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Amongst the hoopla and some very positive performances at the Olympics, there were once again far too many sideshows, negative behaviors that shifted the focus from athletic competition to the behavior of individuals representing the worst that sport has to offer.

I read in many places that some of the most entertaining moments came from the back-and-forth verbal sparring between speed skaters Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick. The Davis-Hedrick saga involved the notion that one person was more interested in himself than being a part of the team, at least so said the person who didn't win a medal because the other had elected not to compete. It was actually quite sad and disappointing to see such lack of understanding regarding the meaning of the Olympics. I wondered if we should have listened to either person in the matter.

Three skiing/snowboarding issues involved behavior both on the slopes and off. On the slopes there was Lindsey Jacobellis, a certain gold medal winner, falling when she essentially decided to hot dog her finish, costing her that prized first place medal. Topping it all off, she first attempted to dissuade those who had the audacity to suggest she was hot dogging.

Then there was skier Bode Miller, the so-called American skiing hopeful. Bode's poor performances on the slopes led many to question what impact his late nights in the Sestriere area were doing for his skill set and his competitive drive. The American medal hopeful did not even come close to sniffing an award after being hyped by the media as the next coming of Jean Claude Killy.

Then there was freestyle skier Jaret ''Speedy" Peterson who managed to get into a fight with a friend after a night of partying in Sauze d'Oulx. The evening of the day that he finished seventh in the aerials, Peterson and several other skiers (perhaps Bode Miller as well?) partied all night in the nice village town that has as one of its mottos ''400 residents, 35 bars." Peterson and a friend got into a fight that spilled out into the street in the early morning hours. Police had to put Peterson on the ground to break up the fight. Though no arrests or charges were filed, Peterson was on the next plane home, courtesy of the USOC.

Such incidents and behavior detract greatly from what should be and otherwise is a tremendous show of skill and comradeship. I for one would love to see if for just once the story lines could move to unassuming, soft-spoken individuals that would be role models for our kids.

Perhaps it is all we have a right to expect given the crowds that are assembled and the media attention given those with compelling storylines. But many now say the Olympics has become yet another example of spoiled professional athletes masquerading as Olympians.

Unfortunately, the many side shows in Italy seem to reinforce that adage completely.

Just when the battle for the AMA Supercross series was heating up going into the last half of the season, a questionable penalty has all but put the championship out of reach for Ricky Carmichael. That's because a fuel sample taken from the #4 Suzuki machine at the San Diego round was found to contain lead in amounts over the limit allowed by AMA rules. Though the degree that Carmichael's fuel was out of tolerance was negligible and couldn't possibly have given him a competitive advantage, he was still docked 25 points for the infraction.

Now, instead of being a mere 6 points behind new series leader Chad Reed, Carmichael is in a distant third, a full 31 points down. Barring any kind of catastrophic crash or mechanical failure on Reed's part, this deficit will be extremely difficult to make up in just 8 races. For example, if Carmichael wins every race from here on out and Reed takes second place in all of them, Carmichael would still lose the championship by six points. This is a highly unlikely scenario anyway, as the competition in the Supercross class is so tough that one rider is not going to reel off 8 wins in a row.

To make matters worse for Carmichael, James Stewart is still in the mix. Stewart currently sits in second place with 152 points, and will definitely be in the middle of all the Reed-Carmichael battles for the next eight rounds. Stewart's presence can either help or hurt Carmichael's cause. For example, if the Kawasaki rider manages to stay in between Carmichael and Reed and finish in second place while Carmichael wins, then Carmichael would make up 5 points per race on Reed instead of just 3. This would give him the championship at the end of the season. However, if Stewart goes on and wins a couple of races, which he is obviously capable of doing, or if he gets second place in a Reed win, then Carmichael's chances of winning the championship fall to almost zero.

This is the third time that the AMA has imposed a 25-point penalty due to lead content violations in a rider's racing fuel. The first time occurred during the 2004 season when Team Yamaha's Chad Reed and David Vuillemin, as well as privateer Tyson Hadsell who had borrowed fuel from the Yamaha supply, were penalized. Then, in 2005, team Kawasaki riders James Stewart and Michael Byrne were docked 25 points each for out of spec fuel.

The biggest difference between those prior penalties and Carmichael's is that the first two incidents had no bearing on the outcome of the championship. In the 2004 case, Reed was well ahead in the Supercross points standings and losing 25 points didn't compromise his lead at all. He went on to win the championship. In the 2005 case, neither Stewart nor Byrne were in a position to win the outdoor motocross championship, so losing 25 points didn't make or break their seasons either. But as I said above, Carmichael would be a mere six points out of the series lead if he hadn't lost 25 points due to this penalty.

This latest incident will probably force the AMA to reevaluate the fuel rule. Some people claim that the rule would be better suited for a series in which two-stroke bikes are used rather than the four-strokes that 95% of the Supercross field (usually 19 out of 20 riders) use week in and week out. Even the AMA series manager has said he knows Carmichael wasn't cheating; nevertheless, he is enforcing the rule and allowing the outcome of the championship to hinge on what many believe to be a petty regulation.

I think this is a bad decision on the AMA's part. However, because this fuel rule wasn't challenged or evaluated in the past, the AMA has backed itself into a corner and really can't do anything about the Carmichael penalty except enforce it. If they allow Carmichael to appeal and get his points back, they would no doubt be accused of favoritism or double standards since no one affected by the previous two incidents was permitted to appeal. But by enforcing the penalty, they are making the series look like a poorly-run mess, and are probably going to end up pushing Carmichael into the NASCAR scene quicker than anyone expected.

If the AMA and everyone else involved in professional Supercross and motocross racing knows that trace amounts of lead in the fuel doesn't enhance the performance of a four-stroke bike at all, then it's time to change the rule. According to some reports, teams are already spending thousands of dollars checking their own fuel to make sure it's in compliance. Since they are still failing, it would seem that the spec is too tight. It needs to be made into something that is more easily attainable, yet that still serves the original purpose of not giving riders an unfair advantage.

As a diehard fan of Supercross, I was really looking forward to the second half of the season. This is a sport where we usually have one individual who dominates the series from wire to wire, making the championship a no-brainer. Then this year, it finally looked like there would be a three-way points battle with the championship boiling down to the final race in Las Vegas. But the AMA strikes again and the fans are left wondering what happened to their beloved series.

For those who like the usual PGA format, two rounds of golf, a cut to the best 70 scores and ties, followed by two rounds on the weekend, the Accenture Match Play Tournament doesn't get it done. Especially when all the of the game's most popular players are eliminated from the running by Friday.

A final pairing of Geoff Ogilvy and Davis Love did not give some sports fans a reason to tune in on Sunday at all. With all of the top 10 seeds eliminated, it was the first time since 2002 that the final pairing did not feature at least one of the game's premiere players.

But for those who like real competition, head-to-head, pressure packed golf, every step of the way, the match play format is a treat. It is in such a format that the game's best player, Tiger Woods, could play a round of golf without so much as a bogey, and yet still lose to another player.

In match play, one golfer competes against another golfer, hole-by-hole. The player using the fewest strokes on a hole wins the hole while if both players shoot the same score, the hole is considered tied, or in the golf world, the hole is halved.

At the end of the round, both players could easily have shot the same score, say a 70. But going hole-by-hole, either player could have won the match, perhaps one of them even winning easily.

A bad hole, a double bogey six on a par four, by a player in a normal round puts that player two over par relative to the course. If his competitor were to birdie the hole, in stroke play, there is suddenly a three shot advantage. But in match play, the second player simply wins the hole.

Unfortunately for the PGA, the big names in golf, the Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson, Ernie Els, and Vijay Singh's of the world, all ran into golfers on a specific day who managed to play as well as the higher rated player did, or better, that particular day. For one day, the lower-ranked player topped the higher-ranked player, and that one day would be enough to allow the lower-ranked player to continue while the bigger names were eliminated from further competition.

Though the numerous upsets may lead the casual sports fan to be less apt to turn on the television to watch the Sunday finish, most golf purists enjoy the change from the traditional weekly PGA Tour format. And those who enjoy the format had to love the recent Accenture Match Play as it truly had the shot making that makes such a format scintillating.

Davis Love III made the finals for the second time in three years, winning his quarterfinal match on Saturday by way of a dramatic 18th-hole eagle, holing out from 111 yards on the last hole to eliminate Padraig Harrington 1-up Saturday morning. Normally, the shot would have simply been a highlight from the day without major impact on the traditional four day stroke format. Instead, that one shot on Saturday earned Love a victory and moved him into the afternoon semifinals, where this time he dropped six birdies on his opponent, and emerged victorious 4-and-2.

