Notre Dame Football PreviewPart III

Defensive Line

Spotlight: Victor Abiamiri

Courtesy AP/Paul Sakuma

	G	Tackles	TFL	Sacks
2005	12	48	15	8

Also Returning: Justin Brown, Casey Cullen, Chris Frome, Neil Kennedy, Pat Kunz, Derek Landri, Trevor Laws, Dwight Stephenson, Jr., Ronald Talley
Lost: Brian Beidatsch, Patrick McInerney (graduation), Dan Chervanick (position change), Nate Schiccatano (transfer), Brandon Nicholas (not on roster)
Gained: Travis Leitko, (not on roster for 2005), Derrell Hand (DNP as freshman), Paddy Mullen, John Ryan, Kallen Wade (freshmen)

I was tempted to put the beast Trevor Laws in the spotlight, but in reality all eyes will be (and should be) on Victor Abimiri. Abiamiri's career his mirrored Justin Tuck's in a way: massive hype coming in, followed by numbers that are decent but don't fully live up to that hype. Abiamiri's eight sacks last year are impressive, unless you discount the fact that four came against a banged-up Stanford line. Still, I'm sure many an Irish fan is hoping that Abiamiri continues to mirror Tuck, as Tuck's final season made him a first day NFL draft pick.
Notre Dame is returning nine of eleven starters on defense, including all four defensive linemen. This in stark contrast to the past few years for the line, especially last year when Derek Landri was the only returning starter. Landri, considered undersized for a defensive tackle, has nonetheless been a solid presence on the interior for the past two years. Next to him once again will be Trevor Laws, an exciting player who worked his way into the starting lineup last year. Regular readers will know I've been high on Laws for quite some time now. Across from Abiamiri once again will be Chris From, returning from a season-ending injury (or a "seizing ending" injury, if you're Kirk Herbstreit).
Not only is the defensive line returning three starters, but there are also three backups with significant past playing time. Ronald Talley, already one of the first players off the bench, stepped up in Frome's absence. In doing so, he opened a few eyes, and sold a few tshirts. ("Play Like Ronald Talley Today" read the yellow shirts bearing his visage.) Justin Brown also got a small share of playing time thanks to the wear and tear life in the trenches put on the starters. Pat Kunz also saw some playing time last year, and that should increase this year. Finally, Travis Leitko, projected to be a starter last year, is back after a whirlwind year.
The experienced line will be solid against the line, but experts have been bemoaning the lack of a pass rush since Justin Tuck left. Who will put pressure on the quarterback? Will it be Talley? (Can it be Talley?) Or will it be one of the freshman? Or can Dwight Stevenson finally step up after a trouble career and finally make his mark on the field?

Linebacker

Spotlight: Maurice Crum, Jr.

	G	Tackles	TFL	Sacks
2005	12	57	3.5	0

Also Returning: Nick Borseti, Joe Brockington, Steve Quinn, Scott Smith, Mitchell Thomas
Lost: Joseph Borland, Brandon Hoyte, Corey Mays, Anthony Salvador (graduation), Casey Cullen (position change), Nate Schiccatano (transfer), Abdel Banda (left team for medical reasons)
Gained: Travis Thomas (semi-position change), Anthony Vernaglia (position change), Kyle Charters (walk on?), Kevin Washington (DNP as freshman), Morrice Richardson, Toryan Smith (freshmen)

As mentioned above, the defense only lost two of its nine starters, but those two were its best linebackers in Brandon Hoyte and Corey Mayes. The only returner is Maurice Crum. Crum moves from his low-profile spot at Apache linebacker to middle linebacker, a position often considered to be the leader of the defense. Crum faces enormous pressure this year, both to perform in his new and more challenging position, and to provide an air of leadership to the newcomers who will be flanking him.
Senior Mitchell Thomas and junior Anthony Vernaglia are even in the competition for strongside linebacker, and there have been indications that their playing time at the position will be even as well. Mitchell Thomas is a senior who is finally getting his due, as he has primarily been a special teamer to this point. Vernaglia came in as a highly-lauded athlete, but has yet to find his niche in the Irish defense. He is now settled in at linebacker, and this season will be his chance to prove the recruiting pundit right.
Little is known (by me, at least) about the third linebacker spot, other than the fact that it's no longer called the Apache. Charlie Weis, citing the axiom that the best 22 players should be on the field whenever possible, will give running back Travis Thomas some time at weakside linebacker. Thomas was a good strong safety in high school and was praised by Weis for his work on special teams. But I would be surprised if Travis gets much more than 50% of the snaps at linebacker. Joe Brockington appears to be the man who will get the other 50%. Brockington, who may still be recovering from a spring injury, was used as the fourth linebacker on goal line situations last year. Another name mentioned is sophomore Steve Quinn.
One person who will unfortunately not be battling for a linebacker spot is Abdel Banda. After battling injuries from the beginning of his freshman year, Banda has esentially retired from football for medical reasons.

Safety

Spotlight: Chinedum Ndukwe

	G	Tackles	INT	Fum Rec
2005	12	52	2	4

Also Returning: David Bruton, Ray Herring, Tom Zbikowski
Lost: Anthony Vernaglia (position change), Freddie Parish IV (transfer)
Gained: Your guess is as good as mine, if not better.
(Note: UND.com lumped everyone under the "Defensive Back" label this year, so I apologize if I did any incorrect guessing when it comes to safeties Except for the guys I'm sure of, everyone is listed under Cornerback.)

Ooh, I hate putting up a picture like that, but that is exactly why Ndukwe is the spotlight player. Let's try again.

Courtesy AP/Keith Srakocic

There we go. Last year, Chinedum Ndukwe came into the season preparing to play the Apache linebacker spot. Appropriately, he bulked up to a linebacker weight, 230 lbs. Unfortunately, when he was moved to safety, his extra weight caused him to run line a linebacker. Last year, Mo Stovall was told by Coach Weis to lose 15-20 pounds to increase his speed and stamina. This year Ndukwe was put on the Weis Diet and is down to 210 lbs. That should hopefully get him closer to the 4.5 40 speed he clocked as a freshman wide receiver.
But, despite what the national media will tell you, the problem of Notre Dame's secondary wasn't speed. Tom Zbikowski is down in the 4.5 40 range as well. The problem was positioning and discipline. If you wanted to explain to an 8-year-old how to play safety, you would tell them to make sure no one from the other team gets past them. Too often last year, Zbikowski and Ndukwe failed on that simple task. Perhaps you can blame it on two agressive personalities that want to mix it up with the opponents' running game. Perhaps you can blame it on inexperience and previous bad coaching. Or perhaps you can just blame it on a new defensive scheme. Wherever the blame is placed, Notre Dame fans can only hope that the Irish secondary has beat the big play bug.
Backing up Zbikowski and Ndukwe, respectively, are Ray Herring and David Bruton. Herring mainly played in garbage time last year, but Bruton made a mark on special teams. (Bruton made such a mark, in fact, that Darius Walker's family bought #27 jerseys to support him.) Both have received nothing but praise from the Irish faithful for their performance in practice and limitied game experience.

Cornerback

Spotlight: Ambrose Wooden

	G	Tackles	INT	PBU
2005	12	74	2	5

Also Returning: Leo Ferrine, Wade Iams, Tim Kenney, Terrail Lambert, Mike Richardson, William David Williams
Lost: Matt Mitchell, Alvin Reynolds, Bret Shapot, Rich Whitney III (graduation), Junior Jabbie (position change), LaBrose Hedgemon II (transfer)
Gained: Mike Anello (walkon), Kyle McCarthy (DNP as freshman), Sergio Brown, Jashaad Gaines, Leonard Gordon, Raeshon McNeil, Darrin Walls (freshmen)

Again with the negative pictures. Wooden is in the spotlight because he needs to do less of that, and more of this:


Again, with Wooden at least, the issue isn't speed. Unfortunately, Wooden's speed was often best displayed when he hustled to stop a broken-away ballcarrier right before the end zone. Last year, Ambrose Wooden was third on the team in tackles, behind only experienced linebackers Brandon Hoyte and Corey Mayes. All of last year, I tried to determine if Wooden's high tackle totals were a good thing or a bad thing. That's open to interpretation, but most people would probably lean towards "bad." Wooden did a good job of staying near his man last year, but his plan of attack was to let the receiver catch the ball, then move in to make the sure tackle. With another year of experience under his belt, and another year with the same coaching staff, hopefully a more aggressive - yet still disciplined - Ambrose Wooden will emerge.
Mike Richardson will once again play across from Wooden. Richardson earns the Most Improved award on the defense. After a 2004 where he was only seen on opposing receivers' posters, Richardson developed into a decent corner. Leo Ferrine surprised some by earning the nickel corner role, and he presumably will continue that duty this year. That is, of course, unless classmate Terrail Lambert emerges to displace him. Behind Ferrine and Lambert are a talented group of freshmen, highlighted by Raeshon McNeil and Darrin Walls. To some, the freshmen corners are the saviors of the Irish defensive backfield unit.
(Useless trivia of the day: sophomore walkon Mike Anello comes to the gridiron from the ND ultimate frisbee team.)

Kicker

Spotlight: Carl Gioia

	G	FG	PAT	Points
2005	6	1-1	2-2	5

Also Returning: Bobby Renkes
Lost: DJ Fitzpatrick (graduation), Craig Cardillo (position change)
Gained: Ryan Burkhart

Carl Gioia wins the spotlight by default - he was the only kick of which I could find a picture. For the past two years, Gioia started the season as the kickoff specialist, only to lose the job essentially for not kicking deep enough. He did attempt and convert one field goal against Stanford last year. However, he was infamously passed over in favor of an injured DJ Fitzpatrick later in that game. Bobby Renkes also saw some time at kickoff specialist two years ago, but he didn't last long either. The placekicking job may just go to freshman Ryan Burkhart, if he can prove he's consistent.

