It’s a long way to the top.

A New Low: I have tried all year not to repeat a Bottom 5 distinction for specific athlete or franchise, but unfortunately, the Charlotte Bobcats are the first nomination to make this list.  They have two very big reasons for repeating on my Bottom 5.  The first is that they have had arguably the worst season in NBA history, posting only 7 wins.  That sets a new low in season wins, as the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers held the previous low mark at 9 wins.  Even though the ‘11-‘12 NBA season was shortened due to the lockout, there is absolutely no excuse for winning 7 of 66 games.  Fun fact: they actually had a winning record at one point this year when they were 1-0 coming off a home win over the Milwaukee Bucks.  The second reason is they posted the lowest

winning percentage in NBA history at 11%.  I have a better shot at winning the Powerball.  But this team has failed miserably in just about every facet of the game, marring the bright spot of Kemba Walker’s somewhat promising rookie season.  They lost 23 straight games to close out the year and have not won since defeating the Toronto Raptors on March 17^th.  Another fun fact: the Bobcats were 2-1 over the Raptors this year, making it their only series win over an Eastern conference team.  I do not count any series this year against the Western Conference, because they only played a couple of teams more than once—though Charlotte was 1-0 against Golden State and 1-1 against New Orleans.  They should get the number 1 pick in the upcoming draft, unless the ping pong balls do not fall their way, but they have to be better next year, right?  How could any team be any worse?

No Class in Boston: Boston sports fans are notoriously known for loving their teams to the point of obsession and fixation.  (Those fans exist in any market, but perhaps there are more of them in New England).  They are often regarded as some of the best traveling fans, as major U.S. sports teams have some of their highest attendance games against Boston teams.  But their hockey fans took their love too far following the Boston Bruins loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the NHL playoffs.  In overtime, Capitals forward Joel Ward—one of the few black players in the NHL—scored the game winning goal to push the Caps into the second round, which is a rarity for Washington in recent years (I put the Caps on a Bottom 5 edition last year for failing to get out of the first round).  After the game, some frustrated Bruins fans used Twitter and Facebook to direct racial slurs at Ward.  Have some class, Boston.  I know you are proud of having some of the longest championship droughts in your respective sports (I am aware of the Celtics and Patriots dominant eras in their histories), but do not hate the opposing team’s players for being better than yours.  Put it behind you and look forward to next season.

Being in Bad Skin: Brandon Meriweather, the new Washington Redskins safety, was arrested for DUI last week.  While this may seem like nothing to many sports fans, Meriweather has taken a nosedive in recent years and cannot afford any slip-ups in trying to get back to his former Pro-Bowl self.  He played miserably for the Chicago Bears last season, and now this. Meanwhile, the Redskins are trying to revive a franchise with a proud history.  They took a step in the right direction by drafting RG3 with the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.  Management, obviously, does not want any negative publicity surrounding the team, but Meriweather has created just that with his arrest.  Unless he wants to play in the UFL (the United Football League, also known as the “U Fudged up League”), the safety should avoid doing stupid things (like the party scene, and transporting himself to and from such scenes) and focus on playing football.

Yankees Starting Pitchers: While many people may disagree with this nomination, I feel that the Yankees starters are just not up to par as an MLB rotation.  C.C. Sabathia is outstanding in the long run and will get better as the season progresses, but he is just one of five guys.  The rest create a giant question mark.  Phil Hughes has been terrible all season long and shows few signs of improving.  Hiroki Kuroda hasn’t had enough starts (4) to show how can be.  Two great starts have been offset by two terrible starts, so inconsistently is a theme of the rotation’s weakness.  For some mysterious reason, Ivan Nova is struggling to keep his spot in the rotation despite the fact that he’s a good pitcher.  He has not lost a start since June 3^rd, dating back to last season.  The team has considered sending him down to the AAA level or trading him.  The team has also lost Michael Pineda for the rest of the year, while finding a replacement will be difficult through their farm system.  Freddy Garcia has been lit up in all three of his starts this year and has pitched only 12 innings while posting a 9.75 ERA.  Can this team win the AL East back-to-back years right now?  The answer is simply no at this point.

 No Soccer Sportsmanship: The English Premier League will not have Chelsea and the Queens Park Rangers perform a ceremonial handshake before their upcoming game on Sunday.  While no opposing European soccer teams like each other, not having them shake hands is a very disrespectful gesture and sends the wrong message to teams.  The EPL claims that they are suspending the handshakes because of John Terry’s racism trial and the fact that one of the Queens Park players is black.  Regardless, there are racist people all over the world and the league should still require the players to shake hands.  This could open a can of worms that could lead to future teams not shaking hands for stupd reasons (I am not saying this reason is stupid by any means).  I am putting the EPL on my Bottom 5 this week for not upholding decent sportsmanship rules.

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It’s a long way to the top. 

