In an effort to write more, I am going to try my attempt at writing the "Top 5 or Top 10 Winners and Losers in Sports" each Monday. Why 5 or 10? I like multiples of 5. Enjoy the first installment of this column following this weekend of hoops, two kinds of football, and maybe some hockey...
This Weekend's Losers
1. The Chicago Bulls
Say it ain't so Derrick Rose! Rose went down with a torn meniscus in his other knee which will sideline him for the season. Sure, the Bulls were a scrappy #5 seed last year and got past the Nets before giving the Heat a tough series, but without Rose, a lot of people think they could miss the playoff all together, based on this Sports Nation poll. The loss of a former league NBA to any team is a major loss, and there goes any hope of them contending with the Pacers and the Heat.
2. Will Muschamp
The University of Florida says they are standing behind their man. While the Tammy Wynette bit is cute, you can't lose to Georgia Southern as a major SEC program with recent BCS success. When you have a fan base who is used to winning, they really, really hate losing. Sure, those fans booing his news conference were rude, but so is telling them to "get a grip." The last thing you want to do is chastise a fan base when you make a few million a year. It's a good way to chastise your way out of a job.
3. The Baylor Bears
PTI said it best today "Happy Trails Baylor Bears!" With that loss to Oklahoma State on the national stage also comes the loss of your BCS National Title hopes. Any given Saturday.
4. Major League Soccer
Pop Quiz: What two teams will face each other for the MLS Cup? Pause. Wait for it. Wait for it. Nope, it's not the team the David Beckham plays for. Congratulations to Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City (KC) for making the finals. A good friend of mine and an ardent MLS support pointed out that, while at a bar on Saturday, there were 21 televisions playing sports, and not one had the MLS game. Ouch.
5. The National Hockey League
Nothing like a lawsuit to land you on this list. Ten former NHL players are suing the league saying they failed to protect players from concussions. This debate has gained a lot of press with the NFL and now NHL players are taking action too. Read some more about their grievances.
6. This Oakland Raiders Fan
This was a tough call. I don't want to call a guy a "loser" for saving a woman's life, but I wanted to recognize what happened. This lady took a jump from the third-level deck of the Oakland Coliseum. This gentleman was kind enough to break her fall, but ended up with some serious injuries of his own. In the end, both survived, which was the winning part of this losing situation. Sports are not worth such rash actions - don't jump! Let's hope this woman gets the help she needs.
7. Geno Smith
I was high on Geno at the start of the season. He wasn't losing games for the Jets. He was playing okay, and was not making them lose as Sanchez used to with INT's and bad passes in general. In the last four games though, he's thrown seven picks and fumbled twice, and has not thrown a touchdown pass. He makes the list for bad statistics, but he's on the lower half due to a lack of weapons. He could end up benched, though, if coach Rex Ryan wants to try and go in a different direction to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Right now, Rex is standing by Smith.
8. Alex Rodriguez
Okay, so it's not this weekend, but I'm sure you've heard his tearful talk with Mike Francesa on WFAN last week. And the Academy Award goes to... As a Yankees fan, I just want him to go away as I am sure a lot of fellow fans feel the same way. Stephen A. Smith made some comments I very much agreed with on First Take on Thursday. He can "walk off" from a hearing but when was the last time he hit a "walk off" home run. If you can't remember then it's been a long time!
9. The Denver Broncos
No halftime lead is too great! The Broncos blew a 24-0 halftime lead in Frozen Foxborough. What stinks about this loss is that they lost Knowshon Moreno and Antonio Rodgers-Cromartie from the game with injury. According to sources, these guys should be okay. They also still have a guy named Peyton Manning, I hear he's pretty good... It just would've been nice to have a game on the Chiefs going into their matchup this weekend.
10. Johnny Manziel
Johnny Football was stymied by LSU's defense again. With the loss, a lot of people say came the loss of the Heisman as well. Archie Griffin remains the only guy to have won it twice. The reason why Manziel is #10 and not higher on this list is that he's still Johnny Manziel. He'll be a first round draft pick and is still a boss. He'll be making it rain soon enough.
This Weekend's Winners
1. Manny Pacquiao
Let's give boxing some love. Take into context all of this. Manny is from the Philippines - a nation just devastated by a typhoon. This was the first big pay-per-view fight from China. Pacquaio's last big fight was a loss to Juan Manuel Marquez. Did he have enough left? Yes he did. He dominated in his bout versus Brandon Rios. Will we ever see a Mayweather-Pacquaio fight?
2. Kobe Bryant
A Laker for life. Kobe Bryant has reportedly signed a 2-year extension where he would make $48 million. This will lock Bryant up until he is 37 and make him the highest paid player for his age. Interesting enough, I read that this would keep Kobe in LA for 20 seasons. No player, not even John Stockton, spent two decades with one team.