Punter

Spotlight: Geoffrey Price

	G	No	Avg	In 20
2005	0	0	0	0

Also Returning: None
Lost: Fitzpatrick
Gained: Eric Maust (freshman)

Speaking of consistency, there's the story of Geoffrey Price. Price came in as a highly touted recruit, but inconsistency on the practice field forced both Nick Setta and DJ Fitzpatrick into double duty. If he still hasn't found his groove, double walkon Eric Maust will try his leg. Yes, I said double walkon - Maust also made the baseball team as a right-handed pitcher. How about that.

2006 Schedule

9-02-05 at Georgia Tech
9-09-05 PENN STATE
9-16-05 MICHIGAN
9-23-05 at Michigan State
9-30-05 PURDUE
10-07-05 STANFORD
10-21-05 UCLA
10-28-05 at Navy
11-04-05 NORTH CAROLINA
11-11-05 at Air Force
11-18-05 ARMY
11-25-05 at Southern California

Predicted Wins Legend (final record in parentheses)
Even ND haters say we will win these games (8-4)
Things still look good for a pessimistic ND fan (10-2
Those with Davieham flashbacks are probably expecting at least one trip-up (11-1)
True fans go into every game thinking their team has a shot to win (12-0)

Notre Dame Football PreviewPart II

Rounding out the offense...

Wide Receiver

Spotlight: Rhema McKnight

	G	Rec	Yds	TD
2005	3	5	69	1

Also Returning: Chase Anastasio, Brandon Erickson, David Grimes, Nick Possley, Jeff Samardzija
Lost: Brandon Harris, Michael O'Hara, Matt Shelton, Rob Woods (graduation), DJ Hord (knee - out for season)
Gained: Darrin Bragg, Craig Cardillo (position changes), David Costanzo, Kris Patterson, Jake Richardville (walk ons?), Barry Gallup, Jr., Richard Jackson, Robby Parris, George West

Pop quiz: Who were the starting receivers for Notre Dame's opener at Pittsburgh last year? That's a bit of a trick question, as Jeff Samardzija, supposedly the #3 receiver at the time, was the lone wideout in a three tight end set. This year Samardzija is unquestionably the #1 receiver (assuming Charlie Weis' team-oriented offense even uses that terminology), but he will need help. A lazy opposing defensive coordinator may be content in simply double teaming Samardzija in key situations. If that is the case, it will be Rhema McKnight's time to shine. McKnight led the Irish in receptions in both 2003 and 2004, and he showed the ability to get open on third down. Now, if he can get first downs by catching the ball three yards short of the marker and scrambling, imagine what he can do on routes that actually take him past the first down line.
Last year, Brady Quinn had two 6'5" receivers, which allowed him to occasionally forgo precision and simply toss the ball above a defensive back. This year, Quinn will be presented with a combination of styles. In addition to the 6'5" Samardzija, the 6'2" McKnight (no shrimp in his own right) has the ability to make people miss. The #3 spot appears to be going to the speedy David Grimes, who got token playing time with the offense last year.
After Grimes comes a big question mark. The man who would be #4 receiver this year - DJ Hord - is out for the season with a knee injury. Chase Anastasio has playing time experience, but it's almost exclusively on special teams. Converted quarterback Darrin Bragg could be an interesting option. Of course, Coach Weis could also choose to plug any member of his talented quartet of freshmen receivers, much like he did with Grimes last season.
(In case you're curious, the first play against Pitt was a playaction rollout pass intended for Samardzija that turned into a seven yard scramble by Quinn. Looking back at the play, I'm wondering if Weis called that play to get Quinn started off on a confident note. The playaction and rollout are designed to give the quarterback time. Dragging a receiver in front of the quarterback is about the easiest pass to make, and the play was designed for Samardzija, who played like Quinn's favorite receiver/security blanket over the previous two seasons.)

Tight End

Spotlight: John Carlson

Courtesy AP/Paul Sakuma

	G	Rec	Yds	TD
2005	12	7	56	1

Also Returning: Marcus Freeman, Mike Talerico
Lost: Anthony Fasano, Tim Grizman (graduation), Joey Hiben (left team to focus on academics at ND)
Gained: Michael Planalp (walkon?), Kevin Brooks, Konrad Reuland, Will Yeatman (freshmen)

It will be interesting to see how Charlie Weis deals with the loss of Anthony Fasano. Will we see more multi-receiver sets? Perhaps, but after McKnight and Samardzija, the receivers are less experienced that John Carlson and Marcus Freeman. With neither a receiving star, will Weis use both at the same time to spread out the defense? Or will he use a two back pro set, keeping one running back in for blitz pickup while the other goes out as a checkdown option? Knowing Coach Weis, the correct answer may just be "all of the above, and then some."
The spotlight at tight end may fall on both Carlson and Freeman this year - I just couldn't find a picture of Freeman on short notice. Carlson is said to be faster than Fasano, meaning Carlson could turn into more of a downfield threat. In the right situations, running Carlson deep leaves the short middle wide open. That leads to a wide variety of options, including short passes to a McKnight, Grimes, or Walker that would allow them to play in the open field. Freeman is said to be a great blocker. But, he had his share of catches in the Ty Willingham era, so his ability as an offensive threat should not be ignored.
After Carlson and Freeman, Notre Dame will have to rely on at least one of two talented freshmen in Konrad Reuland and Will Yeatman. There is a possibility that sophomore walkon Mike Talerico could be used for blocking if the formation deems it, but I don't see him pulling down any catches this year.

Offensive Line

Spotlight: Bob Morton

	G
2005	11

Also Returning: Paul Duncan, Ryan Harris, Brian Mattes, Dan Santucci, John Sullivan, Michael Turkovich
John Sullivan, Bob Morton, Dan Santucci, Brian Mattes
Lost: James Bent, James Bonelli, David Fitzgerald, Dan Hickey, JJ Jansen, Mark LeVoir, Scott Raridon, Dan Stevenson (graduation), Chauncey Incarnato (transfer to Indiana)
Gained: Dan Chervanik (position change), Jeff Tisak (DNP as freshman), Matt Carufel, Eric Olsen, Chris Stewart, Bartley Webb, Dan Wenger, Sam Young (freshmen)

Bob Morton may not be the type of person to carry a chip on his shoulder, but few can blame him if he does. After being a regular starter two years ago, Morton was reduced to a platoon player last year. This year he rejoins the starting lineup as right guard.
Over the last few years, I've hit on the fact that the offensive line seems to progress as a group: five guys start together as freshmen and sophomores, slowly get better as they gain experience, then graduate as a unit. Finally it seems that that trend is starting to break. Notre Dame
The Notre Dame offensive line has followed a familiar cycle over the past few years: A new line would come in, grow and gain experience, then graduate as a unit. Then, five new, inexperienced guys would have to step into the starting lineup and suffer the same growing pains before growing together into a cohesive, experienced unit. Hopefully, that trend is coming to an end. The Irish only lost two starters on the line, Dan Stevenson and Mark LeVoir, and one will be replaced by the experienced Morton. That leaves only the right tackle spot, which may go to veteran backup Brian Mattes.
But did I speak too soon? The five projected starters are all seniors and fifth years, so did my offensive line pattern just skip a year? That may be the case, but Irish fans don't seem to be too worried. Charlie Weis stocked his reserves with no less than six offensive linemen among this year's incoming freshman. Some may even see playing time this year. That, and the fact that all six come in highly praised, may help counteract the "young inexperienced" years set to come in 2007 and 2008.

Notre Dame Football PreviewPart I

Quarterback

Spotlight: Brady Quinn

	G	Att-Comp-Int	Yds	TD
2005	12	450-292-7	3919	32

Also Returning: none
Lost: David Wolke (transfer), Darrin Bragg (position change)
Gained: Dan Gorski, Evan Sharpley (DNP as freshmen), Zach Frazer, Demetrius Jones (freshmen)

Again the biggest question at quarterback is the backup. David Wolke fled to McNeese State (McNeese isn't a state) in favor of playing time. That leaves Quinn as the only QB on the Irish roster with any college minutes. Evan Sharpley appears to be the backup, filling a role played by his great uncle Jim Ninowski on the Cleveland Browns 1964 championship team. Sharpley is very athletic and put up good numbers in high school.

Running Back

Spotlight: Darius Walker

	G	Att	Yds	TD
2005	12	253	1196	9

Also Returning: John Lyons, Travis Thomas
Lost: Justin Hoskins (transfer), Jeff Jenkins (graduation)
Gained: James Aldrige, Dex Cure, Munir Prince (freshmen), Junior Jabbie (position change)

In recent years, there never seems to be a shortage of criticism for Notre Dame backs. Prior to his year in exile, Julius Jones was being made "fat and slow" by the strength and conditioning staff, and he had bad hands. The next year, Ryan Grant put up 1000 yards, but he too had band hands, and arguably wasn't as physical a runner as Rashon Powers-Neal. Then Jones came back, and despite great success everyone said he wasn't being used enough. Last year, Darius Walker put up 1500 yards from scrimmage, but there were those who complained about his lack of long runs.
Well, there may have been a reason for Walker's inability to "break the big one." Walker played most of the middle part of the season with a wrap on his thigh. Without it, you may see a little more explosiveness from the junior.
The backup situation is worth keeping an eye on. Travis Thomas was a good change of pace to Walker, earning 63 carries and 5 touchdowns last year. But his reps at tailback may be reduced depending on his performance at linebacker. After Thomas, both James Aldrige and Munir Prince are very talented freshmen. At least one, if both, may see a decent amount of playing time this season. Of course, until they learn blitz pickups, neither will see the field. The X factor at halfback is Junior Jabbie, a junior who only saw one game in two years as a defensive back. His position change didn't make much sense when it happened. But now with the loss of Justin Hoskins and, as mentioned above, Thomas' time at linebacker, this may be Jabbie's best opportunity to contribute.

