The Fab 5 Documentary

I just got done watching the fascinating documentary about the Fab 5 that aired on ESPN. It was brought to you by the producers of ESPN's award winning documentary series, 30 for 30.

My impressions of the show are that I was intrigued by the honesty of Jalen Rose and Jimmy King. Rose saying how much he hated Duke because they didn't recruit kids like him and that he thought that when they did recruit black kids they only recruited "Uncle Toms". Rose was resentful of Grant Hill because he came from a stable black family. Rose's father, former NBA star Jimmy Walker, never had a relationship with Rose throughout Walker's life. Rose said he wanted Walker to know who he was, and I think he did do that.

Jimmy King's description of the reaction of Chris Webber after he called "The Timeout" in the National Championship against North Carolina was amazing. He said Webber bent over and as the weight of what he did hit him, his whole body went limp. King describes, in vivid detail, how he had his hand on Webber's chest and he could feel his body go limp. King said that he has never discussed "The Timeout" with Webber and neither has any of the other players. King also said that he felt he was the most talented player to never make it in the NBA. He felt he sacrificed a lot at Michigan, but would never do it again.

I was, as I'm sure many were, disappointed that Chris Webber declined to participate in this documentary. After hearing again what his relationship to booster Ed Martin was, I can understand why he didn't. Apparently he remains defiant on that issue and may never apologize for it. University of Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon said that an apology from Webber would go a long way in getting over this. Dugan Fife echoed those sentiments as well.

This was a great documentary and I hope everyone that lived through the Fab 5 era sees it. It brings back a lot of memories of seeing one of the most dynamic and controversial teams in NCAA history.

The Power of Sports

I heard a story today about another family who has been touched by cancer. The story was told to a small group and touched all of us who were there. The person who was telling us and the circumstances of where we were and what we were doing isn't important. What is important is the man who told us is very successful and hard nosed when it comes to business, but he never let's business get in the way of his family. His family always is number one. We were in the middle of talking about something business related, when he decided to tell us what he and his family was going through.

It turns out his wife, who is around 40, was diagnosed with Colon Cancer a few weeks ago. They recently received some bad news that it had spread to her liver and is aggressive. When he said the "C" word, we all fell into immediate silence. This man, who I look up to, told the story of how they plan on attacking this disease and who believed, deep down, that his wife would beat this and had no doubt in his mind she would. What does this have to do with sports? Well here is the connection...

After telling the story about what his wife is going through, he told us about a hockey game his son was playing in. His son, who I believe is around 15 (he also has a daughter who I think is 12), is a pretty decent hockey player. Their team was playing an opponent that they always got crushed by every time they played. This was in a big tournament and this was a semi-final game. His son assisted on both goals their team scored and they ended up in a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation. The man, standing behind the glass near the net along with other fathers, watched as overtime began. After some back and forth possessions, his son found himself on a 2 on 1 break that started at the blue line. The kid with the puck skated up the ice and had his son was on the left. As the play developed towards the net, the one defensive player that was back, skated in on the kid with the puck. The man's son found himself one-on-one with the goaltender. He received a pass that he put in the back of the net, winning a dramatic game in overtime over a team that was seemingly unbeatable. The fathers, including this man, jumped up and down and hugged and cried as they celebrated this monumental goal for this young group of kids. After the game he walked down the hallway to the locker room to find his kid. He finally found him and the kid said to his father, "I did it for mom". When the man told us that, he broke down, and the rest of us broke down in the middle of this restaurant at those words..."I did it for mom". The son ended up presenting the puck from the game-winning goal to his mother when they got back home.

Everyone has their distractions and does different things when facing times of grief. For this father, watching his son play hockey was that distraction. A man who is desperately doing everything he can to help his wife fight the fight of her life turned to sports for a sense of normalcy. Sports is one of those things that can be a great distraction for those who love it. Sports is Brett Favre going out on a Monday Night the day after his father died and having one of the best games of his storied career. Sports is Olympic Figure Skater Joannie Rochette of Canada who had a brilliant performance that lead her to a Bronze Medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics after finding our her mother died just hours earlier, of a heart attack, shortly after arriving to watch her in Vancouver. Sports is Brandon Inge hitting a homerun for a young boy with cancer after the boy requested he hit one. Inge, overcome with emotion on the field for the first time in his career, said he sat on the bench after he got back to the dugout and cried knowing he fulfilled a suffering child's wish. Sports is so many things to us and it is so much a part of our lives. It can make us delirious with excitement and it can make us weep in despair and disappointment. It can also give us moments like the one on an ice rink where teenagers were playing a simple game of hockey, that in the scheme of life doesn't matter. On that day, however, it did matter and gave joy and hope to a family who is going through a difficult time. It's those little distractions and little moments of joy that can inspire us and give us strength to get through those most difficult times. I hope and pray this family has many, many more of those moments to come in the future...

