I remember back 2 years ago, to the 2003 US Open. The tournament was abuzz with Andy Roddick's assault on a maiden Grand Slam title. The tournament was captivated by that 21 year old, trucker hat bearing American who finally fulfilled the expecations with a straight set rout of Juan Carlos Ferrero in the championship match. 

But during that second week in Flushing, there was another guy that caught my eye. He was playing on the back courts, in front of small crowds. But every one of us who went to saw him play were drawn in.

His name was Marcos Baghdatis. And he is about to play the biggest match of his life.

I remember back to the 2003 US Open juniors tournament. Baghdatis was the top seed and favorite to win his 2nd Slam of the year, following a win at the Aussie Open 9 months earlier. Baghdatis ended up falling in the final to Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but I knew when I saw him play, he was a star in the making. Baghdatis played with his heart on his sleeve. He played with an enormous smile on his face. After hitting winners, Baghdatis would punctuate his feelings with fist pumps and jumps into the air. His flamboyant style of play won over all who watched him. His ability to hit a winner from anywhere on the court made some think of the then recently crowned Wimbledon champion Roger Federer when they watched him.

After losing in the junior finals to Tsonga, one would think Baghdatis was devastated. But you could not wipe the smile off the Cypriot's face. "I'm very happy with myself," I remember him saying. I was drawn in by Baghdatis' warm smile, natural charisma and grace, and amazing shotmaking. He has been my favorite player since that tournament 2 years ago.

Baghdatis, a born and bred Cypriot who went to Paris to pursue his tennis dreams, will stand on the court across from Roger Federer with a Grand Slam title on the line. Few knew who he was before the fortnight. But I guarentee you, those like I who saw this kid play earlier on, we knew this was coming. Marcos Baghdatis is a man of destiny.

Few tennis players have meant more to their country than Marcos Baghdatis. The tiny island nation of Cyprus will be at a stand-still when Marcos takes the court. Schoolkids were let out early Wedensday so that they could go home and watch Baghdatis' historic 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over 4th seed David Nalbandian in the semifinals. Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne has become Greece Down Under when Baggy takes the court, with legions of Greek fans adorned in Greek and Cyprus flags and face paint, ready to support their man Baghdatis.

There is some remarkable irony in Baghdatis' run to the championship. For years, Cyprus has been the resort cousin of giants Greece. The tiny island nation of just 780,000 has never had much to brag about. They have always hung by Greece's neck. The island, mostly settled by Greeks, partyed as if it was them who had won Euro 2004 when Greece upset Portugal to take home the European championship. Now though, it is the Greeks who are hanging by Cyprus' neck. It is the Cypriot who stands ready to make history.

Marcos Baghdatis will need his absolute best tennis tonight if he wants to beat Roger Federer. Federer, the number 1 player in the world, has won the 1st 6 Grand Slam finals he has played in. Baghdatis, ranked 52nd in the world, had never been past the 4th round of a Slam before his run these past two weeks. Baghdatis, unseeded, has done everything the hard way to reach the finals. He did not see a very favorable draw. In the 2nd round, Baghdatis went the distance with 17th seed Radek Stepanek, blowing a 2 set lead before prevailing 7-5 in the fifth. He lucked out a bit the next round after Denis Gremelmayr had been able to come back from 3-1 down in the fifth set to defeat 13th seed Robby Ginepri in the 2nd round. Faced with a much easier opponent, Baghdatis steamrolled the German Gremelmayr 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.

From there though, this is where Baghdatis started to build his own legend. Facing 2nd seeded Andy Roddick, Baghdatis matched him blow for blow, out acing him 16-15 and whipping 61 winners in a stunning 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over the American. In his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, one would expect the Cypriot to succumb to his nerves.

But the brilliantly relaxed and laid back Baghdatis just kept on chugging. For 2 sets against Ivan Ljubicic, he looked like the best player in the world, raining down winner after winner with his huge groundstrokes. Baghdatis took the first two sets against the 7th seeded Ljubicic. But Baghdatis, finally looking vulnerable, surrendered the next 2 sets and it looked like the wily Croat Ljubicic would see his way into his first Grand Slam semi. But it wasn't to be. Baghdatis continued his run at history by taking the 5th set 6-3, and all of a sudden, Baghdatis was 1 match away from a Grand Slam final. Baghdatis, the first Cypriot of either gender to make it to the Top 100, was about to go where few dream about.

Marcos again showed the resolve of a steely veteran, the whole way through having fun in his semifinal win over David Nalbandian. Nalbandian had declared himself the favorite after a quarterfinal beatdown Fabrice Santoro. And for 2 sets, the Argentine looked golden.

But once again, it just wasn't to be for anyone not named Marcos Baghdatis. He sent Nalbandian all over the court chasing his glorious shots. Down a break in the fifth, Baghdatis called on his last reserves and came back from 2-0 down in the fifth to 5-4 up and a chance to serve out the match. At 15 all, it started rain. 3 points away from the biggest win of his young career, the downpour came in. Baghdatis through up his arms and was clearly rattled. "Why me?" he thought. Why, just 3 points away from victory, did it have to rain. A 20 minute delay ensued as the retractable roof over Rod Laver arena had to be closed. His coach told him during the break, "I'm not scared for you , I'm scared for him." The ploy worked- Baghdatis calmed down. He came back out and won the final 3 points, finishing the match out with a service winner.

It was over. Marcos Baghdatis was now in the final. But what now?

Nothing will come easy for him against Federer. Baghdatis has spent a lot more time on the court than Federer. But he did get 2 days of rest ahead of the final, compared to one day's rest for the Swiss maestro who was pushed to 5 sets by Tommy Haas earlier on in the tournament.

Baghdatis has what it takes to beat Federer. As Haas proved, the aggressive shot making, winner busting style is what will get to Federer. In 3 previous meetings with Fed, Baghdatis has only won one set. But throw all that out the window. Baghdatis is playing the best tennis of his life. He brought forth 52 winners against Nalbandian. He has that Federer-esque ability to turn a hopeless point into a winning point with his masterful touch and huge groundstrokes.

Nothing about Roger Federer will intimidate Baghdatis. Not the 6 Slam wins. Not the 51 consecutive hard court wins. Nothing. Baghdatis knows he has nothing to lose. He knows that he will go home to Cyprus and be a hero regardless of the result. He knows that he can beat Federer. Just like he beat Nalbandian, Ljubicic, and Roddick. His limitless energy, his huge groundstrokes, his artistry on the court, his broad smile, that is what Marcos Baghdatis is. Marcos Baghdatis is 2 years older and several times better, but he is still that kid from the 2003 US Open juniors open. The kid who so bravely went for his shots that some thought he just didn't care. The kid that never says die but always plays with energy, passion, and the truth that he has nothing to lose. Baghdatis is this generation's Pat Rafter. Baghdatis' favorite player growing up, Rafter, like the Cypriot, played the game with class, exuberance, and charisma. He played the game at the highest level but did not let it consume his life. The anti-Ivan Lendl, we shall say.

Will Baghdatis beat Federer? My mind says no, but my heart says yes. And I'm going to follow my heart. If it worked for Marcos Baghdatis, it can work for me too. If there is one thing Marcos Baghdatis has taught me, it is to not take life too seriously. Live life with a smile on your face. If Baghdatis loses tonight, it will not crush him. He will move on. He will smile. And he will come back the next tournament, and he will win.

Just like he always has.

I remember yesterday when I submitted my picks for a tennis pick'em challenge I'm involved with, I had Marcos Baghdatis beating Andy Roddick. Somebody told me I was crazy. Roddick was a changed man they said. Look at his results from the 1st 3 rounds. But Roddick won't change until he changes his coaching. Will he do it though? For now, he is rapidly turning into the Williams Sisters of the ATP.

