The caption above says it all.  Let's get this season started today.  College football is back and needs to be.  I'm sick and tired of the following football coverage. . .95%  Mike Vick's going to jail. . .5% Preseason NFL games where guys that will be bagging my groceries in two weeks are deciding the outcome of a completely insignificant event.  C'mon NCAA football.  America needs you now more than ever!!!

Moments ago Barry Bonds belted a full count fastball into the 4th row of the right centerfield stands to become baseball's all-time leading homerun hitter.  Homerun number 756 was greated by amazing positive fan reaction, and amazingly, a video salute to Barry by the one and only Henry Aaron. 

Hank showed his class, which had been questioned recently, toward a man who truly deserves any praise that he recieves.  Barry Bonds is one of the three greatest hitters of all-time, and the greatest player since Willie Mays himself. 

I've said often that Barry's unfair treatment by many fans and the media is the reason I started this blog over a year and a half ago.  It's only fitting that I say goodbye to the Fox community on the night that my guy becomes THE GUY on the MLB homerun list.  Hats off to you Barry!  You deserved nothing but accolades on this night.  Let me be the first on this blog site to congratulate you!

The questions have seemed endless in the days leading up to the creshendo that was the Spurs 4th title in 9 years last night.  Are they a dynasty? 

To understand if they are or not, we must first understand what a "dynasty" is.

Webster defines "dynasty" as a succession of rulers of the same line of descent, or a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time.  The world of sports obviously uses the second definition when throwing around such a powerful word.  Are the Spurs a dynasty?  They are not even close according to Webster.

The key phrase in this definition is "maintains its position for a considerable time".  The Spurs have never even maintained their position as champions for two consecutive seasons.  San Antonio supporters may point out the overall depth and toughness of the West as support for their claim.  The mere fact that they've won the West so many times should count for something shouldn't it?  It does count toward their historical significance in NBA lore, but a dynasty they are not.

Sports fans and writers throw this word around as if it meant, "really good for more than a couple of seasons".  That only cheapens the few real dynasties the sports world has seen.  These are the only true dynasties in sports history:

1 - 1956-1969 Boston Celtics won 13 championships in a 15 year span including eight in a row from 1958-1966.  Loaded with Hall of Fame players, and the NBA head coach of all coaches, the Celtics defined dynasty for the NBA for all time.

2-  1936-1943 New York Yankees won 6 championships in eight years.  This stretch saw the end of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and the beginning of Joe DiMaggio.  Featuring Murder's Row and legendary pitching, the Yankees claimed the fans of New York from the Giants and Dodgers, never to give them back.

3-  1947-1962 New York Yankees won 10 titles in 16 years including five in a row from 1949-1953.  This era of Yankee dominance brought about Mickey Mantle, Maris' 61, Larson's no-hitter, and other moments that live forever in the annals of baseball history. 

4-  1964-1975 UCLA men's basetball cut the nets down 10 times in a 12 year span including seven consecutive titles from 1967-1973.  Jabbar, Walton, Johnson, Wooden, and others decorate the college basketball history books like no one has before or since.  They tought the people of Lexington, KY and the rest of the country what dominance really was.

5- 1956-1960 and 1976-1979 Montreal Canadians won five and four straight Stanley Cups respectively.  "Toe" Blake led the early version to success behind legends like Rocket Richard,  Jacques Plante, and Henri Richard.  Scotty Bowman raised the Cup behind the "new blood" of Guy LeFluer, Ken Dryden, and Rick Chartraw.  The Canadians and Yankees are the team with the best arguement of haveing two seperate dynasties, since some of the players carried over for the Yankees.

That's it.  That's the list.  Any attempt to include others only lessons the greatness of the aforementioned teams.  Many will try to include the Bulls of the 1990's, but the arguement would be better to support Jordan as an individual more than the team.  The two great Houston teams between their three-peats eliminates them from the conversation.  The Rockets were great in the middle, thus ending their run of a "considerable time". 

(Information was gathered from nhl.com, nba.com, mlb.com, and ucla.edu)

"Delaware. . .We're in Delaware. . .Delaware."  As Mike Myers spoke these words in the film "Wayne's World", millions doubled over in laughter while delighting in that which they knew nothing about, the state of Delaware.  I was one of the few that did not delight in the jab at my home state.  My birthplace was being mocked.  My home being embarrassed in front of what had become the global following of the iconic Saturday Night Live character.  Was I being a little to sensitive?  Yes.  Should I have lightened up?  Yes, but I still didn't like it.

When it comes to sports, Delaware folks have two passions.  We have some of the best baseball in the country historically.  We've turned out many NBA players.  But the passion in my state runs deep for football and NASCAR.  Everybody loves football, so that doesn't make us special.  However, NASCAR does.

