The Blog

Daniel Adler: Committed To Losing

2009-11-25T22:08:38Z

In the New York Times, economist Richard Thaler discussed Swoopo.com, a so-called “entertainment shopping” site. The premise is relatively simple and somewhat diabolical. Unlike normal auctions sites such as eBay—which operates as a modified second price auction—Swoopo.com bidders pay to place each bid in addition to the final selling price. Though the items sell for far less than retail price, the aggregate of money spent on bids is huge. Some auctions go in 1 cent increments, so the site rakes in 61 times the final sale price (60 cents for each cent the bid goes up and the actual price).

Richard Thaler wrote my favorite sports economics paper, but this issue has an even greater connection to the world of sports. In the article, Thaler talks about the psychological principle of commitment, one of Robert Cialdini’s weapons of influence. Basically, once we start playing, we hate to lose.

While reading the article, I suddenly realized that little separates me as a sports fan from the Swoopo.com bidder who just spent $1000 on a $200 camera. As a fan of the Cleveland teams, I am a prime example of a person with a commitment problem—too much commitment. With each game I went to as a child, each hat I bought, each bag of peanuts I devoured, I was pulling myself deeper and deeper into the spiral of commitment. Now, I am stuck rooting for teams that have not won a championship since 1964.

This phenomenon does not just present itself in the world of sports fandom. Sports teams fall prey to the commitment principle. Frequently, they fail to understand the idea of sunk costs. Once they have committed, they are reluctant to drop a player. Take the Houston Texans, who were faced with a decision about quarterback David Carr after his fourth season. The team had already sunk a first overall pick and $21.75 million into the former Fresno State star and it was clear he was not a very good player. To retain Carr’s services for three more seasons, his contract called for an $8 million option bonus (in addition to his salary during those seasons). If they did not pay the option bonus, they would have to release Carr or try to get him to renegotiate his deal. Already deeply invested in Carr, the Texans exercised the option and ended up spending $13.25 million to keep David Carr around for a fifth season. They dropped him the next year.

If I was starting over, I would probably choose to root for more successful teams, but this is the hand my hometown has dealt me. Will it be that much sweeter if/when a Cleveland team finally wins? I can only commit to hoping that is true.

Check out our website: http://harvardsportsanalysis.wordpress.com/

Len Berman: Len's Holiday Eve Top 5

2009-11-25T21:36:25Z

Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 25, 2009 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

It's unanimous. Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cards wins the National League MVP award for the second straight year. It's his third overall.

The NFL and concussions. The co-chairmen of the league's committee on brain injuries have resigned. This issue continues to blow up.

The NBA's longest tenured owner, Abe Pollin of the Washington Wizards, has passed away at the age of 85.

A team grows in Brooklyn. The New York State Supreme Court rules that the Nets can use eminent domain to throw out homeowners and businesses which get in the way of their new arena. The Nets are now 0-14 after losing to Denver last night. The NBA record is 0-17.

Tomorrow's Turkey Day NFL menu:

Green Bay at Detroit 12:30PM Eastern FOX

Oakland at Dallas 4:15PM Eastern CBS

Giants at Denver 8:20PM Eastern NFL Network

2. Political Football

Who better to help the BCS tidy up its image than Ari Fleischer? Just about everyone hates the BCS system, the way they choose college football teams to play in bowl games. So Fleischer has been hired to help 'em out. It's a perfect fit. He was a press secretary for President George W. Bush. If he could help explain what W. was doing, then the BCS should be a piece of cake. (Oh calm down Republicans, we're just funnin').

3. The Answer

For those of you who can't find anything good to say about Allen Iverson who got shunned by the hopeless Knicks, here's a positive. The Memphis Grizzlies had planned "Allen Iverson Jersey Night" before they got rid of him. As for the jerseys, they're being sent to impoverished children in Tanzania. Nothing but net!

4. Friday Mailbag (Short Week)

In the continuing debate on the "fairness/unfairness" of the NFL overtime rule, M.M. writes: "What would people say if baseball had a coin toss, and the game ended as soon as someone scored? I can see it now. The Yankees win the toss, and the next batter up, A-Rod, hits a home run to end the game."

From subscriber K.V. "I along with thousands of Knick fans send well-wishes and prayers to my old buddy, Dean 'The Dream' Meminger." Editor's Note: Amen. Dean, the former Knick, suffered smoke inhalation in a Bronx fire on Sunday.

In response to my being a "great" judge of character (Jayson Williams and O.J. Simpson were too of my favorite interviews), J.C. writes: "Don't feel bad. The center fielder on our temple softball team was Madoff's auditor. Never approached us, who knew?"

As for the Mets finally getting around to saluting the Mets at Citi Field, G.F. scoffs: "So the Mets want to pay tribute to themselves? Start with a statue of Timo Perez. He taught the Mets not to hustle and they still practice that fine art 10 years later."

And R.B. suggests a new Ben and Jerry's flavor in honor of the late Phil Rizzuto: "Huckleberry Pie."

5. Turkey Awards

And while I've been collecting your votes at www.ThatsSports.com.

For what you consider the greatest moment in sports, in conjunction with my new kids book, subscriber John D. thinks maybe there should be a book called "The Not-so Great Moments in Sports." He would include Tonya Harding trying to maim Nancy Kerrigan, Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield's ear, and Juan Marichal bashing Johnny Roseboro with a bat. All that violence? John admits it's more of a "kids horror story." And thats sports!

Happy Birthday: Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. 33. Bonus Birthdays: The Bush twins, Barbara and Jenna. 29. Joltin' Joe DiMaggio would have been 95 today.

Today in Sports: Yankee catcher Thurman Munson wins the AL Rookie of the Year award. 1970. Bonus Event: "You'll go down in history!" Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer hits the music charts. 1949.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Len's Top 5 will resume Monday November 30th.

Michael Pina: Phoenix Suns: A Futile Reclamation Project

2009-11-25T20:03:22Z

The late, brilliant author F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote there are no second acts in American lives. Despite having a Canadian point guard and two bench players from Brazil and Slovenia, the Phoenix Suns are currently pushing as hard as possible to make Fitzgerald's famous aphorism a false prophesy.

With a new coach (Alvin Gentry) and a new stable of trigger happy, deadly accurate long ball snipers who know their role and fill it splendidly (Channing Frye, Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley) the Suns are back to where they once were.

Before Shaquille O'Neal and his hurricane ego came in and switched up the standing philosophy, before Mike D'Antoni got sick of his new boss' incessant neck breathing and punched a one way ticket to Broadway and before the insufferable Terry Porter era, the Suns were the talk of their sport. A group of castoffs who willingly bought into the ".07 seconds or less" offensive ideology and met unparalleled success.

