When did we break down the schedules in two parts?  It just doesn't make sense to me.  Or does it?  Usually the OOC vs IC schedule parts SEC vs well, everyone else.  Fans of Team A blasts Team B for a weak conference.  Then Team B attacks Team A's out of conference schedule.  Blah, blah, blah.  There's truth in both. 

Just take a look at the two highest profile games this upcoming year:

Ohio State at Southern Cal

Georgia vs Florida @ the Cocktail Party

Both games are being treated like it's the plus one system in effect.  Two games, most likely both will be a top 5 matchups.  Here is my point, I think.  Ohio State and USC went outside their conference to get their Top 5 matchup while Georgia and Florida have their Top 5 matchup built into their schedule.  I'm not saying either is better or worse for it.  What I'm saying is that when the season is over, all four of these teams will likely be in the Top 10 in strength of schedule.  So can we please put to rest the OOC vs the IC?  It's a weak arguement. 

 

- Not having a playoff is college football is not a big deal.  College football thrives on controversy.  If you want a playoff, stop watching BCS games.  If you can't do that, then stop complaining.  It's like the people who complain that TV is too perverse, then sit down and watch CSI or Law and Order. 

 - John Smoltz is headed to the closer role when he returns.  Awesome, now Atlanta has as many closers as they do starters. 

 - Al Horford just misses ROY.  I think he deserved it, but I really don't mind that he didn't win.  I can't say Kevin Durant wasn't worthy of it.  Al Horford reminds me Dwight Howard.  Howard himself didn't win the ROY either.  He fell just short of Emeka Okafor.  Which would you take now?  Horford will be a major player in this league. 

 - Speaking of playoffs and the NBA, can we do something?  The playoffs started in April and won't end until July.  Do you mean that I could actually slip into a two month coma and when I wake up, there still won't be a NBA title given?

 - Everyone, can you please stop giving draft grades?  It's the most absurd thing in sports next to preseason rankings in football.  

     I'm not much of an NBA guy.  I know what's going on, but it's just hard to get into it until playoffs time.  Well, I'm in full NBA mode.  By full, I mean a little.  I'd still rather talk BCS, plus one, the 2010 NFL Draft, Braves pitching rotation, but come on.   The NBA will crown a champion soon.  Well, not soon..in about three months. 

    My question is this:  What happened?  In the East, Boston/ATL is knotted up.  Same with Rock City and Philly.  Orlando/Toronto was closer than the 4-1 series looked.  And Jay-Z is having problems knocking Soulja Boy off the charts.  While the West teams have dominated.  Wasn't the Nuggets/Lakers series supposed to seven?  Yeah, not even close.  Hornets took care of the Mavs easily (surprising easy).  Defending Champs took the best of what the Suns had and easily eclipsed them (see what I did there).  The only series of interest in the West is Jazz/Rockets. 

     Wasn't every series in the West going to be a knock down drag out?  Where eight seeds could beat one seeds and you don't know who to pencil in.  Didn't the Celts and Pistons have reserved seats for round two after four game sweeps?  

     All I have to say is beware of three seeds and their point guards.  Both PGs have seemed to flip the switch. 

   

   

This will likely be my last post here.  I'm going on a little "vacation" and won't have the time to visit anymore.  So I thought I would leave you with a few of my favorite sports memories.  While some of them are small in the scheme of things, I will remember these events and tell the stories to my kids and theirs.  Hope you enjoy. 

 

- I once scored 33 points in basketball game

Sure, it was a church league, but it was a pretty competitive b-ball league.  I never quite had the grades to play school ball.  So this was my chance to shine.  My older brother was our coach and knew that the rest of the players couldn't handle the rigors of real basketball compared to their street balling ways.  He gave me the word and told me to take them game into my own hands, much in the way Phil Jackson runs his offense through Kobe.  33 points may not be a big deal, but I had the high score for the league that year.  Oh, we also lost and I fractured my wrist on the last play.  Another reason why that game was so memorable. 

