Bleacher Report - Articles by James Andersen

Michigan State Hockey: Spartans Looking For New Leaders

James Andersen — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:38:41 -0400

Only 14 months removed from a national title, there’s no doubt the Michigan State Spartans hockey team is ready for another. MSU has always been a top college hockey contender, but this year they’ll have to do some retooling to maintain form.

The Spartans made the NCAA tournament last year, after being upset by Northern Michigan in the second round of the CCHA tournament. The Green and White defeated Colorado College in the first round of the NCAA’s before bowing to Notre Dame in round two.

In the offseason the Spartans lost eight players to graduation or early departure. Forward Justin Abdelkader signed with the Detroit Red Wings in April, and defenseman Michael Ratchuk signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. Forward Tim Kennedy became the third early departure after signing with the Buffalo Sabres.

But as in the aftermath of the championship and the departure of the seniors, the Spartans have experience that should keep them in the running in the CCHA and put them in good position to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

A look at the team by position:

Goaltending

Any success next season starts with Jeff Lerg, who was named captain in the offseason.

For two years, Lerg has solidified himself as one of the best goaltenders in MSU history with countless game-saving stops. At 5-foot-6 and just over 150 pounds, he is small, but his ability more than makes up for that. The Spartans haven’t had to worry all that much with Lerg between the pipes. He always gives them a chance to win.

He’s an obvious choice for captain. In his playoff career, he’s been virtually unbeatable. He has started all but one game for MSU in the past two years. He already had a national championship under his belt after his first full year as the starting goalie.

Lerg was a Hobey Baker finalist this year, and barring any major troubles, he’ll surely be one again. He’ll need to put up staggering numbers though to have a shot at winning. Since the award’s inception in 1981, a goaltender has only won it twice. Goalies are often finalists, but the high-scoring forwards and defensemen are the usual winners.

Lerg can look to the Spartans past for inspiration in his quest.

Spartan legend Ryan Miller won the Hobey Baker Award in 2001 after posting a 1.32 goals against average with 10 shutouts and a .950 save percentage. If Lerg can put up really good numbers, he’s got a shot.

Lerg had some struggles early last season, but bounced back and ended the year with a 2.22 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and 4 shutouts. With three years experience backstopping the Spartans, he should have no problem adding to his already stellar career this next season.

No doubt Spartan fans will cherish every game this season, Lerg’s last as a Spartan.

Defense

Every year the Spartans seem to lose a few good defensemen. In 2007, it was Ethan Graham and Tyler Howells. This offseason, the Spartans lost Ratchuk, Jeff Dunne, and Daniel Vukovic on defense and will look to rebuild their defensive core heading into this season. All three were solid defenders with Vukovic providing a big physical presence and Ratchuk having a deadly shot.

At the head of this year’s defensive pairings is Brandon Gentile, a senior assistant captain. Gentile has been a solid defenseman for the last few years and will be looked upon to provide veteran leadership. Like some of his predecessors, Gentile has the ability to play physically, which will come in handy when MSU plays teams like Alaska and Michigan who like to throw their weight around. Look for Gentile to have a good year as he enters his final season in the green and white.

Aiding him on the blue line, Ryan Turek and Justin Johnston should also provide stability. Look for sophomores A.J. Sturges and Jeff Petry to step into bigger roles after getting playing time last season. Petry was named to the CCHA’s All-Rookie team after last season.

Incoming freshmen Matt Crandell and Tim Buttery may see some action as well. Both are in the top 10 in scoring among defensemen in the USHL and adding them in the lineup would give the team depth as well as potentially providing additional scoring threats.

Forwards

Don’t be fooled; the losses of Abdelkader and Kennedy will hurt. Abdelkader was a big physical forward who could score. He was the one who sealed the Spartans’ championship in 2007 with the game-winning goal against Boston College.

When Kennedy got into a scoring grove, he was as dangerous a scorer as anyone in the nation. He led the Spartans in points two years in a row. Together with Tim Crowder, these two could have been one of the best lines in all of college hockey this year.

Couple those departures with the losses of Bryan Lerg and Chris Mueller, and the Spartans have lost four of their top five scorers from last season.

Now the only one remaining, Crowder, another senior assistant captain, will be expected to put the puck in the net a lot. Last year, he was fourth on the team in points with 38.

