Lest We Forget. . .

I have to admit it's been both awkward and maddening to hear somebody besides the Patriots referred to as "Super Bowl Champions." Every time I hear someone talk about the World Champion Steelers, I get sick to my stomach. It might still have something to do with what transpired the night of January 14th. I think it's worth repeating:

• On a long pass play, Asante Samuel was interfered with by Broncos receiver Ashley Lelie, but still managed to make a spectacular play and beat him to the spot, all while looking back towards the ball. For this, after an excruciating 5 second pause, he was penalized 39 yards. 7-3 Denver.
• Denver added a 50 yard field goal before the end of the half, but video footage clearly shows George Foster jumping up from his position two seconds early. Normally, this would be a false start. Not on that night. 10-3 Broncos.
• Champ Bailey intercepts a Brady pass and returns it to the one yard line, where he is hit by Ben Watson. He fumbles the ball inside the one and the ball travels to the back of the 10 yard endzone. It seems, and I'm referencing both common sense and physics here, that if the ball traveled eleven yards, it must have traveled through the endzone. Unless Champ unveiled his screwball, for the ball to have gone out of bounds at the one, he would have had to fumble the ball directly sideways. He didn't. It landed 11 yards diagonally in front of him. Belichick challenged. Call stood. 17-6 Denver.
  
• Still trailing 17-6, the Patriots forced a punt. The Patriots feign an all-out block, but Troy Brown retreats and gets under the kick. He clearly calls for a fair catch by waving his arm in the air. He bobbles the ball and immediately is hit by Broncos' gunner Todd DeVoe. The Broncos recover the fumble and the game is all but over. However, the NFL rule book clearly states that, if a player signals for a fair catch, he cannot be interfered with until the ball hits the ground. This includes bobbling the ball. The ball was still being bobbled by Brown when he was drilled by DeVoe.
  
• Logically, since the officials blew the call, Belichick should have challenged the aforementioned play. With replay, a penalty would have been assessed and the Patriots would have had the ball, good field position, and momentum. Belichick didn't challenge the play though. He couldn't. He had already used his two challenges. One was on the Bailey fumble. The other? Early in the second quarter, Jake Plummer had a pass intercepted by Asante Samuel. It was clear to the naked eye that Samuel had both feet in bounds and had possession of the ball. They ruled it incomplete. Belichick had to challenge in order to get the ball. Because Belichick had to waste the challenge on such an easy play to call, the Brown play stood and the game was over.
  

Maybe this is sour grapes. Maybe it is just a "coincidence" that all of the Broncos points were scored with the help of poor officiating. Maybe the NFL just wanted a new champion.

I'll say this though: If the Steelers had rolled into Foxboro the next week, I doubt I'd have a sick feeling everytime I hear Chris Berman use the words "World Champs."

The 100 Greatest Games of My Life: 90-81

Note: If you missed part one, it is right below it. Scroll down.

** - in attendance


#90 Point Shaving In Person**
Syracuse 45, Boston College 17 (10/26/96)

God only knows how many games are being fixed or how many players are shaving points these days. It's most likely happening. But, until something new becomes public, this seemingly harmless game on a chilly October day in Chestnut Hill is the last game in which players bet on their own team to lose. No one could have known. It looked pretty much like any other game. BC staked to an early lead. Syracuse took control at the end of the first half and Donovan McNabb lead the Orange to a convincing win. It wasn't until months later that it was revealed that at least 13 BC players were involved in gambling and that some number of them placed substantial amounts of money on Syracuse. Now the 38-3 finish to the game looks sketchy. The 17 points scored by SU in the final two minutes of the first half looks suspicious. How much the point-shaving affected the game, we might not ever know. Still interesting that it happened right in front of me and it is so easily disguisable. Also the first of 4 games (4-0)in which I have seen Syracuse beat BC convincingly.

#89 Flutie Beats RJ
Chargers 27, Bills 24 (10/28/2001)

Classic Flutie Magic that defined his career. This is one of the most-anticipated games of my lifetime. The controversy had waged on for almost 2 years. The Chargers had become Bills west with nearly a dozen former Bills on the roster. Flutie got the Bolts off to a 4-2 start. The Bills and Rob Johnson limped in with one win. The local Boston CBS market successfully petitioned the NFL to get the game on TV (a staple of Flutie games from 98-02). The game played out as though it was scripted. The Chargers got on early lead on a Flutie touchdown pass. The Bills cut the lead to 13-10 and were driving when Rob Johnson threw an exruciating interception returned for a touchdown. Somehow, Johnson, who had already gone to the locker room with a boo-boo, came back and "corageously" lead the Bills to two scores and went up 24-20 with a minute and a half remaining. Did anyone really think that that was going to hold up? Of course not. Ronnie Jenkins (who was simply electric at times) returned the ensuing past to the 41 and Brian Moorman tacked 28 yards on with two penalties. On the first play from the 13, Flutie seemingly waited for the pocket to collapse and dove into the endzone for the winning score. It was an emphatic shove in the face to Rob Johnson, Ralph Wilson and "Bills East." Rob Johnson would lose his job to Alex Van Pelt and the Bills would finish a spectacular 3-13. He's currently out of football. Doug Flutie, 43, is still playing. And I still have my Chargers #7 jersey.

#88 Carter's Late Goal
Bruins 4, Hurricanes 3 (2OT) (4/30/99)

"Nothing beats playoff hockey" has become a cliche this days. But it is really true. The intensity of a playoff hockey game in overtime is nearly unmatched. For me, the most memorable of these games in which the Bruins came out on the winning side was Game 5 of the 1st round in 1999. The B's, the underdogs, had to travel to (hockey heaven) Greensboro for the game and appeared to be going quietly into the night, down 2-0 after 2. Ray Bourque then started a barrage of three goals in two minutes to get Boston the lead. The 'Canes tied it late, though, and sent it to OT. Carolina had the crowd and the chances but just couldn't push one past Lord Byron Dafoe. After the horn sounded, everyone else went to bed, but I hung in there and got to see fourteen more minutes of free hockey. Finally, off a brilliant feed from Joe Thornton (no surprise there), Anson Carter put home the winner and silenced the building. After playing even for nearly 100 minutes, the Bruins had taken a commanding 3-2 lead in the series. Classic playoff hockey.

#87 Ruiz Wins Title
John Ruiz def. Evander Holyfield by Unanimous Decision (3/3/01)

Unless you are from Puerto Rico or Massachusetts, you probably hate Johnny Ruiz. I love the guy. I recognize his faults. He's not fun to watch. He's not even very good. But I root for him. His ascension to the top of the heavyweight ranks began with a very controversial loss to Evander Holyfield in 2000. There is no doubt that Ruiz, a heavy underdog, won that fight. In boxing, though, it was used to set up a rematch. Ruiz dominated the second fight. Maybe it wasn't pretty but he pounded the one-time proud champion and won convincingly. Critics of Ruiz should see this performance. It was a pretty big deal in Massachusetts, which has a pretty storied boxing history (Marciano, Hagler). People swarmed him at the airport. A parade was held. It almost seems silly considering how hated the guy is these days. One of the most classless thing that I have ever seen was the way Jim Lampley handled the Roy Jones fight. He basically spent the whole fight discussing how happy he was to rid Boxing of Ruiz. Lampley came off as a whiny baby and, like him or not, had no reason to blatantly discredit a heavyweight champion of the world. Anyways, I still watch every Ruiz fight and root for the guy and, hook or by crook, he's had a belt around his waist for most of the 5 years since. Hopefully, he'll get another shot at Nikolai Valuev. Lampley will love that.

