Pete Carroll: Goodbye Southern California, Hello Seattle

[Originally published on BleacherReport.com]

If Pete Carroll plans to return to the NFL via the Seattle Seahawks’ coaching vacancy, it will not be because Pete wants to prove he is better than the 33-31 record he accumulated during his first time in the league.

Or because the Seahawks will grant him full-fledge power over player personnel, on-field decisions and the like.

Or even because his contract with the Seahawks will be much more lucrative than his current salary at USC.

Instead, Pete Carroll will leave the paradise that is Southern California and Trojan football because, quite frankly, the university’s football program is more problematic than paradisiacal.

USC is no longer a shoe-in to win the Pac-10, play for a BCS bowl game and finish in the AP Poll’s top five, like it did for seven straight seasons before the Trojans’ most recent campaign.

From top to bottom, the Pac-10 has become exponentially more competitive over the last handful of years. After all, USC’s last nine regular-season losses have all come at the hands of conference foes.

Outside of the Pac-10, there is a multitude of up-and-coming programs—both from BCS and non-BCS conferences—which has created even more of a struggle to qualify for a BCS bowl game, especially in the wake of non-BCS teams being eligible for BCS postseason play (see: Boise State and TCU). A few years ago a BCS conference school was deemed superior to that of a non-BCS conference even if the latter had a better record at season’s end. Today, it is essentially a leveled playing field whether or not you belong to a BCS conference.

And then there is the Trojan team itself, which has more question marks than a text message from a valley girl—“Hey, like, what’s, like, up?????????????????”

How will USC handle next season’s reality that it will not be favored to win the Pac-10, or even end the season in the conference’s top three after last year’s fifth-place finish? Will the offense be able to bounce back after a season in which it lacked creativity and explosiveness? Will quarterback Matt Barkley be as effective now that two of the Trojans’ best offensive playmakers—running back Joe McKnight and wide receiver Damian Williams—are off to the NFL? And how will USC deal with the loss of preseason All-American safety Taylor Mays, who was the heart and soul of its defense?

Carroll is no stranger to these questions. He is well aware that USC’s supremacy out West is slowly but surely on the decline, and he also knows cross-town rival UCLA is inching closer to serious contention in the Los Angeles college football arena.

The real question is: Will Pete Carroll be as successful during his second stint in the NFL as he was throughout his nine-year tenure at USC?

Because we all know he is headed back there.

Written by Josh Hoffman, Yurkdog Radio Producer

Baron Davis: Captain of the Clipper

[Originally published on BleacherReport.com]

Sometimes a team hands its adversary the game on a silver platter, all but begging its foe to take it. Other times the opponent just snatches the W from mid-air, like an experienced rattlesnake feasting on its naïve prey.

Wednesday night’s Los Angeles showdown between the Lakers and Clippers was of the latter variety, with the Clippers being the beneficiary at the building both teams call home.

In doing so, the Other Team In LA snapped a nine-game skid to its cross-town nemesis, thanks in large part to an exceptional performance by Baron Davis, who poured in 25 points and 10 dimes, his ninth double-dip of the season.

Davis was assertive early and often, picking apart Derek Fisher like his life depended on it. He played under control and took what the defense gave him; he made plays both for himself and his teammates; and best of all, he performed like the superstar for which Clippers fans have desperately longed.

If nothing else, this game was about the dominance of Davis, and not his apparent deterioration, which typically has been the case throughout his tenure in LA.

That, or he received the memo that 2 points on 1-10 shooting—his totals in the season-opener against the Lakers—is not going to cut it, whether the defending champs or a D-League squad is in the house.

The doubt with Davis has never been based on his ability—at least skill-wise. Instead, the predominant problem resides with his mentality, a mentality that has generally lacked a willingness to win at all costs, to assume the leadership role time and again, and to be the guy rather than just a guy.

He has shown glimpses of being great (see: his game-winning buzzer beater against the Celtics less than two weeks ago), but as of now the only thing consistently great about Baron is his beard.

This week it was announced that No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin is nearing his NBA debut, which could very well create a two-headed basketball monster in LA.

But as long as Baron Davis dons blue and red, the Clippers will rise and fall at his expense.

Written by Josh Hoffman, Yurkdog Radio Producer

Los Angeles Lakers Must Solve Their Depth Dilemma

[Originally published on BleacherReport.com]

With a combined 10 titles, 15 all-star selections and numerous all-NBA nominations, the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting five is without question the most lethal lineup in the NBA.

But when the second unit is called upon to supplant the starters, you might as well have your stress ball in-hand.

