The Tim Tebow Experiment

Over the past week the NFL draft has been at the forefront of the thoughts of American sports fans everywhere. In what has been spread out over a three day period now, the NFL draft is truly a large event. Not content to dominate 6 months of the sporting calendar, Roger Goodell and his cronies in New York have discovered more ways to push the NBA, NHL, and MLB into irrelevancy.

The star of the show during the 3 day celebration of talent and potential was easily Tim Tebow, the much scrutinized football player from Florida. I say football player as many pundits are not sure if he is even a quarterback. Tebow is a lightning rod for criticism, standing behind his Christian beliefs very publically, revealing recently he was in fact a virgin (much to the surprise of all football fans in Pittsburgh. Imagine a quarterback with morals?) Draft pundits had him possibly sneaking into the first round. Some thought he would be drafted by the creative genius that is Bill Belichick early in the 2nd round and converted into a TE. Was he the next qb of the Minnesota Vikings after Grandpa Favre retired? Would Jacksonville draft him and immediately sell 30 000 season tickets?

With so many questions surrounding this talented young man it makes you wonder why we are all so fascinated with him? Surely there have been quarterbacks come into the league before who have questionable throwing mechanics? We have seen many college quarterbacks have huge success in college and flop in the pros (see Danny Wuerffel, Gino Torretta). But I don't think we have ever seen someone like Tebow enter the league before.



1. When googling his name, after you enter Tim Tebow the top four searches are girlfriend, commercial, ad, and virgin. Nothing to do with football.
2. What other draft pick was homeschooled for his entire school life? He became the first homeschooled kid to win the Heisman Award in 2007. In related news, no McDonalds All American basketball player has ever won the National Spelling Bee.
3. He was born in the Philippines to Christian missionaries.
4. He appeared in a controversial advertisement produced by Focus on the Family. The ad focused on Tebow and his mother's choice to not abort him when complications were revealed.
5. He is the ultimate quarterback for Urban Meyer's spread offense, measuring 6'1 and 245 lbs. When you see him nothing about him says quarterback.
6. He has played on 2 national champion teams, been named the heisman award winner, and played on the national stage for 3 years. Call it paralysis by analysis but everything about his game has been dissected to the nth degree, right down to the Bible verses under his eyes.
7. An interview with Tebow makes Tyler Hansbrough and every hockey player currently in the playoffs look like Mike Tyson. It is almost as if he is not human when he answers questions. Everything is a cliché’. What's different about him is you actually believe him since he appears to be so consistent in his lifestyle.
8. A young coach literally has put his career on the line for him. Josh McDaniels, the new Bill Belichick, moved up in the draft to take Tebow. If you are scoring at home, this is the same coach who ran Jay Cutler out of town and moved all pro receiver Brandon Marshall all in the first year of his coaching tenure. So instead of Cutler to Marshall, Denver fans are subjected to Orton to Stokely. Denver has completely redone their team and like it or not many fans will judge this makeover by Tebow's success, even if he doesn't take a snap in his first season. I wonder if McDaniel's ever thought it would get to this point so quickly?
9. He has performed circumcisions on Filipino kids....in his spare time between winning the Maxwell Award twice and back to back national championships.
10. When following the Twittersphere on Tebow there are new updates nearly every second...he moves the needle everywhere.


These were simply 10 things that I could think of that makes this guy unique. Some project him as one of the most marketable athletes of all time. I'm a bit more cautious. I think the Tim Tebow hype machine has peaked and may not ever be this big again. Consider this.
- He probably won't take a snap under center all year. We are a country of what's next, not what has been. If Tebow holds a clipboard all year he'll quickly fall out of America's conscious.
- Mel Kiper compares him to Pat White of Miami, which probably isn't far off. College stars are just that and may never be more than that. Tebow is no different, its just that there are so many other things that interest people about him outside of his on the field performance. At the end of the day, if the on field product is not there, no one will care about the off field stuff.

- He's not an NFL quarterback. Just because he is such an interesting character does not make him an NFL quarterback. McDaniels raves about character guys and bringing in the right people, but good guys do not necessarily win games. Drew Brees is by all accounts a good guy. He donates a ton of money to local New Orleans charities. He is loved in the locker room. His comeback from career threatening surgery was remarkable. But don't forget, we go looking for these stories of people who are having success on the field. Kurt Warner's story wasn't nearly as riveting when he was failing in New York. Jake Delhomme's rise from obscurity was very interesting when he was in the Super Bowl, but not that compelling when he was throwing 5 picks against Arizona and getting released. Nobody doubts that he is a good person, but that doesn't matter when you are not playing effectively.

The Tim Tebow hype machine has been flowing for 3 straight years and peaked this past week when he was drafted higher than people expected. The pick may turn out in favor for the Broncos in time the question is whether Josh McDaniels will be around to see it pay off. Tebow must now go about becoming an NFL football player and that may be his biggest challenge yet.

A Fitting End

With all the attention being focused on Tiger Woods this past week, watching Phil Mickelson hug his wife after dominating Augusta on the weekend was a fitting end to a weird week.



For some reason Tiger has felt the need to return to his Buddhist roots and bring a more calm presence to the golf course. Whether this is a result of his handlers (aka Phil Knight) wanting to present him in a different light or a true change, it was weird to watch. Just because a man has trouble with marriage vows does not necessarily mean he has to change the way he goes about his job. Watching Tiger attempt to control his emotions on Sunday was the equivalent of seeing Will Ferrel play a serious role in a movie. You are just waiting for him to break out into "Afernoon Delight" or call out Veronica Corningstone.

Its just not him. And why does it have to be? Is it because the intensity he brings to the golf course carries over into his personal life and leads him to fall back into that kind of lifestyle? Did the counsellor state that he needs to control his emotions? Was it Elin's request that he change his demeanor?