Baseball Hall of Fame set to Announce New Class Today

The National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce it's class of 2011 later on Wednesday. Of the 33 players on the ballot this year, many are deserving, however, snce 2000, there have been no more than two players inducted in one year as voted by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). With so many different writers voting (539 last year), it makes it extremely hard to get in because each one of them has their own personal criteria on what a Hall of Famer is. In the steroid era of the late 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s, some writers refuse to vote for anyone, whether they have been accused of taking steroids or for just playing in the era. I don't think you can punish every single player in the steroid era. You can't say everyone is guilty of something. With that being said, here is my list of who should be in the Hall of Fame. Not everyone will get in today. I will put an HOF next to the names of the players who I think will get in today. Here are the top 5 players who I think should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame:


Bert Blyleven, HOF

Blyleven pitched 22 years (1970-1992) with a 287-250 record, struck out 3701 (5th all-time) and posted a 3.31 ERA. He had 242 complete games and 60 shutouts (9th all-time). He was 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 8 postseason games. He was a part of two World Championship teams ('79 Pirates, '87 Twins) and a two time All-Star.






Roberto Alomar, HOF

Alomar played 17 seasons (1988-2004) for seven different teams. He was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, and 5-time Silver Slugger winner. He was the best all around second baseman in his era. He finished his career with a .300 average, 2724 hits, 474 stolen bases. He appeared in 58 postseason games, and was a part of two World Championship teams ('92 & '93 Blue Jays).


Jack Morris

Jack Morris was the winningest pitching of the 1980s. He was a fierce competitor who did nothing but win. He played 18 seasons (1977-1994) for four different teams, including the Detroit Tigers. He was a huge part of three World Championship teams ('84 Tigers, '91 Twins, '92 Blue Jays) and was also on the '93 Blue Jays team, but didn't pitch in the postseason. He was 254-186, (183 wins in the 80s) with a 3.90 ERA. He won 20 games three times and pitched a no-hitter in 1984. In 13 postseason games, he compiled a 7-4 record with a 3.80 ERA. Numbers aren't what really defined Morris, however. It was his intense competitiveness and will to win is what defined him. He arguably pitched the greatest game in World Series history in 1991. In Game 7, he pitched 10 innings of shutout baseball as his Twins won the World Series on a walk-off single by pinch hitter Gene Larkin. He definitely is a HOFer and if he doesn't get in at some point, it will be a crime.

Tim Raines

Tim Raines is a guy who, if you look at his numbers, may get overlooked as a HOF. He played in the era of great outfielders and may get lost in the shuffle. He played 23 seasons (1979-2002) for six different teams, having his best years as a Montreal Expo. He played in the same outfield as Andre Dawson and along with HOF Ricky Henderson, the most prolific base stealer of the 80s. He stole 808 bases over his career (5th all-time) including 90 in 1983. He stole over 70 bases six times. He had a career .294 average with 2605 hits along with being a seven time All-Star. He is a definitely a guy who should get into the HOF in the next couple of years.




Lee Smith

Lee Smith had an 18 year career (1980-1997) with eight different teams. It may seem like a journeyman type career, but when you needed a save, Smith was your man. He saved 30 or more games 10 times, with 47 being his career high. He was a seven time All-Star and his 478 career saves was the most by anyone when he retired in 1997. It has since been eclipsed by Trevor Hoffman (601) & Mariano Rivera (559).

Other players that also should be in the Hall of Fame: Harold Baines (5th time on Ballot), Barry Larkin (2nd), Edgar Martinez (2nd), Alan Trammell (10th), Dave Parker (15th), Dale Murphy (13th). Mark McGwire (5th) and Rafael Palmeiro (1st) are two players with Hall of Fame numbers but one admitted to steroid use (McGwire) and the other failed a test (Palmeiro). Jeff Bagwell (1st) never failed a drug test and was not mentioned in the infamous Mitchell Report, however, there have always been whispers about him using steroids. He was one of the best players of the 1990s, but alleged steroid use will hurt his HOF cause, as it has many other players of that era.

While I think only Blyleven and Alomar will be elected today, many others are worthy candidates. Let's hope eventually everyone I've listed gets in at some point. Here is a list of the remaining players who I haven't mentioned who's name also appears on this year's ballot:

Fred McGriff (2nd Ballot)
Don Mattingly (11th)
Larry Walker (1st)
John Franco (1st)
Juan Gonzalez (1st)
Benito Santiago (1st)
Kevin Brown (1st)
John Olerud (1st)
Brett Boone (1st)
Marquis Grissom (1st)
Carlos Baerga (1st)
Al Leiter (1st)
Tino Martinez (1st)
B.J. Surhoff (1st)
Charles Johnson (1st)
Raul Mondesi (1st)
Bobby Higginson (1st)
Kirk Rueter (1st)
Lenny Harris (1st)

