym.

Some of the media have suggested Bruschi shouldn't play again because if he walked away his performances prior to the stroke would make him legendary in Boston sports circles. Said some, if he walked away while at the very top of his game he would be remembered and revered like the greatest of sports legends in the game.

I think differently. I think of the father chasing his kids on the football field before the Super Bowl last year and think that is more important. I think there is more to life than football, particularly if one's life is at stake. Yes the Pats defense stinks and I wish they were much better.

But I wish even more that Tedy Bruschi wouldn't play. I wish it big time.

Without a doubt, Bobby Knight's temper has always overshadowed his coaching success. Ferociously antagonistic, Knight remains an enigma to most sports fans. But to the surprise of many, he continues to coach and to win basketball games. In addition, despite diminishing public perception of him and his methods, Knight continues to receive support from the vast majority of his former players.

In basketball terms, Bobby Knight has always been considered a coaching genius, a "proverbial" living legend. His Indiana teams won more than 660 collegiate basketball games in his 29 years at the school. During that time, Knight was named College Coach of the Year on four separate occasions and his teams won 11 Big Ten titles and 3 National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships. Numerous players under his tutelage earned All America status and 14 went on to be first round draft picks in the National Basketball Association.

But the great basketball mind has been matched by seemingly uncontrollable tirades. During one particular game, Knight threw a chair in anger, hurling it all the way across the court at the referees officiating the games. He was also filmed grabbing one of his players by the throat in practice. Knight was even suspended for shoving his own son during a game.

In September of 2000, Knight, on notice because of his personal behavior issues, was fired from his coaching position at Indiana. The final incident involved his allegedly grabbing a student, a non-team member, by the arm and lecturing that individual about his manners. The student reporting the incident was the step-son of a former talk-show host and critic of Knight's, a fact that caused many to question the validity of the accusation. Nonetheless, the University of Indiana had tired of defending Knight's antics and he was summarily dismissed after 29 years at the school.

Because of his fall from grace at Indiana, Knight is no longer considered a mentor or model for younger coaches today. That of course wasn't always the case. Once upon a time, Knight was considered the premiere coach and teacher of the game of basketball. Hundreds of coaches across the country owned Knight's notebooks on Indiana basketball, books filled with plays, drills, and inspirational slogans. Those books had a huge impact on many of the high school coaches in America.

Of all the writings in his notebooks, it was the inspirational tid bits that stood out for most coaches. Numerous motivational slogans made it onto the bulletin boards of many high school teams. The most noteworthy of those was Knight's definition of discipline, a definition that immediately became a part of the teaching and coaching philosophy of numerous coaches. It is also a definition that remains critical to the teaching and coaching profession to this day.
"Discipline," said Knight, "is doing what has to be done, when it has to be done, as well as it can be done, and doing it that way every time."

For most adults, this is not the first idea that comes to mind when we hear the word discipline. Most tend to equate discipline, especially when it comes to children and athletes, with punishment, the handing out of consequences when inappropriate behavior is exhibited. But Knight's words tell us so much more, that discipline is about teaching people what is right and what ought to be done. Discipline is about work ethic and about performing tasks to the best of one's ability in a timely manner. More importantly, discipline is about a way of life, of consistently following a specific pattern of behavior each and every day of our lives.

Ultimately, discipline relates to more than the game of basketball. Whether it is a large Fortune 500 company or a small, nonprofit agency, organizations flourish if their employees are disciplined. If a company has the good fortune to have workers who see what needs to be done and do it before being asked, that organization can compete and thrive in today's challenging world. Companies also flourish when supervisors can trust employees to perform their duties properly, performing their tasks with a consistency of purpose that allows supervisors to be freed up from mundane oversight of routine tasks. This, too, ensures that the company stays timely and competitive.

Unfortunately, too many workplaces today are filled with people who must be constantly informed as to what it is they need to be doing. These employees generally need close supervision to ensure that tasks are completed in a positive and timely manner. In these companies, all too often supervisory personnel can never be freed up to do other tasks. Unless supervisors have their thumbs on others, the entire operation slides into remission when the supervision is taken away.

Knight has consistently been able to break down the game of basketball, teaching his players what is the right thing to do on the court at the right time to do it. Though the public often questions how he goes about it, Knight also insists that his players do the right thing at the right time, and to do so over and over again, relentlessly delivering his message. Because his players see the transformation that takes place in their performance, they too become proponents of the Knight definition of discipline.

Nevertheless, Knight's critics see the failings of the messenger. Ironically, he seems unable to conform to his own definition of discipline and Knight's firing and fall from grace have significantly tarnished his image.

But regardless of the tarnished image of the messenger, the message contained in Knight's definition of the word discipline is timeless. It is also a definition that transcends the sport of basketball and the shortcomings of perhaps the most paradoxical coach in the history of the game.