Whoever suggested it must not have a vested interest in Tiger's success on the golf course for it will hurt him in the long run. Watching him wave to the audience and pretend not to be mad was just plain awkward. No more games Tiger, be who you are on the golf course. An ultra competitive killer who wants nothing more than defeating the competition and finishing first. Forget about being nice to your competitors. Yell at the annoying "get in the hole" guys, tell your caddy to regain his jerk status on the tour, and attempt to dominate the PGA like the real Tiger would.
With that being said, watching Mickelson absolutely shred Augusta on Sunday brought such a stark contrast to the main story of the week. Lost in Tiger's Escapades over the past 5 months is the story of Mickelson's wife and mother fighting breast cancer. Through it all he kept a low profile and continued to work on his game. It showed on Sunday as he played the best golf of his career and showed steel nerves. Without so much as a whisper from anyone, Mickelson and his caddie spent time at Augusta earlier this year, creating an extensive putting book. Details like this led him to success on Sunday.

As Mickelson walked the 18th fairway and received an applause reserved for golf legends in Augusta, my mind wandered to Tiger. What would have happened had he won on Sunday? Who would have been there to congratulate him on his stirring comeback? As Phil got near the green his wife Amy meandered out to the 18th green. It was at this time we discovered that this was the first time she had been out of bed the entire week. This was the first time her and the kids had travelled with Mickelson since she was diagnosed with breast cancer 11 months ago. Jim Nantz was apparently rushing to find production notes on the Mickelson story buried beneath sordid stories of Tiger's last 5 months.
After Mickelson absolutely buried his birdie on 18 to finish at -16, he calmly celebrated and found his wife Amy in what turned into a genuine heart wrenching moment. Here was the faithful husband supported by his sick wife ascending to golf's highest honor in the face of tragedy within his family. You couldn't help but feel good for Phil. And what about Tiger?

He was fuming somewhere in the background, wondering why he was snap hooking the ball and burying the head of his club in the ground. When asked how he would assess his play, he simply stated "I finished fourth. I entered the tournament so that is not good enough". Ahhh, so refreshing. Nice to see the new Tiger honor is competitor in Mickelson and deflect the attention off of himself for a little while...

So while Phil Mickelson is celebrating with his family and receiving praise from the media, Tiger will go back to his broken world, work out the kinks in his golf game and shortly return to being the old Tiger. One just wonders when he wins his first tournament post escapade who will be there to greet him at the end. All the sacrifices he has made to turn himself into a winning machine have left him alone and broken. While we criticized Mickelson for his struggles with his weight and his inability to overcome Tiger for years, maybe we were missing a lesson in priorities. For one day, Left seemed to win that battle and win it in a big way.

Why we love the underdog

As I watched Butler play Duke on Monday night I could not help but go back a couple weeks to my posting on becoming a Duke fan. In that posting I talked about how clean of a program Duke ran, how their coach never got in trouble with the NCAA, and basically how they should be the model by which all other programs should follow. Even Brad Stevens, the new 'it' coach in the NCAA, admitted to reading Coach K's books. This should have been another crowning achievement for Duke and secured its spot as one of the elite programs ever in NCAA men’s basketball. But instead, all anyone will remember about this tournament is the Butler Bulldogs. When asked to remember one memorable play from the final game, everyone will talk of the missed 3 desperation shot at the buzzer by baby faced Gordan Hayward that would have been the most dramatic shot in sports history. I racked my brain and could not think of a defining play by a Duke player in the final few minutes of the game? Which got me to thinking: what makes the underdog in sports so appealing? Here are my reasons with specific examples from recent history.

1. We love surprises

One of the all time best endings to a movie was watching Kevin Spacey's limp disappear as he walked down the street at the conclusion of The Usual Suspects. For 2 hours, we were trying to figure out who Keyser Soze was. As the realization came over the audience that Spacey's character had tricked us for the entire movie, it made the movie that much better. We told friends that the ending of Usual Suspects was amazing. You'll never figure out the twist, etc.... There are so many movies that go according to plan (Avatar, Spiderman, Transformers, anything featuring Hugh Grant) that we love to be shocked.

The same goes for sports. While we can appreciate dominance, there is nothing like a good surprise. Sure we enjoyed watching North Carolina march to the crown last season. They were so talented that they could have given the Raptors a run for their money. But watching a team defy odds like the Butler Bulldogs did this year kept us coming back for more. Hearing the news that Butler beat Syracuse puts a jolt in our day. Hearing that Duke beat Purdue just makes us nod and suspect that this is how it should be. Take out the 'surprise' factor in sports and you lose a ton of the suspense.

2. There is something in all of us that relates to the underdog

Whether it was the time that you got to dance with the cute girl that you thought was way out of your league or the time you unexpectedly made a team when you didn't think you could, we have all been the underdog at some point in our lives. There is a part of us who relates. I cannot remember a time when a favorite all of a sudden had a bandwagon effect and everyone started getting on board. Its in our nature to relate to the underdog.

Take Conan O'Brien for example. This past winter he was involved in one of the weirdest entertainment situations in recent memory. He was given the Tonight Show in Los Angeles, taking over for Jay Leno. He had always been self deprecating but now he had finally been recognized as the new face of NBC late night television. Than something weird happened. NBC was not getting the ratings they needed from Leno in his new prime time slot and they decided to move him back to the Tonight Show slot. This started a riot in Conan land, with everyone picking sides and turning against Leno and backing Conan. The funny thing is if those fans would have been loyal to Conan when he was in the Tonight Show slot this situation would have never occurred. There is no way NBC moves the shows around if Conan was getting good ratings. But instead, all the 'loyal' followers jump on board when all of a sudden he is in the 'underdog' role again. Everyone wants the little guy to succeed until he does. If Butler goes on a run again next year, they won't be America's team. They had their shot. If you’re not sure about this, ask Gonzaga.

3. We love to see people fail

Underdogs don't fail. They have no expectations so failure isn't an option. As discussed in my Tiger Woods post a couple weeks ago, the only thing American sports fans like more than a success story is that same success to fail. We would have loved to see the Blue Devils stymied by little Butler the other night only to see the disappointment on their faces. Failure means coaches have to explain their actions. Tom Izzo has to explain why he put the ball in Dancing Bear's hands 20 ft from the hoop when they needed a basket. Grady Little has to explain why he left Pedro in 1 inning too long. Marc Crawford has to explain how he could not have included Wayne Gretzky in the shootout in the 98' Olympics. Wayne Gretzky has to explain how a Canadian team could not win the 06' Olympics. We love to see people squirm and fail.