#86 Reggie Faints**
Celtics 112, Hornets 101 (4/29/93)

My memories of this game are very shady. I remember seeing the Celts play the Hornets. I remember it being the playoffs. I remember Reggie Lewis missed the remainder of the series. Outside of that, I don't remember much. I got to see a bunch of games at the old Garden when I was younger. My Dad would take me and my brother and, until we were old enough to need our own tickets, we would just sneak under the gates and get in for free. It seems ridiculous now, but it is 100% true. I don't remember specific games well, but I do remember the Garden and it really was an incredible place and I was sad that it was going to be gone. Anyhow, I know I was at this game and, on that day, wasn't affected much by it. Reggie died three months later. I don't think many people realize just how good Lewis was. He averaged 21 points his final season. He was 27. He was going to be a star. With Reggie Lewis, the Celtics never would have had to deal with the Marty Conlon/Todd Day era. He was also, by all accounts, an incredible guy. If you have Nexis access, I'd suggest you read Bob Ryan's obituary in which he says that "With Reggie Lewis, there was simply nothing not to like."

#85 The Phantom Tag**
Yankees 9, Red Sox 2 (10/17/99)

ESPN called this the worst call in sports history. Trailing 3-2 in the 8th inning, with Chuck Knoblauch's glove four feet from Jose Offerman, Tim Tschida imagined a tag, killing a rally and killing another Sox' season. The anger in that stadium after that call is unlike anything you'll ever see. Debris rained down onto the field. The Yankees had to flee to the clubhouse. Call me misguided, but it was all justified. To be considered a professional umpire and make such a blatant mistake is unacceptable. Had Offy got to 2nd, Nomar Garciaparra was due up and the game could have been tied. Tschida decided the Yankees were going to win the series and that's what happened. The umpiring went NY's way all series. The other aspects of the game are forgettable at this point. Troy O'Leary, John Valentin and the immortal Butch Huskey had the big hits for the Sox. The Yankees poured it on in the 9th inning. The Sox lose Game 4. The Yankees win the World Series. All because that fat, mustached bastard can't see straight.

#84 Playoff Atmosphere at the Fleet**
Pacers 92, Celtics 87 (3/30/01)

A personal favorite. After nearly 6 years of rooting for losers, finally a meaningful game in Boston. Those days, the few that went to Celtics games were in for a bad product in a stale arena. Until this night. Anyone who was a Celtics fan had to be there. The Celtics had a one game lead on the Indiana Pacers for the last playoff spot in the east. And the hated Pacers, lead by Isiah Thomas, were in town. We got into Boston early and still had to pay more than usual for tickets. It was a sell-out. Shaq wasn't in town. Jordan wasn't in town. Nobody's jersey was being retired. Just meaningful basketball in Boston. Incredible. The building wasn't stale. It was alive. The young Celts fed off the energy and staked to a 16 point lead. Unfortunately, Austin Croshere decided to have the night of his life. Earlier in the night, I had gone on record as saying that a Toine for Croshere-Bender-Draft Pick wouldn't be a horrible deal. It turned out to be a foreshadowing. AC scored 32 points. The Pacers won. They got the 8th spot. The Celtics weren't ready. They'd be ready the following year. Since that day, nearly every game at the Fleetcenter has had meaning. That was the first one and I'll always remember it.

#83 Flutie-Brady**
Patriots 29, Chargers 26 (OT) (10/14/2001)

The last time I would see Flutie start a regular season game in person and it was a classic. However, it wasn't only a coronation for Flutie, it was an introduction for Brady. He had already won a couple big games, but most people think Brady became the Patriots' starting quarterback on this rainy Sunday. Flutie looked like Flutie also, though, and San Diego established a late 26-16 lead. It looked like Doug was going to win in Foxboro again. But, Brady did what we are now accustomed to him doing. He engineered two scoring drives in the last four minutes to tie the game. With 36 seconds, he found Jermaine "Wiggy" Wiggins wide open and the game headed for overtime. With help from a pass interference call, Vinatieri hit a 43 yard field goal to win it. It may not have been his last big kick that season. The game lived up to its billing as a game between two special QBs. Terry Glenn even managed to play, making the only contributions he would ever make to a Championship team. Brady, however, in beating Flutie in dramatic fashion, had established a legacy he would only build on.

#82 Syracuse Beats Notre Dame**
Syracuse 38, Notre Dame 12 (12/6/2003)

Enjoyable football moments have been few and far between since I got here. This is probably the best one that doesnt involve Boston College. We weren't good. Notre Dame was worse (somehow). But it was on ABC. It was Notre Dame. And it had some roundabout impact on the BCS. If we won, in some way, we helped LSU and hurt USC. This lead to the legend that is Jim Stammers making two signs, one congratulating LSU, the other a derogatory message for USC's Pete Carroll. The game probably meant a miniscule fraction of a point on some computer screen. But, it had some importance and that was good enough for us. The game was a rout. Heisman Trophy Candidate Walter Reyes actually suited up for this one and ran for 5 TDs. The game was never close. R.J. Anderson (the only three year starter at a big-time football school that couldn't even get an Arena2 tryout) gave the ball away three times, but the Irish couldn't do anything on offense. It should be noted that the skill position players for Notre Dame read like this Quinn-Julius Jones-Stovall-Fasano. Jones became a quality Rookie NFL back, while the other three played in the BCS this past season. This was a quality win. It ended memorably with Stammers dancing and chanting in the Notre Dame section. Considering we lost at home by 25+ points to Rutgers and USF last year, those were the glory days.

#81 The NASCAR Experience**
Jimmie Johnson wins UAW-DaimlerChrystler 500 (3/12/06)

First NASCAR race. In Vegas. Last-lap, turn 3 pass. The eve of my 21st birthday. Spring Break in Vegas. To-win action on the winner. Vegas. It all adds up to an unforgettable experience. Clearly, NASCAR is not my favorite sport. I'm a late-joiner to this whole extravaganza, thanks largely to a Harvick-crazed roommate nicknamed "Cowboy." It really is true, though. Seeing it in person is a completely different ballgame. Instead of seeing the #8 car battle for 28th place or seeing Jeff Hammond explain to us what a "wheel" is, you get to watch what you want to watch. You get to see everything that happens live, not what happened "while we were in break." Las Vegas isn't the most exciting of tracks, but there were a few different leaders and more than just two cars in contention. I stayed focused on Johnson for much of the race and was able to watch him reel in car after car en route to victory. The experience could be compared favorably to that of an NFL game: Tailgating, expensive merchandise, 80,000 caucasians. It's worth giving a shot even if you aren't a NASCAR guy.

The 100 Greatest Games of My Life: 100-91

For no particular reason, the 100 greatest games that I have witnessed in my lifetime. Clearly, a large bias is placed on New England sports teams and, more recently, Syracuse University games.

An asterisk (**) indicates that I was in attendance.

#100 Flutie is Perfect
Bills 42, Seahawks 23 (12/23/00)

A meaningless regular season game on the Saturday night before Christmas Eve. Neither team was heading to the playoffs. However, this game that me and probably 6 other people watched gave us one of the greatest performances by a quarterback of all time. Only 32 (and counting) QBs have achieved a perfect quarterback rating. Playing in his last game as a Bill in moribound Husky Stadium, the Magic Man left his mark. It was the end of an era in Buffalo. John Butler was out already. Wade Phillips knew he was out (we may never know who was pulling the strings during the QB controversy but it is interesting to note that Phillips started Flutie in this final game). Doug Flutie was certainly out, his contract ready to expire. Antowain Smith (17 car, 147 yds, 3 TD) was also being shoved out the door. Flutie finished 20-25 for 366 yards and 3 scores and reached the unbeatable rating of 158.3. Soon, he'd be gone from Buffalo, but never forgotten.

