Bleacher Report - Articles by K.C Mynk

The Dirty Dozen—The 12 Worst Coaches in College Football History

K.C Mynk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:01:38 -0500

Some coaches seem like a good fit at the time. Maybe they were successful at a lower level, led a minor program to minor respectability, or were excellent coordinators at powerhouse programs. However, this doesn't always translate to results in the big time and the following 12 coaches had the distinction of finding new and exciting ways to lose. Some were put in tough situations and didn't get the job done at powerhouse programs, however they all have one thing in common; they didn't get the job done.

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Updated College Coaching Hot Seat Rankings

K.C Mynk — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:45:01 -0400

The first full day of fall sees us only three weeks into the college football season yet the coaching hot seat picture is becoming clearer.

While there is plenty of football left to be played some coaches like Rich Rodriguez and Randy Sherman have already firmly taken themselves off the hot seat.

Others are becoming more entrenched after every game.

The following is a list of ten coaches for whom time might be quickly running out and five names that will certainly be mentioned as replacements.

The Hot Seat Rankings

1. Al Groh, Virginia

Groh's seat was hot coming into the season after a number of sub par years in Charlottesville and a 5-7 record in 2008. It's clear that Groh is a master recruiter; however that has been part of his problem given that he hasn't won with the talent he has brought into the program.

If his seat was hot at the beginning of the season, an opening game loss to FCS foe William and Mary followed by a loss to C-USA, Southern Miss has sealed his fate

2. Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville

In less than three years Louisville has gone from winning BCS bowl games to not even being able to make a bowl game. Kragthorpe finds himself with a 9-14 record against FBS opponents and has lost his last six games against FBS foes including embarrassing losses to Syracuse and Rutgers.

Kragthorpe started the season with a lackluster performance against an Indiana State team that has won only one game since George W. Bush's first term in office and his third straight loss to hated rival Kentucky.

3. Dan Hawkins, Colorado

Coming from Boise State where he built the Broncos to national respectability, Hawkins was thought to be a natural fit to rebuild the Buffaloes. However, in his three years at Boulder, Hawkins has been to one bowl game, has never had a winning record, and has posted a dismal 14-26 mark.

Losses to in-state rival Colorado State and Toledo might be the final straw for a coach who has not been up for the huge tasks he was given in rebuilding Colorado after the ill fated Rick Neuheisal regime.

4. Ralph Friedgen, Maryland

Five years ago "The Fridge" was one of the hottest coaching names in college football, now he finds himself firmly on the hot seat. Friedgen had a decent season in 2008 finishing 8-5; however the state of the program has been slowly declining since the early 2000's when the Terrapins were at the top of the ACC.

This season a blow out loss to Cal and a one point setback to Sun Belt opponent Middle Tennessee State has turned the tide against Friedgen in College Park.

5. Paul Wulff, Washington State

Taking over a program that has had some success in the past Wulff knew he would have a rebuilding effort on his hands yet he might become a victim of events out of his control. After going 2-11 last season, Wulff has started this season with two bad losses to Hawaii and Stanford and a less than inspiring victory over SMU.

Wulff's biggest problem might be the turnaround happening to rival Washington.

Fans in Pullman are beginning to wonder if they have hired the wrong man for the job.

6. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Dantonio was safe heading into the season after a 9-4 campaign in 2008. Two years of respectable results in the Big Ten might have been good enough to provide Dantonio some job security; however his results in 2009 have make his position heated.

Regardless of how competitive Central Michigan might be in the MAC, a solid Big Ten program should never lose a game even to a good MAC squad. Add his team's late collapse against Notre Dame in a game they should have won, and Dantonio has some work to do in order to save his job.

7. Charlie Weis, Notre Dame

Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the 5th year of his college coaching internship

-Linebacker Alumni

The billboard that stirred nationwide media attention was not the first time fans, influential alumni, and boosters of the Irish have questioned if the "Big Man" is up for the job in South Bend.

Notre Dame is one of the highest profile college coaching job in the nation and Weis certainly has not delivered what many Irish fans thought was possible during his four seasons in South Bend.

Last season's 7-6 mark coupled with his 3-9 2007 campaign has left him in a do-or-die situation this season. While the schedule is more than favorable, a loss to rival Michigan has put Weis in a position where anything less than 9-3 might have him looking for work.

8. Bill Lynch, Indiana

It might not be fair to have Bill Lynch on this list given that his tenure in Bloomington might have been the most difficult of any coach on this list.

After a 3-9 campaign that only saw one Big Ten victory, this season Indiana does sit at 3-0 but the Hoosiers were outplayed and could have easily lost against FCS Eastern Kentucky and MAC opponent Western Michigan. If Lynch can't manage three wins in Big Ten play and qualify for a bowl game it is very likely he will be gone at the end of the season.

9. Bill Stewart, West Virginia

Bill Stewart couldn't have started his tenure in Morgantown in any better way, leading West Virginia to a blow out victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. However, going from caretaker to permanent head coach has been a difficult transition. West Virginia finished 9-4 last season with embarrassing losses to East Carolina and Colorado.

Few coaches are as unpopular with their respective fan base as Stewart is in West Virginia and a poor performance in a win against FCS opponent Liberty and second half collapse against Auburn last week has put Stewart on the hot seat.

10. Bill Snyder, Kansas State

Legendary coach Bill Snyder has to wake up every morning thinking to himself, "What did I get myself into." The former K-State head man came back to take over his former program only to find a team that during the Ron Prince era was stuffed to the gills with Junior College players and having to rebuild from the ground up.

After a close win against FCS opponent UMass the Wildcats lost to Louisiana-Lafayette. Knowing that Kansas State will never fire Snyder, one has to wonder how long it will be before he realizes that leaving retirement was not worth the mess he was left to clean up.

Five Hot Names to Watch

1. Kevin Sumlin, Houston Head Coach

There is no hotter name in the nation right now than Sumlin, who has the Cougar faithful reliving the glory days of Ware and Klingler with his innovative high octane offense.

Houston's week two win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater caught the nation's attention and his stay with the Cougars will appear to be short as bigger schools come calling.

2. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati Head Coach

Already being dubbed "Bobby Petrino 2.0", Kelly has taken Cincinnati from a decent Big East caliber program to a monster.

Just to prove his 2008 Orange Bowl season wasn't a fluke; Kelly has started 2009 with road wins over Rutgers and Oregon State team. The only question for Kelly is if it would be worth leaving an easier BCS path in the Big East to take another job?

3. Tommy Tuberville, Former Auburn Head Coach

Despite being fired last year, Auburn's early season success has him back on the map.

Tuberville is a defensive genius with a proven track record who with the right offensive coordinator could build a monster of a program like Maryland or Louisville.

4. Gus Malzahn, Auburn Offensive Coordinator

When looking at assistant coaches throughout the nation the hot name at the moment is Gus Malzahn. He has not only implemented a spread offense but has made it work.

Through three games Auburn is averaging 47 points and over 500 yards of offense a game. If the Tigers can even come close to putting up these numbers against SEC defenses, Malzahn will have a head coaching job by this time next year.

5. Mike London, University of Richmond Head Coach

In just over one season as a Head Coach, London has led the Spiders to a 16-3 record and an FCS National Championship. In the season opener London took Richmond into Durham and knocked off Duke 24-16. He also held Virginia to only 16 points in a loss last season.

One has to wonder if Virginia Athletic Director, Craig Littlepage is looking to take a trip to Richmond to check out what London is doing with the Spiders.

Ranking the Managers of the 2008-09 Premier League Season

K.C Mynk — Sun, 24 May 2009 16:56:17 -0400

With another season in the EPL at the close, it's time to look at what managers got the job done this season, and which managers failed.

As with any list, this is strictly subjective, but primarily based on not only results, but whether the side each manager led achieved, overachieved, or underachieved this season.

Also, it's important to note this is not a lifetime achievement award (we will leave those to the PFA), but rather an honest assessment of each manager this season.

1. Roy Hodgson (Fulham)

This season has been a minor miracle for the Cottagers, as Hodgson has taken a team that avoided relegation by the slimmest of margins last season, to a seventh-place finish this season.

Brought in to save Fulham from sure relegation after the disastrous start of last season under Lawrie Sanchez (who ironically was brought in to save Fulham from relegation under Chris Coleman), Hodgson did just enough to save Fulham last season.

This season, he has exceeded everyone's expectations by producing a side that won 14 matches and lost only 13, gaining points in 25 matches this season.

Taking a side with only one true "elite" player (Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer) and a roster full of "B-level" Englishmen, Danes, and Americans, Hodgson has pulled off what nobody thought was even possible at the beginning of the season.

A spot in Europe for 2009-10.

2. Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)

What can be said about Sir Alex that hasn't already been said?

Love him or hate him, all the winningest manager in English football history does is continue to win.

3. Guus Hiddink (Chelsea)

Caretaker manager extraordinaire, and he had the results to back it up this season.

Aside from the Champions League semifinal spot, Hiddink has claimed 34 of a possible 39 points in league play since taking the reigns from Scolari in early February.

While nothing more than a short-term fix for a side with the most managerial turnover in the EPL, Hiddink has proven that he could do the job that a former World Cup winner could not.

4. David Moyes (Everton)

While Liverpool remains the glamour team on Mersyside, all David Moyes' Everton side continue to do is meet and exceed expectations.

If anyone thought 2007-08 was a fluke, Moyes led his side back to fifth in the table again this season, cementing their place as the best "non big four" side in the EPL.

Also a place among F.A. Cup Champions awaits Moyes if his surging side can knock off mighty Chelsea.

At this time, the only thing Everton supporters need worry about is if their manager might leave for greener pastures.

5. Tony Pulis (Stoke City)

Perhaps no manager did a better job with the resources they had than the Welshman at No. 5.

Odds on favorites for relegation, Stoke was never in serious danger of the drop after Christmas, and amazingly find themselves finishing near mid-table.

One of the most remarkable managerial jobs of the season and while the records say they dropped five more games than they won, make no mistake this was a successful season for the Potters.

6. Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)

How can any manager who claimed only two losses on the season be ranked so low?

The reasons are simple, no silverware on Mersyside, and a title ready for the taking lost in the second half of the season.

Liverpool supporters might take solace in the fact they trounced Man United at Old Trafford or that they played the more exciting brand of football - however they would have gladly traded both for the Premiership title.

7. Martin O'Neill (Aston Villa)

During the first half of this season the Villa boss would have almost been assured a top four spot on this list. However, a rash of negative results late in the season has sunk O'Neill to seventh.

While it is true that Villa matched their place in the table a year ago, their late form and nearly being overtaken by Fulham on the last day of the season have lowered his stock.

However, despite poor late season form, O'Neill was able to keep his side well in the top half of the table and secure a spot in the Europa League next season.

8. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)

For some it might be an injustice to have one of the most successful managers in English football history ranked this low. However, it hasn't been a good season at Ashburton Grove by Arsenal standards.

With the talent Arsenal has on display it's almost inexcusable for "The Professor" not to have claimed any title for the Gunners over the past five years.

This season might have been the worst of the run for Wenger, finishing fourth in the table and 11 points adrift of third place Chelsea.

There are rumblings that Wenger might be on his way out at Arsenal. If he is staying and the results don't improve, next season might indeed be his last.

9. Gianfranco Zola (West Ham)

The former Italian talisman is becoming a sort of legend in London after his stint at Chelsea and his current tenure across town at West Ham.

While the results aren't what Zola would want (14-9-15 on 51 points), the side did rise a spot in the final table from a year ago.

