Major League Baseball -- Opening Day!

Opening Day.

Catching a whiff of that favorite dish mom used to make when you were a kid.
The smell of granpa's pipe.
The aroma of freshly mowed grass.

Like those odors bring back a childhood memory.
The sound of those two words "Opening Day" do the same for me.

Baseball is a sport with a rich history and has held firm to many of it's old-fashioned ways.
Held so firmly, in fact, that many sports fans have moved on.
As our youth's attention spans get shorter and life moves quicker, the market grows smaller for MLB.
MLB, like the sport of baseball itself, is a relic of former times.

Today's MLB fans are a dying breed...dying of old age.

We should admire MLB for its uncompromising views on modern sports technology (they still refuse to use replay in the World Series) and it's gentlemanly mentality (there are many unwritten rules players must follow as a show of respect).

There's very little flash in the sport, which is probably why the young folks don't like it.
Today's youth want to see someone celebrate every achievement.
The NBA and NFL are far better suited for that.

But, c'mon.
These MLB guys are hitting a ball 3inches in diameter traveling at 95mph using a 42" piece of wood. What's not to like?

MLB baseball is closer than the NBA or NFL to what a sport should be.
The strategies are subtle. There is more team mentality. And coaches have a bigger effect on outcome.

There is a chess-match at play with every at-bat, every pitching change, and every pinch-hitter.
As a sports-fan, you have got love that.

If your dad and/or grandpa are still around -- watch a game with them this opening weekend.
They''ll love you more for loving baseball.

Batter up!

 

Remember

BillyCock Mafia...Take that to the bank wich-ya' Foo!

Richard Jefferson -- Bust

The NBA's San Antonio Spurs may hold the best record in the league, but for how long?
Injuries kept their Big Three, Manu, Duncan, and Tony Parker out of Monday nights home game against the Portland Trailblazers.

Some would say Spurs' small forward Richard Jefferson was out of the game too.
Only, RJ wore a uni, ran up and down the court, and defended (kind of), and gave other occasional appearances of actually being in the line-up.

What I'm trying to say is, Jefferson sucked.
But, that's not news and it's not new to people following the Spurs this year.

On a night when the Spurs were in desperate need of some leadership, scoring, and athleticism because 4 of their 5 starters were on the bench (Antonio McDyess also sat out with back spasms) is it too much to expect your $8million+ man to do a little something to help the club --- scratch that, for $8mil+ he should be doing A LOT of something to help his shorthanded club.

RJ is 4th on the roster in earnings, but he's never earned it.
He was a huge disappointment to the Spurs last season and most team supporters excused Jefferson by noting that he was unfamiliar with the Spurs' system.
This year (his 2nd with the team) started out in a way that supported that theory.
His play was solid on both ends of the court and he looked more comfortable in those first two months than he did all of the season before.
But, by the end of December, that was all gone.
Since December, there has not been even an occasional game wherein he has shown the promise he showed at the beginning of the season.

Jefferson has not reached his career average of 16 points since February 4th in a game against the lowly Sacramento Kings.
And while he's above 40% for the season in 3point shooting, that percentage remains high only because of the many 1-for-1 nights he has from behind the 3point line.
Remove those 1-for-1 nights and his average is well below the 40% mark.

Which brings us to Monday night's game against Portland.
On a night when he had neither Manu or Parker taking shots away from him, and on a night when he had neither McDyess or Duncan clogging the paint, here is what the Spurs got from Jefferson:
2-for-5 from the field, 1-for-3  3 pointers, 2-4 free throws, 6 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 turnovers, and 7 points.

To put those stats into perspective.
Jefferson was matched point-for-point by his following teammates:

Undrafted guard Chris Quin, Fellow-forward Steve Novak, and guard/forward Danny Green....the same Danny Green that the Spurs waived last November then resigned earlier this month.

A few things stand out about all of the above players who matched or surpassed RJ's point total versus Portland.
1. Not one of them is a starter for the Spurs.
2. They all played fewer minutes than did RJ.
3. All of them are in their first season with the Spurs

Point #3 is really poignant -- Remember how much RJ sucked his first year?
Hell, Danny Green is in his first MONTH.