Expect to see a lot more scoring from senior Nick Sucharski, who had 24 points last season and will be looked to more often for offense as well.

After playing in nearly every game last season, sophomores Dustin Gazeley and Corey Tropp should find a more consistent scoring touch. Gazeley showed flashes of brilliance last season with some pretty goals and great speed. Andrew Rowe played well when given a chance to play and should get more playing time as well.

Among the 10 members of the icers’ incoming class, three players might make immediate offensive impact if given a chance to play. Mike Merrifield and Ben Warda of the NAHL’s St. Louis Bandits will join the Spartans in the fall and recently led the Bandits to the NAHL’s Robertson Cup.

Merrifield posted 57 points on the season while Warda led the team with 74. If these guys can put up numbers at MSU like they have in juniors, it’ll mean lots of goals for the Spartans, who at times have seemed to rely on two or three goals and Lerg’s brick-wall goaltending to get by.

Andrew Conboy could potentially help fill Abdelkader’s void. At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, he has the size to be a physical forward and can score too. He scored 35 points in 52 games this past season for the USHL’s Omaha Lancers; the former team of Lerg, Turek, and forward Matt Schepke.

Coaching

Replacing coaching legend Ron Mason was not an easy task, but perhaps after five seasons and a national title, head coach Rick Comley is being accepted more by the fans.

Despite the team's inconsistent play and injuries, Comley has led the Spartans to three NCAA tournament bids in five seasons, which culminated in 2007’s championship. Add to this a CCHA tournament championship, two Great Lakes Invitational titles, plus earning his 700^th win, and Comley has put together an impressive pedigree in East Lansing. If nothing else, he’s helped MSU keep its reputation as a consistent hockey program.

With the better part of his scorers from last season gone as well as a few veteran defensemen, this could be a bit of a rebuilding and learning year for Comley and the Spartans. That said, given the experience of players like Lerg and Crowder, the Spartans should be in the thick of things the entire season, though there’ll be some hurdles in CCHA play for sure.

Under Comley, the Spartans have usually always been good enough for NCAA bids, but the question is whether or not they can find a way to be consistent and play at their best when it counts. The seniors will be hungry for another shot at a championship, and an extended NCAA tournament run would give the younger guys some good playoff experience.

During their 2007 tournament run, the Spartans relied on some timely goals and Lerg’s skills to win games. There’s no questioning Lerg’s ability in net; he’s at his best in high-pressure tournament games. But the Spartans haven’t always found ways to back him up with goals. They’ll need to if they want to get back to the Frozen Four and beyond.

The 10 Most Annoying Things About Sports

James Andersen — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:38:36 -0400

I love sports, but they can also annoy me to no end. Here are 10 things I’ve found to be annoying in watching, reading, and writing about sports.

Maybe some of you share my frustration and will sympathize, or after reading this you’ll think my standards are too high.

1. The term “Big Dance”

Other than “March Madness,” this is probably the most common phrase used to describe the NCAA Tournament. While it’s an admirable term for such a big event, come March we’re subjected to countless articles about teams going “dancing,” which is incredibly annoying.

March Madness sounds cool, Big Dance sounds very un-sportlike. Come up with another name that sounds edgier, or just please always refer to it as March Madness.

2. Tirades that aren’t tirades

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s “I’m a man” rant might be a tirade. Dennis Green yelling “The Bears are who we thought they were” might be a tirade.

But, a manager or coach who raises his voice for emphasis or to make a point isn’t necessarily going on a tirade. However, every time you see a coach yelling on TV for whatever reason, they’ve apparently lost it completely.

In 2006, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland was angry after a loss and showed some emotion, but didn’t raise his voice—yet this was labeled as Leyland just being completely steamed.

After a tough loss, coaches and players aren’t always in the brightest of moods, especially when they talk to the media. So it’s understandable that they might be a bit short with people.

The most recent example is that of John McLaren, the Seattle Mariners manager who made a profanity-filled statement after a loss a few weeks ago. Now this might be called a tirade by some, but it seemed more like a message to the organization that everyone needed to pick things up a little. Check it out on YouTube for yourself.

3. Draft picks who demand not to be picked by certain teams

It’s amazing that even before they’re drafted, NFL prospects can demand top dollar and say they won’t play for certain teams.