Fullback

Spotlight: Asaph Schwapp

	G	Att	Yds	TD
2005	12	27	67	0

Also Returning: Matt Augustyn, Ashley McConnell
Lost: Rashon Powers-Neal (graduation)
Gained: Luke Schmidt (freshman)

When looking back at 2005, to put it bluntly, Asaph Schwapp will be remembered for not being Rashon Powers-Neal. First, Schwapp had a goal line fumble with the Irish already trailing MSU 31-17. Then there was the now infamous drive-killing pass from Brady Quinn during the USC game. Schwapp ran out into the flat then stopped, only to watch the pass sail over his head. I still see that as lack of familiarity between the two players more than anything. With a few more games together, Quinn and Schwapp will make that play in their sleep.
Schwapp could see more touches this year, but his offensive prowess may be a moot point. Joining the rotation this year is freshman Luke Schmidt, who is already listed at a powerful 6'3, 230. Schmidt has received quite a bit of praise for his running ability. He can line up in front of Walker to draw away some attention, or he could line up behind Schwapp in short yardage situations.

Faux Pas

An unnamed SI on Campus staffer just sent me an email asking that I post a link to their new Notre Dame fan gallery. The problem? The link he gave was to the USC gallery, not the ND gallery. (The other problems? The picture of the USC fans on the front page of SI on Campus redirects to the Georgia page, while the text link to the USC page is broken and eventually redirects to the NY Times multimedia page.)


Didn't I see you girls at Howl at the Moon last Saturday?

I am going to be generous to the SI staffer and allow him to make up for his mistakes if he does the following:

1. Add a link to Kanka's Sports Page to the SI on Campus blog list. (Now that they've finally figured out that this is an ND blog - sometimes.
2. Allow my dad to trade in his Sports Illustrated with the Ohio State cover for one with the Notre Dame cover. (Since I know that Dad will make a comment about this as soon as he returns from taking my sister to St. Mary's and picks up this week's magazine.)

Wait, I already posted the links, so there goes my bargaining chip. I'm really no good at this whole "negotation" thing.

Notre Dame Football season preview coming soon, I promise - even if it has to come out in bits and pieces.

Williamsport Thoughts

As a baseball fan, I enjoy watching the Little League World Series. It still amazes me to watch dozens of 11- and 12-year-olds that look like they've stepped right out of a Tom Emanski video. These players all have better fundamentals than me, and probably better than a few of Major Leaguers.
But that's not what I think of when I remember my youth baseball days. Little League was about everyone playing and getting a free pop after the game. If you won, maybe you shook up your pop and sprayed it on a teammate, or took a "victory slide" into third base (neither of which was well liked by everyone's mothers). Heck, I don't think my tee ball team won a single game, but we didn't care.
That's not exactly the Little League you see on TV. Cities put together All Star teams, recruiting players based on loose residency guidelines. The kids you see on TV wear Nike uniforms and Under Armour wristbands. Well, it's nice to see Nike supporting youth baseball, as it is to see anyone supporting youth baseball. And I will admit that as a young baseball player, I did want to wear all the cool clothes, shoes, and accessories. But youth baseball is as much about the RBI program as it is about Nike-sponsored All Star teams. It's as much about a run-down field hoping to win the Diamonds in the Rough competition (or just find a few generous local volunteers) as it is about the Chrystler Fieldhouse. (OK, that's a high school basketball gym, but you get my point.)
When I sat down to write this article, I was going to mention how proud I was that my local youth baseball organization wasn't a part of the national Little League Baseball baseball. But then I found their website. The front page promotes fall ball as a means to experiment with switch hitting, to pick up a splitter or circle change pitch, to be noticed by scouts, and to work on a specialized baseball strength training program - "not a program designed by some football coach designed to build hulking, knuckle dragging linebackers." So much for letting kids enjoy a well-rounded childhood.
The official Little League Baseball has a rule requiring every player bat at least once and play three consecutive outs in every game. I'm a huge fan of letting everyone play. If Jimmy AllStar is as great as his parents think, he'll get his fair share of playing time in high school and college. But this may be Johnny Uncoordinated's only chance in organized baseball, so why not let him play. Of course, making this mandatory can make things difficult for coaches, all of which (hopefully) are volunteers. It's easy to get caught up in the game and forget the quiet kid at the end of the bench. Of course, if you designate a special "assistant coach" to keep track of substitutions, even if that's all he or she does, life becomes much easier.
The substitution rule actually came to play in this year's New England semifinal. Home team Vermont was leading New Hampshire with two outs in the top of the final inning - the sixth. Realizing that one player hadn't hit yet, the Vermont manager told his players to start throwing the game. The pitcher started throwing wild pitches, the catcher threw into center field on steals, and the infielders completely missed first base on ground balls. Seeing this, and realize what was going on, the umpire called both managers over and warned them not to make a mockery of the game. The Vermont manager instructed his players to continue, and he and his pitcher were thrown out of the game. The New Hampshire manager somehow decided that the best way to win the game was to have his team attempt to throw it themselves, so the game would end in the top of the 6th without the final Vermont player batting, and an official protest could be filed. So, his hitters swung at every wild pitch, striking out. The game ended, New Hampshire filed its protest, and it was upheld.
The Boston Herald took the New Hampshire side, stating it was all the guy could do to win. The smaller Lynn, MA Daily Item chimed in in favor of Vermont. Was either manager right? As I said, I'm in favor of letting everyone play. But there were other ways for Vermont to let New Hampshire tie the score. Intentional walks arguably would have been a little more legitimate. The New Hampshire manager was just as wrong for making his team throw the game. In doing so, he chose to win on a technicality instead of letting things be decided on the field. When I was in little league, we were once down 11 runs going into the last inning. We scored 12 in the top of the 6th, but were nearing our time limit. The bottom of the 6th would have to start before a certain time for our 12-run half inning to even count. A few heads-up kids on our team yelled at our batter to stike out on purpose to get out on the inning. But fortunately our coach refused. We lost, but we lost with class. New Hampshire, meanwhile, beat Connecticut 3-0 in the regional championship to advance to Williamsport.
What's my point? (Is there a point?) Enjoy the Little League World Series, but remember that that there's much more to youth baseball than what you see on TV. And remember it is, or at least it should be, about a bunch of young kids having some good old fashioned fun.

Now Hiring

A few broadcasters found themselves without jobs recently, and here I would like to formally extend to them an invitation to join the Kanka's Sports Page team.

• Michael Reghi, Cavaliers TV play-by-play announcer. I was shocked when I came back from vacation to find this out. Reghi had been working with both the Baltimore Orioles and the Cavs until he decided to resign from the Orioles to spend more time in Cleveland. He had gained notoriety over the past year for his excitable and unique slam dunk calls, using phrases such as "Flight 23" (for LeBron James) and "coming out of the attic."
  Reghi was one of my three favorite Cleveland broadcasters, along with Joe Tait and Tom Hamilton. Tait has been a fixture for all Cleveland sports for 30+ years. I know him mostly as the Cavaliers radio announcer. His unique basketball terminology is often immitated throughout the area. For instance, the half-court line is the timeline or center stripe, and the free throw line is the "charity stripe," surrounded by "the circle." And, of course, when you cross the timeline, you enter the forecourt. Tait is also known for his slam dunk call, "Wham with the right hand!" Hamilton has been the voice of the Indians for many years, and it's hard for me not to love the Voice of Summer that I grew up with.
  Reghi got excited when things were going well, but was never afraid to point out when things weren't going well, especially when players weren't giving their best effort. I had always thought that that made him a little "homer"-ish, but allegedly he was fired for being too objective. He will be replaced by Fred McLeod, who had been doing Pistons broadcasts, but is originally from the Cleveland area. McLeod is said to be an extreme homer, and I'm almost afraid to find out what that means. He will be watched with a sharp eye (or listened too with a sharp ear) by many this season. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert made this decision, and much has been made of Gilbert's ties to the Detroit area. We'll have to see how this new exiteable, super-homer approach to Cavaliers broadcasts works out.
  Fortunately for Reghi, or perhaps for Reghi fans, he just signed a contract extension with Fox Sports Ohio, and still does basketball broadcasts for the MAC. So, he should still be seen in the Cleveland area from time to time.


• Harold Reynolds was fired from ESPN for repeated sexual harrassment. I don't mean in any way to make light of this situation. ESPN supposedly has a history of rampant sexual harrassment. If that is the case, they no doubt are not too lenient about it these days. But as a middle infielder and a player, I enjoyed the "love of the game" and positive vibe Harold brought to Baseball Tonight. He also was a good fit for the Little League World Series. He didn't have any deep analysis, but he was able to explain the fundamentals well - perfect for any young Little Leaguers watching at home.


• Finally, it doesn't look like Al Leiter's doing anything right now. When he sat in on playoff broadcasts, Leiter brought great insight into what it was like to be a pitcher. As a player who never pitcher, I found him to be very informative.

Transaction Wire:MLB Trade Deadline Extravaganza

Mets trade Jorge Julio to the Diamondbacks for Orlando Hernandez. The Mets needed to solidify the back end of their rotation. Getting rid of a reliever who has gotten progressively worse over the past few years didn't hurt.

Cubs Trade Jerry Hairston to the Rangers for Phil Nevin. At the time, the Cubs needed a replacement for the injured Derek Lee. Having no shortage of second basemen, Hairston was expendable. Adding Hairston made sense for Texas at that point in the season. Untested rookie second baseman Ian Kinsler was injured. This was also before Gary Matthews fully broke out, and when Brad Wilkerson was struggling to make contact, so Hairston could also have been another solution in center field.