#99 Baseball At 3 AM
Athletics 5, Red Sox 4 (12 innings) (10/01/03-10/02/03)
A rare loss on the list but too good of a game to ignore. The beginning of an incredible 5 game Divisional Series. The first October game (of many) for the Idiots. The game, which started after 10 PM eastern, was expected to be a great pitching duel. Pedro Martinez and Tim Hudson weren't great, but they were good, each allowing 3 runs and pitching into the seventh inning. Todd Walker provided much of the Sox' offense with two homeruns, including a clutch 7th inning shot off Ricardo Rincon that gave them the lead. After Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless inning in the 8th, Byung-Hyun Kim predictably couldn't hold the lead in the ninth and extra frames were needed. Keith Foulke, in a foreshadowing of events to come, was lights out, tossing three no-hit innings for the A's. The Red Sox kept pace until the 12th when an epic game ended on a measly little bunt by Ramon Hernandez. The game ended at almost 3 AM, with Game 2 just twelve hours away. It was a crushing loss at the time especially considering the blown save. But it was the first taste of postseason baseball we had had in four years and it provided all the drama you look for in a baseball game.

#98 Escape from the RAC
Syracuse 86, Rutgers 84 (01/24/05)

Everyone knows that Rutgers is one of the most difficult places in the Big East to play basketball. If any Syracuse fans doubted it, they didn't after this game. We came in with a 19-1 record, the best in the country, and a #4 ranking, the highest it has been in my three years here. Rutgers came in looking like Rutgers at 7-8. They looked alot different when they cruised to an 18-point halftime lead. It was hard to imagine coming back from that sort of defecit on the road. Somehow, they pulled it off. Using the most stifling defense I have seen Boeheim employ (a man-to-man press, which must have been retired by the time Vermont came knocking), the 'Cuse outscored RU 50-30 in the second half capped by a ridiculous Terrence Roberts three point play. Quincy Douby's last second three rolled around the rim and out and we had survived. Looking back, this night may have been as good as I have ever felt about a Syracuse team. We had just come back from 20 points down on the road. At the RAC. We had 20 wins and an unbelievable amount of talent. The season would slowly unravel from this point on and instead of having much better memories from this season, a win over Rutgers may have been as good as it gets.

#97 Penn's Prayer is Answered**
Boston College 73, Rutgers 72 (03/03/96)

The first of many must-win games I had to experience as a BC fan. The '96 team was firmly on the bubble entering their final regular season contest with Rutgers. Rutgers was having their typically bad season at 9-17. But they showed up to play on this day, even on the road in the "hostile" confines of Conte Forum (I remember distinctly my Dad, brother and I having our own section). BC seemed in control all day until Rutgers went on an unexpected late run. A free throw put them up by one with three seconds left. Inbounding from the far end of the floor Mickey "Rock Hands" Curley did his best Grant Hill impression and got the ball to Scoonie who hit a near-half-courter at the buzzer to send the Eagles to the dance. BC would go on to upset Bob Knight in the first round (a gratifying feeling) before bowing out. They never would have got the chance to had Penn, just a freshman, come up big when they needed him most.

#96 Pierce Becomes Superman
Celtics 116, Wizards 115 (OT) (03/07/06)

This game might not belong on this list. In a year, I may have already forgotten this game. For now, though, it is firmly in my memory. Paul Pierce has been the best Celtics player in my lifetime (at least the lifetime that I can remember). He's hit big shots, won big games, been an All Star. But he was never any more than that until a stretch a couple months back when he took his game (and his leadership) to the next level. He scored 30 points or more in 13 of 14 games. Playing with teammates that were either hurt (Szczerbiak), young (West) or horrific (Scalabrine), Pierce kept the Celtics competitive. This game in Washington was critical for any sort of playoff hopes. Washington had burned us twice this season on Gilbert Arenas FTs in the waning seconds. This time, the Wizards controlled the game leading by 13 in the 4th quarter. Slowly the Celts crept back into it, lead by Pierce who was beginning to set his teammates up. Raefer made two big free throws to tie and shockingly Arenas misses a jumper that would have won it in regulation. The Wiz lead for most of overtime but Pierce hits a ridiculous fade-away contested jumper as time expires to give the Celtics the game. I didn't get to watch this game live (needing, as usual, to follow gamecasts and get play-by-play over the phone), but it was exemplary of the type of season that #34 had this past year.

#95 Fax Comes Out Of Nowhere
Brad Faxon wins 2005 Buick Championship (8/25/05-8/28/05)

Not the Masters. Not the Players. Not the British. The Buick Championship is barely even a tournament anymore (it's on a temporary PGA tour reprieve). Still, watching an 44-year-old pro's pro come from nowhere to win a PGA tournament is something special. Brad Faxon is my favorite golfer, always has been, most likely because of the New England ties. I always see how he's doing. Over the last few years, he'd rarely threaten and when he did, it wouldn't end well (an unfortunate 8 in the final round at Augusta). Things looked to be status quo when he made the cut on the number in Hartford that weekend. He shot a 65 Saturday to move towards the leaderboard, but I barely noticed. The next day, I began to get calls asking me if I was watching the golf. I wasn't because it wasn't a good field, there wasn't much reason to. I turned it on and sure enough, Faxon was playing the round of his life. He was getting all the breaks (including a 50 yard bouncing down a cart path) and playing as well as I had ever seen. He carded a 61 (61!) but still had to go to a playoff with some guy named van der Walt. I figured it was going to be another disappointment, especially when van der Walt doinked the flagstick on his approach. Somehow, Faxon put it inside him and, always a solid putter, made the put for the win. With all the talk of the Big 5 and the young guns of golf, I doubted an older, shorter guy like Faxon could ever win again on tour. The Buick wasn't a great field by any means, but a win is a win and it will always be remembered.

#94 The Champs Come to Town and Catch a Break**
North Carolina 67, Villanova 66 (3/25/05)

There's really no atmosphere that compares to that of a building where the NCAA tournament takes place. I've been to NCAA tournament games twice. Once, in 1999 to watch nondescript teams like Purdue and Temple play in the first two rounds. Then, last year, at the Carrier Dome for the regionals. It was Easter weekend and, instead of everyone fleeing for home, the campus was abuzz. People from UNC, NC St., Wisconsin and Villanova had all converged for the right to go to the final four. The Dome was buzzing. Wisconsin and NC St. was the first game and it wa fairly competitive until late. But the main evevnt for the weekend was Villanova/North Carolina. The schools had the most representation. The game tipped off after 10 PM. The crowd was pretty split with the addition of bandwagon NC fans and Big East supporters from here. As the game raged on though, the 31,000 grew more and more partial to the underdog Wildcats. Down by only three (thanks largely to Raymond Felton's foul trouble and a barrage of 3's), Allan Ray drove to the basket and appeared to be fouled by Melvin Scott with a chance for a 3 point play. Somehow, it was called a travel. With the naked eye, the use of replay, a suspension of belief. . . nothing makes this look like a good call. UNC survived, beat Wisconsin on Easter and the rest is history. The blown call brings a slight damper, but it was a competitve game in a special environment.