Last night, Roddick further strengthened the notion that just isn't a contender anymore. In a fourth round showdown with Greek Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, Roddick was the overwhelming favorite. Baghdatis was one of the most entertaining playerso on the tour with his wide smile, his galloping strides, and his no-holding-back attitude on the court, but he wasn't supposed to give Roddick trouble. The 54th ranked former junior #1 was supposed to be just another speedbump on Roddick's road to redemption.

So much for that.

The large Greek population in Melbourne was partying long into the night after their hero Baghdatis vanquished Roddick in a one-sided 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 rout of the 2nd seeded Roddick. Baghdatis bullied Roddick around the court using his huge groundstrokes and aggressive nature, slamming down 63 winners and 16 aces on the stunned American. Roddick just did not possess the aggressiveness that made him a teen sensation, a Grand Slam champion, and a world #1. These were all things of the past. Roddick seemed to think he could push Baghdatis off the court. He never seemed to let his huge forehand loose, preferring to try to keep rallies long and force Baghdatis into errors. It just didn't happen. Baghdatis playedp perfect tennis, and Roddick just did not have the firepower to keep up. His serve was handled tamely by Baghdatis. Roddick was out aced 16-15 and hit just 39 winners compared to Baghdatis' 63.

So what the hell is wrong with Andy? After a lackluster 2005 campaign that saw him fail to win a single Grand Slam or Masters Series Event, things were supposed to change. Roddick blew past the competition through 3 rounds in Australia, but he just did not have enough to beat Baghdatis. Whenever Roddick goes up against players who can hit the ball big, he seems to crumble. Baghdatis had his way with Roddick all night, driving the ball crosscourt and sending every serve Roddick had back for a winner. Or at least that is what it seemed. Number one on Andy's agenda now has to be the firing of Dean Golfine. Goldfine, his coach, seems like a nice guy and all. But Roddick has underachieved big time during Goldfine's tenure. The firing of Brad Gilbert was one of the biggest mistakes Roddick has ever made and it showed us why he cannot win. Roddick and his parents could not handle the intensity of Gilbert and decided to go with the more lax Goldfine. Gilbert was the man who took Roddick to his only Grand Slam championship. Gilber was the man who finally got Roddick to start thinking about strategy. Under Goldfine, Roddick has played far too low-key. He doesn't go for his shots anymore. He tries to just push the ball back and wait for errors to come. Andy, in his only full season with Goldfine, 2005, Roddick won 5 titles. But he failed to beat Lleyton Hewitt or Roger Federer. He choked big-time in a semifinal loss to Hewitt last year in the Aussie Open. Roddick showed no improvement on clay and ended up out in the 2nd round of the French. He got blown away by Federer in the finals of Wimbledon after riding a weak draw to the championship round. And of course, Roddick lost his mojo in a stunning 3 set loss to Gilles Muller in the 1st round of the US Open.

Roddick has a lot of problems. But a big one is Goldfine. Unfortunately, he seems to be taking the Williams Sisters approach to things. He refuses to admit anything is wrong. His comments yesterday after being blown off the court by the 54 ranked player in the world?

" I didn't play that badly -- plus eight in winners to errors -- I looked and I won more total points," Roddick said, continuing on to say, "A lot of the time, a lot of the winners he hit were from passing shots behind the baseline. A lot of the time I was in control of the point, and he came up with the goods."

Mr. Roddick, I don't know if you have noticed yet, but when you are playing professionally, your opponents are going to come up with the goods if you don't make them move around. Roddick would charge to the net after weak approach shots and yet he is confused as to why Baghdatis was able to hit passing shot winnners at will. Andy took the Williams Sisters approach, not admitting he needs to change. Serena went out in the 3rd round to Daniela Hantuchova and Venus flamed out in the 2nd round to some Bulgarian teenager I don't even know the name of. Aside from a brief 2 week comeback in June where Venus won Wimbledon, the two sisters have done nothing in the past 2 years. They have no strategy and just try to #### the ball on every point. It used to work. But the rest of the women have refined their games and can handle all the ####ing the Williams sisters have to offer. They, like Roddick, need to make a coaching switch. Their mother Oracene Williams just isn't qualified to tutor players like them. She hasn't forced them to change their play. Dean Goldfine hasn't forced Roddick to change his play.

Things are bad in American tennis. Agassi's days are numbered. Robby Ginepri and James Blake are both great players but lack the consistency to be legit Top 10 players. Roddick is steadily dropping off the tennis map. He doesn't show the fire and passion that used to be his trademark. He can't beat top players. He hasn't won a Slam in over 2 years, and in the past 2 Grand Slams he has gone 3-2 with losses to Gilles Muller and Marcos Baghdatis. On the women's side, Serena and Venus are done unless they make the necessary adjustments and stop making excuses. It's doubtful Jen Capriati will ever play again. Lindsay Davenport's days are numbered. On both sides, there aren't many juniors coming along to save the day. Donald Young is still a couple of years away from developing into a contender. Sam Querrey doesn't look like he will ever become anything more than a solid Top 50 player, if that. Alexa Glatch is the USA's only solid woman prospect. So basically, the present guard needs to re-invigorate themselves. Roddick especially. He still has the goods to be a Top 3 player. In his best days of 2003, Roddick could beat Federer.

But the aggressiveness is gone. The fire is gone. The motivation is gone. The passion: All gone. Where have you gone, Andy Roddick. Where did the Roddick who in 2001 overcame cramps to post a heroic 5 set win over Michael Chang at the French Open go? Where did the fiery Roddick who got so emotional during a 2001 US Open quarterfinal clash with Lleyton Hewitt that it cost him the match go? Where did the Andy Roddick who gutted out a 21-19 5th set win over Younes El Aynoui in the 2003 Australian Open semis go? Where did the Andy Roddick who came back from 2 sets down and save a match point to beat David Nalbandian in the US Open semis of '03 go? Where did the Andy Roddick who blew Juan Carlos Ferrero off the court, and then burst out crying in disbelief after winning the 2003 US Open go? Where did he go? Where did his "mojo" go? It will likely never come back, unless Roddick does some major soul searching. Does Andy want it? If he really wants it, he can do the right thing and can Dean Goldfine. He can do the humiliating but best thing and come crawling back to Brad Gilbert for help. He can reinvent himself. He can start going for his shots again.

Andy Roddick came up so fast that he became a US hearthrob, a man who transcended the sport. They thought he could do to tennis what Tiger Woods did to golf. But Andy Roddick is gone as quickly as he came. Sure, he might still be a Top 15 or even Top 10 player. But he isn't the man he can be.

As the wild card Carolina Panthers stride into Seattle Sunday with a shot at another Super Bowl berth, most of the attention is focused on a certain Steve Smith. Now this hype is well-deserved, after Smith led the NFL in catches, yards, and TD's during the regular season. And to add to that, Smith's 254 total yards against Chicago last Sunday was one of the greatest postseason performances in NFL history. Smith seems to have a knack for coming up in big games. 

But there is another man in Carolina who is deserving of a ton of credit. Well, actually, there are a lot of men in Carolina who deserve a ton of credit. But a certain Jake Delhomme seems to go under the radar these days. Now, don't get me wrong, Delhomme is certainly not unknown. He was voted to his first Pro Bowl this past year. But few realize how clutch this guy is. After Tom Brady, there may not be a better postseason QB than Jake Delhomme.