- The Slide

Growing up in Pensacola (a huge baseball community) we were almost forced to love the hapless Braves.  All that changed once Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz arrived.  The losers became winners.  In Game Seven of the 1992 NLCS against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Braves were headed into the ninth inning down 2-0.  What followed was a sac fly from Ron Gant and a miracle.  Francisco Cabrera lines a single to left.  Justice scores from third.  Sid Bream, known for his wheels or lack of, rounds third and heads for home.  Barry Bonds (a lot thinner back then, I don't know why), hits Mike LaValliere just slightly before Bream reaches home.  The throw from Bonds is slightly off and Bream slides in under the tag.  Justice's famous chokehold.  Hysteria breaks out.  End scene.   I remember my mom jumping around our living room with my brothers and me.  Let's just say my mom is not the type to get too excited over anything.  This was one of the times when she let her emotions go when she heard, "Line drive and a base hit. Justice will score the tying run. Bream to the plate...and he is safe, safe at the plate! The Braves go to the World Series!" 

On a side note, one of my good friends is a huge fan of Pittsburgh sports teams.  I'm not allowed to mention any of the names mentioned around him or he gets overly sensitive.  I love to make him overly sensitive every time I get the chance. 

- Payback

Roy Jones fell to Montell Griffin.  Not by a Knock Out, not even by a Technical Knock Out, but by Disqualification.  Ouch.  Roy gets his first loss as Griffin slips to one knee and he hits him.  Griffin takes a look around and falls flat (I think he took a dive.  If he could have continued, Jones Jr would have lost some points, but if he can't continue Griffin goes home the champ).  This ain't WWE, if you're the champ and you get disqualified, you don't keep the belt.  Griffin talked a lot of smack leading up to the rematch.  Saying that Jones knew that Griffin was beating him so Roy had to cheat.  So on Aug 21, 1997, Roy dishes out some vengeance.  Roy is one to fight a lot of fights with his mouth.  On this day, he used to his fists and showed why he was "The Best Pound for Pound" boxer. Barely into the first round, Jones KO's Griffin.  Making Griffin look like a complete punching bag with legs.  This was about as lopsided as a fight you will ever see.  One more side note...Roy's silver medal in the Olympics is probably one of my worst sports memories.  Roy Jones should have won both the Gold and Silver after that fight. 

- Am I my brother's keeper

Growing up I was the middle child.  I know, it sucked.  My older brother was the scholastic dream.  He was in more clubs in high schools than the Olsen twins.  FBLA, Spanish, varsity baseball team and more that I can't remember.  My younger brother was a baseball phenom.  He pretty much set records in every year that he played.  I remember watching him play third base and throw and kid out from his knees.  Sure, that's not too impressive, you see that all the time on ESPN.  We'll he did it and nine.  Most nine year olds have trouble getting the ball from third to first with a running start.  My greatest memory of my brother is when he was playing in an all star game at 11.  He was playing with the 12 year olds.  Not a lot of kids did that back then.  He was playing in a normal 11-12 year old park.  Well, he came up to bat and drilled a ball.  It went out of the park.  Then over two rows of parking.  Then over the street and over the powerlines.  It landed in some trees...in the guy who lived across the street's back yard.  I'm sorry, but that's power.  That ball looked like it traveled in slow motion.  Not bad for an 11 year old. 

Another one of my worst sports moments is when my brother fell into my crowd in HS.  He got into some trouble and baseball has been an afterthought ever since.  That's one thing that weighs on me every day. 

- Those who can't do...

One of the greatest gifts in sports is teaching others how to play.  I try and explain to my wife why a pitcher always bunts with runners on and one or no outs.  How a pump fake or play action can freeze a defense long enough to cause some damage.  The greatest joy I've felt was coaching youth sports.  Teaching young boys and girls to play the game and play it the right way.  To teach them fundamentals and to actually see them use them.  To teach a young girl, which her mother made her play, that the game can be fun and watch her run down the court smiling and giving high fives.  To teach the ball hoggin, streetballer that it takes a team to win after you make him play 1 vs 5. 