#93 Things Come Full Circle**
Patriots 31, Bills 0 (12/27/2003)

16 weeks earlier, I had spent nearly 200 dollars, snuck on a train and traveled 5 hours to see the Patriots' opener in Buffalo. It was one of the worst experiences of my life at a sporting event. The Bills fans were incredibly obnoxious. The Patriots looked god-awful. The Bills looked like Super Bowl Champions (there's a novel thought). Final score: Bills 31, Pats 0. Never could have I envisioned that the next time I saw the Patriots and Bills, we'd be 13-2 and they'd be 6-9. But somehow, that's what happened. The Patriots were playing for home field advantage. The Bills were playing out the string. I wish the game could have been at Ralph Wilson so we could have rubbed it into the faces of all those Buffalonians. As it was, Gilette was a fine setting to watch the eventual Champs stomp all over the Bills. Watching Drew Bledsoe get knocked around is always enjoyable, even though he's a good guy. The Patriots offense was just on cruise control at this point. 4 possessions in the first half. 4 touchdowns. In 16 minutes. Everything was just so easy. The game's defining moment occured at the end, with many fans already headed back to Route 1. Travis Brown led the Bills on a ridiculously meaningless drive trailing 31-0. They reached the goal line with under a minute to go. Wanting to preserve the score, the Patriots tightened. Larry Izzo intercepted the last pass and the scoreboard stood: 31-0. Full circle.

#92 The Red Sox Win A Playoff Game!
Red Sox 11, Indians 3 (9/29/98)

This one I didn't even get to watch. I was in school while it went on. We spent the entire afternoon alternating trips to the bathroom to get updates from a radio. Luckily, it wasn't even close. Big Mo Vaughn, in what would be his last win as a Red Sox, hit a 3 run homer off "promising" Jaret Wright in the top of the 1st and Pedro never looked back. It was really the only positive thing Mo did in this or any postseason. He was horrific in 1995 (a 3-0 sweep to the Indians) and was bad in the rest of this series. The optimism of that afternoon wouldn't last long. Mike Benjamin, Darren Lewis, Darren Bragg and co. would lose the next one in Cleveland and the first one in Fenway. Pedro Martinez, who was unhittable in '98, said he was ready for Game 4. Seemed pretty obvious. Send it back to Cleveland, see what happens. That was too simple for simpleton Jimy Williams. He went with Pete Schourek. Shockingly, Schourek, sporting bleached blonde hair, pitched a gem. 2 hits, no runs and the Red Sox took a 1-0 lead into the 8th, but Flash Gordon blew his first save in about 50 chances that year and another season was over. Still, the Sox hadn't won a playoff game since Game 5 of the '86 series. At least they won one, even if I didn't get to see it. This game also set up a decade of Jaret Wright blowing big games and the series set up the 1999 rematch with the Tribe.

#91 Antoine Shuts Hollywood Up
Celtics 119, Lakers 118 (2/19/02)

The 2002 Celtics had come from out of nowhere to have a respectable record in the 2001-2002 season. They had a six game winning streak in December. They had basically beat up on the weak Eastern Conference and no one though much of them. That changed a little bit on a late night in Los Angeles. The Celts were on their usual February Circus road trip. They were a respectable 2-2 heading into Staples to play the defending champs. I was in Fort Myers so I didn't get to watch it, but when I woke up and my brother told me about it, I think I watched Sportscenter 6 times. Shaq and Kobe both played 40 minutes. It was an intense regular season NBA basketball game. Shaq finished with 25 and 17, but the Lake-show was only up 2 with seconds remaining. Antoine Walker (30, 14, 10 - arguably the defining game of his career) got the ball on the left wing and heaved a 28 footer off the glass and in and shimmied in front of the stunned celebrities. The Celtics would beat the Lakers again in April (this time no Shaq) amidst "Beat LA" chants in the Fleet. They would come within 2 games of meeting them again in the NBA finals. They probably would have been swept just like the Nets were. But they were 2-0 against them. If Pierce makes those free throws in Game 4 of the ECF, who knows?

If only former Celtics participated in the NBA Playoffs. . .

Since the Celtics missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001, it's hard for me to get excited about the thought of 2 NBA games per night for the next 200 days. The Celtics' frustrating season finally came to an end today when they lost a hotly-contested coin toss with the Timberwolves. The AP is reporting that the coin landed in Boston's favor, but at the last minute Doc Rivers sent Brian Scalabrine into the fray and Scalabrine grabbed the coin before a ruling could be levied, saying that he needed it for "the dollar menu." The only juice left in the NBA season for Bostonians is the presence of former C's playing for other teams. With that in mind, here is how the first round will play out, based soley on imaginary one-on-one games to 11 between former Celtics.

First Round

#1 San Antonio (Bruce Bowen) vs. #8 Sacramento (Vitaly Potapenko)

V shows up visibly intoxicated, smoking a cigar, wearing his Seattle jersey and babbling incoherently about deserving a contract extension. Chris Wallace, fresh off a scouting trip in Denmark, shows up unannounced and rewards the big man with a fresh four-year deal. Bowen, meanwhile, wins easily.

San Antonio advances in 5 games.

#2 Phoenix (No One) vs. # 7 Los Angeles Lakers (Chris Mihm)

Mihm's lack of offensive ability comes back to bite him. After shooting 4-38 from close range, the token big white stiff quits and Phoenix advances.

Phoenix in 4 games.

#3 Denver (No One) vs. #6 Los Angeles Clippers (Vin Baker)

Baker has already committed to playing in the final game of the East Hartford Beer League. Luckily for the Clips, Walter McCarty steps in and hit eleven (of 57) shots from the right corner.

Clippers in 7.

#4 Dallas (Adrian Griffin) vs. #5 Memphis (Chucky Atkins)

Both players are immediately shocked to see the other, surprised that they are each still in the league. All 108 members of press row, including the token Chinese contingent, make note of all the little things that Griffin does for a team. Chucky Atkins doesn't do any of the little things, but he can score and, in this format, that's good enough.

Memphis in 6.

Eastern Conference

#1 Detroit (Chauncey Billups) vs. #8 Miluakee Bucks (Jiri Welsch)

Detroit decides to rest Billups for the "real playoffs" and Tony Delk, upset that he had been traded for the Czechlosovakian Basketball Jesus, takes over. Employee number double zero shuts Welsch out without much fanfare. The Bucks promptly send Welsch to Orlando for a second round pick.

Detroit in 4.

#2 Miami (Antoine Walker) vs. #7 Chicago (Darius Songalia)

Songalia gamely plays with his broken foot and keeps it surprisingly competitive. Walker, a Chicago native and Michael Jordan's love slave in the offseason, presses, missing eight of his patented "no-jump layups." Tied 10-10, Toine makes two wild, off-balance, fade-away bank shots and shimmies in Songalia's face. Gary Payton joins in on the postgame trash talking.

Miami in 6.

#3 New Jersey (John Thomas) vs. #6 Indiana (Rick Carlisle)

This one was ugly. Carlisle came in as a 4 point favorite when bookmakers failed to find evidence that a "John Thomas" ever played in the NBA. Carlisle, a "playoff coach" if there ever was one, manages the game perfectly but finds out that Thomas would in fact be the fourth best player on the Pacers.

New Jersey in 5.

#4 Cleveland (Damon Jones) vs. #5 Washington (No One)

NBA organizers are forced to go through hell to get "Basketball" Jones to the arena. First, they have to speak to six members of his posse. Then, he tells them that "he ain't ever play for no Celtics." He demands that he be named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest players, the three pointer be renamed "the Damon" and that he be allowed to wear sunglasses on the court. David Stern, after careful consideration, denies his requests and the Wizards advance.

Washington in 6.

MLB '06: The Good, The Bad and The Royals

AL East

1) New York Yankees

The Good: Their payroll is gigantic. They have very few holes and any holes that sprout up will be filled midseason. Their lineup is basically a list of all-stars. Their closer is the best of all time and finished last year with a 1.38 ERA. Pitching staff is deep with at least seven solid starters that every other team would love to have. Randy Johnson settling into new habitat, Chien-Ming Wang just getting better, Carl Pavano (possibly) returning from injury. 6 starters hit .290 or better last year.