Zola is determined to bring an Italian style of play to the Boylen Ground and while the improvement has been slow, there are signs that the Hammers might be ready to make a run at a European spot next season.

10. Steve Bruce (Wigan)

Last season, Bruce did just enough to keep Wigan supporters from having to worry too deeply about the drop in the final weeks of the season.

This season, Wigan showed some marked improvement under Bruce by finishing eleventh in the table with a roster that would be ranked in the bottom quarter in terms of talent.

While the results might not be eye popping, a club like Wigan just being comfortably safe during much of the second half of the season is an accomplishment enough.

11. Harry Redknapp (Tottenham Hotspur)

In his football book Fever Pitch, author Nick Hornby writes about supporting Arsenal sides of the 70's and early 80's that were never good enough to compete for a title and never bad enough to be relegated.

That is where Spurs supporters find themselves under Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp occupies the eighth position on this list because his teams are usually never in danger of the drop yet also never quite good enough to compete for a European spot either.

While Spurs did make a run at cross town Fulham late in the season for a much coveted Europa Cup spot it was too little, too late for Harry and Spurs.

12. Sam Allardyce (Blackburn Rovers) and Paul Hart (Portsmouth) -Tie

Two caretaker managers give the job to do just enough to keep their respective sides afloat in the EPL for another season, and with the limited task both were successful.

Once a man who might have been at the top of this list not too many years ago, "Big Sam" was given the task of keeping Premiership mainstay's Blackburn afloat.

Blackburn were struggling under former England international Paul Ince, and it was Allardyce who came in just before Christmas and got points in his first six matches.

However, the record of 2-1-3 in his last six matches saw Rovers limp to safety down the stretch.

Portsmouth were the darlings of last season with their best finish in decades. However the strains of the EPL and European competition took their toll on Tony Adams.

Hart came in and secured a much needed 17 points to keep Pompey in the top flight for next season.

However, a finish seeing the side go 1-1-4 in their final six matches will almost assure that Pompey will be looking for a new manager to lead them next season.

14. Phil Brown (Hull City)

When you were the playoff winner in your first season of Premier League football, there is something to be said for barely getting by.

That is the position the Hull boss finds himself in, and while the results were dismal at Hull, Brown did do just enough to insure the club a second season in the top flight.

The 19 losses accumulated would have been too many in most years to stay up, but the sub-par play at the bottom of the table allowed Brown's Hull side to do just enough to stay afloat.

However, his rant at halftime of the match with Manchester City and the sides collapse afterwards might be enough for management to lose faith in Brown.

15. Mark Hughes (Manchester City)

One of the biggest disappointments of this years' Premier League season has been the play of Man City under Mark Hughes.

With new ownership coming from the Middle East, an unlimited cash flow, and the signing of Robinho, big things were expected out of City. Unfortunately, Hughes did not deliver.

Quite honestly there was too much talent and too much promise on this side to finish 10th in the table and lose three more games than they won.

At some point during the offseason, the money men from the Emirates may ask if Hughes is the man to lead their investment into the future in reaching their goal of making the "top four" a top five.

16. Gary Megson (Bolton)

True, Bolton has never been a major player in the EPL, and they did improve three spots from last season to 13th place. However, stagnant might be the best description of the state of football at Bolton.

With other middle-of-the-pack clubs like West Ham and Fulham showing marked improvement since their current managers took over, Bolton finds themselves still worried about the threat of relegation.

Megson may not have the most talent to work with. However one has to wonder how content the board at Bolton will be with a manager who lives on the edge so often.

17. Ricky Sbragia (Sunderland)

Like Bolton, Sunderland are a side that are content to just stay afloat in the top flight, however shouldn't their supporters expect more?

For the past two seasons, Sbragia's side has flirted with disaster and finished lower in the table this season than they did last.

Given the available talent, nobody expects a club like Sunderland to compete with "the big four" or even compete for a spot in Europe.

However, the sign of a good manager is the ability to get talent to overachieve, and Sbragia has taken talent just good enough not to get relegated and keep them from barely getting relegated.

18. Tony Mowbray (West Brom)

After winning the Championship last season, Mowbray came into this Premiership season promising not to compromise his attacking style in the top flight.

He found his club at the bottom of the table.

No club in the EPL gave up more goals than West Brom, and while the offense would show flashes of brilliance on occasion, the defense was a disaster and not good enough for top flight play.

What some might call principle, others call stubbornness. While Tony Pulis was more pragmatic and had Stoke near the middle of the table all season, Mowbray stuck to his system and will have to fight for promotion again next season.

19. Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough)

In the history of the EPL no club has so delighted in underachievement as Middlesbrough.

After finishing a mediocre 13th in the table last season, the wheels fell off this season as Boro fought and lost the relegation battle for most of the season.

While nobody expected 'Boro to even compete for a spot in the top half of the table, nobody expected them to finish in 19th place with seven wins to 20 losses and a dismal 32 points either.

The long-suffering fans at the Riverside Stadium know they don't have the resources to expect a European spot every season. However they also deserve better than the elevator football that managers like Southgate has produced every season.

20. Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)

In America there is a phrase used to describe things like Alan Shearer's tenure as caretaker manager at Newcastle: train wreck.

While Shearer has had a tough job in a season or turmoil at Tyneside, three managers in three months and the Barton saga have made life difficult for the former Toon Army favorite.

However, it has been Shearer's fault that he has had no real coaching philosophy nor does he appear to have had any desire to settle on one.

The results have been a disaster (one win and five points out of a possible 24). Shearer is clearly in over his head as a manager at the Premier League level.

The 10 Greatest Footballers To Never Play in the World Cup

K.C Mynk — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:25:32 -0400

The World Cup is football's biggest stage where legends like Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, and Beckenbauer helped cement their status among the game's greats. However, for other legendary players qualifying for the World Cup was something they would never experience. The following ten greats either experienced personal misfortune or found themselves as great player representing soccer minnows with little help on their respective national teams. However, the one thing they all have in common is that they never played on the world's greatest stage

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The EPL's 10 Biggest Stories of 2008-09

K.C Mynk — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:05:27 -0400

In one of the most exciting seasons in the history of the Premier League there are a number of stories that have had fans talking. Aside from Manchester United's continued dominance and England's dominance in European play there have been other story lines that have played out during the season. From Newcastle and Arsenal's respective woes, to out of control spending, and the unexpected results this season from Fulham and Stoke City these are the ten biggest stories in the EPL this season.

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The Eight Extortion Demands Made Against Rick Pitino (Humor)

K.C Mynk — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:02:28 -0400

With so many unsubstantiated rumors running wild about the pending extortion investigation I have finally uncovered the truth behind the extortion demands made by Karen Sypher. My inside source a Louisville attorney named "James" (I won't give his last name to protect his identity) has tipped me off to the eight demands made of Rick Pitino by Mrs. Sypher. Regardless as to the truth of the allegations made against Pitino, I can verify through "James" that everything in this article is as truthful and accurate as most of the articles written on this subject that have appeared on B/R.com

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Is European Football Ready for a Real UEFA Champions League?

K.C Mynk — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:50:12 -0400

After reading David Gore's article earlier today about Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, and Gartside's views on the future of association football in Europe, I was left with the following question.

Is European football ready for the Champions League to move from a tournament format, to an actual league?

Some might argue that association football is already dead or at the very least on life support in many European nations.

England is dominated by "the Big Four"; Spain by Barcelona, Valencia, and Real Madrid; Italy by their own Big Four of Juventus, Roma, and the Milan sides.

Smaller domestic leagues are even more stratified where fans in Turkey, Greece, and Scotland go into each season knowing that only two teams will ever have a chance to win their nation's top flight.

In many ways European football has been moving in this direction over the past decade, with the big money clubs taking more power from both UEFA and FIFA.

When 14 top European clubs formed a coalition in 2000 to pressure FIFA and its European sister organization into compensating top clubs for the services of international players in the European and World Cup; the clubs further showed a power shift in the sport.

No longer do national FAs or even FIFA itself have the power as in the past, rather the clubs...or to be exact the handful of clubs now dominate the sport.

Gartside's idea of a two-tiered Premier League is not the answer because it does not solve the problem of "big four" dominance, and all that set-up would do is create yet another level of English football where the only benefit would be the possibility of clubs like Bolton, Wigan, and Hull actually winning something.

The answer is clear to the increased stratification between the haves and the have-not's in European football.

A true UEFA Champions League.

How It Would Work

Beginning in the 2009-10 season using the UEFA club coefficient formula from only past UEFA Champions League tournaments the 20 most successful clubs from 2004-05 to 2008-09 would be granted membership into the initial league.

The initial clubs would consist of the following sides:

England (4) Arsenal, Chelsea, Livepool, Manchester United.

Italy (4) Inter Milan, Juventus, Milan, Roma.

Spain (4) Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal.

Germany (2) Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen.

Portugul (2) Benfica, F.C. Porto.

Also included would be Celtic, Fenerbahce, Lyon, and PSV Eindhoven.

These 20 clubs would play a 38 match season with allowances made for domestic cup competitions, meaning most games would primarily be played on weekdays on prime time television throughout Europe.

Three clubs each season would be relegated and if a club from a "one bid" nation is relegated they will be replaced by the winner of their domestic league. For example if Celtic are relegated, they would most likely be replaced by Rangers the following year.

If a club from a multiple bid nation is relegated they will be replaced by the winner of the new UEFA Europa League (formally the UEFA Cup), if two sides from multiple bid nations are relegated then the Europa League winner and runner-up are promoted.

If three teams from multiple bid leagues are relegated then a two-leg playoff will take place between the losing Europa League semifinalists for the final bid.

If no clubs from multiple bid leagues are relegated the the Europa League champion will still be promoted forming a 21-bid league the following season with four teams being relegated the following year.

The Benefits of This Arrangement

For the larger clubs the money that could be produced from such a mega league would be astounding.

Fans of the top European clubs would no longer have to sit through near meaningless fixtures such as Chelsea-Stoke City, Juventus-Siena, or Real Madrid-Sporting Gijon.

Every match in the new Champions League would be between two top flight European clubs, without the added stress of having to compete in a domestic league as these clubs are doing currently.

Also this arrangement would give meaning to the UEFA Cup/Europa League which for the past decade has been largely irrelevant.

With a spot in the most elite league in professional sports at stake the Europa League would gain in both importance, stature, and most importantly (to those running UEFA) financial worth.

Finally the smaller clubs would actually benefit as well because no longer would they be saddled by the "big money" sides in an attempt to compete at an equal level.

Solid clubs like Aston Villa, Sevilla, Lazio, and VfB Stuttgart would have a chance to win their domestic leagues without the presence of the "big money" clubs that have dominated the top of the table for so long.

Even smaller domestic leagues would benefit from the money distributed to smaller footballing nations from the astronomical television revenues this new league would provide.

While this idea will more than likely never take hold given Michel Platini's view of the place of "mega clubs" in European football.

This is certainly where the future of professional football in Europe is heading if not now then in the near future.

How the Mighty Have Fallen: The Decline of 10 Untouchable Football Clubs

K.C Mynk — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:34:50 -0400

When your favorite club is on top of the world things are great as wins and Championship hardware begin to pile up. However, many times just as quickly as good fortune can come to your side, things can come crashing down just as quickly. It could be an economic collapse of the clubs corporate ownership, bad decisions made by management off the field, and even the downfall of political structures, that could send mighty clubs crashing. The following ten clubs were once some of the strongest in their respective domestic leagues, and major players in European football, yet now find themselves struggling.

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Are American Soccer Fans Hurting Soccer in the US?