So if you ask yourself how you can change today's athletes.  You can't, but you can affect the next batch.  I recommend all of you that take offense to today's games and how they aren't played like they should to go out and coach.  Teach them the right way and why it's the right way.  Make sports fun for them and they will listen. 

 That's all I have for now.  So with that, I'm out.

     I hear a lot of people talking that Billy Donovan has nothing to come back for. That he should go to the NBA or Kentucky. He won't have a team next year. Usually losing five starters and one of your top players off your bench could mean trouble.  Let's take a look at who's coming to Gainesville and why Florida won't drop from the sky as far as you think.

Walter Hodge - The lefty that has played point and the two spot. He's just as quick Green and can shoot the three (not quite like Humphrey, can anyone?). It will be his team next year. Whether he's running the point or spotting up, beware.  It will be his team next year.   

Marreese Speights - Hmm, a 6-10, 240 F. If you think that Speights reminds you of Al Horford, you're right. While he is definitely not as polished he will be a major force in the middle next year.

Dan Werner - Another freshman who got valuable playing time this year. He will likely take over for Corey Brewer. He has some range and will be effective in the middle. I look for him to improve this off-season.

Nick Calathes - You may recognize his name from the McDonalds All American game this year. He scored 13 points, six dimes and five rebounds and impressed a lot of folks. One scout said that he had the highest basketball IQ of any of the other players there.

Chandler Parsons - Coming along with Nick is his best friend and high school teammate. Chandler is 6-8 (and still growing) and ready to go. He's got a great work ethic and can shoot from outside. I'm guess he will play facing the basketball and will have the feel of some European players , as they can play outside even with their height.

Florida has a few others waiting to play and another National Championship will bring a couple more.

Expect Florida to add one more player to their 2007-08 roster. Most likely another big man.

Donovan has done a great job at building a team with character. Don't expect Patrick Patterson (Hunington High) to be suiting up in Orange and Blue next year unless he can ditch his attitude.

Adam Allen from Milton (right down the street from me) is supposed to be a lights out shooter from what I've heard. 

I don't expect any starters to return regardless of the score tonight.

This article appeared on ESPN.com:  http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=28159
40

Florida president Bernie Machen said Wednesday that he is gaining increased support among leaders of Southeastern Conference schools in his push for a playoff for college football in the former Division I-A.

 

Machen said he proposed his ideas to SEC presidents at a meeting in March in Atlanta and that the topic will be on the official agenda of the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla., in April.

 

"I will make my formal presentation," Machen said. "This is a big step. I didn't think they'd allow me to be a part of the agenda. But I will have my day in court."

 

Machen said the SEC needs to lead the way and that time is a factor.

 

"We need to have these considerations now," Machen said. "Fox wants now to extend our existing BCS deal and if we do that, we're going to be stuck in the same place for the next six to eight years, with a system that could obviously be better."

 

Machen takes his stand, of course, even though Florida won the national championship under the existing BCS format, which pits the two highest-rated teams in the BCS formula. Machen said movement towards a plus-one format (adding an extra game), a Final Four or eight-team format is not as important as getting a majority opinion among the SEC leaders that a change is beneficial.

 

"It will take a conference like ours to get this moving in the right direction," Machen said. "We've got to make this a deal with great revenue for league and bowls. Right now, I have more SEC presidents on board than I thought I would. And the majority are willing to listen, which is more than ever before."

 

Machen said he's spoken to about a hal####ozen presidents outside the SEC to gauge their opinions. And that he has talked to leaders at two BCS bowls who say they "want to be at the table to discuss this, too."

 

The Big Ten and the Pac-10, with a strong Rose Bowl tie-in, figure to be the conferences least eager to rally support for a college football playoff.

Lance Briggs to the Redskins - Great move for Bears in my opinion.  There is tons of defense in the top 10 picks and maybe even a QB that they need so bad.  I'd trade the disgruntled LB and my 31st pick for the sixth pick overall. 