What should also be mentioned when reviewing the stats is that Jefferson only had 4 points until hitting a meaningless 3-pointer in the final minute and well after Portland had the game in hand. And up until that final minute, 2 of his 4 points were from free throws.
What's that mean? That means Richard Jefferson was only able to muster ONE bucket in the midst of a game that did not include the Spurs' Big Three players.

That production - and I use the term production very loosely here - is terrible considering he was on the court for over 25 minutes of game time.

Given the available players for Monday's game, the importance of the game (Lakers are catching up quick for first place in the West), and the expectations once held for RJ, by my math $8mil + 25minutes + 7points - 0 assists = BUST.

Whatever the Spurs' plans are for the post-season, Spurs fans better hope they don't include relying on RJ for anything outside of garbage time minutes...because garbage is all they are getting from him.






BC for life FOO!

VCU Wins - Everything Is Right With The World

Despite the news from Japan, the unrest in Libya, and our struggling American economy, I went to bed last night knowing everything was right with the world....all thanks to Virginia Commonwealth's win over Kansas in San Antonio, TX 71-61 yesterday.

Should yesterdays final score surprise anyone?
Should Kansas players and fans bow their heads in shame?
Of course, not.

Cypress Hill's B Real...Oh...
My bad, it's VCU Coach Shakur Smart

There is no shame for Kansas.
They are in good company amongst the teams shocked by VCU's coach Shakur Smart and his team.

VCU had already beaten teams from the PAC-10, Big East, Big 10, and the ACC before Sunday's game against Kansas.

On and on VCU has marched, gaining strength with every stunning upset.
And Kansas was just another step.

The VCU's unlikely success through this year's NCAA tournament is precisely why most college hoop fans love to watch the dance this time of year.
It's called March MADNESS for a reason.
There is also a reason it is not called March Just-What-You'd-Expectedness.
(Besides the fact that Just-What-You'd-Expectedness is not catchy enough for a good advertising campaign.)

Every year, college basketball has a Cinderella team making it at least to the Sweet 16.
And VCU fits that mold so perfectly.
They are the very definition of a Cinderella team.
Many TV sports talking-heads felt they didn't deserve a spot in the tournament.
And, once they had been selected to participate, most of them picked against them every step along the way to San Antonio.

Yet, look at them now.
On to Houston, Tx and The Final Four.

Big-ups to Coach Smart and his team of over-acheivers.
Thanks for keeping the spirit of the NCAA tournament alive and thanks for restoring my belief that all is right with the world.



Respect the BC Foo!

Cowboy's Dez Bryant - Past His Prime

Dez is not washed-up.
He's just getting started as a great NFL receiver.
But he is past his "Prime" -- as in Prime Time.

It's been widely reported that Dez was recently kicked out of an upscale Texas mall.
Your typical media personalities (not reporters, personalities) were reporting that Dez was forced out of the mall because his pants were sagging and/or that Dez had been arrested for the transgression.

The facts are these:
Dez was not wearing sagging pants, someone in his group was.
Dez was not arrested for the incident, he was simply escorted out and disallowed from re-visiting the mall for a few months.

Actual footage of the Dez Bryant incident...sort of.

What Dez Bryant has confessed to is using profanity towards mall security after one of them shoved him in the back as they left the building.

Now, Bryant's one-time mentor Deion "Prime Time" Sanders has spoken out against Dez for being dishonest and for needing help beyond what Deion can give him.
Sanders even went so far as to call Dez "ignorant".

My problem with this?
What Sanders claims Dez is guilty of is exactly what Deion was guilty of in his NFL "prime".
If anyone can help Dez, it should be Deion.
Deion Sanders was the poster boy of selfish behavior, materialism,  and media-whoring when he played in the NFL.

Yet, Deion states he will not attempt to mentor Dez any longer because Dez represents a risk to the youth in Deion's youth program.
What?
Wouldn't Sanders' support of Dez in these matters and eventual success in helping Dez become a better-grounded man be the best thing to show his youth program participants just what all is possible with positive thinking and positive living?

