Bleacher Report - Los Angeles

USC-Arizona: Can Trojans Take Care of Wildcats and Go on a Holiday (Bowl)?

Rick McMahan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:47:14 -0500

With the Oregon Ducks' 37-33 victory over the Oregon State Beavers in the "Civil War," a Pac-10 championship was secured by Oregon.

Along with that comes a berth for the Ducks in the Rose Bowl, where they will face the Ohio State Buckeyes.

This appearance will mark the first time since 1995 that the Ducks will participate in the "Granddaddy" of all bowl games.

In addition, several paths to lesser bowls have been defined, one of which is the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

By virtue of USC's earlier victory against the Beavers, the Trojans now have the inside track to sunny San Diego.

Had the Beavers won last night's game, it would have been the Ducks of Oregon who would have been offered the Holiday Bowl berth, and USC would have been looking at a post-Christmas game in beautiful El Paso at the Sun Bowl.

However, there is still one sticky detail to be dealt with before any invitations can be extended.

USC must beat the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday at the Coliseum.

By no means is this a given for the Trojans.

Arizona, 7-4 and led by quarterback Nick Foles and running back Nic Grigsby, presents a far more formidable challenge to the Trojan defense than that of the UCLA Bruin offense, which by any account has been anemic at best this year.

The good news for the Trojan defense is that Grigsby won't play this Saturday due to a shoulder injury, and Foles will be playing with a broken (non-throwing) hand.

Still, the Trojan offense has its own issues to deal with.

Against UCLA, admittedly a team with a formidable defense, the Trojans couldn't muster much offense until the controversial touchdown pass at the end of the game.

Additionally, the Trojans haven't scored more than 20 points against the Wildcat defense since 2005.

For the Trojans, a win Saturday gives them an opportunity to play close to home and wash some of the bad taste of this season out of their collective mouth.

If USC is victorious against Arizona, they will have an opportunity to extend their string of double-digit season victories to eight.

However, they will have to do it against a projected Big 12 team, possibly someone like Oklahoma State.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The first order of business is Saturday's game against a tough Wildcat team. For the Trojans, who have been wildly inconsistent this year, the focus needs to be on the business of the present, not the possibilities for the future.

After all, they would rather be on "Holiday" in San Diego than staring into the "Sun" in El Paso.

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Are the Lakers Becoming the NBA's Next Legendary Team?

Harrison Moore — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:02:01 -0500

After the Lakers' less-than-stellar 7-3 start, the expectations surrounding this team had substantially lowered. But as they've shown in the past, that's when the Lakers function at their best.

The fact that they dropped their second game of the season to Dallas? Proof of how critical Pau Gasol's absence can be. The fact that Phoenix had the best record in the West until as recently as yesterday? A pesky, short-term technicality.

Since the return of Pau Gasol, no team the Lakers have faced has been capable of remaining within 10 digits of their final score, never mind beating them. Now the Lakers are starting to show the tip of what could very well be an insurmountable iceberg.

After all, several of the greatest teams in NBA history have gotten off to relatively slow starts. The 1996 Bulls started off at 10-2 before capturing the NBA's best ever record of 72-10. Two years later the Bulls started off at 12-9 before winning 50 of their next 61 games. The 1972 33-straight-win Lakers started off at 6-3 before finishing at 69-13. The 2001 Lakers finished with a record of 56-26, 11 fewer victories than they had earned in their previous regular season, before going undefeated until the Finals.

Phil Jackson has been quoted as saying that the Lakers are “on the brink.” There has been much speculation over what he meant, but given the Lakers' play of late, it's becoming more and more clear.

A champion can be made in a year and forgotten the next; ask Miami. Becoming a legend, however, is something entirely different. Legendary teams are never forgotten. Their triumphs define their generation and echo throughout the course of history. Usually, this is not a feat that can be accomplished in a single season.

Legendary teams, be it those of Jordan's Bulls, Russell's Celtics, Magic's Lakers, or Laimbeer's Pistons, have forged their place in history by undergoing multiple championship runs. Already reigning champions, the Lakers now have the opportunity to do just that.

And I wouldn't bet against them.

The Lakers' road will be far from easy. The season is still very young, and as every champion will tell you, defending the title is always more difficult than winning in the first place. But then if it weren't, such teams wouldn't be legends.

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Ranking The 2008 NBA Guards: A Leader Emerges, Sort Of

Jose Salviati — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:23:21 -0500

You remember kick-ball, don't you?

Two kids would proclaim themselves "captain" and the picking would begin. A smile would form on the first few picks as they walked over to their new team. A pump fist would follow as you heard your name picked somewhere near the middle. And a sigh of relief would come knowing you weren't picked last.

Being picked last stunk.

In the NBA Draft not being picked first is like being picked last in kick-ball. It seems everyone who isn't the first to shake David Sterns hand develops a grudge against the team that passed on him.

While players use being "passed-over" as motivation to improve, it's left to us as fans to evaluate drafts over time to see if the teams made the right pick or not. When you take a somewhat early look back at the 2008 NBA draft a surprising leader for "Best Guard Drafted" is emerging.

The top four guards drafted in 2008 are, in order taken, Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Gordon. All four are great athletes, players, and generally perfect fits for the teams that drafted them. Ranking them is tough, given that they have just over one season under the belts. It's our job as fans to pick a winner though, isn't it?

With that in mind let's see if we can pick a leader out of this quality quartet of guards.

This will be done solely based on the numbers. Nothing subjective like "leadership" will be taken into account. Anyone can argue the subjective; its tougher to argue the numbers. Each player will be ranked based on the following:

Points
Assists
Rebounds
Steals
FG%
FT%
3P%
Blocks
Turn Overs
Efficiency
Efficiency over 48 min.

The leader in the category gets a 1, next a 2 and so on. The player with the lowest average is the "winner".

When I started this exercise I knew it would be a very close race. I was shocked to see how close it really was. I had to keep adding new stats to the equation much like peeling another layer of an onion back to finally crown a winner. That's what led me to the efficiency stat. NBA.com says that this stat is used by NBA coaches to evaluate a player's game performance.

If it's good enough for the NBA coach, it needed to be used here. The efficiency formula is ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)).

Efficiency over 48 min. is like a baseball pitcher's E.R.A which calculates earned runs over nine innings. Eff/48 shows a players efficiency if they were to play the full 48 min. of a game.

I doubt I have to explain the other categories although I will point out that the turnover leader is the one with the least amount of TO's. Now, the results based on stats collected from ESPN.com and NBA.com.

Derek Rose
Points -- 2
Assists -- 1
Rebounds -- 3
Steals -- 4
FG% -- 1
FT% -- 4
3P% -- 4
BLK -- 3
TO -- 3
Eff -- 2
Eff/48 -- 3

O.J. Mayo
Points -- 1
Assists -- 3
Rebounds -- 2
Steals -- 2
FG% -- 3
FT% -- 1
3P% -- 2
BLK -- 4
TO -- 2
Eff -- 4
Eff/48 -- 4

Russell Westbrook
Points -- 4
Assists -- 2
Rebounds -- 1
Steals -- 1
FG% -- 4
FT% -- 3
3P% -- 3
BLK -- 2
TO -- 4
Eff --1
Eff/48 -- 1

Eric Gordon
Points -- 3
Assists -- 4
Rebounds -- 4
Steals -- 3
FG% -- 2
FT% -- 2
3P% -- 1
BLK -- 1
TO -- 1
Eff -- 3
Eff/48 -- 2

Based on the above the NBA's top guard taken in the 2008 draft is..

<<drum roll>>

Eric Gordon

Here are the averages.

Eric Gordon -- 2.36364
Russell Westbrook -- 2.36364
O.J. Mayo -- 2.54545
Derrick Rose -- 2.72727

Now, I am not saying that EG should have been the first pick or even that he is the best guard picked that year. I am just crunching the numbers. Don't shoot the messenger.

I know the results are somewhat skewed in that I am giving the same weight (a single point) to blocks as I am to steals. I doubt any of these players were drafted with an eye to being the next Dikembe Mutombo. It made sense to weigh each category evenly, however, so I did.

Each team is no doubt happy with their pick, but numbers don't lie. One season and one month into their respective NBA careers the leader of the 2008 guard pack calls Staples his home.

Maybe you noticed that Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook finished in a deadlock. So, why am I proclaiming EG the winner? Alphabetical order, of course.

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Ron Artest: Hennessy at Halftime? What Gives?

Kyle W. Brown — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:56:23 -0500

Ron Artest is new to neither criticism nor controversy.

We all remember what happened at the Palace when he jumped into the stands and began fighting with Detroit Pistons fans.

Last week, the Lakers' star showed up on Jimmy Kimmel Live in just his boxers.

He's been suspended multiple times, arrested for domestic abuse, had his dog confiscated by Animal Services, and once showed up to a Pacers practice in a bath robe.

Now, Artest finds himself in the spotlight again, this time after he admitted in an interview with Sporting News that he used to drink Hennessy, which he kept in his locker, at halftime when he was with the Chicago Bulls.

It has been reported by many blogs that Artest attributes his drinking to the dismal play of the Bulls, who in his rookie year went 17-65.

Artest opened up more on the topic of drinking, claiming that he used to drink and party every night, and also used drugs during his college days at St. John's.

In the article, Artest provided more controversial ammo, claiming that NBA referee Joey Crawford cost the Houston Rockets a game by being a fan of Kobe Bryant. He revealed his thoughts on the brawl in Detroit, stating that he didn't think he could have reacted any differently.

He also called out Big Ben Wallace in the article, saying, "I'm always in the mood to fight him. I'll just fight him right there." Perhaps this is a result of his recent training to become a boxer following retirement.

While the sporting press will surely have a field day with this story, there is a deeper issue at hand: Why is Artest suddenly revealing all of this? He has never been the type to shy away from the media, nor has he been the type to avoid controversy.

So, why now? Why finally speak out about the Malice in the Palace, five years later? Why is he now finally challenging Wallace, so long after the incident? Why is he revealing that he drank cognac in Chicago?

I don't have the answers, but something is definitely rolling in Artest's head. It's no coincidence that he took the sports networks by storm with his stunt on Jimmy Kimmel last week.

The real story will be why Artest is throwing himself back into the centre of the sporting world, be it negatively or positively.

I don't know, but I know I will be excited to find out, and you should be too.

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The Ducks' Difference-Maker: Does Anaheim Play Better with J-S Giguere in Net?

SK — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:33:38 -0500

Have you ever watched a game and found yourself yelling, "It's right there!"?

The puck, sitting so lonely in the crease, just behind the goaltender's butt, and if that winger could just get his stick to it...

Ah, but the defenseman quickly clears it away, or the goalie falls back onto the puck, and the whistle blows.

That’s what Tuesday night’s matchup against the crosstown rival Los Angeles Kings felt like.

The puck was always just out of reach, inches from sticks, feet, or the back of the net.

In the final moments of the game with Jonas Hiller on the bench and the Ducks on the power play, the puck fluttered through the crease, clanked off of the crossbar, and rimmed the boards...often.

Unfortunately, it never crossed the goal line.

As frustrating as it was to see the puck bounce around, there was also the urge to yell things like "Move your feet!" or "Get it out of there!" as the Ducks spent a good amount of time standing around waiting for the puck to find them.

All too often this season the Ducks have done a great job at standing around and waiting for the puck to find their sticks. When they do finally remember to move their feet, make big hits, or fight for the puck, they're rewarded. Unfortunately, they usually wait until the third period to remember how to do that.

The most disappointing thing about the 4-3 loss was the inconsistency shown by Anaheim. The game started sluggishly, and a plethora of trips to the penalty box for "Mr. Incredible" Evgeny Artyukhin didn't help. While it was great to see the Ducks' efforts in the final moments of the game, it turned out to be too little too late, as the Kings' winning goal came with only two minutes left in the third period.

But the biggest question everyone is asking is "Why was Jonas Hiller in the net last night?" I'll admit, before this season started, I thought it was Hiller's time. JS Giguere had a difficult season last year (for many reasons), and Hiller's postseason performance was incredible. However, recently the Ducks have seen a great improvement from Giguere, and with his recent string of wins, many would have expected to see him in net against the Kings on Tuesday night.

While I can't say that Hiller was the reason the Ducks lost on Tuesday night, it brings me to this discussion.

The Ducks had been showing a vast improvement in previous games. Taking down red-hot Calgary and a win-streaking Chicago, many, myself included, felt it was a sign of better things to come for the Ducks.

I, for one, give a lot of that credit to Giguere. I feel that the confidence and stability he's showing is radiating from the net out. He looked strong in his previous wins, and his remarkably improved play was allowing the members of his defensive corps to play with their heads up. The team was showing unity and reliance in one another for the first time this season.

Having faith in the man between the pipes allows for players to take bigger chances and potentially gain bigger rewards because of it. Players begin taking those chances because they know the last line of defense is available to make big saves if need be. This Ducks team has that confidence in Giguere right now. I personally don't feel the Ducks have that same level of confidence in Hiller at this time.

Is it simple enough to say that a confident goaltender brings out the best in his team?

The Ducks are now embarking on a difficult December schedule. They will see four sets of back-to-back games this month, the first of which begins Thursday night in Dallas, followed by a trip to Minnesota on Friday. It's likely Giguere will start one game and Hiller the other.

Also, the Ducks have traded their fourth round pick in the 2011 draft for Kyle Chipchura (oh the nicknames are already flying through my head on this one). This is just one minor addition for the Ducks this season, but you never know what could spark a fire.

GO DUCKS!!!