Delhomme is another one of those out-of-nowhere success stories. Born in Lafayette, Lousiana, he wasn't very heavily recruited and ended up going to his hometown school, Louisana-Lafayette University.Delhomme set a Lousiana college record by passing for 9,216 yards as a 4 year starter for the Ragin'Cajuns, but did not warrant a lot of draft hype. Instead, Delhomme was again signed by a hometown team, this time as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints. Delhomme, though, impressed the Saints. After spending his rookie 1997 season on the Saints' practice squad, he was sent to NFL Europe in 1998. Delhomme, again, overachieved. He won the World Bowl with the Frankfurt Galaxy, which helped earn him a spot on the Saints active roster in 1998 as the 3rd QB. Delhomme eventually became Aaron Brooks' primary backup, and earned a reputation as one of the best backup QB's in the NFL. Eventually, the Carolina Panthers decided to take a chance on the wily Southern kid Delhomme, signing Delhomme prior to the 2003 season in hopes that he could become their starter.

He did.

Delhomme started the season behind Rodney Peete on the depth chart, but quickly established himself as the starter after coming in for Peete in the 2nd half of the 2003 season opener against Jacksonvillde with the Panthers already trailing 17-0. With the Panthers trailing 23-18 with 3 and a half minutes to go, Delhomme marched his men down the field, culminating with a 4th down TD pass to Ricky Proehl with 16 seconds to go to lift the Panthers to stunning 24-23 win. Delhomme has been the starter ever since then and that win over Jacksonville was just a sign of things to come. He established himself as one of the most clutch QB's in the NFL, leading the NFL in 2003 with 7 drives within the final 2 minutes of the game or OT that scored the winning points. In other words, Delhomme had 7 game-winning drives on the year compared to Tom Brady's 5. Delhomme is clutch. 

Delhomme and his Panthers ended the 2003 season 11-5 with a division title. All this was 2 seasons removed from a 1-15 season which led to the drafting of Julius Peppers and the sacking of coach George Siefert. In the playoffs Delhomme continued to prove his clutchness. In the divisional round against St. Louis, Delhomme ended the 5th longest game in NFL history by leading his 8th game winning drive of the season, tossing a 69 yard TD pass to Steve Smith in the 2nd overtime to leave the Panthers headed to the NFC Championship game after a stunning 29-23 win at top seeded St. Louis. After the Panthers vanquished Philadelphia in the NFC Championship game, Delhomme found himself starting in a Super Bowl in his 1st season as a starter.

Delhomme did not run away from the pressure though, coming through in a big way against New England in the biggest game of his life. Yes, the Panthers eventually lost on a gut-wrenching Adam Vinatieri field goal, but all that was made possible by Delhomme's heroics. Playing catch-up all night, Delhomme threw for 323 yards and 3 TD's, including an 85 yarder to Mushin Muhammed. But was was most impressive about Delhomme's performance was his composure facing certain defeat. With 2:51 remaining in the game and the Panthers trailing 29-22, Delhomme knew that if he didn't score a TD on the drive, the game was over. Delhomme marched his men 80 yards down the field, completing 5/6 passes for 73 yards and a 14 yard TD pass to Ricky Proehl that tied the contest at 29-29 with 1:08 to play. Delhomme had done everything he needed to to send the game into OT. Unfortunately, John Kasay sent his kickoff out of bounds and Tom Brady was able to drive his Pats 37 yards down the field to set up Vinatieri's heroics.

Delhomme is clutch. He was clutch during that Super Bowl run, he was clutch during the Super Bowl, he was even clutch last year during a 7-9 season. Injuries destroyed the Panthers early on and they found themselves at 1-7 at midseason. Delhomme and Mushin Muhammed put the team on their backs and won 6 of 7 to leave the Panthers in playoff contention with one game to play. A loss to New Orleans destroyed those dreams, but the lasting message was clear: Delhomme could play. People looked at his 2003 season and thought that he may have just got lucky. After all, during the 2003 regular season, Delhomme had just 19 TD's and 16 INT's. But after a 2004 season in which Delhomme threw for 29 TD's despite having only one legitamate target (Muhammed), everybody knew Jake Delhomme was for real.

Delhomme once again took his Panthers to the playoffs this year, as they snagged a wild card berth with an 11-5 record. Delhomme was voted to his 1st Pro Bowl after throwing for almost 3,500 yards and 24 TD's. You all know what he has done in the postseason this year. The Panthers find themselves in the NFC Championship Game for the 2nd time in 3 years after dominating New York 23-0 in the wild card round, and a surprising 29-21 win over Chicago last Sunday. Delhomme again showed why he is one of the best QB's in the clutch, having his way with the best D in the league. Again relying heavily on one wide reciever, Steve Smith this year, Delhomme had his way with the Chicago secondary. He completed an astounding 24/33 passes for 319 yards and 3 TD's. Delhomme, unlike Peyton Manning, showed that he can handle the pressure in the postseason. With Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown in his face a lot, Delhomme was able to complete pass after pass to Smith (12 catches, 218 yards, 2 TD's). He was able to pass succesfully off his back foot, with guys in his face, basically whatever was at hand. Unlike Peyton Manning, nobody had to make excuses for him. He just went out and did his thing. Now, the Panthers find themselves in the NFC Championship game, and once again they will travel to face the top seed in a game nobody really thinks they can win.

Don't sell Delhomme short.  He has the best receiver in the NFL in Steve Smith, and he can get it done no matter what. His win over Chicago lifted his postseason record to 5-1, with only Tom Brady holding a better record among active QB's. Is Jake Delhomme the next Tom Brady? No way. Delhomme has already arrived. He has been the Super Bowl. He has been through everything the NFL has to offer. Practice squads, NFL Europe, NFL backup, and now NFL star.

When the Panthers face the Seahawks Sunday, the Seahawks know they need to do 2 things: Stop Steve Smith, and get Delhomme rattled. So far, it doesn't seem like either of those is possible. Delhomme has really shown nerves in the postseason. He doesn't let things get to him. Delhomme is a fantastic quarterback. If the Panthers beat the Seahawks and become the 1st team since New England in 1986 to win 3 road games in the playoffs, Delhomme will have been a huge part of it. Yes, Steve Smith is the poster boy of these Panthers. But Delhomme is the man running everything. He is the man with ice in his vains and nerves of steel. Delhomme isn't one of these hidden gems type stories. Everybody knows who he is. But with Smith getting all the press, his performance seems to be going under the radar. If they beat Seattle, Delhomme won't be able to hide behind Smith anymore. He will be the center of attention, as Super Bowl QB's usually are. Don't be surprised if you hear the name "Joe Montana" tossed around when they talk about Delhomme. He is that good. When the going gets tough, Delhomme doesn't get going.  He stays, he fights.

He wins.

You can say what you want about Big Ben Roethlisberger. He has a great running game to back him up. He is simply a caretaker. He has an ugly beard. The bottom line is, the guy wins.

Yes, he has a great supporting cast. But every playoff QB has a great supporting cast! That is why they made it to the playoffs. Tom Brady has Deion Branch, David Givens, Ben Watson, Corey Dillon, and a great offensive line. Jake Plummer has the Broncos running game, Rod Smith, Mike Shanahan, and Jeb Putzier. Jake Delhomme has Steve Smith. Do I need to go on?

A quick look at Roethlisberger's counterpart Sunday and you see why Big Ben is so great. Peyton Manning has always been a great QB. He is a future Hall of Famer. But unlike the much younger Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning just does not have that edge. Manning's loss Sunday dropped his postseason record to 3-6. He has been to the AFC Championship Game once in his career, and he got dominated by the New England Patriots when he finally did get to the conference championship game. In 8 NFL seasons, Manning has only reached the AFC Championship game once and has an awful 3-6 record in the postseason. Now yes, in his early days, Manning did not play on a great team.