From 2004 to 2007, Phoenix finished first in the Pacific Division while leading the entire league in points per game. Every year it was the same story. Dominant regular season followed by a heartbreaking playoff loss. Basketball analysts far and wide proclaimed the all offense, no defense way of life a great way to put fans in the seats and win a lot of regular season basketball games. But as the saying goes, defense wins championships.

In those three years, the Suns finished 30th, 27th and 23rd in opponent points per game. Phoenix didn't play defense and thus could never get over that hump.

After a dark, two year period that bottomed out with no playoff appearance last season, it looked like the curtain was finally closing on Phoenix's relevance.

With things looking like they were headed towards a dreaded rebuilding phase, Phoenix instead chose to shock the basketball world.

As of Nov. 24, the Suns are tied with two other teams for the league's best record at 11-3 and are scoring more points per game than anybody else (110.4). On the flip, they're also second to last in steals and 25th in opponent points per game (105.5). They're second in field goal percentage, second in three-point percentage and third in assists.

All of the offensive numbers are undoubtedly due to the elaborate, flashy scheme, but the man in the clouds, the puppeteer and irreplaceable piece, is Steve Nash.

An early MVP favorite yet again, he's the only player in the league averaging double digits in assists and his two 20 assist games through the first eight games is utterly ridiculous. Nash is their unquestioned leader and what he says goes. The organization's pulse thumps each time the ball travels from his fingertips to the hardwood.

The two-time MVP is a model leader. Someone who can relate to almost all of his teammates and psychologically dissect their needs as well as their weaknesses. He knows that Phoenix is not as talented or deep as Boston or L.A. but that doesn't mean he can't will his troops to a triumphant victory cigar against the best of the best. He's psychologically understanding of his team's mindset and the only way they can get to their mountain top.

"This is the type of team that's got to be humble and be an underdog throughout the whole season," Nash said. "The minute we say we're a certain caliber of team, there's a danger there. We just got to keep being humble and treating this like a project that's going to take the whole season."

Not to play devil's advocate or anything, but let it be said that Phoenix is right where they were to begin the 2004-05 season, holding a flame under the NBA's collective cushion. Running up and down the court, firing threes and making 100 points look like a lay-up. Unfortunately this doesn't make them a championship contender. No matter how successful they are during the first 82 games, it's a moot point until they can at the very least make a finals appearance.

During their footnote of prevalence, Phoenix was the biggest tease in sports. Bigger than Playboy putting Jessica Alba on their March 2006 cover with no inclusion of an actual photo shoot.

Maybe this is the year the system prevails and maybe the Suns finally shoot their ring fingers into a most coveted jewel. But history says it's not going to happen and as the saying goes, their first act is running on fumes.

Fitzgerald's sure of it.

Alyssa Jung: Play "Hit It & Quit It," Bills Week 11

2009-11-25T18:57:08Z

I think it's safe to say that anybody who is familiar with my writing is well aware that I very publicly experience extreme highs and lows each week--sharing those moments with you are the best part of being Bills Chick (and they might function as a type of therapy, too). So I bet y'all saw the score of Sunday's game, maybe even watched some of it and fully expected this edition of "Hit it & Quit it" to be heavy on the "Quit its" and chronicle how my heart broke completely apart over the course of three hours. Well, you're all WRONG! When I got over my slightly exaggerated crying...excuse me, sobbing... session I actually felt overwhelmingly proud of the Bills. So let's hit it!

Hit it! Perry Fewell. Your first game as head coach wasn't easy but it was a battle hard fought and I personally think you did a helluva job. Words can't describe how it felt to see my emotions mirrored on your face. That sounds dramatic but let's be serious, this is me we're talking about and I've been waiting for our head coach to act as passionately as I feel forever. Finally, I've met my match (if that's possible). Without the penalties (please, can you just rip the O-line a new one this week?!) your play calling would have been enough to win us the game so so far, you're two for two.

Hit it! Ryan Fitzpatrick. I take back every bad thing I said about you during preseason. Throwing for 297 yards is fabulous. And, you dropped a few passes into heavy coverage that were so on point that they were actually caught. Looks like you, Terrell and Lee finally found your groove. Please do it again this Sunday.

Hit it! Defense. Kudos on actually functioning against the Jacksonville run. That was the type of shocker I'll take from you any week.

Quit it! O-Line. I'm sorry, but not only do you guys still not understand the concept that penalties don't help us--they actually kill us--you also played pathetically against the worst ranked pass rush in the league. Really?!

Hit it! Terrell. Seeing you smile instead of mope on the sidelines in my favorite red hat was a glimpse of the Terrell I know and love. Thanks for snagging your longest TD reception (98 yards) and for securing the fourth spot for all-time receiving yardage as a Bill.

If you guys could elicit a "Hit it & Quit it" like this for next week...except win this time...that would be really really really great.

GO BILLS!!!

Wayne Winston: The NBA's Unsung Heroes

2009-11-25T18:53:54Z

All NBA fans know Kobe, LeBron, DWade, and Dirk are great players. In today’s post we want to put the spotlight on some of the NBA’s unsung heroes. As you probably know, we believe in evaluating players based on Adjusted +/-. An Adjusted +/- rating of +10 for Player A, for example, means that our best estimate is that if Player A replaced an average NBA player for a game, his team would play 10 points better. Let’s now look at how Adjusted +/- reveals some unsung heroes.

The Knicks are bad but Larry Hughes is Playing Great!

The Knicks currently have a 3-11 record and have played 7.3 points worse than league average. When Larry Hughes is in, however, the Knicks play 1 point (all figures are per 48 minutes) better than average! When Hughes is out the Knicks play 20 points worse than average. Looking at these numbers it is not surprise that Larry’s Adjusted +/- is +18. The key to Hughes’ great play has been his defense. His defensive rating of -13 means that adjusting for other players on the court our best estimate is that Hughes causes the Knicks to give up 13 fewer points per game.

By the way, with Hughes, Gallinari and Harrington in the Knicks play 22 points better than average! Please play them together more often. On the other hand with Duhon, Lee and Chandler in and Hughes out the Knicks play 15 points worse than average while Duhon Chandler and Lee in with Hughes plays only 6 points worse than average.

Maybe the Best Gasol does not play in LA?

Pau Gasol’s younger brother Marc Gasol is having an all star year for the Grizzlies. When Marc is in the game the Grizzlies play 5 points better than average and when he is out the Grizzlies play 26 points worse than average. It is no surprise that Marc currently ranks 3^rd in the NBA (behind Dirk and Kobe) with an Adjusted +/- of +27 points. Zach Randolph is also having a great year (Adjusted +/- of +17). When Zach and Marc are in the Grizzlies play 8 points better than average and can compete with anyone. When both these guys are out the Grizzlies play a woeful 40 points worse than average.