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Los Angeles Clippers: It's Time to Backoff and Appreciate Mike Dunleavy's Team

Jose Salviati — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:50:26 -0500

It's easy to make fun of the helpless; to kick someone when they are down. Heck, it's not only easy, it's fun. Lions have long lived off the weakest gazelle and basketball fans have always felt better about their team by bashing the Clippers.

Net fan meets Celtic fan on a business trip.

Celtic fan, "Hey, you're team sucks bad."

Net fan, "Oh, yeah? Well at least we went to the Finals in 2002."

Celtic fan, "Yeah, but you stink BAD now."

Net fan, "Brook Lopez is a stud."

Celtic fan, "Yeah, but you haven't won a single game yet this year!"

Net fan, "Yeah, but the Clippers are really bad all the time."

Celtic fan, "Yeah, but..."

Net fan, "L.A. Clippers we aren't."

Celtic fan, "Yeah, good point".

Hearty laugh from both.

The iconic Charles Atlas print advertisements come to mind. The skinny kid is at the beach with his best girl when some steroid-ish goliath kicks sand in his face! He stands up to the bully but ultimately is humiliated and sulks home. He is angry and decides things are going to change and starts working with the Atlas muscle building program.

After some time he returns to the beach all manly and buffed up. He kicks some bully butt, gets his girl back and wins the NBA Championship.

I obviously made that last part up, but I think you understand the analogy. The Clippers have been the butt of the joke, the skinny kid at the beach, long enough. Sure, it was deserved. This is the team that drafted Benoit Benjamin after all. But, times change. The Clippers got angry and are starting to bulk up.

Change in the NBA takes time. Even the Lakers (the other basketball team in Los Angeles) took three years to return to elite status after falling to the ranks of mediocrity. Turning a ocean liner takes time. The Clippers began the turn in 2007.

Mike Dunleavy has taken a lot of heat for his role both as coach and GM for the Clippers. Most notably from Bill Simmons, the ESPN Sportsguy.

Bashing a GM is kind of like throwing the flag for holding in the NFL and calling a player for travelling in the NBA: you can probably call it on every play.

Likewise, every team's GM has some flaw. But, if you consider that Dunleavy began to assert his influence in 2007 (Elgin Baylor was officially dismissed Oct. 8, 2008) then his track record is pretty amazing.

Drafted Al Thornton.
Traded for Zack Randolph and Mardy Collins—giving up Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley.
Traded for Marcus Camby.
Signed Baron Davis.
Drafted Eric Gordon.
Hired John Lucas assistant coach (more on this a little later).
Traded for Rasual Butler for a conditional second round pick in 2016.
Traded for Quentin Richardson—giving up Zach Randolph.
Traded for Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen—giving up Quentin Richardson.
Drafted Blake Griffin.

Out were Tim Thomas, Cuttino Mobley, Zach Randolph, and Quentin Richardson.

In were Al Thornton, Marcus Camby, Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Mardy Collins, Rasual Butler, Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Blake Griffin

In three years Dunleavy built his team by trading the pieces that didn't fit (Randolph and Richardson) for the bulk of a quality NBA starting lineup and bench. Wow. I would put that up against any other team's three-year history!

Now, it's time to prove it.

Proving it is on the team, laying off the negative mojo is on us. It's time we began to notice that the skinny kid is bulking up. It's impossible to deny. Three great drafts, solid trades and a coach secure enough to hire someone who many would see as his replacement.

NBA coaches know they have a short life span. They have to make an impact and make it quick. Few coaches are secure enough in their position to hire someone with a pedigree to sit on the bench with them. Dunleavy hired John Lucas.

The fiery Lucas was seen jumping up and down along with the bench players during the Clippers recent come from behind win against Memphis, in every way a seemingly perfect fit for this club. It wasn't long after his hire that the rumbling and mumblings about him replacing Dunleavy began. Do you think this took Dunleavy by surprise? Of course not.

It takes a strong coach to hire a strong personality. It takes a lot of effort from everyone involved to alter the perceived destiny of a floundering franchise. It takes guts for the skinny kid to man-up, work-out, and kick some bully butt.

For the Clippers it's going to take winning to prove the tide has turned.

The time is now.

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Courage Under Fire: The 10 Most Poised Players in the NBA

Hadarii Jones — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:45:32 -0500

In the NBA there are players that live for the moment, seizing it to their advantage, while there are others that are crushed by the weight of it. Careers can be made based on the ability to succeed in pressure-filled situations, and reputations can be tarnished for the failure to produce under those same circumstances. Poise is the ability to remain calm and function efficiently when everything is crumbling around you, to weather the storm while maintaining your composure. This is a serenade to the most poised players in the game, and it should not come as a surprise that some of the best players are included in it's ranks. Part of being a great player is the ability to continue to play your game when the chips are down, blocking out crowd noise and adapting to different situations. These are the moments when players transition to greatness, and their exploits are forever stitched in the depths of our memories. These are the players that use the fear that is present with the possibility of failure, and turn it into an advantage that they thrive and prosper from. I have done my best to compile a worthy list, but I am sure that there are players that may have escaped the parameters of my thought process. You will find players that have already achieved greatness, and players who stand on the cusp, poised for their moment to break through. I am sure that there will be differing opinions and I welcome you to share those with me, and to offer up any viable alternatives. This is an ode to the players who demonstrate courage under fire and I hope you enjoy the presentation.

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Pete Carroll-Rick Neuheisel Fallout: Quoting Sports Legends To Prove Your Point

Patrick Hamblin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:54:47 -0500

It's a common element of writing a sports article. The writer finds a quote from someone, such as legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, and uses it to prove his or her point.

As if Wooden's definition of competitive greatness applies to the high school basketball coach who does not get his starting center until the end of the football playoffs.

Los Angeles Times college football beat writer Chris Dufresne is just the latest to employ this technique in Monday's sports page.

Before I criticize Dufresne, let me say this. His articles are very thorough, informative, and entertaining. I read every single one of his articles. I do not always agree with him, but he is a tremendous resource of college football news and opinion.

That being said, Dufresne thought it necessary to quote Joe Paterno and John Wooden to prove his point that both UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and USC coach Pete Carroll were showing poor sportsmanship in their respective decisions in the USC-UCLA football game last Saturday night. (If you have been locked in a closet since before the game, Neuheisel called a timeout after USC took a knee and Carroll responded by calling for a play-action pass resulting in a Trojan touchdown and a 28-7 USC lead in the final minute.)

Dufresne first quoted Paterno. "Success without honor is an unseasoned dish. It will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good."

First, I do not know what this quote has to do with a late touchdown, especially coming from someone who has no problem pouring it on to teams like Coastal Carolina to the tune of 66-10. Second, if Joe Pa really believes this, how about scheduling some real non-conference opponents? I know Akron and Temple have their loyal followers, but come on.

Dufresne then quoted John Wooden. In Los Angeles, of course, you are not allowed to criticize the Wizard of Westwood. Wooden was a great coach whose coaching is only exceeded by his intellect. When he writes, however, that "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there," he certainly could not have meant it in the context of sticking it to a rival. Why, you ask?

The 1968 college basketball season was known for the Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Elvin Hayes rivalry. In what was billed as the "Game of the Century," Houston ended a UCLA winning streak and Hayes outplayed Alcindor, scoring 39 points to Alcindor's 15. (Alcindor and Wooden both claim this was due to Alcindor having a scratched eyeball. Nevermind Alcindor was 7-of-8 from the foul line.)

When the two teams met in the Final Four, UCLA blew out Houston by a 101-69 score. Obviously, since it was a one-sided game, it made sense to take Alcindor out in the final minutes to protect him from injury before the national championship game. Wooden, however, left Alcindor in the game for 39 minutes, and three other Bruin starters played 35-plus minutes in a game virtually decided by halftime. Was this "character [keeping him] there?"

I am sure Wooden had his logical reasons for his substitution pattern (or lack thereof) in that game. Maybe, just maybe, Neuheisel and Carroll have logical reasons for their strategy and do not deserve to have their character attacked in comparison to two legends of coaching.

Taking the quotes from Paterno and Wooden alone, I would whole-heartedly agree with them. While it might be entertaining to juxtapose these quotes against Neuheisel's "timeout" or Carroll's virtual "throw it deep," this writing technique only denigrates two coaches who are totally committed to their universities and the players on their respective squads.

My random thoughts on the sports world can be followed on Twitter at @plh55.

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L.A. Clippers: The Best Five Minutes of Basketball Any NBA Team Has Ever Played

Jose Salviati — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:33:47 -0500

I had the title of the article written down and ready to go.

"It's time for the Clippers to Dump Dunleavy!"

It wasn't an article I wanted to write or an opinion I was happy to share, but watching the team fall behind to the lowly Grizzlies made me angry. Watching the Memphis lead balloon to twenty in the 3rd quarter made me furious.

I was watching the Clippers play defense with the same passion and precision of the Secret Service protecting our President at a recent White House state dinner. The Secret Service inexplicably allowed two uninvited guests to hob-nob with the Prez and the Clippers watched haplessly as Grizz after Grizz flew by them for layups.

Pathetic!

Defense is about desire. Sure, it helps if you have a seven foot wing span. A backside the size of New Jersey is nice too when you are boxing out but you can have the wing span of a pterodactyl and a big booty but they mean nothing if you don't have the desire needed to use those tools to your advantage.

Some of the NBA's best rebounders weren't all that tall by basketball standards. Moses Malone was listed at a generous 6'10". Charles Barkley admitted in his book, "I may be wrong, but I doubt it" that he is only 6'4". "The Round Mound of Rebound" had the booty but no height and yet was a voracious rebounder. Dennis Rodman had no booty and was only 6'8" (listed). What set each of these players apart was their desire to go after the ball.

The Clippers seemed more interested in "Iranian Heritage Day" than exhibiting any desire to stop the ball, rebound or even put a hand in someones face.

I, for one, had had enough. Losing is tough on players and fans but it is easier to accept if you see some desire behind the loss. I saw none and the blame for that rests solely on the shoulders of the coach.

Maybe he had reached the limit of his usefulness with this squad. Maybe he was at that difficult place as a coach where his voice is no longer heard by players who have heard it long enough. Maybe he had reached the point where his direction and input were received by his team the way an adult in a Charlie Brown cartoon communicated to the Peanuts Gang.

Bla blaaa, bla bla bla... waaah waaah waaaaaaah

It was time for the coach to go. New Jersey jettisoned Lawrence Frank and Dunleavy was next. My fingers were poised and ready to start pounding on the keyboard.

Then, something pretty amazing happened. The Clippers began to act like they cared.

Marcus Camby was the catalyst on the defensive end. Camby is a former Defensive Player of the Year and he showed why in this game. Passion is contagious, Camby seemed to infect everyone wearing a Clipper jersey. The Grizzlies were on their heels and the Clippers were on the attack.

"It may well have been the best five minutes of basketball any NBA team has ever played."

That was Ralph Lawlers take on a stretch during that fourth quarter comeback. Hyperbole, sure, but he sort of had a point. The Clippers missed one shot and held the Grizzlies to zilch. While Ponce de la Camby was dominating on the defensive side Eric Gordon controlled the offense and Staples was jumping!

The Clipper won 98-88. When the dust had settled the team not only was able to savor a great come from behind victory but some fairly significant accomplishments.

The win gave the team an 8-6 record in November. Their first winning month since January 2007. A substantial amount of the month spent without Gordon and Blake.
It was the teams fourth win in five games.
It was the official period at the end of Iran-Gate with Lawler and Smith meeting Hamed Haddadi before the game.
It was Dunleavys 600th win as an NBA coach.

Additionally, the win forced me to hit the backspace key on my keyboard and re-think my article. Dunleaveys seat is still warm but more performances like this will no doubt cool it down.

The most important thing about this game however is understanding what it represents. Is it the turning point to what has been a mediocre season? Is it the game we look back on as the Clippers take the court in the Western Conference Finals as the game that turned the season around?

Or is it an anomaly? A tease? A one-time display of passion and desire from a team that's burdened with a "curse"?

The answer will come December 14 when a five game home schedule ends. Houston, Indiana, Orlando, San Antonio and Washington await. As does the answer to the question "Have the Clippers turned the corner?".

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Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting, 2009--Good Times Ahead?

Rick McMahan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:45:10 -0500

In an ongoing effort to let fans of the Trojans know what is going on with recruiting at USC, here is an updated view of prep targets Pete Carroll and his staff have in their sights.

As any fan of the Trojans knows, recruiting is the foundation upon which a successful college football program rests, and in the Pete Carroll era, no one has done it better, nationally or otherwise.

This year, however, marks a departure from coach Carroll’s “tried and true” methods of recruiting.

To keep from losing recruits on the Feb. 2 signing day to other programs who bad mouth the Trojans, USC has withheld offers to some recruits until later in the season.

This tactic, while understandable, has cost the Trojans some fine talent, including wide receiver Kenny Stills, a sub 4.4 guy who desperately wanted to play for the Trojans but when no offer was received, looked elsewhere.

However, yesterday, I received an updated list of recruits that USC was still in the hunt for, and I was amazed at the volume of four and five star recruits still in the Trojans line of sight.

Before, I get into that list, in which I will be highlighting the five star recruits, there is an interesting side story going on with a local stud, Tony Jefferson.

Jefferson, an ESPN top 150 recruit, ranked overall at #9, was a verbal commit of the UCLA Bruins.

The operative word in that last sentence is “was.”

Tony Jefferson has decommitted from the Bruins and is now only seriously considering USC and Oklahoma, although Michigan remains in the picture as an outsider.

Jefferson, whom I believe attended the USC-UCLA game, decommitted yesterday and it makes one wonder how the controversy over the game played out in Jefferson’s mind.