Mets trade Kaz Matsui to the Rockies for Eli Marrero. Matsui was a bust in New York, as evidenced by the fact that the Rockies sent him directly to AAA. Marrero can play catcher, first, and the outfield. With Todd Helton's resurgence, and with young players proving themselves at the other positions, Marrero was no longer needed in Colorado. So, he became another right-handed option off of the Mets bench, and a veteran presence in the outfield.

Devil Rays trade Joey Gathright and AAA 2B Fernando Cortez to Kansas City for AAA LHP JP Howell. Gathright may be the fastest player in all of baseball. However, without developing his other tools, he's little more than a flashy gimmick. Now that Rocco Baldelli, Tampa Bay has a surplus of outfielders in the majors and at AAA. Of course, at 24 he still has time to develop (or not) in Kansas City.

Dodgers trade Dioner Navarro, Jae Seo, and AA OF Justin Ruggiano to Tampa Bay for Mark Hendrickson and Toby Hall. Navarro was supposed to be the centerpiece of the deal that sent Randy Johnson from Arizona to the Yankees, and also of the deal that sent Shawn Green from LA to Arizona. But, Russell Martin Wally Pipp-ed him in LA, so he's on the move again. In return, they get a veteran catcher in Hall who can back up the young Martin while the Dodgers play for the NL West pennant. The Dodgers also got a decent veteran in Hendrickson in exchange for a prospect at JAE SEO! JAE SEO! JAE SEO!

Indians trade Eduardo Perez to the Mariners for AAA SS Asdrubal Cabrera. Indians also trade Ben Broussard to the Mariners for Shin-Soo Choo. Perez and Broussard were Cleveland's first base platoon going into this season, and the plan was working very well. However, it was widely assumed that Perez would be the first player to be traded if the Indians weren't competing. Broussard was also heavily rumored to be traded, as he was in the midst of a decent season offensively. (Of course, Broussard's long swing makes him an incredibly streaky hitter, and his defense was lacking this year.) So, interestingly enough, both halves of Cleveland's 1B platoon go to the same team in separate deals. Also, the Mariners already have a first baseman in Richie Sexson. Of course, Perez can also play the outfield, and Sexson and Broussard both played some left field early in their career when Jim Thome was entrenched at first for the Tribe. Any of the three can also DH, especially now that the Mariners are short on outfielders and Raul Ibanez has moved back to left. The last time Seattle sent a young shortstop to Cleveland, it was a guy named Omar Vizquel. Some are hoping Choo will be a poor man's Ichiro. He's already shown a quick swing and two clutch home runs.

Cardinals trade AA OF Terry Evans to the Angels for Jeff Weaver. Weaver was never the same once he left Detroit for the Yankees. Some say it was because he lost his carefree, cutloose edge. With the breakout of his younger brother Jered, Jeff was no longer needed by the Angels. He's now the 5th starter for the Cardinals, replacing another reclaimation project in Sidney Ponson.

Mariners trade Eddie Guardado to Seattle for AA RHP Travis Chick. The Reds have been doing anything and everything to improve their bullpen this year. JJ Putz is having a great season as Seattle's closer, so "Everyday Eddie" was no longer needed.

Devil Rays trade Aubrey Huff to Houston for AA RHP Mitch Talbot and SS Ben Zobrist. Huff had basically been on the trading block for a few years, ever since his production saw a slight decline. He gives Houston a variety of options in the lineup as a 1B/3B/OF. Morgan Ensberg has been struggling through injuries this season. Playing Huff at first, Lance Berkman can move back to the outfield. Or, Berkman can play first with Huff in the outfield. Huff also provides some lefty pop to complement right-handed Preston Wilson and the switch-hitting Berkman.

Reds trade Felipe Lopez, Austin Kearns, and Ryan Wagner to Washington for Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, Royce Clayton, AAA INF Brendan Harris, and A RHP Daryl Thompson. This deal had many scratching their heads, but again Cincinnati was willing to do anything and everything to improve their bullpen. If you look hard enough, there are those who will defend this trade. The Reds began the season with three lumbering, all-or-nothing power hitting outfielders in Kearns, Wily Mo Pena, and Adam Dunn. Perhaps one is enough, and after all they did keep the best one in Dunn. Without Kearns (and Lopez), Ryan Freel has a better chance to play on a regular basis. Also, thanks to Brandon Phillips' breakout, and the presence of a promising minor league middle infielder, perhaps the Reds thought they could afford to give up the 2005 All Star Lopez.

Mets trade Jeff Keppinger to Kansas City for Ruben Gotay. With the Mets pushing for the playoffs, they traded for a player with Major League experience to backup Jose Valentin at second. The veteran Valentin is having a good year so far, but there's no guarantee it will last. Gotay gives the Mets insurance at second, in case Anderson Hernandez isn't quite ready for the bright lights of October. Keppinger, an infielder, didn't look very impressive when I saw him in person. With Hernandez, David Wright, and Jose Reyes presumably set as the Mets infield of the future, there was no room for Keppinger in New York.

Indians trade Bob Wickman to Atlanta for LoA C Maximiliano Ramirez. The Braves had been looking for a closer for years, and they finally found one. This trade either means Indians GM Mark Shapiro is a genius or, as a teammate of mine put it, "on crack." Cleveland was offered several players at higher levels of development for Wickman. In the end, though, Shapiro determined that what the organization needed most was a very young catcher. It's a roll of the dice, and if Ramirez lives up to his potential it may open the door to an exciting new Gammonsesque philosophy on trades. Either way, this is basically a two month rental of Wickman by the Braves, as his contract expires at the end of the season. Ramirez is a solid hitter and is said to be a decent catcher with an arm that's at least better than Victor Martinez'. There are grumblings that Ramirez may need to be moved to another position, but as of right now those are just rumors.

Blue Jays trade Shea Hillenbrand and Vinny Chulk to San Francisco for Jeremy Accardo. Hillenbrand was no longer welcome in Toronto. He's always put up good traditional numbers - average, HR, RBI - but he's been criticized for a low on base percentage. Obviously he may not have been everyone's best friend in the clubhouses he's visited along the way. This deal is interesting because he appears to be a throw-in in a deal for two young relief pitchers. He also didn't garner much value back when Boston traded him to the Diamonbacks for BK Kim. Do GMs value OBP that much more than the traditional hitting categories? Maybe I should ask that question again after I read this book.

Cubs trade Scott Williamson to San Diego for LoA P Joel Santo and Fabian Jimenez. San Diego is trying to compete, and teams that are trying to compete love veteran relief pitchers. Pretty simple, really.

White Sox trade AA RHP BJ LaMura to the Dodgers for Sandy Alomar. Call Dodgers GM Ned Colletti about Kenny Lofton! Find Albert Belle's Lawyer! The White Sox are trying the "win win players from the 1995 Indians" approach again!

Royals trade
1. Mike MacDougal to the White Sox for AA LHP Tyler Lumsden and LoA RHP Daniel Cortes. 2. Jeremy Affeldt and Denny Bautista to Colorado for 1B Ryan Shealy and AAA RHP Scott Dohmann
3. Elmer Dessens to the Dodgers for Odalis Perez and HiA RHP Blake Johnson and Julio Pimentel.
MacDougal is a young fireballer who moved from starter to closer and seemed destined to be a star. When he got injured an lost his confidence, Affeldt was moved from the rotation and tried as a closer. Neither fared too well. Bautista probably would have been tried at closer if he had stayed around long enough, and Dessens definitely would have been tried at closer. But now they're all gone. The White Sox have been looking for right handed relief pitching all season, and apparently are trying anyone with the slightest experience. Affeldt and Bautista get the fun of playing in Colorado now. I'm not too familiar with either's stuff, but hopefully they're fastball pitchers, as breaking stuff doesn't work too well in the thin air. If they are junkballers, their careers are basically over. Shealy was trapped behind Todd Helton at first in the Colorado organization. Now it will be interesting to see how Shealy and AAA 1B and Australian star Justin Huber are used, especially if Mike Sweeney and Doug Mientkiewicz plan on sticking around.

Royals also trade
1. Tony Graffanino to Milwaukee for Jorge de la Rosa.
2. Matt Stairs to Texas for AAA RHP Joselo Diaz.
Corey Koskie is injured, so the Brewers needed someone other than Jeff Cirillo to play third base. Graffanino is a veteran presence who can play all four infield positions, which is very helpful on a team where the first baseman, second baseman, and shortstop combined have only a handful of Major League experience. (Especially when sed second baseman and shortstop are on the DL, as they are right now.) If the Brewers want to get back in the playoff race, Graffanino will help.
Stairs gives the Rangers some lefty pop off the bench (or as the starting DH), and can spell Mark Teixeira at first or either of the corner outfielders.

Rangers trade Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, Laynce Nix, and LoA LHP Julian Cordero to Milwaukee for Carlos Lee and AA OF Nelson Cruz. This is a great move for Milwaukee's bullpen, as they now have former closers Cordero and Danny Kolb setting up Derrick Turnbow. Mench is a very suitable replacement for Lee, considering what else they're gaining. Texas now has a very formidable lineup with Gary Matthews, Michael Young, Hank Blalock, Teixeira, Lee, and Stairs.

Dodgers trade Danys Baez and Willy Aybar to Atlanta for Wilson Betemit. A good trade all around, I'd say. The Braves give up a young 3B/utility infielder who's ready for the big time and in exchange get a young 3B/utility infielder who's a year or two away from being ready, plus an established reliever.