In 2004, Eli Manning said prior to draft day that he would not play for the San Diego Chargers if they took him No. 1 overall. This little problem led to the Chargers picking Manning anyway and then trading him to the New York Giants for Phillip Rivers.

What gives draft picks the right to say they won’t play for certain teams? They haven’t even been drafted yet and they’re already calling the shots. Sure, they’re talented guys who any team would love to have, but there are just as many guys who’d love to play pro football and wouldn’t have a word of complaint.

It’s understandable that top picks want to go to good teams, but that’s the way the draft works—the bad teams get the shots at the best players to help rebuild their franchises.

4. No instant replay in baseball

Every other major sport uses it, including many college sports—yet baseball has refused to use it for years, often times leading to controversial calls in big games, especially during the playoffs.

There might still be hope for America’s Pastime, though. Major League Baseball is considering a plan to use instant replay for things like fair and foul balls, home runs, and balls interfered with by fans. Sounds like a good plan—let’s hope they use it.

5. The BCS conference tie-ins

We all know the BCS system has problems year after year with who should play in the title game. But, the BCS conference tie-ins often create lopsided match-ups, and it’s unfair to other teams with better records.

In the current system, six of the eight slots in the four major bowl games (not including the championship) are taken by BCS conference teams, which often leaves out at least one good team and allows that one undefeated non-BCS school to get in.

Granted, the system doesn’t always follow tradition with tie-ins, and sometimes the non-BCS at-large bids don’t live up to their bidding (looking at you, Hawaii).

But, in the current system, teams sometimes get in when they shouldn’t, solely because they have a conference tie-in. The Big Ten-Pac 10 Rose Bowl match-up is a classic, but come on!

Case in point: The 2004 Fiesta Bowl pitted undefeated Utah against Big East champion Pittsburgh, which was 8-4. A record like that is good for a pre-New Year's Day bowl, not a BCS game. How about giving that spot to Louisville or Boise State, which both had 11-1 records, and played each other in the Liberty Bowl?

6. Soft non-conference college football schedules

Before the conference games begin, a lot of teams get a chance to essentially pad their records by winning three or four games against cupcake teams. It’s good publicity for the underdog, but honestly, is it any fun if the underdog gets blown out by 45 points?

It can work the other way if the underdog wins (like Appalachian State over Michigan), but it’s a way for most good teams to be two wins away from bowl eligibility without playing any real competition until the conference season.

Texas, for example, opens the next season with Florida Atlantic. Ohio State opens with Youngstown State.

It seems like a good reward in preparation for a tough conference schedule, but teams like LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma shouldn’t be given much leeway if they’re considered some of the best in the nation. Make all the teams play tougher and more interesting match-ups.

If anything, it keeps the good teams honest and gives the smaller schools a chance to prove their worth against the big boys.

7. Cinderella teams upping the standard for other teams

Every year in the NCAA Tournament, there’s at least one mid-major team that has a good tournament run, leading analysts to advocate for more automatic bids for those teams and more accountability from coaches and players for mid-major teams, because “if they can do it, any team can do it.”

All this talk was especially popular in 2005, when George Mason made headlines by going all the way to the Final Four.

It’s great when teams like George Mason bust bracket pools, but it doesn’t happen all the time. Every other time George Mason has made the tournament, they were out by the first round.

No doubt some mid-major schools like Gonzaga are very good come tournament time, but the major conference schools have proven themselves to be more consistent. This year, for the first time in tournament history, all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four.

Some complained it made for a boring tournament, but it speaks to the consistency of schools like Kansas and North Carolina. Only 64 teams can make the tournament anyway, and not all teams are always consistent.

Look at a team like Syracuse, which won the 2003 championship with Carmelo Anthony, and hasn’t done very well in the postseason since.

Mid-major teams should perhaps use George Mason’s run as an inspiration, but shouldn’t judge the success of their program based on other schools’ successes or failures.

8. Fouling excessively

Plain and simple—if you’re down by two with a few seconds on the clock, then go ahead and foul, hope the shooter misses one free throw, and get the ball back for a last-second shot.

But, if you’re down by eight in the same spot, just try and steal the ball. Fouling makes the last minute of a basketball game last five minutes, and unless you’ve got a shooter with the three-point ability of Reggie Miller, you’re probably not mounting a comeback.