Apparently, Jefferson liked what he saw from the Trojans eh?

Also, bear in mind that USC already has verbal commitments from five star recruits, wide receiver, Robert Woods and tight end, Xavier Grimble.

In any event, here are some thumbnail sketches of the five star recruits and my thoughts on whether the Trojans can land these talented prep players:

Seantrel Henderson (offensive guard, 6′8″, 301 lbs., Minnesota): Great player with good mobility. Trojans have a shot at this difference maker on the o-line.

Garrison Smith (defensive tackle, 6′3.5″, 255 lbs., Georgia): Cat-like quick though undersized. However, the Trojans will be on the outside looking in for Smith’s services on signing day.

Jackson Jeffcoat (linebacker or defensive end, 6′3″, 233 lbs., Texas): Either Jeffcoat, son of the former NFL player or Jeff Luc, is the best prep linebacker in the country. Period. The Trojans stand a real shot at getting Jeffcoat, who really liked his visit.

Jeff Luc (linebacker, 6′1″, 240 lbs., Florida): Luc is a beast. Fast and physical, Luc would look great in Cardinal and Gold but chances of landing him are fairly remote.

Lache Seastrunk (running back, 5′10″, 180 lbs., 4.4, Texas): Seastrunk, who I believe might be the best running back in high school football, has been making some noise regarding the Trojans. If they get him, it won’t shock me.

Ronald Powell (defensive end, 6′4″, 250 lbs., 4.6, California): Powell, who is quick enough to also play linebacker, will either play for the Trojans or the Florida Gators.

Jordan Hicks (linebacker, 6′2″, 200 lbs., Ohio): Another quick and fast ‘backer, with the kind of frame that will put on weight, Hicks is considered a long shot to sign with the Trojans.

Lamarcus Joyner (corner back, 5′8.5″, 165 lbs., 4.4, Florida): Despite his diminutive size, this kid can really bring it. Also a great special teams player. Considered a fairly long shot to play for USC.

George Uko (defensive tackle, 6′4″, 297 lbs., 4.9, California): If this guy can stay focused (not a given), Uko can be a difference maker on the d-line. Uko has been much more consistent this year, thus his inclusion as a five star. I think Uko is almost a lock to wear Crimson and Gold next year.

Christian Green (wide receiver, 6′2″, 185 lbs., Florida): A great talent but very unlikely to play for the Trojans who have not yet extended him an offer.

Sharrif Floyd (defensive tackle, 6′2″, 311 lbs., Pennsylvania): A marvellous talent but not considered a player who has USC high on his list.

Anthony Barr (running back, 6′4″, 225 lbs., 4.55, California): A bruising runner in the mold of Lendale White but faster, Barr is a considered to have the Trojans high on his list.

So there you have it.

The complete list, as of now, of five star prep prospects on the Trojans radar.

One more name of note:

Kyle Prater, the 6′5″ five star wide receiver from Illinois who gave the Trojans a verbal commitment a couple of months ago is now considered a “soft commitment.” I have heard that despite this, Prater will still sign with USC. However, I have also heard that his parents have been leaning on Prater to stay local thus making Illinois the favorite to land his services.

Only time will tell regarding Prater.

Update!! Within an hour of writing this piece, I received word that Scout.com has removed the "soft verbal" from Kyle Prater's profile and now has him a solid commit for the Trojans.

Based on this list and an equally impressive list of four star athletes still considering the Trojans, the future looks very promising.

Pete Carroll always has recruited extremely well nationally and I expect that this year will be no exception.

In a year where the Trojans have not played up to hopes and expectations on the field, a good recruiting class will give the Trojans momentum heading into 2010.

Circle February 2 on your calendars and get ready to smile.

I think the Trojans cupboard will be re-stocked and ready to make waves for years to come.

Note: If you enjoyed this article and would like an update of the four star athletes that USC has targeted, please let me know via the comments section.

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USC-UCLA: My Only Problem with the Way It Ended

Paul Peszko — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:00:41 -0500

I didn’t have a problem with USC coming out for the last minute of the game and taking a knee.

Okay, so maybe the coaching staff forgot that UCLA had three timeouts remaining. The staff has forgotten a lot of things this year, like how to get the defense ready to play a decent offense.

Of course, that doesn’t include the Bruins’ offense.

Speaking of offenses, the staff also has forgotten how to shift the USC offense into high gear. It seems like they have been stalled most of the season in second gear. In their Rivalry Game on Saturday, like their game earlier at Arizona State, the Trojans never got it out of first gear until the fourth quarter.

Anyway, whether they actually forgot that UCLA had all their timeouts, or taking a knee was supposed to signify that the Trojans were willing to end it at 21-7, doesn’t matter.

I had no problem with Rich Neuheisel refusing to end it at 21-7 and calling a timeout. Why take three timeouts into the locker room? You can’t redeem them at Walmart even on Thanksgiving weekend.

I had no problem with Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates calling a play-action pass since Neuheisel was willing to take it to the limit.

I had no problem with the Trojans celebrating and even taunting the Bruins when they scored. After all, it is supposed to be a rivalry game, isn’t it?

Here’s my problem. Why was Matt Barkley in there to take the knee or to throw the play-action pass?

Why not have Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp get a chance to do the honors? Don’t they deserve some recognition for warming the bench all year while the staff has ignored them time and time again because the coaches are too busy kissing Barkley’s behind?

Better yet, why wasn’t Garrett Green in the game at that point?

Green is a senior. He has served faithfully as a safety, wide receiver, and scout team quarterback for four years. Not only that, but he also threw for a touchdown in the Rose Bowl two years ago.

Has Pete Carroll become so enamored with Matt Barkley that he can’t give a loyal senior like Garrett Green the chance to throw that play-action pass?

Why did it have to be Barkley?

He has been anything but superlative over the past month. In fact, his accuracy has been downright pathetic at times.

I can understand why Corp might not be in there with his poor performance at Washington, but Mitch Mustain is another player who deserves some recognition and should have had a chance to throw that pass.

Even if Green or Mustain had thrown an incomplete pass and given UCLA an additional timeout, so what? There was no way that the Bruins were going to score two touchdowns.

So, I will stop short of calling Pete Carroll “classless” like some of his media critics. But I do think he has been rather myopic.

Matt Barkley will have at least two, or possibly three, more Rivalry Games in his future. Garrett Green will have none. This was it for him.

Green will have just one more game in the Coliseum next week. But the defense has struggled all year against decent offenses, except for Ohio State.

Arizona is no UCLA when it comes to offense. They can certainly put up points.

The odds of Green or any of the other quarterbacks seeing any playing time against the Wildcats are slim and none.

Pete Carroll’s chance to recognize Garrett Green for his contributions has most likely come and gone.

But then it has been a season of opportunities for the Trojans that have come and gone.

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Uncontested Shots: Five More Things I've Learned About This NBA Season

Andrew Ungvari — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:16:07 -0500

There are two kinds of NBA fans: Die-Hards and Casuals. The Casuals are those who are too consumed with the NFL and college football to care as much about the NBA as the Die-Hards do.

While Die-Hards consider the first preseason game the NBA's unofficial opening night, the Casuals think it's Christmas Day.

You can tell which camp you're in just by answering one simple question: Do you get your NBA information from someone else or does someone else get his or her NBA info from you?

The Die-Hards knew how special Brandon Jennings was before the second week in November. The Casuals didn't know who he was until they read Ian Thomsen's great piece in Sports Illustrated last week or Bill Simmons' Thanksgiving mailbag.

I hate to admit it, but the Die-Hards need the Casuals. Why? Because it validates the time and passion we Die-Hards spend poring over box scores in late October.

It's sort of like that indie band you knew about when they were only on pirate radio that's now one of the biggest bands in the world.

It's already December, and that means that we're just a few weeks away from the Casuals jumping on the NBA bandwagon.

The reason why the Casuals don't start paying attention until Christmas Day is because that's the day that ABC begins its national coverage of the NBA.

The NFL regular season is in its dog days and the college football season is on a pseudo hiatus, as we get meaningless bowl games while anticipating the important ones in the first week in January.

The NBA always schedules marquee games to make its debut with and this year is no exception. The Celtics visit the Magic in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, followed by the Cavs and Lakers at Staples Center.

It's kind of sad, but Shaq and Kobe have been as associated with Christmas Day over the last 10 years as Christmas trees, ham, and wrapping paper.

Regardless, we're quickly approaching the (unfortunate) unofficial start of the NBA season.

If you consider yourself a Casual, please allow me to use this space to tell you five more things I've learned about this NBA season so far.

Allen Iverson Will Play Again This Season

When an athlete retires and includes the phrase "I've still got a whole lot left in the tank" when releasing a statement about his retirement, don't think for one second that he's played his last game.

While I predicted in this same space before the season started that the marriage between Iverson and the Grizzlies wouldn't make it into March, I'm predicting with the same amount of certainty that Iverson will sign on with a contender before the season is over.

The reason why teams haven't reached out to Iverson yet is because they see no reason to do so this early in the season.

There are two big dates to keep in mind when it comes to player movement in the NBA: Dec. 15 and Jan. 10.

Dec. 15 is the first day that players who signed with new teams this past summer are eligible to be traded, and Jan. 10 is the day when non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed and teams can start signing free agents to 10-day contracts.

While there has been much chatter about the Philadelphia Sixers signing Iverson while guard Louis Williams recovers from a broken jaw, I would be surprised if Iverson signed on with any team so soon—especially one that stinks, and let's face it, the Sixers stink.

The minimum salary for a veteran with 10-plus years of experience is approximately $1.3 million. In an effort to prevent teams from shying away from signing veterans, the NBA will actually pay the difference in salary between the NBA veterans' minimum and the minimum for a player with two years of experience.

What that means is that any team that signs Iverson would only be responsible for paying $825,497 of his $1,306,455 salary, with the NBA paying the difference.

Furthermore, whatever team signs him would only be responsible for paying him the prorated amount of that $825,497 based on how many games were left in the season.

So if your favorite team has 40 games left, then your favorite team would only have to pay Iverson $402,681.

Sounds simple, right?

Except that all of the league's legitimate contenders are over the luxury tax. So signing Iverson with 60 games left in the season would cost the team double with the luxury tax.

If those teams wait until after Jan. 10 then they can have Iverson for less than a million—including the luxury tax.

By Jan. 10, those teams will have an idea as to whether or not they could use Iverson, but more importantly, they'll know if the players they have on non-guaranteed contracts are worth keeping around or releasing.

If I had to guess I'd say the Celtics will sign Iverson. With Rajon Rondo's contract extension kicking in next year, the Celtics' window to win another championship with this current squad could be shrinking faster than expected.

In addition to Rondo's extension, the Celtics are also facing the possibility of having to let impending free agent Ray Allen walk after this season.

The Celtics took a chance on Stephon Marbury. Why wouldn't they give Iverson a shot?

If Iverson were to work out in Boston, then they might convince him to sign for the mid-level exemption next summer—much less than what Ray Allen will be looking for in his next contract.

Is Jordan Farmar Turning The Corner?

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Jordan Farmar the moment the Lakers allowed the Oct. 31 deadline to pass without even offering the fourth-year point guard an extension.

It seemed as if the Lakers were sending a message to Farmar that this would be his last season playing for his hometown team.

The Lakers, already owners of the league's highest payroll, were willing to let Farmar enter next summer's free agent market as a restricted free agent.

Farmar's situation seemed a bit of a Catch-22 for him and the Lakers: Have a bad season and there's no way they bring him back. Have a great season and there's no way they can afford to bring him back.

After a bit of an inconsistent start to the season, Farmar has started to resemble the guy who started at point guard for the team in their first-round series with the Suns as a rookie.

If the last two games are any indication, Farmar seems to be taking control of the team's second unit as its primary ball-handler and scorer—a unit that has Lamar Odom and YouTube sensation Shannon Brown.

In his last two games, Farmar has made 10-of-16 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. For a bench unit clearly lacking in scoring, Farmar has scored eight or more points in six of the last eight games.

But the biggest improvement in Farmar's game might be on the defensive end—highlighted by this block of Rafer Alston in Sunday night's game against the Nets.

While Farmar's improved play probably won't increase the likelihood that he is re-signed, he does provide the Lakers with a consistent backup who can spell veteran Derek Fisher as well an asset in a trade if the Lakers can get a more capable replacement for the aging Fisher.

At least as a restricted free agent, the Lakers would have the opportunity to match an offer if they wanted to keep him.

The Next Coach To Be Replaced Will Be...

There's really only one coach left who might not stick with his team until the end of the season, and that's the Golden State Warriors' Don Nelson.

Nelson is 18 wins shy of breaking Lenny Wilkens' record for most wins by a head coach and could step down soon after he gets there.

Nelson has already missed the last few games with pneumonia, so he could always use his health as an excuse.

All of the other teams that at the bottom of the standings have replaced their coaches within the last calendar year.

The only other coach who might be fired is Mike Dunleavy, but he's also the Clippers' GM and is signed through the 2010-11 season.

Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers recently spoke with Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling. When Simers asked Sterling if Dunleavy's $5 million salary for next season was the reason Dunleavy still had a job, Sterling replied by saying:

"If a coach is discharged, there is always a stretch provision, which means you pay them off over five to 10 to 15 years, so you have the funds to hire someone else right away. How much we're paying him is no consideration."

That stretch provision might also explain why the Hornets fired Byron Scott so early in the season. Scott had a $5 million salary for this season coaching a team that is trying its hardest to shed payroll.

It's becoming more and more obvious that Scott was fired to save the team money and not because of the team's poor performance.