But nobody can say that over the past 3-4 years Manning has not had great supporting casts. Manning, despite being an 8 year veteran, was the one who looked rattled, not the 2nd year pup Roethlisberger. While Big Ben cooly drove his team down the field to produce 14 first half points, Manning was wildly overthrowing his receivers and looking more like Aaron Brooks than Peyton Manning. Peyton missed his first 4 passes of the game and started the game 2/9 for 37 yards and 2 sacks. Manning looked out of sorts and generally very nervous. I commend Manning for rallying the team from 18 points down and putting them in a position to send the game to OT. But there was a reason they were behind in the first place. Peyton Manning stunk it up to begin the game and let nerves and Joey Porter get the best of him. He was rattled easily by the pass rush and showed that he cannot handle pressure. Manning, once again, lost in the playoffs.

Big Ben Roethlisberger, on the other hand, found yet another way to win a game for his Steelers. His stats aren't god-like. Roethlisberger went 14/24 for 197 yards with 2 TD's and an INT. Like I said, not god-like. But he is in only his 2nd season as a pro but refused to let nerves or a ferocious Indy crowd get the best of him. He silenced the crowd early by driving his team 84 yards down the field on their first possession, concluding with a 6 yard TD toss to Antwan Randle El. Roethlisberger was calm, cool and collective in staking the Steelers to a 21-3 lead. Most importantly though, was the tackle he made on Nick Harper to save the game. After a Jerome Bettis goalline fumble, Harper was on his way to the end zone with less than a minute to go in the game. Harper makes it to the end zone and all of a sudden it is 25-21 Colts. But Big Ben hustled back, and was able to get in front of Harper and grab his leg at the Colts 44, bringing him down and preventing an Indy TD that would have won the game for the Colts. You all know what happens next. Manning can't find Reggie Wayne in the end zone and the Colts go for a 46 yard FG to tie the game. Mike Vanderjagt misses wildly and the game is over, 21-18 Steeles. Big Ben Roethlisberger showed that he is a big-time QB. Unlike Manning, Roethlisberger did not get rattled when he faced pressure. Unlike Manning, he came out of the gates raring to go and put the Colts into catch-up mode very early.

Big Ben has now reached the AFC Championship game in each of his 2 seasons in the NFL. He is 26-4 (3-1 in the postseason) as a starter. That is one of the best winning percentages EVER for a QB. When Roethlisberger went out earlier on in the season, the team was listless and out of sorts. They went 2-2 without him this year. No, he does not have the mind-blowing stats. But he gets the job done. He wins. That is really all that matters. Big Ben Roethlisberger knows how to handle the pressure. He knows how to deal with the postseason. In 2 seasons, he already has as many postseason wins as Peyton Manning has in 8 seasons. People can point to the fact that he has a running game to support him, but the Steelers only averaged 2.7 yards a carry Sunday against the Colts, and yet Roethlisberger, the defense, and Mike Vanderjagt were able to send the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game. I am not saying that Roethlisberger is fully responsible for Sunday's win. But people bash him because of the system he plays in. The bottom line is, in his 1st 2 seasons in the league, he has gone 26-4. No other QB in the history of the NFL (as far as I know) can match that streak. If you had one game in the postseason that you absolutely needed to win and you could choose between Peyton Manning and Big Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers phenom has to be the pick. He wins. That is all that matters.

Well I just realized that it is Saturday and I still haven't posted my picks for this this weekend. I went 2-2 last week with my Jacksonville upset pick not working out and Eli Manning decided he likes throwing to the other team more than his own team.

Washington at Seattle :-: Everybody points to last week and says the Redskins are a punchless team that was lucky Edell Sheppard can't catch. What I saw though, was a team playing its absolute worst, and still getting through. That is the mark o####ood playoff team, a team that can play at 50% and still win. Clinton Portis is angry about last week's dismal showing and will bust out in a big way in this game. The rain in Seattle will be accompanied by plenty of tears as Matt Hasslebeck throws a couple of costly interceptions. Oh and one more thing: The Redskins D will neutralize Shaun Alexander. You can quote me on this, Alexander will not rush for more than 50 yards. Redskins 26, Seahawks 20

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis :-: Peyton Manning and the Colts have had 2 weeks to rest up and get those playoff jitters out of their system. The Steelers will not have the benefit of knocking the opposing QB out of the game and maybe the NFL on the second play from scrimmage. I like Peyton throwing a pair of TD's to ageless Marvin Harrison, and I like Bob Sanders and that D shutting down the run. Big Ben can't win this game on his own. Without a running game, the Steelers are toast. Colts 31, Steelers 20

Carolina at Chicago :-: Chicago has been my pick to win the Super Bowl for some time now and I'm sticking to it. The only reason people are picking Carolina is because they went to the Super Bowl 2 years ago. Chicago would have done the same thing to Eli last week. Postseason experience is a tad overrated. Yes, all 4 QB's making their playoff debuts last week lost, but look at who played. Chris Simms did a solid job against a great Redskins D and should have sent the game into OT if Sheppard could catch. But Chris Simms is Chris Simms. He is prone to making mistakes in big game situations (the Arrington INT early on), as his career at Texas showed. Eli Manning has been throwing those INT's all year. It's just that nobody had noticed because Tiki was running wild. With Barber neutralized, those picks really stuck out. Rex Grossman isn' t Eli Manning. Oh and the other losing QB's in the AFC: Leftwich was playing at Foxboro, and Carson Palmer completed a 60+ yard pass to Chris Henry before his knee came crashing down. I like that Bears D dominating and forcing Delhomme into some mistakes. They will let Steve Smith get his yards like last time but he will be shut out of the end zone. Grossman to Muhammed in the clutch. Bears 17, Panthers 6

Patriots at Denver :-: I really don't have a reason behind this pick, aside from the fact that Shanny hasn't won a playoff game  since Elway was around and Brady hasn't lost in the playoffs-ever. No, I don't think Jake Plummer is going to be the reason the Broncos lose. The Pats will shut down the running game with Seymour and Wilfork clogging up the middle. The Texans get their wish as the Gary Kubiak era ends quicker than the Broncos could have hoped. Patriots 21, Broncos 17

Well I've finally found the voice to talk about last night's pathetic 76-52 beatdown the Duke Blue Devils put on my Maryland Terrapins last night. Yesterday afternoon my excitement reached a fever pitch. I could not wait for the Duke/Maryland rivalrly to get back on. I could not wait to see those little kids crying up in Cameron Indoor like last year. I could not wait to beat Duke again. Instead, ther Terps reduced me to just one of probably numerous Terps fans sitting at home yelling at the TV. 

The Terrapins are a bad team. Period. Just a bad team. The Terps have managed to beat only one ranked team this year so far, that being Boston College at home. Why did we beat BC? Boston College, unlike most upper echelon teams, just didn't have the athletic guards needed to dominate Maryland. As Duke showed, once you exploit the mismatch in the backcourt, the game is over.  Last night, the game was over very early. DJ Strawberry is a great, great player. I love the guy. But as a point guard, he is horrific. Strawberry is 6'5 and lanky. He is a ballhawk, an animal on defense. In short, he is perfect for the small forward position, where he could be what Byron Mouton was for us during the 2002 national championship (oh how it seems so long ago!) run: A defensive beast who isn't asked to do too much on the offensive end. Strawberry cannot create and he cannot penetrate. Darryl's son turns the ball over as if it was his job. With Erik Hayes  coming next year, hopefully we won't have to sit through another season of Strawberry manning the point.

Chris McCray is the heart of this team. When he is on, he is tough to stop. When he is on, he can effortlessly drive to the hoop and lay it in for an easy bucket every single time. But when he isn't on, it just gets ugly. Saturday against Miami in a game Maryland was expected to dominate, the usually stout defender McCray let Guillermo Diaz score 21 points on him, while scoring only 5 of his own. McCray is the senior leader on this team. In a huge rivalry game against Duke, he cannot disappear, turn the ball over 6 times, score just 12 points, and let JJ Redick score 27. It simply should not happen.