What a Goof: College conferences and members are constantly shifting, and in moments of change, new t-shirts and other merchandise must include every school in the new-look conference.  Before that new apparel gets circulated into the market, you would think that the clothing would be accurate.  Not so, as Aggieland Outfitters released a new SEC T-shirt that has a couple of big flaws in it.  The shirts, shockingly, do not include Texas A&M, the school where Aggieland Outfitters is based.  New SEC member Missouri is also absent, but the state of North Carolina is somehow represented while their schools’ athletics representation remains in the ACC.  Does proofreading mean anything to a college store?  I would think so, since it is a huge part of many classes a college offers.  But I just cannot get over how Aggieland Outfitters left out their own school.  The store is not directly affiliated with Texas A&M, so it will avoid fines from the NCAA for its silly mistake.  The big reason the store makes my Bottom 5 this week, however, is for leaving out the two schools that have made high-profile moves to the SEC, one of which is the school you profit from, while somehow including the state of North Carolina, which has three power conference schools, none of which are in the SEC.

NHL Fighting: Before anyone gets angry with me and wants to start a fight, I understand that fighting is a big part of hockey; it’s an aspect that makes the sport unique.  As many people have noticed this postseason, there have been more fights (and more mayhem) than in any previous season in NHL history.  I am a fan of pugilism on the rink, but there have been too many nasty hits, fines, and general brawling than I can take.  I already put Shea Weber on my previous Bottom 5 edition for his runaway fisticuffs. There just have been too many fights, staining the postseason for me in a shade of bergundy.  The point really is to win, not to agonizingly slow the game with needless fights.  This is the NHL, not the UFC.  The Phoenix Coyotes’ Raffi Torres ignited a huge controversy when he took out Blackhawk Marian Hossa in Game 3 of the series.  Goon behavior is becoming too prevalent in the postseason, taking away from major headlines (like the L.A. Kings destroying the #1 seed Vancouver Canucks, or Alex Ovechkin’s dreams of winning a Stanley Cup diminishing with each passing season).

Broken BCS Trophy: One of the funniest spots in my Bottom 5 this week belongs to Carleton Tinker, the father of an Alabama football player, for breaking Alabama’s crystal football national championship trophy.  He actually tripped on a rug walking by the trophy and accidentally knocked the piece off its stand, likely shattering it into thousands of tiny crystal bits.  While Tinker was extremely apologetic for his actions, he still gets the nomination for breaking something worth $30,000 (and a whole lot more to Crimson Tide fans).  The school is ordering a replacement, but I cannot imagine how his son must feel.  He has probably received a lot of chiding from his teammates.  I would not be surprised, either, if his coaches have made or make him do extra drills—or perhaps carry the equipment—for his father’s slip up.  Breaking the championship trophy is any fan, coach, or player’s greatest nightmare.  I know parents have a duty to seemingly embarrass their children, but that may have been too much for Tinker.

The Falling 76ers:  In early January, the Philadelphia 76ers were viewed as the favorites to win the Atlantic Division, and Doug Collins was a potential candidate for Coach of the Year.  Now, the 76ers are the #8 seed in the east and in danger of falling out of the playoffs.  They are 4-7 in their last 11 games and only lead the Milwaukee Bucks by 3 games.  That is still a huge lead to squander, considering there are only 3 games left for Philadelphia—though one is against the Bucks.  The 76ers did win in overtime at Indiana on Saturday.  It would be one of the franchise’s most historic chokes if they somehow end up falling out of the playoffs in their manageable last three games.  One thing is for sure, however: If they do make the playoffs, they will be first-round fodder for a better team.  The Bulls or Heat will destroy this team because their youth and inexperience is inconcealable at this point.  Jrue Holliday and Andre Iguodala must find their usual groove and tempo if they want to win a championship this season.  Their current free-fall is a clear goof of how good (or bad) this team really is.

 The Lovable Losers: Who else could this possibly be?  The Chicago Cubs, of course!  I just love taking shots at the North Siders, as I am a White Sox fan and relish in tearing down our rivals anytime I have the chance.  This should come as no surprise to my friends and family that the Cubs are in my Bottom 5, as their current goofs and constant mistakes have earned them an abysmal 4-12 record in this early season—with problems all over the team.  While Theo Epstein still faces Lebron James-to-Miami pressure to win a World Series this year, clearly that will not happen.  The Cubs bullpen is atrocious and the hitting is more along the lines of whiffing.  You cannot win if you cannot score, and the ‘pen really hasn’t kept a game close all year.  I sort of regret drafting Carlos Marmol in one of my fantasy leagues, because he has only one save and has not pitched well.  He is just one of many problems plaguing this team.  Newly acquired outfielder David DeJesus has not hit well in the leadoff spot, which is what he was brought in to do.  His play has been anything but devine.  The starting pitching has been there in terms of Ryan Dempster and Jeff Samardzjia, but Chris Volstad and Paul Maholm have been awful.

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It’s a long way to the top.