The Hornets are still about $3 million over the luxury tax, and it's appearing more likely that they won't be able to make a move to get under before the end of the season.

After moving Rasual Butler in the offseason for just a second-round pick, the Hornets have nobody else they'd be able to unload as easily.

Nobody will trade for Peja Stojakovic and the $15.3 million he's scheduled to make next season. It's the same with James Posey, who is scheduled to make close to $7 million in 2011-12. Nobody will take on Morris Peterson's contract, either, which has him making $6.6 million next season.

The Hornets' only other choice is to try and move one of their recent draft picks like Julian Wright, Darren Collison, or Hilton Armstrong—something they probably won't do since the Hornets don't have to worry about extending any of them until after next season.

I can envision a scenario where Scott was paid half of his salary for this season with the remaining $2.5 million being paid out next season—thus saving owner George Shinn close to what his team will be paying out in luxury taxes.

The Nets Did Lawrence Frank a Favor

The Nets' firing of Lawrence Frank this past Sunday was a blessing in disguise for him. My opinion differs from that of my colleague, Robert Kleeman.

While Kleeman believes that the Frank firing may hurt the Nets in free agency next summer, I think it helps them.

The Nets would have probably fired Frank at the end of the season, so Frank gets to float his name out there immediately as a potential replacement for future openings on both the pro and collegiate level.

On the flip side, the Nets can now tell whichever stud free agent they decide to bring in that he will have major input into the team's next coaching hire.

Portland Trailblazers head coach Nate McMillan is in the final season of his contract, and could be used to help entice a LeBron James or Dwyane Wade to the Garden State.

Judging by the comments that Blazers fans are leaving about McMillan after losses, I doubt many of them would care if McMillan left anyway.

*Correction - The Blazers exercised an option for the 2010-11 season on McMillan's contract back in July. The earlier version of this story was incorrect.

A Little Love For Los Angeles

Gone are the days when New York City produced the league's best talent. Chicago had a nice run for a while with Antoine Walker, Corey Maggette, Dwyane Wade, and Derrick Rose.

But it's the City of Angels that's looking like the hotbed for NBA talent these days.

In the past three drafts, Los Angeles has produced Brandon Jennings, Russell Westbrook, DeMar Derozan, Darren Collison, Aron Afflalo, James Harden, and Jrue Holiday.

Andrew Ungvari is a senior writer and featured columnist for Bleacher Report as well as co-lead blogger for the basketball website, SirCharlesInCharge.com .

For up to the minute news on all things basketball and occasionally brilliant thoughts and observations, follow him on Twitter.

Read more Los Angeles news on BleacherReport.com

Pivot Points: The Pacific Division Is Home To The NBA's Best?

Hadarii Jones — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:09:37 -0500

Everyone knew that the Los Angeles Lakers were the dominant team in the Pacific Division, not to mention the Western Conference, but who ever thought that they would be looking up in their own division and still have the second best record in the league?

As the regular season nears its quarter point, the Phoenix Suns sit atop the league at 14-3, and the Lakers are a half game behind at 13-3, almost a full two games over their nearest competitors, the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers' success is no surprise considering that they are the defending champions and the consensus is that they improved in the offseason, but the Suns have to be the biggest surprise in the NBA thus far.

Few observers thought that the Suns would be terrible, but no one outside of Arizona could have foreseen their marvelous start to this season. Much of it has to do with a return to their run-and-gun roots.

Phoenix eradicated the last vestiges of the failed experiments that were Terry Porter and Shaquille O'Neal, and with the return of Amar'e Stoudemire, they resemble the team that dominated the conference in 2007.

They have resumed their run at all costs and have nothing but high scores and victories left in their wake, and the schedule hasn't been as soft as some may think.

Woven into their resume is a very impressive road victory against the Boston Celtics, in which they took the Celtics' best punch and were still able to come away unscathed.

The Suns still have problems on the defensive end, but that may not be a huge factor until it is time for the postseason, and by then maybe Phoenix will come to learn some form of defensive presence.

Naysayers will continue to point to the Suns' less than stellar schedule so far, and in fact, I am a long way from convinced myself, but the record doesn't lie, and for those that are so moved by numbers, 14-3 is pretty definitive.

It should come as no surprise that one of the Suns' losses came at the hands of the Lakers and it was a blow-out to be exact, but the Lakers are possibly the worst possible matchup for the Suns.

They have the athletes to run with Phoenix and the post players to be dominant in the paint, plus they have Kobe Bryant who is a nightmare pairing for anyone on the Suns' roster.

The Lakers more than likely will dominate the majority of their meetings with Phoenix, but the same can't be said for the rest of the Western Conference.

The two closest teams—the Mavericks and the Nuggets—prefer an uptempo game, and they to lack the interior presence that the Lakers have.

Both the Nuggets and Mavericks own victories against Los Angeles, but that was before the return of Pau Gasol, and his presence in the middle changes the whole scope of the team.

Everything that Denver gained in their blow-out win of the Lakers was lost in an inexplicable home defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and these are not the same Lakers that lost to the Mavericks in L.A.

The Lakers are beginning to find a rhythm that Phoenix has had a grasp on for the entire season, and neither team looks as if it is ready to slow down.

Steve Nash for the Suns and Bryant for the Lakers are performing at the highest levels and their teammates are reciprocating nicely, which could spell trouble for the conference and the rest of the league as a whole.

It's too early to tell if the Suns will be able to maintain this blistering pace, but likewise, it's too late to call their success an anomaly either, because they have maintained their level of play for 17 games.

The Lakers are right about where most pundits thought they would be at this point, and all signs say that they are continuously improving as their current six-game win streak will attest.

The power structure is again rooted in the mighty West, where it has seemed to be for the past few years, but whoever would have thought that it would be shared by two teams from the same division?

And that division is the Pacific, where the mighty Lakers roam, yet still have to look up to their counterparts, the surprising, up-start Phoenix Suns, who have managed to take the conference, and the league by storm.

Read more Los Angeles news on BleacherReport.com

MLB 9s: L.A. Dodgers—Maury Wills, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson Shine

Ash Marshall — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:33:15 -0500

The shortstop who stole 104 bases, the catcher who was a great Dodger long before he was a great Met, and the third baseman who may have had one of the best single offensive seasons in L.A. history.

Power or speed? The past or the present?

It all points to one question with hundreds of possibilities: Which Dodger had the greatest offensive season at his position?

Major League Baseball has been asking fans this same question in an effort to choose each team's best-ever collection of stars.

They are calling it MLB 9s.

Here I have separated the contenders from the pretenders in an effort to pick my dream Dodgers lineup, based on their one career year.

My other MLB 9s you might want to check out are:

Diamondbacks , Braves , Orioles , Red Sox , Cubs , White Sox , Reds , Indians , Rockies , Tigers , Marlins , Royals , and Angels

Catcher: Mike Piazza (1997)

When you are looking for the greatest offensive season by a Dodgers backstop, look no further than Mike Piazza.

In fact, you could make an argument that at least three of his first five full seasons in L.A. could make the cut.

His ’97 season was probably the best though. He hit 40 home runs and batted .362, scoring 104 runs and driving in 124. Only Larry Walker’s 49 home runs stopped him winning the NL MVP.

His batting average was third best in the National League, and his .431 on-base percentage and .638 slugging mark ranked third and second respectively.

His 104 runs are a franchise high for a Dodgers catcher, and his home runs and RBI tallies are second all-time.

He was named to his fifth consecutive All-Star game and won his fifth straight Silver Slugger award. It’s worth pointing out that 1997 also marked the fifth year that he placed in the top 10 in the MVP voting. He would never get closer than second in his 16-year career.

Highlight Game: Aug. 27, 1997 @ Pittsburgh. Piazza recorded his only six-RBI outing of the season in a late summer game against the Pirates.

Piazza went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and a walk, scoring three times in a 9-5 victory.

Competition: The only real competition comes from Roy Campanella, who hit 41 home runs and drove in 142 batters in 1953. The sole difference between the best seasons of both hitters is that Piazza batted 50 points higher.

Campanella—a Hall of Famer—won the Most Valuable Player award with the Brooklyn Dodgers three times, including in 1953. While his 1951 and 1955 seasons were both stunning, Piazza gets the nod by a small margin.

First Base: Jack Fournier (1925)

I didn’t know anything about Jack Fournier until I started researching my MLB 9s series.

Fortunately for Fournier, being a defensively inept first baseman does not disqualify him from my list.

In his third season with the Brooklyn Dodgers—his fifth Major League team—Fournier batted .350 and hit 22 home runs. Described as a pure hitter, Fournier racked up 130 RBI, 21 doubles, and 16 triples. He walked 86 times and had an OPS above 1.000 (1.015).

His 22 home runs ranked third in the NL that year. His .446 on-base percentage was second best, and his 86 walks led the league.

Highlight Game: May 3, 1925 vs. Philadelphia. Fournier’s only walk-off home run of his career came in the bottom of the ninth inning of a game against the Phillies.

Trailing 1-0 and one out away from being shut out, Fournier won the game with one swing of the bat, launching a two-out walk-off shot off Clarence Mitchell.

Competition: The big decision at first base was between Fournier, Eddie Murray, and Gil Hodges. The latter hit 42 home runs in 1954, scoring 106 runs and driving in 130.

The only knock against him was his .304 batting average, which wasn’t good enough for a top 10 spot.

Murray receives a mention based on his 1990 campaign, when he batted .330 and hit 26 jacks.

“Steady Eddie”—a Hall of Famer based mainly on his tenure with the Orioles—finished fifth in the MVP ballot after posting a .520 slugging percentage and driving in 95 runs.

That is good enough for Murray to beat out Hodges for second place, if there is such a thing. Unfortunately, too many people will probably just see the 42 home runs and hit the vote button without a second thought.

Second Base: Jackie Robinson (1949)

Robinson is a no-brainer at second base. Two years after winning the Rookie of the Year award, the 30-year-old Robinson won his first and only MVP title.

He batted .342, stole a league-leading 37 bases, and scored 122 runs to help the Brooklyn Dodgers reach the World Series.

He also hit 16 home runs, 38 doubles, and 16 triples, batted in 124 runs, posted a .432 on-base percentage, and drew 86 walks compared to 27 Ks.

His 122 runs and 124 runs batted in are both Dodger highs for a second baseman. His .342 average is fourth all-time.

Highlight Game: May 30, 1949 @ New York Giants. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Giants, Robinson broke a 13th-inning 1-1 tie with a leadoff home run to start the inning off Dave Koslo.

The Dodgers held on to win 2-1 but would lose the nightcap 7-4.

Competition: Davey Lopes was mere batting points away from snatching this from Robinson. His 28 home runs and 44 stolen bases are impressive, but his .265 average is his downfall.

Jeff Kent batted .289 with 29 bombs and triple-digit runs and RBI in 2005, and Charlie Neal went deep 19 times, scored 103 runs, and swiped 17 bags in 1959.

Third Base: Adrian Beltre (2004)

Back in ’04, Beltre flashed the kind of power bat that no other third baseman in the history of the Dodgers had ever done before.

His 48 home runs smashed the previous franchise high of 32, and only a juiced-up Barry Bonds kept him from winning the MVP in his final year as a Dodger.

He led the National League in long balls, batted .334, and slugged .629, driving in a career-high 121 runs and scoring 104.

The season is an anomaly in his 12-year career, especially considering the pedestrian seasons that went both before and after it.

No other L.A. third baseman has hit more home runs, scored more runs, or recorded more runs batted in that Beltre did in 2004.

Highlight Game: Aug. 20, 2004 vs. Atlanta. Beltre hit two home runs, including a walk-off blast in the bottom of the 11th inning to help the Dodgers beat the Braves 3-2.

Beltre—who finished 3-for-5—tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off of closer John Smoltz and then won it in his next at-bat against Juan Cruz.

Competition: Pedro Guerrero would have won this position battle if it wasn’t for Beltre’s one fantastic year. In 1983, Guerrero hit 32 home runs and was just two points away from batting .300.

He scored 87 runs, batted in 103, and stole 23 bases. His speed almost put him over the top, but it’s impossible to ignore Beltre’s monster year.

Dick Allen also receives props for his 1971 season: .295, 23 home runs, 90 RBI.

Shortstop: Maury Wills (1962)

104 stolen bases. Enough said.

Wills played in 165 games for the Dodgers in the 1962 season on his way to the Most Valuable Player award.

His 104 steals led all of baseball by 56, and nobody in the National League swiped more than 32. In fact, in the six years between 1960 and 1965 when he was the league’s top thief, he won the title with fewer than 60 steals four times.

A true leadoff hitter and table-setter, Wills batted .299, hit a league-leading 10 triples, and scored 130 runs—second only to Frank Robinson.

His 104 steals is seventh all-time in baseball history and the most by any infielder ever.

Highlight Game: Aug. 26, 1962 @ New York Mets. In seven innings of action against the Mets, Wills went 2-for-3 with an RBI double, a walk, three steals, and three runs.

It was one of seven games in the ’62 season where he swiped three or more bases.

Competition: Glenn Wright was good—as far as shortstops go—in the 1930 season. He hit 22 homers and batted .321. Rafael Furcal was better in 2006, batting a round .300, hitting 15 home runs, and stealing 37 bases.

Speed wins out over power at shortstop here.

Outfield: Duke Snider (1954)

This could just as easily be 1953 or ’55, but his 1954 season is just as good, if not better, than the rest.

He collected a league-leading 378 total bases, batted .341, and hit 40 home runs in the 1954 season.

He also led the NL with 120 runs scored, drove in 130 men, and slugged .647. He fell one hit shy of 200, legged out 10 triples, and hit 39 doubles.