Last night I saw the same thing I've been seeing from Ekene Ibekwe and Nik Caner Medley all season long. I saw two guys that did show some spark on the offensive end but had poor, poor shot selection. Ibekwe also seemed to enjoy having his shots stuffed by Shelden Williams all night as well. Caner Medley has disappeared at all the wrong times this season. Last night, his shot just wasn't falling, but he kept on pulling the trigger, hence the 2-8 on FG's. Nik wasn't moving around trying to get open. He just stood in the corner and called for the ball, and then tried to score from there. Ibekwe did well to pick up 9 rebounds but on offense, he looked like the wide-eyed freshmen he was two years ago. Every time he grabbed an offensive rebound, instead of showing some aggression and using his athletic 6'9 frame to slam the ball down, he tried for a fadeaway and would be promptly stuffed by Shelden "I'm Ugly" Williams.

Maryland is not an NCAA Tourney team. It is the harsh truth. They have refused to step it up when they needed to, getting embarressed by Duke, letting up on D and allowing 3 Miami guards to score 20+ points in a 14 point loss to the lowly Hurricanes, just not showing up against Gonzaga, and quitting against George Washington in a game for local bragging rights. Gary Williams deserves the blame. He was able to convince the fans that last year's debacle was John Gilchrist's fault, but this year he has nowhere to hide. The problem starts with Gary's attitude. The guy is a great coach. He won a national championship and went to a 2 Final Fours. He took a team mired in NCAA sanctions and turned them into a powerhouse. But the 2002 national championship season could not feel farther away. The team has clearly slipped since Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, and Steve Blake took their game to the pros. Gary Williams' recruiting attitude has hurt him, and his ego has a lot to do with it. Since winning finding Juan Dixon on the streets of Baltimore and turning the Terps into a championship team, it appears Gary Williams believes he can work magic. He believes that he can bring in any ordinary scrub and turn them into an All-American.

Since winning it all in 2002, the Terps have only managed to haul in one 5 star player, and that was Mike Jones. But it seems like Gary doesn't know how to handle a player like Jones. Jones is the offensive threat we have always needed. The go-to guy. Mike Jones is instant offense. But from the start, Gary has had it in for MJ. He complained about Jones' defense and ball handling. Now, admittedly, as a freshmen Jones did need work on these aspects. But instead of trying to help his pupil out, Gary tossed him to the curb. He threw him onto the bench and never really tried to help him. That is what has been the difference between JJ Redick and Mike Jones. When JJ Redick came to Duke 4 years ago, he was a lot like Jones was when he came to College Park 3 years ago. He couldn't play defense, and wasn't a very good ball handler. But Coach K worked with that. He realized that JJ had an inane ability to drain jumpers like there is no tomorrow. JJ started right away and became a college superstar with jumper after jumper. Jones has that ability. He is the only legitimate 3 point shooter on the Terps squad. Yet Gary Williams would prefer to keep his grudge, let Nik Caner Medley run about the court playing awful D and jacking up failed 3 pointer after 3 pointer. Gary would prefer to let Ekene Ibekwe trick himself into thinking he is a shooting guard and take ugly long-range shot after ugly long-range shot. If Nik Caner Medley can get onto the court and play for Gary despite playing awful D, why can't Mike Jones? Jones is the best offensive threat the Terps have.

The Terrapins sit on a potential recruiting goldmine. In the city of Baltimore, star after star is born. Carmelo Anthony, Sam Cassell, Rudy ####, Josh Boone, and Juan Dixon, among many, many others, balled in B'More before moving on to college. But Gary refuses to go after the blue-chippers in Charm City. Dixon was not heavily recruited coming out of high school, so he was an easy catch. But Williams has never made Baltimore into his pipeline. He did not go after Boone at all. He did not recruit 'Melo at all. He did go after Rudy ####, but that went to hell and #### went to Storrs. Gary Williams for some reason believes he can win with stiffs instead of stars. Instead of going after Josh Boone, Gary went after Will Bowers because he thought that he could make Bowers a star. Williams wants the credit. Williams doesn't want already-great players to come to College Park. He wants stiffs so that if they pan out, he can take the credit.

Take a look at the Terps basketball team and there are more holes in it than swiss cheese. They have no one who can be a go-to guy. Well they actually do, but Mike Jones quietly logs 10 minutes a game because Gary Williams hates him. There is no point guard. Strawberry and McCray combined for 11 turnovers last night, and the team as a whole totaled just 6 assists with no player having more than 1. No, Gary, Stevie Blake and Juan Dixon aren't around anymore to save your butt. Gary dug this grave by refusing to refusing to use his recruiting tools. Gary never used that national championship as leverage with recruits. In the few years following the championship run, every recruit wanted to come to College Park. The team hadn't missed an NCAA tourney since 1994, had won a national championship recently, had built a state of the art basketball stadium on campus, and played maybe the best conference in the nation. But Gary never used this to nab some 5 star recruits from Baltimore. Nope, instead he got wasted at bars in Dewey Beach while other coaches were at summer basketball camps pulling in recruits. He thought he had nothing to worry about. He thought a new  Juanny Dixon would come around. Well he hasn't.

The Maryland Terrapins have lost their last two games by a combined 38 points. Their flex offense isn't working because the flex offense thrives on passing, and nobody happens to know how to do that. The Maryland press has given conceded 22 3 pointers in the past 2 games. The Maryland Terrapins have no dangerous big man. Their best all around player (McCray) isn't showing up to play anymore. Their best bet for an offensive spark sits on the bench because Gary Williams just flat out doesn't like him. The Maryland Terrapins will miss the NCAA tourney for the 2nd season in a row, and like it or not Gary, this one's on you. Things need to change. The once proud Maryland men's basketball program is a mess. There doesn't look to be improvement in the near future either, as the incoming recruiting classes look thoroughly underwhelming.

But hey, at least our women's team is ranked 6th in the country!

In the sports world, the term "prodigy" is thrown around very loosely. Whenever a young kid comes along and shows some promise, heaps of pressure is thrown on him or her and they become a prodigy. The can't miss prospect. Only problem is, no matter what they do, they can never escape criticism. Because such high expectation is placed on them at such a young age, more often than not they will succumb to the pressure. Even if they do beat the odds and make it, very few can do what Lebron James did and become a full fledged superstar later on.

Maurice Clarett was once a prodigy, albeit an older one than usual. Clarett as a freshmen at Ohio St. ran for 1237 yards and 16 TD's, including 2 in the Fiesta Bowl, as the Buckeyes won the national championship. Clarett was a national icon and considered a future legend. The pressure started to mount on Mo though, as many wondered if he would be able to win the Heisman as a true sophmore, something no one had done before. But Clarett, like many kids who start having things handed to him, slipped up. He became embroiled in an investigation involving booster violations, and he allegedly recieved free cars from an auto dealership. You all know what happens next. Clarett is booted off the team, and declares his intentions to make a move to the NFL as a true sophmore. The courts block his entrance and he sits for another year waiting for the oppurtunity to "move on the next level, baby!" as Marcus Vick put it. Drafted in the 3rd round by the Broncos, it looked like he had finally turned the corner. But Mo Clarett was cut during training camp, and now, just 5 months later, has hit a new rock bottom. Maurice Clarett was arrested last week for armed robbery after he allegedly brandished a gun and tried to rob two people at a Columbus bar. Maurice Clarett, like many prodigies, fell on his face.

Today, three prodigies stand out in their respective sports. You have Donald Young in the tennis world, Freddy Adu in soccer, and Michelle Wie in golf. All three of these athletes have turned pro at an obscenely young age. All three are facing a lot of criticism but all look like they have bright futures ahead of them despite what the media says.