3. The Dallas Cowboys
What a painful loss! Dallas remains perfect in division play. Beating all of their NFC Least opponents will help them make the playoffs. I also heard a stat that shocked me - Tony Romo has the highest QBR in the 4th Quarter of any quarterback all time! However, that final drive showed a lot. Has Romo turned the corner, finally? He was given that extension so let's see if he continues to perform, or will his clutch play be intercepted?
4. The Portland Trailblazers
Winners of 10 in a row, the blazing Blazers now get to take on the struggling 3-9 New York Knicks. (Le Sigh.)
5. The Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket was the dopest one growing up in the 90s. Everyone wanted that purple and teal swooshy coat! Not only are the Bobcats getting their name back, but they are going back to those colors. I love nostalgia. Thanks Micheal Jordan for respecting tradition. Read more here.
6. The Ohio State Buckeyes
Alabama and Florida State sit #1 and #2. Baylor lost. Can Ohio State sneak in to the BCS National Title Game? A lot of this rests on Jameis Winston and what happens there. Coach Urban Meyer has his team poised and ready should one of these teams slip up. The game between Michigan State could be a good one. Right now, they are not invited to the party, but if they keep winning, who knows?
7. Bruce Arians
Any time you can defeat a former team, that is a great feat. I saw this score on the bottom line yesterday (we don't get Cardinals games on the East Coast!) and I couldn't believe it. There is no bad blood between Pagano/The Colts and Arians but it is nice to see a guy do well with his own team. (Arians took over for Pagano while he battled cancer last year.)
8. The Carolina Panthers
Winning seven games in a row puts you on this list. Earlier this year when I predicted the NFC South, I had Carolina finishing 3rd in the division. Boy was I wrong! I knew the Panthers had potential, but it was up to Cam Newton to play to his potential. They have 2 games left versus the Saints. Let's see how this plays out.
9. AJ McCarron, Jordan Lynch, Andre Williams
What do Johnny Manziel, Marcus Mariota, and Bryce Petty all have in common? Three things: they were all Heisman hopefuls, they all lost this weekend, and they all lost in blowout fashion. With investigation rumors and potential charges coming for Jameis Winston and all the scandal surrounding him, these three gentleman could wind up in NYC with one of them taking home college football's most prestigious award.
10. The Iron Bowl
Alabama has been #1 all year, but their in state rival Auburn has shocked a lot of people with a 10-1 record, earning a #4 overall BCS record after this weekend. This sets up a premiere SEC matchup for the Iron Bowl. According to this ESPN article, median ticket prices are up to $300 on Stubhub! While this game was circled for fans in the Heart of Dixie all year, it now has national interest as well.
This Weekend's Losers
1. The Chicago Bulls
Say it ain't so Derrick Rose! Rose went down with a torn meniscus in his other knee which will sideline him for the season. Sure, the Bulls were a scrappy #5 seed last year and got past the Nets before giving the Heat a tough series, but without Rose, a lot of people think they could miss the playoff all together, based on this Sports Nation poll. The loss of a former league NBA to any team is a major loss, and there goes any hope of them contending with the Pacers and the Heat.
2. Will Muschamp
The University of Florida says they are standing behind their man. While the Tammy Wynette bit is cute, you can't lose to Georgia Southern as a major SEC program with recent BCS success. When you have a fan base who is used to winning, they really, really hate losing. Sure, those fans booing his news conference were rude, but so is telling them to "get a grip." The last thing you want to do is chastise a fan base when you make a few million a year. It's a good way to chastise your way out of a job.
3. The Baylor Bears
PTI said it best today "Happy Trails Baylor Bears!" With that loss to Oklahoma State on the national stage also comes the loss of your BCS National Title hopes. Any given Saturday.
4. Major League Soccer
Pop Quiz: What two teams will face each other for the MLS Cup? Pause. Wait for it. Wait for it. Nope, it's not the team the David Beckham plays for. Congratulations to Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City (KC) for making the finals. A good friend of mine and an ardent MLS support pointed out that, while at a bar on Saturday, there were 21 televisions playing sports, and not one had the MLS game. Ouch.
5. The National Hockey League
Nothing like a lawsuit to land you on this list. Ten former NHL players are suing the league saying they failed to protect players from concussions. This debate has gained a lot of press with the NFL and now NHL players are taking action too. Read some more about their grievances.
6. This Oakland Raiders Fan
This was a tough call. I don't want to call a guy a "loser" for saving a woman's life, but I wanted to recognize what happened. This lady took a jump from the third-level deck of the Oakland Coliseum. This gentleman was kind enough to break her fall, but ended up with some serious injuries of his own. In the end, both survived, which was the winning part of this losing situation. Sports are not worth such rash actions - don't jump! Let's hope this woman gets the help she needs.