It's a shame. But, Deion is using his youth program as an excuse.

The truth is, Deion's not talking to Dez because Dez quit on his Under Armour deal last summer.

The deal between Under Armour and Dez Bryant was put together by Deion Sanders, but fell apart after Dez decided to wear Nike shoes instead.
Somehow, Deion must have really stood to benefit from that deal.
In fact, according to Dez, Deion has not returned any message from him since that deal with Under Armour fell apart.

Sounds like someone was using Dez for personal gain to me.

No one but Deion will ever know what he missed out on when Dez walked away from Under Armour.
But, we all should admire Dez for walking when he did.
Bryant said he decided not wear Under Armour because the shoe's fit was not to his liking.
So he went with Nike instead.

I believe him. And here's why:
Dez walked away from a lot of money to wear Nike.
Nike does not endorse Dez and has no deal in the works.
So Dez Bryant simply wore Nike because it gave him the better fit, he didn't wear Nike for a better pay-day.

I don't think we could have expected the same sound judgment from Deion Sanders when he himself was in need of "help" and "ignorant" as an NFL superstar.
Deion would have limped his way through a full season wearing Speedo water shoes on the field if Speedo had forked over enough green.

So please Deion....give us a break already.
Dez Bryant is probably better off without you.
Any help he needs should be given by someone who actually cares about Dez.


The Billycock has spoken...Foo!

Beauty And The Beasts -- Sponsored By The NBA

Has there ever been a more polar opposite night in the NBA?
I doubt it.
First we got the beasts, then we got a real beauty.

The game between the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks was almost as bad as the snoozer between the Portland Trailblazers and the Washington Wizards.

Both games were ugly.
Both were over by half-time.

As an indication of how bad these games were, yours truly -- the Godfather, even had a hard time watching the Bulls game despite my love of D-Rose's hoop skills.

Imagine my dismay when I realized the third and final game of the night was a match-up between the L.A. Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.
Uh-oh...I didn't think my heart could take another blow-out....I was sure I'd die of boredom.

L.A. is in a battle with Dallas for the #2 spot in the Western Conference and home-court advantage if the two should meet in the post-season.
The Suns had already beaten the Lakers in L.A. earlier this season.
There was no chance the Lakers would overlook them again.

What I expected was the basketball equivalent of a glass of warm milk chased with a double shot of NyQuil.
What I got was the most thrilling game of the season!

I don't know how the Sun's do it.
But, the Lakers can't seem to shake them when playing at home.
The Suns make the Lakers look very beatable.

What a game!

Lakers 139, Suns 137...in TRIPLE OT!

The 2 earlier games were the NBA's version of Patty and Selma Bouvier (look up the Bouviers if you don't know).
Suffice it to say both games were UGLY!

After all that earlier ugliness, it was very satisfying to watch the Lakers and Suns play a game that was the NBA's version of Jasmin Cadavid...very hot nice.

*Note: if you don't know who Jasmin Cadavid is, I highly recommend you forget the Bouviers and look up Jasmin instead. 
Here's a taste...

Daaaaayyyuuuuuumm Foo!

Glad you are still with me....I didn't expect you to come back from a Jasmin Cadavid gallery.

You now how good Jasmin looks.
So, if you didn't catch the Lakers/Suns game, you must be asking, "Was the game really that good?"
Answer: Yes! Yes it was.

The game (like Jasmin) was beautiful.
Both teams left it all on the court and it could not have come on a better night for the NBA.

The Phoenix Suns may not be the Suns of a few years ago.
Yet it will be a shame if they don't qualify for the playoffs.
Last night's match-up versus the Lakers only showed how much basketball fans stand to lose by not having Steve Nash in the postseason.

And the Lakers?
Well, Kobe looked real good...especially in the 3rd OT.
And the L.A. supporting cast looked good around him.
So, Coach Jackson and Laker fans should be happy.

But, the real winners were the viewers who weathered through two very ugly beasts earlier in the evening only to get one true beauty before bed.

Dallas Cowboy Has Gone MADD!

