Everyone has their opinion of which is the best sport.  Here, I want to examine the overall managment of each sport...right down down the postseason play.  So here's my list, starting with # 5:

5)  NBA :  This sport used to be great.  Magic, Bird, Jordan...the list goes on and on.  Over the past several years, the NBA climate has changed dramatically.  Dr. James Naismith is probably rolling over in his grave at this very moment.  Instead of marketing good team basketball and winning, the NBA has focused on super-stars with monster dunking ability.  Most of these high-flying youngsters you see on commercials don't have the slightest clue how to win.  The post-season is disastrous because it never ends.  Terrible move to make the first round of the playoffs a seven game series instead of five.

4)  MLB:  I love the game of baseball, but no professional sport has been managed more poorly than MLB.  From strike-shortened seasons to steroid scandals, MLB has done far too much to alienate fans.  Salary disparity amongst teams is a joke, which causes small market fans to be forever frustrated.  On a good note, at least the Yankees don't win every year.

3)  NCAA Football:  A great, pure sport.  Heisman talk, conference play...there isn't much not to like about this game.  However, the BCS system has to go.  It's finally time for some sort of playoff system.  At least allow the top 10 teams to battle it out for a championship.  Oh, one more thing...the Nokia Sugar Bowl?  The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl?  Can you say, "sell-out"?

2)  NFL:  I may get some arguments about this one.  I consider this to be the best professional sport.  The NFL parity is astounding, which gives all fans hope at the start of the year.  No real complaints about the NFL, except I wish the season lasted longer than baseball's.

1)  NCAA Basketball:  Can you say "March Madness"?  The greatest post-season spectacle in all of sports.  Even if Cindy the secretary usually wins the office pool.  The only danger to this sport is the early entry of student-athletes into the NBA draft.  But even so, there isn't a more competitive sport to watch.

So what do you think?

Why are players so willing to switch teams just to have a quicker chance at a championship?  Miguel Tejada adds to the trend of the "superstar trade demand" that has been going on for several years.  I believe it was just last year that he commented in an interview about how badly he wanted to play everyday just so the Baltimore Orioles can win.  And now Miguel wants to abandon the ship because he doesn't think the O's can't win this year?  Give me a break.

But we can't put the blame squarely on Miguel Tejada.  This trend has been increasing in all sports for a while now.  Shaquille O'Neal demanded to get out of Orlando (remember him in a blue uniform?).  Terrell Owens wanted out of San Francisco...and Baltimore...and now Philly.  So how is a fan to cheer on their favorite player?  Not only does it make fans question their team loyalties, but buying so many different jerseys gets expensive (by the way, T.O. jerseys are now on discount).

Normally, die-hard fans develop a devotion to their team by watching a group of athletes play together for a number of years.  I imagine most Green Bay Packer fans can only picture Brett Favre as the quarterback.  Or that most Dallas Cowboy fans cringed at the sight of Emmitt Smith in a Cardinals uniform.  And say that you're a Roger Clemens fan...does that make you a fan of the Red Sox, the Blue Jays, the Yankees, or the Astros? 

Winning a championship should be hard.  It should take years of patience and effort.  How can a player look his teammate in the face after one of these "Tejada-like" trade demands?  It's an insult.  Tejada might as well have said, "I'm too good to play with you losers". 

So will it get better?  Nope.  Athletes like Terrell Owens and Miguel Tejada are rapidly chipping away at the traditional concept of "team" sports.  My advice to Miguel Tejada would be this.  "Don't insult the fans, don't insult your teammates by demanding a trade.  You're good, just play the game and help your team win."  Simple?  Yes.  Possible for selfish athletes to comprehend?  Not a chance.