Love, however, would drop his 36-hole championship match against Geoff Ogilvy of Australia on Sunday, losing 3-and-2. Ogilvy had miraculously made the finals by winning four straight matches in extra holes. To get into the finals, the Australian had to play a new match play record of 95 holes.

In regards to excitement and suspense, ten separate times from Wednesday through Saturday, one of Ogilvy's opponents had a putt that could have won a match. All ten times, his opponent would miss and give Ogilvy renewed life.

For Love, it was yet another bitter development at this tournament, one that he always seems to play well at but yet has never taken home the top prize. Love had twice before fallen victim to Tiger Woods very late in the tournament, losing in the semifinals in 2000 and the aforementioned final two years ago.

In winning the tourney, Ogilvy took home the $1.3 million prize money, before a relatively small television and on-course audience. But for the game's purists, the stellar golf and the exciting format more than offset the issue of a Sunday without the biggest names playing for the title.

Well, after nearly three weeks, the spectacle that was the 2006 Winter Olympic Games has finally drawn to a close. Overall, the United States finished in second place in terms of medal count, with 9 gold medals, 9 silver medals, and 7 bronze medals for a total of 25. Germany led all countries with 29 medals, 11 of them being of the more precious gold variety. I would say that the United States did reasonably well, but a lot of sportswriters think that we should be disappointed with our athletes' performances. I guess this is because there were a couple of events that the United States was expected to medal in, but ended up getting shut out of. At any rate, I think we can all agree that the Games weren't short of either drama or excitement. Here are a few more notes and thoughts to wrap things up.

Michelle Kwan: From a fan's perspective, it was sad seeing Michelle Kwan pull out of the figure skating competition due to a lingering groin injury. Kwan has pretty much been the face of American figure skating for the past 8 years, and this was certainly her last shot at an Olympic gold medal. There's no question that she has had a successful career and has a lot of outstanding accomplishments to be proud of. But the fact that she always came up just a bit short in the Olympics probably bothers her to at least some degree. It reminds of a Hall of Fame level athlete who never won a championship in his or her lifetime, someone like Dan Marino or Patrick Ewing.

At the same time, however, Kwan will be remembered as a fierce competitor who won both a silver and bronze medal in the Olympics, and then graciously stepped aside when she knew she couldn't skate to her fullest potential for her country.

Men's Hockey Team: Not only did the men's hockey team fail to win a gold medal, they failed to win any medal at all. In fact, the team won only one of its 5 tournament games. If that doesn't signal the decline of American hockey, I don't know what does. There just aren't any excuses for the lackluster performance by the team throughout the Olympics. Some people might argue that the guys didn't have a chance to play very much together before entering the tournament, as they came straight from their NHL clubs to the Olympic team. But this can be said for a majority of the other countries' teams as well, including the Swedish and Finnish teams that won the gold and silver medals, respectively.

The major criticism of the U.S. men's hockey team is the fact that GM Don Waddell and head coach Peter Laviolette chose not to use many of the country's up-and-coming hockey stars. A look at the roster shows that this 2006 team was predominantly made up of veterans in their early to mid-thirties. While these veterans might have brought a lot of experience to the ice, they simply didn't have the speed to keep up with the younger teams. Hopefully there will be a complete overhaul for the 2010 games.

Bode Miller: Miller came into the games with as much hype surrounding him as any Olympic athlete that I can remember in recent history. However, the controversial skier failed to win a medal in any of the five events that he competed in, and will likely be known from here on out as one of the biggest Olympic busts ever. Through it all, Miller remained defiant, but I couldn't help but feel that at least part of that was just an act. It seemed that he was trying to play off his lack of success in Turin by behaving as though skiing was the least important thing on his mind. Miller didn't mind telling reporters how much he had to drink on the nights before his events, and several photographs appeared during the 18-day Olympic period that showed Miller in party-like settings. I really don't know what to make of Miller, but since I'm not a skiing fan, I probably won't be hearing much about him anymore. Until the next Olympic Games roll around, that is.

U.S. Snowboarding: If there was one area in which the United States didn't disappoint, it was snowboarding. Both the men and women snowboarders experienced great success on the half-pipe and snowboardercross course of Turin. Americans scored 7 snowboarding medals in all, including three golds, three silvers, and a bronze. Shaun White and Daniel Kass placed first and second in the men's half-pipe, and they were backed up by Hannah Teter and Gretchen Bleiler, who won gold and silver in the women's event. Seth Westcott won gold in the men's snowboardercross final, while Lindsey Jacobellis had her memorable silver medal episode in the women's final. The men were shut out of the men's parallel giant slalom event, but Rosey Fletcher secured a bronze medal over in the women's final. All in all, it was a great showing by the snowboarding team.

Hedrick-Davis Feud: I don't ever follow speedskating and I barely watch it during the Olympics, so I don't know if this is regular behavior or not. But at these games, it seemed that American teammates Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis created more drama than necessary. Hedrick took a number of shots at Davis over the course of the last couple of weeks, and it seemed like much of it was totally uncalled for.

Apparently, the whole thing started when Hedrick decided to enter five different events, which immediately got other people thinking that he might have a chance to tie Eric Heiden's record of 5 gold medals, set back in the 1980 games. Hedrick won his first event, but then had to settle for a silver and bronze in two other events. After those second and third place finishes, Hedrick said some rather unflattering things about Davis. Before long, the situation had turned into a full-blown controversy that ended up detracting from the accomplishments of the men's speedskating team. It's very unfortunate that the memory of these speedskating events at the Turin Olympics will be tarnished by all the unnecessary drama that unfolded off the ice.

Olympic Experience: On the whole, I would have to say that the Olympics were fun to watch. I was interested in a lot of the events because of the athletes involved and their own personal stories. I know that I will miss Michelle Kwan and some of the U.S. hockey players when the Olympics moves to Vancouver in 2010, but other than that, I think America has a lot of good, young athletes that will bring us even more success four years from now!

By Ed Jennett

Despite all of the talk that superstars (PF Kevin Garnett, PG Allen Iverson, and SG Paul Pierce) could be traded this year, the day of the trade deadline was actually a snooze fest. This is because the big names that were dealt this season were moved before February 23rd.

You know you've reached the end of your rope when you have to turn to your enemies for assistance. That is what happened in the Northwest Division, where the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Seattle Super Sonics combined with another Western Conference team (the Sacramento Kings of the Pacific Division) to try to solve some of their problems.

Seattle traded PF Reggie Evans to Denver and C Vitaly Potapenko to Portland. Denver traded PG Earl Watson, SG/SF Bryon Russell, and a future second round draft pick to Seattle, and also dealt SG Voshon Lenard to the Blazers. Portland traded SF Ruben Patterson and SF Charles Smith (for salary cap purposes) to Denver. The Blazers then sent Potapenko and SF Sergei Monta to the Kings for PF/C Brian Skinner.

Denver was looking to correct the premature decision to sign then free agent PG Earl Watson. The decision was premature because the Nuggets were planning on trading their incumbent PG Andre Miller with PF/C Nene to the Celtics for Paul Pierce, but Boston backed out of the deal.

Portland was looking to dump constant headache SF Ruben Patterson, preferably for cap space, young players, or picks. This desire was made even more urgent by the decision of Portland Head Coach Nate McMillan to return SF Darius Miles to the starting lineup, the egotistical and delusional Patterson had complained about his role earlier in the season and likely would have again once sent back to the bench.

Seattle was looking to trade several players who were not in their plans. Among those players were PF Reggie Evans and C Vitaly Potapenko. Evans will be a free agent this offseason and was out of the rotation of Seattle Head Coach Bob Hill. Because Evans had also turned down a contract extension offer last summer, it was obvious that he would leave Seattle in the offseason. Potapenko was removed from the rotation in favor of the last two first round draft picks of Seattle, C Robert Swift and C Johan Petro. In an unrelated deal, the Sonics traded PG/SG Ronald Murray to the Cleveland Cavaliers for PG Mike Wilks.

Ironically all three teams were impacted by the trade a day earlier between the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks. Orlando sent Francis to New York for SF Trevor Ariza and the expiring contract of PG/SG/SF Anfernee Hardaway. Denver was interested in acquiring PG/SG Steve Francis from Orlando or acquiring Hardaway in a package from New York. In either scenario the Nuggets would have shipped out Watson and PF Kenyon Martin, who has a bad attitude, bad contract, bad back, and a bad knee. The health woes of Martin caused the Knicks to pass on that deal.

Portland was trying to acquire the expiring contract of Hardaway as well. The Blazers also wanted New York SF/PF David Lee or one of the two first round draft picks owned by New York (via Denver and San Antonio). New York was scared off by the health woes of Miles (recovering from knee surgery) and Ratliff (out with a sprained ankle/injury prone).