Dallas Cowboy tight end Jason Witten is MADD.
No, he's not pissed about looking like a sissie in the proposed Hilfiger-designed Dallas Cowboy uni.
He's MADD as in Mother's Against Drunk Drivers.

As if that's not cool enough...his MADD efforts are in conjunction with an appearance in an Archie comic book.
You remember Archie, don't you?
He's the high-school dude from the town Riverdale that hangs out with Jughead and the hotties Betty and Veronica.
Yes. That Archie.

Witten will appear before Archie and the other students at Riverdale High to talk about the dangers of drinking alcohol in Archie comic book No. 217
Yeah, the story is only about 8 pages long and yes, Witten didn't really show at the high school...remember it's a comic strip, everyone but Witten is a cartoon character, and Riverdale doesn't exist...but, this is still cool.

Nice work J-Witt........now about those ugly-ass uni's....

Caption from Archie No. 217

The BC Mafia Foo!

The Chicago Bulls Are For Real

Are the Chicago Bulls for real?
Despite a loss to the lowly Indiana Pacers this weekend, they have been having a hell of a stretch the past few weeks.

The Bulls are playing better than any contenders in the Eastern Conference.

That they are looking much better than Miami and Orlando is no surprise to me.
But that the Bulls are looking so much better than the Boston Celtics?
Now that is VERY surprising.

Here's why I pick the Bulls to win the East:

The BC Godfather in his D-Rose hoodie

1. My pick for NBA MVP: Derrick Rose
He should be MVP by a mile.
Who can guard him in a 7-game series? No one.
Teams will be forced to double team D-rose.
It's up to the his supporting cast to make or break the season for the Bulls.
Should the Bulls find themselves out of the play-offs, it will not be Rose's fault - I assure you.

2. Boozer is a solid big man.
Carlos Boozer can hold his own against any NBA Forward/Center.
Despite the ankle injury right now, he's listed as day-to-day...which means the ankle is not serious.
Boozer will be ready for the play-offs...and well-rested.
Bulls fans can expect nothing short of exceptional play from this guy nearly every night come playoff-time.

3. Loul Deng is averaging nearly 18 points a game this season.
He is an able-bodied forward and pretty darn good from beyond the 3-point line.
His contributions will increase as more teams focus on double teaming D-Rose in a play-off series.

4. And, my favorite Bull after D-Rose, Joakim Noah
Noah is the kind of player we all want on our team.
He provides the team with some toughness and compliments Boozer very well.
Joakim is averaging a double-double for the season and his style of play is well suited to the physical play we will see in the playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls may play in the weakest division in the NBA.
But do not be fooled...They are for real.
The team has the tools and the toughness to earn the Eastern Conference Championship.

Besides, anyone watching Eastern Conference B-Ball right now should have a hard time believing anyone in the East can beat the Bulls 4-out-of-7 games...especially if the Bulls have the home-court advantage.




Respect the Billycock Foo!

March Madness, NFL Style...

As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sends NFL players letters and the NFL player's union sends its  response , I wonder how in the world there will be any NFL football next season.

Some communication is better than no communication, but writing letters back and forth? Really?
I think Goodell's response to the union response will be something like this:

I want to negotiate and wondered if you would like to negotiate too.

Please circle yes or no.

And make sure teacher don't see you passing the letter back.

YES              NO

The scariest part in all of this is that players will become more and more publicly vocal on the matter.
Rich and pampered athletes who are used to getting things their way are bound to only weaken their position with every ignorant sound bite. (Charger Linebacker Kevin Burnett's recent act of vocal stupidity is a good example)

If I didn't love the game of football so much, this would actually be funny.

LAKERS & MAVS -- Where Excitement Happens

As we approach the NBA Playoffs, there is no more exciting a race than the race for the 2 slot in the Western Conference.
The Dallas Mavericks hold a .5 game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers.

If history is any indication, the Lakers will win the position.

No matter who has more road games left on their schedule (Dallas).
No matter who has more remaining games against +.500 teams (L.A.).

These are the only facts that matter:
1. The Lakers tend to stiffen their backs and rise to these occasions.
2. The Mavs tend to lower their heads and choke on these occasions.

