BCB, SFU, and P-E-N-S

Quick observations of the week's happenings:

Headline: Curve games postponed Tuesday and Wednesday at Blair County Ballpark due to field conditions

Details: While the tarp probably shouldn't have been left off the field on Monday (the day before the homestand), there's more at work here. The fact that the infield dirt wasn't dry enough on Wednesday points to either improper drainage or, worse, a water source issue as there are two nearby creeks.

Next?: At the very least, it appears a new infield and probably new drain pipes will be necessary sooner rather than later. As a 10-year old field, it's perhaps overdue according to team officials. The rub? Those repairs will likely be pretty expensive (five-, or maybe even six-figure expensive) . Who's paying? Blair County owns the ballpark, the Curve leases it. When asked on the radio version of "Front & Center" about who's responsible for such maintenance and repair costs, Curve President and Managing Partner Chuck Greenberg declined to answer saying "that's a topic for another time and place." When asked whether it was a shared responsibility between the county and the Curve, he essentially repeated his previous answer. While I'm fairly certain the Curve are responsible for routine, day-to-day maintenance as part of their lease agreement, this type of fix wouldn't appear to fit in that category. The Curve are also in the final year of their 10-year lease. Negotiations on a new lease with the field issue added into the mix will take some problem-solving for a county that's already strapped.

Headline: Don Friday hired as St. Francis basketball coach

Details: Friday comes from Div. III Lycoming College where he won regular season and conference tournament titles in his five seasons. He also spent nine seasons at Division I Bucknell as an assistant under recently-retired head coach Pat Flannery. The former Lebanon Valley College player and assistant coach has great Pennsylvania ties and, by the sounds of it, recruiting connections in Philly, Baltimore, D.C. and West Virginia.

Next?: Kudos to SFU Athletic Director Bob Krimmel and the search committee for vetting five excellent candidates. Friday was hired after interviews with Penn St. assistant Kurt Kanaskie, Baylor assistant Matt Driscoll (highly thought of nationally), Pitt-Johnstown head coach Bob Rukavina, and Saint Joseph assistant Mark Bass. It looks like the Red Flash got a great fit with Friday. He has 19 years of coaching and recruiting experience in similar settings to the one found in Loretto. Despite all of that experience, he is fairly young (40) and seems to have a sense of what it will take to make the program competitive again. Now comes the hard part. Welcome to the area, Don.

Headline: The wheels on the Penguins' bandwagon may just fall off from all the people jumping on.

Details: Sure, I know I talk a lot of hockey on the radio version...perhaps too much. However, it's great to see so many people getting involved in following the sport as Pittsburgh makes its sooner-than-expected run at the Stanley Cup. Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride!

Next: As I predicted prior to the series, the Penguins will win it in five games. Philly was too good and resilient to be swept, but Therrien will counter Stevens moves of Game 4 with some of his own on Sunday.

Who Do They Think They Are?

So, let me get this straight...A school coming off its worst season in program history and without a bowl win since Hillary's husband was in office is trying to tell possible opponents their on-campus stadiums aren't big enough for them to visit. Why am I not surprised it's Notre Dame?

Shame on Connecticut's administration for allowing ND to dictate that none of the Huskies' "home" dates in a six game series can be held anywhere in the state (they'll be in NYC or Boston). Kudos to Rutgers for telling the Irish to take a hike. Who's doing who a favor, here? Notre Dame wants to play these schools for possible victories and to enhance their recruiting efforts in the Northeast. This is as arrogant as turning down bowl bids after a less-than-stellar season...implying they are too good to play in a non-marquee game.

Other topics:

The Bucs' release of $10 million man, Matt Morris, is the strongest statement the organization has made in at least a decade that it truly is committed to try to build a winner. The past managing partner wouldn't have had the guts or wherewithal to eat a seven-digit breakfast. Give Bob Nutting and Frank Coonelly credit. I'll be interested to see what Neal Huntington does in June's draft and before the July trade deadline.