NFL Regular Season Ends

Today marked the end of the NFL's regular season. Many playoff spots and seedings were up for grabs, but the big story for us Detroit Lions fans is how our team finished. As we all know, it's been a long road of disappointment over the last decade. From 2001-2009, the Lions record was 33-105, including that dreadful, 0-16 season in 2008. Head Coach Jim Schwartz, as well as their new front office, has drafted well the past couple of years and are building a very talented team. This years addition was fun to watch due to them competing in almost every game. To end the season on a four game winning streak (the team's first since 1999), and to end other dismal streaks like their road losing streak (26 games) and division losing streak (19 games), the Lions have given their fans finally something to cheer about. The saying of, "there's always next year" finally may prove to be a good thing. If Quarterback Matthew Stafford can stay healthy and lead that potent offense, the Lions could make a playoff run in 2011.

NFL Playoffs Are Set

With the Seattle Seahawks defeating the St. Louis Rams, 16-6, they have won the NFC West Division with a 7-9 record and will host the New Orleans Saints (11-5) in the first round of the playoffs. The Seahawks are the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record. Here are the playoff match-ups for next week:


Saturday, Jan. 8
NFC: New Orleans at Seattle (NBC), 4:30 p.m. ET
AFC: New York Jets at Indianapolis (NBC), 8 p.m. ET

Sunday, Jan. 9
AFC: Baltimore at Kansas City (CBS), 1 p.m. ET
NFC: Green Bay at Philadelphia (FOX), 4:30 p.m. ET

UCONN Women lose to Stanford, Snap Long Win Streak

The Stanford Lady Cardinal gave the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies their last loss one thousand days ago...Tonight, they snapped UCONN's NCAA Men & Women's Collegiate Basketball record of 90 consecutive wins, with a 71-59 victory at Maples Pavilion on the campus of Stanford University. Stanford extends it's own home winning streak to 51 games. Jeanette Pohlen led the Lady Cardinal with 31 points and 9 rebounds. Perhaps the greatest Women's player in the world right now, Maya Moore, was held to just 14 points on 5-15 shooting.

I don't care what level of sports you are in, or if it's men or women, UCONN's win streak is one of the greatest in all of sports and should be celebrated. Stanford was the better team on the floor tonight, but what the UCONN women did for their sport was a good thing. It brought attention to all of women's college basketball like it has never seen before.

John Lennon & Monday Night Football

December 8, 2010, will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. As everyone knows, Lennon was shot and killed by obsessed fan, Mark David Chapman, outside of Lennon's apartment building in New York City. What does Lennon have to do with Monday Night Football you may wonder?

In 1970, Monday Night Football (MNF) began on ABC. Throughout the 1970s, it elevated the exposure of the NFL and made Monday nights must see television. The first broadcasters of MNF were Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith. In 1971, Frank Gifford replaced Jackson. As the young MNF franchise began to grow, guest appearances by sports, movie, and music stars in the booth, became commonplace. On December 9, 1974, Lennon was interviewed by Cosell (click here to see interview) during the game that night. What no one knew was that exactly six years and one day later, Lennon would be shot, and his shocking and tragic death would be told to the world on football's biggest stage by the man who interviewed him that night, Howard Cosell.

Farewell to a Cubs Legend

Over the past two summers, while driving across Northern Michigan for my job, I'd often tune my SiriusXM radio in to listen to Chicago Cubs games. The reason I listened wasn't because I was necessarily a Cubs fan, but it was to hear Ron Santo. Santo spent 14 of his 15 seasons, as a player, with the Cubs. A nine time All-Star and five time Gold Glove winner, he was one of the greatest third baseman of his generation. He should be in the Hall of Fame, but that is a conversation for another time. As a color commentator, however, he was not a Hall-of-Famer, but his game analysis wasn't his draw. Santo began broadcasting for the Cubs in 1990, and his appeal was his unapologetic passion and enthusiasm that he displayed during every Cub broadcast. He represented every Cub fan in the radio booth by cheering loudly for a homerun or expressing his disgust and disappointment when they committed an error. No one loved his team more than Santo loved the Cubs. His radio partner, play-by-play man Pat Hughes, was the perfect compliment to Santo's style. Hughes would set him up perfectly for a rant, or a story, without taking anything away from the flow of the game. They played off each other very well. Their partnership sadly ended, as we learned this morning, that we lost Ron Santo.

Santo suffered from several health issues. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 18. He ended up having both legs amputated, one in 2001 and the other in 2002. Despite this, he continued to broadcast and also became a spokesman for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). On Wednesday, it was reported that he lapsed into a comma and ended up dying Thursday due to complications of diabetes and bladder cancer. He was 70 years old.

The Cubs lost it's biggest fan. For me, driving across Northern Michigan in the summer will never be the same.