Adding Insult to Injury: The NHL playoffs are underway and as one would expect, there are playoff beards growing and plenty of fighting, bashing and trash-talking are abundant.  In Game 1 of the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators, Preds Defenseman Shea Weber hit Red Wing captain Henrik Zetterberg’s head against the glass and then warned him to be careful the rest of the playoffs.  Really Weber?  Zetterberg is a veteran player who has several awards and a Stanley Cup under his belt so do you honestly think he is going to be careful the rest of the series?  If anything, he is going to just come after you and start racking up points.  In Weber’s defense, the Predators took Game 1 but Detroit even up the series at 1-1 Friday night.  Weber should save the boasting until after the series is one so he does not look like a complete jackass in his remarks.  Yeah you won the first game, but win three more and then your comment will not seem ridiculous.

Drugged Leaf: Former NFL QB Ryan Leaf has been arrested for four felonies of breaking into someone’s house to steal prescription pain killers and then broke into a second person’s home and stole drugs.  If convicted the number 1 NFL draft bust of all-time can face up to 20 years in federal prison.  Leaf has faced drug charges since flopping out of the NFL and has kept vowing that he has “turned the corner.”  While no such statement was made by Leaf following his arrest, it may be better for the former San Diego Charger to go to jail for a long time since he has kept committing felony after felony.  This is not the first drug charge against him, and it probably will not be the last.  The best thing for society is for Leaf to go to jail and people may forget about him, which would probably be a good thing.

Petrino Sacked: This headline has been circling the sports world this past week but my third nomination on this week’s Bottom 5 is former Arkansas football head coach Bobby Petrino.  After the university found out about his mistress, they were forced to fire him on having an affair and violating several NCAA and school regulations.  He hired a woman to be the player development coordinator and that woman, Jessica Dorrell, is his mistress.  This is bad news in every way you look at it.  The text messages have been revealed and the case has been so bad that Petrino is not even appealing his firing.  While I somewhat applaud Petrino for his honesty and not really trying to deny it, he should be considered a hypocrite for his behavior.  How can someone coach young athletes and also teach them to be better men when that person is cheating on their wife and breaking school rules at the same time?

One part the NCAA prides itself on in football is that the coaches not only teach the players aspects about the game, they teach them on how to be better people.  What does Petrino tell his children after this unfolding?  How does he sleep at night?  Actually, after hearing about his mistress affair, I may not want to know the answer to that last question.

No Court for the Kings: The Sacramento Kings have failed to get a deal for a new arena and now the team is in jeopardy of moving out of California’s capital.  This issue came up last year and the Kings were feature in a 2011 edition of my Bottom 5 but the team returns this year as their owners, the Maloofs, are my fourth nomination in my Bottom 5.  While moving the team from Sacramento is not necessarily a bad thing, the NBA wants to bring a third team to L.A.  The Kings are a perfect option to David Stern and co. about it but that sounds awful in all regards.  L.A. already has a Kings team and they are in the NHL.  The Lakers and Clippers are currently dominating headlines in the city so why does a third team need to be added?  Former NBA player and current Sacramento player Kevin Johnson (who once played for the Kings) is doing everything he can to keep the beloved Kings in Sac-town.  Why do the Maloofs want to move their already forgotten franchise to a city that will not even know they exist?

Problems for 2014 World Cup: More World Cup workers have gone on strike in Brazil, where the country is hosting the 2014 World Cup.  This has been an ongoing issue for a while and World Cup country sites in general.  South Africa had similar problems when building a stadium to host the enormous event and moral outcries were spread.  Workers are being forced to work in unethical conditions and long hours to complete the stadium by the time the World Cup starts.  The current strike in the Brazilian city of Salvador is the third city to face issues like this and maybe the World Cup committee can get the idea to stop hosting the World Cup in a third world country.

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It’s a long way to the top.

 Acting in L.A.?: On Thursday night, DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings ripped Blake Griffin for his “acting” during their matchup that the Clippers ultimately won.  After taking some hits, Cousins accused Griffin of flopping too much and said it is part of the culture in L.A. because of Hollywood.  Hey Cousins, I know you are a rookie in the NBA, but unfortunately, flopping happens.  Remember the Eastern Conference Finals last season when LeBron James and Chris Bosh appeared hurt, only to have replays later show it was an act?  Just play through it and concentrate on what your team needs to do to win.  Interestingly, Cousins’ impact on the game was minimal and the team actually fought back from many field goals down when he left the game due to foul trouble before eventually falling 93-85.  Sacramento has proven to function better without Cousins, so he should try to keep his mouth shut like NBA rookies often do and learn a thing or two about the sport’s soft spots before trash talking other players’ Oscar-worthy performances.

Performing Magic: Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is once again trying to make life hard for his team and fans with his latest comments.  He has openly professed to want his coach Stan Van Gundy fired.  Howard has not gotten on my Bottom 5 up to this point, which is surprising considering his constant drama prior to the trade deadline, but he finally gets here this week.  Why do you want your head coach fired?  If you wanted a change of scenery, why did you sign a waiver explicitly stating that you would sign with the Magic for next season?  Howard continues to act out, which is absurd given his enormous talent.  He is by far the best center in the league because no one has a bigger post presence than D12.

I think Otis Smith, the Magic’s general manager, wishes he had made Howard disappear when he had the chance, because Orlando is just looking to get beaten up in the playoffs by Indiana if the season ended today.  No one should expect the Magic to do anything this postseason with the in-house struggles that exist for this franchise.