Once again, as the college football season heads towards November, the talk begins to move to the Bowl Championship Series polls. A system theoretically designed to put the best two college football teams in the same bowl game, a winner take all match up for the National Championship, has proven to be a miserable failure in the past and appears to be in for yet another troublesome bowl season in 2005.

Of course, there is really only one way that the BCS would produce the consensus National Championship game. That would occur only if the top two teams in the country were unbeaten and members of two elite football conferences. Realistically, under any other scenario there will be legitimate questions about the poll and the selection of two teams.

The 2005 season could be a real disaster for the BCS concept. The reason for this potential is the number of truly dominant programs across the country, programs that may go unbeaten throughout and produce an even worse situation than that of a year ago when undefeated Auburn was passed over for the opportunity to play for the National Championship.

Don't get me wrong, last year was bad. At the end of the regular season there were a total of five undefeated teams, three from major conferences and two from the lesser tier of college football. Whereas Oklahoma played USC for the mythical National Title, the Auburn Tigers also went undefeated in the tough SEC and lesser knowns Utah and Boise State also went undefeated.

This year, it could be even worse. There is a chance four teams from major conferences could end the year undefeated. First, both USC and UCLA are on a collision course for the PAC 10 title. Clearly, if USC wins out this year, they have to be in the BCS Title Game. After all, they are the two-time defending champs as we speak - put another undefeated season on top of that and, well USC has to be there.

Next up is Texas, the team that has climbed to the top of the 2005 BCS standings. The Big 12 continues to get the benefit of the doubt in BCS polls, even after Oklahoma took it on the proverbial chin a year ago against USC. If Texas wins out, then they appear to be USC's opponent provided USC takes care of business.

But then comes two other schools that, again if they do win out, will have every right to claim they belong in that game. Virginia Tech has been the dominant team in a very good ACC this year, a league that features the likes of Miami, Florida State, Boston College and Tech. Many football experts believe Virginia Tech could compete with anyone. Tech still has games left with Boston College, Virginia, and Miami. The Hokies could easily stumble but if they emerge unscathed it is hard to justify them not being in the BCS Title Game.

Then comes the much-frustrated SEC, where both Georgia and Alabama are currently undefeated. Both schools have some very tough tests left. For Georgia, they still have regular season games against Florida and Auburn. For Alabama, they still have Auburn as well as LSU, two toughies as well. If both Georgia and Alabama win out then comes the SEC Championship game that will give at least one of them a single loss.

But the fiasco of the BCS could easily wind up with four unbeaten, high caliber teams from four different elite conferences at year's end with only two teams getting a shot on the big game. Of course, much can happen between now and then and the situation could take care of itself. But there are just as many scenarios that could have six or seven once beaten teams at year's end with not an unbeaten in sight.

Did we mention that the BCS works under just one real scenario, two unbeatens from two elite conferences?

He isn't considered a Heisman front-runner despite his gaudy stats at one of the premiere football institutions in the country. With college football's returning 2004 winner, Matt Leinart, in charge of the high-powered University of Southern California Trojans, Brady Quinn is a definitive long shot. But it is time to recognize that the Fighting Irish quarterback might just be the best ever to play at Notre Dame, the same school that turned out the likes of Paul Hornung, John Huarte, Joe Theisman, and Joe Montana.

Quinn continued his assault on the Notre Dame record book during the Fighting Irish's 49-23 rout of Brigham Young University on Saturday. Quinn tossed a school record six touchdown passes, for 467 yards, helping the Irish avenge last year's loss to the Cougars. In the win, Quinn broke the mark of five TD passes in a single game, a record he had set earlier in the season in an overtime loss against Michigan State. Quinn was an astonishing 25-of-30 passing in the first half, throwing for 287 yards, a record total for a first half of football in an Irish uniform.

During the game, Quinn also extended his record of consecutive games with at least one TD pass, now at 12 straight. Quinn's outstanding passing total moved him into second place on Notre Dame's career passing yards list. Still just a junior, Quinn has now thrown for 6,769 career yards, a total that trails only Ron Powlus with 7,602. At his current per game rate, Quinn will top that mark by the time the Irish play their tenth game of the season. If Quinn sticks around another year, he will absolutely bury that Notre Dame mark in the process.

Four of Quinn's touchdown passes on Saturday went to wide-receive Maurice Stovall - that too is a new Notre Dame record. Stovall also caught 14 passes on the afternoon, yes another Notre Dame record. Not even former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown could match such gaudy stats. Wide-receiver Jeff Samardzija also had 10 catches Saturday with two going for touchdowns. For Samardzija, he now has 11 TDs for the season, tying the school record set by Derrick Mayes. Stovall and Samardzija, who are both 6-foot-5, became the first two Irish receivers ever to each have more than 10 catches in a single game. And when Quinn completed his final touchdown pass of the day to Stovall, the QB broke the single season mark of 19 touchdown passes set by Ron Powlus in 1994.