 

I don't think Billy Donovan is going anywhere.  He's saying the things he has to say while his team is still playing.  The president said Billy can go look, but he won't let him leave.  Donovan will be a well paid man in Gator Country next year.  Florida fans have got to love having both Urban Meyer and Billy Donovan as coaches. 

 

Anyone else besides the states of Florida and Ohio State excited about another rematch?  Could this be the next big rivalry?  We'll have to see.  I for one would love to see the Gators repeat over the Buckeyes.  It'd make it that much sweet.  I know OSU would love to finally stick it to the boys from Gainesville.  It's amazing how far these football schools have come in basketball.  I'm calling Ohio State vs Florida in Omaha this summer!

 

Does anyone else smell something fishy about this tourney?  After no upsets in the opening rounds, the high seeds sweep through.  Throw in some questionable calls and it makes you take notice. 

 

I'm also finally getting excited about basketball again.  Grant Hill killed my love.  Well, next year his $16 million plus will be off the books in Orlando.  Throw in a scoring threat that Jameer Nelson can pass to and another year of progress from Dwight Howard and the Magic could start to make a deep run in the playoffs.  (I know they are a few years away, but at least they will be competitive)

 

Please Orlando don't resign Grant Hill.  Please!

 

Peyton Manning is hilarious.  "I'll kill a snitch."  SNL is hardly watchable anymore.  Justin Timberlake is the only decent host in the last two years until Manning this last Saturday.   The only skits that are somewhat funny are Target (sometimes), Two A-holes (always), Blizzard Man (which only I find funny apparently) and Bronx Beat (most of the time).  Peyton's United Way is up there with Omletville.  (I'm only comparing SNL skits from recent years.  There is no way anyone could beat Steve Martin era or Adam Sandler era)

 

Baseball update.  It's about to start.  Dice K mania is everywhere.  I say he has 12-14 wins with an ERA of about 3.50 or so.  Hitters will eventually find him out.  If pitches come across the plate, Major League players will find ways to put it into play.  MLB has turned into an offensive game, I don't see one pitcher changing that. 

 

Could Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz really be retiring next year?  What will happen to the Braves?  Will John Smoltz wear another uni?  If Atlanta is out of the running, will Andruw Jones change his mind about the no-trade clause?  Can Chipper stay healthy for a full year anymore?  Will their starting pitching mirror their bullpen last year?  The Braves have lots of questions.  Every team does this time of year.

 

Will baseball ever have a salary cap?

 

I don't care if A-Rod leaves the Yankees without winning a title.  If I'm correct, Derek Jeter didn't win one while A-Rod was there either.  The Yankees just aren't as good as they once were.  They just don't have the pitching anymore. 

 

P.S.  Kobe is not better than Jordan.  It's an injustice that you even mention the two together. 

 

- Brady Quinn the QB is different from Notre Dame the football team.  People are confusing them.

- Why on earth would anyone want to move Reggie Nelson to CB?  Did they not watch any Gator game in the last year?

- Calvin Johnson is the best player in this draft.  I just wish he would stop looking so damn draftable and fall to my Bucs @ the four spot.

- In terms of overall value,  Amobi Okoye is only behind Calvin Johnson.  This kid is extremely smart and only 19.  Could be a defensive franchise piece for a smart NFL Club.

- I'd rather take Robert Meachem or Dwayne Bowe than grab Ted Ginn Jr.  In three years, Ginn Jr will be strictly returning punts and kickoffs (if that). 

- Anthony Gonzalez will be the best Ohio State WR and a steal late in the second round. 

- There's a huge drop off from QB after JaMarcus Russell and Quinn.  Not sure if anyone else could start on a team in the next two years and do well. 

- There is no safe pick at RB, Adrian Peterson is the best back, but is he healthy and can he stay that way?

Following is a blog written by Jim Delany, Big Ten Commissioner and can be found on the Big Ten website.