7. Geno Smith
I was high on Geno at the start of the season. He wasn't losing games for the Jets. He was playing okay, and was not making them lose as Sanchez used to with INT's and bad passes in general. In the last four games though, he's thrown seven picks and fumbled twice, and has not thrown a touchdown pass. He makes the list for bad statistics, but he's on the lower half due to a lack of weapons. He could end up benched, though, if coach Rex Ryan wants to try and go in a different direction to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Right now, Rex is standing by Smith.
8. Alex Rodriguez
Okay, so it's not this weekend, but I'm sure you've heard his tearful talk with Mike Francesa on WFAN last week. And the Academy Award goes to... As a Yankees fan, I just want him to go away as I am sure a lot of fellow fans feel the same way. Stephen A. Smith made some comments I very much agreed with on First Take on Thursday. He can "walk off" from a hearing but when was the last time he hit a "walk off" home run. If you can't remember then it's been a long time!
9. The Denver Broncos
No halftime lead is too great! The Broncos blew a 24-0 halftime lead in Frozen Foxborough. What stinks about this loss is that they lost Knowshon Moreno and Antonio Rodgers-Cromartie from the game with injury. According to sources, these guys should be okay. They also still have a guy named Peyton Manning, I hear he's pretty good... It just would've been nice to have a game on the Chiefs going into their matchup this weekend.
10. Johnny Manziel
Johnny Football was stymied by LSU's defense again. With the loss, a lot of people say came the loss of the Heisman as well. Archie Griffin remains the only guy to have won it twice. The reason why Manziel is #10 and not higher on this list is that he's still Johnny Manziel. He'll be a first round draft pick and is still a boss. He'll be making it rain soon enough.
This Weekend's Winners
1. Manny Pacquiao
Let's give boxing some love. Take into context all of this. Manny is from the Philippines - a nation just devastated by a typhoon. This was the first big pay-per-view fight from China. Pacquaio's last big fight was a loss to Juan Manuel Marquez. Did he have enough left? Yes he did. He dominated in his bout versus Brandon Rios. Will we ever see a Mayweather-Pacquaio fight?
2. Kobe Bryant
A Laker for life. Kobe Bryant has reportedly signed a 2-year extension where he would make $48 million. This will lock Bryant up until he is 37 and make him the highest paid player for his age. Interesting enough, I read that this would keep Kobe in LA for 20 seasons. No player, not even John Stockton, spent two decades with one team.
3. The Dallas Cowboys
What a painful loss! Dallas remains perfect in division play. Beating all of their NFC Least opponents will help them make the playoffs. I also heard a stat that shocked me - Tony Romo has the highest QBR in the 4th Quarter of any quarterback all time! However, that final drive showed a lot. Has Romo turned the corner, finally? He was given that extension so let's see if he continues to perform, or will his clutch play be intercepted?
4. The Portland Trailblazers
Winners of 10 in a row, the blazing Blazers now get to take on the struggling 3-9 New York Knicks. (Le Sigh.)
5. The Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket was the dopest one growing up in the 90s. Everyone wanted that purple and teal swooshy coat! Not only are the Bobcats getting their name back, but they are going back to those colors. I love nostalgia. Thanks Micheal Jordan for respecting tradition. Read more here.
6. The Ohio State Buckeyes
Alabama and Florida State sit #1 and #2. Baylor lost. Can Ohio State sneak in to the BCS National Title Game? A lot of this rests on Jameis Winston and what happens there. Coach Urban Meyer has his team poised and ready should one of these teams slip up. The game between Michigan State could be a good one. Right now, they are not invited to the party, but if they keep winning, who knows?
7. Bruce Arians
Any time you can defeat a former team, that is a great feat. I saw this score on the bottom line yesterday (we don't get Cardinals games on the East Coast!) and I couldn't believe it. There is no bad blood between Pagano/The Colts and Arians but it is nice to see a guy do well with his own team. (Arians took over for Pagano while he battled cancer last year.)
8. The Carolina Panthers
Winning seven games in a row puts you on this list. Earlier this year when I predicted the NFC South, I had Carolina finishing 3rd in the division. Boy was I wrong! I knew the Panthers had potential, but it was up to Cam Newton to play to his potential. They have 2 games left versus the Saints. Let's see how this plays out.
9. AJ McCarron, Jordan Lynch, Andre Williams
What do Johnny Manziel, Marcus Mariota, and Bryce Petty all have in common? Three things: they were all Heisman hopefuls, they all lost this weekend, and they all lost in blowout fashion. With investigation rumors and potential charges coming for Jameis Winston and all the scandal surrounding him, these three gentleman could wind up in NYC with one of them taking home college football's most prestigious award.
10. The Iron Bowl
Alabama has been #1 all year, but their in state rival Auburn has shocked a lot of people with a 10-1 record, earning a #4 overall BCS record after this weekend. This sets up a premiere SEC matchup for the Iron Bowl. According to this ESPN article, median ticket prices are up to $300 on Stubhub! While this game was circled for fans in the Heart of Dixie all year, it now has national interest as well.