I think this is due to the fact that we all fail so often. It makes us feel better when someone else fails. Just like we relate to the underdog we relate to the failure. If people never fail we start to become jealous and root against them. Tiger's bandwagon will grow now that he has more doubters. If he is challenging this Sunday at the Masters, he will have hordes of people rooting for him. For the first time in his life, he may be the underdog!

Next time you are watching a game, whether it be the NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs, or the Masters this weekend, ask yourself why you are all of a sudden rooting for a particular team. Is it sympathy? Do you relate to them? Or are you just secretly hoping to see an epic failure that makes you feel better about the times you've tripped up. I know Brad Stevens has no explaining to do today about his decisions down the stretch. In fact, the only decision he has to make is whether to chase the money to Oregon or stay put as the local hero in Indianapolis. Oh the life of the underdog!

Mailbag

Heading into the season with optimism is a new feeling for me. Well I loved my time in Toronto I cannot believe the real hope I have here in Philly. I haven't been paying too much attention to the Blue Jay's offseason moves but could you give me a quick update?

Roy, Philadephia, PA

RWC:

The joy of being a Toronto Blue Jays fan. Their best pitcher is now pitching in the NL East for an ultra competitive bunch that has another chance to win a pennant and challenge for the World Series while his former team goes into yet another rebuilding phase. Every spring I try to talk myself into the Blue Jays and every summer I am left disappointed. Heading into the 2010 season with a core of Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Vernon Wells, and Lyle Overbay does not overly excite this fan. What makes me more depressed is the starting rotation being anchored by Ricky Romero and a bullpen closed by Jason Frasor. If new GM Alex Anthopoulos is serious about rebuilding these Jays will be awful for a solid 2 seasons. All that we can hope for is Vernon Wells to play lights out for about 2 months so we can unload him and his awful salary to a contender. Enjoy your playoff race Roy, you'll be missed in Canada.

How come the media is all over me saying that I'm not an easy guy to get along with? All I ever did was deliver 2 super bowl rings to a city desperate for them and lead the Steelers through their most successful stretch in 30 years? What have I done to deserve this treatment?

Ben, Pittsburgh, PA



RWC:

If you are looking for sympathy Ben, you are barking up the wrong tree (or knocking on the wrong bathroom door, whichever you prefer). Heavy is the head that wears the crown and your large head is hanging pretty low. With reports surfacing from Pittsburgh now that Big Ben is tough to deal with and not well liked in his own locker room it would almost appear the Steelers are preparing an exit strategy for the beleaguered qb. But could you blame them? This is the third offseason where Roethlisberger has been a major distraction to the organization (notice I said organization, not team. The rest of the guys don't care, they just go about their business and hope he doesn't show up 30 pounds overweight again.) The guy you are paying millions of dollars to be the face of the franchise just cannot be getting into as much trouble as Roethlisberger has been. Regardless whether he is charged or not, the last month or so of headlines are not what championships are made of. Is it time to usher in the Tim Tebow era in Pittsburgh? Although, if this doesn't win over fans, I don't know what would!

How come everyone is hating on us? Neutral fans show up at our games rooting against us? All we have ever done is play hard and happen to win 76 straight games?

Connecticut Women's Basketball Team, Storrs, CN

RWC:

It's tough being on top. The only team that I can think of that was universally liked going through a dominant stretch like this was the Chicago Bulls and that's cause women loved Michael Jordan and almost all men wanted to be him. The Connecticut women do not have the same appeal. When you win the Elite 8 by 40 points you are going to get people cheering against you. America loves a good upset and they love to build people/teams up only to see them fail. You simply cannot have it both ways. Either you are the lovable losers or the big bad bullies rampaging through the NCAA tournament field. Understand that while you may not be universally liked right now, you will be remembered as arguably the best team in the history of sports. Or you'll be remembered as the team involved in the greatest upset in team sport. Either way you'll be remembered!


How come we are no good? I thought I had assembled a cast of players that no one could touch? Is my job in jeopardy?

Darryl, Calgary, AB



RWC:

Oh Darryl, this isn't like you to wallow in self pity. Just because your overpaid cast of stiffs can't get in the playoffs doesn't mean you are a complete failure. Look at it this way. You have them to thank for the past 5 years of a free pass that you have received. Lets go back in time for a second.

2003/04 - Flames make it within 1 game of Lord Stanley's Cup, losing a heartbreaker in 7 games to the Lightning. You get universal praise for making all the right moves (especially discovering Kipper). Iginla is the best player in the NHL, the next Mark Messier.

20004/05 - Lockout

2006 - 2009 - First round exits to Anaheim, Detroit, San Jose, and Chicago. You make little tweaks but take 4 years to realize that the core of Kipper, Iginla, Regher, and Phaneuf are simply not good enough. Also during that time you draft the following players in the first round: Kris Chucko, Matt Pelach, Leland Irving, Mikael Backlund, Greg Nemisz, and Tim Erixon. Not exactly a murderers row of prospects. On top of this, you killed your teams chemistry last year with the Jokinen trade, letting go Mike Cammalleri at the same time and than getting the poo poo platter of Kris Higgins and Ales Kotalik a year later for Jokinen. Essentially you have been granted immunity for the past 5 years due to one cup run and the promise of more. You must have pictures on ownership because they still love you and you bought yourself another year since you hired your brother. They can't get rid of both of you in one year. So enjoy this offseason for it will surely be your last unless your group of overrated and overpaid donkeys figure out a way to win games.

How come I get constantly overlooked when the conversation of best basketball coaches in America comes up? All I've ever done is win games, not get into trouble with the NCAA, and produce solid NBA players? Can I get some respect?