K.C Mynk — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:41:34 -0400

Visit any of the major soccer message boards that cater to U.S soccer fans, and you will likely read virtually the same threads over and over: threads about how some political commentator believes soccer is destroying America, threads about how some sports media talking head (most notably ESPN's Jim Rome) hates soccer, threads about starting a Facebook for soccer defenders, and threads about how FoxSoccer.com writer Jamie Trecker is an idiot for being critical of soccer in the U.S.

You also have the threads about how bad the MLS sucks, how much U.S fans who like Real Madrid, Barca, or "the big four" aren't really soccer fans, threads about how horrible the U.S. National Team is, and threads lecturing us, referring to soccer as football and American football as "throwball."

The sport's biggest fans have fallen into a self-imposed form of Balkanization, where cyberspace has reduced soccer fans in the U.S into two categories: the true believers and the Europhiles.

The true believers are primarily those who grew up with the game as kids, played through their teens or even in college, and held onto their love of soccer well into adulthood.

I might fall into this category, if not for the fact that I somehow have bypassed the delusional nature that many soccer fans in this nation have fallen victim to.

Aside from the genesis of the true believers' love for the beautiful game, there are also other traits that we can distill into the Five Commandments of the American Soccer True Believer.

Commandment One: Thou shall have no other sports before thee.

Commandment Two: Thou shall always be looking around every corner for any example of somebody disrespecting soccer.

Commandment Three: Thou shall never speak ill of MLS.

Commandment Four: Thou must always overestimate the U.S. Men's National Team's chances in any international contest.

Commandment Five: Thou shall proselytize the entire world as to the greatness of American soccer.

The true believer is a believer in the possibilities of American soccer to the point that they become delusional or downright annoying in their support for anything remotely critical of the sport (or any American institution related to the sport).

You cannot like American football, basketball, baseball, or any other sport if you are a true believer because interest in other sports is some sign of treason.

The true believer is always on the lookout for the latest anti-soccer rant from ESPN talking heads like Jim Rome or Colin Cowherd, and will boost their ratings by watching and listening to their respective shows just to find an occasional anti-soccer rant they can get upset over.

Then there is the constant zeal that the true believer has on a quest to "convert" every American football, baseball, and hockey fan in the world into a soccer fan.

Not just a soccer fan, mind you, but an American soccer fan, who feels the need to spread the gospel of American soccer with the zeal of a missionary, converting both the unwashed (American) football-loving masses and the naysayers that question the quality of soccer in this nation as well.

Speaking of those soccer fans that question the quality of American soccer, they are known among the Internet community as Europhiles, or as the true believers refer to them, "the Euro snobs."

The Europhile might be a European immigrant, or more likely, they might be somebody who grew up like the true believer yet tries too hard to seem overly sophisticated concerning the world's game.

Europhiles have their own Five Commandments that they follow just as dogmatically as the true believer does.

Commandment One: Thou shall have no other sports before thee.

Commandment Two: Thou shall label the followers of any big-money European club as "posers."

Commandment Three: Thou shall tell anybody who will listen that MLS is garbage.

Commandment Four: Thou will follow the U.S Men's National Team, but have a primary allegiance to a National side of a nation where you have never lived nor ever plan on ever living.

Commandment Five: Thou shall hate ESPN because of their EPL bias.

A few months back on a college basketball message board (CAUTION: I like other sports aside from soccer), I was lectured by a Celtic fan that the only "true soccer fans" were those posting in the thread that support Celtic, Fenerbahce, and West Ham.

In the mind of the Europhile, the "true soccer fan" is one who finds a club that the average sports-savvy American (or casual soccer fan) has never heard of and disregards fans of "glamour clubs" as posers.

I feel no need to defend being a Manchester United supporter for 15 years, becoming a fan of the club because I was a fan of Eric Cantona and supporting the Red Devils ever since Gordon Strachan ran "Eric the Great" out of Leeds.

Even more frustrating is the constant reminder of how "third rate" soccer in the United States is in relation to the rest of the world.

Aside from the most hardcore of true believers, most soccer fans in the U.S know that MLS is nowhere near the quality of the English Premiership, La Liga, Serie A, or the Bundesliga. However, neither are 99 percent of the domestic leagues in the world.

The purpose of MLS isn't to compete with the giants of Europe or even Argentina and Brazil, but rather to provide a professional league for American players and develop fan interest in the sport.

However, where both sides fail is that they view soccer in this nation as a zero-sum game.

Either the U.S Men's National Team is elite, or they aren't worthy to be on the same pitch as even a mid-level European or South American side. Either MLS is truly Major League Soccer or its quality is somewhere near the Liechtenstein First Division.

American soccer fans must spread the Gospel of Joga Bonito; however, it needs to be the American soccer Good News that is spread. Also, be sure you follow the right European club or risk being labeled a neophyte or a poser.

The common trait among both groups that seem to populate the American soccer Internet community is simply insecurity.

Who cares what Jim Rome and his "clones" think about soccer? Who cares how "hardcore" your fandom credentials are because you support Hull City or Wigan rather than Chelsea or Arsenal?

Such insecurities do nothing but make soccer fans—and by extension, soccer itself—look petty and second rate in comparison to fans of the "major" U.S sports.

Legendary soccer writer Pete Gardner once said of soccer, "At its best, football is an exhilarating, highly athletic contest between 22 of the greatest athletes in the world. At its worst, it’s a tremendous bore."

If someone with no background as a soccer fan watched today’s UEFA Champions League second leg quarterfinal match between Chelsea and Liverpool (eight goals!!!) and gained an interest in soccer, then that is a great thing.

The game has sold itself for its positive attributes, yet some would complain that MLS deserves that attention or that the new soccer fan might become a Chelsea supporter and thus not a "real fan."

That same new fan might even check out a MLS match someday, yet beware that some of you will be sure to question the intelligence of this new fan by leading him to believe that MLS is an elite brand of soccer, or on the other hand insult him or her for wasting their time on such an inferior product.

Now for the hard truth for both parties: Soccer will never be bigger than football, baseball, or basketball in this country, and the reasons are far too many to include in this article.

However, if soccer is going to grow and improve in this nation, the true believers, and then the Europhiles, must leave their insecurities and personal beliefs behind for the sport and potential fanbase to grow.

Multi-Sport Athletes: The Best of America's Endangered Species

K.C Mynk — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:52:31 -0400

In years past it was regular not only in high schools, but colleges as well to see multi-sport athletes excelling in two or more sports. However, in today's culture of American Legion baseball, AAU basketball, Spring football, and Olympic Development Program soccer few athletes have the time of inclination from a young age to excel at multiple sports. The age of sports specification has caused many of our top athletes to choose only one sport from a young age and have denied themselves the opportunity to compete at a high level in multiple sports. This has led to the elite multi-sport athlete going the way of the dinosaur into extinction. However, the following ten athletes did what today is almost unheard of, competing in two or more sports and excelling at each on the biggest stages and highest levels.

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The 10 Biggest Basketball Hall of Fame Snubs

K.C Mynk — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:43:48 -0400

Baseball fans love to debate about which players deserve to be in Cooperstown, while comparing statistics and relative worth within the players respective era's. However, as a basketball fan there are snubs that are just as debatable as those of Roger Maris or Bert Blyleven. While no basketball fan can argue with the five inductees for the class of 2009 (Jordan, Stockton, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, and C. Vivian Stringer) there are players and coaches who have well deserving of a place in Springfrield who have been overlooked. The following ten individuals are among those who deserve their own plaque in the Hall of Fame.

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European Soccer: The Last Bastion of Free-Market Capitalism?

K.C Mynk — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:05:06 -0400

“A distinction should be made that [American] football is democratic capitalism, whereas soccer is a European socialist [sport].”

—Jack Kemp

With all due respect to former Senator Kemp—who is currently fighting a battle with cancer—his is not the only voice to echo such thoughts. I could have easily have posted similar quotes from Rush Limbaugh or Curtis Silva.

It is fashionable among conservative circles to bash soccer as a socialist sport, because after all it is "European" and we all know those Europeans are nothing more than a bunch of big fat socialists.

Socialist, the words itself, has always seemed to be a buzz word for the American right, few of whom realize what it actually means.

However, as conservative as we might think, we are as a nation or in terms of our economic policies, there is one place where true capitalism reigns supreme.

Top flight professional European soccer.

Not only is European soccer played at the highest levels as capitalistic, but American professional sports, and in particular the Holy Grail of all that is truly American, the National Football league is in fact...

...socialism.

Oh No! Not, El-Rush-Beau's favorite sport. The opiate of the masses every Sunday in the fall is one of the world's biggest socialist enterprises.

Look at professional sports, each team is in fact a business who exists to make money for their owners.

Capitalist theory tells us that the teams who make money do so by being successful, by investing in capital expenditures (in this case players), because it is human nature that people love winners. Winners sell tickets, beer, concessions and merchandise, which put money in their team's coffers.

If professional sports teams are businesses, then the leagues they are a part of are the governing bodies (or the government if you will), whose job it to regulate the commerce within the league? In this case the National Football League and English Premier League in fact act as a government.

How then is the NFL socialist and the major European soccer leagues capitalist?

There are four major factors that account for this paradox (with thanks to University of Houston business professor Sergei Boukhonine).

1. Salary Caps and Free Trade

"Most economic fallacies derive from the tendency to assume that there is a fixed pie, that one party can gain only at the expense of another."

-Milton Friedman

For the past 15 years the NFL has restricted free markets by engaging in a salary cap, which is the antithesis of free market economics.

In a free market, the market that decides worth through supply and demand.

For example if the market bears that an employee or capital expenditure (depending on how you want to view a player) is worth a certain amount then a business will pay that to acquire that player's services.

Except in the NFL, where teams can only spend a set amount on players thus meaning the governing body not the market decides the worth of a player. This because teams can only spent a set amount on player salaries.

Even more socialistic is the reasoning behind salary caps, it makes the sport more competitive. In other words, "It's not fair that all the rich teams get the best players."

European soccer has no such restrictions and the free market reigns supreme. If Manchester United wants to pay one million Euros’s a week (1.3 million) for Cristiano Ronaldo, so be it.

Sure many soccer fans in England complained when Russian oil billionaire, Roman Abramovich, "bought his titles" at Chelsea, but nobody in the EPL ever asked for the rules of commerce in English soccer to be changed.

Why not you might ask? Free trade or in soccer terms, transfer fees.

If Chelsea "bought" their championships through acquiring players from other clubs, which means someone profited from Abramovich's spending.

Why are the "lesser clubs" in England (even in the Premiership) don't complain about the big club's spending? Because they are making money.

In the NFL you would never see the Vikings sell Adrian Peterson to the Giants for $25 million, however earlier this season Manchester City paid nearly $40 million for Robhino.

The NFL tightly controls the movement of players through trade restrictions (often based on the salary cap) and free agency.

However, in European soccer employees may be bought and sold (and well compensated as well) almost at will.

2. Revenue Sharing

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

-Karl Marx

Marx made this statement in 1875; however, it could have just as easily been made by any NFL executive.

One of the things that former NFL Commissioner, Pete Rozelle, did that was so "revolutionary" was to pool all of the revenue made by every team and divide it equally with no bias.

This is why the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, and until last season Arizona Cardinals were so dreadfully bad for so long. They didn't have to be successful in order to succeed.

Financially speaking, the winless Detroit Lions received as much gross revenue for the 2008 season as the Super Bowl Champion Steelers.

This should be even more despicable any believer of free markets. The Steelers have been, both financially and competitively, one of the NFL's best franchises over the past four decades, while the Detroit Lion's have been the NFL's worst.