Our capital, Dover, has hosted  Nextel Cup events every year since July 6, 1969.  On that day, the King, Richard Petty, cut the proverbial ribbon and made the inaugural trip to victory lane.  Unfortunately, I was still 9 years in the making.  Since then, names like Harry Gant, Kyle Petty, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, David Person, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace and others have won at the infamous "Monster Mile".

What's special about this track and our two races is that it, for two days of the year, makes our state significant.  Maybe it is only to fans of motorsports, but we aren't a punchline anymore.  We aren't one of those New England states (a mistake many people make who aren't from our area).  We mean something.  We matter.  We belong on the national sports platform, if only for two days. 

As wonderful an event as this is for our local economy and psychology, I have never been able to attend a race at Dover in the past.  I choose to attend my local church on Sunday and do not let other things come before that.  However, this year, God smiled on me, and sent rain on our one mile concrete playground.  So, for the first time, this Delaware boy gets to attend the most significant thing that happens in our state since Caesar Rodney rode his pony up to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence.  To borrow the words from the great Darrell Waltrip. . .

BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY.  I'M GOING RACING TOMORROW BOYS!!!

Not only that, but the last race I attended was at Pocono in 1998, one year before my favorite driver, Tony Stewart, became a Cup regular.  So, I'm seeing my favorite driver for the first time, on my home track, for the first time.  Life is good!

Let's go SMOKE!!!!

Build, verb - To form by combining materials or parts; construct

Answers.com defines the word "build" as seen above.  Everyone is trying to build something.  Whether it be a happy home, strong relationships, a better self, or creating a new idea or new product at your job, we all try to build things.  For many, these tasks are ones that could never be completed.  However, in the sports world, the end of every season marks that some group, program, organization, etc. has done what they set out to do.  They have built a champion. 

Fans always think that they know their teams the best.  We feel like we know the leagues our teams play in.  We feel like, if just given that chance, we could build a champion.  When building a house, the foundation is key.  The age-old sports question is now being posed to you.  Who would you build a team around?  Remember, you aren't selecting the best player in the league.  You are choosing the building block for your franchise.

The rule is simply this, the player must be active.  Please give a rationale as to why you would make this person the cornerstone of your franchise, so we, the blogosphere, can argue with you.  In a loving way of course!  This particular blog is about the NFL.  Next will be the MLB, followed by NBA, and concluded with a less conventional NASCAR post.  Get your thoughts and your hammer ready.  Let's build.

Impact Positions

The NFL may be the easiest of the pro sports league to build a winner quickly, because of free agency and the salary cap.  However, it may be the hardest to select one player to start building around because football is the ultimate team game.  Peyton Manning can't take a football and go "Game 5 Lebron" on the Patriots.  He must have blocking, receiving, a running game, and a defense in order to allow him to use his skills and be successful.  With this in mind, the positions that the NFL scouts value the most are QB, LT, and DE.  When starting a franchise, it's difficult to get a fan base excited about a left tackle or a defensive end.  Ask the Texan fans if you don't believe me.  Their first ever pick in the expansion draft was LT Tony Boselli, who was injured shortly after that and never played a down for the Texans.  As far as D-end goes, two words, Mario Williams.  He may be a great player someday, but fans will never forget the two "skill" guys who they passed on.  Therefore, I'm taking a QB.

Age

We've learned in the last 10 years that NFL teams can go from rags to riches in an extremely short period of time.  It's easy to think that instant NFL success should happen when one watches the number of teams who do improve quickly.  Both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers were playing in their Conference's championship game in year two of their existance.  However, most expansion teams, like the Texans and every expansion team before them save the two mentioned earlier, take a much longer road.  With that in mind, players like Donovan McNabb (turns 31 this year), Peyton Manning (31), and Tom Brady (turns 30 in August) are too old to be my cornerstones.  I want the QB that will get me to and win my franchises first Super Bowl.  Carson Palmer turns 28 in December, and he's on the my "fringe" of guys that may be too old.  If it takes five years, which historically is around when teams make the playoffs for the first time, he'd then be 33.  How much longer would he have, especially with his health risks?  I have to pass on Palmer as well.

Intangables

I want a great, young, impact player who is a leader.  I want my cornerstone to be fun to watch.  I want him to be under center.  I want the players, coaches, and fans to KNOW who will get it done in crunch time.  I want a winner.  I want a model citizen.  I don't want the young people in my stadium to ask my season ticket holders what the word "felony" means.  I want a face.  I want an active member of our community.  I want a throwback.  I want a tough guy who will never let his team down in the effort department.  Most of all, I want a winner.

Ladies and Gentlemen, to start the NFL's newest franchise, more than any other player, I want the 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year.  I want Vince Young!

 Who do you want?