Tom, East Lansing, MI

RWC:

Coach Izzo, you will get the respect for the next 100 words or so. And I'm not even sure its you writing this email. It doesn't fit your personality. Not only are you one of the best coaches in America, you are one of the most respected amongst your peers. I think the reason you don't get the recognition is that you have stayed out of the limelight. You haven't had any real 'star' players over the past 7 or 8 years, you build your team around a personality that you like (hardworking, defensive, team first players). You have flirted with changing positions but always remained faithful to the Spartans. Your players do not get into trouble with the law or with the NCAA for the most part. You are just to consistent. Even this weekend there is more talk about Huggins turning around WVU or Coach K making it back to the final four, or the 32 year old whiz kid Brad Stevens taking Butler to the dance. You are getting overshadowed again. Its just not fair.

Allow me to say that if I were to hire any coach in America to run my basketball program it would be you. I love the way your teams play, I love the way you treat your kids, and you consistently produce a winner.

So, what did you think of my arm? Should the Rams take me first overall?

Sam, Norman, OK

RWC:

I think your arm looked great yesterday Sam, but I don' think the Rams should take you first overall. They have way too many holes to fill that I would be worried about putting you behind their O-line with your surgically repaired shoulder. I think they should trade down with Washington as was suggested by Peter King yesterday and start filling some of those holes withe extra draft picks. This has nothing to do with you Sam, but everything to do with the Rams. There is a willing dance partner (Washington Redskins) who would love to make a big splash on draft day and the Rams could tread water for another year at the qb position with Marc Bulger. Either way, I do believe your name will be the first announced on draft day. You have bulked up (13 extra pounds) and have shown yourself to be healthy If I were you I would be insulted that some are mentioning Jimmy Claussen in the same category. Does no one remember your 50 td/4int heisman year? Does no one remember your accuracy and velocity on all NFL type throws? You are heads and shoulders better than any other qb in the draft and it'll show when you step onto an NFL field this fall.

I am a Duke Blue Devil Fan

And I will now go light myself on fire.....

In 1990, I started becoming a fan of basketball. I grew up in a hockey loving house where I knew every Edmonton Oiler and thought I was going to be the next Jari Kurri. Something changed with my first taste of March Madness when I watched the Duke Blue Devils overcome overwhelming odds to defeat the UNLV Runnin Rebels in the 1990 Final. I was a huge UNLV fan, with the likes of Larry Johnson, Stacey "Plastic Man" Augmon, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt, and so on...My dad was a huge Duke Blue Devil fan with the likes of Christian Laetnner, Brian Hill, Thomas Hill, Bobby Hurley, etc..I hated that dad liked them. Cheering for Duke was like cheering for the Yankees or the Cowboys (oh wait, he also cheers for them!). Duke is a private school where rich kids go to train for careers where they'll make a lot money. It is not a culture that I have a lot of desire to be apart of. But something has happened over the past few years. College basketball has changed.

For years, the Blue Devils were the easy team to hate. They all had nicely groomed hair (minus Cherokee Parks),, they all sprinted to the bench when they had a timeout or a substitution, their coach was in every commercial ever produced, their coach looked like the Penguin, their coach's voice is annoying, Christian Laettner played there, their nick name is dumb, the coolest team in America, the North Carolina Tar Heels, plays just down the road and is their main rival, and so on and so on...there are so many good reasons not to cheer for Duke. But watching this NCAA tournament I started to have an odd feeling towards the boys in blue and white. No longer did I resent their team play or their lack of individuality. I began to respect them. Yes, respect them. Maybe its because their coach hasn't been found in the bathroom of a local Italian restaurant with another women and then tried to throw money at her to cover up the mistake. Or maybe its that their coach doesn't recruit one and dones like John Calipari and have smart cousins write his kids SAT tests for them. Unlike Jim Calhoun, Coach K doesn't call out reporters who ask him about how much money he makes or doesn't get DUI's like Bob Huggins. With so much scandal surrounding the NCAA now it has become easy to gain a certain level of respect for Coach K.

I liken it to my feelings towards Peyton Manning. For so many years it was easy to hate him. He was from a family of wealth, he had every opportunity to be successful and he was, he licks his hands more than any human being should (especially when they spend so much time near his centers rear end), he appears in so many television commercials that you get tired of seeing his face. But after awhile, he wears you down. You get to the point where hating him becomes more about you than him. While his counterparts are off running dog fighting rings, sexually assaulting young co-eds (allegedly), impregnating mutliple women, getting shot by girlfriends, retiring/unretiring/retiring, he just keeps working on his game and getting better. You move from disliking him to being thankful that there are people like Peyton Manning in the NFL. And I'm saying this as a Patriots fan. I wasn't even openly routing against him when he went up against the Saints this past year. I've moved on. How can you not root for Manning now?

I have the same feelings about Duke. Coach K has ignored offers from many NBA teams (most notably the Lakers) and remained loyal to Duke. He has run an incredibly clean program that doesn't even come close to being sanctioned by the NCAA. His players play the game the right way, are all about team, and are very fundamental. When there are people like John Calipari getting paid millions to coach a professional team in the NCAA and he can't make it to the final four, you all of a sudden find yourself rooting for the Dukes of this world.

For loyal Duke followers this might be a backhanded compliment. I think Dukies liken themselves to the big bad Yankees, Cowboys, or Patriots. Winning machines that cannot be stopped. But realistically they are more like the Colts, Red Wings, or Atlanta Braves. They consistently win, consistently have great teams, and stay out of the news. For that reason and many others, I will have a hard time rooting against them this weekend as they journey to Indianopolis. Maybe, just maybe, Peyton will be there, licking his hands, watching them hoist the national championship on Monday night.

Why I wouldn't boo Tiger Woods

One of the big occurrences over the past weekend was the one on one interview granted by Tiger Woods to ESPN. Over the past few months Woods has been out of the limelight as he and his family have been working through the personal issues that led to a bizarre incident on Nov 27th. He reportedly spent 45 days undergoing intense sexual therapy treatment and as he has said is attempting to live a life of amends.

While I was watching the interview one statement of his stood out. He is nervous about how he is going to be received by the fans at Augusta. He is hoping for a few claps but I imagine he is expecting a mixed reaction. As I was thinking through what the introduction is going to look like for him on the first tee, I started asking myself the question: Why would anyone boo Tiger Woods?