Guillen Never Shuts Up: Miami Marlins skipper Ozzie Guillen just cannot man up and let bygones be bygones.  He continues to take shots at White Sox GM Kenny Williams about their incompatibility the last couple of years and recently said that Williams was not being a man in the ongoing confrontation.  That seems hard to believe, as Williams is proving to be the bigger man while moving on with his life and focusing on the upcoming 2012 campaign.  Note to Ozzie: the Marlins lost their opening game at home to Kyle Lohse, who threw a no-hitter until the 7^th inning.  The Marlins have some pressure to win games this year with all of their free-agent acquisitions, so Guillen should focus more on winning than blasting his former boss.  The White Sox may not have a good season (I’ll shed a single tear for that), but they at least have some class by leaving Guillen alone.

Trouble in Texas: Three more TCU football players have been charged with delivering marijuana.  This is terrible because university and NCAA officials try so hard to prevent student-athletes from being involved with drugs in any way, but some players simply ignore their coach’s conditioning and persist with an air of arrogant invincibility.  They get free rides to college because of their athletic ability, and in cases like the TCU arrests, their educational opportunities are wasted.  Two f the players charged could face up to 2 years in jail while a third may be facing 10 years if he is convicted for delivering in a drug-free zone.  By the way, the drug-free zone he entered with his products was the field the TCU team practices on!  Talk about thinking you’re too good to get caught.  To make matters worse for these players, they delivered the marijuana to undercover cops, so it’s unlikely they will get off with a slap on the wrist.  TCU has up to 23 players currently under investigation for dealing marijuana and 14 face serious charges.  The team is moving out of the Mountain West Conference and into the Big 12 for next season and will certainly face stiffer competition.  They cannot afford many distractions if they want to have a good season.  But what if head coach Gary Patterson has to boot most of these guys?  They’ll be depleted.  Perhaps he should reassess his recruiting practices and what kinds personalities he seeks in a recruit.

A Simpson Goes to Jail: This is not a reference to current man of incarceration O.J. or to The Simpsons cartoon show (although Homer has been to jail a number of times), but to former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson, who makes my Bottom 5 after being sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years of probation for marijuana trafficking.  This should be nothing surprising to the Bengals’ upper management, since they often seem to have numerous players with criminal backgrounds while habitually signing, drafting, and trading for players who have shady histories (Cedric Benson and Rey Maualuga, for example).  The recent sentencing has forced the team to release the troubled wide receiver and move forward with younger players at the position.  After everything Simpson has been through (quite frankly, he’s lucky to get such a light sentencing), you would think he would get his life in order.  I doubt his family or other NFL suitors approve of his actions, and wide receivers are definitely needed in the league since so many go through multiple injuries over the course of the year.

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It’s a long way to the top.

Don’t Lose Your Mind: On Thursday, former Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams told a Washington radio station that the Kentucky Wildcats could defeat the Washington Wizards in an exhibition game.  Mr. Williams has just earned a spot on this week’s starting Bottom 5 team for that ludicrous comment.  Yes, the Wizards are horrible this year, as their record currently stands at 11-38, and they’re the second worst team in the NBA right now.  I also believe that Kentucky will be national champions on Monday, with four of their players likely high-round draft picks in June.  I am not taking anything away from Kentucky.  They are outstanding as a college team.  Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy put it best by saying, “Kentucky may have four NBA players on their team, but Washington has thirteen and besides, when was the last time a team won using just rookies?”  Thank you Mr. Van Gundy for pointing out Gary Williams’ stupidity.  No matter how good a college basketball team is, it can never beat an NBA team.

No Fish in this Lake: Derek Fisher made his triumphant return to the Staples Center on Thursday night as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  I have previously nominated the Lakers’ front office in an earlier edition of my Bottom 5, but the nomination this week goes to the entire Laker roster and the coaching staff.  They get the nod here because they suggested to the Lakers front office that they can win a championship without Fisher.  They initially dealt him to Cleveland, a team well out of the playoff race, but he ended up clearing waivers and signing with the Thunder—the number one seed in the Western Conference.  Fisher may have the last laugh—as he defeated his former team on its home floor—and the Thunder are my favorite to win the Western Conference and advance to the NBA Finals.  What I do not understand is why the Lakers would want to dump Fisher anyway, because of his veteran presence in the locker room?  He has been on the team as long as Kobe Bryant, and the only member of the team that previously could have told Bryant what to and what not to do.

Bitter Departure: The reason I came up with the title for this week’s edition is because of Donovan McNabb, the third lucky recipient of my Bottom 5 distinction.  Recently, he insulted his former coach Mike Shanahan by saying [Shanahan’s] system would waste Robert Griffin III’s talents.  RG3 is projected to be the 2^nd overall pick in the draft, and the Redskins are extremely close to reaching a deal with him before they select him officially on draft day.  However, McNabb, who is most likely feeling the bitterness of being let go by the Redskins, took cheap shots at his former team’s offensive game-plan, saying they would not play to RG3’s strengths and that the team would have him run plays that would not benefit him.  Maybe McNabb is just jealous that the team found a suitable replacement for the bumbling QB, or maybe Momma McNabb just won’t cook her son Campbell’s Chunky soup anymore due to his homeless-man beard.  Either way, McNabb should have some class and move on.  I hear the Arizona Cardinals need some QB help, so try there or head down to the unemployment office.