Rozelle's theory behind revenue sharing wasn't only that every team should profit but also that revenue sharing promoted parity, meaning that if every team has the same amount of money then every team can afford good players.

The parity theory believes, if one or two teams dominate every year, it's bad for the league. The good of the league over the good of the individual owner, that is just about the definition of not only Socialism but...Communism.

If professional sports are indeed an industry (and they most certainly are) then name another industry that operates in America, where competitors are made to pool their revenues and each company is guaranteed an equal share?

For years Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have been building and selling cars in the U.S that people want to buy, while Detroit's "big three" have been struggling in the marketplace.

Does anyone honestly think the U.S Department of Commerce should force the Japanese auto makers to "share revenues" with competitors just so the big three can compete in the market?

No! BUT the NFL does, and by any name, it's socialistic.

Aside from T.V revenue negotiated by the leagues themselves, European soccer has no such revenue sharing.

For example, in the NFL, if you buy a Ben Roethlisberger jersey for $100, the NFL might make $32 in licensing fees with $1 going to the Steelers but that same amount also goes to the Bengals as well.

On the other hand if you buy a Wayne Rooney jersey for $75, Manchester United pockets all of the $32 in licensing fees.

If a team plays in the prestigious UEFA European Champions League, then that's an extra $2-to-10 million dollar (U.S) payout, based on how far the team advances, that is pocketed solely by the team as a reward, for their excellence that season.

There is nothing more capitalistic than that.

3. Player Drafts

"Money demands that you sell, not your weakness to men's stupidity, but your talent to their reason."

-Ayn Rand

Player drafts are nothing more than a means of equalizing outcomes by allowing underperforming teams to acquire resources at below market value.

In layman's terms, if your favorite NFL team sucks, they can pick a good college player, who might make a great pro, and for at least three years have his salary locked in because no other team can hire him away on the free market.

Take for example the aforementioned Adrian Peterson, the best running back in the NFL.

Just because the Minnesota Vikings were terrible in 2006, they gained the right to a high draft pick. They chose Peterson and signed him to a deal making around $8 million a year.

Not only that but because Peterson is not yet a free agent, he cannot get more than that $8 million price tag (unless the Vikings choose to give him a raise), even if his value on the free market might be closer to $15 million.

Peterson in worth the football free agency, however because of the draft and free agency rules, the Vikings will get his rights for three years at below market value.

For the most part in all American professional sports (even MLS) this is how teams acquire young players. Rewarding failure and punishing success.

In Europe on the other hand young players are acquired two ways. They are either developed by "youth systems" or are bought from other teams.

For example, England's brightest young star, Theo Walcott, entered the training program at Championship club Southampton at age 14, broke into the senior team at 16, and at 17 was sold to London glamour club, Arsenal.

This produced a win-win situation. Southampton got a much needed payment of around $12 million dollars and Arsenal got the next great star.

In both cases, hard work was rewarded. Southampton identified a top young player. Southampton developed him effectively then sold his rights at a profit to a team with money from past successes.

4. Relegation and the Champions League

"Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game."

-Donald Trump

Any conservative scholar or media mouthpiece will tell you that life in life there are winners and there are losers.

In our capitalist system, some people end up being doctors living in a mansion and driving a BMW, and others are on welfare living in a trailer park.

The lover of capitalism will tell you, that system of economics rewards success and punishes failure. If you have a talent, you can market this society. You get paid if you win and don't lose.

This is the reality of life in America, except in professional sports.

In professional sports, if you lose there is no penalty. The next season you are right 0-0, forgiven of past mistakes and given a bailout by the league.

The Bengals have been bad since Tim Krumrie snapped his leg in Super Bowl XXIII and the Lions haven't won a conference championship in half a century, yet any punishment.

In the NFL, NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball you can be bad for seemingly ever and regardless, even if you're the L.A Clippers, Chicago Blackhawks, or Kansas City Royals. In fact, you will actually get rewarded with a high draft pick and revenue sharing for failure.

However, in that socialistic bastion of Europe, in the "socialist sport" or soccer, if you finish at the bottom of the top division, you actually are punished.

The concept of relegation is foreign to Americans, but in England if you finish in spots 18-through-20 in the 20 team Premier League you will find yourself in English soccer's equivalent of AAA baseball, and three teams from the second division will be in the Premiership the following year.

Imagine if you will the Cincinnati Reds, the oldest team in Major League Baseball. You finished last in the N.L Central and found them replaced by the Louisville Bats or Scranton-Wilks Barre Yankees.

European soccer rewards success and punishes failure through relegation, while American sports reward failure and aside from a trophy and bragging rights, winners see no other rewards.

Aside from a fraction-like bonus players receive, the Steelers gained no additional money for winning the Super Bowl, and nor did the Celtics, the Phillies, or the Red Wings for winning their respective championships.

Europe has own version of the Super Bowl is called the UEFA Champions League. A yearlong competition where the top teams in Europe compete as a reward for a successful season in their previous year’s domestic league.

The Champions League is a big deal and to put it into perspective, this year around 100 million people watched Super Bowl XLIII. This is half of the number of fans who watched the Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea. This is a conservative number.

For winning the English Premier League last season, Manchester United took home over $33 million U.S. and another $10 million for winning the UEFA Champions League.

This is money straight to Manchester United not to be shared with anybody; even the three other English teams who didn't win the Champions League took home a minimum of $3.6 million U.S.

The general perception of soccer as socialistic seems to now be based solely in bias and pseudo-xenophobia because in terms of pure socialism as represented in sports Americans need to look no further than their own beloved sports.

Why Can't We Be Friends? The 12 Most Heated Rivalries in Sports

K.C Mynk — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:10:20 -0400

Having a rival is one thing, having a heated rival who you hate with all of your fiber is another. For both athletes and fans certain rivalries bring out the best and the worst in everybody involved. These are the rivalries that have caused fights on the field and even riots in the stands, because of the passion they bring about. With the exception of number one, which deserves a category in-and-of itself the rivalries are listed in no specific order.

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Pro Sports' Biggest Busts

K.C Mynk — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:37:03 -0400

With the NFL Draft just around the corner it's important to remember the errors of the past before they are repeated. Many athletes either become the flavor of the month at the right time, put up huge numbers against inferior competition, or simply have their potential over evaluated. The following ten sports busts all were thought to have a world of potential yet crashed and burned for whatever reason. These are the real busts and not promising prospects like Sam Bowie, Pervis Ellison, Jay Williams, or Ki-Jana Carter who had their careers hampered by injury. Enjoy and when your team takes a questionable player in the draft, don't say you were never warned.

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Do You Believe in Miracles?: Sports' 10 Greatest Upsets

K.C Mynk — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:38:28 -0400

It's the reason we tune in to watch Michigan play Appalachian State or DVR every first round NCAA tournament game. The lure of the upset where the underdog with no hope has the chance to put the mighty powerhouse in their place has a special lure for sports fans. American's love upsets, it's in our nature considering that we are a country that was founded on one of history's greatest upsets. Over 200 years ago a ragtag group of militia men put the world's greatest military in their place forming this nation. Upsets are part of our nature and this list details the ten greatest in sports history.

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The Audacity of Arrogance: Why Fans Get the Coaches They Deserve

K.C Mynk — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:57:27 -0500

Two days before Easter, 2007, Billy Gillispie was announced as the 20th head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky.

Thousands of fans and students poured in to Memorial Coliseum to see the new coach and one student showed up with a sign reading:

"GREAT FRIDAY

our savior

BILLY G"

A savior with only five years of head coaching experience?

A savior whose greatest coaching accomplishment was beating Louisville in a second round NCAA Tournament game?

A savior with rumored personal problems centering around excessive drinking and two DUI arrests?

However, he was a savior nonetheless.

Ten years under the leadership of Tubby Smith had become two years too many for Kentucky fans, and Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart agreed.

Tubby Smith's sin wasn't that the program descended into a trainwreck like North Carolina did under Matt Doherty.

His sin was that he didn't give Kentucky fans what they felt they were entitled to.

There is a common belief among Kentucky basketball fans that "the name on the front of the jersey wins games," that the tradition and history of the program is what makes it elite, and that somehow Tubby Smith threw it all away because he was lazy and stubborn.

In Smith's last two seasons, Kentucky finished 44-25 and won 63.8 percent of their games with schedules ranked 12th and first in the nation, respectively.

The sky was falling.

In the state of Nebraska, football is just as important as college basketball is in Kentucky.

Nebraska is a football state with no pro teams and the entire state literally stops on Saturday afternoons in the fall. The same is true with Kentucky and their love for the Wildcats on the hardwood.

For 24 years, Dr. Tom Osborne could do no wrong and was easily the most popular man in the state of Nebraska.

With a record of 255-49-3, a .836 winning percentage, and three National Championships, Osborne was a man impossible to replace.

Frank Solich, Osborne's successor, was a man with an impossible job. He was a very good coach who was hampered with one major problem.

He wasn't Tom Osborne.

In six seasons at Nebraska, Solich went 81-45, winning 75 percent of his games, yet he was a victim of Tom Osborne's success and fan entitlement.

Like Kentucky basketball fans, Nebraska fans wondered how Frank Solich could screw things up so badly, and there was no doubt he had to go.

Solich was an incompetent coach who had allowed the program to slip, and any coach would be better than what they had.

During his 10 years at Kentucky, Tubby Smith had a 263-83 record, a National Championship, and a .760 winning percentage, ranking him second among all Kentucky coaches with more than one year of tenure.

However, in retrospect, Tubby Smith was a man with an impossible job. He was a very good coach who was hampered with one major problem.

He wasn't Rick Pitino.

However, at some point he became an incompetent coach who had allowed the program to slip, and any coach would be better than what they had.

Enter the Bills.

Bill Callahan and Billy Gillispie took over programs where they were going to become the saviors. After all, they couldn't do any worse than the two jokes who came before them.

Solich and Tubby were the men who killed the golden goose, and the Bills were going to be the saviors who would take their programs back to where fans felt they deserved to be.

However, things didn't work out that way.

Callahan came into Lincoln with a stubborn determination that he was going to run a high octane offense at a school with players suited to run the option. The result was a four-year tenure with a 27-22 record.

Gillispie came into Lexington with a stubborn determination that he was going to play only man-to-man defense and center his offense around guards that would shoot 20 times a game. The result has been a two-year tenure of 37-23 and a team at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years.

As bad as Nebraska fans felt Solich was, he was nowhere near as bad as Callahan, and as bad as Kentucky fans felt Tubby Smith was, he was nowhere near as bad as Gillispie has proven to be.

Solich never had a losing record, he never had home losses to schools like Southern Miss, and he never was an utter embarrassment to his fan base.

Tubby Smith was never in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, he never had home losses to schools like Gardner-Webb, San Diego, and VMI, and he was never an utter embarrassment to his fan base.

The root cause of these problems rests not in the Bills who were both clearly in over their heads at their respective schools, but rather with the fans.

Fans who became too spoiled and too arrogant with their past success.

Fans who felt entitled to wins and had an overinflated view of their respective programs, and fans who never recognized the realities of college athletics.

The fact is that elite programs become elite not because of the size of their fan base or because of their name value.

Programs don't make coaches elite, elite coaches make programs elite.

Coaches like Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne, Adolph Rupp, and Rick Pitino made their respective programs, and to use a cliche, they don't grow on trees.

There are only a handful of these types of elite coaches and the fact is that most Mike Krzyzewskis and Pete Carrolls aren't going anywhere, so at some point programs might have to be content with just being pretty good.