To Fans of the Big Ten and College Football

Feb. 9, 2007 Greetings from the Big Ten Conference, With the conclusion of another tremendous college football season and the recent national signing day, there has been a lot written and said about the Big Ten's recruiting efforts across the country, including a recent article in the Chicago Sun-Times entitled "Big Ten needs to find new talent pool - fast" (see full article here). In response to these commentaries, it seems premature for us to lower our admission standards or give up on the tremendous talent pool in the Midwest. No doubt national programs must recruit nationally wherever the talented students and athletes live. Hats off to Florida and the SEC -- they had a great year. We believe that both the Big Ten and the SEC have been and remain two of the greatest college football conferences in the country. But you may want to keep in mind the following as you review the various recruiting services, listen to talking heads and reflect the blogosphere out there as they compare these two fine conferences. I think most people would agree that head-to-head competition is an effective method to compare relative strengths between competitive entities:

 

• The Big Ten was 2-1 vs. the SEC in this past season's bowl games. The Big Ten is 8-6 vs. the SEC in bowl games over the last five years
• The Big Ten is 13-13 vs. the SEC in bowl games over the last decade. Over the last nine years of Bowl Championship Series games, the Big Ten leads all conferences with 15 berths while ranking second with eight victories. The SEC tops all leagues with nine wins and ranks second to the Big Ten with 13 appearances.
• In the last 10 years the Big Ten has produced two national champions compared to three for the SEC. I
• n the last 15 years the Big Ten has produced five Heisman Trophy winners, more than any other conference. Over that same time span, the SEC has claimed one Heisman.
• While the SEC ranked first among various recruiting rankings, the Big Ten ranked second or third nationally with four to five programs rated among the top 25 recruiting classes.  
• The Big Ten has a history of developing players - the most recent Heisman Trophy winner, Troy Smith, was one of the last players to receive a scholarship from Ohio State.
• The Big Ten has slightly less than 300 players in the NFL while the SEC has slightly more than 300; Sixteen former Big Ten players earned Super Bowl rings with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this month.

 

I love speed and the SEC has great speed, especially on the defensive line, but there are appropriate balances when mixing academics and athletics. Each school, as well as each conference, simply must do what fits their mission regardless of what a recruiting service recommends. I wish we had six teams among the top 10 recruiting classes every year, but winning our way requires some discipline and restraint with the recruitment process. Not every athlete fits athletically, academically or socially at every university. Fortunately, we have been able to balance our athletic and academic mission so that we can compete successfully and keep faith with our academic standards. Let's see if the five- and 10-year trend lines hold or whether the recruiting services and talking heads are seeing a new day. We are quite proud of our history and tradition and remain optimistic about the future of Big Ten football.

Thanks.

Jim Delany

 

Thanks Jim.  Basically you summed it up by saying your a competitive conference, but just not there athletically with the Southeastern Conference.  You sound like a 13 old boy who just got beaten in a game of basketball and your only excuse is "they're better than us, that's why they won, but I bet they couldn't beat me in a spelling bee."

 

Jim Delany, do us a favor.  Worry about your own conference. 

 

     Yeah, that's right.  I finished in the top 200 (I believe 190) to be exact in the world in College Pick 'em on Foxsports.com.  That put me in the 99.2 percentile.  Normally I wouldn't brag about this (I've been busy bragging on Florida), but I received an e-mail from foxsports yesterday telling me that I get a free year subscription to scout.com.  I've always wanted to get a subscription to scout, but the $100 a year usually swayed me against the idea.  So I'm pretty excited about trying it out free for a year. 

    Alright, that's enough for right now.  I'm headed to the Senior Bowl Saturday.  So if anyone wants to meet up and buy me a beer, I'd be glad to oblige.  I'll be at the Tailgate Party that starts 12, so you can start buying me beer around then.  I'll post one last College Football Blog when I get back.  Hopefully I even add some pics from the day. 

     Sure, a playoff is what is needed most in college football.  I won't even argue with you over that.  What kind of playoff I'm not going to argue either.  I'm in favor of a plus one myself.  How do we truly get those "four best teams" or even the "two best teams" together?  To me it's easier than putting together a playoff or sleeping with Lindsey Lohan after she's had a couple of shots of Patron Platinum in her. 