Seattle wanted to acquire the expiring contract of Hardaway and wanted to dump all of their unwanted players on New York in return. The Knicks have an interest in Evans, but it made more sense to deal Hardaway elsewhere and try to sign Evans as a free agent during the offseason.

Denver might end up stuck with Martin for quite some time. New York was the only team willing to surrender any assets for him, but all of the proposed deals included Watson. It will be much more difficult for the teams to work out a trade that they are both happy with without Watson involved. Ironically one scenario that might work is New York offering the expiring contract of PF Maurice Taylor along with the Nuggets own first round pick and the first round pick of San Antonio at the 2006 NBA Draft or during the offseason. The Knicks would have to be convinced that Martin is healthy however.

Portland clearly wants to get rid of Miles and Ratliff. One possibility is to resurrect talks with the Knicks for their other player with a huge contract that expires in 2007, PG/SG/SF Jalen Rose. If Lee or one of the Knicks draft picks is included the teams may be able to finally agree on the long discussed swap. Portland and New York had also considered swapping the 2006 expiring contract of PF/C Antonio Davis for Miles and Ratliff before Davis was traded to the Toronto Raptors for Rose and the Denver first round pick.

The majority of the criticism heaped upon the Knicks this season has been completely justified as the team has been a disaster. Any criticism of the Francis trade however is misguided. While New York may have given Orlando cap space, the point to having cap space is to sign All-Star players, which Francis is. Any potential conflicts between Francis and PG Stephon Marbury are highly unlikely. Both players know that they have horrible reputations and will be looking to prove themselves. Marbury will most likely handle most of the point guard duties since he had grasped what Head Coach Larry Brown wanted and was playing tremendous basketball before missing time with a shoulder injury. That leaves Francis to play shooting guard, where he can score a ton of points, cut down on his turnovers, and still deliver a lot of assists. If either player is foolish enough to cause problems President/GM Isiah Thomas can simply point out that they can easily be traded for another All-Star level player. Marbury is from New York so he definitely would not want that. In addition to that if both players remain they could potentially miss out on being on a loaded team next season. The Knicks have been an embarrassing mismatch on the court, but they are also a collection of valuable trading assets.

The expiring contracts of Jalen Rose and Maurice Taylor, the first round picks of the Spurs and Nuggets, and if necessary, rookies SF/PF David Lee, PG Nate Robinson, and possibly even PF/C Channing Frye can be used as trade bait to land All-Star level forwards to team with Marbury, Francis, and C Eddy Curry.

Orlando has to be happy with the trade as well. Francis was suspended for two games earlier in the season for refusing to re-enter the game near the end of a blowout loss to the Sonics. The Magic immediately began shopping him. Once Orlando realized that a deal for another All-Star wasn’t going to materialize, the Magic decided to create cap space to sign one either this offseason or next offseason. Despite ending up in the dog house of Brown in New York, Ariza is a talented and athletic player who will be a valuable asset to Orlando. The Magic may not have been as fortunate in their previous deal however.

It took him a while to do it, mostly because he had a hard time finding the right sucker to solve his problem, but Detroit Pistons GM finally admitted he made a mistake by drafting PF/C Darko Milicic. Dumars did not actually verbalize this, but by trading Milicic and PG Carlos Arroyo to the Magic for the expiring contract of C Kelvin Cato and a 2007 first round pick the words did not need to be spoken. Milicic was drafted ahead of SF Carmelo Anthony, SG Dwyane Wade, and PF Chris Bosh, but was unable to earn minutes over washed up veteran big men Antonio McDyess, Dale Davis, and Elden Campbell. The only time Arroyo has ever done anything of note was playing well in the last Olympics. The Pistons were lucky to be able to even get an expiring contract for those two. But due to another shrewd trade by Dumars, and a majestic mistake by the Magic, Detroit will have a lottery pick in the draft next year.

Orlando is hoping that Millicic develops into an All-Star and that Arroyo becomes a legitimate starting point guard. Unless he aggravates everyone in New York and gets kicked out of town there too, Francis might have the last laugh on his former team.

In other trades:

Miami sent SG/SF Gerald Fitch to Houston for SG Derek Anderson.

The Hornets dealt SF Bostjan Nachbar to the Nets for PF/C Marc Jackson and SF Linton Johnson.

Philadelphia traded SF Lee Nailon and a 2006 second-round pick to the Cavaliers for a conditional second-round pick.

In trades made shortly before the deadline:

The Clippers sent PF/C Chris Wilcox to the Sonics for SF/PF Vladamir Radmanovic.

The Hornets dealt SF/PF Maciej Lampe to the Rockets for PG Moochie Norris.

The Rockets also sent PF Lonny Baxter to the Hornets for SG Keith Bogans.

The Hornets acquired PF Aaron Williams from the Raptors for 2006 and 2009 second-round picks.

The Raptors traded Rose, a 2006 first-round pick, and cash to the Knicks for Davis.

With just a few days left in February, talk is turning to the annual NCAA basketball extravaganza now known as March Madness. And with just a little more than a week left in the regular season, talk is turning to the annual selection process and the proverbial seeding of the nation's top teams.

This year, perhaps more of an issue than in year's past, the decision as to who to seed as number one in each region is a point of major debate. Only one team currently is seen as a lock for a top spot, the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils. Undefeated in the ACC and with just one loss despite playing a front line schedule, Duke appears assured of a number one seed no matter what happens in the ACC Tourney.

After that, the arguments begin in earnest. Currently, the Villanova Wildcats have climbed to number two in the nation in the Coaches Poll, followed by Memphis, Connecticut, and Gonzaga. The AP Poll has one slight change: Connecticut is third, followed by Memphis, then Gonzaga. Rounding out the top eight in each poll are George Washington, Texas, and Illinois.

No one in their right mind believes GW is deserving of a top seed, and with top player Pops now out with an injury, George Washington could drop a couple of games coming home. Yet, the debate about the other six teams is one that can be quite heated.

The Big East is clearly considered the best league this year, so either UConn or Villanova seem logical choices for at least one slot. Those two teams still have a regular season match-up and then a potential Big East tournament battle as well. A sweep by either team would seemingly lock up a number one berth for that school. But if they split, each can make a case for a number one seed though one will likely not be ranked in the top four based on yet another loss. Then of course both schools could claim that the strength of the Big East means both Nova and UConn are deserving.

Two other schools, Memphis and Gonzaga, have the ratings, yet both have not necessarily played the level of competition as the teams in the Big East, the ACC, or even the Big Twelve. But if both teams win out, they each could lay claim to one of the top seeds.

However, both Texas and Illinois have played the more difficult schedule, and coming from the big time conferences, they could easily slide up the ladder. Especially if either of them also wins out, taking home their respective conference tournaments in the process.

In fact, the latest power ranking of one Vegas site has Texas number two, trailing only Duke. That same site also has Ohio State and Kansas ahead of the Fighting Illini. However, after Texas at two, the Vegas rankings have Connecticut followed by Memphis with Villanova fifth.

One other issue for the committee will be the seeding of some big time programs having slightly down years. Teams such as Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Syracuse are normally schools ranked in the top five seeds of each bracket. But this year, those schools are just hoping that they get an invite, leaving many to wonder where will such teams be seeded? Obviously, lower seedings could lead to some extremely interesting, high marquee match-ups, in the very early rounds of the tournament. Imagine such possibilities as Duke playing Kentucky early on, or Syracuse doing battle with the likes of Nova or UConn.

Without a doubt, the conference tourneys, as they always seem to do, will provide some of the answers in the next couple of weeks. In the mean time, the speculation has begun as the bracketologists have dusted off their clip boards and started casting their judgments for the NCAA seeding committee

In fact, the debate is actually half the fun of the March Madness

Throughout most of the 2005 college football season, the USC Trojans and the Texas Longhorns were ranked #1 and #2 in the country, respectively. The Trojans held onto that number one spot from opening day until their one and only loss in the Rose Bowl, while Texas started the season in second and weren't able to slide into the number one spot until they toppled the Trojans in January.

Though both of these teams obviously had an incredible depth of talent on offense and defense, it's safe to say that the play of their quarterbacks was a big part of the reason they were able to stay on top for so long. The Trojans had senior Matt Leinart at the helm, while junior Vince Young called the signals for the Longhorns. Both Leinart and Young will be entering this year's NFL draft, and both are expected to be taken within the first three picks of the first round. According to most mock drafts, former USC running back Reggie Bush will be selected first overall by the Houston Texans. Then, Leinart is expected to be the second pick and Young the third.