Brewers trade LoA RHP Wilfrido Laureano to Philadelphia for David Bell. So, apparently Graffanino wasn't enough. It looks like Bell will be Koskie's official replacement, with Graffanino surely filling in if and when Bell struggles.

Phillies trade Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle to the Yankees for LoA SS CJ Henry, AAA LHP Matt Smith, and rookie ball C Jesus Sanchez and RHP Carlos Monasterios. If I were commissioner, I would ban salary dumps like this, especially if they involve the Yankees. Henry is supposedly very good, and was a top pick in last year's draft, surprisingly. Normally these deals involve Yankees "prospects" who will never see AAA, much less The Show. I don't know how some GMs and owners can sleep at night after these deals.

Indians trade Ronnie Belliard to St. Louis for Hector Luna. The Cards started the season with a platoon of Junior Spivey and Miles. Spivey was sent packing when he didn't produce. Miles was a starter in Colorado, and put up OK numbers for the Cards. But they couldn't pass up on an established second baseman. Rumblings of Belliard leaving for a bigger contract had haunted the Indians ever since he was signed, so essentially he'd been on the block since day one. Luna and fellow utilityman Joe Inglett look to battle for the starting second base position in Cleveland next year. Interestingly enough, Luna was an Indians prospect twice taken in the Rule V draft (for players with a certain level of experience not on the 40-man roster). In 2002's draft, he was taken by the Devil Rays, but returned when Tampa Bay decided not to keep him on their Major League roster (a stipulation of Rule V). A year later, the Cards took Luna. I think the Tribe will hold onto him this time.

Pirates trade Sean Casey to Detroit for AA RHP Brian Rogers. Obviously Jim Leyland knew something that most of us didn't know. Despite a record hot start to the season, Chris Shelton was never moved from the #6 spot in the lineup. It turns out that Shelton's May was an aberration, as his numbers since have been less than spectacular. On deadline day, Shelton was Carlos Pena'd to AAA in favor of Sean Casey.

Twins trade Kyle Lohse to the Reds for LoA P Zach Ward. Another trade that was seemingly years in the making. Lohse had been bumped from the Twins rotation thanks to the likes of Johan Santana, Carlos Silva, Francisco Liriano, and the dreaded "never lived up to expectations label." Now he's found a new home at the end of Cinncinatti's rotation, and for a rather low cost.

Mets trade Xavier Nady to Pittsburgh for Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernadez. Everyone "knew" that the Mets would be trading an outfielder this July. However, most thought that it would be super-prospect Lastings Milledge, supposedly due to an arrogance issue. Instead, it was Nady, who was finally starting to live up to expectations. The ageless Hernandez, who spent last season with the Mets, returns to fill the hole created by Duaner Sanchez's injury. Perez becomes yet another piece that can be plugged into the back end of the Mets rotation. Meanwhile, it appears that Nady will see some playing time at first for Pittsburgh, replacing the recently departed Sean Casey.

Cubs trade Todd Walker to San Diego for rookie league RHP Jose Ceda. Seemingly underappreciated in Chicago, Walker should see increased playing time in San Diego now that the Vinny Castilla experiment is over. The Padres now have three moveable parts in Walker, Mark Bellhorn, and Geoff Blum who can start at third or spell Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Barfield at first and second. Walker, Bellhorn, and Blum also bring ever-important playoff experience to what is otherwise a very young infield.

Pirates trade Craig Wilson to the Yankees for Shawn Chacon. Something tells me that the Yankees heard so much about how they were going to trade for Craig Wilson, that at the last minute they decided to pick him up to see what he is all about. Wilson will actually serve a useful purpose for the Yanks. Playing him at first allows Jason Giambi to DH. Playing him at third gives New York fans someone else to boo at the hot corner. Playing him in the outfield keeps Bernie Williams on the bench, although something tells me Joe Torre will still allow for plenty of quality Bernie Time. Chacon pitched fairly well as both a starter and a closer in Colorado prior to joining the Yankees, so he's a good pickup for the Bucs.

Pirates trade Kip Wells to the Rangers for AAA RHP Jesse Chavez. And you can now check off "Pirates trade away their one decent starting pitcher" on of your Trade Deadline Bingo sheet.

Cubs trade Greg Maddux to the Dodgers for Cesar Izturis. Izturis is a former Gold Glove winning shortstop who had no place to play with both Rafael Furcal and Jeff Kent on the Dodgers. He's good enough to bat at the top of the lineup for an average team, so benching him would have been a waste. It appears that he'll take over as Chicago's shortstop with young prospect Ronny Cedeno moving to second for the time being. I haven't seen much of Cedeno, but any time you can keep a Gold Glover at short, it's a good move. As for Maddux, I'll let you make up your own sentence involving the words/phrases "veteran," "pennant race," and "shore up the rotation."

Devil Rays trade Julio Lugo to the Dodgers for AAA UT Joel Guzman and HiA OF Sergio Pedroza. Lugo was rumored to be on the block thanks to a career resurgence offensively and defensively in Tampa Bay. He takes over Izturis' spot as the backup middle infielder whose talent is practically being wasted away. Of course, considering Furcal and Kent's respective histories of injury problems, maybe Lugo will see decent playing time after all.

Over the waiver wire, the Red Sox acquire Javy Lopez from Baltimore for a PTBNL. Earlier, the Red Sox acquired AAA LHP Javier Lopez from the White sox for David Riske. Being the elder Javier Lopez, do you think Catcher Javy should make Pitcher Javier grow a goatee, and then convince everyone to start calling Pitcher Javier "Evil Javy Lopez?

Baltimore Ravens acquire Gerome Sapp from the Colts. Evidently the Ravens, who drafted Sapp, were sorry to see him go the first time. Sapp will continue to be a special teams standout for the Ravens, and take over for Ed Reed after Reed's kneecaps have an unfortunate meeting with my softball bat. What? Who said that?

Paul Manieri leaves Notre Dame to become the head baseball coach at LSU. Manieri played for one season for LSU, and the position he is taking is considered one of the dream jobs in all of college baseball. He will be replace by Dave Schrage, formerly of Evansville, who he led to the regional finals this past year. In the interest of brevity (ha), I'll let Manieri's bio and Schrage's bio do the rest of the talking.

The New "Super Joe"

The Indians called up Joe Inglett (right) to The Show recently. The 28-year-old rookie is hitting over .300 in the Majors and will battle Hector Luna for the starting second base position in 2007. (For more information on Luna, see my Transaction Wire Extravaganza, hopefully coming in the next few days.) I don't know if Inglett will be able to keep up this performance over a full season, but I have my fingers crossed.

How could I not love this 5-10, 180 lb, high sock and single digit wearer who's the best sacrifice bunter on the team and a speedy hustler who is primarily a second baseman but can play a total of six positions? Sure, I'll call the Gammonsesque mancrush now.

Teams you love to hate but will occasionally root for

by F-Bomb

From time to time the average college football will fill his day with other games while waiting for their game to come on. So when we sit down to watch a rivalry game like that of Michigan and Michigan State, we must pick someone to root for, but who? I say to this we must root for MSU. Despite the fact that ND has suffered at the hands of MSU a ton over the past several years, we must pull for them. This all stems from the history of MSU and Michigan. Basically Michigan tried to blacklist MSU from joining the Big Ten conference prior to 1950. Often Michigan looks at MSU as the bastard step child while U of M is the prim and proper heir to the throne of everything. So rooting for MSU is rooting for the underdog everywhere. It’s the same as rooting for Rocky or Rudy. So once again we find ourselves rooting for those we hate.

This occurs with other Notre Dame opponents as well.

When you see the famed winged helmets of Michigan hatred brews from deep within.

Being Notre Dame Alums, we hate Michigan like no other team on our schedule. We can all point to one game or another over the years where Michigan has just killed ND in terms of score or their spirit. However lately I have found myself rooting for the Maize and Blue. This is blasphemous for sure but it’s the lesser of two evils when they play those Scarlet and Gray wearing Hellions from Columbus. So here we are, as the title of the article suggests, rooting for a team we love to hate.

You can even root for Purdue but that is solely out of pity for them.

Now, from year to year the balance may swing from one team to the other. These choices for teams to root for are not concrete. Years when Ohio St. is down and Michigan is up then we switch but I really dislike OSU.

You may ask yourself if it’s ever alright to root for USC or Ohio State and the short answer to that is as long as they are winning this much, then NO.

So in the end its alright to root for ND opponents.

On the Bandwagon

OK, so I didn't buy an XBox 360. But I did finally break down and buy a PS2. It's one of the newer, "slimline" models, and it's pretty nice. Babbage's had quite a few copies of NCAA Football 07 in a locked display case. I held my breath when I asked for it, though, as the salesperson easily could have handed me a copy with a Brutus Buckeye cover [PDF]. I also picked up MVP NCAA Baseball 06 (ping!) and NCAA March Madness, featuring the back of Bill "D-Day" LaFleur's head.

My blog productivity has been poor as of late, and these purchases certainly won't help. Which reminds me - before I go on vacation, guest columns are due by 5 PM Eastern this Wednesday.

Oh, and if I decide to get Madden this year, I already have an image picked out for the custom cover:


Yes Andy, I do have to talk like that.
I hope your fiancee can protect you.

NBA Draft "Never Heard of Him": Year 2

A few weeks back, I posted this year's "Never Heard of Him" poll results. Now that the draft is done, it's time to crunch numbers.

For each of our pollster's names, a 1 indicates that that person has heard of the player. A 0 means they have never heard of the player.
For the Round, -1 indicates the player later withdrew from the draft. 0 means they remained draft eligible but went undrafted. I included only players who went to American colleges, since I apparently did the same thing last year. I know the formatting sucks, but just bear with me please.