 No Love Lost in Montreal: Thursday morning, the Montreal Canadiens fired their General Manager  Pierre Gauthier after the team compiled an abysmal 29-24-14 record, second-worst in the NHL.  While the team is scrambling to find their next GM, rumors have begun swirling about relocation.  Quebec City, the province’s capital, wants the NHL to return, so the Canadiens may be on the move.  While the Phoenix Coyotes are the likely favorites for relocation, Gary Bettman, the NHL’s commissioner, may not want to move the an NHL franchise out of Phoenix after such a hard and grueling process to get a team there in the first place.  However, growing unrest about the failure to get the Habs to the Stanley Cup Finals has been dreadful to watch.  Pressure continues to grow because of Canada’s immense pride in hockey.  They did get close two years ago, coming off a major upset over the number one seed Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they have not reached the Stanley Cup Finals in a long time.

 U.S. Declining in Men’s Tennis: Tennis is not a sport I follow very closely, but I have noticed a serious drop in the number of great American male tennis players.  How many people can name an elite, current U.S. men’s player?  I can’t, and the only one who come to mind are the long-retired Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.  Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer garner almost all of the attention in men’s tennis, while Andy Roddick pops up here and there as the U.S. number three behind Mardy Fish and John Isner.  While Fish is number one in the U.S., he is more off the radar than Roddick, perhaps due to Roddick’s apparent celebrity.  So, where are the U.S. players on the international level?  If the U.S. could generate some international stars, we could get on the map and spark more interest in the sport.  As it stands, men’s tennis will continue to devour the back pages of print and side links of sports websites unless a Federer vs. Nadal matchup occurs.

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It’s a long way to the top.

Unhappy Saint: The NFL has lowered its shoulder on New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton for running a bounty system in New Orleans, crippling the Saints chances of being the first NFC South team to win its division in back-to-back years since the division first formed in 2002.

While defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was initially said to be the ringleader, Payton knew about the system and did nothing to stop it.  As punishment, Payton has been suspended for the upcoming 2012 season and fined a whopping $5.8 million.  The NFL needed to make a stand here and while I bashed Gregg Williams for the bounty system in another edition of my Bottom 5, Sean Payton gets the unwanted recognition of making my list this week.  Maybe the Saints should stop turning football into a blood sport and find a way to win playoff games, which has been a serious issue for this franchise throughout its history.

 Sorry Soria: Recently, Kansas City Royals closer Joakim Soria will undergo elbow surgery and miss the entire 2012 season.  The Royals have not been relevant in baseball since 2003, but many baseball analysts have predicted positive results for the Royals this year.  Injuries happen in baseball—and it is unfortunate that Soria is in my Bottom 5 this week—but no team can make a playoff berth without a good closer.  This also affects hundreds of fantasy baseball rosters, but not mine.  I do not expect the Royals to do anything this season except finish last in the AL Central, and with Soria on the shelf for the whole year, that is the most likely scenario.

Clipping Del Negro?: The Los Angeles Clippers are fading fast in the Western Conference playoff outlook.  While many bandwagon and recent NBA fans see this as a surprise, the Clippers are considered one of the worst franchises in any of the four major U.S. sports, let alone the NBA.  Sources have pointed out earlier this week that head coach Vinny Del Negro has lost command over his players and they no longer desire to play hard for him.  They are currently in the sixth spot for the playoffs, but one game separates them from the ninth spot (and watching the playoffs from their couch).  Perhaps a coaching change is in order right now, but one thing is for sure: Del Negro has had a history of motivating his players during his days with the Bulls, but perhaps he is not cut out for coaching in the NBA.

NCAA Brackets: This is pretty obvious here, but I just wanted to point out a few things from NCAA tournament brackets.  ESPN has the most-used NCAA men’s and women’s bracket out of any other sports websites.  However, I should point out that since ESPN started those back in 1998 online, no one has ever predicted a perfect bracket.  This is a statement to the fans: you don’t know squat!  This is probably the most bizarre Bottom 5 nomination I have ever done, but it needed to be done nonetheless.  The people who fill out ESPN brackets—average people, sports stat gurus, and celebrities alike—can never call a perfect bracket.  Norfolk St. and Lehigh are this year’s biggest bracket busters, and that’s just a start.  Who would have ever thought that Louisville, an early exit last year, would best Michigan St. in the Sweet 16?  Not many fans predicted that.  What boils me the most is that I often hear people say that “so and so” has a walk to the Final Four!  Newsflash people, NOBODY has a walk to the Final Four, no matter what seed they are.