Is Beno Udrih is the Best Point Guard you never heard of?

The Sacramento Kings are no longer the laughing stock of the league. This year they have played only 4 points worse than average, and the major region for their return to respectability is the great play of point guard Beno Udrih. Udrih currently has an Adjusted +/- of +13 points, due to his Offense rating of +13 (his defense is average). When Udrih is in the Kings are actually 2 points better than an average NBA team. When he is out, the Kings play 11 points worse than an average NBA team.

Backup Ime Udoka also deserves some credit for the Kings’ resurgence. When Udoka is in the Kings play 6 points better than average. With Udoka and Udrih in the Kings play 10 points better than average. Maybe Udoka should play more?

Marco Belinelli is Awesome!

Marco Bellinelli was traded from the Warriors to the Raptors during the off-season. He is certainly making the most of his increased playing time. Bellinelli has an Adjusted +/- of +15 points. To see why look at the following amazing stats:

When Bellinelli is in with Bargnani, the Raptors play 23 points better than average. When Bargnani is in without Bellinelli, the Raptors are just an average team.
When Bosh and Turkoglu are in without Bellinelli the Raptors are 4 points better than an average team. Enter Bellinelli and the Raptors play 23 points better than average.

The Raptors have one of the NBA’s best lineups: Bosh, Turkoglu, Bellinelli, Calderon and Bargnani. So far this lineup has played 44 points per game better than an average NBA lineup. Put four three point shooters in with a good low post player and you are virtually unguardable. This may be the best NBA quintet in history that includes only one American.

Chuck Hayes is still Amazing!

By now the Rocket’s Chuck Hayes has been praised so much he may no longer qualify as an underrated player. Nevertheless he is an amazing story. Undrafted out of college, he averages only 6 points per game but he has an Adjusted +/- of +24 points. Amazingly, he makes the Rockets 12 points better per game on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. When Hayes is in the Rockets play 12 points better than an average NBA team, and when he is out the Rockets play 1 point worse than average. Every NBA team should be looking for the next Chuck Hayes.

Luol Deng keys the Bulls Success

Joakim Noah leads the NBA in rebounding so most fans think he is having a great season. Our Adjusted +/- ratings instead point to Luol Deng as the Bull’s best player. When Deng is in the game the Bulls play 3 points worse than average; when Deng is out the Bulls play 14 points worse than average. When Noah is in without Deng the Bulls are a woeful 24 points worse than average, but when Deng is in without Noah the Bulls are 11 points better than average. The quartet of Miller, Deng, Salmons and Noah is very effective, playing 12 points better than average in 64 minutes. By the way if you take away the time Miller, Deng, Salmons, and Noah are on the court or Miller and Deng are in without Noah, the Bulls play a woeful 13 points worse than average.

For more details on how to compute Adjusted +/- ratings you may look at chapter 40 of my new book Mathletics.

Graham Bensinger: Maxine Waters Blasts NFL

2009-11-25T04:57:36Z

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D - CA) recently joined me on my radio show. The interview was primarily focused on the October 28th NFL Congressional Hearing and her questioning Commissioner Roger Goodell. We also briefly discussed health care reform and the House Ethics Committee investigating her.

Click here to listen to audio of full 20+ minute radio interview

Below are a few excerpts from our conversation.

Bensinger: How satisfied are you with the information provided by the NFL during the hearing?

Waters: I'm not satisfied with the performance of the NFL, Mr. Goodell, in that hearing we just held. I've not been satisfied with them for a long time on the issues of the benefits that are lacking for NFL players, particularly the older players. They never admit anything. They never have straight answers. They come and they're in a defensive mode ... They just dance around the issues.

Bensinger: What is it specifically about their unwillingness to address the issues that really bothers you?

Waters: They obviously have a strategy of not recognizing disabilities. You have many of these older players who are now destitute, who are all broken up, who are living pretty dismal lives. Their injuries are directly related to the years that they played football. ... One NFL player that I mentioned in my testimony had Alzheimer's at fifty [years-old] and died homeless. Well, if they [the NFL] had not fought him on his benefits and he had been able to receive benefits, he may have been able to live another 20 years. They don't want that. They don't want to have to pay benefits for these disabled NFL players for any extended period of time so they fight it. They have sophisticated lawyers that do everything possible from having to accept responsibility.

Bensinger: You did press Commissioner Goodell about how the league was addressing the welfare of retired players during the current collective bargaining negotiations. What changes would you like to see made?

Waters: They need a whole new benefit package. Some time ago when I first started to look at this, my husband, who was an NFL player, had friends who were increasingly becoming disabled. ... I became very familiar with the NFL retirement plan, the Bert Bell Plan. At that time, if you took early retirement, you could not get any disability at all. Remember, most of those players didn't make very much money. After their seven, eight, nine years in the league, when they retired, they took what retirement was offered to them which was very little money. Then, they became disabled maybe five, six, seven years later and they were eligible for nothing because of the way the rules were written. Now what you have is all these older players who are operating under the old rules of the benefits plan. They average probably six hundred or seven hundred dollars a month at the most. They [the NFL] need to go and revisit that. They need to try and compensate them [the former players] in their old age so that they can have a decent quality of life.

Bensinger: To what extent did the Commissioner's failure to acknowledge a connection between head injuries on the football field and later brain diseases remind you of the tobacco companies back in the 1990s denying links between smoking and health damage?

Waters: Very much so. Very much so. And of course we continued to struggle and struggle and struggle until we finally got some justice on that issue. I said to Commissioner Goodell that I really thought we should take away their anti-trust exemption because that is what they really care about. That's where the money is made. I want to convince my colleagues that the only way we're going to get them to pay attention to us is to take away that special exemption that they have.

Bensinger: Health Care. If you had to put yourself in the role of a critic of this [House] bill, what do you think would be pointed out as the downside of it?

Waters: I think we have to be worried about overall cost. Don't forget, we're going to be providing subsidies to some people who work every day but make low wages and can't afford the cost of insurance. ... We're going to have to be very careful that for those people who independently purchase their insurance now -- that we don't do something that's going to cause that to rise. That would be middle class folks who purchase their insurance independently -- we cannot cause their premiums to go up and that's what I'm concerned about. ... I think the cost is what most of us are going to have to be concerned about.

Bensinger: The public learned the House Ethics Committee was looking into you back in September. Some have suggested that the announcement that it voted to establish a subcommittee to investigate you means the committee believes there is sufficient cause. Why do you believe you're being looked into?