Player College	Andy	Dave	Ellen	Hatton	Kanka	Klondike	Tara	Total	Pick	Round	Overall
Akbar Abdul-Ahad Idaho State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Arron Afflalo UCLA	1	1	0	1	1	0	0	4	0	-1	0
LaMarcus Aldridge Texas	1	1	0	1	1	0	1	5	2	1	2
Morris Almond Rice	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Renaldo Balkman South Carolina	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	20	1	20
Larry Blair Liberty	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Will Blalock Iowa State	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	30	2	60
Jahsha Bluntt Delaware State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Josh Boone Connecticut	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	6	23	1	23
Ronnie Brewer Arkansas	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	14	1	14
Bobby Brown Cal State-Fullerton	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Shannon Brown Michigan State	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	3	25	1	25
Derek Burditt Blinn College (TX)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LeRoy Dawson Emporia State (KS)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Travis DeGroot Delta State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Guillermo Diaz Miami (FL)	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	22	2	52
Cem Dinc Indiana	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	3	0	-1	0
Quincy Douby Rutgers	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	5	19	1	19
Mike Efevberha Cal-State Northridge	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
Carl Elliott George Washington	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	-1	0
Jordan Farmar UCLA	1	1	0	1	1	0	1	5	26	1	26
Nick Fazekas Nevada	1	1	0	1	1	0	0	4	0	-1	0
Thomas Gardner Missouri	1	1	0	1	0	1	0	4	0	0	0
Rudy Gay Connecticut	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	6	8	1	8
Reggie George Robert Morris College (IL)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Daniel Gibson Texas	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	0
Aaron Gray Pittsburgh	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	6	0	-1	0
LeShawn Hammett St. Francis (PA)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Brandon Heath San Diego State	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	-1	0
Tedric Hill Gulf Coast CC (FL)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Clarence Holloway IMG Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Ekene Ibekwe Maryland	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	0	-1	0
Donald Jeffes Roxbury CC (MA)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Alexander Johnson Florida State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	2	45
David Johnson Clinton JC (SC)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Trey Johnson Jackson State	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	-1	0
Coby Karl Boise State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Mark Konecny Lambuth University (TN)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kyle Lowry Villanova	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	6	24	1	24
Aleks Maric Nebraska	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Japhet McNeil East Carolina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Paul Millsap Louisiana Tech	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	2	47
Matt Mitchell Southern University-New Orleans	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Adam Morrison Gonzaga	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7	3	1	3
Patrick O'Bryant Bradley	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	9	1	9
Evan Patterson Texas Wesleyan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Danilo (J.R.) Pinnock George Washington	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	28	2	58
Leon Powe California	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Richard Roby Colorado	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Rajon Rondo Kentucky	0	1	0	1	1	0	1	4	21	1	21
Blake Schilb Loyola University (IL)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	-1	0
Mustafa Shakur Arizona	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	6	0	-1	0
Cedric Simmons North Carolina State	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	15	1	15
Marcus Slaughter San Diego State	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
Curtis Stinson Iowa State	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	0
Tyrus Thomas LSU	0	1	0	1	1	0	1	4	4	1	4
P.J. Tucker Texas	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	6	5	2	35
Jontae Vinson Cal State- Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Ian Vouyoukas St. Louis	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	-1	0
Darius Washington Jr. Memphis	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0
Albert Weber Connors State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Marcus Williams Connecticut	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	6	22	1	22
Shawne Williams Memphis	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	5	17	1	17

For those of you who like pretty pictures, here's the graphical evidence, including only those players who left school early.



This year's results break down thusly:

Type	Total "Heard of Hims"	Players	Average
Withdrew	32	26	1.230769231
Undrafted	16	15	1.066666667
Round1	68	16	4.25
Round2	11	6	1.833333333
Drafted (Combined)	79	22	3.590909091

Combined with last year's numbers, you get results like this:

Type	Total "Heard of Hims"	Players	Average
Withdrawn	62	40	1.55
Undrafted	25	20	1.25
Round1	106	32	3.3125
Round2	18	13	1.384615385
Drafted (Combined)	124	45	2.755555556

As you can see, the difference between being taken in the second round and not being taken at all is still slim. But some trends are beginning to form. If close to half of the people polled have heard of you, you should get drafted. If 60% or more have heard of you, you have a good chance at the first round.

Well, that's it for this year. Perhaps next year I can incorporate the following things:

• Breaking down the first round into lottery/non-lottery picks.


• Comparing Big East players to non-Big East players (since all people polled to date have been Notre Dame fans, and therefore more familiar with the Big East).


• Include foreign players.


• See what affect CBS's annual "Tournament Human Interest Story about a Guy With a Very Cool Name" has on name recognition.

By the way, I'd like to say hello to His Eminence Cardinal Tauran, Vatican Archivist and Librarian, who Googled himself and came across my "Who Will be the Next Pope?" column.

What We're Working On

...or at least thinking of working on.

• NBA Draft "Never Heard of Him" results. No, really - I have the numbers somewhere.


• A massive Transaction Wire, coming right after the MLB trade deadline, and including thoughts on the trade of Gerome Sapp to the Ravens, Jeff Samardzija's callup to Low A Peoria, and ND baseball's coaching situation.


• A "best case scenario" look at current and former Cleveland Indians still active in the majors.


• First-person reporting from Browns training camp!


• Guest columns galore! (Hint, hint.)

KankaManiacs can also look forward to the following events (which I may or may not have made up):

• Kanka's 2007 Midwest Barnstorming Tour


• Notre Dame Bloggers Tailgate, possibly coinciding with the band reunion/Third Kankaversary celebration Stanford weekend.


• Win a Date with Kanka Contest (Those currently engaged to fellow KankaManiacs are inelligible.)

Last, pop quiz: Separated at birth?

Breaking Down the MLB All Star Voting

I broke each position down four ways. First is the actual fan voting winner, followed by the guy with the best statistical season. Next is the Peter Gammons-friendly choice, a young up-and-comer (or an old up-and-comer), or a veteran come back from the dead. Finally is the name I put down on the ballot. Now, I'm not afraid to say that I'm an Indians fan, and I'm not afraid to vote that way. I don't always vote along party lines, but I have no qualms with voting for a Clevelander who's got a legitimate argument.

American League

Catcher

Fan's Pick: Pudge Rodriguez
By the Numbers: Joe Mauer
Gammonsesque Pick: Mauer
My Pick: Victor Martinez
Pudge won a close vote against Mauer by virtue of being a guy that people have heard of. With a .378 average and 7 steals, Mauer is playing more like a young Kirby Puckett (or even a young Tony Gwynn) than a young Matt Walbeck. He'll get to backup Rodriguez.
Martinez has the edge over Rodriguez in most offensive categories. He has more homers and RBI than Mauer, and trails only Roberto Hernandez among AL catchers in those categories. Arguably, Hernandez is another AL snub.

First Base

Fan's Pick: David Ortiz
By the Numbers: Ortiz
Gammonsesque Pick: Justin Morneau
My Pick: Travis Hafner
This is one of a few AL positions with a Red Sock and a Yankee in the top two in votes. Ortiz and Jason Giambi are deserving to some extent. But if Paul Konerko or Hafner (who finished third and fourth, respectively) were beneficiaries of the East Coast Bias, they would probably be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. (Well, Konerko is, but that's another story.)

Second Base

Fan's Pick: Mark Loretta
By the Numbers: Tad Iguchi
Gammonsesque Pick: Jose Lopez
My Pick: Lopez
Yet another position where Boston and New York finished 1-2. Robinson Cano was leading the voting for a while, probably until his injury. However, his numbers are nothing spectacular. Loretta is having a decent season, and he's always been a solid ballplayer. Still, you have to wonder how many Boston fans who voted for him were saying "who is this guy?" at the beginning of the season.
Lopez, who was selected as a backup, and Iguchi have a definite argument here. I'll let the numbers speak for themselves.

	AVG	R	HR	RBI
Loretta	.305	44	3	37
Iguchi	.287	57	10	40
Lopez	.280	48	9	58

Third Base

Fan's Pick: Alex Rodriguez
By the Numbers: Rodriguez
Gammonsesque Pick: Troy Glaus
My Pick: Glaus
You'll never guess who finished second: Boston's Mike Lowell. Lowell is having a decent season, and is a legit contender for Comeback Player of the Year.
Arguments about Joe Crede and his defense aside, there isn't a young up-and-coming AL third baseman with a legitimate argument for the All Star team. So, the Gammonsesque pick goes to Glaus, on whom the Angels gave up several years ago. His average is mediocre (.241), but he does have 23 HR, 60 R, and 60 RBI. Glaus will backup A-Rod and participate in the Home Run Derby.

Shortstop

Fan's Pick: Derek Jeter
By the Numbers: Jeter/Miguel Tejada
Gammonsesque Pick: Michael Young/Orlando Cabrera
My Pick: Tejada
This one's basically a tossup. Jeter has better stats as a tablesetter, batting 30 points higher than Tejada with 14 more SB. But Tejada, who's no slouch with a .315 average, his 12 more HR, 4 more R, and 10 more RBI.
Michael Young is having a typical Michael Young year, so he's barely Gammonsesque any more. Cabrera, typically a role player, deserves some credit for his best numbers since his final season in Montreal.
Tejeda and Young will backup Jeter while Cabrera stays home.