Young is a 16 year old lefty from Chicago. He turned pro in 2004 at the tender age of 14 because he was recognized as a special talent. While a bit small, Young could strike the ball like few would ever dream of. His parents knew that to give a kid as talented as him everything he needs, they needed more money. Young, even at such a young age, is/was a prodigy. His parents needed money to pay for his coaching, his traveling, and that huge rock in his ear. Having turned professional, the media started to circle. The USTA, knowing that having a young, successful, good looking African American tennis player would go a long ways towards giving tennis exposure in young kids' eyes, made Young jump before he was even allowed to make baby steps. In 2005, Donald Young won the Australian Open boys' junior championship, making him the youngest #1 junior in the history of the ITF. Prodigy moving along fast, huh? Not fast enough. Young was all of a sudden seeing wild cards thrown in his faces as US Tennis scrambled to get their rising star some exposure. What they didn't realize was what all these wild cards would do to Young. While Donald continued to show he was one of the best juniors in the world and a great future prospect, he was just too young to #### with the pros. He went 0-7 in ATP match play, failing to even win a set. He was exposed to the top level far too early and the battering he has taken at the ATP level has clearly damaged the kid's confidence.  The hounds started to circle. Young was labeled a bust. A bust? Donald Young is 16 years old. He is still far too skinny to compete with the pros. He can't hit that big a ball yet. But he is one of the best juniors in the world. Young won the US U-18 Nationals in Kalmazoo in August, the Australian Open juniors, made it to the semifinals of the Wimbledon Junior Championships, and reached the quartefinals at the Orange Bowl and the US Open juniors. He had a phenominal year at the junior level. Had it been any other player, he would be praised and praised some more.

The thing is, Donald Young is a prodigy. More is expected from Donald Young. He is only 16, but he is expected to take the world by storm. He is supposed to do what fellow tennis prodigy Jen Capriati did years ago, and reach the semifinals o####rand Slam by the time he is 14. He is expected to win a Grand Slam championship by the time he is 17, like Boris Becker did. He is expected to be No. 2 in the world by the time he is 19, like Rafael Nadal is. Donald Young is progressing at a very good rate. He has shown limitless potential. But the pressure of being the next "Great One" could do him in. Here is a 16 year old kid who for the past 2 years has been told he is the Michael Jordan of tennis. But this guy, no doubt feeling pretty good about himself, makes it to the highest level and has his clock cleaned. Now all those same people who said he was the next Michael Jordan are saying he is all hype and no substance. He is the best junior in the world for God's sake! Don't let him go the way of Tommy #### and fall off the map. He has so much talent. Let him progress at his own rate. Don't rush the kid. He is a prodigy, yes, but that doesn't mean he should be expected to win right away. Prodigies take time, and the media never realizes this.

Freddy Adu knows a thing or two about hype. Adu became MLS's biggest marketing tool ever, and America's answer to Pele, far too early.  At the age of just 14, having only played at the youth level, Adu signed a $1 million deal with Nike and was drafted 1st overall by DC United. The MLS fought off bids from both Manchester United and Inter Milan to keep the youngster in Yankee-country. Without ever playing a minute of professional soccer, Adu had become the highest paid  player in the MLS. The MLS had even rigged the draft so that the Ghanian born Gaithersburg native could play for his hometown DC club. The hype surrounding Adu was unbelievable considering soccer in the US had never been able to make  much of a ripple in the US media machine. But Freddy was dubbed the Lebron James of soccer and became a superstar right away. Some speculated he would be a starter for the US national team when the 2006 World Cup rolled around. Adu had a very solid rookie season in 2004. He started the season aged just 14, but Adu showed signs of unbelievable talent.

They hype was unbelievable too. His 1st MLS goal was shown on Sportscenter. His first MLS game was televised nationally. Every game United played in 2004, both at home and on the road, was a sellout. Adu had the skill few in the MLS had. He could put the ball in space like  few could, and Freddy Adu in the open field is one of the best shows in the MLS. He tallied a respecable 5 goals and 3 assists during that rookie season. But Adu took a lot of heat because he wasn't a constant starter, yet he was invited to the All Star Game. That was commisioner Don Garber's doing, as he brought the USA's biggest star to the MLS's big event in hopes of drawing some interest. But people started to grow bored of Freddy Adu. They wanted him to start scoring in bunches. They wanted to see a 16 year old kid dominate. If he didn't, he was quite obviously a bust in their eyes. Adu scored 6 goals this season to go along with 4 assists, and for once, nobody noticed. Adu showed signs of his youth with a brief airing of frustration late on in the season. He complained about how coach Peter Nowak wasn't giving him playing time. He said that he was not being given a fair shot at succeeding. Adu was suspended by DC for "conduct detrimental to the team." The same thing a certain Terrell Owens was suspended for mind you. Remember though, he is 16 years old. He has been the star at every level he had ever played. He showed some signs of immaturity yes. But people compared him to TO. That is just plain unfair. There was speculation Adu might be traded to the MLS's New York team. But Adu, for all the flack he is taking,  is coming along nicely. He is the youngest player in the US Soccer training camp this week as players vie for a spot on the 2006 World Cup roster. Yep. Freddy Adu has a shot at making it to Germany in 2006. He is only 16. How in any way is that failure. Freddy Adu has been the victim of overblown media hype and was tossed down the gutter by many. But he is chugging along, learning from his mistakes and becoming a better player. Don't sleep on Freddy Adu, because he is still the future.

Michelle Wie has long been discussed as a future great. She, though, has not faced the same kind of roadblocks that Adu or Young have, but she still has faced some difficulties. At the age of just 13 Wie won the Women's Amateur Public Links title. In 2004, Wie competed in a PGA tournament, the Sony Open. She shot a 72 and a spectacular 68 (still the highest score by a woman in a men's PGA event), and came within one stroke of becoming the first woman to make the cut in a PGA event. The hype was almost suffocating. Will Michelle Wie one day beat men on a regular basis? That is what was asked to a girl still only 14 years old. Wie possesses the drive capabilities few women have. Her talent is limitless. As the hype started to spread, so too, did Wie's legend. As an amateur, she was given special exemption to enter the US Women's Open. In 2005, Wie continued her quest to qualify at a men's PGA event. While she missed out on that again, Wie did finish second at the LPGA Championships, a major, losing to only Annika Sorenstam. Clearly, she has what it takes to succeed. At just 15 Michelle Wie had almost won a major. She also finished 3rd at the Women's British Open. She was tied for the lead in the US Open entering the US Open but a final round 84 did her in. Do many 15 year olds do that? Does that sound like a bust to you? In October 2005, Michelle Wie turned pro. The news was big. There was no turning back now. Michelle Wie had crossed from lovable youngster to a woman serious about what she does. In her first pro event, Wie was disqualified for moving her ball. If she had stayed legal, she would have finished 4th. That is a very talented girl to me. While some are unsure whether she will ever commit to playing in either men or women's events, Wie undoubtebly has talent. Some say she is destined for failure. She is a prodigy. She always has been. She is more confident than you may think. She knows she can compete with men. She knows she can beat the women. Don't write her off just yet. Michelle Wie is ready. She is hyped up, but she is ready. She is a prodigy.

But she is ready.

As the Fox blogging world has been consumed by a plagiarizing scandal, I've decided to write on one of my favorite sports and also a sport that probably hasn't been written about at all yet in the Fox bloggingdome.

In 2005, we saw the continued dominance of a certain Roger Federer in the tennis world. Despite the emergence of Rafael Nadal, Fed still finished atop the tennis world, winning 11 singles titles to easily outdistance Nadal. Federer also estabilished an unbelievable record by winning 24 straight finals over the past 2 years. Before a stunning 5 set loss to David Nalbandian in the finals of the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai this past November, Federer had not lost in a championship match since the 2003 Gstaad Open, where he lost in 5 sets to Jiri Novak. This record can be likened to Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak- it just won't be broken. 