There's no doubt Mike Iuzzolino would be a popular pick as the next men's head coach at St. Francis. While he'd generate an initial buzz and possibly ticket and sponsorship sales, I have this nagging feeling it may be too soon. He doesn't have much Division I coaching and recruiting experience and one wonders if the group he would inherit would all be committed to a work ethic that made him the player he was. I'd just hate to see his legendary status at the school tarnished by making a return before he was more seasoned as a coach. Iuzzolino and St. Francis should wait to get back together until the next time the job comes open. I'm thinking Joe Lombardi, who just finished up his second year as head coach at IUP, and has years of Division I coaching experience (including some at Pitt and St. Francis), might be a better return-to-sender hire.

The NFL draft is over and I, for one, am glad. Just can't get into it as much as many of you do. If my Lions had more than one playoff win since 1957, I might feel differently. But they don't, so I don't.

NL and Playoff Predictions

I decided to wait on my National League predictions until today so the Braves and Nationals could shape my entire projection of the NL East. OK, maybe not. So, here goes:

NL East
1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta
4. Washington
5. Florida

Comments: Santana's acquisition is a big deal because it gives the Mets a stopper every fifth day and helps move the rest of their rotation back into better roles. The NYM lineup is strong (to very strong...like Greg Focker's portfolio), so long as it's fairly healthy. The Phils will be ready to pounce on the division title if key Mets wind up on the D.L. for lengthy periods. While they have questions in the back end of their rotation and with Lidge's health, the lineup should produce big numbers (Feliz was a great pickup--both offensively and defensively) and Myers move to the rotation will be positive. I'm not as sold on the Braves as some experts are at the moment. It's a good, young lineup, but let's not assume they'll all put up great years. Beyond Chipper and Tex, it's a crap shoot. I like their pitching, but the rotation is a little geriatric. The Nationals and Marlins are both going in the right direction. Washington, with a new ballpark and respectable lineup, are weak in pitching. The Marlins, despite a Major League low $16 million in payroll, did get very good return in the Cabrera/Willis deal with the Tigers. It will just take them awhile to rebuild--AGAIN.

NL Central
1. Chicago
2. Milwaukee
3. Cincinnati
4. Pittsburgh
5. Houston
6. St. Louis

Comments: Yes, the Cubs have questions in their bullpen and in some spots in their lineup, but their pitching has gotten much better the last two years and Derrek Lee is poised for a bounce-back year. Fukudome appears to be a great addition and there's that long-speculated possibility that Brian Roberts will arrive from Baltimore in a trade soon. The Brewers don't have quite enough in their rotation, bullpen, or defense to be able to wrest the division from the Cubs. They should contend for the wildcard, though. I love Milwaukee's new "Wallbangers" in Fielder, Braun, and company, but scoring scads of runs won't be enough. I really like the Reds pick up of Francisco Cordero and Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo make up an underrated 1-2 punch in the rotation. If this Cueto kids delivers on the rave reviews he got from scouts and media in spring training...look out. Cincinnati will score plenty with that lineup and home ballpark. They just have to pitch better and I think they will. While I'm picking the Pirates fourth, it's less about their improvement (which will be modest), than it is the continued descent of the Astros and Cardinals. Snell, Gorzelanny, Capps and Marte are legitimate talents and Jason Bay should rebound, but how many victories will that really account for? As I've said many times, they are one injury or poor performance away from scrambling because the organization has zero depth. Outside of Carlos Lee and Roy Oswalt, what is there to be excited about as an Astros' fan? Same question in St. Louis, where the house cleaning included the GM and two key pieces of the '06 World Champs (Eckstein and Rolen). Add that to Pujols' fragile elbow and...yikes.

NL West
1. Diamondbacks
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. Padres
5. Giants