     It's as simple as not ranking teams until later in the season.  How many teams have been ranked in the Top 10 during preseason only to fall out of the Top 25 by years end?  How many teams start way behind because those supposed teams fall from grace and show growth and maturity?  I think what we have learned more these last couple of years is that rankings mean nothing when two teams are playing.  

     I say start ranking teams after week six.  Let them get past their out of conference schedule and into the heart of their conference before we start picking who is going to play in the BCS National Championship game. 

     I think this puts everyone at the same starting line.  Isn't that what we truly want?  An equal chance to get to the Championship game.  Look, the BCS is not going to add a playoff system until at least 2010.  So get used to it.  We need changes that are going to work and benefit every team now.  Not just the USC's, Ohio State's, Oklahoma's, Florida's, etc.    I think this is one change that would benefit every Div I school. 

I wrote a super long post only to have it disappear in thin blogness.  So I am going to give you the short and sweet. 

Key aspects for Florida:

Reggie Lewis and Ryan Smith

Chris Leak

Key aspects for Ohio State:

Offensive Line

Anthony Gonzalez

Pick:  Florida 31, Ohio State 28 (I have a strong feeling that a Chris Hetland field goal will be the difference in this game.  It's will be an ironic end to his season for sure since he's been 4-13 this year.)

These are the alumni of both Florida and Ohio State that are currently in the NFL.  I'll let you be the judge.  Info from scout.com.

Florida Offense:

• QB - Rex Grossman, CHI
• RB – Fred Taylor, JAX
• WR – Travis Taylor, MIN
• WR – Ike Hillard, TB
• WR – Darrell Jackson, SEA
• TE – Ben Troupe, TEN
• OL – Cooper Carlisle, DEN
• OL – Tavares Washington, SF
• OL – Kenyatta Walker, TB
• OL – Zach Piller, TEN
• OL – Mike Pearson, MIA

Florida Defense:

• DE - Jevon Kearse, PHI
• DT – Gerald Warren, DEN
• DT Ian Scott, CHI
• DE - Alex Brown, CHI
• LB – Mike Peterson, JAX
• LB – Andra Davis, CLE
• LB – Channing Crowder, MIA
• CB - Lito Sheppard, PHI
• CB – Keiwan Ratliff, CIN
• S - Gus Scott, NE
• S - Todd Johnson, CHI
  
  Ohio State Offense:  
• QB – No current QB in NFL
• RB – No current RB in NFL
• WR – Terry Glenn, DAL
• WR – Michael Jenkins. ATL
• WR – Joey Galloway, TB
• TE Darnell Sanders, CIN
• OL – Orlando Pace, STL
• OL – Rob Sims, SEA
• OL – Nick Mangold, NYJ
• OL – Shane Olivea, SD
• OL – Adrien Clarke, PHI  

Ohio State Defense:

• DE – Darrion Scott, DE
• DT – Marcus Green, SEA
• DT – Dan Wilkerson, MIA
• DE – Will Smith, NO
• LB – Bobby Carpenter, DAL
• LB – Mike Vrabel, NE
• LB – A.J. Hawk, GB
• CB – Shawn Springs, WAS
• CB – Nate Clements, BUF
• S – Will Allen, TB
• S – Donte Whitner, BUF

Here is a list of five things that won't matter between the Buckeyes and Gators when they meet in two weeks from Christmas.  We’ll get to the more important stuff later.  Enjoy. 

Weather:

The weather in Columbus on Dec 20, 2006 is 47 degrees and cloudy.

The weather in Gainesville on Dec 20, 2006 is 74 degrees and cloudy.

Winner:  Florida Ohio State fan about Gainesville "I couldn't live here, cause I like seasons.” Gator fan replies "Yeah we do too, but we got rid of the #### ones"

The Mascot:

Florida has the gator

Ohio State has the buckeye

What is a buckeye? It is a fruit or poisonous seed:  a prickly or smooth fruit of a tree or bush of the horse chestnut family, or the large shiny brown poisonous seed it contains

Winner:  Both will kill you.  So I guess a tie.  I still would rather be killed by fruit than an alligator that has all those teeth and no toothbrush. 