For Quinn and the pass-happy Irish, the records will continue to fall in the weeks ahead. No, he may not unseat Matt Leinart for this year's Heisman, but Quinn is deserving of recognition for the extraordinary season he is having. And if the junior decides another year of college football is still of interest to him, Quinn will have to be considered the frontrunner for the 2006 trophy that is awarded to college's best football player.

Written by James Fohl

It is that time of the year again. The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping, and that crisp Fall scent is in the air. None of this can compare to the fact that it is of course football season.

I live a bit outside of Pittsburgh, and let me tell you, Pittsburgh really loves its professional football team. Every Sunday during the football season, you can go to the mall, go to the grocery store, go pretty much everywhere and you won't find too many people in these usually crowded areas. In fact, you will probably get weird looks by the people working at these locations wondering why in the world you are out shopping instead of sitting at home watching the football game.

The busy roads and highways are empty, and if you are from out of town, you would probably find yourself a bit concerned. Pretty much everyone from dads of all ages to ninety year old grand mothers can be found nestled in front of the warm glow of the television watching their home town team win another game.

Before every game, you can go to the local super markets and pick up all kinds of Steelers munchies. There are black and gold nachos, Steeler cupcakes, Steeler spring water; pretty much every kind of party food has a Steeler logo on it. Then after the game, you see all these people head out to the stores and as the stores get jammed packed with people, the only thing you can hear no matter where you go are the fans / shoppers recapping the game. It is always a good thing when the Pittsburgh Steelers win, because the community is always so happy. But of course when the Pittsburgh Steelers loose, you will hear about it for days and days about how they could have won the game if this and that occurred. Heck, I still hear about the game that the Steelers lost a couple weeks back.

I really can not say I blame any one in the Pittsburgh area for loving their football team so much. I mean, really football is the only winning team this city has. The Pittsburgh Pirates play baseball a hundred and sixty two games a year, but they do not deliver like the Pittsburgh Steelers do. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back on the ice playing hockey again, but they don't look like they are going to be a first place team this year. Every home game the Steelers have, the stadium is packed full of fans, each and all wearing their black and gold clothes. Sure the fans will get a little obsessive over the football season, but it is okay, since the football season is only sixteen games long, now if it was like a hundred sixty two game season and people acted like this all year round, I guess then maybe I would find myself a little worried about the football fans in my home town.

Professional football games are 60 minutes long, and as dire as some teams' predicaments may appear, you better not start celebrating until the final second has ticked off the game clock. Week 7 in the NFL brought that point home to several teams, all who were on the brink of victory, only to have that impending victory turn to defeat in a matter of seconds. Let's take a look at some of the last-minute game winners from this week.

Seattle Seahawks over Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys were in control for most of the game. Their defense had done a great job of smothering the Seahawks' offensive attack, holding explosive running back Shaun Alexander to just 61 rushing yards and no touchdowns a week after he found the end zone four times against Houston. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was similarly shut down - until there was just 2:06 remaining on the game clock and the Cowboys up 10-3. Then Seattle kicked it into gear.

Hasselbeck led the Seahawks on an 81-yard scoring drive to tie the score at ten apiece. Then, Dallas got the ball back with 0:40 seconds left and were looking to get into field goal position. But Drew Bledsoe's pass was intercepted by safety Jordan Babineaux, who returned the ball to the Dallas 32 with 0:05 left. Seattle lined up for a field goal, which Josh Brown converted. So in a matter of 2 minutes, the Seahawks scored 10 points to win the game 13-10.

New York Giants over Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos played very well for three quarters in this game. Their running back tandem of Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell delivered the goods once again. This time it was Anderson's turn to rush for more than 100 yards and score a touchdown, something Bell had done in the previous 2 games. Quarterback Jake Plummer also played well. He wasn't called on to make to many passes, but he didn't make any mistakes, either. In fact, Plummer hasn't thrown an interception since Week Two.

But the Giants hung around all day, and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get the win. The game-winner was a desperation-type pass from quarterback Eli Manning, who appeared to just fling the ball towards a blue jersey in the end zone. That blue jersey happened to belong to wide receiver Amani Toomer, who hauled it in for the score with 0:05 left in the game. The point after made it a 24-23 win for New York.

Minnesota Vikings over Green Bay Packers
Both of these teams have struggled mightily this season, so a last-second win like this can really be the spark that turns things around. The Vikings, who were down 17 points as late as the third quarter, battled back to take a 20-17 lead. But Green Bay's Ryan Longwell kicked a field goal with 0:24 left in regulation. Minnesota's Koren Robinson returned the ensuing kickoff to the Vikings' 36 yard line. From there, quarterback Daunte Culpepper completed two quick passes for 14 and 12 yards to put the ball at the Packers' 38 with 0:02 showing on the clock. Then kicker Paul Edinger came out to try a 56-yard field goal. He drilled it, and the Vikings walked away with the win.