He was selected to his fifth straight All-Star game, and he finished fourth in the MVP race behind Willie Mays, Ted Kluszewski, and Johnny Antonelli.

Highlight Game: June 7, 1954 @ St. Louis. Snider finished a single short of hitting for the cycle after hitting a triple, home run, and double in his first four at-bats.

He finished 3-for-6 with three RBI and a run, and the Dodgers survived a late scare to win 7-5 in extra innings.

Shawn Green (2001)

Green’s 2001 campaign was a beast. Not Barry Bonds "beast" or Sammy Sosa "beast," but still very impressive.

He bounced back from a no-frills 2000 season with a career-high 49 home runs and 125 RBI.

His .297 batting average was the highest mark of his time with the Dodgers, and he finally started to justify the eight-figure salary he received after the Dodgers shipped Raul Mondesi to Toronto.

Green scored 121 runs and stole 20 bases, despite striking out 107 times. He provided the Dodgers with the power bat they needed in right field and was rewarded with sixth place in the MVP voting.

Highlight Game: Aug. 15, 2001 vs. Montreal. Green exploded for three home runs and seven RBI in a 13-1 victory over the Expos at Dodger Stadium.

He took Carl Pavano deep twice in the second and fourth innings and then finished his highlight day with a solo shot to right-center field off Masato Yoshii in the seventh.

It’s not the four home runs he hit in a game against Milwaukee the following year, but it’s still pretty good.

Babe Herman (1930)

The lesser-heralded "Babe" of the 1920s and '30s, Herman had a career year with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1930 season.

He batted .393 and hit 35 home runs, 48 doubles, and 11 triples. He also stole 18 bases, scored 143 runs, and drove in 130.

His 143 runs are the most by any outfielder in the history of the franchise, while his 48 doubles and 130 RBI rank third all-time.

Highlight Game: June 22, 1930 vs. Pittsburgh. In one of five multi-home run games of the season, Herman went deep twice against Larry French

He tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo shot and then again in the seventh with a three-run blast to knot the game at 6-6.

The Dodgers went on to beat the Pirates 9-6.

Competition: Raul Mondesi, Matt Kemp, and Gary Sheffield were all on the bubble.

Mondesi hit 30 home runs and stole 32 bases in 1997, Sheffield batted .325 with 43 home runs in 2000, and Kemp hit 26 and stole 34 in 2009.

Tommy Davis also seemed a popular choice with MLB voters after hitting 27 home runs, batting .346, and stealing 18 bags in 1962.

Pitcher: Don Newcombe (1955)

A pitcher who could handle the bat, Newcombe batted .359 with seven home runs and 23 RBI. He also scored 18 runs and hit nine doubles in 117 at-bats.

Highlight Game: May 30, 1955 vs. Pittsburgh. In the second half of a doubleheader, Newcombe went 3-for-4 with the bat, hitting a pair of home runs to power the Dodgers past the Pirates 8-3.

Competition: Don Drysdale also hit seven home runs in 1958, but he only batted .227. Earl Yingling, on the other hand, hit .383 in 1913 but never went yard. Newcombe’s 1955 season is the best by quite a long way.

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Is USC's Pete Carroll a Hypocrite?

Patrick Hamblin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:16:42 -0500

Saturday night's USC-UCLA game went from a rather dull intra-city rivalry to an exciting and controversial finish in a matter of seconds. While everyone knows what happened (Rick Neuheisel timeout, Pete Carroll throw deep, and near riot on the field) the debate rages about the decisions of these two rival coaches.

Mostly this debate has centered on whether USC coach Pete Carroll was trying to "rub it in" on UCLA, or whether Bruin coach Rick Neuheisel was trying to spite the Trojans by taking timeouts in an already-decided game.

The greatest focus of this debate, however, is whether Pete Carroll is being hypocritical for doing what caused him to ask Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh two weeks ago, "What's your deal?"

Any reasonable look at both incidents should cause anyone to acknowledge Carroll's actions were completely different than Harbaugh's.

Let's examine what exactly happened in the Stanford-USC game on Nov. 14. The third quarter ended with the Cardinal holding a seven-point lead at 28-21. Stanford quickly added to this lead early in the fourth quarter with two more touchdowns, giving them a 42-21 lead.

Then controversy arrived. With 6:47 to go, Stanford's Toby Gerhart scored a TD to give them a 48-21 lead. At this point, the Trojans had for all intents and purposes quit playing, and a PAT kick would have given the Cardinal an insurmountable FOUR-touchdown lead.

It was here that Harbaugh decided to go for two, hang half a hundred on the scoreboard, and rub it to the already-defeated Trojans. Considering the way USC was tackling Toby Gerhart, the Trojans couldn't have come back with the help of a miracle.

Fast forward to Saturday night. USC regained possession on the UCLA 44-yard line with 54 seconds to go, and the game most likely decided by the Trojans holding a 14-point lead. Seeing the Bruins were defeated, Pete Carroll ordered his offense to take a knee, thus allowing UCLA and Neuheisel to walk away with a 14-point loss.

All he had to do was walk away, but Neuheisel instead chose to take a timeout, stating later he wanted "to force the Trojans to punt and get the ball back." Had that scenario played out, UCLA would have got the ball back with 35 to 40 seconds on the clock.

What if the punt is returned for a touchdown or is blocked and returned for a touchdown? Then UCLA is only an onside kick and a Hail Mary away from a victory.

Far-fetched? Likely. Impossible? No way.

There is no need to recap the sequence of Saturday night's play-calls, but Pete Carroll's decision reflects an understanding of the game situation, not an intention to "rub it in" on UCLA, though I would admit, it did have that effect.

Pete Carroll is no Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh was being his arrogant self, trying to get another dig on a coach he has consistently been going after. Pete Carroll was just coaching a football game.

You can follow my random thoughts on the sports world on Twitter at @plh55.

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Anaheim Ducks May Have Found the Key to Turning This Season Around

SK — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:15:15 -0500

What a week for Ducks fans.

After dishing out what may have been their best performance of the season against Chicago on Friday afternoon, the Ducks were looking to make it four straight wins at home Sunday night against Phoenix.

Unfortunately, the Ducks were only able to pick up one point as a result of a 3-2 loss in overtime

However, one thing is apparent; these surging Ducks might be turning a corner on this ugly season.

Most importantly, over the course of this past week, the Ducks have seen an uprising in J.S. Giguere as confidence is clearly returning to his game. As Giguere's game steadily improves, fans are reminded of the Conn Smyth winner from the 2003 playoff run as well as their route to the Stanley Cup in 2007.

It's seems as though the team is beginning to remember that man as well.

Having confidence in their net-minder might be the reason the Ducks have shown a remarkable improvement in penalty killing and defense as a whole. The team is keeping the front of the net clear from both pucks and the opposing forwards with some form of regularity.

Watching Giguere smile and celebrate victories is contagious. Not just for the fans, as it is undoubtedly felt throughout the locker room as well. Putting faith in the man between the pipes might just be what this team needed to begin working on both the defensive and offensive chemistry they have been lacking.

While there are many possible reasons for the recent positive play from the Ducks, one thing is for certain; having a solid performance in the net is never a bad thing.

This current home-stand has been very successful for this team who has been struggling at home. Having gone 4-1-1 in their last six games they look to take a few more points from the cross-town rival, Los Angeles Kings, on Tuesday.

While moral victories are often a huge part of team morale, right now the Ducks are desperate for wins. Beating teams who currently sit above the Ducks in the Western Conference standings (yeah, just about everyone not named Minnesota) is more than an emotional victory, it's a necessary victory.

If the Ducks look to continue their recent success, they're going to need to expand on the things they are beginning to do well. Shooting the puck more is always an option as the blueline is learning. Pressuring the puck, making big hits, attacking the net...all things the Ducks are currently doing well and finding positive results because of it.

However, Sunday night's loss might be explained by a lack of offense. The Ducks had plenty of chances to score, and were unable to get anything past a brilliant effort from Ilya Bryzgalov. The easy explanation is a team being outdone by a stellar goaltender, but unfortunately, this league has many fabulous goaltenders. The Ducks need to figure a way around that.

It’s time for the big offseason acquisitions to step up and contribute on a regular basis. The team is still waiting for Joffrey Lupul to bring his multimillion dollar contract onto the ice (and his current back injury isn’t helping that effort). Meanwhile, Saku Koivu, who shows he can play the physical game demanded of teams in the West, is having a hard time turning his energy into points.

The “Incredible Finn-ishing Line” of Koivu, Teemu Selanne and Evgeny Artyukhin is showing signs of life, but it is still not putting points on the score sheet that the Ducks will require if they hope to continue their success of late.

With the way the team is improving, the answer to stringing together a few more wins might simply be: offense.

I don't want anyone to think I've forgotten Corey Perry. Believe me, I have not forgotten Corey Perry. Many of you know I'm insanely superstitious, and my previous post shows just how much I'm willing to do to remain faithful to the Hockey Gods. So for now...

GO PERRY!

GO DUCKS!!!

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UCLA-USC: Turnovers And Bad Blood Kill Bruins In 28-7 Loss

Derek Hart — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:06:55 -0500

Now the UCLA Bruins know how Arizona State felt on November 21.

Wearing their 1967 throwback jerseys for the second time this month, UCLA's defense played well for most of the night, shutting down the USC Trojans' offense.

However, The Bruin offense was flat-out terrible.

Not only did they not run the ball well, not only was their offensive line beaten by USC's defensive front seven, but the Bruins coughed up a fumble and threw three interceptions, four turnovers in all, in losing to the Trojans 28-7 in the Coliseum before 85,713.

The game was close in the first half as both defenses stepped up. The only UCLA (6-6, 3-6 Pacific-10 Conference) mistake was quarterback Kevin Prince throwing an interception to USC linebacker Malcolm Jones, who returned it 62 yards for the Trojans' first score in the first quarter.

Outside of a fourth quarter touchdown by Chane Moline out of the Wildcat formation with under six minutes left in the game, UCLA's offensive output consisted of seven punts to go along with those three picks and the fumble, committed by Nelson Rosario after a long gain late in the first half.

The Bruins were driving and were getting in a position to score at least a field goal when USC defensive back Will Harris stripped Rosario.

The referee claimed Rosario's knee was down, but awarded the ball to the Trojans after further review when it was showed otherwise.

The fumble killed any momentum coach Rick Neuheisel's crew may have had.

It's safe to say that the Bruin offense failed, much like they did during the month of October when they lost five straight games.

What it came down to was that USC's front seven was better than the UCLA's offensive line.

Everson Griffen and company stuffed the Bruin running attack, and it seemed like they were in the backfield all game, giving Prince and Kevin Craft, who replaced Prince in the third quarter when he sprained his shoulder, little time to throw.

The fact that Craft and Prince were UCLA's leading rushers said a lot about the offense's ineptitude.

Add to that the four Bruin turnovers, which led to 14 Trojan points, and that explains why USC (8-3, 5-3 in the Pac-10) prevailed.

Allen Bradford running for two touchdowns in the second half and getting 62 yards on the night didn't hurt either.

The last minute of the contest had some fireworks.

With the Trojans leading 21-7 and the game essentially over, after Neuheisel called a timeout Matt Barkley, who was 18 out of 26 for 206 yards and a INT by Alterraun Verner, threw a 48 yard TD pass to Damien Williams, setting off a wild celebration and taunting from the USC sideline.

As one could imagine, the UCLA players became angry—in their minds, the Trojans were running up the score and showing extremely poor sportsmanship. Both teams ventured out near midfield, barking at each other and nearly fighting for the third time in four years. Reggie Carter, the Bruins' senior linebacker, knocked down an official trying to get at 'SC's bench.

Like every other Bruin, I was upset about the TD until Fox Sports analyst and UCLA alum James Washington and Neuheisel stated after the game that it was UCLA's job to stop them, and they didn't, which was a good point.

But that did not change the fact that the Trojans were classless jerks by jumping up and down, taunting, and shouting "Scoreboard!" at the Bruins. It led me to wonder whether they were football players or schoolyard bullies.

It was the total lack of sportsmanship and respect by coach Pete Carroll's team that angered me, not the score.

This edition of the crosstown war showed me one important thing: That UCLA, though they did show improvement from last season, is not quite at USC's level. Not yet.

And not after the Men of Troy's 10th win in 11 tries over their crosstown enemies.

That is especially the case with the Bruins' offense. Simply put, Kevin Prince, who completed just 10 of 22 passes with those two picks,, his offensive line, and many of the other players on that side of the ball have some more growing up to do before they can be considered a true threat.

What's next for UCLA?

Since they are bowl eligible with six wins, a post season berth may be forthcoming.

I'll be honest—If the Bruins find themselves not going to a bowl, I wouldn't be devastated.

It would certainly be nice if they were invited to the post season, because it would give the players an opportunity for more practice and another game to play.

But, the way UCLA's offense has performed for much of the year, perhaps it would be best for everyone if they shut it down for 2009 and start preparing for next season, which would help to put this debacle behind them.

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Here's A Thought, Rick Neuheisel: Don't Call a Timeout

Jo-Ryan Salazar — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:42:36 -0500

You know, I have some dubious plays from the players donning Green and White in Calgary, but even more of a head-scratcher is Rick Neuheisel deciding, "Okay, I am going to literally give up seven more points by calling a timeout when the fate of my UCLA Bruins is already sealed down at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Happy Thanksgiving, Pete Carroll."

This has to go down as a brain cramp. Why call a timeout instead of letting Matt Barkley take a knee and make it a 21—7 win?