Outfield

Fan's Picks: Manny Ramirez, Vlad Guerrero, Ichiro!
By the Numbers: Ramirez, Vernon Wells, Grady Sizemore
Gammonsesque Picks: Raul Ibanez, Jermaine Dye, Mags Ordonez
My Picks: Sizemore, Wells, Ibanez
Well, you can't argue with the numbers of the top three guys. But Wells is having a great season. Toronto fans have been waiting for years for him to break out and become a superstar; it looks like he's finally made that leap. Sizemore is a star on the rise that gives his all on every play. He'll end up a #3 hitter some day, but for now he's doing a great job in the leadoff spot. He's first in the AL with 71 runs and is on pace for 30 homers. Plus, he's a Web Games staple.
The Gammonsesque picks pay tribute to some veterans who have shown some longevity and endurance. Ibanez has quitely become a "stat sheet stuffer" over the past few years in Seattle. This season he has 20 homers and 70 RBI already. And, even with Jim Thome on his team, I don't know how Dye hasn't been getting more press with a .318 average and 25 HR and 68 RBI of his own. Ordonez, meanwhile, looks like the Ordonez of old with a .312 average and 62 RBI.
Dye, Sizemore, Wells, and Ordonez will be the backup outfielders, along with Texas' Gary Matthews, Jr., who is also having a solid season. (And did you see that catch?)

National League

Catcher

Fan's Pick: Paul Lo Duca
By the Numbers: Johnny Estrada/Michael Barrett
Gammonsesque Pick: Brian McCann
My Pick: McCann
Estrada and Barrett are neck-and-neck numbers-wise, but Lo Duca gets the edge thanks to a large city fanbase and a the Mets' spectacular record.
McCann, Lo Duca's backup, is essentially Mauer's NL counterpart. The 22-year-old was leading the NL in hitting before an injury. He's still batting .343. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to lose his job to fellow prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia this past spring.

First Base

Fan's Pick: Albert Pujols
By the Numbers: Pujols
Gammonsesque Pick: Nomar Garciaparra/Ryan Howard
My Pick: Pujols
Well, it's Albert Pujols. Duh. Garciaparra and Howard both put up numbers worthy of making the NL team, but for different reasons. Garciaparra is leading the NL with a .358 average, while Howard has 27 HR and 72 RBI. Lance Berkman, also having a stellar season, will be in Pittsburgh as a first baseman/outfielder/Home Run Derby participant.

Second Base

Fan's Pick: Chase Utley
By the Numbers: Utley
Gammonsesque Pick: Dan Uggla
My Pick: Uggla
This solidifies Utley's star status, as if the .312 average, 16 HR, and 71 runs weren't enough. Uggla has been a very pleasant suprise on a Florida team that wasn't supposed to do anthing this year. Uggla will backup Utley.
Hometown star Jose Castillo finished second in the voting, but unfortunately didn't make the roster. Castillo keeps getting his name in the news, both for his glove and his bat. I'm really starting to like this kid. His future is very bright and he's sure to be an All Star one day.

Third Base

Fan's Pick: David Wright
By the Numbers: Wright
Gammonsesque Pick: Garrett Atkins/Freddy Sanchez/Ryan Zimmerman
My Pick: Wright

Wright is another young player whose star status was cemented by this year's All Star voting. It's hard to pick between Wright, Miguel Cabrera, and Scott Rolen, so the NL squad took all three.
Also on the team is local star Freddy Sanchez, who is percentage points behind Nomar with a .358 batting average. The former top Red Sox prospect will certainly be an asset to the Senior Circuit team, as he can play all three infield positions. The Rockies, like the Marlins, are playing well when no one expected them to. One of the reasons why is Atkins, who is hitting .306 with 11 HR and 55+ runs and RBI.
Zimmerman is an especially Gammonsesque player. A year out of college, everyone knew he was already Gold Glove caliber defensively. But most didn't think he was anywhere near the Major League level as a hitter. He's silenced critics so far with a .287 average, 12 HR, and 59 HR. With Wright, Cabrera, and Zimmerman all under the age of 25, NL fans will enjoy quality hot corner plays for the next decade at least.

Shortstop

Fan's Pick: Jose Reyes
By the Numbers: Reyes
Gammonsesque Pick: Hanley Ramirez/Bill Hall
My Pick: Reyes
Reyes leads all of baseball with 75 runs and 39 steals, with a .300 average to boot. Hard to argue with that.
Ramirez and Hall have put up decent numbers, but perhaps not All Star quality. Ramirez, another former Red Sox shortstop prospect, is having a decent rookie season with 69 runs and 26 steals. Utilityman Hall has 17 HR and has played well defensively at a number of positions.

Outfield

Fan's Picks: Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran, Alfonso Soriano
By the Numbers: Beltran, Matt Holliday, Carlos Lee
Gammonsesque Picks: Bay, Beltran, Soriano
My Picks: Bay, Beltran, Holliday
Carlos Beltran has faced some heavy criticism over the past few years. Twenty-five homers, 12 steals, 66 runs, 68 RBI, and a .279 average should do well to silence those critics. Bay's 21 HR and 66 RBI are enough to legitimize the hometown poster boy's spot in the starting lineup. Soriano may not be a leadoff hitter, but he is on pace for a 40-40 season in homers and steals.
Holliday is another surprise out of Colorado, with a .337 average (hoo hoo), 16 HR, and 61 R. Carlos Lee is having an average year by his standards, with a .290 average, 26 HR and 73 RBI. They'll be joined on the bench by Andruw Jones, who has 20 RBI and 75 RBI. Jones continues to develop into a solid all-around hitter, instead of just an all-or-nothing guy.

Get Well Soon, Peter Gammons

I was planning on writing another "Transaction Wire" column today, but it just didn't seem right. Not before mentioning the king of the trade rumor, the only man who knows more obscure prospect names than I do, Peter Gammons. Gammons was found to have a brain aneurysm on Tuesday. He's since had surgery, which went well. Gammons is currently listed in good condition, but will be in the Intensive Care Unit for the next 10-12 days.
Like fellow J.G. Taylor Spink Award recipient Hal Lebovitz, Gammons reminds fans of a bygone time when sportswriters were basically positive individuals. In this day and age, anyone with a keyboard can disparage anyone else. People cut from their high school baseball team make up for it by criticizing the motives and moves of professional athletes and teams. Not so with Gammons. He looks at the game of baseball with a childlike passion and optimism. Every utility infielder from Class A Palookaville has all the potential in the world. People like Gammons and Lebovitz don't need "secret inside sources," because they've earned the trust of players and general managers. They don't need to write shock pieces to draw readership, because their informative, truthful, quality writing builds its own fan base. This is by no means an obituary for Gammons, as I know his passion and optimism will help him pull through. Instead, this is a tribute to a class act.
For the latest news on Gammons, I would trust his employer, ESPN. If you'd like to leave a comment for Gammons, as so many have already, you can do so here. My fellow Gammons fanatics at Deadspin have a nice feature on him as well.
Finally, I'll leave you with a quote from Gammons' Spink Award acceptance speech. It's good advice for everyone, not just sportswriters.

Throughout my career I have tried to be guided by one principle, that because I am human I have the right to like people. But because I am professional, I have no right to dislike any one.

EDSBS Round Table

Every Day Should Be Saturday took a turn with some Round Table questions. Even though I'm not a blogpoller, I still decided to throw my two cents in. Here goes.

1. Education. List the region of the country you were born in, what universities you attended and at least one other you would have attended if your alma mater didn’t exist.

Born and raised in Ohio - Cleveland area.

BS in Computer Engineering from Notre Dame - thus explaining all the bells and whistles (and lack of artistic eye) on my site. Supposedly doing some grad school work at Ohio U in the near future.

If Notre Dame didn't exist? I looked at Kettering and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Cleveland State is my dad's alma matter. There are also the local options - Case Western, and the Jesuit school John Carroll.

2. Sports Affiliations. List your top 10 favorite teams in all of sports in decending order. For instance, your alma mater’s football team may be number 1, but perhaps there is a professional team that squeezes in before you get to your alma mater’s lacrosse team.

1. Notre Dame football
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Cleveland Browns
4. Notre Dame women's basketball
5. Notre Dame baseball
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
7. Notre Dame men's basketball
8. Any team that wears USA across their chest
9. Any team that wears IRISH across their chest
10. The underdog

3. Movies. List the movie you’ve watched the most, your favorite sports related movie, the movie you secretly love but don’t like to admit it (possibly a chick flick or b film), and the movie you were (or still are) most looking forward to from this summer’s season.

Most: I watch Rudy every time it's on TBS. But it would probably be something that goes back to my childhood: The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music (yeah, I said it), or the Adam West-era Batman.

Favorite Sports Movie: I'll be cliche: Rudy. But, if you play recreational baseball or softball in the Cleveland area, you develop a deep apprecation for Major League and Major League II. Field of Dreams is up there, too.

Secretly Love: 10 Things I Hate About You

4. Music. List your favorite band from middle school, high school, college and today. Also, as with the movies, include the song you secretly love but don’t like to admit. If Nickleback is involved in any of these responses, please give a detailed explanation as to why, god, why.

Middle School: The Monkees - I grew up watching reruns of the show.

High School: When you're 17, and the girl you like is a huge Beatles fan, you start digging through your parents' record collection for their Beatles albums.

College: I would have to define this as my Snoop/Dre phase.

Today: Um, I don't know. I'm all over the place. Should I try to sound classy and mention my new Thelonious Monk/John Coltrane CD?

Secretly Love: Anything by Kelly Clarkson. It's good music. Kelly is "attainable hot," and I may or may not have a thing for passionate women.

5. Books. Favorite book you’ve finished, worst book you’ve finished and the book you really should read but haven’t gotten around to it.

Favorite Book: Kurt Vonnegut is my favorite author. I'd have to go obscure and pick Player Piano, the story of an engineer who decides to give up the business and move to a farm in the middle of nowhere. Sounds like a great idea.

Worst Book I've Finished: If a book is that bad, I just won't finish it. I will admit that I struggled through the first half of Catch-22 until I realized that it was being intentionally absurd. From that point on I couldn't put it down.