However, "pretty good" wasn't good enough for Nebraska football and Kentucky basketball fans, so they rolled the dice and got what they deserved.

Bill Callahan and Billy Gillispie.

Gone Too Soon: Wrestling's Greatest Tragedies

K.C Mynk — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:13:34 -0500

Wrestling is a violent business that takes it's tole on performers who give their bodies for our entertainment. It is common knowledge that steroid, narcotic, and alcohol abuse is rampant throughout the history of the industry. However, there have been a handful of performers who have tragically left us far too soon or had their careers cut tragically cut. The following is a list of wrestling's most tragic figures who either left us far too soon in non-drug related deaths, or who have suffered great tragedies in the business.

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The WWE As The Sopranos

K.C Mynk — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:10:27 -0500

One could assume that the closest parallel for professional wrestling might be that of organized crime.

In any wrestling promotion, you have your bosses, the men who run the show and hold the titles, the capo's who are capable main-event caliber workers, the soldiers who work hard for their opportunity at the mid-card level, and the associates who are looking to make their name in the business.

Comparing the current WWE landscape to the most popular mob related television show of all-time only seemed natural as we look at the WWE as The Sopranos.

The Bosses

Vince McMahon as Tony Soprano

Tony Soprano entered the family business at the bottom and worked his way to the top of the New Jersey underworld through his cunning and smarts.

Having achieved far more in the business than he father ever did, Tony rose to his position by not always playing by the rules that the old guard set forth, and chose to chart his own path as a mob leader.

Vince did the same as Tony taking a somewhat successful business and making it the biggest brand name in professional wrestling by moving away from the "old ways" of doing business.

Also there are the family similarities in particular with the women in their life. Both have wives who act in some way as their husband's conscience, yet can't escape the business. They also have daughters who seemed to rebel against their daddy, only to fully accept everything the business entails.

Like Tony, Vince has taken on all challengers. And while down, he was never out, including both winning battles with the FBI and Justice Department.

John Cena as Uncle Junior

Uncle Junior was an old-school mobster who respected tradition, yet he never received the respect of other mobsters.

Junior never had the mob muscle that he thought he had and, while powerful, was never as smart or as cunning as his nephew Tony.

John Cena is a throw-back wrestler who talks a great deal about tradition, and respects the old-school of professional wrestling.

However, he too lacks the wrestling skill and cunning to ever really be fully respected and appreciated by the true savvy wrestling fans.

Randy Orton as Phil Leotardo

Utterly ruthless and sociopathic with a chip on his shoulder as big as the Grand Canyon, Phil Leotardo used his guile and utter disregard for others to fill a power vacuum and become the boss of New York.

Phil would just as rather put a bullet in his opponents heads as negotiate, and was able to use his associates to do his bidding and carry out his quest for power and respect.

No wrestler in the WWE today fits this mold better than Randy Orton.

Orton is ruthless, sociopathic, has just as big a chip on his shoulder, and will do anything in his power (or get the other members of Legacy to do anything in their power) to secure his spot in WrestleMania and a shot as the WWE Heavyweight Championship.

Ric Flair as Carmine Lupertazzi Sr.

Carmine Sr. was the old-school boss of bosses in New York, who even in semi-retirement, was so respected that even Tony Soprano was in awe of his accomplishments.

Few mobsters were as respected as "Big Carmine," and his accomplishments speak for themselves, from inventing point shaving to controlling the largest mafia family in the United States.

For over twenty years Ric Flair was the best wrestler in the business ,who even in retirement holds the respect of every member of the WWE roster (with the exception of Jericho.)

Flair's accomplishments and impact on pro wrestling are without question or parallel and like Carmine Sr. he is considered the greatest to ever live in his business.

The Capo's

Triple H as Silvio Dante

Silvio was the smartest guy in the family, and a man who used his Consigliare political connections and friendship with Tony Soprano to move up to the level of family .

Triple H is referred to as "the cerebral assassin" because of his intelligence and savvy in the ring.

Also he is an expert political player with family connections to the boss. However, make no mistake, like Silvio, he still has enough violent tendencies to get the job done if needed.

Edge as Paulie Walnuts

The ultimate opportunist of the Soprano family was Paulie Walnuts, a man who sought out opportunities to earn even if it was at the expense of other family members.

More often than not using violence as a means-to-an-end, Paulie had a mean streak, and nothing was off-limits in his quest to keep his high standing in the family (including stealing an old lady's money and killing her.)

Edge is a perfect representation of this character, a man who seeks out whatever opportunities he can find in order to achieve his goals in the business, and like Paulie he has enough of a ruthless streak to get the job done.

Chris Jericho as Chris Moltesanti

As the young turk of the family with little respect for the traditions of mob life, Chris Moltesanti made it up the ladder quickly despite his attitude problems and unwillingness to respect tradition.

Young Chris never understood why the old guard wouldn't get out of the way and allow him to take what he felt was rightfully his.

Chris Jericho is quickly turning into to wrestling's Chris Moltesanti, with his arrogance and sense of self-importance to move the business forward with him as the cornerstone, while the old guard fades away into retirement.

Matt Hardy as Big Pussy Bompesaro

Big Pussy was the show's ultimate heel, a man who had been accepted by the family, only to turn on one of his own.

At one time he was a well-respected soldier and capo, until he turned his back on his brothers in the family to work for the FBI. Big Pussy eventually helped put his friend and boss Tony Soprano behind bars.

With the recent attack on his brother Jeff, Matt Hardy has turned into one of the biggest heels in the WWE, turning on his own brother and trying to destroy his family.

The Soldiers

Kane as Patsy Parisi

Patsy Parisi was the Soprano's ultimate knock-around guy, a mobster who was always given second-rate jobs who was never going to reach the inner circle.

However, at the end of the series after multiple bigger names in the family had died, Patsy was one of the few left standing.

Kane might be the WWE's ultimate knock-around guy, a wrestler who is almost always given second-rate programs who will never become a respected star.

However, as WWE talent comes and goes Kane still finds himself drawing a paycheck.

Kofi Kingston as Bennie Fazio

Throughout the series we saw Bennie rise from the ranks of doing odd jobs for Tony and Paulie, and facing a number of humiliations in the story lines.

However, he became one of the best earners and the family's most important members by the end of the series.

Kofi Kingston is one of the best up-and-coming superstars in the WWE today. Yet his booking hasn't been strong and he was utterly humiliated Sunday night.

However, I can see Kofi becoming a star in the WWE and a major player in the company for years to come.

The Most Important People in Sports History

K.C Mynk — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:38:27 -0500

The true titans of sports are not always the champions but the transcendent figures who change the game, wield the power, and have the influence to change the way we view sports and culture. This list will include athletes who were not only champions, but rather athletes who transformed their sports and how we view sports in general. Also included are the executives who took their respective sports to levels never before reached, and who's influence and contributions have been unmatched. Some of these figures are household names and atleast one you have probably never heard of before but they all changed sports and in some way society forever.

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The Greatest Hardcore Wrestling Legends of All Time

K.C Mynk — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:52:34 -0500

While some fans and writers talk about their love for the pure athleticism of professional wrestling, each of us, if we admit it or not, love a good hardcore match. Hardcore wrestling didn't start with the old ECW and has been around for decades. As the slide above show even in the 60's and 70's a match with hardcore performers was given equal billing as entertainment legends like Evel Kenevil, Marvin Gaye, and even Elvis! No rules, no holds barred, bring out the foreign objects, and lets get down to business. Here are the ten greatest hardcore wrestlers of all time.

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The Vindication Of Jose Canseco

K.C Mynk — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:50:53 -0500

Jose Canseco isn't the most empathetic figure in the world. He's an admitted drug user, a wife beater, a guy who had all of the talent in the world and threw it all away because he just couldn't keep himself together.

Canseco was a pariah in the sports world, a man who was willing to do anything for a buck—from reality TV appearances to writing a tell-all book that many sports fans believed to be full of lies and distortions.

The only problem was, Canseco was telling the truth.

Of course, Jose didn't have the best track record in the world, so fans felt his book Juiced was pure sensationalism at best, and that it was full of lies in an attempt to destroy the careers of men who didn't throw away their talent like he did.

Who would trust a steroid case and domestic abuser who nobody doubts is sleazy when he claimed Jason Giambi and Rafael Palmiero were fellow steroid users?

Nobody believed Jose in part because nobody wanted to believe what he was saying. Most sports fans felt that Jose Canseco was trying to drag the good name of other players through the mud for a quick buck, and others felt even if these players were guilty, you don't rat out your fellow players.

When Canseco wrote a second book, a noted sportswriter from Sports Illustrated refused to edit the manuscript and didn't want his name associated with the book feeling that it wasn't accurate.

This was the unpublished book that accused Alex Rodriguez of steroid use.

In the end as untrustworthy as Canseco might have seemed, he was one thing that the Palmero's and A-Rod's of the world were not—honest. Jose Canseco career was marked by steroid use, arrests and an unsavory personal life, but was more honest than some of baseball's biggest golden boys, yet we didn't want to believe the truth.

Today's sports landscape is ruled by the Andre Agassi principle, "Image is everything." Canseco's image was that of trash, while the A-Rod was baseball's well-spoken, clean-cut golden boy. Who were we as sports fans supposed to believe?

The answer is simple in retrospect, no matter how much we deny it—Jose Canseco was telling the truth.

Is Billy Gillispie in a Do-or-Die Situation Tonight Against Florida?

K.C Mynk — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:19:57 -0500

It's amazing how much things can change in a matter of two weeks.

Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie has found himself going from the penthouse to the outhouse with his fanbase in less than a month.

Tonight's game with Billy Donovan's Florida Gators is almost a must-win game for a coach who very suddenly finds himself on the coaching hot seat.

Starting the season with a loss to VMI and suffering blowout losses to North Carolina and Miami, as well as a loss to the hated Louisville Cardinals, made some fans question the second year coach.

However, a solid string of wins early in SEC play, including Jodie Meeks' legendary performance at Tennessee, put Gillispie back in the good graces and the Wildcats squarely in the NCAA Tournament picture.

Yet the past two weeks have been almost a worst-case scenario for a coach who was already feeling some heat from the Wildcat faithful.

Sitting at an undefeated 5-0 in conference play, Kentucky went to Oxford to take on a 10-9 Ole Miss team with an embattled coach and eight scholarship players available. The result was an embarrassing five-point loss where the final score was not indicative of how badly the Wildcats were dominated in the second half.

Four days later the Cats were sunk by the South Carolina Gamecocks on a game-winning shot from Devon Downey. To make matters worse, Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn is a Lexington native who has his team playing some of the best basketball in the SEC right now.

Finally, last week the Wildcats put up their biggest clunker of the stretch with an embarrassing eight-point loss to a Mississippi State team that was ranked 102nd in the RPI at the time.

Three straight losses in SEC play, two straight losses to Rupp Arena, a struggling offense, and a defense that isn't playing to their potential.

It's clear that something isn't right in Lexington right now

During the three-game skid, Kentucky has given up 56 percent shooting to their opponents from the outside and has dished out 21 assists to 35 turnovers. The Wildcats' starting five had zero assists in the Mississippi State game.

Even star Jodie Meeks, who was on everybody's shortlist for a spot on the All-American team, has fallen back to earth. While his scoring average is still impressive (18.6 ppg), his shooting has fallen off (37 percent from the field and 31 percent from the outside), as well as averaging just over one rebound a game and having three assists to six turnovers.

At the center of the recent poor play has been Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie.

When things are going well in the Bluegrass state, the coach can do no wrong; however, when things get rough, the exact opposite is true.