"I was trying to make them punt, and maybe if they run, we cause a fumble," Neuheisel said. "They have their take on it, but I was trying to get the ball back. People can make their own conclusions. ... I don't blame them for doing it."

Nice try at an excuse, but I won't buy it. It's not going to make a difference whether you call a timeout or not, Neuheisel. And Carroll made you pay for the act of stupidity by letting Matt Barkley hurl an 48—yard insurance touchdown pass to Damien Williams to make it 28—7.

"It is just the heart of a competitor, just battling," Carroll said after game, putting the match in pespective. "We just wanted to win the game and have fun. When the moment was there, it wasn't thinking about what [others] might be thinking. You are either competing, or you're not."

You UCLA fans will say it was unsportsmanlike till the day you lay six feet under the grass. This proud Trojan program has seen it all and heard it all. But come on, Neuheisel, just give up and let the clock run out.

Not only would the score read 21-7, but there would be handshakes and no threats to spoil for a fight before the next kickoff.

"They can't disrespect us like that," Barkley said after the game. By taking a knee, he made it easy for you. Done with, finished, kaput.

But once again, I ask the question, what is the point of calling a timeout when the game's outcome is set in stone?

"I don't forget much," said Neuheisel after the game.

You don't forget much, huh? Well guess what, Rick? The bell's staying in Troy once again. And you might as well erase from your head the fact that you paid the price for delaying the inevitable in the 2009 Battle for the Victory Bell.

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Pivot Points: The L.A. Lakers Are Finding Their Rhythm As Kobe Adjusts

Hadarii Jones — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:13:00 -0500

As the Los Angeles Lakers continue their holiday feast of the NBA's most impoverished teams, they are beginning to find that championship rhythm that has eluded them thus far this season.

In their latest conquest of the cellar-dwelling Golden State Warriors, the Lakers appeared to be firing on all cylinders as they completely blew the Warrioirs out of their own gym.

The offense was in a rhythm, and the defense was able to hold the Warriors under 100 points, which is a task unto itself considering the pace that the Warriors prefer is blistering and hectic.

One thing to take from this game is that Pau Gasol seems to be comfortable and playing in mid-season form, with no noticeable effects from his earlier hamstring injury.

Gasol put on a dominant and efficient display with 22 points and 12 rebounds on 9-11 shooting from the field. His defense in the middle was exceptional, and the turnovers he helped create often jump-started the Laker transition game.

Kobe Bryant continued to adjust to his role as the team's facilitator and did an admirable job filling up the stat sheet with 20 points, six rebounds, six assists, and five steals.

It should be noted that Golden State is one of the best teams to play when stat-building since they seem to offer no semblance of resistance on the defensive end. The embattled Laker bench even got in the act, scoring a season high 44 points.

What this current four game stretch has revealed about the Lakers should offer some measure of comfort for the future. For one, the Lakers are now winning the games that they are supposed to win.

The Lakeshow in the past often played down to the level of their opponent and found themselves scrambling to preserve a narrow victory, or trying to explain how they lost to the Charlotte Bobcats at home.

If not for the trials of the bench, the past four games would have been decided blow-outs, and they still managed to win all four games by double-digits.

The Ron Artest experiment is working so far, and has helped unleash some of the best defensive basketball in Kobe Bryant's career. He is playing with a tenacity not seen since his third year in the NBA.

Artest has been so good at defending his man, that it has allowed Kobe to concentrate on his own man and cheat in the passing lane without fear of having to help out in rotations.

This has accounted for numerous steals, and the blossoming of what could be a dominant defense in Los Angeles.

Kobe has struggled some, but it is more of an identity struggle rather than anything that has to do with the game. He is still figuring out when to apply offensive pressure and when to let the flow of the game come to him.

He is a scorer by nature, so it probably takes some will for him to hold back and let his teammates make the plays. The fact that he can do this effectively is a testament to his evolution as a complete player.

Kobe realizes that he can be dominant on the scoreboard whenever he wants to, and is learning that the other aspects that he brings to the Lakers can be much more valuable in the long run.

The Lakers are playing their fifth game against an inferior team as I am writing this, and it happens to be the worst team in the NBA, the New Jersey Nets, and I expect the end result to match the previous four.

The Lakers are capitalizing on this soft spot of their schedule, and are finding the rhythm that make them the most feared team in the NBA. The audition period will soon be over, the real journey awaits.

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Trojan Dagger Against UCLA has Hidden Meaning for USC

Mitchell Golden — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:23:26 -0500

So, Matt Barkley threw a pass. A 48 yard pass. Downfield. After kneeling the ball.

Sure, you can debate whether it was the right move. Honestly, I don’t care. Because this throw, and the aftermath, means so much more.

The Trojans are beginning to show some emotion. Actually, let’s go one better—the Trojans are showing aggression.

After hearing Petro Papadakis say “bubble screen” on my television for about the fortieth time, I was ready to throw something at the glowing screen in front of me. Not only was the constant repetition mildly irritating, but the knowledge that my beloved Trojans ran bubble screens almost every other play finally brought me to the breaking point.

I’m sick of the bubble screen and everything that it stands for. I’m sick of conservative, read-and-react defense. I’m sick of throwing the ball sideways into a screen, allowing the opposing defense to crowd the line of scrimmage and stop the offense with ease.

The Barkley-to-Williams hookup brought closure not just to another rivalry game, but a game that witnessed the transformation of a not-so-dominant USC team.

Don’t get me wrong—the Trojans were far from spectacular. It took a Joe McKnight injury to truly spark the offense. Without Joe, the Trojans could not motion into an empty backfield, and throw a McKnight bubble screen.

Barkley was given permission to throw downfield. And guess what? The Trojans moved the ball with success.

Yes, there was an errant interception. He is a freshman. It happens.

However, there were several easy first downs to Ronald Johnson on the sideline. And, of course, a deadly accurate pass to Damien Williams to close the game. Not an overthrow, not a miss. Matt Barkley had one play to make a statement for his team.

He did not fail.

To compliment a defense that finally decided to make their own plays rather than simply react, the Trojan offense made an aggressive move for the first time in a long time.

Thank you, Rick Neuheisel.

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The Lakers Are the Best NBA Organization of the 2000s

Joe Gerrity — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:18:00 -0500

With the decading winding down it's about time we look back and evaluate who had the best decade in among NBA teams. Unlike my worst of the decade slideshow, I'll only be evaluating the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs since there really isn't anyone else that can be seriously considered. I'll be looking at the 99-00 season through the 08-09 season. If you don't like it, then write your own article. Apologies to the Detroit Pistons, but only having a single title doomed them in this writer's eyes.

Begin Slideshow

Pete Carroll Sends a Message To Rick Neuheisel

Brian Livingston — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:39:40 -0500

USC played its crosstown rival UCLA for the 79th time last night. While the Trojans have had three disappointing losses already this season, losing to the Bruins would only make matters worse.

Fortunately for Trojan nation, that would not be the case. As rivalry games go, it was pretty dull.

Both teams traded punts during the first half. It wasn't until the waining seconds of the fourth quarter that the most excitement would come. Leading 21-7 with 54 seconds the Trojans took a knee. This is where the mind games began.

Rick Neuheisel called timeout. Carroll would respond by calling a play instead of taking another knee. The play would result in a 48-yard touchdown catch from Matt Barkley to Damian Williams, much to the shock and excitement of the Coliseum crowd.

As I sat amongst a room full of USC alumni at their Saturday gathering place, I thought to myself why would Carroll do this? It wasn't until they flashed the ad that Neuheisel took out in the Los Angeles Times last summer stating, "The Football Monopoly in Los Angeles is officially over".

It was then I realized why he decided to throw with only 50 seconds remaining.

He may not admit it, but in my opinion that was Pete Carroll's response. Watching Pete Carroll since taking over at USC it is clear he does his talking on the field with his team instead of making statement's in the newspaper.

The usually laid back Carroll showed his enthusiasm after the play by raising both fists in the air and then subtlety pointed at the UCLA sideline.

While SC has dominated the football scene between these two lately, next years game will definitely have some intrigue to it. Like I said, the laid back Carroll made his statement on the field rather than off.

Most would consider what he did rubbing it in, but I would have to say both men knew why they did what they did.

This is a chess match between these two and right now, Carroll has the upper hand. The next move belongs to Neuheisel. Personally I like what Carroll did. I don't consider it running up the score one bit.

Maybe if the score was 50-7, then I'd have a problem with it , but as I said, this is a chess game and Carroll made a brilliant move. It was the defenses job to defend and they failed to do so.

They have no one to blame but themselves. I'm just glad the brawl didn't break out between the two after that had happened. It would've taken away from this rivalry if that had been allowed to happen.

What Carroll did was send a message to Neuheisel. It said "I haven't forgot what you said last August."

Neuheisel shouldn't have done something like that until the Bruins maybe won the Pac-10 or perhaps beat USC for starters. Then maybe he could've taken out that ad after he had accomplished something.

All that ad did was create bulletin board material for Carroll's Trojans. It will be interesting to see what happens between these two when they meet in Pasadena next December.

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In Memory of UCLA Men's Basketball: 1920-2009

Jo-Ryan Salazar — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:10:19 -0500

ANAHEIM, CA (Bleacher Report) - At the Anaheim Convention Center, UCLA Men's Basketball-who had been blessed with legacy of success for so many years-passed away at the ripe old age of 89.

The last rites were read by Father Victor Cegles of California State University, Long Beach's Walter Pyramid Church after the 49ers took him off life support, 79-68.

"UCLA will go down in history as one of the greatest basketball programs that ever lived," said Father Victor while performing the last rites. "He will now take his place among the programs of collegiate hoops heaven after witnessing 11 national championships bestowed in his name. UCLA will be missed."

Among those witnessing the funeral inside the ACC were Mr. Benjamin Howland, Mr. Daniel Monson, Mr. Prospector Pete, Mr. Joseph Bruin and his wife Josephine, and thousands of students, fans, and alumni from CSULB and the University of California, Los Angeles.

The highlight of the funeral was the eulogy by Mr. Monson, manager of Long Beach State men's basketball, whose speech consisted of two words shouted loud and clear, "GO BEACH!" The Black and Gold crowd roared in approval, while those from Westwood were inconsolable. Some were traumatized that they fainted at the sound.

One UCLA alumnus, who chose not to be named due to the fear of being "owned for ratting/snitching on his n*****s," said, "He will be like Jesus. He will rise from the dead. Or maybe not. I wanted to go to Long Beach State but my parents told me they s**k and they wanted me to go to UCLA because they are the only university that matters in Los Angeles (and they hate U$C, too).

"I now regret my powerless decision."

"It's kinda depressing to see a program like that be taken off life support," said Elizabeth Montoya, a chemistry major from Cal State Long Beach. "But all good things have to come to an end. It was fun to watch them. Sort of. Not like I care really; a win over UCLA in any sport is a good thing for us, you know."

John Wooden, former manager of UCLA Men's Basketball, was unavailable for comment. Later on, a written statement from Mr. Wooden stated this simple interjection, "Bah Humbug!"

"I need a vacation," said Mr. Howland after the funeral. "This world is too much for me."

"My husband told me before this news that UCLA could use a new coach," said Mrs. Bruin. "It's safe to say that we need one bad, so that we can bring him back from the dead. Zombie Nation, send help! And I will buy one of those Kernkraft 400 microwaves, thank you."

The news just added more salt to the wounds of those from Westwood, who witnessed their football team demolished by USC 27-0 at the Coliseum the previous day.

"What!?" exclaimed UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel. "UCLA lost again? Man, this year could get bad for them. Ayayay."

UCLA Chancellor Dr. Gene D. Block was dismayed by the news. "Good heavens, I hope that was a typo I saw on ESPN.com," he exclaimed. After watching the replay on ESPNU, he shouted every obscenity he could muster from his worn-out voice box inside his office.

Cal State Long Beach president Dr. F. King Alexander, after hearing of the news, did his best Monty Burns impersonation. "Excellent," he said with a wide, uncouth smile.

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Winning UGLY (and Controversially): USC 28 UCLA 7

Rick McMahan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:59:19 -0500

At various times this season, I have written Trojan "Report Cards," which break down USC's efforts by unit: offensive, defensive, and special teams, including coaching.

However, I have found this exercise to be tedious and limiting in terms of being able to express what I want to say.

So, in what can only be described as a stroke of inspiration, I have decided to combine a pseudo report card with a commentary on what I saw last night at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

USC beat UCLA 28-7 in a completely forgettable game.

At least until the last Trojan drive of the contest.

But more on that later.

Here is the report card:

Offense: D-

Defense: A-

Special Teams: B+

Coaching: C+

Controversy: A+++++

Now for the breakdown:

The offense was abysmal. Period.

And it all starts, or in this case, ends with the offensive line.

The supposed strength of this year's USC team has been, at best, mediocre this year.

Unable to consistently open holes for Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford, the Trojan running game has suffered.

In turn, this has impacted the passing game, which, without a steady running game, is unable to effectively call play action passes.

Because of this, Matt Barkley has had to operate in less than optimum conditions.

I know, a simplistic analysis, but one that nonetheless, has merit.

Of course, Matt Barkley has to take responsibility for some bonehead passes but he is a true freshman and this is to be expected.

Last night, the Trojans were the recipient of four turnovers and managed, until the controversial last drive, one score.

One.

Now, I understand that UCLA has a good defense and that UCLA defensive tackle, Brian Price, is a beast, but come on...

One score?

All of this was reflected in the Trojan offense last night and is something that will have to be focus for next week's Arizona game and beyond.

Meanwhile, the Trojan defense continued with its Jekyl and Hyde performance with last night being of the good doctor variety.