Greek Soccer Violence: For lack of a better title, the final Bottom 5 nomination I have this week is for The Greek soccer club Panathinaikos.  This past week, there was a violent fan riot at their stadium with archrival Olympiakos that left 20 policemen injured.  Sports fans need to take their passion down just a bit.  I know this is hard to do in European soccer leagues.  I also know that Greece’s recent financial indebtedness played into the recklessness and frustration behind the riot, but they have already had enough tumult on the streets.  Leave the game alone!  As punishment, Panathinaikos has been docked 3 points and must play four home games without any spectators.  What an humiliating scenario.  I guarantee that next year, people will think that not having any fans at your games will be the ultimate insult.  Who wants to play in front of empty seats?

The post Bottom 5: Across the Board appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Pit-Wrecked: Recently Jimmie Johnson, one of NASCAR’s longest winning racers of all time, is likely facing the hardest challenge of his career.  His crew chief, Chad Knaus, has been suspended for six races for not bringing JJ’s car up to NASCAR regulations for the Daytona 500.  As a drastic result, Johnson’s car was wrecked on lap two.  That outcome pummeled JJ into NASCAR’s point standing basement.  He currently trails the leader, Matt Kenseth, by 70 points.  While JJ has been able to overcome large point deficits before, this may be too much, even for a 5 time champion.  At one of the most critical turning points in JJ’s hall-of-fame career, his crew chief is suspended.  Right now, JJ needs him more than ever.

 Jammed Rams: In the upcoming NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams currently have the No. 2 overall pick, otherwise known as the “toxic pick.”  This is a sticky and unkind situation for the Rams because they need help at just about every position except QB.  While the Rams have gotten several offers from other teams, it may be in their best interest to keep the pick and draft someone they can use, like Justin Blackmon out of Oklahoma State.  Unfortunately, the No. 2 pick is “toxic” because the Rams have to pay that player an enormous amount of money because he is drafted extremely high.  St. Louis needs help at several other positions and can get two or three really good picks if they trade their 2^nd overall pick, which they are considering and listening to offers.  They are in an inevitable position of being up on the wrong side of their decision (or indecision) in regards to this pick.  If they trade it, they forfeit a really good player and if they keep it, they can only get immediate help at one position.

 Name Must be Clipped: Darrell Bailey or “Clipper Darrell” has been a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Clippers for his entire life.  Cruel fate has finally blessed his beloved team with talent as the Clippers are finally headed in the right direction and are in good position to win their division.  However, now that the Clippers are good, the team owners have wanted Clipper Darrell to stop wearing his suit, drop his name, and stop being the diehard fan that he is.  This is absolutely ridiculous because the franchise has been nothing short of an absolute joke since moving to L.A. in the early 1980s.  Let the lifelong fan keep his moniker and root for the team he has always loved.  The Clippers should be fortunate that they have had a fan as devoted as Clipper Darrell since they only seem to have a winning record once every decade.

Not Loving this Valentine: It has been over 10 seasons since Derek Jeter’s flip to home plate nabbed Jason Giambi and sent the Yankees to the World Series which they ultimately lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Bobby Valentine still thinks the play was a fluke.  The new Boston Red Sox manager has reason to hate the archrival Yankees, but not over this.  Valentine was not on the Yankees or Oakland Athletics team during the 2001 ALCS but he still thinks Jeter takes too much credit for the series win.  Fate can never seem to shine upon the Yankees as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are two of the most hated sports figures in America.  Valentine has also recently bashed A-Rod for being “too sensitive,” referring to his incident with Bronson Arroyo in 2004 when he was hit by a pitch that ignited a bench clearing brawl.  Valentine should focus his attention on trying to make Red Sox nation forget their historic meltdown in the 2011 season and not focus his attention on beating up on some of the easiest punching bags in sports.

Hunted Tiger: Tiger Woods is ready for a comeback.  Unfortunately, fate has played its hand Woods does not seem to have overcome all of his demons regarding his free-fall.  The media still bashes Woods for his erratic play and his subpar performances tournament after tournament.  Leave the guy alone and pick on someone else for a change.  The mainstream media constantly focuses its attention on Woods because it is easy to make fun of this guy.  Let him play golf.  The Masters is coming up and Woods is trying to focus on that but the media will never let him let go of his mistakes, nearly three years ago.

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It’s a Long Way to the Top.

Kobe’s Beef: Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has been playing brilliantly all season.  However, the Laker’s front office is the real nomination on my Bottom 5.  Since this past offseason, the Lakers have tried to find a new home for Pau Gasol and the situation has not worked out well.  They almost acquired Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets that would have sent Gasol to the Houston Rockets but the NBA ended up sending Paul to Los Angeles Side B (the Clippers).  Bryant has expressed his frustration through the media and to his bosses, but the Lakers management is just making itself look bad with the Gasol trade situation.  It is hard for a player to go out and perform well knowing that he might be gone the next day and in a compacted season, you need fresh legs on a consistent basis.  Will Gasol be traded this year?  Most likely, but the Lakers front office better make their decision soon so the team does not lose too many games.