On Friday’s Christmas Day collapse, L.A.’s bench was the subject of scrutiny yet again— and for good reason. The Cavalier reserves outscored those of the Lakers, 31-17, including 19-2 in the first half. Truth be told, L.A.’s bench has been outscored 184-96 in five losses this season.

The Lakers’ bench, however, is not their problem. Instead, L.A.’s problem is the inability to find a viable medium between a near-flawless starting five and a subpar supporting cast.

For one, it is simply unrealistic to expect the bench mob to produce the same results as the current starters, especially when you replace two superstars (Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol), a lockdown defender (Ron Artest), a potential all-star (Andrew Bynum) and a gritty veteran (Derek Fisher) with a bunch of unproven players who, aside from Lamar Odom, are no less expendable than the truth is to a politician.

Naturally, there is going to be a considerable decline in production.

So how can Phil Jackson employ a more balanced attack rather than the “all in” approach he has used thus far?

It starts with benching Andrew Bynum, who has taken a major backseat to Pau Gasol since the Spaniard returned from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at the start of the season.

For whatever reason . Intimidation? Lack of touches? Not enough room to operate? Bynum has proven to be much less comfortable with Gasol on the floor.

While his numbers are indicative of this—the 22-year-old’s averages have dropped almost five points and four rebounds in wake of Gasol’s return—Bynum’s passive play and overall lack of involvement on both sides of the ball are more mind-boggling than his drop-off in stats.

By delegating him to the bench, Bynum becomes the second unit’s primary low-post option, a role in which he flourished while Gasol was out for the first 11 games, when he posted 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots per game. Furthermore, Bynum's presence will open up the floor for Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown and even Sasha Vujacic if and when Bynum commands a double-team.

So with whom do you replace Bynum?

I’m glad you asked. Lamar Odom.

In theory, L.O. is your prototypical sixth man. He can play power forward or point forward, which creates matchup problems for most opponents, and he makes plays for both himself and for his teammates equally well.

But in reality, Odom has struggled as the Lakers’ sixth man. Since being designated back to the bench now that Gasol has resumed his starting role, Odom’s minutes have expectantly decreased, causing a shift in his MO.

Instead of allowing the game to come to him and playing within the offense like he was accustomed to doing as a starter—when he nearly averaged a double-double—Odom has been caught between trying to do too much on some nights and not doing enough on others since coming off the bench.

By reinserting him into the starting lineup, Odom provides the Lakers with more spacing in the triangle offense, a three-point threat (at least compared to Bynum) that will make opposing defenses second-guess sending a double-team to Bryant and Gasol, a player who can go coast-to-coast on any given possession and a defender who is effective both on the perimeter and in the paint.

Sure, the Lakers have won 16 of their last 18 games on their way to a Western Conference-best 23-5 record, but they are just 3-4 against the West’s top eight teams. And unless they can discover an equilibrium from beginning to end, starters to subs, the Lakers may win some battles, but they certainly won’t win the war.

Written by Josh Hoffman, Yurkdog Radio Producer

Tiger Woods: Booking It

[Originally published on BleacherReport.com]

Tiger Woods wrote a book, did you hear?

It is called, “How to Completely Mismanage Your Life after You’ve Been Caught Committing Adultery—For the World’s Richest Dummies.”

And he wrote it to supplement the money he is losing from his suspicious sponsors, some of which have flushed him down the toilet like he is the byproduct of a stomach-wrenching meal. That is how knowledgeable Woods has become on this subject.

You would assume that, with the amount of dinero he has pocketed since turning pro in 1996—Woods has been the PGA Tour money leader nine times, not to mention his numerous endorsers which derive from almost every sector of the economy—he could find the right people to give him the right advice, like verbally acknowledging his mistakes and vowing to become a changed man.

Aside from that quivering voicemail Woods left one of his now-countless mistresses, we have yet to hear from him. Instead, all he has done is publish written statements with perfect English and perfect wording—like “transgressions” and “infidelity,” two words half of America probably had to look up in the dictionary—that embody the seemingly perfect person he was once perceived to be.

Guess what Tiger, you are not perfect. No one is. Wake up and smell this realization. In fact, don’t just smell it. Cut it up and snort it so you can feel it in your icy veins. And once you have done that, come out from behind your website and fess up.

But no, Woods is too much of a wimp to face the public and admit his imperfections. He can pump his fist in victory and throw his clubs in frustration like Mr. Testosterone, but when it comes to confessing his faults, Woods is hiding in the thickest of rough, nowhere to be seen.

Some say he should appear on Oprah. I say: spare us. Unless he wants to be called Panda Woods for the rest of his life.