However, this was against an anemic UCLA offense that must have their offensive coordinator, Norm Chow up at night munching Rolaids like they are going out of style.

Regardless, the Trojan defense was magnificent all night long, including creating those four turnovers that the offense pretty much squandered.

Included in those turnovers, was Malcolm Smith's "pick-six" interception, which got the scoring started for USC.

So, despite the woeful UCLA offense, it is hard to take exception with the Trojan defense.

As far as the special teams go, they did fine.

UCLA was supposed to have a big advantage in this area but not last night.

Jacob Harfman delivered many big punts (with the Trojan offense in continual "stall mode," he had to).

And Damien Williams, the nations second best punt returner, often gave the Trojan offense good field position from which to bog down.

As far as the coaching goes, again, defense (Pete Carroll) did well while the offense (Jeremy Bates), not so much.

Which brings us to the Trojans final offensive series of the game.

And the long bomb touchdown that Matt Barkley threw to make a game already won, 28-7.

Many people, especially Trojan haters, are going to label me a hypocrite for my support of Pete Carroll.

After all, I recently wrote an article blasting Jim Harbaugh for running up the score against the Trojans but this is fundamentally different.

Pete Carroll had no intention of passing or even running in that final series.

Leading 21-7 with less than two minutes remaining in the game, Carroll had the offense lined up in the "victory" formation and ordered Matt Barkley take a knee.

Then Rick Nueheisel called a time out.

And they had two more time outs as well.

This, according to coach Carroll, convinced him that UCLA wanted to continue playing the game.

So Pete Carroll and Matt Barkley obliged him.

The resulting long touchdown pass drew the ire of the UCLA bench and their players, who streamed out to the playing field in indignation.

But why the indignation?

Was USC supposed to just stop playing when it became apparent that the Bruins still intended to?

UCLA should use that indignant energy to play football the whole 60 minutes, especially when it was they, who by calling the timeout, motivated the notion that this game was still to be contested.

Of course, the bottom line here is that this now one sided rivalry has an undertone of bad blood between Nueheisel and coach Carroll.

Good.

With the Trojans winning nine out of the last ten in this series, it needed some controversy.

And maybe next time Nueheisel will think twice before calling useless timeouts.

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MLB 9s: Los Angeles Angels—Don Baylor, Vlad, Troy Glaus Make Cut

Ash Marshall — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:20:48 -0500

Orlando Cabrera or Jim Fregosi? Sandy Alomar or Adam Kennedy? Power or speed? The past or the present?

It all points to one question with hundreds of possibilities: Which Angel had the greatest offensive season at his position?

Major League baseball has been asking fans this same question in an effort to choose each team's best-ever collection of stars.

They are calling it MLB 9s.

In the 49-year history of the franchise, the team has gone by the name of the Los Angeles Angels, California Angels, Anaheim Angels, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

They have been to the playoffs nine times and have lifted the World Series once in 2002. Did Troy Glaus and Darin Erstad have better seasons than, say, Doug DeCinces or Reggie Jackson?

Here I have separated the contenders from the pretenders in an effort to pick my dream Angels lineup, based on their one career year. Have your say by commenting below, or by voting on the MLB site here .

My other MLB 9s you might want to check out are:

Diamondbacks , Braves , Orioles , Red Sox , Cubs , White Sox , Reds , Indians , Rockies , Tigers , and Marlins.

Catcher: Brian Downing (1979)

The catcher-turner-outfielder had a very good year at the dish with the California Angels in 1979. His 75 RBI, 77 walks and .326 batting average are the highest by an Angels' backstop.

Downing hit 27 doubles and 12 home runs, scoring 87 runs and racking up 235 total bases. He was selected to his first All-Star game and finished 14th in the AL MVP voting.

Highlight Game: Aug. 25, 1979 @ Toronto. In one of the biggest blowouts out the season, Downing went 4-for-5 with four runs, a walk, a triple, and a double to help the Angels destroy the hapless Blue Jays 24-2.

Competition: Lance Parrish (1990) hit 24 home runs and recorded 70 RBI, batting .268 and scoring 54 runs.

His 24 home runs are the most by any Angels' catcher, while his .338 on-base percentage and .451 slugging percentages both rank second.

Earl Averill had a similar year in 1961, with 21 homers and a .266 average. He would have been higher up the rankings, but he played in positions other than as catcher in 34 of the 115 games, including as a left fielder and pinch hitter.

First Base: Wally Joyner (1987)

There is a lot of competition at first base, but Joyner edges them out with his 1987 season.

Joyner hit 34 home runs and batted .285, recording 117 RBI and 100 runs.

HIS OPS+ statistic (a version of on-base and slugging percentages taking into account league averages) is the greatest of any Angels' first baseman, other than Don Mincher.

Joyner's 34 home runs are second all-time to Mo Vaughn who had 36 in 2000, and his .528 slugging percentage is above everyone except Kendry Morales.

The third-round draft pick finished 13th in the MVP voting.

Highlight Game: Oct. 3, 1987 vs Cleveland. In the penultimate game of the season, Joyner showed he still had a lot of fuel in his tank, hitting three home runs in a 12-5 victory over the Tribe.

He wet 3-for-3 with two walks, and it was the only time in his 15-year career that he went yard three times in one game.

Competition: Morales posted very comparable numbers in the 2009 season. He hit 34 home runs and drove in 119 runs, batting .306 (21 points higher than Joyner).

Vaughn's 36 home runs in 2000 is the most of any Angels' first bagger and, as with Joyner and Morales, he knocked in more than 100 runs and scored more than 80 times.

J.T. Snow and Lee Thomas also put up similar numbers, just with a little less power.

Second Base: Bobby Grich (1979)

Grich stands head and shoulders above any Angels' second baseman, from any era.

He hit 30 home runs in the 1979 season. No other second baseman has hit more than 17. He drove in 101 runs in 1979; the next best is 83. He slugged .543; Adam Kennedy ranks second with .449.

While Grich is worlds apart from other Angels second basemen, compared to the rest of the American League back in the late 70s, he was simply 'good.'

Highlight Game: May 31, 1979 @ Seattle. Grich went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, and five RBI in a 12-10 loss to the Mariners.

It was one of four multi-home run games for Grich in the 1979 season, and one of 13 hit in his 17-year career.

Competition: Billy Moran had a solid if not spectacular season in 1962. The All Star hit 17 home runs and drove in 74 runs. He batted .282 and had a .324 on-base percentage.

Rex Hudler also deserves mention for his 1996 season. He hit 16 homers, batted .311, and stole 14 bases.

Third Base: Troy Glaus (2000)

Glaus led the American League in home runs with 47 in 2000, winning his first Silver Slugger award and being rewarded with his first All-Star appearance.

The third baseman hit 37 doubles and drove in 102 runs, scoring 120 times and slugging .604.

He ranked fourth in the AL in walks (112) and total bases (340), and third in extra-base hits (85).

Highlight Game: April 21, 2000 @ Tampa Bay. Glaus went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, and four runs batted in.

It was one of six multi-homer games of his 2000 season, and one of 28 for his career.

Competition: Doug DeCinces batted .301 and hit 30 home runs in 1982, Tony Phillips hit 27 homers and scored 119 runs in 1995, and Chone Figgins batted .298 and stole 42 bases in 2009.

DeCinces finished third in the MVP voting in '82, and I would have no problem putting his season on a par with Glaus'.

Shortstop: Jim Fregosi (1970)

Back in the late 60s and early 1970s, Fregosi was a perennial All Star with the California Angels.

In 1970, Fregosi went to his sixth All Star game—his fifth in a row—and set a career high with 22 long balls.

He ranked sixth in the AL with 33 doubles and finished 12th in the MVP voting.

He batted .278 and recorded 82 RBI, the most by any Angels' shortstop. He still holds the franchise record for 22 home runs by a shortstop. His 95 runs is third all-time, while his 167 hits in a single season ranks sixth.

Highlight Game: May 18, 1970 @ Chicago White Sox. Fregosi went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, home run, walk, and three runs.

His four-hit day raised his batting average from .271 to .292 and the Angels won the game 6-1.

Competition: Dick Schofield is the only shortstop who could really rival Fergosi's power. In the '86 season he hit 13 home runs and stole 23 bases, but he batted .249 which makes it hard to root for him in this list.

The more recent options of Orlando Cabrera and David Eckstein provide a decent mix of batting average, stolen bases and runs. In 2007 Cabrera batted .301 with 20 steals and 101 runs. Eckstein went .293-21-107 in 2002.

Outfield: Vladimir Guerrero (2004)

Vlad had a picture-perfect MVP year with the Anaheim Angels in 2004, exceeding the high standards he set himself in Montreal in 2000 and 2002.

Guerrero hit 39 home runs, batted .337, and scored a league-leading 124 runs. His 366 total bases was also the high mark in the AL that year, and he ranked inside the top five in hits (206, third), RBI (126, fourth), and OBP (.989, third).

No Angels outfielder has ever hit more home runs or scored more runs in a single season, and Guerrero's 2004 season is also good enough for the third most RBI in one year.

While he only stole 15 bases, his running game was arguably better than during his stay in Canada where he had a permanent green light. In 2004, he was caught just three times, compared to 2002 when he stole 40 bags but was thrown out 20 times.

Highlight Game: June 2, 2004 vs Boston. The Angels beat the Red Sox 10-7 and Vlad Guerrero was responsible for nine of the runs.

He went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, and nine runs batted in. Guerrero hit a two-run homer off Pedro Martinez in the first inning, a two-run double in the third, a sacrifice fly to deep right field in the fourth, a three-run home run off Mike Timlin in the sixth, and an RBI-single in the seventh.

Don Baylor (1979)

From one MVP to another, Baylor was the gold standard by which all other players were measured in 1979.

Baylor, who split time between the corner outfield positions and DH spot, led the league with 139 RBI and 120 runs.

He batted .296 and hit 36 home runs while swiping 22 bags and drawing 71 walks.

His .371 on-base percentage and .530 slugging percentage were the highest of his Hall of Fame career, while his combination of power and speed was second only to Bobby Bonds.

Highlight Game: Aug. 25, 1979 @ Toronto. In a blow-out against the Blue Jays, Baylor had a pair of home runs and eight RBI as the Angels steam-rolled the Jays 24-2.

Baylor drilled a first-inning grand slam, followed by a three-run shot in the sixth—by which point the Angels were already winning 18-2.

Bobby Bonds (1977)

In his second and final year with the Angels, Bonds hit 37 home runs, drove in 115 runs and slugged .520.

He also stole 41 bases, ran out nine triples, and scored 103 runs. It is not too much of a stretch to say that he was the single reason why the Angles didn't finish bottom of the AL West behind the Mariners or As.

Bonds ranked second in the American League in home runs behind Jim Rice, second in RBI to Minnesota's Larry Hisle, and fourth in extra-base hits.

Highlight Game: June 23, 1979 @ Chicago White Sox. Bonds stole three bases and scored four runs in a 10-6 victory over the White Sox. He went 2-for-3 with two walks and a pair of runs batted in.

It was the only time he either scored four times or swiped three bases in the '79 season.

Competition: There is a lot of competition in the Angels' outfield. Darin Erstad batted .355 with 25 home runs, 100 RBI, 121 runs scored, and 28 stolen bases in 2000. While that alone would normally be good enough for automatic selection, it was simply a personal preference to go with Bonds.

Taking absolutely nothing away from Erstad, his 240 hits is a result of his league-leading 676 at bats and 747 plate appearances. It was also the exception rather than the rule, although I tried to keep this fact set aside because I was looking at single seasons in isolation.

Devon White also deserves an honorable mention for his 1987 season in which he hit 24 home runs and stole 32 bases. Unlike Erstad though, he only batted .263. Reggie Jackson hit 39 home runs in 1982, and both Chad Curtis and Lou Polonia swiped more than 40 bases in 1993 and 1991, respectively.

Tim Salmon (1995) is among the power outfielders who missed out on a spot on the list, while Fred Lynn (1982) and Alex Johnson (1970) brought a little of everything, but not enough of anything to the party.

Designated Hitter: Chili Davis (1994)

Davis was a better hitter in Los Angeles by the time his second stint with the Angels rolled around, following a two-year detour in Minnesota.

Davis hit 26 home runs in 108 games, batting .311 and driving in 84 runs.

He went to his third All Star game—his first in nine years—and even received a spattering of MVP votes. His 1995 season was very similar in terms of overall production and it would have been interesting to see what he could have done in California if he had played 40 more games that season.

30 home runs would not be out of the question, as he proved three years later at the age of 37 with the Royals.

Highlight Game: July 30, 1994 @ Texas. Davis only had two hits but they were big ones—a grand slam home run and a two-run jack. Davis finished with a season-high seven RBI and the Angels won 14-4.

Competition: Brian Downing was good in 1987, hitting 29 home runs and recording an on-base percentage of a round .400.

He led the AL with 106 walks and scored a career-high 110 runs.

Frank Robinson also receives a fleeting mention. He was by no means the same type of hitter that dominated the National League in the early 1960s with the Reds, or the player that shone in his first taste of AL action with the Os in 1966.

Despite only playing one full year in California, Robinson hit 30 home runs, batted in 97 men, and finished with a .266 clip.

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Rogie Vachon Speaks About Career, Hall Exclusion

Gann Matsuda — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:15:39 -0500

LOS ANGELES — Many hockey fans in the Los Angeles area have at least heard of Rogie Vachon. They may know that he was the best goaltender ever to wear the jersey of the Los Angeles Kings. But few know of his accomplishments with the Kings and with the Montreal Canadiens prior to his arrival in Southern California.