9. Retaliation

It seems the slightest thing touches off athletes’ nerves nowadays. A hard check into the boards demands an equally hard check or hit in return. A hit batter from one team automatically means that someone’s gonna get beaned from the other side.

Retaliation is respectable in a way. After all, if someone gets hit by an opponent, his teammates should stick up for him, right?

But, it’s this kind of logic that leads to injuries. Todd Bertuzzi ended the career of Steve Moore because he was trying to get revenge for a hit Moore gave Marcus Naslund. Pitchers trying to get revenge for a hit batter will throw behind the batter or nail them in an unintended spot (like the head).

Getting a revenge shot in might be the norm, but at some point athletes either have to accept a hit, whether it’s accidental or not, as part of the game. Get your revenge in another way, like say, on the scoreboard.

10. The intentional walk

I know the point is to skip the batter so you don’t to pitch to him or get to a weaker hitter, but why do the pitcher and catcher need to turn it into an elongated five-minute thing?

Make the sign, throw the ball, catch it, and throw it back. There’s no need to constantly step off the mound after each throw, lob the ball to the catcher, and repeat the process so that the whole thing takes forever. Four signs, four quick pitches—that’s it.

Detroit Red Wings: 11th Heaven After Dispatching Penguins for Stanley Cup

James Andersen — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:19:08 -0400

Sidney Crosby shot the puck from the right side, and as it bounced off Chris Osgood, Marian Hossa was there for the rebound, looking to repeat Max Talbot’s Game Five heroics. A sprawling Osgood jabbed at the puck as Hossa’s shot streaked across the crease and out.

Seconds later, Osgood raised his arms in victory and was mobbed by his teammates. The Stanley Cup is back in Detroit, and the Red Wings are champions again.

The Red Wings won their 11th Stanley Cup with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, taking the best of seven series four games to two.

Give credit to the Wings—they came out and they got it done. There was no excess disappointment after Game Five’s 4-3 loss, no allowing Pittsburgh back in the series with a win at home to force Game Seven.

The Wings proved the Pens aren't safe in the Igloo, winning two games there when the Pens were undefeated in the postseason before this series.

This is not the veteran-laden All-Star team of 2002 that could easily trounce anyone anywhere. Instead, a mix of young and old has brought glory to Detroit.

Instead of Steve Yzerman at the helm, it’s Nicklas Lidstrom, the first European captain to win a Cup. Instead of Brendan Shanahan and Sergei Federov, it’s Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Johan Franzen.

This Cup marks the beginning of a new era of Red Wings: guys who’ve struggled through disappointing campaigns prior to this, and veterans such as Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, eager for a taste of the success they enjoyed in winning three previous titles. This title is for them.

This is for the team’s superstars, guys like Zetterberg who scored a goal and had an assist en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy and his first Cup. Who can forget his block on a Crosby shot during that five on three in Game Four?

There's Lidstrom, the quiet captain, who took over for Yzerman as the leader and continues to be the best defenseman in the game and will probably win a sixth Norris Trophy later this month.

There’s Datsyuk, who had 21 points in this year's campaign and, along with Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom, makes up one of the most dangerous lines in the league and was excellent in containing Crosby’s line throughout the series.

What about Franzen, who single-handedly took apart Colorado in Round Two, missed five games against Dallas, and came back for the Finals, finishing with three points for the series? This guy would have challenged Zetterberg for the Conn Smythe if not for missing most of Round Three.

It’s also for the new guys and the first-time winners. Guys like Dallas Drake, who’s already been through Detroit once and has now won a Stanley Cup. How fitting to see Lidstrom hand him the Cup first.

Drake then passed it to Dan Cleary, a gritty guy who becomes the first Newfoundlander to bring home a Cup.

How about guys like Brian Rafalski and Brad Stuart, who were acquired for defensive prowess and played top-notch defense while providing a goal here and there (Rafalski had a goal in Game Six and four points in the series)?

How about guys like Valtteri Filppula, who scored in the clincher? How about Nicklas Kronwall, who actually got to play a full, injury-free playoffs?

This Cup marks redemption for some players—none more than Osgood. After taking the Wings all the way in 1998, he was let go a few years later, and then found his way back to Detroit in 2005.

He sat on the bench for two games in the playoffs before replacing Dominik Hasek and going 14-4 on his way to earning another ring. At 35, he proved he’s still an able goalie and can lead a team, silencing critics who questioned his effectiveness and ability to win.