In the eyes of many fans, Gillispie has gone from a genius who developed an unstoppable two-man scoring attack to a coach whose offense is struggling, as fellow SEC coaches seem to have figured out the secret of containing Jodie Meeks (Bruce Pearl might be interested in knowing part of that strategy should include guarding him).

At halftime of the Ole Miss game, ESPN reporter Janine Edwards asked Gillispie about Meeks' slow start, which earned the reporter a sarcastic answer in return.

Two weeks after Meeks' legendary performance at Tennessee, Gillispie sarcastically told the media, "Do you think we still need a third scorer?"

The answer is clearly yes, Coach, you do need a third scorer.

Meeks simply can't carry the scoring load by himself, and Patrick Patterson, while being a very solid big man, is not ready to carry a team at the highest level.

Gillispie's offensive philosophy, his public actions and demeanor, his stubbornness with the media and his players, and his results have caused even the most hardcore of Big Blue fans to start to wonder if Gillispie has what it takes to get the job done at college basketball's winningest program.

Cat fans who have struggled to figure out what went wrong over the past three games have their own theories.

Why does coach not allow freshman Darius Miller to be his much-needed third scorer?

Why do we rarely set a high screen for Meeks?

Why does coach continue to play Michael Porter over DeAndre Liggins and Kevin Galloway?

How can some players screw up continuously (Porter and Harris) and get more playing time, while others can make one mistake (Miller and Galloway) and earn the coach's ire and a seat on the bench?

Gillispie has been given a great deal of latitude from fans who have found fault with Wildcats' past performance falling on former coach Tubby Smith.

However, four straight conference losses and three straight at hallowed Rupp Arena might be too much for many Wildcat fans to excuse.

Tonight is do-or-die for Billy Gillispie, and if he doesn't get a much-needed win tonight, his seat may get a bit too hot for his liking.

Media Coverage of the Modern Athlete: Who Is To Blame?

K.C Mynk — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:46:49 -0500

Within the last seven days, two of our greatest athletes have appeared to fall from grace in the eyes of the American sports public.

The revelation that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids and Michael Phelps' marijuana use have hit the headlines and made us all rethink the idea of the modern athlete as role model.

A-Rod the handsome baseball star and Phelps the American Olympic hero have been taken down a notch with the result being a plethora of articles detailing who is to blame for their current situations.

Of course, one could assume that the athletes themselves are to blame because they did break the law by using illegal drugs.

Others may put the blame on the media for sensationalizing athletes accomplishments and over emphasising their failures.

However, the blame for the current coverage of such athletes lies with only one group, us the American people.

This isn't to say that the athletes and the media are off the hook in this situation; however, we must look at the reality of both sports and human nature in order to get a clear picture of both cases.

Did A-Rod break the law and take shortcuts to put up the numbers he did by using anabolic steroids, of course he did, but is anybody shocked by this news?

When Jose Canseco warned us of the reality of steroid use in professional baseball he was dismissed as at best a flake and at worst a bitter liar. However, nearly a decade later (and without one libel suit being filed against him), it looks like Canseco was telling the truth.

A-Rod was in fact doing the same thing that Bonds, Sosa, Palmero, Caminetti, Clemens, and probably Mark McGwire was doing, using an illegal substance to improve his performance.

For Michael Phelps did the news of his recreational marijuana use shock anybody either?

He's a 23-year-old, who leading up to the Olympics, dedicated himself almost exclusively to eating, training, and sleeping. After his Olympic glory, with the pressure off, was anybody shocked that he was smoking weed and partying with others in his peer group?

After all, how many college age people do the exact same thing Phelps did on every weekend?

Sure, both Phelps and A-Rod broke the law, sure A-Rod took short cuts, and it could be argued that both hurt their image as role models for the young; however, does either case really shock or truly surprise anybody?

As for the media, is anybody shocked at the coverage that these stories have received in both the sports and (and in the case of Phelps) mainstream media?

The press loves nothing more than to build famous figures in any walk of society from music, entertainment, politics, and sports up only to tear them down later.

Of course, this wasn't always the case because there was a time when an athlete's life behind the scenes was kept private by the media.

It was no secret to the media that Babe Ruth was a degenerate's degenerate, it was no secret that Mickey Mantle was a raging alcoholic, nor was it a secret that Magic Johnson was one of the most promiscuous men in the NBA.

Steroid use in the NFL had been a reality for years but was never reported, and it wasn't until Jim Bouton published Ball Four that the average fan knew the majority of baseball players took amphetamines to make it through a 164 game season.

I would even be willing to assume that there were more than a few members of the local media in Cincinnati who knew Pete Rose bet on baseball.

However, none of the incidents listed above were ever reported by the sports media because they were none of our business.

The members of the press figured that it didn't matter if Mantle was a drunk as long as he was hitting .310 and blasting 50 home runs a year, and it didn't matter if athletes were using performance enhancing drugs as long as they produced.

However, at some point, that all changed and the media began tearing athletes down as quick as they built them to super stardom.

So why the change and how did the media go from looking the other way at the mistakes athletes made to reporting every single incident in full detail?

Who is to blame for the media coverage of the modern athlete?

We are.

You and me the American public is to blame because the media is a business and that business thrives on giving the people what they want.

No longer would stories about Mickey Mantle the good old country bumpkin making his name in the big city sell papers or ad revenue for Sports Center. If Mantle were alive today, stories of his drinking, nightclub brawls, marital infidelity, and how he got off the hook for so many DUI cases simply because he was a baseball star would be filling newspapers and airways.

It wouldn't be enough to enjoy Mantle's talents on the field, the media would have to tell us how flawed his is and how the fame and money corrupted such a once humble young man from Commerce, Oklahoma.

The media would run with a story of this nature because we would consume such a story and that's the business of the media to sell product.

No longer are we satisfied with good guy stories of humble and hardworking athletes we want to see them as the flawed figures they are. After all, they have so much fame and money, how could that not corrupt you?

However, make no mistake unless we first build these athletes up to the level of super stardom it does no good to tear them down.

Nobody wants to hear about how much of a jerk a utility infielder or second strong NFL quarterback might be. We only relish in stories about how the mighty have fallen.

This is why we got stories about how A-Rod was the clean cut boy next door, how Phelps was raised in a single parent home, or even how a young Mike Tyson was a feel good story because he was basically an orphan taken in and mentored by an elderly Cus D'Amato.

However, in each case the evidence of human frailty was there. A-Rod was named as a steroid user in Canseco's book but nobody wanted to believe Jose. Phelps had a DUI conviction that the media ignored, and Tyson had a rap sheet long before he ever went to live at D'Amato's Catskills retreat.

The reason those stories were persused is because we didn't want to hear them. Phelps was a largely unknown swimmer before the Beijing Olympic hype. Tyson wasn't heavyweight champion, and A-Rod while famous was playing in suburban Dallas not the nation's media center.

This isn't to say that the media should not have reported the stories of A-Rod or Phelps, but rather as sports fans each of us really needs to look at the coverage these athletes are now getting and really ask ourselves who is to blame for the sensational nature of these stories.

We each might want to start by looking in the mirror because all the media does is provide the bait that we are more than willing to take.

K.C Was Wrong: A Defense of Chris Jericho

K.C Mynk — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:47:00 -0500

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article titled "Five Truths About Professional Wrestling", and in that article, I wrote something that was wrong.

My point No. 1 in that article stated, "Wrestling fans are not idiots." The events that took place this weekend have made me rethink that point.

I am not going to hash and rehash what happened to Chris Jericho in Canada this weekend because there are three separate articles detailing the events with links to the video of the incident that has been posted on YouTube.

However, this incident has made me rethink the article I wrote a few weeks back because it does clearly appear that yes, there are some wrestling fans that are indeed idiots.

One of the great things about professional wrestling is that it provides fans an escape from our daily lives through a highly dramatic and action-packed entertainment product.

The emphasis of course is on the phrase "entertainment product."

Wrestling is just that, entertainment. The story lines regardless of how well they are sold are more 99 percent of the time not real and consist of performers who are (for lack of a better term) just acting a part.

Insiders will use the word kayfabe to describe the character that the wrestler is portraying, and while the bumps and the action might be real, the story lines and drama are almost always manufactured.

The problem comes when idiot fans fail to separate the kayfabe character from the real life individual who is busting their butt in the ring every match to provide us with the entertainment we enjoy so much.

To believe that Chris Jericho is a jerk who really thinks he's better than everybody and everything is no more rational than believing that Al Pacino is really Michael Corleone, Tony Montana, or the Devil.

Just like the characters that Pacino, De Niro, or Samuel L. Jackson play in film, Michael Shawn Hickenbottom, Adam Copeland, Paul Levesque, Oscar Guiterrez, Mark Callaway, and Chris Irvine are all playing characters as well.

If anybody were to see Al Pacino in public nobody would dare attempt to get in a physical confrontation with the man simply because they thought he was really the drug kingpin of South Florida or because he had his brother murdered.

We all know that Scarface and The Godfather aren't real, yet more than a few idiot fans would stoop to the level of harassing Chris Irvine simply because of a character he was playing in the ring.

In fact, if Pacino were harassed in such a manner, would we not all think that the movie fans who did so were at best idiotic or at worst mentally ill? Would any of us be even the least bit critical of Pacino if he were to defend himself if such an incident were to occur?

The fact that people would actually stoop to the level of attempting to get physical with a professional wrestler because of an angle they are working makes me lose faith in wrestling fans in general; because how could somebody be that stupid, idiotic, or show that much naivete?

So for the record I was wrong in saying that "wrestling fans are not idiots" when I should have written, "MOST wrestling fans are not idiots."

This has been an Assassin article.

The Worst Wrestling Characters of All Time

K.C Mynk — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:45:34 -0500

NOTE TO READERS: There was a problem with the B/R server and this article was submitted twice, disregard the other article because this one has been correctly edited.

My last article was about the worst story lines in wrestling history; however, there are just certain characters in the wrestling industry that lend themselves to bad story lines.

Everybody has their favorite bad character, some are tasteless, some are goofy, and some just leave you scratching your head.

I'm sure given the plethora of bad characters that Vince McManhan alone has wrought on the wrestling public many people will have their own choices and disagree with mine; however, I am sure I would take any of the 10 bad characters the readers may mention and make just as solid a list (and for the, record Giant Gonzales and Mantaur just missed the cut).

10 (tie). Dr. Isaac Yankum and Barry Darsow

These two will be stand-in's for the "hey, let's take a regular profession and make an evil character out of them" line of thought.

Dr. Yankum was a pre-Kane, Glenn Jacobs whose character could be somewhat passable given that most people really do hate going to the dentist and if that premise was good enough for dozens of B horror movies--well it still sucked in wrestling.

If the evil dentist character was a bad idea, then Barry Darsow as an evil golf teaching pro who would win matches by using his putter as a foreign object was even worse.

It appears the days of tug boat captains, repo men, clowns, Canadian Mounted Police, dentists, baseball players, hockey players, soldiers, and golf pro's is over in professional wrestling.

Thank God.

9. 3 Count

The only thing worse than the boy bands of the late 1990's was a wrestling stable based on the boy bands of the 1990's.

3 Count consisted of a trio of actually decent young workers at the time Evan Karigius, Shannon Moore, and "Sugar" Shane Helms with the gimmick that they were the N'Sync or The Backstreet Boys of the wrestling world.

This story line was the brainchild of Jimmy Hart who actually wrote and produced boy band type songs the group would sing and make music videos for that aired as filler on WCW Monday Nitro and it's sister program Thunder.