The Bad: Johnny Damon is 32 and, while dealing with age, will have to deal with Bronx environment. Alex Rodriguez seems to be at his worst when it matters most. Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi (might be) off the steroids. Mike Mussina struggled this spring. Shawn Chacon's career ERA is around 5. Bench is thinner than usual. Giambi will painfully attempt to play first base.

The Verdict: By far, the most talented team in the league. They always win the division and will do so again by at least five games. Damon is not as good as advertised but still is a major factor. Big Unit has a much better year. ARod again wins MVP, again inexplicably chooses to wear italian suit to Home Run Derby. Squeeze by A's in difficult 5 game series, but fall to White Sox in ALCS.

2) Boston Red Sox

The Good: David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are best back-to-back combination in baseball. Both are nearly guaranteed to knock in at least 130 runs. Added Josh Beckett to form imposing rotation. Coco Crisp replaces Damon and, unlike his predecessor, he is able to throw better than my sister. Curt Schilling is a year healthier. Jonathan Paplebon could prove to be a solid 3rd starter or a lights-out closer. Defense vastly improved with the additions of Crisp, Alex Gonzalez and Mike Lowell. Wily Mo Pena will be perfect complement to Trot Nixon.

The Bad: Keith Foulke has tricked enough people into believing his 84 MPH fastball and 84 MPH changeup will get people out. Manny Ramirez's head could be anywhere. Schilling (5.69 ERA last year) is a year older. Mike Lowell was one of the league's worst hitters last year and the spring hasn't been promising. Matt Clement was awful after the break last year while David Wells is 40 and openly hates the Red Sox. Julian Tavarez may be better fit for a mental ward than a bullpen.


The Verdict: The team really shouldn't be any worse than last year. Ortiz and Ramirez are able to hide weak spots by carrying the offense. Schilling will be much better if the ankle holds up and will win 15 games. Beckett won't win the Cy Young nor will he come close. The green monster will help Lowell somewhat regain his form. Foulke won't be the closer come May 1. The team will win a close wild card chase with the Angels but Ortiz will be out of dramatics by October and the team will again fall to the White Sox in the divisional series.

3) Toronto Blue Jays

The Good: Most importantly, Roy Halladay is healthy. The team finally made a strong commitment to winning in the offseason. Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay give the Blue Jays a solid heart of the order. Vernon Wells, who hit 28 HRs last year, is entering the prime of his career. B.J. Ryan finally gives Jays a legitimate closer. Back end of the rotation (Gustavo Chacin, Josh Towers, Ted Lilly) servicable.

The Bad: A.J. Burnett just isn't as good as people make him out to be. If he was, he would have been pitching in September last year. He's also got some injury concerns with his arm. Russ Adams and Aaron Hill have yet to prove that they are Major League hitters. Corner outfielders will probably be a mixing and matching, which is less than desirable in a division like this.

The Verdict: Halladay wins 20 games and another Cy Young Award. The team wins 85 and another third place award. Wells improves his numbers and becomes a legitimate star. Overbay continues to improve, but Burnett is a complete bust and the team doesn't challenge down the stretch.

4) Baltimore Orioles

The Good: The arrival of Leo Mazzone has made every Orioles pitcher look like a candidate for a breakout season. Chris Ray appears ready to settle into closer's role. All four infielders (Melvin Mora, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts and Javy Lopez) should put up solid numbers. Jay Gibbons is an underrated power threat. Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro are long gone.

The Bad: Kevin Millar and Corey Patterson, bonafide castoffs, are penciled into the lineup. Hard to see them bouncing back. Tejada and Roberts struggled in the second half last year. The rotation ranges from the unspectacular (Rodrigo Lopez, Bruce Chen) to the unproven (Daniel Cabrera, Erik Bedard) to the unhappy (Kris Benson).

The Verdict: Roberts, Gibbons and Mora have good years. Patterson and Millar do not. The Mazzone effect benefits Cabrera and Bedard. The team looks mediocre on paper and plays mediocre throughout the season, winning 75 games and holding off the Devild Rays.

5) Tampa Bay Devil Rays

The Good: Carl Crawford looks like a legitimate star and is only getting better. Jorge Cantu might be a on the same track. Rocco Baldelli is back from injury. Scott Kazmir has a year of experience under his belt. Aubrey Huff and Julio Lugo are professional baseball players (which, for the Rays, is a good thing). Delmon Young and BJ Upton are in the organization.

The Bad: Seth McClung, Casey Fossum, Mark Hendrickson and Daug Waechter. That is your rotation after Kazmir. Fossum (who allowed 10 runs in a spring start last week) kept his ERA a hair under 5 last year. The other three can't exactly boast that. The bullpen is horrendous. Their best returning reliever from last year (Chad Orvella) was sent to the minors. Might be the worst pitching in baseball.

The Verdict: The offense actually looks like it could be quite good. Crawford will have another standout year. Both Young and Upton will be in Tampa at some point. Lugo, Huff and Joey Gathright will be shipped elsewhere by the deadline. The pitching will prevent this team from improving and they will struggle to win 70 games.

AL Central

1) Chicago White Sox

The Good: Defending Champions have only improved. Added Jim Thome, who hit 40 HRs in four of the last five seasons. Paul Konerko is an MVP candidate. The rotation is solid from top to bottom which will keep them competitive every night. Javier Vazquez, who has #1 stuff, will be the team's #5 starter. The bullpen is one of the best, provided Bobby Jenks keeps his act in order. Rob Mackowiak is as good a bench player as there is in baseball.Ozzie Guillen is turning into a great manager.

The Bad: Jenks is a big question. It's hard to go from a World Series winning closer to be on the brink of losing your job, but that has happened. Brian Anderson will have to replace Aaron Rowand. Thome needs to prove last year was an abberation. Jose Contrares and Jon Garland were great last year but repeat performances aren't sure things.

The Verdict: It's not a trendy pick, but the White Sox will repeat as champions. The pitching is the best in the majors and pitching wins championships. It doesn't hurt to add a Jim Thome to a World Series team. The southsiders will win 95 games and, after dispatching the Yanks and Sox, will outlast the Mets and become repeat champions.

2) Cleveland Indians

The Good: The team is young, talented and coming off a 93 win season. Grady Sizemore is a stud in centerfield and Travis Hafner is a bigtime slugger. Victor Martinez may be the game's best catcher. Jhonny Peralta, at 23, might be the best player no one talks about. C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee both have the potential to win 20 games.

The Bad: There are holes. Aaron Boone, Casey Blake and Ben Broussard all hit around .250 last year. Jason Michaels has yet to prove he is an everyday player. The rotation will miss Kevin Millwood. Paul Byrd is 35, injury prone and nothing special. Jake Westbrook and Jason Johnson are nothing more than inning-eaters. Bob Wickman had a great year last year but at 37, after considering retirement, can he repeat it?

The Verdict: There is no denying the youth and the talent. The Indians will be good again but they aren't yet ready to contend for a championship. They will win more than 85 games but miss out on the playoffs again. Andy Marte will supplant Boone sooner than later. Sizemore has a chance to reach 30-30. The pitching, which is clearly a step behind the White Sox, will ultimately be an achilles heel for the Tribe.

3) Detroit Tigers

The Good: The team has talent and youth, almost in the mold of the Indians. Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen are back from injury. Chris Shelton and Craig Monroe showed flashes of power last year. Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander are two great pitching prospects. Kenny Rogers is aged but always puts up decent numbers. Jim Leyland has built winners before.