Boston/Chicago/Miami
New York/Philadelphia
Denver/New Orleans/Portland/Memphis

All of these teams are caught up in races for playoff positions.
But, these two questions will make the Laker/Mavs race more interesting than any other over the next few weeks:

Are these the same Lakers we have come to know?
Are these the same Mavs we have seen fold?

No one knows.

At stake: Home-court advantage awaits the winner in round 2.

This should be good....VERY good.

Kidd reaches for Kobe's heart....Lord knows the Mav's could use it.

What you know about this? The BC Mafia Foo!

NHL File: Give Me A Break, Foo!

Hockey is a rough sport.
Hits can be vicious, players get hurt, and the speed at which plays are made is faster than nearly any other team sport.
The NHL, being hockey's major league, is filled with plays that are very vicious, violent, and quick.



Anyone who follows NHL hockey will agree that the hit by Boston Bruin defenseman Zdeno Chara on Montreal Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty is nowhere near as vicious a hit as we see on almost a nightly basis in the NHL.

The injury may be serious, but the hit was not flagrantly vicious.
There is nothing in the replay that shows any intent to injure beyond the usual intent found within an NHL body check into the boards.
An interference minor penalty was all that Chara's hit calls for.

Like in the NFL, perfectly legal hits result in injury all the time in the NHL.
And like in the NFL, perfectly legal NHL hits can be tremendously violent.

What makes this hit so extraordinary? NOTHING.

Now, police are probing into the matter as a criminal act.
Reports indicate the police probe is in response to a request by Quebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions, Louis Dionne.

I don't know Louis Dionne -- but, I'm solid on the fact that Mr. Dionne is a Montreal Canadiens fan and just a little pissed about losing Pacioretty's services due to injury.

Thus, he wants a little payback by striking a little grief into the life of Chara and the Boston Bruins....all at the expense of valuable police time and expense.

GIVE ME A FRIGGIN' BREAK!

Chara may have still been upset with Pacioretty due to a post-game shoving match between the two last January.
The January shoving match was brought on by Pacioretty's need to celebrate a Candadiens' overtime goal by shoving Chara in the back well after play had stopped.
But, even this little history between Pacioretty and Chara was not enough to instigate a cheap-shot.
Chara has been in the NHL for over 10 years with no history of being in trouble with the NHL.
Past and present players (even some who dropped the gloves against Chara) have expressed their disagreement with those who feel Chara intended to hurt Pacioretty.

The province of Quebec has very low crime rates.
Combine this with a pissed off fan who happens to head a criminal investigation department for Quebec.
And this is the result.

Get well soon Max.
Good luck Zdeno.



Billycock Mafia for life Foo!

St. John vs Rutgers - 1.7 Seconds

St. John's win over Rutgers 65-63 last night was not a classic.
38 minutes of pretty good college hoops, 1 minute 59 seconds worth of excitement, and 1 second of infamy may make it newsworthy -- but it's not enough to make it as memorable as a true classic should be.



The final moments of this game were no different than the final moments of most organized basketball games:

1. The refs tried letting the players decide the game by calling fewer calls in the final minutes.
2. Physical play and intense competition ensued.
3. Some players and refs made good decisions, some players and refs made bad decisions.

Despite their best efforts, the officiating team of Jim Burr, Tim Higgins and Earl Walton wound up impacting the ending far more than any player did.
But, let's stop short of saying they "decided" the game.
The refs certainly impacted how the game ended, but it's very unlikely they decided who won....VERY unlikely.

While 1.7 seconds is a long time when inbounding the ball from about mid-court, Rutgers had not made many smart basketball decisions in the final minutes of the game and Rutgers Coach Mike Rice admitted as much in his post-game conference.

Thus, if given the opportunity, what would Rutgers have likely done with the final 1.7 seconds of the game?
Chances are, they would have failed to get a good shot off and lost the game by the exact same 65-63 score.

Still Rutgers fans and referee-haters are incensed by the officials having apparently gotten too caught up in the emotion of the final seconds to do their job properly.