But hold on a second: didn't Young convincingly outshine Leinart when the two went head-to-head in the Rose Bowl? Anyone who watched that game could see beyond a doubt that without Young, there's no way the Longhorns would have been crowned the National Champs. In fact, many sportswriters said that Young's performance might have been the best ever in a college bowl game, which is saying a lot when you really think about what that entails. Young completed 30 out of 40 passes for 267 yards while rushing for an additional 200 yards and an amazing three touchdowns, including the one that would turn out to be the game-winner. Leinart had an excellent game, too.  He completed 29 out of 40 passes for 365 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in his final contest on the college stage, but the fact remains that he did not lead his team to victory when it mattered the most.

Since Young dominated the Rose Bowl just like he dominated every other game he played in during the regular season, I find it a big strange that Leinart is projected to be drafted ahead of him. After all, while everyone believes Young was a critical factor in the Longhorns' success, few believe that the Trojans wouldn't have made it to the Rose Bowl without Leinart. In fact, at least one fan poll showed that a majority of people would prefer to have Young as their starting quarterback in a bowl game rather than Leinart. Yes, Leinart had a great season. But the Trojans had so many weapons on offense (Bush, LenDale White, Dwayne Jarrett, Dominique Byrd) that almost anyone could have been taking snaps for them and they would have gotten the same results. Or so the reasoning goes.

While we'll never know if that really would be the case or not because most of the Trojans' offensive talent from last year are moving on to the NFL, I'm inclined to disagree. I think Leinart brings a great deal of leadership and confidence to the field, which are two intangible qualities that many quarterbacks lack at the college level.

I am also inclined to agree that Leinart should be the first quarterback selected in the NFL draft. Young is definitely an explosive quarterback that poses a double threat and can beat teams either through the air or on the ground. Leinart, on the other hand, lacks the mobility and athleticism of Young and will definitely be a pocket passer in his pro career. But that's exactly what NFL teams want these days.

When you take a look around the NFL and check out the most successful quarterbacks, you see guys like Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, and Marc Bulger near the top of nearly every statistical category. What do these players have in common? They're all pocket passers who are not a threat to take off with the ball at all.

When Mike Vick came into the NFL, most analysts thought that he would be "the next big thing." He dominated college games much like Young did, and was sure to tear up the NFL. But that hasn't been the case at all. Yes, Vick has battled through injuries, and yes, he has still achieved considerable success as a pro. But his passer rating of 73.1 was 25th in the league last year, putting him among the likes of Josh McCown, Joey Harrington, and Brooks Bollinger -- hardly a list a dominant guys. Vick has now been in the NFL for five years, but hasn't shown the ability to completely take over games with the consistency that he did in college.

I think that Young's career will parallel Vick's in terms of statistics for at least the first few years. Young will have a tough transition period as he learns to stay in the pocket a little longer than he would have in college. He'll find himself going up against bigger, faster linebackers and he won't be able to immediately take off running on each play. And since most scouts think that Young's throwing style is a bit unorthodox, he could have trouble getting his passing game going in the NFL too.

But when I watch tapes of Leinart's games, I get the feeling that he's ready to step in and successfully run an NFL offense in his rookie year. By "successfully," I don't mean he'll take the New Orleans Saints (the team projected to draft him) to the Super Bowl, or even to the playoffs. I just mean that he'll get in there and take his reps during the season while learning the system. I think his development will follow a Peyton Manning-like script of playing throughout his rookie season no matter what kind of results he gets rather than sitting on the bench the whole year and just watching. So even if Leinart doesn't do anything to turn heads in 2006, he'll most likely come out gunning in 2007. I just don't see Young making a similar impact that quickly in the big leagues.

Overall, there's no question that both the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans (with the third pick) will be getting great additions to their lineups with Leinart and Young. But in order for teams to succeed in the NFL, their quarterbacks need to be able to flourish in an offense that emphasizes the passing game. Leinart has shown that he can do that, and that's why he'll be picked over Young in April.

The headlines were the typical attention grabbing hoopla we have come to expect from New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

"We're going to win it this year," he said. "We are going after it."

It refers to a World Series title, something the Yankees have not done since they beat the Mets in the Subway series back in 2000. The Bronx Bombers have made two trips to the World Series since, losing to Arizona in 2001 and Florida in 2003. Though they have made the playoffs each year, they were eliminated by the California/Los Angeles/Anaheim Angels in the first round of the playoffs in both 2002 and 2005, and also dropped a championship series round to the hated Red Sox in 2004, after going up three games to zero on Boston.

Though the Yankees were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs a year ago, they made only one major acquisition during the offseason. In an effort to improve the team in the outfield, and give a potent lineup yet more bat, New York signed former Red Sox centerfielder Johnny Damon. The Yankees out bid other interested teams, including the Red Sox, giving Damon a $52 million, four-year contract.

Damon does have to help the Yankees, he is a gamer, a team player who knows only how to play full speed. In addition, he can indeed hit as his statistics with Boston last year reveal: a .316 average with 117 runs, 10 homers, 75 RBIs and 18 steals.

But like every team in major league baseball, the issue for New York will be pitching. The team of course has the best reliever in baseball in Mariano Rivera. They also have two big names at the top of their rotation in Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson. But number three starter Carl Pavano is once again struggling with injuries, meaning team depth will once again be key. And that is where the Yanks might most be suspect, as they search for arms to fill the fourth and fifth slots in the rotation.

A year ago, both the Red Sox and Yanks went out in the first round of the American League playoffs. Not too surprisingly, the two teams fell victim to squads with superior pitching. While the Sox went out a got Josh Beckett to try to improve their starting rotation, the Yanks appear to be relying on some veterans to have outstanding seasons at the top of the rotation.

Of course, the only issue regarding Steinbrenner's comments is the pressure he is putting on manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman. The owner's statements simply mean that those two individuals are now completely on the hot seat, because anything less than a World Series title will be considered a failure for the organization.

That pressure may help motivate a veteran team, but talent and motivation are both parts of the key ingredients for winning. Just look what happened with the White Sox last year, a team that may actually be better in 2006 than they were in 2005.

The Yanks may indeed win, they have significant talent and they should be motivated to make a statement. But such a statement will need to come on the field, not from the dugout or the office,and certainly not from the mouth of George Steinbrenner.

Tiger Woods is clearly professional golf's most popular player. In a world where most pull for the proverbial underdog, it is a bit unusual for someone so good to be the player everyone watches, the golfer everyone pulls for.

But Tiger Woods is without a doubt the fan favorite. Perhaps it is because he is so good, so tenacious on the course that everyone admires his skill and fortitude. But more than likely, his popularity comes as much for what the man continues to do off the links in conjunction with his achievements in the golf world.

Recently, the thirty-year old superstar once again proved that his heart was as large as competitive spirit. Two weeks ago, Woods officially opened a new $25 million learning center designed to help children find their way along life's path.

True to form, Woods called the opening of the center the greatest thing that has ever happened to him personally. This is of course the same man who has now won 57 official tournaments world wide and 10 major championships.

To produce a grand-opening ceremony for his learning center, Woods invited former President Bill Clinton and Maria Shriver, the wife of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with dozens of children. Children will be able to spend time at the 35,000 square foot facility designed for after school for interactive programs in science, math and technology.

Also true to form, Woods noted with sadness the absence of his father, Earl Woods, from the festivities. Mr. Woods is battling cancer and was unable to attend the ceremony despite being just a short drive away. Woods reportedly nearly broke down as he mentioned the support he had received from his father over the years.

The center is yet another part of the Tiger Woods Foundation, an entity created by Woods shortly after he turned pro. Though Tiger clearly wanted to do something for children right from the get go professionally, he could not initially come up with a concept that he felt good about. Though he took time to do clinics for children around the country, Woods did not get the feeling that he was impacting the lives of the children that he came in contact with.

Woods indicated that his idea for the center came after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. At that time, Woods was stranded in St. Louis when a World Golf Championship event was canceled. The game's most popular player subsequently made the lengthy drive back to Florida contemplating the impact of his foundation. It was at that point Woods came up with the idea of the learning center.

Three and a half years later, the project was complete. Woods provided the first $5 million for the center, then provided his earnings from an event that Woods created at the end of the golf season, the Target World Challenge. In addition, Tiger was responsible for additional proceeds by starting a new PGA Tour event, the Deutsche Bank Championship, just outside Boston. The Woods Foundation receives all of the tournament's net proceeds every year.

The man who also earns enough from endorsements to make him one of the best paid golfers on the planet pushed his corporate sponsors to support the project as well. Woods would get the support of 25 founding partners, including Target, Nike, and Augusta National.

Though he clearly aspires to be the best golfer to ever tee it up, the world's number one ranked player indicated he would one day like to be remembered as much for his work with kids as with the number of tournaments he wins. For Tiger, golf is his vehicle for doing for others, and his willingness to do so much for children makes the game’s top ranked player a person people get behind and cheer for.

When Tiger tees it up, the gallery need not root for the underdog because Woods is doing his part to help the truly less advantaged, the real underdogs, with his Foundation and commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.