Waters: You have to remember that I do operate very strongly on behalf of women and minorities. I setup a meeting on behalf of the National Bankers Association which is the association that represents the minority banks in this country. These small banks don't have access to the treasurer. These small banks don't have access to the regulators. If you're Bank of America, or Wells Fargo, or JP Morgan, or Goldman Sachs -- you walk in and out of the treasurer's office just like you own it. These are all pals. They come from Goldman Sachs. They come into government to work. They protect their old bosses and their old companies. If you are small independent banks, you just don't have access so they come to us and they say, "Will you help me get an ear? I've got to talk." This happened after Freddie and Fannie basically was taken over. A lot of the small banks had their investments in Fannie and Freddie -- the quasi-government agencies. That was supposed to be a safe place for these small banks to invest their money so that they would have the capital that they need in order to do business. Well, after the collapse of Fannie and Freddie and the takeover, they came and I made an appointment for the association. Not for an individual bank. Not for any individual bank, but for the entire association which is acceptable. One of those banks is a bank that we do business with. We have to do business somewhere with some bank. All members do. It just so happens that one of the many banks represented by this association is a bank where my husband had an investment. That's what they're looking at and I feel confident that I'll be exonerated [and] that I'll be dismissed. I hope they take a very thorough look at it. We'll cooperate with them in any way we can. I'm an advocate for small and minority banks and other institutions and I'll just have to continue to do that. That's how I work. That's why I'm there.

Graham Bensinger is a sports reporter and radio talk show host. His website is www.GrahamBensinger.com. Email Graham at: Graham@TheGBShow.com

Laine Ewen: Bucs vs. Saints Recap: QB-Of-The-Future

2009-11-24T22:44:53Z

You know, it did a heart good to see the Bucs' QB-of-the-Future out there on the field this Sunday. He took charge, he made plays, he inspired confidence in his team. It's the kind of performance that made you think, hey, now that was a great draft pick. Some might have doubted his talents and thought he was too much of a project, but he just went out there and led his subpar team to a W. What more can you ask for.

So I'd just like to say a special thanks to you, Bruce Gradkowski. You really made this team ...

Er, what?

Oh, Gradkowski plays for the Oakland Raiders now?

Huh. Ok, well, never mind then. (Though props still go to the cumbersomely-monikered one for his team's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.)

The Bucs' own QB-of-the-Future had considerably less success this weekend. Josh Freeman engineered an opening touchdown drive that highlighted all of the rookie's best assets (strong arm, quick feet, good eye down the field), but the success was short-lived. Freeman struggled mightily for the rest of the game. He lost a fumble, threw three interceptions and was otherwise so inaccurate that Antonio Bryant's return to the team was a virtual non-issue. Perhaps the coaches' lack of confidence in Freeman's play explains the fact that the Bucs ran the first two downs and passed the third nearly every time they had the ball -- even when down by several touchdowns. This "rush, rush, pass" pattern netted the Bucs exactly 0 points in the final three quarters. Which -- for non-math majors -- is significantly fewer points than the 31 that the Saints scored during the same period.

But, look, Freeman is a rookie, and he's going to play like one sometimes. Which bears the question: What's the excuse for the defense? The Bucs, per usual, could not stop the run (Saints running backs averaged over 5 yards per carry), could not shut down the Saints' receivers (even when the receiver in question was back-up tight end Dave Thomas), and I'm pretty sure the only time the defense laid a hand on Saints QB Drew Brees was during the post-game handshakes.

This no offense/no defense combo against a powerhouse Saints team made for another entirely-too-long afternoon in this entirely-too-long Buc season. On the bright side, though, the more weeks pass, the closer we Bucs fans are to having a star QB-of-the-present instead of a star QB-of-the-future.

Or that's the hope.

Cross-published on chicksinthehuddle.com.

Billy Altman: Mets' Mo(u)rning Jacket

2009-11-24T22:02:40Z

As all baseball fans know, the weeks following the end of the World Series are highlighted by the "hardware" season - the bestowing by the Baseball Writers Association of America of individual achievement awards in the American and National Leagues for everything from outstanding fielding by position (the Gold Glove awards), outstanding hitting by position (the Sliver Slugger awards) and outstanding pitchers (the Cy Young Awards), to Rookies of the Year, Managers of the Year and, finally the Most Valuable Players Awards, which were given out this week to the equally deserving Twins catcher Joe Mauer and Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. There was also welcome surprises in the Cy Young voting, which went to the Royals' Zack Greinke and the Giants' Tim Lincecum. Neither of them were among their respective leagues' leaders in games won, an old and clearly outdated standard, especially given the fact that these days so few pitchers throw complete games, meaning that virtually every win is dependent on a succession of variably dependent relievers. Yet both were probably the best all-around pitchers during the season. Given how slowly baseball changes its core mindset about most things (lefthanded catchers, anyone?), this is almost a sea change.

Still, there has been one post-season award that has all of major league baseball puzzled - namely, who the hell won Bernie Madoff's Mets jacket?

A little over a week ago, on November 14, under the auspices of the U.S. Marshals Service (call them the Bud Seligs of the law & order game), the Pflugerville Texas firm of Gaston & Sheehan (call them the Hillerich and Bradsby of the bidding circuit) auctioned off a variety of personal items belonging to Hall of Fame crook Bernie Madoff, with the proceeds earmarked for victims of his $65 billion Ponzi scheme. All in all, they raised some $900,000 (or the equivalent of about a week's worth of Alex Rodriguez plate appearances) - $14,500 of which came from the anonymous online bidder who, er, made off with Madoff's personalized blue satin New York Mets jacket, with his last name stitched on the back.

Rumors have been flying as to the identity of the winner, and from what we've been able to glean from our sources, it may well be none other than Mets owner Fred Wilpon himself, who was among the many whom Madoff milked for millions over the years. Supposedly, Wilpon has unique plans for the jacket. At some point this winter, in a private ceremony, the wicked windbreaker will be set ablaze atop a bonfire of old Dave Kingman, Bobby Bonilla and Rey Ordonez bats at home plate in Citi Field, all under the supervision of a rabbi specially trained in the ancient rites of Jewish exorcism. This, it is hoped, will drive the Dybbuk out of the new ballpark - or at least out of Oliver Perez's left arm.

Of course, considering that it was recently revealed that the Mets spent less than all other major league teams this past summer in signing their amateur draft choices, there may well be some truth in the other major rumor hovering over Flushing, Queens. That one says that, due to all the money Wilpon lost because of bad old Bernie, the team is in serious financial trouble - a situation that isn't likely to improve the quality of the rapidly deteriorating on-the-field product being offered to Mets fans, who have a long tradition of viewing their team as always poised to start wandering the baseball desert. Moses, call your office.

Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

2009-11-24T20:04:09Z

Happy Tuesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 24, 2009 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

Twins catcher Joe Mauer wins the American League's Most Valuable Player award. A couple of Yankees finished 2nd and third, Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter.

Talk about streaky. The Tennessee Titans after going 0-6 to start the season have now won 4 straight after beating Houston 20-17 on Monday Night Football.

Good move by the NFL to have independent doctors consult on concussions so that team doctors don't force their players back into action prematurely for the "good of the team."

2. Unwritten Rules

Jets Coach Rex Ryan says that's a "no no." When the game is all locked up in the final seconds, you don't throw a long bomb.That's what the Patriots did to the Jets on Sunday, and Ryan said he felt "disrespected." But these are the Jets and Patriots, and this is Bill Belichick, he of the illegal video taping of the Jets on top of walking out on the franchise with a crude hand written note several years back. There are no unwritten rules here. Just genuine dislike, and you can write that down.

3. Overtime

I made my feelings clear yesterday about the NFL overtime rule. It
stinks that a team can take the kickoff and then boot a winning field
goal without the other team getting a chance. Many of you disagree
with me citing statistics. But here are some stats from the San Jose
Mercury News courtesy of subscriber Marvin R. Entering this season the
team winning the toss won 63.3 percent of the games. And 43.3 of the
time they won it on their first possession. That sounds an awful lot
like determining a tennis match on one serve. You ace the guy, the
match is over. Give both teams an equal chance. Period.

4. Hall of Shame

Wanna know which football player screwed up? It's one click shopping.
The San Diego Union-Tribune has collected every NFL player arrest
record since 1990. So of course I typed in Plaxico Burress. Three
items came up. In addition to shooting himself in New York, he was
arrested for carrying an open bottle of Corona beer in Cleveland one
Christmas Eve. He failed to show up in court and was fined. The way
everything gets sponsored in the NFL, ("We're 15 minutes away from
kickoff.... a 15 minute call can save you 15% on your car
insurance..."), I'm surprised Plaxico's arrest record isn't brought to
you by Corona or flea protection for dogs. You know, "this collar is

brought to you by that collar."

5. Memo To Sportscasters

The L.A. Clippers TV announcers were suspended for one game after making fun of Memphis Center Hamed Haddadi. Among other things they said "You're sure he's not Borat's older brother?" Last month ABC's Bob Griese got in hot water for saying that NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya was "out having a taco." As a public service to my sportscasting friends, maybe we should just stick to the game.

Happy Birthday: The Big O. One of the all time NBA greats Oscar Robertson. 71. Bonus Birthday: Actress Katherine Heigl. 30.

Today in Sports: Walter Alston signs the first of 23 consecutive one year contracts to manage the Dodgers. 1953.

Bonus Event: Jack Ruby shot and killed JFK's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, live on television. 1963.

I'll be a guest on Boomer and Carton tomorrow morning at 8am Eastern
on WFAN radio, and WFAN.com to talk about my new kids book "The
Greatest Moments in Sports."

Chip Patterson: The System Prevails: How Syracuse Made Its Historic AP Poll Leap

2009-11-24T17:34:04Z

From Lemoyne to Boeheim's 800th, the Syracuse Orange basketball team dominated the early storylines of college basketball.

Don't expect it to stop anytime soon.

Syracuse put together such an impressive display in the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, they jumped to 10th in the AP Polls; it was the third highest leap in AP history.

The Orange, previously unranked, easily eliminated then No. 13 California and No. 6 North Carolina in the tournament's final weekend in Madison Square Garden.

If anything, this team is a reflection of Jim Boeheim's legacy at Syracuse. Often you hear coaches and the media refer to "the system." Coach Boeheim's belief in a strong zone defense is one of the more impressive systems in place in college basketball today.

He teaches the defense in practice, he recruits to the defense on the trail, so when game time comes - they execute the defense flawlessly. One of the most dangerous aspects of the zone is when he has athletic players with length on the wing. This year, that player is 6-7 Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson. His 7-foot wingspan allows him to clog passing lanes that are usually opened up by the zone and his quickness to close on perimeter shooters can intimidate even the sharpest deep-ball assassins.

But it's not just Johnson that makes the Boeheim system work, it requires a team commitment to play lock down defense. This year, the commitment to "Shut It Down" can be found on the team's t-shirts and heard in the rap song recorded by Assistant Coach Rob Murphy. Against Cal, the Orange held the Golden Bears to 40% from the field and 30% from behind the arc. Knowing the need to turn up the pressure against the Top-10 Tar Heels, they played relentless defense for 40 minutes - holding North Carolina to 38% from the field and 25% from long range.

On offense, Rautins and Onuaku bring the experience from playing significant minutes in last season's Big East gauntlet as well as consistent double-digit scoring. With explosive Sophomore Scoop Jardine making the most of his increased minutes, the pieces are falling into place for Boeheim on both ends of the floor.

And then there is Johnson. After sitting out the 2008-2009 year, Johnson has exploded on the scene as one of the most dominating players in college basketball. Averaging 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, Johnson is exhibiting a certain "easy scoring" that hasn't been seen in Syracuse since a certain headbanded superstar took them to National Championship in 2003.

Defense is no doubt the staple of the 2009-2010 Syracuse Orange, but it will be on the back of a Top 10 NBA Draft pick that they will ride to the top of the Big East. It may be too early to pencil them in for Indianapolis, but it is certainly not too early to put them in the conversation.

Dave Zirin: The NFL's Concussion Conundrum

2009-11-24T15:47:24Z

On Sunday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made a startling concession to medical ethics, one resisted by all of his predecessors. Goodell said that when a player sustains a concussion, teams will now be required to seek advice from "independent" neurologists. As the commissioner said on NBC's Football Night in America, "As we learn more and more, we want to give players the best medical advice. This is a chance for us to expand that and bring more people into the circle to make sure we're making the best decisions for our players in the long term."

There is a reason why this story made the front page of the New York Times. It marks a major change in policy and would be like the tobacco industry bringing the American Cancer Institute into its boardroom or Exxon Mobil stating that they needed more input from Greenpeace.

The official NFL line has always been that team doctors held no conflict of interest when evaluating players. The NFL said this despite the stories of former players suffering early-onset dementia at alarming rates and being told to "shake it off" as the ringing continued in their ears.

Former Commissioner Pete Rozelle ignored this issue even when players like the Colts' Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Another former commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, did the same, even when Hall of Fame center Mike Webster died at age 50, homeless and incoherent. It has even been said that Webster was suffering from dementia when he was still an active player in the league.