As late as June, people will doubting Federer. Having lost in the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open to Marat Safin and the semifinals of the French Open to Rafael Nadal, any hopes Fed had of achieving the Slam (4 majors in on year) were long gone. He was just hoping for a major championship to get back on track. At Wimbledon, he blew away all competition, losing just one set in 7 matches, and ended the tournament in style by clocking Andy Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 to take his 3rd straight Wimbledon crown. He followed that up with his 2nd straight US Open title in September by defeating sentimental favorite Andre Agassi in a 4 set tussle for the championship. Roger Federer won 11 singles titles in all, including 2 Grand Slams and  Tennis Masters Series shields. At one point in the year he carried a 36 match winning streak. His only losses over the entire 2005 season were to Marat Safin in a spectacular 5 set marathon in the Aussie Open semis, Richard Gasquet in a third set tiebreak in the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals, clay court wizard Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the French Open, and a disappointing 5 set loss to David Nalbandian in the Tennis Masters Cup finals.

To sum it up, Federer cannot be stopped. Yes, he can be slowed down. He may not win the French Open. But he cannot be full-on stopped. He is on his way to becoming the greatest there ever was. Wimbledon is a given. US Open is all but a given for Federer.  But could someone possiby challenge him for the #1 spot? Doubtful. Rafael Nadal will give it a try though.

Nadal was one of the biggest stories of the entire year. With his rousing fist pumps, firey demeanor, clamdiggers, sleevless attire, and the patented "Vamonos!" cries, he burst on to the scene. At the age of just 18, Nadal won his first Grand Slam title at the  French Open on his debut in Paris, shocking Federer in the semifinals before slugging his way past Argentine Mariano Puerta in the finals. This followed an unbelievable early-season clay court tear in which he won every match on the dirt save one tournament. Nadal won early season events in Brazil and Acapulco before announcing himself to the world by taking 2 sets off Federer on the hardcourts of Miami. He followed that up with championship wins in Barcelona, TMS Monte Carlo, TMS Rome, and of course Roland Garros. While the Spanish heartthrob had broken through, some wondered if he could win off of the slow red clay. After a disappointing 2nd round loss in Wimbledon, Nadal was able to dodge the question by returning to the dirt to win titles in Bastad and Stuttgart. But in late July, he finally broke through off of the European clay. At the prestigous Tennis Masters Series event in Montreal, Nadal took his first title off of clay by defeating legendary Andre Agassi 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the finals on the fast blue hardcourt of US Open Series. Nadal pieced together 2 more titles but his year ended on a disappointing note as injury left him out of the Tennis Masters Cup. At the tender age of 19, Rafael Nadal finished as then 2nd ranked player in the world, and the best player not named Roger Federer. He established himself as the best clay court player in the world having gone 51-2 in 2005 on clay. 

Nadal became an icon. With Nadalmania sweeping through the world, Rafael's amazing breakthrough season was likened to Boris Becker's stunning ascension to the top of the tennis ladder in 1985 when the 17 year old won Wimbledon on his first try. Nadal won 11 singles titles on the year and established a legend that will one day include the distinction of being one of the greatest of all time.

After a 1 month hiatus, tennis is back. With the Australian Open fast approaching, who will sniff Grand Slam glory this year aside from Fed and Nadal? No doubt all other players view the Australian Open as their best bet at a major title. With Nadal out due to a foot injury, the only invincible one will be Federer this year in Melbourne. But even Federer can be beaten Down Under. With all the players fresh but rusty, the Australian Open is the best place for the underdog to come out on top. At the French Open, only the clay wizards have a shot at surviving. At Wimbledon, the points are fast and Federer is untouchable. At the US Open, again the courts are too fast for anyone not named Federer to stand a chance. But at the Australian Open, on the Rebound Ace courts, there is hope for all. Federer, despite winning a tune-up event in Doha last week, is not at his best. Few players are at the beginning of the year. Players don't have to worry about having to face Fed in his midseason, indestructable mode.

Andy Roddick will no doubt be on the radar despite a disappointing 2005 campaign. He again failed to win a major as his lone breakthrough in a Grand Slam is still the 2003 US Open. Yes, he won 5 singles title, reached the finals at Wimbledon, and finished the year ranked 3rd in the world, but he never once beat Federer or Lleyton Hewitt, and failed to win even a Tennis Masters Series title. Roddick even suffered the embarressment of losing in the 1st round of the US Open to journeymen Gilles Muller, causing legions of fans to wonder where Roddick's mojo went in an obvious reference to Andy's now infamous American Express ad.

American tennis fans hope that 2006 brings a new Roddick. While he showed improvement in his serve and volley game, Roddick showed no improvement on clay and could not handle either Federer or Hewitt from the baseline. His serve is still world class, but as Roger Federer showed in the Wimby final, it can be tamed. His forehand can pack the heat, but his suspect backhand screams unforced errors. He returns to Melbourne this year with the memory of blowing his best chance at a 2005 Major title last year at the same venue. With Federer knocked out by Marat Safin, Roddick needed only to beat Hewitt and Safin to claim his second Grand Slam title. But instead, Roddick melted down in the semifinals and eventually gave up in a 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 loss to Hewitt. Hewitt won because unlike Roddick, he wanted to win. He showed unbelievable passion and fighting spirit and did the unthinkable by overcoming Roddick's serve to win 2 tiebreaks against the American. This set the stage for a very glum season as he never really seemed to have the same passion others had for the game. Hopefully, Roddick can bounce back in style this year.

Ageless wonder Andre Agassi will be at it again for his 20th season as a pro. After nearly putting the perfect end to a storied career at the US Open before falling short in the finals to Federer, Agassi will skip the Australian Open and French Open. Agassi hopes that by skipping the early season Slams, he can have more in the tank for the late season Slammys at Wimbledon and in Flushing for the US Open. Agassi will no doubt play a lighter schedule as a 36 year old body can only take so much. Agassi's place in history is already assured having won each of the 4 Grand Slams at least once (something Pete Sampras never did and Roger Federer hasn't done- yet) and winning 60 singles titles in total during his career. Hopefully, he can go out with a #### this year.

Americans Robby Ginepri and James Blake hope to take their game to the next level after breaking through during the North American summer hardcourt season last year. Ginepri upset Andy Roddick in Indianapolis on his way to his 2nd career title and finished the season strong with a suprising run to the semifinals of the US Open (loss to Agassi) and the semis of the Tennis Masters Series in Madrid as well (loss to Nadal). Ranked 15th in the world, Ginepri stands a serious chance of breaking into the Top 10. Meanwhile, Blake rose from the dead to make it to the Top 25 in 2005. Blake fell of the tennis map in 2004 after a very serious neck injury suffered during a practice session. His fortunes were further stomped on when his dad died during his recovery from the injury. But Blake battled hard to return to the court and made national headlines by following a runner up showing in Washington and a title in New Haven (his 1st singles title in over 2 years) by upsetting Rafael Nadal on his way to a quarterfinal showing at the US Open. In that memorable quarterfinal showing, Blake had Andre Agassi on the ropes before Agassi launched a stirring comeback as both treated a capacity crowd to spectacular tennis long into the night in a 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) win by Agassi. The match ended in a sudden death, fifth set tiebreaker in which Blake actually held a match point before Agassi made one last comeback. That match was an instant classic and will no doubt be talked about 20 years from now when tennis fans recall the last hurrahs of Andre Agassi and the stunning resolve of James Blake. With a powerful forehand and outstanding quickness, Blake is a threat to make a big run at any time and could be a Australian Open dark horse candidate.