Though Zetterberg is very deserving, Osgood was the next best choice for the Conn Smythe.

And how about Darren McCarty? The hero of Game Four of the ‘97 Finals has been trying to turn his life around since battling alcohol and gambling problems. He was brought back late this season and showed that he could still play, much to fans’ delight. Now he’ll get his name etched on the Cup for a fourth time.

Let’s not forget head coach Mike Babcock. In 2003, he took the Anaheim Ducks to the Finals and lost in Game Seven to the New Jersey Devils. While his team hit the locker room, he stayed on the bench, watching the celebration, wishing that it were his team out there.

For all his regular season success, Babcock failed to reach the Finals his first three years, and has now gotten over the hump at a time when his now former Pistons counterpart Flip Saunders was fired for that same reason.

Now he’s a champion on the ice and not on the bench.

Some Penguins looked downtrodden after the game and slumped against the boards. It always hurts to lose, but they gave everything they had and who knows—if not for Hossa’s missed shot, this series would have ended Saturday at the Joe, maybe with the Pens as champions.

The Pens rallied for a goal from Evgeni Malkin in the second period and almost tied the game on Hossa's shot. They knew their time was almost up, but they didn't go down without a fight.

You can’t fault them for the effort they gave throughout the series. Marc-Andre Fleury, solid all series, made 27 saves in the loss and kept the Penguins alive in key situations throughout the series.

His 55-save performance in Game Five will live in Pittsburgh lore for years to come. He showed that he’s one of the NHL’s best young goalies and will no doubt backstop Pittsburgh to more success.

And what of the Penguins’ young core of Crosby, Malkin, Jordan Staal, Fleury, and others? Sure, they’re young and inexperienced in the playoffs, but what a hell of a run they had!

They went 12-2 in the first three playoff rounds and took the Wings to six games; nothing shameful about that. Crosby winning his first Cup would have been a nice ending to the Pens season, but like a lot of great stars, he must lose first. The Cup will come.

At 20 years old, he’s already got a scoring title, an MVP trophy, and a conference championship. A Cup is the only thing missing from his résumé. He provided great leadership as captain and tied for the league lead in playoff points, with 27.

While Malkin was nowhere to be found on the stat sheet most of the series, he had three points in the last two games, including a goal and an assist in Game Six. He made mistakes in the series, but he gained a lot of experience out of it.

Have no doubts—Pittsburgh will be back. With their young core intact they’ll be more experienced, hungrier for a title, and probably a bit feistier.

But for now, rejoice Detroit.

Lord Stanley is back in Hockeytown.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Not Done Yet, Fleury Comes Up Big

James Andersen — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:47:01 -0400

Time and time again the Red Wings fired the puck at Marc-Andre Fleury. Tomas Holmstrom had the puck on his stick and missed. Valtteri Filppula fired a shot from the slot and missed. Kirk Maltby came in with a burst of speed and Fleury stopped him.

Thanks to Fleury, the Penguins will live to see another day.

Fleury made 55 saves in a 4-3 Pens win that saw Petr Sykora blast a shot past Chris Osgood for the game-winning goal 9:57 into the third overtime.

The win sends the series back to Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh where the Pens are near perfect this postseason, losing only when the Red Wings beat them in Game Four.

The Red Wings were just 34 seconds away from hoisting the Stanley Cup, but the determined Penguins forced overtime when Maxime Talbot slammed in a puck in close quarters to tie the game at three.

With their season on the line, Pittsburgh came out strong and though they seemed fatigued as they game wore on, they got the job done.

The Penguins scored two goals in almost seven minutes on shots from Marian Hossa and Adam Hall, who was credited with a goal after a rare mistake from Nicklas Kronwall, who shot the puck past Osgood.

And what of guys like Ryan Malone and Sergei Gonchar? These guys sustained injuries at different points in the game, yet they came back out and were there to help their team fight. That’s what the playoffs are about—when you’re hurt, you shut out the pain and play, especially in the finals.

What can you say about Fleury’s performance? A loss would have sent the young Pens home, but Fleury was determined to keep them around by putting on a show.

Midway through the first, he stopped Filppula, and less than two minutes later he stoned Henrik Zetterberg on a 2 on 1.