Comments: The Snakes look poised for another division title, especially after the addition of Dan Haren. Combined with Webb, Davis, Owings, and eventually The Big Unit...what's not to like about the rotation. The back end of the bullpen will be interesting after trading away their closer, but I have to figure they are confident in what they have. Arizona's young lineup is fun to watch. Ditto for the Rockies' lineup, but beyond Francis and Jimenez the rotation is a little iffy when you're relying on Pirates' castoffs in Wells and Redman once every five days. However, if they can just get six innnings from the starters more often than not, I love Colorado's bullpen. As for the Dodgers, Joe Torre's masterful stroke will be put to the test by his new club. LA is not bad with a good rotation, solid bullpen, the best catcher in the NL and a budding star in first baseman James Loney. But, the rest of the infield is suspect offensively and I'm not sure Andruw Jones will like the change in home ballparks both at the plate and in the field. Peavy, Young, and Maddux comprise a great top of the rotation in San Diego, but will the Padres score enough to win in places like Colorado and San Francisco on a regular basis? Who is Callix Crabbe, by the way? While I think Barry Zito will have a Comeback Player of the Year campaign and their pitching isn't bad overall. I think the offense will be challenged without Bonds and Feliz. Rowand should help, but will he have any help?

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

AL Division Series: Tigers over Mariners, Red Sox over Indians
NL Division Series: Diamondbacks over Phillies, Mets over Cubs

AL Championship Series: Red Sox over Tigers
NL Championship Series: Mets over Diamondbacks

World Series: Mets over Red Sox

AL Forecast & Burnie's Plight

At long last, here are my predictions for the 2008 MLB season (AL today, NL tomorrow). Before you go to your bookie, keep in mind that I had the Tigers and Mets squaring off in the '07 World Series...uh, yeah.

AL East
1. Boston
2. Toronto
3. New York
4. Tampa Bay
5. Baltimore

Comments: I don't care about the trip to Japan and Schilling's injury, the Red Sox are the deepest, well-built team in this division, if not all of baseball. Some may be surprised by my pick of the Blue Jays finishing second. They were injury-plagued last season and Vernon Wells had a down year. I like their one-two punch of Halladay and Burnett and they've got more than enough offense. I just don't like the Yankees' rotation. When you're relying on Pettitte, Mussina, and a couple of talented, but unproven starters, I really don't care how much you hit. The "newly-named" Rays will be improved and you have to love their young, budding stars. James Shields is a stud in-the-making, Scott Kazmir is as-advertised, and Matt Garza was a good addition in a trade with the Twinkies. Then you have Carl Crawford leading a solid lineup. Baltimore is in yet-another rebuild, but I think they have good baseball people in charge now and the return for Bedard was solid. Nick Markakis is probably the best player you've hardly heard of.

AL Central
1. Cleveland
2. Detroit
3. Minnesota
4. Kansas City
5. Chicago

Comments: Top of the Indians' rotation and their setup men are deadly. Plus, any lineup with Sizemore, Hafner, Martinez, and the unsung Ryan Garko will score plenty of runs. Speaking of runs, the Tigers' starting lineup is arguably the best in baseball, though Granderson's absence will be felt early. Detroit has too many pitching questions (rotation and bullpen) to win the division, though. No doubt the Twins' rotation has been significantly weakened by the departures of Santana and Garza, but they have some good young arms that should get them 5-6 innings per night before turning it over to the deepest bullpen in the league. Lest we forget, Minnesota still has guys named Morneau, Mauer, Cuddyer and the newly-acquired, bat-slinging Delmon Young. I really like what Kansas City is doing, but they are still not ready to compete for the division. Gil Meche and Brian Bannister head a decent rotation and Billy Buck is one of the many exciting, young position players the Royals are developing on the big league level. Do I need to waste a sentence on the White Sox? What are they doing? Sure, they'll still hit a few balls over the wall, but I think Williams and Guillen are slowly giving themselves enough rope.

AL West
1. Seattle
2. Los Angeles
3. Texas
4. Oakland

Comments: M's GM Bill Bavasi knows after the acquisition of Erik Bedard, it's now or never for him. The good news is, it looks like that move will be the difference-maker. Bedard, Felix Hernandez, and three innings-eaters like Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, and Carlos Silva comprise a strong rotation. Beltre and Sexson have struggled to hit the longball in the hitter-friendly Safeco, but they have plenty of help in the lineup with Ichiro, Ibanez, Johjima, and Betancourt. The front-end of the Angels' rotation is in severe question to start the season with John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar on the shelf. The offense will get a nice jolt with the addition of Torii Hunter to a middle of the order that includes Vladi, the ageless Garret Anderson, and Gary Matthews, Jr. I really like the Rangers' lineup, especially with the additions of Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley. If they stay healthy, those two will put up huge numbers in that bandbox. Their rotation still stinks and their bullpen is full of questions. The A's are in a full rebuild, but they have good young players that will be ready to star in couple of years in a spanking, new ballpark. It will be interesting to see what Billy Beane will do with the promise of a lot more revenue in 2010.