When it came to wrestling the group would come to the ring in boy band attire, sing, dance, and cut promos where they told fans such brilliant tid-bits as, "Our latest record is platinum and our next one will be even bigger, it's going gold."

To make matters even worse former MMA goon Tank Abbot soon joined the group as their bodyguard and would actually (sort-of) dance with the "band" in the ring.

8. Mike Awesome's Career in WCW

WCW spent goodness knows how much money to sign away the ECW World Champion who had natural heat after screwing Paul Heyman and made a big splash by making his debut on Nitro by jumping Kevin Nash and beating the crap out of him.

So after having all of these advantages and a pretty solid wrestler to boot, how do you book this guy over the next 15 months?

First you give him a character called "The fat chick thriller" and have him hit on every overweight lady in the audience.

Then you dress him in a leisure suit, have him dance like Travolta, and call him "That '70s Guy" Mike Awesome without any realization that you ALREADY HAVE a character on the roster with this same character named Disco Inferno.

Finally you call him "The Canadian Killer" and book him to throw a beatdown on jabroni's like Ernest Miller.

Awesome's brief tenure in WCW ended whatever momentum his career had, and sadly he took his own life in 2007.

7. Any character used by Mike Shaw

It's one thing for a talented wrestler like Terry "The Red Rooster" Taylor or Mike Awesome to get stuck in a bad gimmick, it's another for Mike Shaw to get stuck with a bad character.

You see guys like Shaw are not telegenic, aren't good wrestlers, and don't have that much charisma or mic skills. However, they are hard workers, good people, reliable, and work cheap so they make good jobbers.

The problem is that they need a character in order to get over and few wrestlers had more bad gimmicks that Mike Shaw.

Over the course of his career Shaw wrestled as an Indian national (he was from Michigan), an Eskimo, a crazy person, and a demented Catholic monk.

However, his career officially reached it nadir as Bastion Booger who can best be described as a human Garbage Pail Kid wrestling in a Curt Hennig style singlet. Poor Bastion did little wrestling and for the most part just farted, burped, blew snot, picked his nose, and worst of all had a crush on Luna Vashon.

6. Any character used by Ed Leslie

Remember that sappy '80s song "That's What Friends Are For"? Well the wrestling version could be called The Ed Leslie Story.

Ed Leslie had pitiful mic skills, little charisma, and couldn't work a decent match to save his life, however he could always find work because he was Hulk Hogan's best friend.

The best and most well known character Leslie ever had was the good natured Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake who came to the ring in leopard print pink tights waving an over sized pair of scissors.

If being a wrestling hairstylist in pink tights isn't bad enough ("not that there's anything wrong with that") when he went with Hogan to WCW he couldn't use his Brutus character because Vince owned the trademark.

This lead to Leslie being booked as a cult member, a pseudo-cult member, a not-so evil astrological based character, "The Booty Man" a character who shook his (not really) bare butt in the ring and who's finishing move was the high knee (get it Heiney), and of course reprising his real life role as Hulk Hogan's lackey in the NWO as E. Harrison Leslie.

5. Any character used by Fred Ottman

Poor Fred Ottman.

Like Mike Shaw he was a good man who just happened to be a bad wrestler, yet because he was a team player and didn't cost much to sign he always found work.

For almost any wrestler having to compete as a face tug boat captain would be the low point of their career, but not for good old Uncle Fred.

After a surprisingly good run in the WWF, WCW hired Ottman and planned to push him with the perfect gimmick and not only that, he would make his debut in a six-man tag main event at a pay-per-view.

The character was an overweight wrestler in a blue singlet, with a Darth Vader voice, and a mask that looked like it was made out of some aluminum foil found by the catering table backstage.

The Shockmaster was set to make his debut and call out Sid Vicious, but not only would he just call Sid out, there would be an explosion and The Shockmaster would bust through a wall putting the fear of God into everybody.

When the promo started the explosion hit and The Shockmaster tripped falling through the wall, losing his helmet and becoming a laughing stock. Any momentum Ottman might have had was lost simply because he lost his crashing through the basala wood wall.

4. The Johnson's

They were a tag team who's gimmick were that they were human penises.

Do I really need to write anything else?

3. Beaver Cleavage/Chaz

From the people who brought you Katie Vick we now present...incest and domestic violence!!

Charles Warrington was having a nice little run as part of the goofy yet popular face tag team The Headbangers, until the other Headbanger had to retire due to a knee injury.

With Warrington being a decent wrestler in need of a new gimmick, the brain trust (e.g. Vince Russo) decided to film Warrington in a series of black and white promos playing a Beaver Cleaver type character who has a thinly veiled sexual relationship with his large breasted mother.

I don't remember Cleavage ever wrestling a match due to pressure from corporate sponsors who felt the character was going too far and threatened to pull ads from Raw.

Wait it gets even better because Warrington then became Chaz a first rate a-hole who's gimmic was that he was an actor who wasn't really Beaver Cleavage but played him on T.V and who also slaps around his girlfriend who actually his mom in the Beaver promos.

Confused yet?

2. The Gobbledygooker

Hector Guerrero was part of the first family of west Texas wrestling, a great high flyer who helped introduce the lucha libre style to America, and a nine-time NWA/AWA Tag Team Champion.

Hector, what the hell were you thinking?

Leading up to the 1990 Survivor Series the WWF was pushing the mystery of a giant egg that was taken from show to show and promoted heavily on T.V broadcasts.

If this angle happened today, I'm sure we would be reading two-to-three articles a day on here about how Christian Cage or Ric Flair was really in the egg. Believe it or not that stupid egg was really that big of a deal at the time.

The WWF spent good pay per view time that people spent their hard earned money for to feature a Gene Okerlund promo where the egg would hatch and the mystery would be over.

Finally the time arrives, the egg cracks, hatches, and Hector Guerrero comes out wearing an oversized turkey type costume, spewing some weird bird type sounds, and does a weird chicken dance.

Folks this was one of the biggest and most well promoted angles for that years Survivor Series, Hector Guerrero dancing in a turkey suit.

1. The Posse

What could possibly top an over-hyped gimmick featuring a luchadore dancing in a turkey suit?

How about two convicted African-American criminals, chains and all, and their white manager who had a plantation owner gimmick?

Brothers Lane and Booker Huffman were looking for a break to move away from jobber status (Booker was wrestling as G.I Bro at the time) and Eric Bischoff suggested the idea of Black men in chains wrestling for an "old south" type.

The story was that their white benefactor would get them out on work release to wrestle for no pay.

Lets see Black men in chains working for a rich southern man for free, I don't know about you but that sounds an awful lot like SLAVERY to me.

Even worse was the fact that WCW had a reputation as a racist organization at the time because former Producer Bill Watts made comments in a shoot interview that he saw no problem with White business owners refusing service to African-Americans.

Like Beaver Cleavage and The Gobbldygooker, The Posse actually never wrestled a match on TV (although they did work some house shows) and quickly changed their name to Harlem Heat.

This has been an Assassin article.

Rupp Arena's Sweet Sixteen: In Kentucky, Any Boy Can Become a King

K.C Mynk — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:13:25 -0500

It may take a lifetime of work to become a good basketball player, but in Kentucky it only takes a four-day tournament to make you a legend.

The official name of the tournament is "The National City Bank Kentucky High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament," but everybody simply calls it the Sweet Sixteen.

Kentucky is one of only three states in the nation where the basketball-playing minnows are paired with the whales. There's no division between big and small schools, or public and private; everybody gets invited to the postseason, but only 16 teams advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

There's no class system in Kentucky high school basketball and, ironically, the small schools have never asked for one.

Every team begins the season with one goal: "MAKE IT TO RUPP." If your team can just advance to the Sweet Sixteen, then who knows? Anything can happen.

Maybe it's the fact that most smaller communities have as many churches as people, and that kids know first hand about the shepherd boy who slew Goliath that causes this mentality. Or maybe it's due to stories of past Sweet Sixteens passed down from father to son, from grandfather to grandson.

For four days, over 20,000 fans show up to watch high school basketball games, and the championship game has all the pomp and circumstance of the NCAA Final Four or the NBA Finals.

In case you didn't notice, high school basketball is a pretty big deal in Kentucky.

In 1976, tiny Earlington didn't need a special class to knock off a school with five times their enrollment. In 1995, rural Breckenridge County did just fine for themselves in the finals against Louisville powerhouse Pleasure Ridge Park.

These are the teams that kids may or may not know throughout the state, but one thing they do know is that if they just win their regional and advance to Rupp Arena, anything can happen.

Hall of Famers Cliff Hagen, Wes Unseld, and Dave Cowens played in the Sweet Sixteen, as well as stars like Darrell Griffith, Jack Givens, Allan Houston, and Chris Lofton.

However, most boys in Kentucky do not dream of the NBA. Their dream is the opportunity to play on the home court of their beloved Kentucky Wildcats.

This was the case for my friend's son, who, as a reserve at Madison Central High school, will always count playing at Rupp Arena during the 2006 Sweet Sixteen as one of his life's highlights.

For others, the opportunity takes them from average high school student to legend.

The odds are great that nobody outside of Kentucky could tell you who Troy McKinley, Jermaine Brown, Pat Critchlow, Will Partin, and Robert Madison are, but high school basketball fans in Kentucky remember them. They went from unknowns to legends in a matter of days.

Paul Andrews' legendary 50-foot prayer not only earned his Laurel County team a state championship, but also a scholarship to play at Kentucky.

Richie Farmer took his well-earned stardom from legendary duels with Louisville Ballard superstar Allan Houston and parlayed that into a career as an elected official in state government.

Louisville's Preston Knowles went from a lightly-recruited two-star prospect to catching the eye of Rick Pitino with his play in the 2007 tournament.

If you can just make it to Rupp Arena, anything can happen.

The legends are of course legendary, but there is one player so revered, so mythical that he's simply known as "King."

In the Midwest they have Paul Bunyan; in Kentucky we have King Kelly Coleman.

Old timers all have a story about Coleman's high school exploits, and almost all of them are different. However, the common elements usually involve King Kelly drinking massive amounts of adult beverages and scoring over 50 points in a game.

Coleman might have been just another myth, part truth and part fiction, had he not made it to the Sweet Sixteen.

During his four-game run in the 1956 Sweet Sixteen, Coleman, averaged 46 points per game and poured in 68 points during the third-place game.

For King Kelly, the notoriety was a curse that he has only recently come to terms with and embraced after nearly 45 years in the basketball wilderness.

Not every boy who advances to Rupp Arena to play in the Sweet Sixteen will become a legend like Kelly Coleman, get the opportunity that Preston Knowles did, or even carry his team to a state title and fall into relative basketball obscurity like Pat Critchlow.

Most are just happy to get to play on the hallowed Rupp Arena floor.

If you can just make it to Rupp Arena, anything can happen.

The 10 Worst Storylines in Wrestling History

K.C Mynk — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:03:48 -0500

Throughout the history of the pro wrestling the formula for promoters has been simple. Take two guys, create heat between them, book a match, and hope people pay to watch it (either in person or now on pay per view).

It seems simple to create heat for wrestlers and story lines to give their characters a reason to meet in the ring, or to create a solid back story.

However, sometimes the angles and story lines are goofy, tasteless, serve no real purpose, or just plain offensive.

The following all fit in to one of those categories as the ten worst story lines in professional wrestling history.

10. Any angle involving David Flair

Either David Flair is really stupid or was really desperate to get into the family business.

Regardless, he did more to help tarnish his father's legacy in WCW than any person not named Eric Bischoff.