Amidst the Olympic hype, we hear most often of the likes of Bode Miller and his statements about skiing while drunk. We then witness the likes of Lindsey Jacobellis seemingly assured of winning a gold medal only to get caught up in the American habit of showboating, falling and losing out on the top spot.

All in all, at times the true meaning of the Olympic games slips by us.

But there is another arena, one where we find the likes of Tony Benshoof, America's top individual luge racer. Whereas as the others are poster children for the publicity hounds, Benshoof is an ambassador for everything that is right about the Olympics, in fact everything that is about sports and competition.

Benshoof has been America's top luge racer for quite some time now. But though he is an elite competitor, Benshoof is more about increasing the interest in the sport itself and in the basic goal of competition.

The American's love affair for luge racing began when he was introduced to the sport at the age of 12. A grass roots program called the "Verizon USA luge slider search" came to his home town in Minnesota on a Saturday night. Without anything better to do that night, Benshoof and his father decided to give the sport a try.

The top American luge racer was hooked instantly by a sport known for its incredible speed. His enthusiasm that evening led to his being picked along with another 100 or so kids from across the country to try the "real" thing the following winter in Calgary, Alberta. Eighteen years later, he still finds that the sport provides him with enough challenges to keep his interest at peak level.

For those who think a luge racer just jumps on the sled and begins sliding should think again. To compete at the highest level, even luge racers have in depth training regimens. The conditioning routines are divided into two distinct categories, often referred to summer training and in-season training.

During the summer training regimen, racers build on their coordination and power. Because the start is so crucial in luge, summer training typically consists of about 10 hours per week focused on resistance training and 10 hours per week using plyometrics to develop greater agility and coordination.

In-season training is where the athletes convert their training routines to the technical side. At that time racers work to perfect the start style and sliding. At speeds approaching 85 miles per hour, aerodynamic position is critical and with 5G's of force, keeping proper form is an exceptionally difficult task to maintain for an entire run. It is that need for a solid form that luge racers must also be in outstanding physical condition.

For a luge racer, another critical component is the steels on the sled. Constantly changing their edges, luge racers must balance two distinct and conflicting aspects to nail the perfect run. Sharp runners give more control but slow the racer down as the steels dig into the ice. Contrasting, less-sharp runners enable greater speed at the peril of reduced control of the sled.

Prior to heading to Italy, the Benshoof had stipulated his goals for the 2006 Winter Olympiad. Many would be surprised to learn that those goals did not include a medal.

"Our media and Western media put so much emphasis on winning," stated the Olympian. But prior to heading overseas, Benshoof insisted that the Olympics, at least for him, are vastly different. For those competing in Italy this winter, Benshoof insisted it was about "overcoming and reaching the summit." It was about the "hard luck athlete who managed to defy all predictions." And it was about "laying it on the line and doing one's best" when it matters the most.

Quite frankly, the 2002 Olympics did not see Benshoof at his best, though he would categorize it as an exceptional experience. Though he "laid it all on the line" at those games, his performance had him initially thinking that maybe it was time to quit. But then something inside him told him he could not give up just yet.

That something would prove right. The top American racer earned 27 international medals after that Olympics, making him the most decorated men's singles athlete in the US during that time. That success and his pure joy for competing in a sport that he loves had him looking forward to his experience in Turin.

Benshoof completely understands how big the Olympics really is and what it means to be an Olympian. Benshoof describes his teammates and fellow competitors as "truly ordinary people doing extraordinary things."

His Olympic experiences have helped him meet some of the finest athletes in the world. They are extraordinary says Benshoof, "Not because they are famous Olympians but because they are real people with real problems who shine when it counts. People who should make 7 figures but in reality make a mere fraction of that. "

For those who yearn for the pureness of sport, the Olympics indeed still has much to offer. Challenging oneself to perform at his or her best, when the chips are down, are what the essence of sports is all about. As Benshoof notes, everyone cannot possibly be the winner at each event, but in preparing hard to compete and then performing at our best at that key moment makes the each individual a winner.

Benshoof would complete his second ever Olympiad by placing fourth in the luge singles. After four runs down a track reaching speeds of 86 mile per hour, the American trailed the gold medal winner Armin Zoeggeler by 51 hundredths of a second total. Even more incredibly, in a sport where fractions of a second are really an eternity, his time still left him 15 hundredths behind the bronze medal winner Martins Rubenis.

For our young athletes, they all should have the opportunity to hear someone such as Benshoof talk of the sport they love and what it means to compete on a world class level. The luge racer is indeed what the Olympics are supposed to be all about.

After watching the National Football League players in their Pro Bowl last weekend and the National Basketball Association host its All-Star game this weekend, I am not certain why the leagues host these events. As a fan, I would love to see the players who are considered the best at their game show their skills to their fans. Instead of just showboating, let us see real talent.

There have been some exciting moments. Champ Bailey showed everyone why he is considered the best cornerback in the NFL during the Pro Bowl game. He had an interception returned 67 yards to set up a touchdown, and he snagged a ball near the sideline that everyone else thought had gone out of bounds. He was listening and taking in more of the game, especially the lack of a whistle calling the play dead, and he was rewarded for it.

LeBron James showed that he just may be worth the money the Cavaliers and dozens of sponsors are paying him during the All-Star Game. The Eastern Conference, long considered the weaker of the two conferences, made a strong showing in a comeback victory over the West, and James led the way. He is the youngest person ever to be named the Most Valuable Player of an All-Star game.

These two shining stars are blips in these weekends, however. Peyton Manning, considered by many to be the best quarterback in football, threw for three interceptions. That was a terrible game for Manning, you say. Oh, wait, it was a terrible half! That is right. Manning played only one half and threw three touchdowns. Why did he even bother to show up?

The game was sloppy and not well-played, which is unfortunate for the fans who made the long and expensive trek to Hawaii for the game. The AFC players each earn $20,000 for the game, while NFC players made $40,000 for the weekend. These players, voted in by the fans, earn significant amounts of money for one game. The least they could do for the fans is to show up and really play instead of goofing off.

The NFL weekend is not as exciting as the NBA weekend, which is unfortunate. The NBA players do participate in other events, such as the Slam Dunk contest and the shootaround. Over time, these events have become more exciting for the fans to watch than the main event. They add a little spice to the game. They allow people to see players who do not make it to the big game but are big competitors. Those events are what makes the All-Star weekend more fun.

The NFL really should consider adding some high-profile games to their Pro Bowl weekend. Fans vote on players and then watch them play bits and pieces of the game. Because so many of the players deserve time playing in the Pro Bowl, fans discover that they do not get to see their favorite players much. Instead, I wish the NFL would institute fun and games for the entire weekend. Let us see the kickers who are there go all-out. Let us watch the receivers challenge each other. There could be better ratings, and the weekend would be a better showcase of the talent available in the NFL, if the fans got a full weekend of fun instead of just the Sunday evening game.

While I am complaining about the games and how much the players put into them, I do want to see the players in something exciting. The prospect of watching the NFL and NBA players who are considered the best at their game is one that I enjoy as a fan. In the NBA especially, I rarely get to see some players. They are on teams that are not very good, and their television airtime is minimal. Instead I am stuck watching their highlight reels on ESPN. These weekends could be used as a way to show the fans that the players they want to see more of during the season. It would boost ratings, and it would go a long way toward showing to the world that these players are people who have amazing jobs and who appreciate that fact.

By Julia Mercer

The days of the shutdown cornerback are long-gone according to many people who report on the National Football League. There were days, back in the 80s, when cornerbacks could shut down a side of the field completely so that quarterbacks rarely threw the ball to that side. The benefit of these players was that they could concentrate their efforts on the best receiver for the opposing team. It forced the team to spread out and pass to other receivers, which was a serious problem for teams with little depth at the receiver position.

Today, however, the rules of the game have changed, and they favor offensive players. Cornerbacks now must give the receivers more room. Pass interference calls are increasing, and corners have become obsolete in many ways. Still, Champ Bailey, who plays for the Denver Broncos, has shown over the past season that he is the old-fashioned shutdown cornerback. He causes teams to change their offensive scheme to fit around his playing ability. Bailey claimed recently that he is such a good corner because instead of reading his receiver and following his movements the way other corners play, he reads the quarterback. Having played offensive extensively during his time at the University of Georgia, Bailey can read the movements a quarterback is making better than most cornerbacks can. That makes him a dangerous defensive weapon for the Broncos.

Bailey showed his skills during the Broncos recent playoff run. Although they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos made a run for the playoffs in which Bailey was an important player. His last-minute interception against the New England Patriots helped the Broncos secure their victory.