The moral, of course, is "it's not over 'til it's over"! Tune in again next week for more NFL coverage.

In the very next event after the game's most popular player outlasted yet another elite field to win his sixth title of the season , Tiger Woods did the unexplainable.

He missed his second cut of the 2005 season.

As successful as Woods has been as a player, the streak that had become a standard for golf is one of his most defining accomplishments. When Tiger Woods missed the cut at this year's EDS Byron Nelson Championship earlier in the season, it ended his record of 142 consecutive cuts.

The streak was nothing sort of phenomenal. The missed cut at the EDS would be his first missed cut in seven years on the PGA Tour. That's right, seven years without a cut. Ironically, his consecutive cut streak had long been associated with tournament namesake of the EDS, Byron Nelson. That golfer had held the record previously, making 113 consecutive cuts in the 1940s, a record many thought would never be topped.

The Woods streak was believed to be very special and fit in with the greatest streaks of all time. Today's PGA Tour is incredibly competitive. As players from all over the world compete against the best players from America, the failure to place in the top 70 after the first two rounds of a golf tournament each week is a matter of one poor round of golf. Woods' streak was broken when he missed the cut by a single shot.

And now, the game's most popular player has missed a second cut in 2005, just a scant five months after his first miss in seven years. After going 143 cuts without a miss, Woods managed to follow that streak up by making cuts in just 9 straight tournaments, this time missing weekend play by a full three shots.

For the critics it was just another indication that Woods is not the dominant player he once was. First, there is the fact that Vijay Singh unseated Woods as the Tour's top money winner in 2003, ending Woods domination of virtually every criteria that defines the world's top golfer.

Then came 2004, when Singh again took home the money title as well as his first ever PGA Player of the Year Tour honor in his career. At that point many believed Woods tour dominance was over and that the game's most popular player would be just another of the many outstanding players on the Tour.

But Woods reemerged in 2005, moving back a top of the World Rankings and doing so in the same dominating fashion he had displayed earlier in his career. Winning six titles in 2005, including two majors, the Masters and the British Open, as well as winning the World Golf Classic two weeks ago against an elite field, Tiger climbed back on top of the money list and buried his opponents when it comes to world ranking.

Perhaps, instead of witnessing a truly errant Tiger who may not yet be back on top of the golf world, we are instead seeing just how amazing his prior streak was. At 143 straight, it is a record that crushes the best the game has offered in its long history. His prior dominance had folks thinking he would start yet another streak, but the fact that he missed another cut after going just 9 tournaments may be the greatest indication of just how amazing his prior streak was.

Because, when Woods streak ended, at the time Ernie Els then owned the longest streak, a solid yet unremarkable number when compared to Woods prior accomplishment. At the time Els had gone 20 straight events without missing a cut. Ernie has extended that mark to 24 straight before bowing out for the season due to injury.

So at nine straight, you get the point as to Woods overall performance. Because the same week that he missed his second cut of the season, the game's number two ranked player Vijay Singh also missed the cut. For Vijay, it was his third missed cut of 2005 alone.

Playing in their first World Series since 1959, the Chicago White Sox thrilled a sell-out hometown crowd of more than 41,000 fans at U.S. Cellular Field with a 5-3 victory over the Houston Astros in Game One on Saturday. Starting pitcher Jose Contreras went 7-plus innings for the White Sox to record the win. And manager Ozzie Guillen called on the bullpen for the first time in five games when he signaled for Neil Cotts to come in after an 8th inning leadoff double by Willy Taveras. Closer Bobby Jenks got the save with 1-1/3 innings of work, during which time he fanned three batters, including Adam Everett to end the game.

Roger Clemens got the start for Houston, but didn't look comfortable out on the mound and clearly didn't have his best stuff. He left after just two innings, and the Astros confirmed that Clemens' hamstring injury, which has been plaguing him since September, flared up again. Clemens is currently listed as day-to-day on the injury report.

Both the White Sox and the Astros have been known for their ability to execute plays in clutch situations this season. But that kind of execution was very evident tonight for either ball club. The White Sox were just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, while the Astros were 2-for-10. With some timely hitting, both teams could have easily scored several more runs during this game.

The hero for the White Sox in tonight's game had to be third baseman Joe Crede. Crede, who came up big in two games against the Angels in the ALCS, hit what turned out to be the game-winning home run back in the fourth inning. Crede now has 3 homers and 9 RBI in the White Sox's 2005 postseason campaign. Crede also made some big plays with his glove out at third base. He robbed Morgan Ensberg of a hit in the sixth with a runner on third, which certainly prevented a run from scoring. Crede then made almost the exact same diving stop on a Craig Biggio grounder in the seventh with runners on first and third. That saved another run, for sure.