Though Pittsburgh threw 32 shots at Osgood, it was Fleury standing like a stone wall in net during overtime that proved the difference for the Pens.

Given that some of Pittsburgh’s stars have been almost non-existent in this series, Fleury has played well, given the Pens a chance to win the game by keeping pucks out of the net.

And what about the Red Wings? 58 shots through five and a half periods of hockey? It’s reminiscent of their past early-round playoff exits when they threw that many shots at the goalie in regulation.

The Wings had chances to put this game away. Boy, did they have chances! Late in the first Darren Helm got a breakaway and was stopped. With less than three minutes left in the second stanza, Mikael Samuelsson had a great shot on a two-on-one, only to be stopped on a spectacular Fleury leg save.

The game was theirs but they could not put it away.

You can’t fault Osgood much either. After giving up two first period goals to Hossa and Hall, he settled down and was solid the rest of the game before Talbot’s goal.

In the first overtime, he made a great stop on Evgeni Malkin (who finally has a point in the series), stopping the shot and then standing up to catch the puck after it bounced up.

He also stopped Sidney Crosby on three chances in regulation. He made 32 saves for the game and was just as good as Fleury in overtime, but Fleury proved to be just a tick better at the end.

With Game Six in Pittsburgh it’s possible that we’re looking at a seven-game series. Both teams will be tired to be sure, but the game being played at home, the Pens might just find themselves one game away from a Stanley Cup.

Regardless of how this series goes down, the Pens will sure be remembered for their grit in this series and in this game.

Open Mic: Barry Bonds Investigation Not All about Race

James Andersen — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:15:16 -0400

By now, it’s obvious that baseball turned a blind eye while dozens of its superstars grew big on steroids. While other sports have been hit hard, baseball seems to have taken the biggest hit from steroids. Home run heroes Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and others have had their reputations tarnished due to accusations of steroid use.

Many have been called out, but none more so than Bonds, arguably one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen. But it’s curious that out of all the players accused, Bonds has been in the limelight the longest for this and has been investigated the most.

Some have said the investigation has been brought on Bonds because he’s black. But being accused of steroid use has been widespread; Latin players, black players, and white players have all been accused. So while race could be a small factor in the bringing down of Bonds, it’s not the biggest one.

After all, Mo Vaughn, a black player and a former MVP, was named in the Mitchell Report. Gary Sheffield, a black player and nine-time All Star who’s admitted to steroid use, was named in the report, too. Baseball could have picked any of these players or others, so race doesn’t seem to tell the whole story here.

Instead, the Bonds investigation hinges more on other factors, including his changes in appearance and personality. Bonds was a lean, fit hitting machine in his days with the Pittsburgh Pirates and early days with the San Francisco Giants. Gradually, though, he bulked up both in muscle and head size, hitting for more power than before.

That would be enough to draw suspicions from baseball executives as circumstantial evidence.

Bonds doesn’t have a reputation as being a great teammate either. He’s been known to have a sketchy relationship with the media, and the attention he brings doesn’t always help improve morale in the clubhouse.

Another factor, and probably the biggest one, is that in the time prior to his indictment, Bonds was baseball’s biggest star. As the newly crowned home run king, he drew the attention of the baseball world in both good and bad ways. The fact is that baseball executives didn’t act when they needed to, and they needed a poster boy for the Steroid Era.

What better person for that role than your single season and career home run leader? Maybe Bud Selig thought he could make up for years of mistakes and silence critics by singling out the sport’s biggest star.

The Steroid Era has spared no one from accusations, no matter the race or position. So saying Bonds was sought out due to race isn’t a fair argument.

Look at what’s happened to Roger Clemens.

Before the release of the Mitchell Report, Clemens was seen as something of an iron man, coming back year after year, putting up consistent numbers. For Pete’s sake, he won a Cy Young award at age 42! He’s on equal footing with Bonds in terms of ability at his position, and was destined to be a Hall of Famer as one of the best pitchers in history.

Instead his name was the biggest mentioned in the report and he was called before Congress to defend himself. Even after repeated denials, there seem to be few who believe him and his passage to the Hall of Fame is in jeopardy.

Nowadays, it seems as though no one is safe from scrutiny. The days of fans being able to cheer their heroes without questioning their “cleanliness” seem to be dwindling as more accusations of steroid use arise.