Others suggest he should start with “60 Minutes”. I suggest he files a restraining order against anyone who has any relation to CBS. “60 Minutes” is more cliché than the saying, “Money can’t buy you love.” (Well, on second thought, it probably can’t—just ask Elin.)

Tiger, if you are reading this, do yourself a favor and call your own press conference. Invite every media outlet who plastered your fist-pumping, red-shirt flaunting self on their newspaper, website, TV airwaves or magazine when you won one of your 71 PGA Tour events. Invite every sponsor, past and present, that placed their financial future in your hands. And most importantly, invite Elin.

Invite Elin because, even if she declines your invitation, at least you can tell us that you wanted to issue her the apology she deserves, that you wanted to promise her you will pour all of the time and energy into being the husband of husbands and the father of fathers that you used to pour into being the golfer of golfers.

And then answer the questions, the who, what, where, when, and why’s—because those questions will never go away, even if you decide to keep quiet for the next five years.

After all, you are Tiger Woods, the first billion-dollar athlete, which is essentially code for: The greatest athlete of all time. You transcended golf from a white man’s game into a multiracial sport. You are known by people who have never even picked up a golf club, simply because at one time your endorsements ranged from American Express to Accenture, two companies that have absolutely nothing to do with golf—or any other sport for that matter.

And to sum it up: You had extramarital sex with perhaps as many women as you have emerged victorious in Majors (14). People do not forget things like that. We may forgive you for them—and probably will—but only after you come forth with the truth. And nothing but the truth.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get going.

I have a book signing to attend.

Written by Josh Hoffman, Yurkdog Radio Producer

Fishing for a Sidekick

[Originally published on SportsTalkBuzz.com]

Batman has Robin, Mario has Luigi and Kobe Bryant has Derek Fisher, his under-the-radar sidekick who has been through the trenches and title runs with him from day one of his NBA career – literally.

Bryant and Fisher were both drafted in 1996, Kobe by the Charlotte Hornets and Derek taken 24th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.

After Bryant was traded to Los Angeles, they instantly developed a friendship and would eventually become great teammates and even better friends, despite Fisher’s brief stints with the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz from 2004 to 2007.

Off the court, Fisher served as Bryant’s crutch during his 2003 sexual assault case. Bryant mostly kept to himself during those tough times, but when he needed a confidant, Fisher provided that support system.

Fisher’s support, however, has largely been levied on the court.

In 2007, Fisher returned to Los Angeles after the Jazz admirably granted his request to be released from his contract in order to relocate to a team and city that would have the “right combination” of specialists to help fight his daughter’s rare eye cancer. That summer, the Lakers signed Fisher in hopes of calming down the then-furious Bryant, who asked to be traded after the Lakers were bounced from the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Even though they would go on to lose in the Finals the following year, the Lakers emerged as the favorite to win the West in the 2008-09 season with a full year of Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza, as well as a healthy Andrew Bynum. And that is exactly what they did, en route to their 15th Larry O’Brien Trophy and Bryant and Fisher’s fourth ring together.

While Bryant won his first Finals MVP award that season, it was Fisher who knocked down two clutch threes – one to send the game into overtime and another with 30 seconds left in the extra session to break a tie – sealing Game 4 and paving the way for the series-clinching blowout in Game 5.

Two weeks ago, with the Lakers down four at home against the Heat, Fisher nailed a trey that cut Miami’s lead to one with just over four seconds remaining in regulation, setting up Bryant’s game-winning, three-point circus act that extended the Lakers’ winning streak to eight games.

And then on Wednesday night in Milwaukee, a double-teamed Bryant deferred to his wide open partner-in-crime, who calmly knocked down a jump shot to give the Lakers a 95-93 lead with half a minute to go in a game the Lakers would ultimately win on Bryant’s overtime buzzer-beater.

Amid his aforementioned assault case, his feuds with Shaquille O’Neal and his transition from a teenage NBA player to a world champion, MVP and Olympic gold medalist, Bryant has come a long way in hopping over the “All-Time Greatest Players” fence.

Without Fisher there to give him a boost, Bryant may still be struggling to get over it.

Written by Josh Hoffman, Yurkdog Radio Producer

Golf's Major Disappointment

By now you’ve probably heard about his single-car accident during the wee hours of the night following Thanksgiving, his extramarital affairs that keep surfacing like grass after it’s been fertilized and the latest of all, his indefinite hiatus from the PGA Tour.

Yeah, that’s right, Tiger Woods is taking an indefinite hiatus from professional golf, the sport that paved the way for him to become the overwhelmingly-lucrative athlete he is today.