Still, Bailey is a bit of an enigma to most NFL fans. A quiet player, he does not have the brash demeanor that leads fans to know about many players, such as Bengals receiver Chad Johnson. Bailey does not have endorsement deals with shoe companies, car companies, or breakfast cereals. He simply goes to work, does his best, and goes home.

Bailey started his football career in Folkston, Georgia, a small town known primarily for producing Bailey and his younger brother, Boss, who plays for the Detroit Lions, and the Okefenokee Swamp that covers much of the county. Bailey was a stand-out player and student in high school where he was a popular figure in his early teens.

When Bailey went to play at the University of Georgia, it was not without fanfare. He was hailed as the next great player at Georgia, a school that was at the time much in need of great players. He was compared to past Georgia legends before he even set foot on campus. Bailey was called a triple threat in college because he played offense, defense, and special teams. He regularly racked up games in which he played more than 100 plays.

Still Bailey was playing during grim times at Georgia. The Jim Donnan years started with much promise, as Georgia faithful believed that Donnan could bring glory back to the team, but Donnan proved to be an uninspiring coach. Fans did not like him, and he permitted players to run roughshod over the rules. His coaching tenure was marked by victories here and there but nothing substantial.

Still Bailey was one of the bright spots on the team, which never hurt for talent, even in those rough years. Bailey was highly touted as a Heisman candidate but lost out largely because of Charles Woodson. The Heisman voters courted fans by giving Woodson the Heisman the year before. Woodson, whose professional career has been mediocre, did not deserve the Heisman in retrospect, but it shut out truly great defensive players for years to come. Bailey was one of those players.

Still the Washington Redskins drafted him with the number seven pick of the 1999 draft, and Bailey played there for five years before being traded to the Broncos. His first season in Denver was a little shaky, but his most recent season was his best professional year yet. Bailey showed fans why there are still shutdown corners and why he is among the best of them. And Denver fans hope he is showing others why for quite a few more seasons.

By Julia Mercer

NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik reportedly dealt with many questions over the All Star break. One positive was that the discussions did not deal with on the court fights and the behavior of players. Instead, the focus was the current playoff format.

At issue is the seeding process. The teams that win their respective divisions, East and West, gain the top three playoff seeds with the team with the better record receiving the higher seed. The next five teams in each conference, regardless of the division, fill seeds four through eight.

The impetus for the questions about the format came as a result of the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs having the two best records in the West. Because they play in the same division, only one can be the division champ. The division runner up gets relegated to the fourth seed due to the format, a disappointing enough drop if not for the fact that the two best teams could then could be headed to a matchup in the second round of the postseason presuming they take care of business in round one.

If the season ended today, the Mavericks (41-11) would have the No. 1 seed and the defending champion Spurs, though a stellar 40-12, would only be the fourth seed. Those two Titans would make a second round matchup a bruiser, perhaps leaving the winner vulnerable to the other second round winner playing in an easier situation.

The same issue could develop in the East though right now many have the Miami Heat as the number two seed and probable division winner. Though the much improved Cleveland Cavaliers are a distant second in their own division behind the front running Pistons, the Cavaliers could well be the second best team in the East at playoff time, particularly if a healthy Larry Hughes returns.

It appears it may well be time for the NBA to give the three division winners a top seed but make the process more flexible. One such option would be to make the three division winners and the second place team with the best record guaranteed to receive the top four slots.

Division winners would get a first round home advantage but in the case of the Spurs and Mavericks this year, those two teams could still enter the playoffs one and two with the other two division winners taking the third and fourth slots. Of course, if one team takes a division title in a lack luster group, that team would still be seeded ahead of the other four teams in the playoffs.

But that is OK by the NBA leadership. Stern and Granik want some emphasis on the regular season, hence the push to reward division. But if the Spurs go out in round two and then the Mavericks suffer a hangover and drop their third round series, then the playoff format will be a major point of discussion once again.

But even if that does not happen, the NBA should reconsider the format as there is no valid reason that the two best teams should be facing one another so early in the playoffs.

The 2006 Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series has been a great one for the fans so far. Through six rounds of racing in the 250cc class, otherwise known as the Supercross class, championship favorites Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart had pretty much traded wins. Each had three coming into Round Seven in St. Louis, and the points chase was relatively close with Carmichael leading Stewart by a score of 139 to 128. In addition, Chad Reed had posted four second-place finishes and was lurking well within striking distance with 124 points.

St. Louis marked the beginning of the East Coast swing this year. That means the tracks would be constructed of dirt that is significantly different from the California soil that the riders had grown accustomed to during the first several rounds. This in turn would mean that at least a few of the riders would be looking to make tire adjustments and fine tune a few other minor settings in order to get their bikes running perfectly in the new conditions.

In the few years that he has been running the 250cc Supercross series, Reed has done a little bit better on the East Coast tracks than he has on the West. Carmichael fans will say that it's because by the time the series moves east, Carmichael has already opened up enough of a lead that he doesn't have to push to win races anymore. He just has to ride conservatively in second or third place in order to secure the championship. But Reed's fans, on the other hand, say that Reed either just needs a little more time to get into a groove in the series, or that the east coast soil is more conducive to his riding style. Whatever the reason behind Reed's success in the East, he must have been happy to finally pack his bags and get out of California.

During the practice sessions, it looked like Carmichael would still be the man to beat. He was reeled off the fastest lap time of 51.11, which was seven-tenths of a second faster than James Stewart's fastest time. Reed was surprisingly back in fifth place, more than a second and a half off the pace.

However, as most Supercross fans know, you shouldn't bet the farm on practice times because anything can happen once the racing starts. That certainly seemed to be the case on Saturday night once the gates dropped on the heat races. Stewart came out in the first heat and promptly set a new fastest time by dipping below the 50-second mark. He easily won the race over Carmichael's teammate Ivan Tedesco in second, and Reed in third.

Meanwhile, Carmichael had all kinds of problems in his heat race. He led for about 4 laps before making a mistake in the tamed down whoops and wadding it up. He would pull off the track for his first DNF in a long time. Though Carmichael's fans were alarmed, this feeling of panic didn't last long. Carmichael was back out for the semi-final and easily won it by 21 seconds over Jacob Saylor. All three of the big players were now in the Main Event.

It seemed to be business as usual until the gate dropped on the Main Event. But Carmichael made another uncharacteristic mistake in the first turn, and again over a triple where came up way short on the landing. The impact apparently damaged a shock spring, and Carmichael's evening was over. He would lose at least 24 points to the winner.

Reed and Stewart immediately sought to capitalize on their opportunity. Unfortunately for them, there were still 17 other guys out there who weren't just going to pull over and let they by. Tedesco led the race for a full 10 laps before Reed was able to make a move and take over first place. Meanwhile, Stewart, who got a decent 7th place start, was in 3rd place when the unthinkable happened: he stalled his bike! By the time Stewart was able to kick the stubborn four-stroke back to life, he was in 19th place. It was an unbelievable turn of events for the young Kawasaki pilot.

Out in front, Reed soon opened up a huge gap on Tedesco and won easily. Tedesco's second-place finish was the best of his stellar rookie season in the Supercross class, and Team Honda's Ernesto Fonseca also appeared on the podium for the first time this year. Nick Wey and Travis Preston rounded out the top five.

As for Stewart, he only managed to improve two places to 17th overall. Instead of  potentially putting some distance between himself and Carmichael in the points standings, Stewart was only able to gain a total of four points on the night. What's worse, he has now dropped from second to third in the overall standings.

Though Carmichael must have been extremely frustrated that his night ended early due to a mechanical problem, he has to be breathing a sigh of relief at how things played out. Instead of being 13 points down to Stewart (which would have been the gap had Stewart won), Carmichael is just 9 points behind Reed.

Reed of course comes out of all of this feeling like a million bucks. The Yamaha rider has been visibly upset with his performance during the early rounds, but has got to be pleased with the way things have turned around so quickly. It looks like he really does do better on the east coast tracks!

As we have just seen, anything can happen during the Main Event. There are still 9 races left in the season, which will seem like an eternity to the points leader. If St. Louis was any indication of the things to come, then I don't think anyone should be making championship celebration plans just yet.

It will be interesting to see how the Big Three come back next week and respond to this bizarre night in St. Louis. Will Carmichael be able to put the mechanical failure behind him and ride with complete confidence in his bike, or will he have just the slightest bit of nagging doubt that could lead to a more conservative ride? Will Stewart be able to overcome his propensity for making mistakes at the most inopportune times or will he do something else that will jeopardize his championship hopes? Will Reed build on this momentum and back up his win with another solid performance?

We won't find out the answers to these questions until next week in Atlanta. Until then, fans can savor the close racing, great action, surprising twists, and uncertain future of the 2006 Supercross series!