Even fewer know that Vachon’s accomplishments rank him among the greatest goaltenders to have ever played the game, yet he continues to be denied the honor of being inducted into the hallowed halls of the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF).

A close look at Vachon’s career statistics shows that he ranks ahead of a considerable number of goaltenders who were inducted into the HHOF years ago (for details, see Time To Right A Wrong: Hockey Hall of Fame Must Induct Rogie Vachon).

“If there was anyone who deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame who is not—if you look at his numbers, a Vezina Trophy, three Stanley Cups, and the fact is, he wasn’t just the second fiddle on that [Montreal Canadiens] team,” said Brian Kennedy, who featured Vachon in his new book, Living The Hockey Dream. “He shared the goaltending duties with Gump Worsley in that Vezina season and they won the Cup that same season, let alone everything he did for the Kings in the mid-Seventies.”

“There is no way we can keep that guy out of the Hockey Hall of Fame,” added Kennedy.

Vachon got his start in the National Hockey League with the Canadiens in the 1966-67 season, back when the league still consisted of its Original Six teams.

“They called me up with nineteen games to go and, at that time, the coach never told you who’s going to play that night,” said Vachon. “The tradition was that the trainer would come in just before the warm-up and give the puck to the goalie who plays.”

“That night, the trainer gave me the puck, so that was a bit of a shock,” added Vachon. “Especially during the warm-up when I was trying to settle down. On top of that, my first shot in the National Hockey League was a breakaway from Gordie Howe from the blue line in.”

Facing the legendary Gordie Howe, at the time, the best player to have ever played the game, on a breakaway in his NHL debut? Talk about a rude welcome to the league!

“It was incredible,” Vachon noted. “The defenseman [Ted Harris] stood up [at the Detroit blue line] and the pass came across to Howe on the wing. From the blue line in, he was all by himself. That was a little scary.”

“I don’t know how, but I stopped him and that probably helped me with my career because I settled down,” Vachon added. “That night, I had about forty shots and beat Detroit, 3-2. Everything went really well at the start.”

Things continued to go well for Vachon, who went on to win three Stanley Cups with the Canadiens in four seasons.

He almost won another one with them as well.

“When I broke in, there were only six teams in the league,” said Vachon. “That was the last year Toronto won the Cup. We lost [to them] in the finals, so I came close to winning another Cup.”

Off To The New Frontier

Although Vachon won his third Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1970-71, it was Ken Dryden who backstopped the Canadiens in the playoffs, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Vachon knew the Canadiens would anoint Dryden as their number one goaltender after that.

“It was pretty disappointing because I was just starting my career, too,” said Vachon. “But Kenny comes in, plays all the playoffs, wins the Cup and winds up the MVP of the playoffs.”

“I knew that management was going to go with him the [next] season,” added Vachon. “I was still young and I wanted to be the number one goalie somewhere, so I asked to be traded.”

The Habs honored his wishes, trading Vachon to the Kings on November 4, 1971, in exchange for Denis Dejordy, Dale Hoganson, Noel Price and Doug Robinson.

For Vachon, exchanging the Canadiens sweater for a Kings jersey was a drastic change, to say the least.

“It was a culture shock, that’s for sure,” Vachon reminisced. “Coming from the best team in hockey to here where the team was lousy—we were terrible. That year, I popped my knee so I was out for the year and we were out of the playoffs by Christmas, that’s how bad we were.”

“It wasn’t only the weather outside, but also, we didn’t have a lot of fans coming in,” added Vachon. “Compared to Montreal where we had a sell-out for every game. So yeah, it was a big difference.”

Indeed, Vachon went from a dynasty team to a struggling, four-year-old expansion franchise.

“When I first [joined the Kings], it was pretty rough,” said Vachon. “We used to go on the road and sometimes, I would give up five goals and play an incredible game, but still lose 5-0.”

“In those days, we gave up a lot of scoring chances because we weren’t as good,” added Vachon. “Especially the top teams like Boston, Montreal and the New York Rangers—when they came into town, they just blew us away. They spent eighty percent of the game in our zone.”

Vachon toiled in the nets for a couple of awful Kings teams until they finally broke through and made the playoffs in the 1973-74 season.

“When Bob Pulford came in as coach [in the 1972-73 season], it really changed things around,” he said. “He installed a good defensive system and they brought in some decent defensemen and a couple of scorers. The franchise changed around quite a bit in 1974-75.”

That season, when the Kings set a franchise record that still stands today with 105 points, is the one that stands out for Vachon.

“It was a good time,” said Vachon. “When Pulford came in and we started to be respectable and a lot of fans started to come in, they made the trade for Marcel Dionne—all of a sudden, the franchise started to get a little better.”

But even though Vachon often won games all by himself on teams that were mediocre, at best, he was unable to get the Kings past the first round of the playoffs.

“Unfortunately, in those days, the first playoff round was a two-out-of three, which was ridiculous,” Vachon lamented. “You lose the first game, you had no chance to come back. We lost to Toronto and to [superstar goaltender] Tony [Esposito] and Chicago.”

Despite not being able to get the Kings out of the first round of the playoffs, Vachon was not just a superstar. He was also a leader, a part of his game that he brought with him from Montreal.

Indeed, one of Vachon’s most vivid memories about his time wearing the bleu, blanc et rouge (blue, black and red) jersey of the storied Canadiens is the attitude and pride that was present throughout the franchise.

“We had great defense and a lot of scoring,” Vachon explained. “There was so much tradition in those days. Everyone refused to lose. If we lost two games in a row, it was total panic in Montreal.”

“There was just so much pride in that jersey,” Vachon elaborated. “It meant so much for everybody, especially the players.”

Bob Berry, a pro scout for the Kings, played six seasons with Vachon here in Los Angeles.

“The fact that [Vachon] came from [the Montreal Canadiens] organization, which still has a mystical, mythical ring to it—but in those days, to come from Montreal, he was not just bringing Rogie Vachon,” said Berry. “He was bringing a little bit of one of the great championship organizations ever in any kind of sport. It was special.”

“He was a competitive guy who had a lot to do with teaching us how to win because of the way he played and the way he competed when he first came here from Montreal,” added Berry. “He came here with really high credentials.”

Berry said that Vachon’s competitiveness is what he remembers most.

“There would be times, especially when we were at home, when we were asleep in the first period and got outshot, 12-4, and only be down, 1-0,” Berry related. “Rogie would come [into the dressing room] and break his stick over the water cart and that really was all he did. He didn’t curse or swear or anything.”

“We realized that here was a guy who was a winner, he was competitive and he really worked hard, and I’m not making this up,” Berry elaborated. “This is the way it was. [We thought], ‘Jesus Christ. He’s really mad at us. We’d better get going,’ and we did.”

“It wasn’t usually verbal. We all knew what kind of competitor he was. It was just a tacit feeling throughout the room that Rogie was pissed off and that he’s bailed us out so many times we’d better get going, and I’m sure if you asked all the other guys who were there, they’d tell you the same thing.”

Vachon explained that all he was trying to do was light a fire under his teammates.

“It did happen a few times and it was all about motivation,” he said. “It started in Montreal, doing that kind of stuff. I hated to have anyone score on me, even in practice. When you get used to that mentality, when you go into the games, sometimes I would come in after the first period after giving up a goal, I’d say, ‘All right. You get me two goals and that’s it. We’re going to win the game because they’re not going to score another one.’”

Indeed, even with superstar center Marcel Dionne joining the team in the 1975-76 season, Vachon was the biggest reason the Kings teams Berry played on had any success at all.

“Part of us learning how to win as a team was to keep our goals against down and I think under coach Bob Pulford, we all thought we were doing things well defensively,” Berry explained. “He brought a lot to it. But that said, it was still Rogie who was the last line of defense, and on most nights, when we would win close games, 3-1 or 2-1, or whatever it happened to be in those days, it was usually him who bailed us out and made big stops.”

“He would keep the ship afloat and we’d finally understand that we’d better get going,” Berry stressed. “It didn’t happen every night, but it happened enough. He taught us how to win.”

Of course, the leadership Vachon provided would have meant nothing if he was a poor or even just an average goaltender. But he backed up his leadership with elite level skill.

“He was a goaltender, and there haven’t been many in Kings history, that when he was in goal, you knew you had a chance to win the game, or that he would keep you in the game,” said long-time “Voice of the Kings,” Bob Miller, who called the action for five of Vachon’s seasons with the Kings.

“He was so good, so good,” added Miller, the 2000 recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, recognizing those members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting, making him a media honoree in the Hockey Hall of Fame. “I remember one story...we were in Chicago Stadium and Dennis Hull was playing for Chicago. He came down left wing and, to this day, it was the hardest shot I’ve ever seen. It got deflected up into the third balcony. I couldn’t even see it.”

“I saw Rogie later and I asked him, ‘tell me what you’re thinking when you see Dennis Hull ready to shoot.’ He said, ‘well, I know the only way I can stop it is if he hits me, so I hope he hits me.’ I said, ‘what?!’”

Miller, who is now in his 37th season of calling the action for the Kings, said that Vachon’s courage was one of the reasons he was a superstar.

“He was a courageous goaltender and a huge fan favorite here,” Miller explained. “I think he was probably the first real fan favorite here for the Kings and he had some outstanding games with teams that, early in his career and my career here, were defensive-minded teams under Bob Pulford.”

“Pully’s idea of a great game was 1-0 and the puck went in off of somebody’s rear end,” Miller added. “But [Vachon] fit that mold perfectly because he was so good.”

Miller marveled at Vachon’s superior skill.

“I remember how acrobatic he was in goal,” said Miller. “The other thing I remember is that he had such a good glove hand. He’d keep his glove down at his side and let he shooter think, ‘I’ve got that upper corner,’ and then, all of a sudden, he’d flash that glove up.”

“I remember some of the games against the Montreal Canadiens and games against some of the other teams that were really good at the time,” added Miller. “Players used to think, ‘I’ve got him’ and he’d make the save. He was really fun to watch, there was no doubt about that.”

Shame On The Hockey Hall of Fame

As stated earlier, Vachon’s career statistics and accomplishments make a rock solid case for him being more than worthy of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“He wasn’t a big guy, yet he played so well and really, the shame is that he’s not in the Hockey Hall of Fame when the numbers he has are better than some who are in the Hall of Fame, and he has those seasons and those numbers with very mediocre Kings teams,” said Miller.

“The nights he played for us, he certainly was in the [Hall of Fame] category,” said Berry.

Vachon’s stellar play in the 1976 Canada Cup tournament also adds to his credentials, as he led Canada to the tournament championship with a 1.39 goals-against average, a .963 save percentage and two shutouts in seven games. He was named as the best goalie of the tournament and the Most Valuable Player for Canada.

“That was pretty awesome, too,” Vachon beamed. “It’s totally different from winning the Stanley Cup because you’re playing for your country. We had such a great team and I was really hot in goal, but we still had to go into overtime to win the [championship]. That’s how good the other teams were.”

“I remember the last game we played against the Czechs,” Vachon added. I made one of the best glove saves of my career. A forward came in, about thirty feet away, I think it was [Ivan] Hlinka. He was the top star in those days for the Czech team. I just grabbed it and that was in overtime.”

The biggest reason Vachon has been overlooked by the Hockey Hall of Fame is because during his time in the NHL, cable and satellite television, the World Wide Web, YouTube, mobile phones and the like, did not exist. Moreover, the Kings only had about fifteen games on television each season at the time.

“There were very, very few games on TV,” Vachon explained. “There were probably 15-20 games broadcast locally and the all people back East would just read about it in the paper.”

To be sure, Vachon played in complete anonymity on most nights except to those in Southern California.

“It’s pretty strange,” said Vachon. “When you played in the West in those days, you didn’t get the recognition that guys like [Ed] Giacomin got in New York or some of the guys playing in Montreal. It hurt some of the guys here, including me.”

“If you compare my numbers with the guys who were inducted at that time, there’s no question that I should’ve been there,” added Vachon. “But what are you going to do?”

“If [Vachon] had [been the number one goaltender] in Montreal [for all those years], he would have been a first ballot Hall of Famer,” Miller emphasized. “But he did it here and they didn’t hear about it.”

Although Vachon does not seem to be bitter about being passed over for induction, he is disappointed.

“It’s disappointing,” he said, “Every hockey player dreams about being in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But certain things in life you can’t control and that’s one of them.”

Vachon came ever so close to induction in 1987, his first year of eligibility.

“The first time around, someone on the [selection] committee told me that I had missed by one vote,” he said.

“That’s missing from my resume,” he added. “Even though my jersey has been retired [by the Kings], that’s it. [Induction into the Hall of Fame is] the ultimate for an athlete, to be in the hall. All the people come in and see that you're there. It would mean a lot.”

But since 1987? Nothing. Nevertheless, hope remains.

“A few years ago, Dick Duff, [who played in Montreal, Toronto and briefly in Los Angeles] had to wait all those years but they finally put him in the Hall [in 2006],” said Vachon. “He was like me, waiting more than twenty or thirty years.”

Miller said that the Hockey Hall of Fame’s credibility is weakened by the fact that Vachon is still not an honored member.

“It really is a shame and the Hockey Hall of Fame should be ashamed of themselves that he wasn’t nominated earlier or not nominated at all,” said Miller. “If some of those guys who are on the Selection Committee played against him, I would think they would say yes, he deserves to be in there.”

“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, there’s no doubt about it.”

Photo: Rogie Vachon. Courtesy Los Angeles Kings.

This story was originally published on Frozen Royalty, where you can find more in-depth coverage of the Los Angeles Kings and the NHL.

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