I have to say that this game was a lot of fun to watch. We haven't had much playoff or championship excitement in this city since the demise of the Chicago Bulls dynasty in the late 1990s. Sure, the Cubs had their playoff run a couple years ago, but with the way they lost it after seemingly being in control... well, let's just say no one likes to talk about that series anymore.

I was surprised to see that many so-called baseball experts (professional sportswriters and analysts) have picked the Houston Astros to win this series. The White Sox have been getting the job done all year long, especially when it counted the most. They are coming into the World Series with almost a full week's worth of rest, and they've got the momentum of the home crowd behind them for these first two games. They didn't disappoint, and I think they'll bring the World Series trophy home to Chicago for the first time in 88 years.

The USC Trojans are gunning for their third-striaght national football championship this season. They are well on the way, after surviving a couple of scares from Arizona State and Notre Dame. The Trojans are 6-0 so far this season, and shouldn't face another real test from an opponent until they play the UCLA Bruins in the final game of the regular season on December 3. USC has a 28-game winning streak that dates back a couple of years to a 2003 loss to the California Golden Bears.

In order for any team at any level of sports to win that many games in a row, they have to be blessed with lots of talent. That's certainly true for the Trojans. In fact, being located in the middle of Los Angeles has helped to elevate some USC players to superstar status. It is reported that Heisman Trophy winner and future NFL #1 draft pick Matt Leinart, quarterback of the Trojans, often needs a special campus security detail just so he can get from place to place while on USC grounds. The team also boasts big-time players in LenDale White, Dwayne Jarrett, and Reggie Bush. Out of all these stars, however, none has had a bigger impact on the 2005 campaign than Bush, who is one of the early favorites to win this year's Heisman. Here's why.

In football, the running game and the passing game are closely related. In order for one to work out well, the other has to be working too. For example, if the Trojans just had Reggie Bush and no kind of passing game, then opposing defenses would be able to focus all of their efforts on stopping him. That would of course make his job harder. So Bush's success in the backfield depends a great deal on Leinart's ability to throw the ball downfield and stretch out the defensive coverage.

Luckily, the Trojans are able to do just that, which has opened things up for Reggie Bush. Through six games this season, Bush has rushed for 761 yards and 9 touchdowns. The only time he was held to under 100 yards in a game was in Week One against Hawaii, when he gained just 86 yards. Bush's 761 yards have come on just 86 attempts, yielding an incredible average of 8.85 yards per carry, which puts him third in the nation in that category. Bush also has 17 catches on the season for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns, so he's also dangerous coming out of the backfield as a receiver.

This year, Bush's importance to the USC has been undeniable. In fact, he helped preserve the Trojans' perfect record by carrying the struggling offense on his back for almost the entire game against the Fighting Irish. Bush rushed for 160 yards and scored three touchdowns in that game, at a time when quarterback Matt Leinart was largely ineffective for three and a half quarters of play. Bush kept the Trojans in the game, and in the national championship hunt, until Leinart came alive on the last drive and punched in the final touchdown.

So when it comes time to vote for this year's Heisman Trophy winner, you can bet Reggie Bush's name will be at the top of many ballots.

Written by James Fohl

Have you ever played a game of badminton? You know, that sport with the little rackets, the net, and the little thing you hit around; either a birdie or a shuttlecock. I am sure that something over the course of your life you have played a game of badminton one time or another.

Badminton is very similar to tennis, since they are both racquet sports, and both can either be played with two opposing players, or two teams of two players. The two sports are very different however. While tennis balls seem to bounce around the court at fast speeds, the shuttlecock, or birdie tends to stay in the air and more at a slower pace due to the drag that is created from the shape of the shuttlecock or birdie.

Badminton is played on a court that highly resembles a tennis court. A badminton court however is smaller due once again to the fact that while in a game of tennis the tennis ball is allowed to bounce once, a shuttlecock or birdie is not allowed to bounce (actually, most shuttlecocks or birdies cannot bounce at all, or with very limited success.

The history of badminton is full of events, dating as far back as ancient Greece, where sports played with shuttlecocks and racquets are believed to have existed. The modern version of badminton can be attributed to children playing on the streets of London around the year 1854. The children's game was further enhanced by British soldiers, and the first official set of rules for the game of badminton were released in the year 1877 by the Bath Badminton Club.

The first major badminton organization was established in England several years later, in the year 1893 by the Badminton Association of England. This ultimately led to the first badminton tournament, which occurred six years after the organization was crafted, in 1899.