The Bad: Ordonez' injuries may prevent him from ever regaining his form. Ivan Rodriguez is also getting older and slowed down last year. Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth remain in the rotation. Todd Jones, currently on the 15 day DL, needs to prove last year was not a tremendous fluke. The bullpen and the bench also present questions.

The Verdict: The Tigers have some pieces to surprise some people but remain too raw to contend in 2006. They will win 80 games and play best down the stretch. Bonderman is primed to have a breakout year.

Minnesota Twins

The Good: Johan Santana is one of the game's best players with an ERA under 3 and a WHIP under 1. Carlos Silva and Brad Radke give the Twins a great front end of their rotation. Joe Nathan is a top 5 closer and the bullpen, which boasts twelve game winner Jesse Crain, is good. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are top-tier young players. Torii Hunter is healthy.

The Bad: The offseason additions are . . . interesting. Rondell White is a journeyman veteran that doesn't really fit the team's mold. Luis Castillo's game has declined drastically. Tony Batista played last year in Japan and can't be expected to hit above .240. Prospect Francisco Liriano failed to win a rotation spot and was recently cited with a DUI. Shannon Stewart and Michael Cuddyer are far from All Stars.

The Verdict: The team didn't do much to improve themselves in the offseason. They still will be competitive but will drop another spot in the standings. Batista will prove to be a mistake. Morneau will hit 30 homeruns and will be a star in the future.

5) Kansas City Royals

The Good: The outfield isn't terrible. Emil Brown put up solid numbers last year, David DeJesus has some potential and Reggie Sanders has produced in all 27 of his stops. Mike Sweeney always hits. Scott Elarton is a decent pitcher. The defense will be average. I'm racking my brain but that's all I've got.

The Bad: The pitching is comical. Their best pitcher is AWOL. Their rotation is full of guys with ERAs approaching 6. Their practice of rushing players to the big club has really stunted any possibility that these guys will improve. Mark Teahen, John Buck, Jeremy Affeldt, Runelvys Hernandez, Ambiorix Burgos . . . all these guys should be in the minor leagues. Doug Meintkiewicz, Joe Mays and Mark Grudzielanek aren't going to add many wins.

The Verdict: They will finish right around 60 wins again. It will be tough to watch. DeJesus will become a pretty good leadoff guy. Burgos will struggle being forced into the closer's role, but he can't be much worse than Mike MacDougal. God willing, Mike Sweeney will get to help a contender.

AL West

1) Oakland Athletics

The Good: The pitching is some of the best in the business. Rich Harden has become a legitimate ace. Barry Zito has a Cy Young Award and is still young. Dan Haren has some electric stuff. Joe Blanton turned in a good second half last year. Esteban Loaiza may benefit from pitching in Oakland. All five pitchers won double digit games last year and all could (and should) be better. Huston Street shined as a rookie last year and should also improve. The hitting is full of youth and potential. Former Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby is healthy and entering his prime. Eric Chavez is as consistent as anyone in the league. Dan Johnson and Nick Swisher have the ability to hit in the vicinity of 30 homeruns.

The Bad: The A's will need all the aforementioned players to play to their potential in order to win the division. They cannot afford someone like Street or Johnson to regress badly. Milton Bradley and Frank Thomas have to be considered gambles and neither had spectacular 2005 campaigns. Jason Alexander his as many major league home runs as Jason Kendall last season.

The Verdict: The A's will be in a dogfight with the Angels all season long. The A's don't have a Vladimir Guerrero but they have the pitching and just enough offense to claim the division. Crosby, Harden, Street and Haren will be All Stars. Frank Thomas won't be a major factor.

2) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Good: Vladimir Guerrero should be better than his 32-108 totals of a year ago. Chone Figgins is a prototypical leadoff hitter. The Angels have young talent like Casey Kotchman and Dallas McPherson who should be ready to break through. The pitching staff is on par with the league's best. Bartolo Colon is a workhorse ace, while John Lackey and Ervin Santana figure to continue on their success last year. Francisco Rodriguez and the middle relievers form a top-notch 'pen. Mike Scocia gets the best out of this team every year.

The Bad: The offense surrounding Vlad could be better. Garrett Anderson is beginning to slow down. Darin Erstad hit only 7 homeruns last season. Orlando Cabrera's profuction didn't justify his contract. Jeff Mathis will be an untested rookie starter behind the plate replacing Bengie Molina. Jeff Weaver is like a box of chocolates.

The Verdict: The Angels will win a bunch of ballgames, maybe even 90 but they will fall just short of the postseason. Guerrero will be a strong MVP candidate and the starting pitchers will produce. Ervin Santana will be a winner. Anderson and Erstad will struggle to maintain their consistency.

3) Texas Rangers

The Good: Again, the team is comprised of sluggers ready to take advantage of Ameriquest Field. The entire lineup seems to have the potential to hit 20 homeruns. Mark Teixeira, at 25, is the best young hitter in the American League. He may have the ability to reach 50 homeruns in that park. Michael Young and Hank Blalock have turned into perennial all stars. The pop doesn't stop there with Brad Wilkerson, a rejuvenated Phil Nevin and Rod Barajas hitting later in the order. This team may challenge the Yankees for most runs scored. Kevin Millwood won the league ERA title.

The Bad: As usual, the pitching. This team's formula hasn't changed in years and nothing looks different in 2006. Millwood should be decent, but will he be a big improvement over Kenny Rogers? In this park, probably not. Adam Eaton, not great in the first place, is out for a couple months. Vincente Padilla looked shot last year. Kameron Loe is unproven and it only gets worse from there. The bullpen is unspectacular as Francisco Cordero tries to repeat his solid 2005 and Akinori Otsuka moves from a pitching paradise to hitter's heaven.

The Verdict: They will again slug their way to some wins but can't be considered a serious threat to the Angels or Athletics. Teixeira will reach 45-150. Millwood will be out of the top 20 in ERA. The team will win 75 games thanks to ther ability to put double digits on the scoreboard.

4) Seattle Mariners

The Good: Ichiro is good for .300 and 30 stolen bases at the top of the lineup. Richie Sexson is a true power hitter, managing to reach 39 last year playing at Safeco. The defense is among the best in the league. Felix Hernandez, not yet 20, could be the next Pedro Martinez. Jarrod Washburn brings a solid ERA (3.20) from Anaheim.

The Bad: The lineup, outside of Sexson and Ichiro, wouldn't put a scare into most AAA teams. Adrian Beltre looked like a contract year specialist in '05. Carl Everett is old, injury-prone and psychopathic. Kenji Johjima is going to have to adjust to the Major Leagues, particularly the vastness of Safeco field. Yuniesky Betancourt and Jose Lopez are too young. Behind Hernandez, the rotation is shaky. Jamie Moyer is 43, Gil Meche has never been better than average and Joel Pineiro spent time in the minors last year.

The Verdict: The M's didn't win 70 games last year and will struggle to do so again this year. They won't put up many runs and their pitching could very well implode. Hernandez will win 15 games and look spectacular at times. Johjima won't come anywhere close to his Japanese numbers. Beltre will be marginally better.


NL East

1) Atlanta Braves

The Good: They have won 14 straight division titles including last year's with largely the same team. Perfect mix of veterans and young players. John Smoltz and Tim Hudson headline a pitching staff without many holes. If closer Chris Rietsma struggles, Joey Devine or Oscar Villarreal will be ready. If Kyle Davies or Jorge Sosa slip up, John Thomson is waitng in the wings. Andruw Jones hit 50 homeruns last year and he is still only 28. Ryan Langerhans, Jeff Francoeur and Adam Laroche showed the ability to hit big league pitching last year. Bobby Cox never loses.