Flip Saunders Must Stay with Pistons, Team Must Find a Center

James Andersen — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:25:14 -0400

Another season has ended in disappointment for the Detroit Pistons. For the third straight time they finish in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Boston Celtics put the kibosh on the Pistons’ season with an 89-81 victory on Friday, earning a showdown in the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers.

For the sixth year in a row the Pistons have showed up as one of the best in the East, yet they’ve only had two Finals appearances and one championship to show for it.

During this span they’ve gone through three coaches and a variety of roster changes, but managed to maintain a standard of excellence, relying on tough, stifling defense and a multitude of offensive weapons. Still for all their success, they’re sitting at home again wondering what went wrong, and what they can do to fix it.

An easy solution that’s been suggested many times is to fire head coach Flip Saunders. After all, his predecessor Larry Brown was here two seasons and led the team to the Finals both times, coming within three minutes of back-to-back titles.

In three years, Saunders has never gotten beyond the third round of the playoffs and has had problems with personnel. A coaching change might bring a new attitude to a team looking to maintain its conference dominance as teams like Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston have become legitimate threats to their success.

While dumping Saunders is an easy fix, it might not be the best one. In three seasons he’s won 176 games, finished first in the Central Division three times, and coached the All Star team.

Unfortunately, his squads have run into hot teams for three years, whether it was this year’s Celtics, LeBron James’ heroics two years ago, or Shaq and Dwayne Wade leading a resurgent Miami Heat team three years back.

Saunders has a pedigree, but hasn’t been able to take the next step, despite having the teams to do it. Other Detroit teams have had the same problems but have gotten through it, i.e. Scotty Bowman, Larry Brown, and presumably as of Monday, Mike Babcock.

It took all these guys some time to establish themselves, but in the end they led their teams to titles. Saunders deserves that chance too, if only for another year.

If Saunders goes, who becomes the replacement?

Rumors say that assistant and former player Michael Curry might be an option. But aside from Curry, who else do the Pistons have in mind? Curry played under Rick Carlisle and Brown, but who knows what kind of coach he’ll make? Maybe he’ll be another Avery Johnson, but maybe he’ll be a flop.

At this stage, a veteran coach seems a logical choice, but whom? I doubt they’ll be able to lure a big name coach away from a good team, especially now that Mike D’Antoni, the biggest coaching free agent of the offseason, is in New York.

How many more successful coaches do the Pistons need to sack? Carlisle was fired after a few successful playoff runs because Brown became available and Brown was bought out. Is it right that Saunders might be tossed for maintaining success in Detroit?

Instead of firing Saunders, Detroit might want to tweak its roster, as has been suggested for the past few years. Yes, this team is still good. But the core has stayed the same and their opponents for the East crown have made upgrades.

For starters, the Pistons need a center. They haven’t been the same since Ben Wallace left, and all his successors have been good but not great. They need a center who can give them at least 10-12 points a game to take the pressure off of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton.

Amir Johnson is one choice, and having Chris Webber for another season might have helped this year, but the Pistons might have to look at free agents.

Indiana’s Jermaine O’ Neal is worth looking at. While O’Neal’s history with the Pistons is less than pleasant, it’s hard to overlook his 14.4 point career scoring average and he’s got lots of playoff experience. Fans might object, but maybe O’Neal will become what Chris Chelios became to the Red Wings.

In looking for a center the Pistons will have to delegate someone to the bench or trade a player. If someone absolutely needs to go, it must be Rasheed Wallace. He’s a great player and provides a lot of offense for this team, but he was almost non-existent on the stat sheets during the Celtics series and his mouth gets him in trouble.

He’s been a tremendous asset, but he’s not a natural center and even if he’s not traded, he’d be a great player off the bench. Another option is to delegate Antonio McDyess back to the bench and give Wallace his spot.

The Pistons had an answer at center until they traded it away. I’m speaking of course of Darko Milicic. By now everyone knows the superstars the Pistons passed up to get Milicic, only to have him sit on the bench and never become a star.

He got chances under Brown and Saunders and then was traded away, but who knows if he would have become a star when the Pistons needed a center of the future?

Seven feet tall and only 22 years old, Darko is young and athletic and could have blossomed were he given a starting role. Instead the Pistons will probably make minimal roster changes and cross their fingers.