We should forgive the officials.
Despite what many claim, officials are human.
The call they missed at the 1.7 second mark last night possibly (but  not likely) cost Rutgers a basket.
But that missed call didn't cost Rutgers any more points than any other call the refs missed in the previous 39+ minutes of the game.



You can't front on the BC Mafia, Foo!

Coach Jim Tressel - Liar Liar Pants On Fire

My response......

COACH...YOUR PANTS ARE ON FIRE!

If these emails are real, Coach T should be getting a lot worse than the 2-game suspension and a $250k slap-on-the-wrist he's already been given.




The BC gave you silk suits, Gucci handbags, and blue diamonds, FOO!

Barry Bonds -- Do You Smell Smoke?

The witch-hunt continues.
And, frankly, I'm sick of it.

Is Barry Bonds guilty of using steroids? Yes.
Did Barry Bonds lie about it? Yes.

Is his being found guilty worth the taxpayer expense? NO.

The court of public opinion has ruled on this case years ago.
There's no need to spend more tax money in the hopes of making his guilt "official".

Our legal courts have better, more important, cases to pursue.

Bonds shown in the Small, Medium, and Large variety-pack.

Find Bonds guilty of lying to a grand jury and what do we gain?
The public already finds him unappealing and Major League Baseball already stays away from him like Steve Bartman stays away from foul balls.

But, still, the courts persist.
They are building their bonfires in hopes of burning Bonds at the stake, not for the sake of justice or principle, but for noteriety.
The hounding of Barry Bonds over his lies to a grand jury is just another case of people trying to get famous through the use and misuse of already famous people.

No one needs an "official" verdict.
His guilt is already a fact in the eyes of most.
Ask anyone on the street and you will have a hard time finding anyone who will deny the following:
OJ Simpson is a murderer, Justin Bieber sucks, and Barry Bonds used steroids.

Baseball fans and the general public have nothing else to gain from the pursuit of Bonds and everything to gain from forgetting about him.
Let it go people...


BC Mafia up-in-here, up-in-here, FOO!

Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra - You Should Know Better

NBA coach Erik Spoelstra was considered by some to be on the verge of losing his job with the Miami Heat.
Sure, last summer's hype was way overblown after the Heat signed Lebron James and Chris Bosh in order to compliment Dwayne Wade.
But the team has fallen below even modest expectations.

How does a team with a  43-20 record (.683 winning percentage) still fall below modest expectations?
And how could the coach leading that team lose his job?
I'm glad you asked....

The Heat's problems have nothing to do with their record.
Their problems have nothing to do with their winning percentage.
Miami's sole problem falls between their ears.

Something isn't right in their head.
And all the talent in the world will not cover up the issue.

Wade is the only one of the three Heat stars that has proven he can carry a team on his shoulders when the time matters most...crunch time.
Everyone else on the team, though he may be talented, is not really what fans call a "gamer".
Even the "King" has failed to prove he has the stomach for taking a team to the promised land or consistently hitting game-winning shots despite having had his chances.

What this amounts to is this: The Miami Heat lack the mental toughness to deal with the expectations set upon them by others and by themselves.

BAD guys and BAD coaches wear black, Foo!

And now, the death knell for that sickly team psyche has sounded.
If it had come from any other source, one would feel sorry for these Heat.
But, considering it came from their coach, one can only shake their head in disbelief at the inevitable collapse awaiting this team.

Coach Spo had no business reporting to the media that some members of his team cried after losing to the Chicago Bulls 87-86 Sunday.

I don't blame the guys for crying.
It has been a tough four-consecutive-loss stretch for these Heat.
It's been tougher than most losing streaks due to the fact that this team has lost in nearly every possible way recently.
Blow-outs, lost leads, failed come-backs, and more than one missed potential game-winning shot.

No, the crying is very understandable.
But, the relaying of this information by coach Spo to the media during his post-game conference is not.

It's unforgivable, it's unprofessional, and it's the final nail in the coffin for Coach Spo.

While some believed Spo was on his way out anyway, the loss to Chicago alone may have convinced others of the same.
Now, after having made public something that should have stayed in the locker room, we should be very surprised if Spo does not lose his team AND his job...pronto.

Letting the world know some on your team cried after a regular season loss is stupid .
You should know better Spo. Real coaches do.