The Bad: Can all these young guys deal with the pressure of the divisional winning streak? This team isn't just expected to make strides, they are expected to win. Edgar Renterria might be 50 years old. The bench is nonexistant. A key injury to someone like Hudson or Jones would cripple them.

The Verdict: The Mets will challenge with their gaudy lineup, but Atlanta's pitching is better. They will win 90 games again and reach the NLCS thanks to a favorable matchup with the Dodgers. Tim Hudson wins a close Cy Young race. The Braves are able to continually retool and look to have a bright future to go along with their winning past.

2) New York Mets

The Good: The lineup seems to be built for the AL East as much as the NL. Jose Reyes isn't a classic leadoff hitter but you can't argue with 60 steals. Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright form the league's best heart of the order. Delgado is a consistent force while Wright is expected to become a superstar. Pedro Martinez was spectacular in the first year of his contract, taking the ball every five days, winning 15 games and compiling a 2.82 ERA. Billy Wagner brings the legitimate closer they so sorely missed last year. Aaron Heilman and Duaner Sanchez give the team a strong middle relief corps.

The Bad: Pedro, at 33, with a history of arm problems has to be the biggest concern. Will he be able to throw 217 innings for the third straight year? Tom Glavine, despite his strong second half last year, is 40. Steve Trachsel and Victor Zambrano aren't consistent winners. The bottom of the order with a rookie (Anderson Hernandez) and a journeyman (Xavier Nady) could be stronger.

The Verdict: This offense will win many games for the Mets, doing a lot to shade the weaknesses in the rotation. They will miss the Braves by a few games, but will beat them in the NLCS. The team seems built for the postseason format and will lose a classic World Series with the White Sox.

3) Philadelphia Phillies

The Good: The lineup 1-6 is strong. Jimmy Rollins, working on a 36 game hitting streak, is one of the game's premeir 5 tool players. Aaron Rowand brings a solid #2 hitter and a winning attitude. Bobby Abreu is already a star while Chase Utley is about to be one. Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard could each hit 30 HRs. Howard had a monster spring and could even be looking at 40. David Dellucci brings even more power. The team is going to score runs with the best of them.

The Bad: Pitching is a concern. Jon Lieber, Brett Myers and Cory Lidle are all workhorses, but none come close to being a classic stopper. In a division with Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and Dontrelle Willis, that is a major weak spot. Ryan Franklin lacks talent while Ryan Madson lacks experience. Tom Gordon still has good stuff but hasn't been a closer for five ears.

The Verdict: The Phils will be competitive but their pitching staff will prevent them from reaching the postseason. A .500 record seems attainable. Abreu, Howard and Utley will be All Stars. Rollins' hitting streak will end by next weekend. The team has a nucleus that suggests winning in the near future.

4) Washington Nationals

The Good: Alfonso Soriano agreed to play left field and is a constant 30-30 threat. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is one of the best prospects in baseball. Livan Hernandez and John Patterson will win games at the front of the roatation. Chad Cordero is a top 5 closer. The bullpen is solid. The Marlins are in the same division.

The Bad: The lineup lacks punch outside of Soriano. Jose Vidro is aging. Nick Johnson is average. Jose Guillen is hurt. Royce Clayton is the team's starting shortstop. The back end of the rotation will struggle. Pedro Astacio and Ramon Ortiz are low-level journeymen. Felix Rodriguez is somehow on the roster.

The Verdict: The team will finish higher than Florida but not by much. They have alot of shortcomings in a tough division. Even their best player has question marks. They will win less than 70 games and rebuilding is in order.

5) Florida Marlins

The Good: Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis are too of the best young players in the game. Jeremy Hermida and Mike Jacobs might be able to solidly contribute this year.

The Bad: This is a minor league team. The entire lineup has been rushed to the major leagues out of necessity. How fast they will adapt to the big show is anyone's guess. Miguel Olivo would struggle to hit in an intramural softball league. The pitching is a mix of veterans who should be playing at AAA and rookies who should be playing at AA. The bullpen, headed by closer by default Joe Borowski, will struggle to hold any lead these guys get.

The Verdict: They might improve as the season advances but they won't win many games. They will battle all year with the Royals for worst record in baseball. 100 losses seem imminent. Cabrera's numbers will dip slightly, Willis' will dip moderately. Hermida will hit 20 homeruns.

NL Central

1) St. Louis Cardinals

The Good: Add a healthy Scott Rolen to a team that won 100 games last year. Albert Pujols is the game's best hitter and now he has added protection. Juan Encarnacion is candidate to have breakthrough year in winning environment. Chris Carpenter has blossomed into an ace and will anchor the rotation again. Mark Mulder could easily win 20 games. Jason Marquis and Jeff Suppan are solid 3-4 guys. The bullpen is solid. Tony La Russa knows how to put the pieces together.

The Bad: Jim Edmonds may finally be slowing down. He hit only .263 last year and really limped down the stretch. So Taguchi is being counted on to become an offensive threat. Junior Spivey might play every day. Scott Spiezio had to clear the needles out of his house. Sidney Ponson won a rotation spot.

The Verdict: The division is still fairly weak and the Cards are still good enough to win it. They won't win 100 again, more like 95. They won't be able to beat the surging Mets in the NLDS and another good year will end without a title. Albert Pujols is nearly a unanimous MVP. Scott Rolen fails to reach base in the playoffs.

2) Houston Astros

The Good: Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte each finished with an ERA under 3. Each could easily win 20 games this year. Brad Lidge is a top-notch closer and the bullpen is the best in the National League. Preston Wilson brings much needed pop to the lineup. He, Jason Lane, Morgan Ensberg and Lance Berkman all should hit between 25 and 30 homeruns. Craig Biggio seemed to defy time with a 26 homerun season last year. Willy Tavarez has the speed to steal 40 bases.

The Bad: Brandon Backe, Wandy Rodriguez, Taylor Buchholz. Not exactly a Roger Clemens in that bunch. The back end of the rotation will struggle to make up for the loss of the Rocket. The team has to be a little concerned with Lidge's finish to last season. Ensberg and Lane will need to repeat their career seasons. Neither Brad Ausmus nor Adam Everett can hit much.

The Verdict: The team should be good, but a little worse than last year with the loss of Clemens. 85 wins is likely, but that won't be enough to beat out the Mets. Biggio and Ensberg see their home run totals shrink by ten. Oswalt doesn't win 20 again, but he does win 18. Lidge leads the league in saves.

3) Chicago Cubs

The Good: Derrek Lee flirted with the triple crown last season. Aramis Ramirez protected Lee well (.302-31-92) and is still only 27. Jacque Jones adds some power, Juan Pierre adds some speed. Matt Murton is ready for the big leagues. Carlos Zambrano has stepped up and been the ace that the Cubs with Mark Prior or Kerry Wood would be. If Prior can get healthy, he could win 15 games. The bullpen will be better with the addition of Scott Eyre.

The Bad: Wood and Prior may never be healthy enough to approach their potential. With them on the shelf, the rotation is weak. Ageless Greg Maddux can't be a #2 starter on a winning team. Sean Marshall and Jerome Williams shouldn't be in anyone's starting rotation. Ryan Dempster needs to prove he is a legitimate closer. Jones and Pierre both had low OBPs last year.

The Verdict: If Prior gets healthy, the team should finish over .500. They don't have the depth to reach the postseason but will be better than some people expect. Matt Murton will win Rookie of the Year and Lee will hit 40 homeruns again. Prior will win 15 games but Kerry Wood will not contribute.