Tiger is unique in that he has sold himself as a brand to make millions of dollars a year (more than 90 million last year). As I was thinking about who should boo Woods, the only person that comes to mind is the parent with a child who looks up to Woods as a role model. As Charles Barkley so famously quipped years ago "I am not a role model". Acutally Chuck, you are. Tiger is too. Whenever you are put in a position where you are paid what you are to be a spokesperson for companies and to lead your own charity, you are a role model, like it or not. You don't have that choice. If a parent wanted to rag on Tiger, I would accept that.

But what about a grown 29 year old man who decides to rip on Tiger for the fun of it? Is this right?

At no point in my adult life have I expected that athletes are above reproach when it comes to their personal lives. What has Tiger done to me over the past 4 months? As far as I am concerned he has taken a 4 month sabbatical from golf. He used to do that frequently, mostly playing in the events that he hand picked for himself. When I watch Tiger Woods golf I am evaluating him as a golfer, whether I like his demeanor, the way he hits the ball, his post put celebrations, his ability to get up and down. I am not evaluating whether he is a good husband or a loyal father. Now, do these things play into whether I like a golfer or not? Probably. But to stand there and openly boo someone because he has failed in an area of his life that does not affect me at all does not give me the right to slag on a guy.

Its funny how naive we can be as fans. We assume that Tiger Woods is the only married athlete who is not faithful. How come it was such a big deal when he got caught when Steve McNair was shot by his girlfriend while his wife and kids were sleeping at home? McNair was honored by teammates and friends alike at his passing for being a warrior when he had many personal issues. Magic Johnson contracted the HIV virus in the late 80's through many escapades on the road while his wife was at home taking care of his kids. Now he is one of the most recognizable ex NBA players and business savant. Michael Jordan's propensity for living it up on the road led to a divorce with his wife of many years yet it is hardly talked about. Baseball players have a long history of infidelity due to the many nights they spend away from their wives during the season. In fact writers have recounted stories about when girlfriends have been mistakenly given seats to games that the wives are at. Athletes infidelity is no secret yet we all act surprised when these stories surface.

So why is the Tiger Woods scandal such a big deal? I have a couple theories...

1. Tiger is a golfer.

Typically we do not think of golfers running mad game on the road during the golf season. I can't imagine golfing groupies waiting on the 18th hole (maybe in Happy Gilmore, but that's about it!). Golfers are typically white family men who come from wealth and have beautiful wives waiting to hug them after big wins. They are not guys who try to keep up with Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley in Vegas. If anything, what caught up to Tiger was that he was accepted as cool. He became too famous and couldn't handle the pressure that came with the spotlight. Tiger did no more immoral acts than many professional athletes, he just didn't have anyone to coach him through how to 'properly' cheat on your wife. Other athletes play the game better and Tiger just happened to be a rookie.

2. Tiger sold himself as untouchable.

He trained harder than Phil Mickelson. He was more mentally tough that David Duval. His "bedside manor" was not endearing to everyone but it didn't matter because he was on top. He was the best golfer most of us had ever seen and he seemed larger than life. When someone embraces that role the fall from grace is typically epic. Hearing Woods talk about his insecurities about whether he will be received well by the Augusta makes you shake your head. This isn't the same guy who can scare grown men into missing putts by just looking at them? Now that Tiger has a flaw everyone is eager to get their shots in.

As a culture we like building people up, but we love watching them fall down even more. Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire,...we cheered, watched, were amazed by all these people, but we were equally fascinated when their lives started to unravel. i think the cause of this is that it makes them more human. Before, I thought Woods was a robot who was put on this earth to play golf better than anyone ever had. When he wasn't golfing, he was training for golf and spending time with his family. How could someone with so much fame and money be so focused? We become insecure about whether we could even deal with that type of fame. In fact I've often wondered how I would do in those situations (and many times been thankful that I shoot in the 90's on the course, not low 70's). Failure humanizes the same stars that we have put on a pedestal. Tiger Woods is finding that out right now.

3. Tiger was unbelievably stupid.

The sheer number of women Tiger was reportedly with in the last 3.5 years and the lack of discretion he showed had to catch up with him eventually. Once the number started getting higher and higher people could not believe that someone with so much to lose would act so recklessly. The snowball was rolling down the hill and there was nothing stopping it.

4. Tiger was a reported 'sex addict'

Our culture has a fascination with anything to do with sex. Imagine if Tiger had a cocaine addiction and 16 dealers from across the country came out and reported they sold Woods drugs when he would come to town. I think the story would have still been big but there would have been a lot more public sympathy for someone battling a drug addiction instead of a sex one. I imagine if you took a poll of the American public the majority would not believe that Woods was addicted to sex. Substitute cocaine or alcohol and public sympathy goes way up.

So, do I agree with the way Tiger Woods has conducted his life over the past few years? Of course not. Am I running out to purchase a new Woods brand Nike golf shirt for the summer golf season? Probably not. Do I have the right to boo him because he showed indiscretion in his personal life? Absolutely not. If I bring morals into the equation when I cheer for professional athletes I imagine I'll have to take up a new hobby sooner rather than later.

Best time of the year...

To me, spring is not only the best time of the year weather wise, it also ushers in the best time of the year for sports. Currently I am sitting on a comfy chair, basking in the glorious spring weather, watching tournament basketball on CBS and anticipating the next 3 months of goodness. Let me explain.

NCAA March Madness - Easily my favorite time of the year for watching sports. Selection Sunday, the first Thursday/Friday of games, something to look forward to every weekend for 3 weeks, watching the bracket, etc.... Nothing beats the tournament for me, which, not to digress, there is talk of change in the tournament (expansion to 96 teams. Call me a traditionalist, but I do not want to see the tournament expand. I love the draw the way it is. Imagine if they expanded it to 96. Do you think the random office lady would want to fill out the draw? Do you think you would fill out a 96 team draw? Me neither. So please NCAA, leave it at 64 and keep it the best sporting event of the year.