Now, why should anyone on your team have faith in you?
Why should they follow you?
Why should they trust you?
You've publicly added insult to injury by confirming to the world just how mentally fragile your team is.
And the price should be your job.


Respect the Billycock Foo!

N-C-A-A....The "C" Does Not Stand For "Criminal"

CBS News and Sports Illustrated (SI) released a story this week about the "high" percentage of NCAA Top 25 teams with football players who have criminal records.

Don't believe the hype, Foo!

BULLSHIT!
As my boys in Public Enemy put it, Don't Believe The Hype. 

This is just another example of media hype and BS sensationalism.

Take a closer look at the numbers and you will find the story is nonsense.

According to the report which looked into the criminal backgrounds of the 2837 student-athletes that make up the Top 25 NCAA Football teams, 204 players were cited or arrested a total 277 times.
The fact is, these players only paid a penalty or were found guilty in about 60% of those 277 cases.

So, out of the 2837 college players investigated in the report, approximately 166 convictions was all they had among them.

We live in a country where one is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Citations and arrests are only applicable to the issue if the player was found guilty.

Take another view of the 277 citations and arrests.
105 of them were drug or alcohol related incidents.
Is this really a problem or a surprise to anyone?

I do not mean to make light of illegal drug or acohol consumption by college students, but let's keep things in perspective.

2837 players have a total of 105 alcohol or drug related issues according to the news story.
Let's throw these reporters a couple of bones and pretend all 105 incidents resulted in convictions (which they did not) AND all 105 incidents were charged to individual players (which they were not).
The numbers would then show that 1-in-27 of the 2837 NCAA football players checked were convicted of these crimes.
That's less than  4%...way less than 4% when you factor in the following:

1. Not all 105 incidents in the report resulted in convictions.
and
2. In reality, fewer than 105 out of 2837 players were involved in these incidents because some players received more than one of those 105 charges.

Arkansas was one of the schools listed by CBS/SI as having a problem with 18 violations by student-athletes.
Take a look at these details released by their Athletic Department regarding those 18 violations:

7 were traffic violations that DID NOT involve alcohol or illegal substances.
3 involved DUI
5 were illegal use or possession of alcohol
2 were for marijuana possession.
1 was for shoplifting.

It's important to note that SEVEN of the eighteen violations were traffic violations.
Have you driven with an 18-22 year old lately. If so, is this really a surprise?
More importantly, are these traffic violations really the stuff that makes up hardened criminals?
A January 2010 study found 60% of students had been convicted of driving violations.
I'd say the student-athletes at Arkansas are damn good drivers...they fell in well under the 60% mark.

Equally important to note, EIGHT involved alcohol in some way, shape, or form.
That too is not unusual for college students (athletes or not).

According to Alcohol 101 Plus (an organization that helps educate college students about alcohol abuse), 81% of college students 18-and-under drink alcohol and approximately 30% of overall college students drive after drinking.

Of the remaining 3 violations for Arkansas, 2 were for marijuana possession.
The January 2010 study noted above showed over 7% of overall college students had been convicted of drug possession.
These are CONVICTIONS. And the numbers represent the ENTIRE student body.
Again, the CBS/SI report was for citations and arrests - NOT convictions.

CBS and Sports Illustrated spent 6 months on this story.
What a waste of time.
The report is full of information meant to grab headlines and nothing more.
This is not a college sports problem. This is media-hype and nothing more.

The NCAA student-athletes in the study are no more criminal than their non-athlete classmates.



BC Mafia -- believe dat Foo!

Owl Vs Bat

It's an owl...help him!
Oh wait...it's a bat...kill it!!

There has been an uproar over the kicking of an owl by a Colombian soccer player during a recent match.

The soccer player was on the visiting team.
The owl was a mascot for the home team.
So I can see how fans of the home team would go nuts about the issue.
But, animal rights advocates are all over the dude, too.

I don't get it.
It wasn't too long ago that an athlete playing in a much higher profile league had a similar run-in with a flying animal and no one seemed to make much of a fuss.
I'm referring to NBA player Manu Ginobili's bat-slap during a Halloween night game last season.
The soccer player's owl incident is hardly different from Manu's bat incident...from the animal's perspective.