Prior to his decision to take a leave of absence, I really could care less about this story. Heck, people get in single-car accidents and have affairs all the time – big deal. But then Woods announced his sabbatical from golf, and suddenly I care more about this story than I do about getting a much-needed haircut.

I’ve never been one to judge public figures as people because, just like you and I, they’re not perfect. Do I agree with some of their decisions? Of course not, but I understand their imperfections, just like I understand my mother’s questionable and at times nerve-racking driving. After all, she’s a Goff Girl (translation: my mother and her sister, both of whom bear the maiden name Goff, are notorious for being subpar drivers). Instead, I judge public figures on why they’re in the limelight. In this case, Woods is a public figure because he’s the greatest golfer – and arguably athlete – on Earth. Thus, I judge him on what he does with a golf club, not what he does with his you-know-what.

Now Woods won’t be playing on the PGA Tour anytime soon, and that’s what bothers me.

It bothers me that Woods, amid his “transgressions” and “infidelity,” seemingly never took the time to realize how he became the world’s first billion-dollar athlete, how he had his own type of Gatorade – you know, the most recognized drink in all of sports – and how he worked his way into the “Greatest Athlete of All-Time” conversation. But most importantly, Woods seemingly never took the time to realize the crater-like impact he has on the game of golf.

Other great players in other professional sports have come and gone, and the transition away from those players has been rather seamless. For instance, the NBA continues to thrive even after Michael Jordan’s two retirements. But without Woods, professional golf merely returns to the group of irrelevant sports, which includes Canadian football, bog snorkeling and toe wrestling. (Yes, bog snorkeling and toe wrestling are actual sports.)

Woods was once the picture-perfect athlete: the ultimate competitor, a philanthropist (see: the Tiger Woods Foundation) and a family man whose relationships with his parents, especially the one he had with his father, are well-documented. He dominated golf so much that, when he didn’t play on the PGA Tour, TV ratings fell 50 percent.

During his hiatus professional golf will surely suffer, but at least the drop-off is mutual, because Tiger Woods is half the man he used to be.

Written by Josh Hoffman, Yurkdog Radio Producer

NFL Week 14 Picks - Jennifer vs. The Yurkdog

Jennifer's Picks:
New Orleans over Atlanta
Denver over Indianapolis
Minnesota over Cincinnati
Dallas over San Diego
NY Giants over Philadelphia
San Francisco over Arizona

The Yurkdog's Picks:
New Orleans over Atlanta
Indianapolis over Denver
Minnesota over Cincinnati
San Diego over Dallas
NY Giants over Philadelphia
Arizona over San Francisco

'A' for Effort

[Originally published on SportsTalkBuzz.com]

If the beginning of the 2009-10 season for the Los Angeles Lakers was a school exam, it would be a take-home quiz comprised of multiple choice and true-false questions.

Up to this point, eight of the Lakers’ first 14 opponents currently have losing records, and two of them are just one game above .500. To put dressing on the salad, they’ve won their last six games by almost 18 points per contest (and by “contest” I mean cake walk).

But like a take-home quiz counts toward the final grade, the Lakers’ 13-3 start counts toward their record at season’s end, a record that could determine home court advantage throughout the playoffs for them (see: last season’s championship run) or for their potential Finals opponent (see: their 2007 title tailspin) should they reach that round for the third straight year.

While some of their true tests don’t begin until a few weeks from now – when the team embarks on a five-game road trip – the Lakers are wisely taking advantage of their favorable schedule, much like most students utilize a take-home quiz to improve their grade.

For one thing, Phil Jackson can straighten out his crooked bench, which has struggled to maintain large leads and keep Mr. Momentum in purple and gold. Furthermore, Jackson has time to establish a consistent rotation now that Pau Gasol is back from injury.

What’s more, Lamar Odom – who is averaging just six points, six rebounds and three assists since retreating to his sixth-man role in wake of Gasol’s return – can use the next handful of games to figure out how he can be more effective as the second unit’s go-to guy.

But perhaps the greatest advantage of playing inferior opponents at the start of the season – not to mention hosting 17 of the first 21 games – is the ability to rest veterans like Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Ron Artest during most of the fourth quarter (if and when the Lakers are handily defeating teams late in the game), thereby preserving their legs and limiting injuries for the second half of the season, which features an eight-game roadie at the end of January and 11 of 15 games in March away from Staples Center.

Sure it’s hard to accurately assess the Lakers as it pertains to the long-run, just like it’s hard to assess a student’s overall performance based on a take-home quiz, even if that student achieves an A on it.

But as far as I’m concerned, an A is an A – and that’s exactly what the Lakers have earned thus far.

Written by Josh Hoffman, Yurkdog Radio Producer