MLB Spring Training - The best time of the year in the baseball season. Why, you may ask, are meaningless games in March the best time of the baseball season? Because the Blue Jays haven't been statistically eliminated from the playoffs yet. Playing the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox is just depressing if you are a Blue Jays fan. No matter how good of team we can compile, lining up against the Bronx Bombers and the Red Sox is not appealing. Even the Rays took a run at them for one year, but if you win the wild card or the division it just feels like you are renting the title from the 2 dominant teams. I can still be excited that Ricky Romero pitched 4 scoreless innings and that Adam Lind is looking like he could hit 40 HR's. Never mind that this all won't matter when we are 12 games back on June 15th, but it sure is fun to hope.

Spring baseball also reminds us in cold climates that there are places in the world where there is green grass and people have natural color on their skin. Too often in the midst of winter I lose hope that I will ever be warm again when I walk outside and spring baseball gives me that hope. It

NHL Playoff Race - Only because it signals that the NHL season will soon be over....wait, the playoffs take another 3 months. My bad. How bad are the NHL playoffs? If you look at the NHL season, training camp starts in September and the cup is hoisted in mid to late June. Is there not a more efficient way to do this? Here's my proposition to fix the NHL playoffs.

1. Shorten the first round to best of 5. This would lead to more upsets and shorten the tournament significantly. The NBA used to do this and I'll never forget the Sonics/Nuggets series where Dikembe was on the ground holding the ball after shocking the highly rated Sonics. It is really difficult to upset a team in a 7 game series. Upsets are exciting and shorter. Sweeps could occur one game quicker. No brainer to me.

2. Scrap the conferences and have the top 16 teams make the tournament based solely on record. No division winners, no automatic bids, just the 16 best teams. This could lead to some very interesting first round matchups and make the league a little less predictable.

3. Overtime is one 20 minute period of 4 on 4 and then you go to a shootout. I don't care if the purists don't like it. Typically the winning goal in a 4 OT game is no good anyways since the players are all dead tired. The threat of a possible shootout in the Olympics had me on the edge of my seat. Imagine a Stanley Cup decided on a shootout? How exciting would that be?

I'm way off now, but I do think these changes could lead to some more excitement.

NBA Playoff Race - Teams are gearing up for the final push, players actually break a sweat in the first half, teams are tanking for the John Wall Sweepstakes (I'm doing it in my fantasy league!), potential free agents are attempting to sway possible suitors with their end of the season play, the game just gets a lot more interesting. Some of my favorite moments in life have happened during the NBA playoffs: The Jordan years (too many moments to recount), Miller killing the Knicks at the Garden, John Starks going 3/18 in the NBA finals, Lebron's 3 last year against the Magic, the Kings/Lakers series, Suns/Spurs, Blazers/Lakers, Cavs/Bulls, Pistons/Bulls, Knicks/Bulls, etc...so many good matchups, so many memories.

NFL Draft - The only sport that truly has no offseason, the NFL draft is by far the most unique of the major sports. The worst drafts are baseball and hockey without questions due to the youth of those being picked. The NFL has so many positions and teams have so many needs. With the current salary structure and the money getting paid these high picks the drama continues to build. The Rams this year should take a DT with the first pick, but try selling that to a new owner? Its much easier to market a Sam Bradford than a Gerald McCoy. The other dynamic is when a player starts falling in the draft sometimes they fall hard. There may be 4 or 5 teams with a QB need and if they pass on a QB he could drop 10-15 places (see Matt Leinart/Aaron Rodger/Brady Quinn). Will that happen this year? Who will be the awkward last person left at the draft this year? So much to look forward to.

Enjoy the next few months...I know that I will.

Three's Company

In about 3 weeks time my beautiful wife and me will be on a plane headed south to sunny Las Vegas for a quick 4 day retreat. There are many things to look forward to during this trip. American outlet stores, 80 degree weather, staying at the luxurious Wynn Hotel, and buffet eating in Vegas. Oddly enough, these words escaped my wife's mouth the other night: "Can't you just hardly wait until we are in Vegas and we can hang out in our hotel room and watch ESPN?" Even more odd was my quick agreeing response. Either I'm married to the most wonderful woman in the world (I mean, come on, what woman would be most excited about ESPN on a trip to Vegas!) or Canadian sports channels are just that bad. I think its a bit of both.

First of all to preface, Canadian sports channels referred to in this piece are TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, and The Score.

I feel that all three of the channels listed above have come a long way in the past decade. People ask me why I cheer for the Raptors and I simply state "if it weren't for the Raptors, we would have to watch 55 minutes of hockey every night." The NBA's influence on the Canadian sports fan has been appreciated in my home. Still, there seems to be something missing. To break it down, we'll look at each of the three broadcasters and break down some of their problems.

The Sports Network (TSN)

The granddaddy of them all in Canada, the ESPN of Canada is definitely the best funded and most professional sports broadcasting station in our country. Even watching Sportscenter on TSN reminds you a bit of ESPN...that is until either someone starts talking or highlights come on. Inevitably they will lead with hockey, even if it means covering the Leafs charity golf tournament at Glen Abbey in August. The odd time they'll lead with Raptors highlights when the NHL is on a break and there weren't cameras at the local Sudbury Wolves game. But the biggest thing that bugs me about TSN is not the content, but the hosts. It would seem to me that you either have to be an expert in hockey or curling to land a position at TSN. In a country that is growing more ethnically diverse by the day, we are stuck with good ol' boys and girls announcing our sports every night. Listening to a hockey player from Northern Ontario attempt to describe a Chris Paul crossover compares to having Carl Lewis be a guest judge on American Idol or Mark Madsen participate in Dancing with the Stars. Its a misfit. Until someone at TSN realizes that they are not The Hockey Network and start hiring some talent with more diverse backgrounds, we'll be stuck with the likes of Darren "Roof Daddy" Dutchyshen and Brian "Hurry Hard" Mudryk.