Should Read: I didn't finish any book I was assigned in 12th grade. The Great Gatsby, what I read of it, was good, and I keep saying that I'll read the whole thing one day. I also plan to one day read all 1700+ combined pages of Ayn Rand's Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. No, really.

6. Travel. Favorite city you’ve every been to and the one place you still must visit before you shuffle off this mortal coil.

Favorite City: I've only been to the Washington, DC, area once, and I can't wait to get back this summer.

Still Must Visit: My homeland, Slovakia. As I understand it, I'm from the town of Kosice.

7. What do you love most about college football in 20 words or less?

Passion, intensity, pageantry. That I have a blog and am compelled to answer another blog's questions speaks for itself.

Hey, Do You Like Women?

I hope I have your attention now. You see, I learned something today. Title IX is about more than sports. It's about an end to discrimination in all academic programs. Some would even say that it's about keeping tabs on sexual harassment and opening career choices for women - and men.

Several sportswriters enjoy going out of their way to put down women's sports. Hey, if you don't like a particular sport, male or female, that's fine. But if you feel the need to continuously mention women's sports just to demean them, that doesn't speak well of your psyche. Besides, you're missing the big picture. Everyone should have the goal of being a well-rounded individual. Title IX and women's sports allow girls and women of all ages not only to participate in sports, but also to have positive role models of a healthy lifestyle. Mr. Sportswriter, when your docile trophy housewife (who nods and smiles politely every time your words demean women in any fashion), bears you a daughter, would you rather have that daughter look up to a shallow, petty socialite, or an active, well-rounded professional athlete?

In March of 2005, changes were passed that arguably loosen the compliance requirements of Title IX. Soccer star Julie Foudy and Save Title IX have put together some material on these changes. If you like pictures and sound, check out this flash video. If you prefer words, or don't like the fact that there are so many UConn players in the video, read this PDF factsheet. Either way, be sure to also check out this FAQ, including the "10 Key Areas of Title IX" list in the left sidebar. Finally, I'm not a big "cause" person myself, so I won't request that you sign Save Title IX's petition. However, if you choose to, the petition is found here.

Thank you. I'll be stepping off of my soapbox now to go play some coed softball.
(A grateful hat tip to reader Tara.)

NBA Draft Predictions

Last year, I Introduced the "Never Heard of Him" theory for NBA Draft Early Entrants. Here are last year's results. I know it's far too small a sample set, but I'm going to draw some premature conclusions from that data. As you can see, players taken in the first round on average were familiar to just over 50% of the people participating. Players in the second round were familiar to 25% of the people participating.
Last year we had four people participate. This year it's seven. Now I'll draw on two of my favorite sources - fuzzy math and a sportswriter's ability to make predictions based on far too little input data - to make these bold predictions for the 2006 NBA Draft.
Full coverage of this year's "Never Heard of Him" results will come some time after Tuesday's draft.

"With the first pick in the 2006 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors select..." 7/7
Adam Morrison Gonzaga

Lottery Picks 6/7
Josh Boone UConn
Rudy Gay UConn
Aaron Gray* Pitt
Kyle Lowry Villanova
Mustafa Shakur* Arizona
PJ Tucker Texas
Marcus Williams UConn

First Rounders 5/7
LaMarcus Aldridge Texas
Quicy Douby Rutgers
Jordan Farmar UCLA
Shawne Williams Memphis

Late First/Early Second Round 4/7
Arron Afflalo* UCLA
Nick Fazekas* Nevada
Thomas Gardner Missouri
Rajon Rondo Kentucky
Tyrus Thomas LSU

Second Rounders 3/7
Shannon Brown Michigan St
Cem Dinc* Indiana
Daniel Gibson Texas
Ekene Ibekwe* Maryland
Patrick O'Bryant Bradley
Curtis Stinson Iowa St

Contenders for Mr. Irrelevant 2/7
Will Blalock Iowa St
Guillermo Diaz U of Miami
Mike Efevberha Cal St Northridge
Marcus Slaughter San Diego St
Ian Vouyoukas* St Louis
Darius Washington, Jr. Memphis

Mr. Agent, the NBDL is on Line 1 1/7
Renaldo Balkman South Carolina
Ronnie Brewer Arkansas
Carl Elliot* George Washington
Brandon Heath* San Diego St
Trey Johnson* Jackson St
Danilo (JR) Pinnock George Washington
Black Schilb* Loyola (IL)
Cedric Simmons NC St
Andrea Bargnani Benetton Treviso (Italy)
Sun Yue* Beijing Aoshen Olympians (ABA)

Everyone else should have taken a hint from these guys, who went 0/7 and withdrew.
Akbar Abdul-Ahad Idaho St
Morris Almond Rice
Larry Blair Liberty
Jahsha Bluntt Delaware St
Bobby Brown Cal State Fullerton
Derek Burditt Blinn College (TX)
LeRoy Dawson Emporia State (KS)
Travis DeGroot Delta St
Reggie George Robert Morris College (IL)
LeShawn Hammett St. Francis (PA)
Tedric Hill Gulf Coast CC (FL)
Clarence Holloway IMG Academy (FL)
Donald Jeffes Roxbury CC (MA)
Alexander Johnson Florida St
David Johnson Clinton JC (SC)
Coby Karl Boise St
Mark Konecny Lambuth University (TN)
Aleks Maric Nebraska
Japhet McNeil East Carolina
Paul Millsap La Tech
Matt Mitchell Southern University-New Orleans
Evan Patterson Texas Wesleyan
Leon Powe Cal
Richard Roby Colorado
Jontae Vinson Cal St Los Angeles
Albert Weber Connors St
Andriy Agafonov Khimik (Ukraine)
Nemanja Aleksandrov FMP Zeleznik (Serb. & Mont.)
Pape-Philippe Amagou Le Mans (France)
Yannick Bokolo Le Mans (France)
Carlos Cedeno Guaiqueries (Venezuela)
Tadija Dragicevic Crvena Zvezda (Serb. & Mont.)
Lior Eliyahu Hapoel Galil Elyon (Israel)
Rudy Fernandez DKV Joventut (Spain)
Kyrylo Fesenko Mariupol (Ukraine)
Rafael Hettsheimeier Akasvayu Vic (Spain)
Marko Lekic Atlas (Serbia-Montenegro)
Damir Markota Cibona (Croatia)
Mickael Mokongo Chalon (France)
Brad Newley Townsville (Australia)
Oleksiy Pecherov Paris Basket Racing
Hrvoje Peric Split (Croatia)
Kosta Perovic Partizan (Serbia & Mont.)
Giorgos Printezis Olympiacos (Greece)
Milovan Rakovic Atlas (Serbia-Montenegro)
Aleksandar Rindin Gala Baku (Azerbaijan)
Sergio Rodriguez Adecco Estudiantes (Spain)
Dusan Sakota Panathinaikos (Greece)
Renaldas Seibutis Olympiacos (Greece)
Saer Sene Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium)
Sidiki Sidibe Levallois (France)
Tiago Splitter Tau Ceramica (Spain)
Ali Traore Roanne (France)
Ejike Ugboaja Union Bank Lagos (Nigeria)

U.S. vs. Italy Recap

by Mike Hatton, KankaNation FUTBOL! Correspondent

In general, the U.S. looked much better than in their game against the Czech Republic. The attack's were crisper, although the finishing still needs some work. Other than one mental lapse, the defense looked solid, and the midfield controlled posession fairly well. Clint Mathis Dempsey [Mike, I doubt anyone caught this mistake. -ed.] was especially impressive on the right side, and Reyna and Donovan worked well together in the middle.

Why then was the U.S. only able to come away with one point in a 1-1 draw? Look no further than the head referee from Uraguay, who was suspended from the 2002 World Cup do to "inconsistencies."

It was obvious early on that it would be a tightly called game. Italy scored off a free kick when Eddie Pope tried to run a one man offside-trap, letting his man get an easy header past Keller. The U.S. quickly equalized off a free-kick of there own, when the Italian player, trying to clear the ball out for a corner kick, and prevent McBride from having an open net, cleared it into his own net.

Then the cards started coming out. Pope was already carrying a yellow on a ticky-tack foul at this point, when McBride went up for a header, and was elbowed in the face by De Rossi, opening up a cut that required three stitches to close. The red card was well deserved.

Then in the closing minutes of the first half, Pablo Maestroeni came in a little late on a slide tackle, with the ball still on the Italian half. This would normally be a foul at least with maybe a verbal warning, a yellow card at worst. Instead, Pablo was shown a straight red, nullifying the man advantage the American's had.

Minutes into the second half, Pope picked up his second yellow of the match, leading to his ejection, leaving the U.S. to play with 9 men for over 40 minutes.

The remaining 9, bolstered by second half subs Conrad and Beasly, managed to hold off the Italians, and even had a few chances to score the first World Cup goal with only 9 men on the field. If Brian McBride hadn't been offside when Beasly's shot glanced off the Italian keepers hands and into the net.

Some will wonder why McBride, wasn't subbed out for fresh legs in last 10-15. However the best option, Eddie Johnson, who played well against Czech Republic, has limited experience, and maybe wouldn't be the best choice when playing with 9 men.

My only tactical criticism is why wasn't Pope removed at the half. He had already made key mistakes, was carrying a yellow, and would be crucial in the game against Ghana. Now the U.S. is forced to play with a very young back line in a must win tomorrow.

U.S. advancement scenarios:

The U.S. will advance to the second round, likely to play Brazil if...
U.S. win, Italy win
Italy tie up to 2-2, U.S. win by 5+
Italy tie of greater than 2-2, U.S. win by 5+goals more than 2 scored by Czech Republic
Czech Republic win, U.S. win, combined margin of victory 5 or more