And Goodell continued to defend the system even though Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson, who suffered from concussions, said that his coach Bill Belichick bullied him back into games (something Belichick denies). There was still no action taken after the 2006 suicide of Eagles pro-bowler Andre Waters, 44, whose brain tissue was that of an 80-year-old with Alzheimer's. The absence of medical oversight has been nothing short of breathtaking.

Goodell has been forced to shift his stance because the issue has simply reached a tipping point. Fittingly, New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell wrote a blistering critique of the NFL's treatment of ex-players last month, in the magazine, and concluded, "In the nineteenth century, dogfighting was [also] widely accepted by the American public. But we no longer find that kind of transaction morally acceptable in a sport."

I'm going to guess that the NFL has let its subscription to The New Yorker lapse. But they do have to care what Congress, the NFLPA union and former players are saying. In a hearing last month, The House Judiciary Committee flayed Goodell under the hot lights. It played footage of Dr. Ira Casson, chairman of the NFL's committee on concussions, saying that there was no connection between football and brain injuries, which is like saying there is no connection between smoking and lung cancer. When Goodell commented that the health of retired players is a priority for the league, committee member Maxine Waters said, "We've heard from the NFL time and time again--you're always 'studying,' you're always 'trying,' you're 'hopeful.' I want to know what are you doing...to deal with this problem and other problems related to injuries?"

While Goodell dangled off the ledge, NFLPA union chief DeMaurice Smith felt no compunction to lend a hand, saying that the union "has not done its best in this area. We will do better."

Chester Pitts, a lineman and union rep for the Houston Texans, told the New York Times, "I don't want to call it forced, but it's been strongly urged because of the awareness of the issue these days. When you have Congress talking about the antitrust exemption and them calling them the tobacco industry, that's pretty big. But it's a good thing it's transpiring."

But the main reason this situation has reached crisis proportions, is that every Sunday we see evidence of the problem and now we are much more aware of the tragic consequences. On November 22, the two quarterbacks who ended last season in the Super Bowl, finished their games on the sidelines. Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers was captured on camera, glassy-eyed and attempting to follow a trainer's finger after taking a knee to the head. Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals, who also took a shot to his head, denied having a serious injury. "I've had a couple minor concussions. Nothing that has been prolonged. Haven't had anything in a number of years," Warner said. There is simply no such thing as a minor concussion.

It's time for a change. A concussion is caused by a blow to the head and can happen to any player, on any play. Goodell, I believe, sees the handwriting on the wall: Brain damaged players and the perception of indifferent owners hold the potential to permanently damage the sport. But before we collectively pat his back, consider the task before him. Goodell and the league will now embark on an effort to sell a slickly packaged three-hour slice of Sunday violence while simultaneously "doing no harm" to its players. Can NFL doctors serve the league and uphold the Hippocratic Oath? Doesn't take a Mayan calendar to see that this will not end well.

[Dave Zirin is the author of "A People's History of Sports in the United States" (The New Press) Receive his column every week by emailing dave@edgeofsports.com. Contact him at edgeofsports@gmail.com.]

Jeff Ma: Splitting 10s With Belichick

2009-11-23T23:41:53Z

I'm sure by now most everyone is tired of discussing Bill Belichick's decision from last weekend. But after watching the discussion amongst guys like Tom Jackson and Mike Ditka on the four-letter network yesterday and reading a recent post by the same network's Bill Simmons (that, as my esteemed colleague Mark Kamal said, made his head explode), I felt compelled to write my final thoughts on the matter.

Last Sunday, fresh off the Patriots loss and the incredible amount of Belichick bashing, I grew emotional and wrote a blog, entitled "Belichick Was Right". It angered me that so many media pundits could be so wrong in their analysis of the situation and I wanted to explain to the world that Belichick was right because the advanced numbers said so.

As I watched reactions to my blog and others with similar points of view, I had an important realization -- in this situation, there is no absolute right. One comment posted on my Facebook page by one of my former MIT Blackjack teammates, Matt Lau, brought along this realization:

All of this "proof" by statistics is ridiculous. People are pulling whatever relevant numbers they want from whatever source. Some articles are using the Patriots 4th down conversion rate vs. the league-wide scoring based on average field position. Other writers are comparing the NFL average for 4th down conversions vs. Manning's career scoring average on a 4th down drive.

There are far too many variables (and far too much variance in them) for the numbers to have any real meaning. As any good statistician will tell you, statistics will "prove" whatever it is you want them to prove.

To some degree Lau was right on point. There is a wide range of numbers being used in this argument and those numbers all have their weaknesses because of those weaknesses there really is no definitive "right".

It's not like my blackjack experiences where every decision that we made was proved definitively right by numbers regardless of the ultimate result.

So what I find far more interesting than whether Belichick was right or wrong was the actual decision itself and its aftermath -- a decision that defied convention to such an extreme that even a week after two pregame shows devoted entire segments dissecting it and an aftermath that polarized a community of fans and media alike. Some like Simmons vilified Belichick, calling him "a few miles off his fastball" and others like Economist/Author Steven Levitt praised Belichick calling him "great".

The decision was fascinating because it was so unconventional. It just isn't something that is ever done. Simmons makes this point in the negative:

In the biggest game of the regular season, when a football coach tries something that -- and this is coming from someone who watches 12 hours of football every Sunday dating back to elementary school -- I cannot remember another team doing on the road in the last three minutes of a close game, that's not "gutsy." It's not a "gamble." It's not "believing we can get that two yards." It's not "revolutionary." It's not "statistically smart." It's reckless. It's something that should happen only in video games, and only when you and your roommate are both high.

As on point as Simmons is on the rarity of this decision, he is equally wrong with his conclusion about its rarity. Going against traditional wisdom is hard. Just look at Economist Peter Schiff who as early as August of 2006 was predicting the mortgage crisis and recession that we are now in the middle of. People laughed at him then, like they are laughing at Belichick now. But simply because everyone thinks or acts one way does not make it right.

Belichick bucked the trend and challenged convention because he thought it gave his team the best chance to win -- three Super Bowl victories gives him the benefit of the doubt on this one. He is on one of the few coaches in the NFL that actually has the job security to ignore what the press and fans might say.

Recently, an NBA GM shared with me the difficulty of his job. "It's not like I'm a hedge fund trader simply trying to beat the S&P 500 each year. Instead, I am trying to be that one team out of 30 to win it all. And if anything I should take more risks not fewer."

Of course this doesn't mean that you should be reckless as some have called Belichick. Simmons uses an analogy of this recklessness which near and dear to my heart:

These are the things that happen when you double on a 12 against a six because you believe -- fervently -- that a slew of non-face cards are coming. You might be right, but you shouldn't do it.

