TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe

Because "expert" talks out of their ass?

No doubt Bonds was a Hall lock, pre-roids. But he did them, and shattered records left and right, which can't be denied either. I can't put him in.

I'd like to see the Giants take a stab at Ken Whisenhunt from Pittsburgh, if the other coordinator gets the nod for that job.

I'd love for Bonds to not get in. But I know he will.

The question is, who gets it next year? A good darkhorse would be Michigan: key juniors Henne, Hart, and others returning for one last run to the title + ESPN's Big Ten contract. Or they go back to the well with USC, who they still stuck with this year, which wouldn't surprize me at all.

I concur.

My bad, I breezed through reading your post without picking it up.

2003 Oklahoma did get the God push. Then in 04 it was inherited by USC and then it steamrolled through 2005.

I figure these current players are locks off the top of my head: Maddux Glavine Johnson Smoltz Pedro Rivera Hoffman Clemens Jeter A-Rod Manny Pudge Bonds Rickey Griffey Jr Thomas Piazza Too early for me to add Pujols, Santana, Zito, etc, but I'm sure they will be there at their pace.

Which they did last year with USC leading up to the Rose Bowl.

I don't think Mark Grace gets in.

I'm sure Dama did.

Not a very prestegious list either.

I know David Justice will be on it (Retired in 2002), but it's unlikely he would get in.

ESPN has been whining in favor of Ohio State, saying that they had too much of a layoff from the Michigan game to the Florida game. Fair enough. But I'd chalk it up to the fact that they play in a very traditional, smash-mouth style of football in the Big Ten where there are virtually no surprizes as far as playcalling goes. Then they go up against a faster, more athletic, and frankly, more hungry, team in the Gators, as it seemed that the Buckeyes believed too much in their own hype that Florida would just roll over for them. They were frustrated by everything the Gators threw at them, and went into full-on panic mode when Tressel went for it on 4th and 1 on their own 29 yard line in the second quarter. Ohio State got outplayed and outcoached in every way. They had 51 days to study this team, and still got embarrassed.

Gossage is probably a lock for next year, as there aren't a great list of first-timers as far as I know. It's also going to be his 15th year on the ballot, I think.

What's worse than bias against mid-majors like the WAC is the bias against an actual conference within the BCS, and that is the Big East. If Rutgers went 12-0,there is no way that they would have been able to climb high enough to get to the title game, because of a "weak conference" yet they play in a BCS conference and virtually the same schedule as Louisville (Who got at high as 3) and West Virginia (Who got as high as 5).

I would think Brosius would have garnered at least 1 vote. 1998 World Series MVP is worth a single lousy vote.

How did Tony Fernandez get 4 votes and Scott Brosius get none?

And when low seeds/wild cards win championships or advance farther than expected (The Steelers and Cardinals being two examples in the past year), they are wrote off because anyone can "get lucky" a one game playoff or a short series, and people start bitching about wild cards and how there are too many post season entrants. Besides, in an 8 team bracket, which would probably be determined by a vote anyway, numbers 9, 10, 11 and whatnot will be complaining anyway.

It's better than the system before the BCS was, where there wasn't even a #1 vs. #2 game at all, and it was nothing but a vote and every bowl was an exhibition. At least with the BCS you have a championship game, whether you agree with who is in it or not, it's better than it used to be.

Final Coaches Poll Final AP Poll

WFAN is reporting that Calvin Johnson is leaving Geogia Tech early for the NFL Draft. They are also saying that JaMarcus Russell will make his announcement on Wednesday whether he will come out early or return to LSU.

Using Retrosheet, I was able to look up the box scores of every game I've been to. Since 1993, the home team is 16-8 when I am at the game. I've been to three major league stadiums: Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards. I've been to one postseason game, Game 4 of the 2005 Division Series. In the last three years, I've been to 11 Yankee games, where the Yanks have gone 6-5. Pitching Match-ups: Melido Perez vs. Hilly Hathaway (9-8 W vs. CAL - 7/25/93) Jim Abbott vs. Scott Sanderson (7-2 L vs. CHI - 5/30/94) Andy Pettitte vs. Zane Smith (9-1 W vs. BOS - 9/9/95) David Cone vs. Felipe Lira (6-2 W vs. DET - 7/12/97) Hideki Irabu vs. Dennis Springer (6-1 W vs. TB - 6/4/98) Al Leiter vs. Joe Fontenot (3-2 W Mets vs. FLA - 6/21/98) Andy Pettitte vs. Hipolito Pichardo (5-4 W vs. KC - 8/9/98) Hideki Irabu vs. Omar Olivares (6-2 W vs. ANA - 6/19/99) Andy Pettitte vs. Pat Rapp (12-6 W vs. BAL - 7/5/00) Andy Pettitte vs. David Wells (3-2 L [11] vs. TOR - 9/14/00) Andy Pettitte vs. Jeff Weaver (6-3 W vs. DET - 9/24/00) Ted Lilly vs. Al Leiter (11-2 L vs. NYM - 6/29/02) Roger Clemens vs. Andy Van Hekken (6-3 W vs. DET - 9/8/02) Mike Mussina vs. Jeremy Affeldt (4-2 W vs. KC - 5/2/04) Estaban Loaiza vs. Aaron Sele (6-1 L vs. ANA - 8/21/04) Orlando Hernandez vs. Sidney Ponson (5-2 W @ BAL - 9/11/04) Sean Henn vs. Tom Glavine (10-3 L vs. NYM - 6/25/05) Darrell May vs. Scott Elarton (8-7 L vs. CLE - 7/9/05) Jaret Wright vs. Scott Downs (7-0 W vs. TOR - 8/22/05) Shawn Chacon vs. John Lackey (3-2 W vs. LAA - ALDS Game 4 - 10/9/05) Chien-Ming Wang vs. Jeremy Affeldt (15-4 W vs. KC - 5/27/06) Jaret Wright vs. Horacio Ramirez (5-2 L vs. ATL - 6/27/06) Mike Mussina vs. James Shields (4-2 W vs. TB - 7/30/06) Mike Mussina vs. Kevin Jarvis (5-4 L vs. BOS - 9/17/06)

At least he went on stage, there were threats that he wouldn't. They booed him when he took the stage. They cheered when it was announced the Giants traded for him. They booed when Tagliabue announced it was for next year's 1st rounder.