Just so we're clear...
Manu pimp-slaps a bat...he's a hero.
Soccer dude kicks an owl...he's an ass.
Is that about right?

Apparently, animal rights advocates have a line that separates animals they care about from animals they don't care about.
And that line appears to fall somewhere between owls and bats.

See for yourself....





For the record, I laughed while watching both vids.
But, I'm the Godfather of the Billycock Mafia...I'm hard that way.



BC rocks Foo!

5 Most Important Rules For Youth Sports

As a sports fan - I follow my favorite sports at nearly all levels.
As a parent - I participate in youth sports heavily.

The weather is warming up and Spring is around the corner.
With that, children begin joining team sports, parents begin coaching, and some of us, as children or parents, learn about competition in a sports-environment for the very first time.

I read a book a long time ago that taught me a few things about being a dad.
The book is call Father to Son by Harry H. Harrison Jr.
It's hardly a book as each page is just filled with simple advice.
But, the quality of the advice is more important than the quantity of the words that make up the book.

Some of Harrison's book is dedicated to sports.
And below I paraphrase some of the lessons learned from the book.

These are what I consider the 5 MOST IMPORTANT rules a parent should remember about youth sports -- whether you are a coach or a cheerleader for your child's team.

5. Teaching your child how to lose is as important as teaching them how to win.

Photo by J. Sod

4. If your child's coach is a screamer, find another team. If you are the coach, retire.

Photo by laffy4k

3. Your child will not turn pro just because he/she scores more than other children.

Photo by MRiggen

2. Your child is not destined for a life of failure just because he/she is the worst player on the team.

Photo by Ms. Caprikell

1. If your child's team is more important to you than it is to him/her, there is something wrong...with you.

Remember these.
Now go out and have some fun.



BC...nothing but heart, FOO!

Tony Parker Hurt, Spurs Catch Another Break

It may be better to be lucky than good.
But, when you are lucky and good, then you are great.

The San Antonio Spurs have been great this season.
Having played well all year, they have also had luck on their side throughout.

Sunday versus the Memphis Grizzlies, the Spurs had another stroke of luck.
Point guard Tony Parker injured his calf muscle and will be out 2-4 weeks.
The breaks just don't stop for these Spurs.

If you are thinking I don't like Tony Parker, you're wrong.

There is an upside to his injury that far outweighs the downside.
Provided Tony Parker's calf injury does not linger beyond the next few weeks, this time off for Parker is just what the Spurs needed.

Having lost their starting point guard, upcoming games against the Miami Heat, L.A. Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks will now be meaningful to the Spurs, too.
Were the Spurs to be at full strength for any of these games, the games would be far more important to their opponents than they would be for San Antonio.

1. The Heat have to prove to themselves that they can beat an NBA elite team.
2. The Spurs already lead the season series against the Lakers 2-0
3. The Spurs have a huge lead in the division against the Mavs.

These three Spurs' opponents would have needed a win far more desperately than the Spurs prior to Parker's injury.
With Parker out, Coach Pop and his squad now have a reason to take a more serious interest in the match-ups.

And, even if they lose games against the Heat, Lakers, and Mavs while Parker sits, they win.
No one expects them to beat these three teams without their starting point guard.
For the Spurs, the games will be more about getting their young guards some quality minutes against quality teams.

But, what if they win any of the games above?
How much confidence will that give the Spurs bench?
And how demoralizing will that be to the losing team?
Those are the mental edges that can make a difference come playoff time.

Spurs guards George Hill, Gary Neal, and Chris Quin will run some point while Parker is out.
While this is Hill's third year with the Spurs, Neal and Quin are in their first year in Pop's system.
The experience they gain over the next few weeks and a rested Parker will help the Spurs in the playoffs.
All thanks to Parker's injury.

One of the best benches in the NBA will certainly get better over the next 2-4 weeks.
Will the breaks never end for this year's Spurs?

The Spurs watch as the Billycock b-ball team blows them out.

BC For Life Foo!