This difference here is that unlike in Belichick's dilemma, there are no data or statistics that would tell you to double a 12 against a six and that's why it's not done.

Instead, I would equate Belichick's difficult decision with splitting 10s against a six. If you are counting cards there are situations where this is absolutely the right thing to do but actually doing it is another story.

I applaud Belichick for his decision as much because I personally didn't want to see Peyton Manning back on that field as because of his single-mindedness towards winning. As a fan I would always back the guy willing to split 10s because it is the right thing to do over the guy that stands on 16 simply because that's what everyone else does.

Lisa Guerrero: Flipping The Bird: An American Sports Tradition

2009-11-23T18:13:54Z

When that dude stood up from the rarified air of his luxury suite and gave the Buffalo fans the double barreled middle digit salute, I think I fell in love. (Apologies to my husband, Robert Pattison, The Naked Guy in Sex and the City, Mark Sanchez, Rachel Maddow and Urban Cowboy-era John Travolta...all those crushes pale in comparison to Bud Adams these days. Was that a Leisure Suit?!)

Mostly I think of NFL owners as a shifty fraternity of old white guys armed with big checkbooks and bigger egos who tool around training camp in golf carts smoking cigars, building gaudy McMansion style stadiums to further suck you dry of your hard earned cash to pay for their seven story, kick-ass, tricked-out scoreboard and have a hidden copy of Sarah Palin's book in their bathroom.

Mr. Adams may very well be a member of that evil cabal, but damn, that 86 year old can still rock the passion!

An intense spirit of competition and obnoxious behavior fueled by alcohol pretty much sums up the Ideal American Sports Fan. Anyone who's attended a sporting event in the past 20 years can attest to the rude, inebriated, mean-spiritedness bordering on psychopathic "fans" in the stands. And that's just for Little League games.

A cruel kinda' crazy permeates every ballpark. Crass is the new black. How can you know the words to "Yankees Suck" but not the National Anthem?

I'm not sayin' it's a bad thing, but after covering sports for 14 years, it's merely an observation. I heard this gem shouted at me while interviewing players and dignitaries during the Yankees Victory Parade for Inside Edition:

"Hey chick reporter, show us your tits!"

Been there, done that. Nevertheless even I was surprised at the open hostility directed at just about everybody within shouting distance of a Yankee fan. And their team won. God help chick reporters everywhere if they'd have lost.

Admittedly, sports fans have a lot to be angry about:

*Astronomical prices that pretty much guarantee they'll never be able to afford season tickets. (The citizens of Cleveland sighs in relief.)

*Various displays of dumb-assery by the usual subjects- Ocho Cinco, Terrel Owens, girl soccer players.

*Various displays of criminal activity by the usual suspects- University of Tennessee football team, Plaxico Burress, girl soccer players.

*Ashton Kutcher commercials.

*A match up between the Browns and the Ravens that's been the worst thing on Monday Night Football since, well, some would say me. (Beat ya' to the punch there, didn't I?)

Because of all of the above and much, much more, sports fans have every reason to vent.

But the interesting thing is that "Ef You!" is no longer simply the man-howl of the drunk-ass sitting in the bleachers directly behind you anymore.

Now owners can be just as vulgar as they can afford to be. Just as vulgar as, say, a Philly fan or an Arnold Schwatzenager missive.

Happily, it doesn't end there. Now even players wives can bring the potty mouth to the party.

Gone are the days of Glenn Close softly backlit in her white chiffon lending her sweet support from the stands to her man in The Natural.

Sistah, please.

Ever since Cynthia Rodriguez wore that "Fuck You" t-shirt to Yankee Stadium, all bets are off. In retrospect, she may have had reason to be bitter, no? I can picture Madonna giving the finger to the crowd, but Kate Hudson...not so much.

Even I, the wife of a retired ballplayer, have been guilty of unleashing some naughty words in the name of sports-fandom, and recently.

Last Sunday I was in Orlando attending Johnny Damon's fundraiser for the Wounded Warriors Foundation when a group of us gathered around a t.v. to watch the Pats/Colts game.

After cheering loudly and lustily after the incredible comeback by Peyton and Co. and fueled by the lethal combination of Lemon Drops and Cabernet, I was informed that one of the other guests, Mike O'Malley from My Name Is Earl (R.I.P.) is a huge Patriots fan and was annoyed at my vocal support of the Colts.

So I walked over and did what any other self respecting, red-blooded American sports fan could, should and would do.

I gave him shit.

He looked shocked, then pissed, then he stomed away. After I got done laughing, I shouted, "But I love you in Glee!" I don't think he heard me.

Now, sober, I'd really like to publicly apologize for my insensitive, un-ladylike, un-Christian and uncharacteristic behavior. I'm really, really sorry for my lack of sportsmanship.

But hey, ef 'em if he can't take a joke.

Eric Angevine: NBA Sons Populate College Hoops

2009-11-23T17:40:43Z

Some friends marvel that I can enjoy college hoops so much and not give one small damn about the NBA. I've done some soul-searching on this, and come to the realization that 1) I grew up in the Kansas City area, where the hoops scene was actually improved by the departure of the Kings to Sacramento, 2) I actually grew up in Lawrence, KS, so the Jayhawks were guys I'd see walking down the street. I didn't need the NBA, really. But 3) I actually did keep up with the NBA more as a kid, because most of the great names of the day had spent some time in college, so I already knew something about them by the time they became pros.

While I was scouring rosters looking for funny names a while back, I started to notice a trend: lots of familiar names were on college rosters again. I call them Spawn of the NBA. I'd like to thank the other STF writers for helping me to track down a solid list of hoops scions.

One thing that stands out here is that the apples are falling pretty far from the tree in a lot of cases. The more transcendent the father, the more average the son, it seems. Below, we'll compare the college averages of the paterfamilias to the accrued stats of the offspring.