The younger Flair was brought in to feud with his father and air the families dirty laundry which would have been a really solid angle had it been written right.

Instead, we got David Flair committing his father to the loony bin, making out with Stacey Kiebler (which was probably pretty cool for young David), acting goofy as one of Hulk Hogan's lackeys, and hanging out in strip clubs.

9. Any angle involving Mae Young

I can only assume that Social Security isn't paying what it used to.

Poor Mae Young has been in more tasteless and utterly useless story lines than any performer in WWE history and every few years she keeps coming back for more.

The point of most of them is that she is a play on her namesake the former oversexed Hollywood star of the 1940's Mae West, except that Mae Young is in her eighties.

Of course everybody remembers the low point where she became involved in a sexual relationship with "Sexual Chocolate" Mark Henry, got knocked up, and gave birth to a human hand.

8. HBK and God verses The McManhan's

Nobody has ever accused Vince of having a great deal of good taste or class when it comes to his product but this was probably over the line.

It's one thing to engage in thought provoking satire about religion and religious institutions and in fact everybody from Monty Python to Kevin Smith have done just that.

However, it's another thing to openly mock somebody's deeply held religious beliefs for a cheap, short-term storyline on a wrestling show.

Everybody knows that HBK is a devout born-again Christian so to mock this for weeks was a classless stunt that didn't even work in terms of a solid wrestling storyline.

7. Oklahoma

For some unknown reason now lost to history, Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera really didn't like Jim Ross.

So when tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumb got their chance to run their own promotion one of the first things they did wasn't to reinvent the entire show, or give some of the younger talent like Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Jericho that were hungry for a huge push a chance at the spotlight.

No, there first order of business was to dress Ferrera up like Jim Ross and mock his very real bout with Bell's Paulsy.

Never mind that nobody cared about a bad and classless impersonation of a wrestling announcer, these two hacks were out to embarrass one of the most well-respected and well-liked men in the business.

In the end the only people they impressed were themselves.

6. Al Wilson and Dawn Marie

Here's an idea for a storyline: lets hire a second rate former ECW "diva" and make her into a golddigger.

Even better lets have the old man she pairs up with be the father of the most popular and hottest diva on the WWE roster.

To top that off lets complete the story line by having her screw him to death on their honeymoon.

No, I'm not making this up, Dawn Marie really did marry Torrie Wilson's dad and sex him to death.

Now what this has to do with wrestling is beyond me, but since when does Vince need an excuse to be tasteless?

5. The Muhammad Hassan and Dairari Terrorist Angle

This is what happens when you take a really good angle, wrestler, and character and go too far.

Muhammad Hassan was actually a very good worker who was getting a huge push as a middle-eastern man in the wake of the 9-11 attacks.

It's nothing new to pit an enemy of the United States in matches beginning with the evil German wrestlers of the 50's and 60's, the Iron Shiek, and the never ending stream of "Soviets" who were in the business during the Cold War.

However, the angle went to far when Dairari was scheduled to face The Undertaker in a squash match at a SmackDown! taping, where during the beat down Hassan began praying and a group of terrorists in ski masks attacked The Undertaker.

Did I mention that this episode of SmackDown! aired the same day as the Al Quaida terrorist attacks on downtown London?

The result was outrage from almost everybody who saw the match, and the firing of Hassan and Dairari.

4. Kane and Katie Vick

If we haven't gone far enough on this list then how about some good old fashion necrophilia!

Ever wonder why Kane was so damn weird, well Triple H had the answer it was because he screwed dead chicks.

Well in this case a dead chick named Katie Vick who Kane was in love with but wouldn't date him, so after poor Katie died in a car crash Kane had sex with her corpse.

To make the storyline better Helmsley showed a video of himself in a Kane mask banging a mannequin in a coffin just to prove how twisted Kane really was.

Ready for more fun?

In the aftermath of that, Kane's buddy, The Hurricane, showed a video of a Triple H look alike getting a high colonic.

Now if that's not good clean family entertainment I don't know what is.

3. The Buff Bagwell Wheelchair Incident

During his run in WCW Marcus Bagwell suffered a very real, and very serious broken neck at the hands of Rick Steiner.

It was a botched move that went wrong and the initial prognosis was that Bagwell's career was over and he might not even be able to ever walk again.

However, Bagwell dedicated himself to rehab and was ready to make amends with Steiner for his injury in a touching display of sportsmanship and forgiveness.

As Bagwell sat in his wheelchair and assured Steiner there were no hard feelings he then jumped out of his chair, beat the crap out of Rick, and joined the nWo.

In a business where you are just one botched move away from paralysis or even death, Buff Bagwell used his second chance in the wrestling business as a cheap mid-card level promo for the nWo.

One only has to wonder what a man like Darren Drozdof would do if he had such a second chance?

2. The Sandman's Crucifiction

There is one simple way to know you have gone too far with a wrestling storyline.

If you ever offended every single fan in attendance at the old ECW Arena, the odds are you've gone too far.

At one time I honestly believed that nothing was too hardcore or extreme for ECW fans, after all these are the fans who watched the Mass Transit incident; they watched Tommy Dreamer get beaten with a Ken-do stick for 20-minutes; they were cussed out on a nightly basis by The Dudley's, they even watched The Sandman's own kid turn against him and literally worship Raven.

However, the night that Raven and his followers pulled a cross from below the ring and hang The Sandman was too far for even the most jaded and hardcore ECW fan to sit through.

In fact the backlash was so bad that Paul Heyman made Raven break kayfabe and come to the ring as Scott Levy to apologize for putting The Sandman at the same level as Jesus Christ.

1. Eddiesploitation

This one ranks at the top of the list because (with the exception of Buff Bagwell) it is very real and very disgraceful.

The angle began soon after the death of the well respected superstar when his nephew Chavo began beefing with Rey Mysterio.

Point being that Chavo felt Rey was "a leach living off Eddie Guerrero's name" and credited Eddie with putting Rey over while being jealous that he should be getting a major push not Rey (one can assume that Chavo felt he should have been the one leaching off of Eddie's name).

If the feud would have been just between these two it wouldn't have been so bad, but then Eddie's real life widow Vickie inserted herself in the storyline.

However, Vickie soon sided with Chavo using the death of her husband as nothing more than the back story for a cheap heel turn.

I realize that Vickie Guerrero was a young widow with kids to support, however to tarnish the legacy and respected name of her husband and his family was too low.

One can blame Vince for approving such a storyline, however it takes two in order to make a deal and Vickie being Eddie's wife had a greater responsibility to her family and her husband's legacy than to sell it out so cheap.

Professional Wrestling: Five Undeniable Truths

K.C Mynk — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:57:03 -0500

As much as some people on B/R.com love to complain and rail against the state of professional wrestling today, there are certain truths about the business we must all come to terms with.

The following are five truths, and if accepted, they will cause even the most jaded of fans to stop worrying about what is going on behind the scenes and understand this form of entertainment for what it is: entertainment.

5. TNA Sucks

I know TNA has its supporters on here, but lets face facts, the quality of entertainment on Impact and the average TNA show sucks.

From the very beginning, TNA has been nothing more than an extension of the losing formula that sunk WCW, hold down the younger talent to get older talent over.

If you are an A.J Styles fan or a supporter of the X-division, it is fine, but realize TNA does not exist to put Styles or any of the younger performers over, so don't get upset when it does not happen.

Rather, TNA has always been a graveyard for the likes of Sting, Scott Steiner, Nash, The New Age Outlaws, Booker T, and of course, the man the entire promotion was founded for, Jeff Jarrett.

Sure, Angle still can work a good match, and Samoa Joe may get a push, however, Jarrett and Vince Russo are content with the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality.

The only problem is that it is broken and the "powers that be" are too dumb or too unwilling to know how to fix it.

4. Wrestling is a Political Business

This goes back to TNA where it amazes fans how the younger talent can be thrown under the bus, while the same old has-been's keep getting push after push.

The older guys get pushes because they have all of the stroke in the company, it is as simple as that.

Nobody denies that Styles is a better wrestler than Nash or Steiner, however the latter are superb political players behind the scenes and have the influence with Russo to keep their spots.

In the WWE, the same is true with Triple-H, who was an excellent backstage politician long before he ever married into "the family." Now, nobody denies that HHH has the wrestling ability and charisma to back up his status, but it bothers fans simply because he is so political.

If more fans accept the fact that backstage politics plays a role in the business, they wouldn't get as upset with the reality of what is going on.

3. Personality Matters

Point four is a nice segue to this point because far too many fans get upset when they feel that wrestlers that are inferior stay at the top of the card.

The most notable example is of course John Cena who takes a regular beating on B/R.com, but guess what folks, Cena is not going anywhere.

Cena's spot is secure because he is a personality, just like Hogan and Flair, or Austin and the Rock were.

Personality matters in this industry because, lets face it, personality sells. Personality and charisma have gotten many under-skilled wrestlers over (see Hulk Hogan), and the lack of personality has been the downfall of many a talented worker (see Dean Malenko).

Now, there are some who might argue this point is invalid because they don't like Cena's "thuggish-ruggish" personality; however, they are proving my point rather than invalidating the point.

If you tune-in because you hate Cena and want to boo him, guess what, his personality has hooked you and that is just as important where it really matters (e.g. ratings) than if you liked his "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect" attitude.

2. Nobody Really Has Any Inside Information

Aside from spoilers of pre-taped ECW or Smackdown shows, nobody has any clue about what is going to happen next in the WWE.

Every week on here somebody posts their "inside info" about when Christian Cage is coming back or what will happen next with Randy Orton.

The truth is these people have no more clue when these events will take place than my three-year old son does.

Unless you personally speak with Vince 15-minutes before RAW or the next pay per view starts, you have no clue what is going to happen. So please, ladies and gentlemen, stop acting like you know something you really don't.

1. Wrestling Fans Are Not Idiots

When people find out I am a wrestling fan, they seem amazed how somebody who seems otherwise intelligent and educated can like pro wrestling.

Even my wife is often amazed at "how I can watch that crap."

However, wrestling is one of my chosen forms of entertainment and it is something I enjoy.

Many people on here have a similar story are college educated, articulate, and can actually speak in complete sentences, yet love the entertainment wrestling provides.

Yes, we know wrestling is "fake" (all though I prefer the term "predetermined"), but guess what? So is House, Dexter, Weeds, Burn Notice, Monk, Medium, or anything else people watch on T.V.

Sure, the storylines are over dramatic but so are "Desperate Housewives" and "Law and Order." Sure, it's all mindless entertainment, but so are "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars."

I am married with two kids, nearly 32-years old with a Master's degree, and yes, I like professional wrestling, and if you've got a problem with that, I have two words for you.

The 10 Worst North American Sports Venues of All Time

K.C Mynk — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:46:04 -0500

Sports venues are palaces where fans live and later relive historic moments and exciting finishes. Throughout the history of sports in the U.S and Canada there have been plenty of arenas or stadiums that could be considered dumps by outsiders yet these venues like Ebbets Field or the Boston Gardens had a charm and unique nature that made them special. The following are a list of ten stadiums who were either poorly concieved, poorly constructed, or just plain poor and have little if no charm or historical significance. In short the following are just plain awful.

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The 10 Greatest Sports Books Ever Written

K.C Mynk — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:57:05 -0500

It's no conincidence that some of the world's most prolific writers have been drawn to sports. From Hemmingway, to Plimpton, to Pat Conroy some of the greats of modern literature have been drawn to the natural drama and human tension of sports and athletics. The following is a list of what I feel to be the ten greatest sports books ever written.

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