Badminton received its name in early 1860, when a London toy maker by the name of Isaac Spratt released a pamphlet entitled "Badminton Battledore - a new game". It was titled this because it described games that were being played at a place called "Badminton House" which resided in the Duke of Beaufort's estate in Gloucestershire, England.

The game of badminton has a very exciting history, as depicted above, however the history really does not give the sport much justice. After all, it's played in pretty much every high school, college and university in the United States today. And although the game is quite popular in the United States, the place it is most popular is also a place a lot of people would never exist; Asia.

So badminton went from a game played by children in city streets, to a game played by soldiers and rich men to where the game stands today. Today everybody from young children, to students in gym classes, and even the elderly play the game. While it may not be as popular as the sport of tennis, it is still a fun sport with a large following all around the world.

Written by James Fohl

So the Chicago White Sox are going to the 2005 Major League Baseball World Series. Congratulations should be given to the White Sox, as this will be their first World Series appearance since the year 1959, when they went to the World Series against the National League Los Angeles Dodgers and lost the series in six games.

The Chicago White Sox pretty much dominated the American League this year, which is quite a surprise when you look at the history of the team. Even though the Chicago White Sox were one of the founding teams of the American League, they have only ever won the World Series two times; the first time in the year 1906 and the second time in 1917. The complete Chicago White Sox record so far is 8,210 wins and 8,020 loses, which still puts them above the .500 pct mark in winning percentage, which is not bad at all considering the Chicago White Sox have been playing baseball for well over a hundred years now.

Chicagos White Sox team has had a colorful history when it comes to the post season. They had a great chance of going to the World Series in the 1994 season, but of course the players strike ended that stride. A few years later, in the year 1997 the White Sox had another chance of getting into the post season. Then on August 31st, 1997, when the White Sox were only three and a half games back from first place team, the Cleveland Indians, the White Sox traded three of their veteran pitchers; Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin and Roberto Hernandez to the San Francisco Giants for six Minor League players. The trade was a shot in the arm to Chicago White Sox fans everywhere, as the White Sox soon fell way behind the Cleveland Indians without a veteran pitching staff. The whole situation led many fans to believe that the White Sox staff basically threw their chance at the postseason away for next to nothing. It was perhaps the biggest disappointment for the Chicago White Sox since the players strike of 1994, which closed the season early and prevented the White Sox from playing in post season ball.

Hopefully the Chicago White Sox will win the World Series and get the attention that they deserve. After all, it has been eighty eight years since they have won a World Series, and if they do not win this one, they will be eleven years shy of going a hundred years of playing professional baseball and not winning a World Series.

What will the future hold the Chicago White Sox? Who really knows? If the Chicago White Sox win the 2005 Major League Baseball World Series, then what can we expect for next year? Will they continue their winning seasons, or will they fall back for another eighty eight years without a World Series victory. The future may be uncertain, but what is certain is the fact that the Chicago White Sox are the hottest team of the 2005 American League in Major League Basball.

Watching the Major League Baseball post season, and seeing the St.Louis Cardinals play, memories of one of the National League's greatest shortstops to ever play the game of baseball quickly come to
mind.

The shortstop I am talking about, is none other than the great Ozzie Smith, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1982, when he was traded from the San Diego Padres, upto 1996 the year in which he
retired.

Ozzie was given the nickname, the Wizard Of Oz, because well simply put he was a fantastic defensive short stop. While he was pretty much a weak batter, he definitely made up for that disadvantage with his supreme fielding skills.

The Wizard of Oz was proof that you did not have to have a high batting average, and a lot of home runs in order to become an All Star. Despite only hitting a total of twenty eight home runs in his
career, (his season high was six home runs during his 1985 season) Ozzie Smith managed to make it to the All Star game fifteen times, making an appearance in every All Star game from 1981 until 1996, with the exception of the year 1993.

Not only was Ozzie Smith an All Star, but he also won the Gold Glove award thirteen times, and one of the some what few people who are elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of
eligibility, which for Ozzie was the year 2002.

As mentioned previously, Ozzie had amazing fielding skills, but his batting skills were his weakness. Even though he could not drive balls out of the ball park, Ozzie still could hit the ball and get doubles easily. His best season was the season of 1987, where Ozzie had a batting average of .303, hit forty doubles, had seventy five runs batted in, and managed to steal forty one bases. Even though
Ozzie did not hit any home runs during this season, he still helped take his fellow team mates to the playoffs.

Ozzie Smith managed to play in a couple of World Series. In his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals his team won the World Series, however this would be Ozzie's only World Series championship.
Although the St. Louis Cardinals played in the 1985 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, and they appeared one last time in Ozzie's career against the Minnesota Twins in 1987, and lost that
World Series as well.