Ah yes, we know that you are waiting to hear about Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin. Hewitt fought through injuries all of last year but still managed to end the season ranked 4th in the world. Hewitt, though, did not win a Slam as he choked at the last hurdle at his home Slam, the Australian Open. After routing Roddick in the semis, Hewitt was the favorite against an exhausted Safin. These musings were further confirmed when Hewitt raced through the 1st set of the championship match decisively, winning it 6-1. But Safin fought back and took his 2nd Grand Slam title and first in over 4 years with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over the rabid Aussie. Hewitt has finished the year ranked #1 in the world twice and has won 2 Slams in his career so he obviously has what it takes to challenge Federer. But despite being known as one of wiliest players on tour, playing constant mind games with opponents, Hewitt just cannot beat Federer. Hewitt has not beaten Federer since September of 2003 and lost 9 of 10 sets the 2 played against each other last year. If Hewitt wants to win, like every other player, he will have to go through Federer. At this point, it doesn't look like he will be able to. Meanwhile, Safin started last season on a spectacular note. In arguably the best match of the year, Safin took down Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open with a 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 9-7 win over the king, saving match points along the way. He followed that up with the win over Hewitt in the finals and established himself as a challenger to Roger's throne. With a brillian array of shotmaking and power, Safin stood a legitimate chance of taking over the top spot. Unlike Roddick, who has a huge serve and forehand but can't hit solid backhands or volleys consistently enough to challenge Fed, or Hewitt, who scrambles and digs deep to win points but just doesn't have enough firepower to compete with Federer, Safin had everything needed to beat Roger. But things did not end the way Marat had hoped. After struggling with injuries and poor form following Australia, Safin eventually shut down in August because of a incessant knee injury. Safin will likely join Agassi and Nadal on the sidelines next week as the Australian Open starts as the knee injury has not gone away. This means that in all likelihood Safin will not be able to defend his title.

Yes, Federer can be beaten. Yes, Nadal can be beaten. But the two are clearly the cream of the crop in men's tennis. Every other major contender has major problems to deal with, be it Roddick's confidence and backhand, Hewitt's health and firepower, or Safin's injuries, it doesn't look like any of the 3 will have enough to supplant Roger or Rafael. But we'll see. The tennis season is upon us and there is no shortage of star power on the men's circuit. Let's hope America is listening. 

So I'm hearing now that there are 2 possible ways the Texans will go about using their #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Either they will trade David Carr to Miami in exchange for Ricky Williams and a draft pick and thus take Vince Young 1st overall, or they will sit tight and nab Reggie Bush. So what should the Texans do? Bush and Carr or Vince and Ricky? The All-California backfield or the All-UT backfield?

Neither.

The Houston Texans need to take D'Brickashaw Ferguson in the 1st round. Whether they trade down or not, the bottom line is that D'Brickashaw needs to be a Texan. Ferguson, the senior left tackle out of the University of Virginia, is the best offensive line prospect to come out since Orlando Pace. Some complain that he is a little small at around 287 pounds, but he is extremely agile and deceptively strong. He never gets beat. Coming out of college, Ferguson looks like an Jonathan Ogden or Pace type player. He is a can't-miss franchise tackle.

The Houston Texans can fool themselves and their fans into thinking that taking another skill player is going to save them. But neither Reggie Bush or Vince Young will be able to do anything with the Texans if they have no room or time to make a play. The Texans have some talent already on offense. David Carr has been beaten up bad in his 4 seasons with the Texans. But Carr has shown lots of potential and if he is ever given an competent offensive line that could give him more than 2 seconds to throw the ball, he could be a great NFL starter. Domanick Davis was a real find for the Texans. Taken in the 4th round after being used as a kick returner at LSU, Davis has worked with the Texans' awful offensive line and grinded his way to 2 1,000 yard rushing seasons in 3 years in the league. He would have had a third thousand yard season this year but the constant beating he takes finally caught up to him. He missed 5 games but still managed to run for 976 yards. In 3 seasons in the league, Davis has already scored 27 TD's, including a 2004 season in which he had over 1,600 total yards and 14 TD's. What Davis is doing is remarkable because the moment he gets the ball in the backfield, he is surrounded by defensive players. Why? The Houston Texans cannot block to save their lives. Davis deserves a medal for rushing for 1,000 yards behind that line.  Wide reciever Andre Johnson has also shown a lot of promise. Taken 3rd overall in the 2003 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami, Johnson has a knack for making big plays. With an unreal leaping ability, he is a constant red zone threat. After a rookie season in which he totaled almost 1,000 yards through the air, Johnson busted out in 2004, reaching his 1st Pro Bowl and catching 79 balls for 1,142 yards and 6 TD's. Expected to reach into the upper echelon of recievers this year, Johnson never really got a chance. With the offensive line giving Carr no time to throw the ball, Johnson had limited oppurtunities and ended the year with just 63 catches and 2 TD's.

Quite frankly, it all starts in the trenches. If a team cannot protect its quarterback or give its running back any holes to work with, they cannot succeed. David Carr was sacked an unbelievable 68 times this season. Do you really expect him to be able to make plays when he is frantically hoping his head doesn't come off on the next play? Domanick Davis had no holes, but lots of defenders in the backfield to work with this season. He averaged a very ####-hum 4.1 yards a carry this year. But what do you really expect? Andre Johnson had just 688 receiving yards and 2 TD's on the year. But if his quarterback doesn't get any oppurtunities to throw, let alone set his feet, do you really expect many big plays? The offensive lineman were never able to block long enough to allow Johnson to get free deep.

D'Brickashaw Ferguson is the answer. Ferguson has started all 48 games he has been healthy for in his UVA career. He makes being a lineman look easy. He did not give up a sack his entire junior season and gave up very few during an injury riddled senior season. He glides around the field making blocks as if he was a human wall. The future in Houston has always been bright because of Carr, Johnson, and Davis. But nobody can win with Fred Weary, Chester Pitts, Steve McKinney, Zach Weigert and Milford Brown as their offensive lineman. Reggie Bush or Vince Young may sell some tickets. But if Reggie Bush is hit in the backfield for 3 yard losses on every play or Vince Young is sacked on every other down, people will stop watching. And the Texans will keep losing. The Texans in their 4 year history have always neglected fixing their offensive line preferring instead to go for flashier draft picks that will make more of a splash in the media. It is time the Texans start paying attention. For the sake of that franchise and the careers of David Carr, Andre Johnson, and Domanick Davis, I pray that the news they will either take Young and trade Carr or pick Bush is just a smoke screen. The Houston Texans need D'Brickashaw. They need their Ogden or Pace.

It all starts in the trenches. After QB, there is no position more important than left tackle. If you can't block, you can't win. The Texans should know this. With the 1st pick in the draft and a franchise left tackle available, this pick should be a no-brainer. Dan Reeves needs to talk some sense into a star-struck Texans ownership and make them realize that Ferguson is the needed pick. If you gave Domanick Davis an offensive line, he would easily run for 1,400 or 1,500 yards, if not more. If you gave David Carr an offensive line, he would likely throw for 3,500 yards and 20+ TD's. If you gave Andre Johnson an offensive line, he would surpass 85 catches 1,200 yards, and 8 TD's very easily year in and year out.

So just give them an offensive line.

Well, today it became official what I had been expecting the second I submitted that awful Bengals/Steelers preview: I'm out. It's been a good ride and I'm happy I was given a chance in this competition.

Heres one thing I am going to admit: I'm not actually over 18. I'm 15 years old and so I entered this thing for fun not thinking I would have a shot at winning. So maybe it's for the best that I didn't win, no doubt there would have been a fair amount of controversy if an underage guy pulled through. 

It's been fun guys. Now I can go back to enjoying my sophmore year in high school and hopefully not worry about this stuff as much. I'm gonna bounce back for sure, and hopefully one day I can show FOX what they missed out on. It's been fun everybody. I'm not going to stop posting here but no doubt I won't post as much. Good luck to the remaining finalists. Make all of us proud.