Ralph Sampson (Virginia): 16.9 ppg, 1.2 apg, 11.4 rpg, 3.5 bpg

Ralph Sampson III (Minnesota): 6.5 ppg, 1 apg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg

Glen Rice (Michigan): 18.2 ppg, 48% 3P, 6.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.3 bpg, 0.8 spg

Glen Rice, Jr. (Georgia Tech): 2.3 ppg, 25% 3P, 2.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.75 bpg, 0.5 spg

Michael Jordan (North Carolina): 17.7 ppg, 44.7% 3P, 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.7 bpg, 1.7 spg

Jeff Jordan (Illinois): 1.1 ppg, 33.3% 3P, 0.4 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.0 bpg, 0.3 spg

Marcus Jordan (Central Florida): 2.6 ppg, 11% 3P, 2.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.6 bpg, 1.8 spg

Mychal Thompson (Minnesota): 20.8 ppg,

Mychel Thompson (Pepperdine): 8.8 ppg, 33.2% 3P, 3.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.6 spg

Klay Thompson (Washington State): 13.7 ppg, 42% 3P, 3.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.7 spg

John Lucas II (Maryland): 18.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.1 apg,

Jai Lucas (Texas): 8.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.3 apg (Freshman year at Florida)

Larry Drew (Missouri): 11.8 ppg, 3.7 apg, 1.0 spg

Larry Drew II (North Carolina): 2.1 ppg, 2.5 apg, 0.7 spg

Nate McMillan (Chowan/N.C. State): 8.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.0 apg, 2.6 spg

Jamelle McMillan (Arizona State): 3.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.9 spg

Detlef Schrempf (Washington): 11.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.6 spg

Alexander Schrempf (UCLA): Freshman walk-on, no stats yet.

Jack Sikma (Illinois Wesleyan): 21.2 ppg, 13.1 rpg (All IWU seemed to take note of)

Luke Sikma (Portland): 6.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.9 bpg, 0.9 spg

Thanks to sharp-eyed reader Avi for reminding me of this tandem:

Anthony Mason (Tennessee State): 18.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.4 bpg, 1.3 spg

Anthony Mason, Jr. (St. John's): 11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.8 spg (Playing fifth season on medical hardship after missing most of last season)

Also receiving votes: Elston Turner (Ole Miss), Elston Turner, Jr. (Washington); Denzel Washington (Jake Shuttlesworth, Rikers Island Correctional Facility All-Stars), Malcolm Washington (Penn).

Class of 2010

Shawn Kemp, Jr. - Auburn (A trickle becomes a flood on this one, I'm betting)

Juwan Howard, Jr. - Western Michigan

Tim Hardaway, Jr. - Michigan

There's a clear flaw in this quickie examination of father/son tandems. Most of the sons are nowhere near the ends of their college careers yet. And yet, those of us who follow college hoops religously know that if either of Michael Jordan's sons had their father's potential, they would have been hotly pursued by Dad's alma mater. Jai Lucas and Larry Drew II are the most likely to follow in their fathers' footsteps at this point.

Jill Baughman: Chiefs Embarrass Steelers By Winning 27-24 In OT

2009-11-23T17:20:55Z

I'm still picking my jaw up from the floor after that one. The Steelers lost to Kansas City (yep, you read that right) after a 22-yard field goal by Ryan Succop in overtime. In overtime alone, QB Ben Roethlisberger got injured after a blow to the head on a short run (negated by a penalty, the Steelers had 8 of those for 85 yards, by the way), cornerback Ike Taylor dropped an interception that would've given the offense another shot to win the game, and the defense collapsed when QB Matt Cassel completed a short pass to Chris Chambers, who then proceeded to run 61 yards to set up the game-winning field goal. In summation: Nothing was good about that overtime.

You just knew that the game was going to be a struggle after the 97-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown. Clearly the adjustments made on special teams didn't work one bit. This is the fourth time an opposing team has returned a kickoff for a TD in five games. So amazingly pathetic, there are no words. The Steelers seemed to gain some momentum back during the first half, and Ben was able to shake tackles and not get sacked, showing how difficult it can be to knock him down. But then the Steelers blew a 17-7 lead when Kansas City scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, both from Steelers turnovers.

Andy Studebaker is a name that Steelers fans aren't likely to forget anytime soon. The offense was at the Chiefs' 10-yard line during the third quarter, driving to score, but Ben threw an interception and Studebaker ran it back for 94 yards. Kudos to running back Rashard Mendenhall for catching up to him and saving the TD, but it was awful to watch the Steelers throw away huge points like that. The only reason Studebaker was playing was because Mike Vrabel was injured. He also intercepted a pass meant for Heath Miller earlier in the game, when the ball popped up in the air and landed right in his hands. The guy just wouldn't go away.

After the Steelers defense finally committed a turnover in the fourth quarter (Lawrence Timmons sacked Cassel and James Harrison recovered the fumble), Ben threw a touchdown pass to Mendenhall, the first TD reception of his career. Looked like the game was over at that point. The defense turned the ball over and the Steelers were able to score because of it. Hey, that hadn't happened at all last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it was very nice to see. The feeling didn't last long, though.

All of a sudden, the KC offense got red-hot after struggling earlier in the game, and the defense couldn't step it up in the fourth quarter yet again. Cassel drove the offense down the field for 91 yards and scored a touchdown with 4:54 left, tying the score at 24-24. Big Ben and the offense couldn't produce a game-winning drive (again) and they went into overtime. Another epic fourth-quarter meltdown. Any progress that was made after huge wins against the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos was totally negated after these losses against Cincinnati and Kansas City. I mean, come on! This is Kansas City!!

The Steelers amassed 463 yards compared to the Chiefs' 206 in regulation. Yet they still lost. The Steelers won the time of possession by 19 minutes in regulation. Yet they still lost. The offense simply couldn't shake off their earlier miscues and didn't adjust to a pumped up Kansas City defense when they had a chance to close it out for the win. Kansas City's defense is ridiculously awful, which makes this loss a thousand times worse. And, of course, kickoff returns for TDs tend to make a world of difference during these close games.

In other awesome Steelers news, a report on ESPN says that Troy Polamalu will most likely be out for a month. A whole month!! We really missed him today, and we're definitely going to miss him against the Baltimore Ravens next week. The defense just isn't the same when he isn't playing. Let's hope that Ben's injury isn't serious, but it did look like he was seeing stars while he was sitting on the bench. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that he feels okay. Thank goodness...it'd be devastating if Ben couldn't play next week.

This second consecutive loss dropped the Steelers to 6-4. They can't afford to lose anymore games, and considering they still have to play the Ravens twice, who put up a heroic effort against the still-undefeated Colts, the chances of making it to the postseason are quickly dissipating with every heartbreaking loss.

The Steelers proved to all of us that no game is a sure thing. Playing down to their opponents has been characteristic of this team all season. Games against opponents like Oakland, Cleveland, and Green Bay suddenly seem like they'll now become hard-fought battles instead of walks in the park. Next Sunday night will be a huge game for the Steelers. The Ravens would love to knock their rivals out of contention, paving the way for the Bengals (the Bengals!!!) to become the lone representatives of the AFC North. Losing to the Chiefs isn't something any Steelers fan will be able to get over soon. The ups and downs of this season have been torturous. We can only wait and see who shows up next Sunday night. And I hope no one will allow Troy to be on the cover of the Madden NFL game ever again.