While Ozzie Smith hasn't played baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals (or any Major League team) for almost ten years now, he is still highly regard amongst Cardinal fans, as well as other Major League
Baseball fans. Ozzie was solid proof that hitting home runs in the game of baseball was not the only thing you need to do in order to become an All Star. I hope some day in the future, people will judge
baseball players not by their ability to hit the ball far, but by how good a fielder they are. If Ozzie had started his career today, he probably would not have achieved the success he had earned through the
eighties and nineties.

Written by James Fohl

A lot of people today are lazy, it's a fact. Instead of walking from part of the mall to the other end, they go back to their car and drive down to the other side. Not only are these people wasting gas, but they are just getting lazier and lazier.

Then you have the people who sit around bicker because they are also tired, or they get tired easily. They bicker to their doctor that something is wrong, and the only response they get is the fact that they don't exercise. These people continue to bicker because they want some kind of magical pill that will reduce their symptoms.

If you are one of these people, then maybe you should just get up and exercise. I know, you don't have time or you have better things to do. Things such as watching a three hour marathon of your favorite television show, or reading the same magazine you have read fourteen times now.

If you get tired easily, or seem to never be able to get enough sleep, its because you are out of shape. You can easily solve this problem by doing a daily exercise, or by going for a walk. I know a lot of people who tell me that the can't go for a walk, but then again they are just too lazy to go for a walk.

The ultimate problem is the fact that lazy people are just going to get lazier, and they are eventually going to die from a condition that can be directly related to their lack of exercise. I don't care how old you are, twenty two or sixty two, the fact is you still have to exercise if you plan to live a healthy, happy life style.

Going for a morning walk or jog can help any individual who doesn't exercise can help out a great deal. People tell me its impossible to go for a walk in the morning, and I tell them its not. All they have to do is wake up fifteen minutes earlier, and they will feel better the rest of the day. Just dress up in some sweat pants and a shirt and go out. It's early in the morning, and you will probably be surprised to see just how many people re out on the streets in the early hours of the morning going for their morning walks, jogs, or runs. If you are scared to go out in the morning by yourself, get your husband / wife to go with you, or find somebody in the neighborhood to walk with.

Just take a walk or quick jog around your neighborhood in the morning, and after a while you will start to feel a lot better. I know whenever the doctor told me that I had to start exercising, I scoffed too, but a year later here I am feeling better than ever, and its partly due to the fact that I started taking a morning jog several times a week.

Written by James Fohl

So the baseball season is over for pretty much most of the Major League. The World Series is coming, but for the rest of the leagues, a winter break is coming up for most players. Some players however are going to continue playing baseball this winter, trying to improve their skills so that they will be ready for next season.

The league that a lot of these young Major League players will be participating in this fall is called the Arizona Fall League, and is directly affiliated with both National American baseball leagues.

The Arizona Fall League consists of two divisions; the American division for the American League, and the National division, which is of course for the National League. Each league contains three teams each, which yields a grand total of six teams for the Arizona Fall League.

Each team from the National League and the American League get to pick six players from their organization to play in the Fall Arizona League. The players chosen are usually Minor Leaguers, or Major Leaguers who are having some problems on the playing field. Along with players, teams are also allowed to send specific coaches to the league in order to help not only players, but themselves as well.

The Arizona Fall League then starts playing in October and continues through the winter. Unlike the Major Leagues, which offer forty men rosters, the Arizona Fall League rosters are restricted to thirty players.

Lots of people have never heard of the Arizona Fall League, mostly because it is a Minor League association, and only involves six teams, which play in three stadiums; Scottsdale Stadium, Peoria Sports Complex and HoHoKam Park. Although the league is considered very small, it yields some very large results. For example, sixty percent of all Minor League baseball players that play in the Arizona Fall League continue to play the following year in the Major Leagues. Along with that, a few very famous people have been present in the Arizona Fall League.

One such person is basketball superstar, Michael Jordan. Jordan wanted to pursue a career in professional baseball. In 1994, Michael Jordan played Minor League baseball in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Some of the Major League super stars have had experience playing in the Arizona Fall League. For example, way back in the year 1992, Derek Jeter, playing under the name of Ernest Jeter played through the season in the Arizona Fall League, and was the league’s proclaimed player of the year. Other super stars such as Albert Pujols have also played in the fall league.

So in the end, a lot of people do not know what the Arizona Fall League is, but then again whenever new super stars come into the Major Leagues’ Nation League and American League, you can always look into the past and see that these super stars played in the Arizona Fall League before they made their big splash onto the Major League scene/

The Houston Astros defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 5-1 to win the National League pennant and advance to the World Series for the first time in the 44-year history of the franchise. Game One of the World Series against the American League champion Chicago White Sox will take place at U.S. Cellular Field on Saturday night in Chicago. The last time the White Sox played in the World Series was 1959, and the last time they won was in 1917 when they defeated the New York Giants.