Rogers Sportsnet

Attempting to fill a niche many feel TSN ignores, or as some like to call it the Anything West of Ontario Niche, Sportsnet tailors their broadcasts to the local sports first. So those of us in Edmonton get to watch Sportsnet Connected Oilers Postgame edition. On paper I feel this is a good idea, but in practice it does not work. If I wanted the local angle on the Oilers, I would watch local sports, or listen to local radio, or read the local paper. It compares to a large national chain like a Macdonalds attempting to tailor their menu to the needs of different populations. In Vancouver they would serve the McSushi or the McVegan. Edmonton and Calgary would get the Quadruple Quarter Pounder. The Maritimes would have the McLobster. This might sound ridiculous, but Macdonalds knows better than to try to personalize their menu for every different region. Its because if people want the personal local touch they will just go local. They'll go to the High Level Diner or Culina in Edmonton. They'll go to their local Sushi bar in Vancouver. Same with tv. If I want the local angle on sports, I don't want it being done from a studio in Toronto. Its patronizing and arrogant. They really think they can sit halfway across the country and talk to me in Edmonton? By attempting to serve the local regional desires all that Sportsnet winds up doing is confusing the viewer. Am I watching the Ontario sportsnet or the West? Am I going to see the Oilers game tonight or the Flames? Worst of all, when there is something of importance on (say the 13th inning of a playoff baseball game) they cut away from it to show a meaningless October hockey game between the Flames/Habs. By trying to please everyone Sportsnet ends up pleasing no one.

The Score

The lesser of three evils, the Score is the most likable sports broadcaster in Canada. Well Sportsnet and TSN compete in the same category, the Score acknowledges that there are people out there who are not obsessed with hockey and actually like other sports. By far the least pretentious of the three, the Score focuses on basketball, soccer, and MMA far more that TSN or Sportsnet. Their shows are different, with Score Now being relaxed and having more of a MuchMusic vibe, and their programming is diverse. The problem with the Score is they don't have any money. A lot of their talent ends up going to TSN or Sportsnet. Their programming is fueled by Wrestling and Harness Racing. How seriously can I take a station that has live harness racing on in prime time? Too often the Score is not in my regular rotation due to the odd content. When they show highlights and have personable hosts like Tim Micallef and Sid Seixeiro leading the way, it is beautiful. The problem is they cannot live on 16 hours of highlight shows. They need something to pay the bills. This is where they stumble. But I think I have a solution.

The Solution....

Cooperation works beautifully sometimes. As Canadians, we just finished showing the world how well we can cooperate at the Olympics. We are not overly competitive by nature like our friends to the south. So why do we keep attempting to have 3 national sports stations? ESPN long ago took over the national sports scene in the States. What's taking us so long?

If you noticed at the Olympics Sportsnet combined with TSN to cover the Games. What was odd about it was that we actually have quite a bit of talent in this country. We are just spread out over 3 different stations. Combine all three stations into 1 under TSN"s name. Combine the talent from all 3 stations and have a group that actually has experts in all sports related to Canadians (Vic Reuter, you can stay and cover curling). Imitate programming that works in the States (PTI has a spanish version, why not a Canadian one?). Expansion killed hockey and its killing the Canadian sports broadcasting scene. We don't have the resources or talent to have 3 stations running.

So, as I get ready for 4 straight days of ESPN, I am both happy and sad. Happy that I get to indulge in 4 days of true sports programming and sad that we have such poor options in Canada.

Tim Horton's Ad

One of the highlights of the games for me was the 60 second spot by Tim Horton's with the family getting reunited at the airport. This article sums up the emotion of the ad and also what I was talking about in my last post...great read! (first link in the Interesting Links to the right!)

All we have is curling....

It was a dark, cold winter Monday night and I was driving home from work around 8:30. One of the benefits of living in Canada is that our local all sports talk shows don't have enough funding/talent to run a full slate of programming. The reason this is positive for us American sports fans is they pick up American radio to fill the time. In Edmonton, the Team 1260 runs Fox Sports Radio to fill the gaps, as well as the Jim Rome show. On this particular evening the Fox guys (Petros and Money) were discussing the new sport of curling. They were enamored with the good looks possessed by the Canadian skip Cheryl Bernard and the other competitors. But one thing they said got me thinking. Petros' friend, who happens to be Canadian, stated that Curling is all we have in Canada when hockey isn't on. Which, to my chagrin, is a statement simply thrown out there and believed to be true by so many people.

Now, if it was 1987 and there was no such thing as the internet I could understand this ignorant comment being shoved aside and assumed to be true. But this statement couldn't be farther from the truth. What's missing is people's definition of Canada.

Consider this. 90% of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of the American border. 90%!!!! I'm not sure about you but when I travel places like Vancouver I don't see people lining up at Tim Horton's on their way to the local curling rink. This may be true in rural settings but it definitely does not apply to larger metropolitan ones. In fact, one only has to observe the greater trend in our country to urbanization to realize that the good old days of curling bonspiels and shinny at the local rink are going to be a thing of the past. When American's continue to throw out stereotypes such as "All they have up there is curling and hockey" they are talking about a significant minority of the country.

Take a quick peak at a report released by Statistics Canada in 2006 and you'll see the changing demographics of our country. Go back to 1941 and there were about 10 million people living in Canada. The urban/rural split was about 50/50. Over the past 60 years urban population has risen to 25 million while rural population has stayed about the same. By census rural they are referring to the population living outside settlements of 1000 or less. Well there are still community bonspiel's in smaller rural settings I can honestly say that I know 2 people in the Edmonton area who partake in the sport of curling.

Another often ignored aspect of Canadian life is the multiculturalism. Now while there may be very little ethnic representation on our Canadian Olympic team our country is a diverse melting pot of people. According to statistics from 2001 18.4% of Canadians were born outside of Canada, the highest proportion in 70 years. Statistics show that in 2001 population was growing at a rate of 4% while visible minority population was growing by 25%. From 1981 to 2001 the visible minority population in Canada quadrupled from 1 million to 4 million.

So well many Americans view of Canadians involves maple syrup, Mounties, curling, snow, and hockey, the real Canada is one of increased urbanization and ethnic diversity. Stating that all we have is curling is akin to saying that when football isn't on in the states all they have is Nascar. This may be true for a small majority of people in the deep south, but I imagine a tree hugger from Portland would not want to be thrown in with this stereotype.

So while you are watching the closing ceremonies at the Olympic Games tonight and see the hosts poke fun at Canadian stereotypes just remember that this is the old Canada. The new Canada is diverse, multicultural, urban, and looks nothing like our Canadian Olympic team.