If you've  been watching the news over the last couple of days, then you can't escape from the image of American snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis' run in the finals of the Snowboardcross event at the Winter Olympics in Turin. As the images show time and time again, in excruciating slow motion as well as regular speed, Jacobellis, who pretty much had a clear course in front of her and was just seconds away from winning the gold medal, tried to do something called a "backside method grab." This threw her off balance and caused her to first land awkwardly and then fall. In those few horrifying seconds when she was lying in the snow, fellow competitor Tanja Frieden of Switzerland went cruising by, crossed the finish line first, and secured the gold.

Jacobellis and Frieden were so far ahead of the other racers that Jacobellis still won the silver medal by a substantial margin over bronze medal winner Dominique Maltais of Canada.

Unfortunately for Jacobellis, the news stories that poured forth after this event have not been focusing on anything positive. Instead of commending Jacobellis on the outstanding achievement of winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games, a vast majority of the stories I've read have condemned her for losing what seemed to be a "sure" gold medal. Indeed, Jacobellis, has been accused of "hot dogging," "showboating," "arrogance."  One sportswriter has even compared her to Leon Lett, the Dallas Cowboys defender who started celebrating a touchdown too early and was stripped of the ball by Don Beebe of the Bufallo Bills at the one yard line in Super Bowl XXVII.

Through it all, the 20-year-old Jacobellis has taken things as well as can be expected. Immediately after her mistake, she maintained that she did not perform the board-grab as a style move, but rather as an attempt to stabilize herself over that jump on the windy course. However, perhaps after viewing the tapes of her jump, consulting with her coach, or simply in an act of maturity, Jacobellis later said that she did in fact get "caught up in the moment" and that she "messed up."

I have to say that I am pretty appalled at the reaction I've been seeing, hearing, and reading about this incident. I'm surprised that sportswriters have been coming down so hard on Jacobellis, despite the fact that she won a silver medal. There have been complaints that Jacobellis cost the United States another snowboarding sweep and that she has given Americans a bad name (for being too arrogant, I guess).

But the fact of the matter is that these stories, by and large, have been written by thirty- or forty-something people who have probably never strapped on a snowboard in their lives. It seems to me that these writers simply can't comprehend that snowboarding is a young person's sport. The clothes are baggy, hip, and cool, the jackets come with built-in compartments for iPods, and style is a huge part of the sport.

Even those who feel that Jacobellis had a right to celebrate come back and say, "But she should have waited a few seconds" in the next breath. But if you've ever competed in anything, then you already know that Jacobellis' sentiments about getting caught up in the moment absolutely ring true. You aren't always in complete control of your emotions during an athletic event, and as Jacobellis is only 20, I for one am not expecting her to act like a seasoned veteran 100 percent of the time.

Unfortunately for Jacobellis, she will likely have to live through the replays of her infamous backside method grab attempt for a long time to come. This incident will probably go down in the annals of sports history as one of the biggest blunders ever committed at an international event. That seems a bit much for a 20-year-old to have to deal with, and she definitely has my sympathy.

On the bright side, since Jacobellis is so young, she'll almost certainly have another shot at a snowboardcross gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. People are already throwing around the "r" word (redemption) for Jacobellis at those games. Here's hoping that she gets as big of a lead in 2010 as she had this year. And here's hoping that she throws another backside method grab on her way to the finish line -- and lands it cleanly!

In recent years, I've becoming much more of a fan of extreme sports than mainstream sports. For example, motocross, Supercross, snowboarding, and X-Games style in-line skating are all sports that I would make a point of watching on TV. These sports are fun and exciting, there's lots of action, always the chance of a major crash, and the athletes are not your run-of-the-mill corporate spokesperson types.

Now I can add snocross to my list of new favorite sports. Snocross is basically snowmobile racing that takes place on a motocross style track. That means there are jumps, whoops, and tight turns for the riders to navigate around on each and every lap. Weather conditions also come into play quite often, so you just never know what's going to happen out on the track.

I recently had a chance to attend my first snocross race in person, and I was amazed at how much fun these events are. I want to say for the record that I am not a participant of any winter sports at all. I pretty much hate being out in the cold, so I didn't know how well I would be able to handle standing around for several hours in the snow and wind while watching a snocross race.

After putting on nearly every piece of clothing I own in an effort to stave off the elements, I headed out with my friends to a place called Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Mn. We would apparently be watching a few races that are part of the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour, which the promoters tout as the "greatest show on snow". I guess there's an entire series that runs throughout the winter, and these races would help (at least in part) to determine the series champion.

I guess I should say now that I had never followed snocross before I attended that race, and I still don't follow it all that much now. So bear that in mind if I happen to get a few terms wrong, mix up a few names, or leave out a few important facts regarding the series as a whole.

Anyway, before the racing started, I had an opportunity to walk through the pits and look at some of the sleds up close. Those machines looked really cool, and are definitely not what the average person could get from the neighborhood store. I also saw several of the racers up close, but since I had no idea who they were, those encounters didn't really do much for me. I do have to say, though, that lots of other fans were clamoring for autographs, so I'm sure those guys are a big deal to real snocross enthusiasts.

I had some fears that since I have never been on a snowmobile myself, I wouldn't really be able to enjoy and/or appreciate the racing. I am happy to say that that wasn't the case at all!  I loved it, and I am officially hooked.

First of all, the track was much shorter than I expected. Although I didn't have a stopwatch with me, it felt like the lap times were in the 45-second range. That's actually a good thing from a fan's perspective because it meant we didn't have to wait very long for the action to come back around to our part of the track again.
One thing I never would have thought of in terms of snocross racing is how poor the visibility must be for the racers at times. When you've got that many sleds going full throttle through powdery snow, the traffic inevitably kicks up quite a cloud of snow and ice. I couldn't see the riders through it from my vantage point in the stands, and I'm pretty sure the riders couldn't see very much either. And yet they never backed off the gas, but just kept going full speed ahead. Needless to say, I saw a couple of wipeouts on the day!

It turned out that someone named Ross Martin won. Whether that's important or not, I can't really say. It wasn't to me on that day. What was more important was how much I enjoyed attending a snocross race for the first time in my life. Being there and seeing all the action really made me want to try riding a snowmobile. That's some pretty successful series marketing, if you ask me!

All-Star games are supposed to be a way for professional sports leagues to showcase their best and brightest talent. These games usually pit members from different teams and different leagues against each other in a single contest played in a different location each year. Sometimes the games actually mean something, as in the case of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, where the winning league secures home-field advantage for the World Series. Usually, however, the games are just for show, which inevitably leads to very high-scoring contests with little defense (watch any NBA All-Star game from over the years to see what I mean).

Overall, however, the All-Star games and their attendant contests are exciting and fun for fans to watch. In fact, three of the four major sports have made their All-Star games a two-day event. Various skills competitions make up Day One and the actual All-Star game makes up Day 2. Sometimes fans are more interested in seeing the skills competitions than the All-Star game. For example, baseball's Home Run Derby and basketball's Slam-Dunk contest and 3-Point contest are extremely popular events. Even hockey's skills competition, which involves the Fastest Man contest and a Hardest Shot contest. These skills competitions are usually televised in addition to the All-Star games.

By now you may have noticed that I've yet to mention the Pro Bowl, which is the NFL's All-Star game. That's because, even though football is by far my favorite sport, the Pro Bowl is one of the most boring events out of the whole year. There are several problems with it, and I've finally come to the conclusion that I will not waste any more time watching it.

As I see it, the first problem with the Pro Bowl is its timing. It takes place after the Super Bowl, which makes for a very anti-climactic ending to the season. Every other sport plays its All-Star game at or as close to the halfway point as possible. I'm not sure why the NFL wants to play the Pro Bowl in February, but I guess it is to avoid any major injuries that might affect the outcome of the season. On the surface this seems like a reasonable answer; at the same time, however, other sports are "risking" injuries and they seem to pull off their All-Star games just fine.

Another problem with the Pro Bowl (at least for me) is that I never seem to be able to find it on TV. In my area, it has only been on ESPN, a cable channel, for the last couple of years. To my knowledge, all the other All-Star games for the other major sports are available on free network television stations, making them much more accessible to fans.

A third problem with the Pro Bowl is the way that many of the game's biggest stars choose not to play in it. Yes, I know this happens in other sports too, but it seems to me that it's a pretty common occurrence at the Pro Bowl. For example, Tom Brady was voted to the Pro Bowl by fans, but he bowed out due to an injury. Same with Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears and several other players. This diminishes the value of the game somewhat, and makes it far less interesting to fans like me.

And finally, another problem with the Pro Bowl is the way the rules are set up. One rule is that there's no blitzing of the quarterback allowed. Obviously this rule is put into place to protect the players, but let's face it: blitzing is a huge part of the game. In fact, many of the defensive players that are on the field in the Pro Bowl are there because of their blitzing prowess in the first place! It doesn't make much sense to curtail these men and essentially take away any incentive they may have to play hard.