NL Predictions will arrive on this blog on Saturday. I know. You can hardly wait.

Burnie's Plight
A quick note on Sean Burnett being the Pirates' final cut. I don't think it will be long before we see Burnie back in the big leagues as a reliever. If Phil Dumatrait or Franquelis Osoria stumbles badly or Evan Meek is too inconsistent to keep on the 25-man roster the whole year, look for the former Eastern League Post-Season All-Star to have his contract purchased from Indianapolis. At some point, players being out of options or carried because of Rule 5 restrictions won't outweigh performance. Hang in there, Burnie and congratulations on your new arrival.

Stories That Help Us "Cope"

While Wednesday was a sad day in Steeler Country due to the loss of legendary radio broadcaster Myron Cope, it was also a day to celebrate his life and his impact.

Two regular contributors to "Front & Center", Mike Dudurich and Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review joined me to talk about their beats (golf and hockey, respectively). Before we got to those topics though, I wanted to get their thoughts on the colorful Cope. What followed were stories that brought about the goosebump factor.

Dudurich talked about listening to Cope's commentary on Steelers' broadcasts and remembered reading his award-winning writing for publications such as Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post. The Trib-Review golf writer also admitted, while in his early 20s, he called a sports talk show Cope was hosting in Pittsburgh. Dudurich recounted that he felt like he was "walking on air" after getting to talk to THE Myron Cope.

While conceding that Cope was an acquired taste, he went on to say the Hall of Fame announcer's impact really hit home with him Wednesday morning. That's when his daughter, a freshman at Penn State, sent him a text message that asked simply: "Are you sad today?" Dudurich, who had heard of Cope's passing moments earlier, wondered if she could possibly be referring to the practicioner of "Hmm Hah". So he played dumb and sent a text reply that said "Why?". His daughter quickly replied, "Because Myron Cope died." Dudurich was taken aback. He didn't realize his daughter had paid much attention to the Steelers' broadcasts.

Rossi also relayed several stories of Cope's impact on his life. It began when his high school teacher gave him copies of Cope's articles for Sports Illustrated and inspired him to pursue journalism. It continued when the journalist-turned-broadcaster didn't appreciate and understand the "Angry Young Man" columns that Rossi had ghost-written for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as a budding journalist. Rossi said Cope's reaction to those columns crushed him.

But the story ends well.

In his intermittent coverage of the Steelers for the Tribune-Review in the early 2000s, Rossi said he and Cope developed a "friendly" rapport. Then, when Cope retired in early 2005, Rossi was assigned to cover it. A few days after the story ran, Cope sent a hand-written note to Rossi thanking and complimenting him. The note said something to the effect of "good to see the Angry Young Man is a fine young man and fine writer". Rossi still has the note.

Though I am a relative outsider not having grown up listening to Cope (or reading his work), I came to appreciate his style. He was colorful, candid, funny, mystifying, and enjoyable--all at the same time. No, he wasn't a great analyst. He didn't need to be. He was a fan in the booth with knowledge, originality, and his own unique language. Most of all, he was himself and he was Pittsburgh.

For all of his celebrity, Cope was likely most proud that his "Terrible Towel" creation made millions for the education of youth in the 'Burgh. Beyond the microphone, the typewriter, and the Towel, though, it seems his greatest impact was on people--many of whom he never met, several of whom he inspired.

Thanks for sharing the stories Mike and Rob and thank you, Myron, for being you.

Cheaters Never Prosper...Unless We Let Them

Remember the saying you heard from one of your elders while you were growing up?:

"Cheaters Never Prosper."

Well, in the 2000s, it seems as though that adage has more gums than teeth.