Own the Podium?

Sometimes words just don't mean enough. When Rick Pitino talks of integrity or Tiger Woods attempts to seem human the words fall flatter than an American Idol contestant. Own the Podium is starting to feel this way for me.

When Canada introduced the slogan and program in 2005 I was optimistic. Finally we've realized that in order to compete against other countries we cannot have our athletes helping people decide between types of baseboards at your local Rona. They must be training full time and be funded this way. Here's the problem though. When results do not follow, someone has to be held accountable. As it states on the Own the Podium website the goal for Canadians was to finish in first in the medal count and top three in the gold medal count at the 2010 olympics. Well these are lofty goals they are almost laughable at this stage of the games. Canada currently has 9 medals compared to the United States' 24. The Canadian Olympic Committee still holds strong saying that a dominate second week is around the corner but unless the second week involves importing athletes from another country I don't see it happening. Many can point to the different aspects of the sports (judging in skating, the track in luge, skeleton and bobsled, the hill at Whistler) but I point to something else. Simply put we cannot have it all.

I still remember when I was young watching the Boston Bruins being saluted by their home crowd after losing a memorable deciding game in the NHL playoffs. I thought this was good sportsmanship by the fans and players as they acknowledged a great season. My dad thought otherwise. Or as he said it "This would never happen in Montreal". This has stuck with me and made me realize the inherent problem with Own the Podium. In order to "own" it, we cannot salute those who do not finish in the top 3. Or, if I could change my dad's quote "This would never happen in the USA". Our ugly big brothers to the south do not celebrate athletes who try hard but don't quite get it done. Melissa Hollingsworth would not be cheered by Americans for finishing fifth. Pieere Leuders and Jesse Lumsden would not be providing interviews on NBC with smiles on their faces after finsihing fifth in the bobsled. Quite simply put you cannot value every competitor on your team if you want to own the podium. You must make finishing off the podium so socially disgraceful that athletes cannot fathom not winning a medal. Look at countries that traditionally finish high in medal standings. Russia, United States, China...what do they have in common? An unreal competitive nature where 2nd place is not acceptable. Their are no moral victories or people who get famous off of heartwarming stories. There are winners and losers.

Built into the social fabric of Canada is an innate sense that people have value. Not just successful people, but all people. We are conservative fiscally as a country but very socialistic when it comes to programs. Look at our immigration policy, social security, health care, and education systems. They are grounded in the principle that every human has value, regardless of where they are in life. Compare us to the States where only the strong survive and you end up with a country built on cooperation not competition.

You do not need to look farther than the hockey tournament going on in Vancouver currently for evidence. In a game where half the American squad wouldn't have been invited to our summer training camp we get outplayed, outhustled, and outcoached by a group of competitors that realize losing is not an option. Whether our hockey team wins or loses does not matter in the long run since they will all still be heros in their home communities since they made the NHL.

In a country that is consistently voted one of the best places to live in the world there is really no reason to think we need to change our views on the value of our citizens. We support our athletes, win or lose. We support our citizens, win or lose. And while that is a value that I think makes for a great country to live in and to be raised in, it does not lend itself to owning the podium.

The beginning...

or years I have had an identity crisis. I feel trapped in my own body. How can a Prairie raised, hockey playing, caucasian boy from small town Alberta become so infatuated with American sports? What went wrong at such a young age that caused the shift from sticks and pucks to hoops and cleats?

Well I cannot pinpoint the exact moment the transformation occurred, I can tell you that it was quick, painless, and permanent. I'll take you back to that fateful March evening in my house in Three Hills hanging out in the basement with my dad and brother.

On the television that night was the NCAA final four. As an athletic young boy I loved every sport, basketball included. Growing up in a small prairie town meant that I spent nearly every morning since the age of four going to the rink and playing hockey. I enjoyed this throughly but something about the early mornings, cold rinks, and inability to tie my skates by myself made me yearn for something else. Along came the Runnin' Rebels, Blue Devils, and Pizza Hut. How are all three of these connected? Let me explain.

Pizza Hut was a family favorite in the Reed house. Not only were the free refills on the pop, but they would have specials on constantly. Medium pizzas for 5$ (which we would pick up by the dozen it seemed), all you can eat specials, and a relaxed family atmosphere made it a prime night out for us country bumpkins. During the February month of 1990, Pizza Hut offered a free mini basketball with a visit to their restaurant. Since we frequented the North East Pizza Hut location regularly, it was no surprise when I wound up with one of these gems. This led to me becoming interested in the event going on south of the border called the Final Four. I immediately took a liking to the team with the atletes' on it: the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. With highflyers such as Larry Johnson, Anderson Hunt, Stacey Augmon and a coach who was a personality all his own (Jerry Tarkanian) I couldn't help but root for the guys from Las Vegas. Not only were they easy to cheer for, but their nemesis, the Duke Blue Devils, were equally easy to root against. I still remember emulating LJ as I dunked my Pizza Hut basketball into my clothes hamper for what seemed like an eternity.

So, as a 10 year old I was hooked on American sports. I loved College Bowls (namely the Rose Bowl with the parade!), NBA (the era of Michael Jordan becoming the alpha dog and dismantling anyone in his way), and college basketball. What I didn't foresee was the problem that would confront me as I grew older.

I love Canada and everything about living here but I love American sports. These two things seemingly do not go hand in hand. Ask anyone south of the border what sports Canadians love and they will probably respond with curling, hockey, ice fishing, and dog sledding. They would not think that a school teacher in Edmonton, AB would have the slightest interest in the BCS, expansion of the NCAA tournament, or the impending free agent class of 2010 in the NBA. Sadly, to follow these sports I must be an internet junkie, watching highlights online while TSN plays back hours of hockey analysis.

So, as a result of this plague that has stricken me and the conundrum I find myself in daily, I have decided to write about American sports from a Canadian perspective. If nobody ends up reading this at least I'll feel as though I am doing something incredibly therapeutic for the mess I find myself in. I gotta run and get back to watching grown men throw rocks down a sheet of ice.

Late