 Sign Unwanted: The arrival of Albert Pujols has L.A. buzzing.  Staying within Kobe Bryant’s city limits, the next nomination on my Bottom 5 is the L.A. Angels’ marketing managers for putting up billboards (left) of Pujols that the slugger does not want up.  While Pujols is a humble player that does not attract attention to himself other than turning heads with his outstanding play, it is not surprising that he does not want giant billboards of him with “El Hombre” around town.  Pujols may not mind the attention but he has clearly stated that he does not like the title “El Hombre” because “The Man” was Stan Musial’s nickname.  Why would the marketing department give Albert Pujols a nickname?  Isn’t that for the players and coaches to assign?  Here’s a message to the Angels marketing team: Let Pujols put up MVP numbers and then advertise him.

The Coward Strikes!: WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. called the Jeremy Lin hype racist because he is Asian.  Mayweather claims that if Lin was black, no one would care.  While the new Knicks superstar is attracting international attention, especially in Taiwan, calling someone’s amazing play out because of race is ridiculous.  Mayweather should concentrate more on defending his title or better yet, fight Manny Pacquiao!  He is mismanaging his situation—he’s in no position to be calling out anyone based on race.  Mayweather is a coward since he calls out Asians for receiving a lot of media attention even though they are playing great.  Even if Jeremy Lin was black, he would still get attention.  Media hype comes with the territory of being a New York Knick.  Hysteria always happens around the Big Apple and when a player performs well, they get a lot of attention.  This sports staffer cannot stand this type of racism, because if Mayweather really wants to make a statement against Asians, he should do so against his boxing counterpart, Pacquiao, or keep his comments to himself.

Mellowing In or Out?: Staying with the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony and  his diva-like personality have returned to the hardwood floor after missing 7 games due to a groin injury.  When the Knicks acquired him from the Denver Nuggets last year, they thought they were bringing in someone who would lead them to a championship.  Unfortunately, the Knicks have mismanaged their situation.  While NBA experts say Anthony and rising superstar Jeremy Lin can coexist, it’s time to face reality.  Anthony has been—and always will be—a ballhog and this hurts the team.  The Knicks are 30-31 when Anthony plays, regardless of what numbers he puts up.  They were swept out of the playoffs last year by the Boston Celtics and the Knicks may be better off dumping Anthony for some much needed depth.  Lin can only do so much and the ball should be in his hands, not Anthony’s.  The Knicks have not won a playoff game in nearly a decade, and if they hope to win one this year, they should trade Anthony to allow Lin and the team to blossom.

Who Controls the Rodeo?: The Dallas Cowboys have once again entered an offseason wondering who really leads the team.  This is merely from a player’s standpoint as Head Coach Jason Garrett is decent job security heading into the season.  With so many Pro-Bowl and former Pro-Bowl players, it becomes hard to differentiate who the leaders are.  Naturally the QB is the leader but do the players really want to ride the Romo-coaster?  Jason Whitten has shown flashes of brilliance but how often do people follow a TE?  Demarcus Ware seems like a legit leader based on his play, but is he really the heart and soul of the team?  I could go on and on about which players play well enough to be leaders, but there are too many I’s on this team to name.  As soon as the Cowboys eliminate their drama, they will learn how to manage themselves better and ultimately win a game in the playoffs.  Maybe I’m dreaming too much but just food for thought.

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It’s a long way to the top

1. Karma Strikes!: With all the shift in the NFL now being focused on the upcoming draft and potential trades, no one is focusing on T.O.  That’s right, Terrell Owens has probably faced one of the most anti-climactic ends to a career that I have ever seen.  Ever since T.O. burst onto the NFL scene with the San Francisco 49ers, he has always had the attitude that he did not need anyone.  This notion has changed a little bit since the “That’s my quarterback!” speech.  But now after taking a year off to recover from an injury, the once proud receiver now finds all 32 teams not wanting him.  Even though QBs like Donovan McNabb (now without a team) and Tony Romo vouch for him and remind people that he is a receiving threat, they forget the massive amounts of headaches that he gave those QBs.  Karma has turned its head on T.O. as he now finds himself playing for the Allen Wranglers, a team from the Indoor Football League (IFL).

2. Over-Eagled: Perhaps a horrible name for this next topic, but this is my view of DeSean Jackson at this point in his career.  He is athletically gifted and is a dangerous receiver.  But let’s be honest, he is way overrated and perhaps in my top 5 overrated players in the NFL but that’s a topic for another day.  Just because Jackson had one fluke of a punt return does not make him one of the most dangerous return men of all time.  The reason I say this is because after his miraculous punt return against the Giants in 2010, that is what he was considered.  Devin Hester and Patrick Peterson are both two return men in the NFC alone that are better returners than he is and Jackson is by no means a top 10 receiver in the NFC let alone the entire NFL.  The Eagles have franchise tagged him just so division opponents cannot grab him as the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys would have greatly considered landing Jackson only to burn the Eagles.  Now Philadelphia must pay Jackson a ridiculous one-year deal to hold on to him when they should explore better options at the receiver position as too pressure was put on Jeremy Maclin this past year.