The Astros made the postseason via the wild card, and it happened despite starting the year with a dismal 15-30 record. The strength of this team undoubtedly lies in its pitching staff, which consists of 20-game winner Roy Oswalt, as well as playoff veterans Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Reliever Brad Lidge, who will be remembered as the guy who gave up Albert Pujols' towering 9th inning home run in Game 5 of the series, is also usually pretty dependable.

The Astros' lineup has several guys that can hit the ball out of the park, which they will probably need to do at least a few times in order to keep pace with the White Sox offense. Third baseman Morgan Ensberg had 36 home runs during the regular season, while Craig Biggio and Jason Lane had 26 each. Left fielder Lance Berkman was also right up there with 24 homers.

The Chicago White Sox have been waiting in the wings since they wrapped up the AL pennant on October 16 in Anaheim. They should come out well-rested and ready to play, which could spell trouble for the Astros. In Chicago's four wins against the Angels, starting pitchers Mark Buerhle, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia, and Jose Contreras all recorded complete games. That was the first time since the 1956 New York Yankees that a team got four consecutive complete game efforts from its starting pitchers. These guys will be looking to continue their streak against Houston.

The White Sox offense, which ran hot and cold throughout the regular season, really picked up in the championship series. First baseman Paul Konerko has hit 4 home runs in the postseason, including two 3-run first-inning shots in back-to-back games against the Angels. He is batting .272 in the playoffs, with 9 hits and 11 RBI in 8 games. Konerko was named the ALCS MVP. Third baseman Joe Crede has also been having a good postseason. Crede is batting .287 with 8 hits, including 2 home runs and 8 RBI.

The White Sox are managed by Ozzie Guillen, who has found success in only his second season as Chicago's skipper. Guillen, known as much for his outspoken manner as for his baseball knowledge, has definitely been a key to Chicago's success.

The first pitch of Game One is scheduled to be thrown at 7:30pm Eastern time on Saturday, October 22. If you don't have tickets yet, you can forget about going. Ticketmaster reports that all World Series tickets for the Chicago home games were sold out in 18 minutes on Tuesday. The game will be shown on the FOX television network.

Written by James Fohl

You know, whenever I find myself with problems that I do not really want to discuss with any one, I grab my mp3 player, and go to my basement. I wrap the headphones around my ears, and I turn the music up so that its the only thing I can hear.

Then I look around my basement at my weights, punching bag, and other exercising equipment. I quickly drop to the cold hard cement floor and start doing pushups and sit ups while the music starts playing in my ears.

As the music plays, the thoughts of my problems start becoming less important. As I move in my exercise from pushups and sit ups to lifting weights I start singing along with the song lyrics that are playing.

I am not really an avid music fan. I suppose I am one of the few people that can listen to the same CD in my car's CD player for seven months in a row. I do like to exercise though, and for some reason whenever I find problems in my life, I can always turn to both music and exercising to help get through my problems.

I make a little workout out of my problems. I start with the pushups and sit ups, and follow that routine up with lifting some light weights, followed by some heavy weights. I try to work the stress from my problems out, and as a last stance I do a couple pull ups by grasping the support beams of my house and pulling my body upward.

After a round of exercising, I usually find myself more active, and the problems that were disappearing start to magically reappear. This is the perfect time to utilize my old punching bag. I just let it all out, until I am basically out of breathe. I beat that punching bag until the problems take a back seat in my head.

I do not really know what I would do if I did not have my exercise routine, and of course my old mp3 player. The problems are not as big as I make them out to be, but without this routine I suppose I would be in a different situation. Instead of getting depressed over penny problems, I go and work out for a little bit. It really helps my situation, and later on I eventually realize that I was over reacting to penny problems.

So if you find yourself spending your free hours worrying about problems, why not go out and start exercising some where? Whether you do it like me, in your basement, or at a real gym, I am sure that eventually you will choose this method with dealing with some of your life's problems. After all, you get all kinds of benefits out of this deal; you get to help get your mind off of your problems, and you get to get in better shape physically, as well as mentally. In my book, it is totally a win - win
situation.

Yet another week of exciting NFL action has come to an end. As usual, I'm here to give quick recaps of the best matchups from around the league. Let's get right to it.

Denver Broncos over New England Patriots
The Denver Broncos proved they are a team to be reckoned with this season after they defeated the defending Super Bowl champions by a score of 28-20 at Invesco Field. The game wasn't even as close as the score seems to indicate. The Broncos jumped out to a 28-6 lead, then played soft zone coverage on defense and just tried to run time off the clock on offense. Running back Tatum Bell and quarterback Jake Plummer accounted for some long scoring plays for the Broncos, who have now won 5 in a row. This team is for real, folks.

Ind