Stadiums:

The Horseshoe:  Largest Crowd 105,708 Mel Kiper has even said that Ohio Stadium has the second-best atmosphere of any college venue. 

The Swamp:  Largest Crowd 90,716 EA Sports’ NCAA Football has Ben Hill Griffin Stadium the #1 toughest place to play in every version in which home field advantage has been ranked. 
Winner:  The Swamp, The Shoe is close though, besides, I never listen to what Mel Kiper's hair tells me

Cool Traditions:

The Gator Chomp:  Whether during kickoff or just cheering for a certain “Touchdown Maker” standing in the end zone, this tradition is fun for everyone. 

Script Ohio:  The script is an integrated series of evolutions and formations. The band first forms a triple Block O formation which will slowly unwind to form the famous letters. The drum major leads the outside O into a peel-off movement around the curves of the script, every musician in continual motion. The middle Block O revolves counter-clockwise as the other two rotate in a clockwise manner. Slowly the three blocks unfold into a long singular line which loops around, creating the OSUMB's trademark.

Winner:  Script Ohio.  While everyone can do the gator chomp, only a special few can do the honors at Ohio State.  Besides the fourth or fifth year sousaphone player, there has been Bob Hope, Woody Hayes, Buster Douglas, and Jack Nicklaus. 

Helmet and Uniforms:

Gators:  The blue jersey with the blue helmet with a gator head on it.  It’s not very stylish.   

Buckeyes:  Sure the plain silver helmet (wich looks like it was painted with boat paint) isn’t that cool either.  It’s those darn pride stickers or whatever they are calling them these days. 

Winner:  Buckeyes.  Sure maybe one little buckeye won’t hurt you, but if you see a helmet full of buckeyes you might want to pack some antacid and have the number to your physician ready. 

*I want to start a petition to have Florida wear the helmet and jerseys that they wore for the Alabama game this year.  Those were sharper than a razor blade.

 

I'm putting together an all Ohio State vs Florida so nobody steal my idea. 

The NBA salary cap is set at $53.135 million for the 06-07 season.  So I checked out si.com’s NBA salary report to make the best possible team that fits under that salary cap.  Let’s take a look:

 

 Starting five:

 

 C - Yao Ming – $12, 455,000

You’re going to need a presence down low.  What better than the 7’6” Ming? 

 PF - Dwight Howard - $4,806,720

Follow up that 7’6” nightmare with 6’11” Howard.  He’s a beast down low and you’re almost guaranteed a double-double. 

 

SF - Lebron James – $5,828,090

At a little under $6 mil, LeBron is a steal.  You won’t be able to keep him long, but one year is all you need with this team. 

SG - Dwyane Wade – $3,841,443

What else can you say about the SI, Sportsman of the Year?  He's what everyone wants in a teammate. 

PG - Kirk Hinrich - $3,192,628

He’s young, quick with great vision.  He’s Steve Nash with better range and without the reckless abandonment. 

 

Off the bench

 

C - Emeka Okafor –$4,300,560

Coming off the bench, Okafor can keep the middle clear of any flying objects. 

PF - Chris Bosh – $4,235,220

He’s the younger, cheaper version of Kevin Garnett. 

SF - Josh Howard – $1,667,603

I took Howard over Carmelo because he’s cheaper.  That’s the reason. 

SG - Ben Gordon - $3,862,080

Former sixth man award winner could be valuable backing Wade.

PG - Jameer Nelson - $1,272,120

Quite a surprise for the price.  Jameer can handle the ball and take that deep shot if needed. 

SF - Shane Battier - $5,393,300

Defensive specialist.  Every team needs one coming of the bench. 

 

Total - $49,187,161 (Below the cap, now I can get those leather seats for the box seats.)

 

There are thousands of choices I could have made.  What would your team look like?