Barry Bonds, while being investigated for perjury regarding steroids/HGH use, signed for $16 million dollars for one year with the Giants (who apparently bid against themselves) so he could break* Hank Aaron's all-time home run mark. San Francisco's owner Peter MacGowan, who secured guaranteed sellouts because fans wanted to be part of the historical* season, then grew a conscience after the record was broken and said he would not continue to employ Bonds.

Roger Clemens, who most now believe extended and enhanced his career with illicit chemicals, pulled about $48 million for three, less-than-full seasons in his annual coming-out-of-retirement sales. He also racked up three or four more Cy Youngs (depending on when you think he started juicing--allegedly) and surpassed 300 victories. The Blue Jays, Yankees, and Astros all benefitted ($$$ and wins) from the Rocket's needle launches.

Bill Belichick, who we now find out may have authorized the video taping of opponents clear back to the 2000 season, has guided his team to four Super Bowl appearances--winning three of them--during the time in question. He's won Coach of the Year awards, a fat contract extension, and media fawning over his genius. It's almost like he knew what plays the opponent would call in certain situations. Oh, yeah...he probably did.

Kelvin Sampson, who apparently never met a phone he didn't like, has been cracked twice for recruiting violations and is now facing a third round of charges. Meanwhile, he's guided his Oklahoma and Indiana teams to 20-win seasons eleven times. He's mixed in a Final Four appearance and even pulled a late switcheroo from one-and-done super guard Eric Gordon. Hmmm, did Sampson call Gordon more than the allowable limit? Nah, he didn't call Gordon. His assistants did--then he just jumped on the other line to listen.

While their reputations have been sullied for good and they may have suffered other penalties (loss of Hall of Fame status, monetary fines, and probable unemployment), please don't tell me they didn't prosper. All of them did--to the tune of millions of dollars, hallowed records/achievements, and varying degrees of celebrity status.

The only hope to put teeth back into our elders' adage is to deliver meaningful punishments to the offenders. Our young people need to see cheaters held accountable--even if those cheaters were once their heroes.

Time to Root for Buckeyes

As a lifelong Michigan fan, I can't believe how much I want Ohio State to win the BCS National Championship Game on Monday in New Orleans.

No, I don't dislike LSU's Les Miles for turning down the Maize and Blue..."Have a GREAT day!"

I'm just sick of the national media fawning over the SEC and bashing the Big Ten. As a result, many college fans have fallen into that same trance. Yes, the SEC is a very good conference and, arguably, the best and deepest at this particular time. But let's not act like the separation is Grand Canyonesque.

(How did this media fawning begin? Remember virtually everyone saying Ohio State would beat Florida and win last season's BCS National Title. The Bucks then lost their most explosive player moments into the game and fell flat in a 41-14 thrashing at the hands of the Gators. Give Florida its due. It executed a great gameplan with multiple offensive and defensive looks and Ohio State didn't have the answers. UF's win was more about that gameplan than "the speed and athleticism of the SEC" prevailing over "the lumbering Big Ten". By the way, Florida's win made the SEC 1-2 against the Big Ten during the last bowl season as Wisconsin beat Auburn and Penn State downed Tennessee.)

A closer look at the SEC's sterling 6-2 record during this bowl season reveals just two impressive wins-- Auburn over Clemson and Tennessee beating Wisconsin. The other four triumphs were hardly "signature" wins. Kentucky barely beat a mediocre and scandal-depleted Florida State, Alabama held on to down a Colorado team that finished 6-7 ("It's Division One Football!!!), Mississippi State nipped Central Florida, and Georgia beat a clearly fraudulent Hawaii.

As for the losses, Florida (and the man who invented coaching--Urban Meyer) was supposed to have little trouble with Michigan. Oops. Meanwhile at The Cotton Bowl in Arkansas' back yard, Missouri laid a 38-7 beatdown on the McFadden-led Razorbacks. Double Yoy!

So, the SEC is exactly 2-2 in bowl games that told us anything. The Big Ten is 1-2 in such games(Michigan's win, losses by Wisconsin and Illinois). Head-to-head, it's 1-1 between the "mighty" SEC and the "second-rate" Big Ten--please note the sarcasm.

That leaves Ohio State-LSU for the national title and, more importantly, conference bragging rights. Go Buckeyes....man, that still doesn't feel natural.