The way I see it, even though football is the number one sport in America in terms of fan base, it puts on the most boring All-Star game out of the four major professional leagues. I don't know about you, but I certainly won't be tuning in again until the NFL makes some changes to the way the Pro Bowl is played.

It's not unusual for several teams in the NFL to find themselves in the middle of a quarterback controversy before the season starts. These things usually develop in training camp as one quarterback on the roster plays better than expected while another plays poorly or gets a minor injury that allows the other guy to start a few games. Those stories make exhibition games a bit more interesting for fans to follow, and keep the newspapers filled for at least one more cycle.

But here we are in the middle of February, and there is already a potential quarterback controversy in the making for the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers, like most teams, carry three quarterbacks on their roster. However, unlike most teams, the Chargers' three quarterbacks -- Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and A.J. Feeley --  all have the potential to be starters in the league. This naturally makes for an uncomfortable situation for the guys who have to stand on the sideline holding a clipboard while someone else gets to start week in and week out.

The guy who has been the undisputed starter for at least the last two years in San Diego is Brees. Brees' career with the Bolts began on shaky ground, but has steadily improved (along with his play) in the last couple of years. Brees was selected by the Chargers as the first pick in the second round of the 2001 draft after an outstanding college career at Purdue.

Brees didn't see any action in his rookie season, but then became the Chargers' starter in 2002. Brees went 8-8 that season, and retained the starting job at the beginning of the 2003 campaign. However, things really began to unravel for him that year. He got the Chargers off to a 1-7 start before being benched in favor of Doug Flutie. Flutie won his very first game in relief of Brees, but didn't do much better in the four games after that. Flutie's record as a starter was 2-3 when the Chargers turned back to Brees. Brees started the final three games of a dismal season that saw the Chargers' record fall to 4-12.

But Brees had a breakout season in 2004 and ranked among the league leaders in several passing stats. Meanwhile, the Chargers had acquired top quarterback prospect Philip Rivers out of North Carolina State in a trade with the Giants that sent Eli Manning to New York. The threat of losing playing time to a highly-touted young rookie seemed to be the spark that Brees needed for his breakout season.

Since then, Rivers has not had a chance to see any significant game action in a Chargers uniform. He took a few meaningless snaps in his rookie season, and then came on in relief of the injured Brees against Denver in the last game of the 2005 season. No one has really had a chance to see what Rivers can do in the NFL, but most scouting reports from the 2004 draft indicate that Rivers has the tools to be a solid starter for a lot of teams in the league.

For the most part, Rivers has been extremely professional, and even philosophical about his situation. However, as a high-caliber athlete who has been competing in sports for most of his life, there obviously will come a point in time where he won't be content with sitting on the sidelines. If early reports from some sources close to the team are any indication, that time could be now.

It seems that Rivers has stated on at least one occasion that he feels it's time for him to move on and explore his options outside of the Chargers' organization and said that he "hopes" to be a starter somewhere else in 2006. However, San Diego General Manager A.J. Smith has stated in turn that the Chargers simply have no intention of moving Rivers to another team.

The Chargers' third-string quarterback, A.J. Feeley, is also a young quarterback who has experience as a starter in the NFL. Feeley broke into the league back in 2001, when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a fifth-round draft pick out of Oregon. He received an opportunity to start in the 2002 season when the Eagles had a couple of injuries at quarterback. First, starter Donovan McNabb went down with an ankle injury, then backup Koy Detmer dislocated his elbow in his first start in relief of McNabb. Feeley assumed the quarterback duties and promptly threw a 1-yard touchdown pass as soon as he entered the game. He ended up starting the final five games of the 2002 season for the Eagles, and posted a 4-1 record in those games.

Feeley was relegated to backup duties once again in 2003 before landing on the Miami Dolphins' roster for the 2004 season. In Miami, Feeley was suddenly found himself in a battle with Jay Fiedler for the starting job. Feeley came out on top -- at least for a little while. He started the first three games for the Dolphins, but came away with an 0-3 record after throwing 5 interceptions in those games versus only 2 touchdowns. Fiedler then got his chance to start, but he didn't have any success either.

By the time the Dolphins were 1-8 and hopeless out of the playoff hunt, Feeley was inserted back into the lineup as the starter. He won three out of the next six games, but gave way to Fiedler in the season finale. Feeley then found himself on the Chargers squad for 2005.

Those are the three major players in this quarterback controversy. Their roles have been complicated even more these last two months. During that time, Brees sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder that was serious enough to require surgery. Nevertheless, the Chargers are trying to sign him to a long-term contract.

Rivers, who might have gotten a chance to shine if this injury had occurred earlier in the season, must now just work as hard as he can in the offseason and try to come out in training camp and win the starting job outright. The San Diego GM has already said that he won't trade Rivers, so this is the young quarterback's best chance to get playing time.

The Chargers also just announced that they signed Feeley to another contract. Feeley doesn't have a realistic shot at the starting job in San Diego, but his presence as a competent backup gives the team more leverage where Rivers is concerned.

As for Brees, he's going to have to work hard in rehab and try to take his time coming back. That's probably going to be difficult for him, especially if Rivers starts turn heads in practice, but it's the best move to ensure the longevity of his career.

I am a big fan of both motocross and Supercross, and I spend a lot of time at tracks and around bikes. I know that injuries are just as much a part of this sport as they are in any other sport. However, the injuries sustained in MX and SX are often more serious than in other sports because they usually involve crashing at high speeds, having a heavy motorcycle fall on you, or having to bail out on a jump while you're still 30 or 40 feet (or more) in the air.

These injuries and accidents strike at all levels of the sport, from the beginners who take to the track only on the weekends to the pros who make their living from being on the bike as much as possible. Unfortunately, it seems to me that in recent years the injuries are mounting. I don't have any hard numbers, so it could just be a result of the Internet phenomenon, where news from all over the world travels very quickly. Nevertheless, it seems that each year more and more professional riders are sustaining injuries that cause them to miss a significant number of races and/or practice time. This is bad for the riders themselves (obviously) as well as for the fans who are paying lots of money to see the best guys race each and every week, and the overall image of the sport.

Well, that's my opinion at least. I'm sure there are some diehards out there who would disagree with me, though.

At any rate, the injuries are out there. For example, before the East Coast swing of the Supercross season even started, news of injured riders started trickling in. Ben Townley, a first-year transplant from the World GP scene in Europe, will have his eagerly awaited debut for the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team delayed because of a torn ACL sustained during a practice crash. Although there has been no official rehabilitation timetable published from anyone in Townley's camp, it's almost certain that he will miss the entire Supercross series. Depending on how Townley's particular rehab program goes, he might even miss the first few rounds of the outdoor motocross series, scheduled to begin in mid-May. That would certainly be a blow to fans who are anxious to see what kind of damage Townley, a former MX2 World Champion can do here on U.S. soil.

Another East Coast rider who has been hobbled by injuries is Jeff Alessi of the Red Bull KTM team. Jeff's older brother is Mike, who is currently fifth in the point standings in the West Coast series. Jeff, who many people believe is actually going to develop into a better Supercross rider than Mike, broke not one but both ankles in a practice crash a few weeks ago. As with Townley, there has been no official timeline given for Alessi's recovery. However, he probably won't be ready for the opening round in St. Louis next weekend. There's a good chance that he'll see at least some action before the series closes out, though.

Team Makita Suzuki's Broc Hepler, one of the early favorites to win the 2006 East Coast SX Lites title, has also sustained an injury during practice. According to several published reports, Hepler broke a small bone in his foot at a practice session out in California. Fortunately, Hepler's injury isn't thought to be serious enough to force him to miss any races. Rumor has it that his boot sponsor, Alpinestars, will send him a custom pair of boots to accommodate the injury. This is good news for the Makita Suzuki team, as Hepler is the only rider they have contesting the Lites series this year.

Other East Coast riders who have missed critical practice time or who will likely miss some races this season include Townley's teammate Troy Adams, who broke his leg while testing back in November, and Joaquim Rodriques of the Samsung Honda team, who also has a leg injury.

As a supercross fan, the one thing I want to see more than anything else is close, competitive racing throughout the entire series. This won't happen while many of the series' star riders are on the sidelines with injuries. Hopefully all of these guys make full and speedy recoveries and get back on the track as soon as possible!

When it comes to college football awards, there's no question that the Heisman Trophy is the most publicized of the bunch. In fact, if you were to take a quick survey of some average college football fans, they might have a bit of trouble naming any of the other annual awards that are given to outstanding players across the country. Most of the awards are for specific positions (best quarterback, best wide receiver, etc.), however a few are more general and take into account a lot