4) Milwaukee Brewers

The Good: Trendy playoff pick with young talent all over the place. Carlos Lee is a solid power threat in the middle of the lineup. Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy have another year's experience. Prince Fielder is blue chip prospect ready to contribute.Ben Sheets, if healthy, could be a sleeper Cy Young pick. Doug Davis, Chris Capuano and closer Derrick Turnbow coming off of career seasons.

The Bad: Other than being a year older, didn't do much to improve in the offseason. The team will miss Lyle Overbay in the middle of the lineup. Weeks and Hardy both hit below .250 last year. Corey Koskie did as well. It is hard to believe Capuano and Davis will repeat their 2005 years.

The Verdict: The expectations are way too high. They might win 80 games again but the postseason will have to wait. Capuano and Davis both see their ERAs rise. Sheets pitches well when recovered from injury. Bill Hall supplants Koskie at third base sooner than later.

5) Cincinnati Reds

The Good: The offense, which scored more runs than anyone in the National League last year, is potent. Adam Dunn and a healthy Ken Griffey could both hit 40 bombs. Felipe Lopez established himself as an all star shortstop. Tony Womack and Ryan Freel bring speed to the lineup. Aaron Harang and newly-acquired Bronson Arroyo will provide quality starts.

The Bad: Outside of Harang and Arroyo, the pitching is abominable. Brandon Clausen hasn't come close to expectations, Eric Milton was horrible and Dave Williams is a Pirates castoff. The bullpen is probably worse than the rotation. They don't even pretend to have a closer. The team will miss departed Wily Mo Pena and Joe Randa. They probably won't score as many runs as '05.

The Verdict: They weren't good last year and haven't got much better. They'll win more than 70 and outdo the Pirates but anything more than that is a tremendous stretch. Griffey will wind up on the DL at some point. Arroyo and Harang will be the only pitchers to reach ten wins. The bullpen will kill them.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates

The Good: Jason Bay and Zach Duke represent the future. Bay should improve on his .306-32-101 season. Duke is ready to be the ace that Oliver Perez couldn't be for the Bucs. Perez hopes to pitch more like 2004 than 2005. Paul Maholm has aquality young arm. Mike Gonzalez should be a better than average closer. The bullpen is surprisingly solid. Sean Casey and Joe Randa bring some leadership.

The Bad: Casey and Randa were let go by the Reds. They can't be expected to bring instant winning. The rest of the lineup is filled with young players like Chris Duffy that will take some time. Both Wilsons (Jack, Craig) had poor seasons in '05.The back end of the rotation . . . who knows? Perez's ERA approached 6 last year.

The Verdict: They will be more competitive thanks to Casey and Randa and a full season of development for Zach Duke. They still will win around 70 games and are a long way from the promised land. Duke will experience some growing pains but win 12. Perez's year will fall in between the good of '04 and the bad of '05. Gonzalez finds a way to save 35 games.

NL West

1) Los Angeles Dodgers

The Good: Eric Gagne is back and hopefully will highlight one of the game's best 'pens. Danys Baez, who saved 40 of his own games last year, is a great 8th inning guy, as well as an insurance policy. The rotation doesn't have an ace, but it is deep. All five guys could win double digits. Derek Lowe should be acquitted to the new surroundings by now. The offense will be improved by adding Rafael Furcal to the top of the lineup. Nomar Garciaparra could (could) hit .300 and knock in 100 runs. Jeff Kent always puts up numbers.

The Bad: Grady Little somehow bribed his way into another managerial position. Garciaparra hasn't been himself since 2003. Jose Cruz Jr. is penciled into the opening day lineup. J. D. Drew never seems to be as good as advertised. Brett Tomko lost 15 games last year in the same (weak) division. Gagne's health is a major concern. Did I mention Grady Little was involved?

The Verdict: This team, which won only 71 games last year, is still flawed but it is also still in the NL West. .500 might be good enough to win the division again and L.A.'s pitching will get them there. Garciaparra hits .300 with 20 homeruns and stays relatively healthy. Jae Seo may be the team's best pitcher.

2) San Francisco Giants

The Good: Barry Bonds is the game's most feared hitter. He instantly turns the Giants back into a contender. Randy Winn is a solid 20-20 guy and Moises Alou is decent protection for Big Bad Barry. The rotation will be competitive. Jason Schmidt and Matt Morris are proven winners. Noah Lowry was strong throughout last season. Matt Cain is ready to contribute double digit wins.

The Bad: The lineup is old and, outside of Bonds, didn't get any better in the offseason. Omar Vizquel, Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz can only do so much. Jason Schmidt's ERA has been increasing over the last two years. Matt Morris lost ten games last year with a 100 win club. Armando Benitez is hurt again. Bonds is liable to flip out, get hurt, be suspended or retire at any time.

The Verdict: The young pitchers, Cain and Lowry, will keep the club in the West race until the final days. The rival Dodgers will prove to be slightly better. Bonds will defiantly hit 30 homers but also spend alot of time on the shelf. Schmidt and the bullpen will struggle.

3) Arizona Diamondbacks

The Good: The lineup is stocked with power. Chad Tracy could turn in .300-30-100 numbers at third base. Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez are consistent. Conor Jackson is a highly touted prospect. Even Tony Clark, who will begin the season on the bench, hit 30 homeruns last year. Brandon Webb is a solid, if unspectacular, young pitcher. Jose Valverde is a closer with a bright future.

The Bad: After Webb, the rotation is pretty anemic. El Duque is at least 41 years old, though he might be 51. Miguel Batista can't seem to find a role in which he can have any semblance of success. Russ Ortiz is an embarassment. Hard to imagine a winning team with that kind of pitching. Eric Byrnes is slated to start in center field after three teams gave up on him last season.

The Verdict: They will try to slug it out with people. In this division, they might even be in the race into September. They will be lucky to reach 77 wins again. Tracy will hit 35 homeruns. Byrnes will hit 3. Ortiz will give up 335.

4) San Diego Padres

The Good: Jake Peavy is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He figures to win nearly 20 games and challenge for the Cy Young. Trevor Hoffman still is one of the best in the game. the bullpen, as a whole, is very good. Mike Cameron will stabilize the top of the order. Brian Giles should increase his power numbers. Bruce Bochy is an excellent skipper.

The Bad: Bochy will need to work a miracle to get this bunch into the playoffs again. Mike Piazza (.250-19-62) will be the cleanup hitter. Ryan Klesko is getting old and ineffective. Ditto for Vinny Castilla. The club is putting alot of stock in Dewon Brazelton, who's ERA was nearly 8 last year. Shawn Estes and Chan Ho Park still have jobs.

The Verdict: Despite Peavy's best efforts, this team will struggle to win 70 games and won't even challenge for the divisional title. Piazza (and Castilla) will be a major bust. The starting pitching will be awful.

5) Colorado Rockies

The Good: Todd Helton is still in Colorado and, even after a down year by his standards, will help the Rockies appear competitive. Clint Barmes is healthy after a fast start to last season. Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins should improve their power. Brian Fuentes managed to put together an above average season as a closer in Coors' Field last year.

The Bad: The pitching is usually bad and this year won't be any different. Aaron Cook has the best chance of being productive. Jason Jennings has become accustomed to getting hammered in Colorado. Neither of the Kims (Byung-yun and Sun-Woo) are ready to tame Coors. Jose Mesa in Colorado will be entertaining, if nothing else. The Rockies will score some runs but much of their lineup is still full of more potential for 2008 than 2006.

The Verdict: A 4th place finish isn't ridiculous. They will probably get to 70 wins and might leapfrog the Padres. Clint Barmes will turn himself into a fantasy baseball stud with a good year in the thin air. Helton will also have another good year.