3. Moss Gone: Randy Moss has wanted to issue his comeback to the NFL lately.  This should not come as a surprise since this “gloryhog” has been a e me-first player since he debuted with the Minnesota Vikings.  While “The Freak” has had some tremendous catches and seasons in his career, he should not be considered a likely player to return in 2012.  He sat out this past season as people were tired of players who wanted to play the jerk.  Keep in mind that he has played for Jeff Fisher and Bill Belichick, two of the most respected coaches in the NFL have not had success with him.  While four years younger than T.O., Moss has likely played his way out of the NFL and since no one wanted him last year when he was healthy, no one will surely want him this year since he is older and probably slower as well.  Recently the Chicago Bears refused to take in Moss and if the Bears, who have never had a legitimate receiving threat in the Superbowl era do not want Moss, who else will?

 4. Cold Steel: I feel that this is my best pun yet for a topic.  Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward was given the cold shoulder by his only team in the NFL.  While Ward has not done anything to make my bottom 5, this nomination is more on the Steelers than Ward.  He was the MVP in Superbowl XL and has been a mainstay of the franchise for the past decade.  Ward deserves to be on the team next year and if not, he will be playing for someone else next year and likely a contender.  Ward brings playoff experience, leadership, and I believe he still has some good years left in him so he should not be washed up based on his performances.  The numbers may not be there but consider the Steelers are a run first team and like to spread the ball around to a lot of different receivers.  Out of all the receivers on my bottom 5 this week, Ward is the most talented, most liked, and most likely to be on a successful team next year.

5. Wayne’s Twisted World: Maybe I should stop with these sub-topics but Reggie Wayne has a strange and possibly difficult decision to make.  The longtime Indianapolis Colts receiver is now a free agent and is getting offers from other teams, most notably the Washington Redskins.  Wayne is probably being used as a bargaining chip to bring in Peyton Manning but here’s the kicker: given Wayne’s age and the new direction the team is going, will the Colts keep Manning and dump Wayne?  If the Redskins sign Wayne but do not end up with Manning, it would be a shame to end Wayne’s career playing for a team without a real QB.  No one will want Reggie Wayne after two more seasons in the NFL and there are limited options for the former Pro-Bowl receiver.  Does Wayne take his chances with a lesser team and hope to be reunited with Peyton Manning or does he stay with the Colts and hope to finish as a Hall-of-Fame player with only one team?

The post Bottom 5: Receiving Nothing appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It’s a long way to the top.

1. Bobbing for Wins: The Charlotte Bobcats are sitting at an abysmal 3-22 record.  The good news is that the season has only two months left and they cannot set the record for futility in a lockout-shortened season.  They also have Rookie-of-the-year candidate in Kemba Walker.  The bad news is they cannot win a game to save their lives.  Already riding a 12-game losing streak (they have not won a game since winter break), 6 of their next 9 games are against winning teams.  Try not to blink but the ‘Cats just might lose all of them if they are not careful.  Even the Washington Wizards, who own the second-worst record in the NBA, have posted 2 wins against them.  Can things get any worse?

2. Playing in the Cold: Columbus has had plenty to celebrate this winter with the Ohio State men’s basketball team playing very well.  Unfortunately, the NHL team that plays in Columbus does not.  The Columbus Blue Jackets have the misfortune of holding the worst record in the NHL by far (15-32-6) and the losses are far from over.  The majority of their remaining games are on the road and they are 5 wins back from being at least within the bottom five in the NHL.  No one is even close to holding the worst record in the NHL, so unless the Blue Jackets find a way to win games and go on several winning streaks, they might as prepare for the draft now since they will remain in the cellar.

3. Rocking Horse: Okay, this may be a terrible pun for the USC Trojans men’s basketball team, but not only are they in the Pac-12 basement, they have the worst overall record out of all the power conference schools in Division I basketball.  They are an awful 6-18.  But to their credit, they have won one conference game.  Texas Tech was close to being in my bottom 5 this week, as they are 0-11 in conference play but sport a 7-16 record, slightly better than the Trojans.  With seven games remaining and only a single game against a team with an overall losing record (Arizona State), there will be a lot of talk surrounding a coaching change, considering USC used to be a regular at the NCAA Tournament frequently not too long ago.

4. Fall from Grace: This sums up Peyton Manning’s past year in a nutshell.  After sitting out the 2011 season with a neck injury, there is a lot of talk on whether he will be traded or released.  If Manning is still on the Colts by March 8, he will be guaranteed a $28 million signing bonus.  However, with Andrew Luck looming in the draft, there will be a new quarterback taking the reins come September.  The Arizona Cardinals and the New York Jets have recently popped up as recent destinations for Manning, but the future Hall-of-Famer may likely serve as a mentor to Luck and will follow a similar path to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

5. Wishing You Did Not See: The last topic on my Bottom 5 may not be an athlete, but she did have a major blunder during the Superbowl halftime show.  Famous rapper M.I.A., for one reason or by accident, showed the finger into the camera and millions of people saw it.  The FCC was the first to jump on her, but this was embarrassing without question.  You are on national television and you do something as stupid as giving the finger to a camera!  M.I.A. can forget about appearing on camera for the rest of her career after that, as NBC was hit with several fines because of her actions.

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