Jeffrey Tomik

Knucklehead of the week: Mark Mangino, Kansas Jayhawks, football coach

The big man on campus has created the recipe for getting fired. After losing five straight games, allegations have surface about how he verbally abused players. Mangino will still be waddling around the Jayhawks' sideline on Saturday against Texas, but he'll be shown the door if these allegations turn out to be true. At least this guy has a future at the New York Friars' Club for celebrity roasts. He has no limits for his material: This is what he allegedly told wide receiver Raymond Brown, who's brother had been shot in the arm in St. Louis: "If you don't shut up, I'm going to send you back to St. Louis so you can get shot with your homies." Boom! A player who had...

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The NFL's biggest headache

The topic of head injuries in the NFL has never been more prevalent. Research has been brought to light, Congress has tackled the subject and John Madden has a committee that will make recommendations to the league on ways to reduce the effects of concussions. The list of former football players that are suffering long-term brain damage is growing. But where do we draw the line? What changes can be made that won't take away from the physical nature of the sport? Here are some suggestions that have come up: 1. Taking off the helmets » Although helmets are worn to reduce injury, they also increase the amount of contact to the head. A game without helmets will never happen, but...

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The Greatest Show on Court returns

The most fun team to watch in the NBA is back. The Shaquille O'Neal experiment did not work last season and the Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004 -- the season before they acquired Steve Nash. With Shaq in Cleveland, the Suns have regained their run-and-gun mentality -- averaging a league-best 110 points per game. Nash is playing like he did during his two MVP seasons -- averaging 17.6 points and 11.5 assists per game. Last year was the first time the point guard had less than 10 assists per game in his five seasons in Phoenix. The Suns have always been able to find players that fit in their system around their pass-first Canadian point guard. Raja Bell, Shawn...

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Bengals, Benson are rejuvenated

The NFL season has reached its halfway point. Here are the three biggest surprises through the first nine weeks: 1. The Bengals are actually good » What happened to that dysfunctional team that had more player arrests than wins? Well, the Bengals have a complete new identity led, ironically, by running back Cedric Benson -- who Cincinnati signed after being released by the Bears following two alcohol-related arrests in five weeks in 2008. The Bengals are 6-2 behind Benson's 837 yards rushing (second in the NFL) and a defense that is holding teams to 16.9 points per game (fifth in the NFL). Has Cincinnati broken the "Hard Knocks" curse? 2. The dominant Colts defense...

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Knucklehead award: Corwin Brown, assoc. head coach Notre Dame

If the Irish's loss to the Midshipmen wasn't enough embarrassment, Brown criticized Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo's postgame comments and blasted Navy's blocking. "I think the one thing that helped us, and I really hope this doesn't come across wrong, but I think the thing that helped us this year was last year because we knew that they'd line up the same way," Niumatalolo said about Notre Dame's similar defensive scheme in 2008. Brown took offense to the comments. "In all the classy guys I've watched and played under, they would never say something like that," he said. Really? Your boss is the arrogant Charlie Weis. And "classless" is the last word...

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We're just talking about retirement?

Allen Iverson was the third-highest scorer in the NBA for the 2007-2008 season. Just a year and a half later the six-foot lightning-quick guard is mulling retirement as he takes a leave of absence for a personal matter, according to reports. What has happened to A.I.? Last year after three games, Iverson was shipped out of Denver to Detroit -- one of the worst situations for the four-time scoring champ. The Pistons' backcourt contained a veteran with a new contract -- Richard Hamilton -- and Detroit's point guard of the future -- Rodney Stuckey. Iverson was the man left out. He was forced to come off the bench, which wouldn't sit well with any former MVP who averaged 26.4 points per...

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Luck has run out on Weis

Navy's victory over Notre Dame marked the first time an Irish coach lost back-to-back home games against the Mids. It was the first time an unranked Navy team beat a ranked Notre Dame team since 1936, the first year of the AP Poll. It was the second time the Irish lost to the Mids in the last three years -- after winning 43 consecutive games against Navy from 1964-2006. But Notre Dame's struggles against their Annapolis rival aren't the only reason that Charlie Weis needs to get the boot out of South Bend. Weis' tenure at Notre Dame is full of embarrassment and lacks a real signature win. He started strong with two trips to BCS bowls, but a loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl in...

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Fantastic Four's final farewell?

The New York Yankees: The best team money could buy. But the backbone of the Yankees' 27th championship team is not the three free agents New York committed $423.5 million to during the offseason. The Fantastic Four -- and their fistful of rings -- have been the backbone of this team for over a decade and once again produced on the biggest stage. Their fearless leader, Derek Jeter, batted .344 with 14 runs this postseason. The man behind the plate, Jorge Posada, is still a power bat in the lineup and had three RBI in Game 4 of the World Series. The winningest playoff pitcher ever, Andy Pettitte, recorded two more wins in the World Series, further bloating his record 18 postseason...

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Iowa: This year's team of destiny?

The computers love the undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes -- ranking them second in the nation -- but the No 4 team in the BCS rankings doesn't pass the eye test. Iowa somehow defeated Indiana by 18 points on Saturday. The Hoosiers were up 14 points and two yards away from another touchdown midway through the third quarter. Then, Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell threw a pass that hit four different players before finding Iowa's Tyler Sash and the defensive back returned the interception 86 yards for a touchdown. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi overcame five interceptions by throwing two huge fourth quarter touchdown passes -- 92 yards and 66 yards -- less than two minutes apart to lead the Hawkeyes...

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Lee: Welcome to MLB elite status

Does the reigning AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee get enough respect? He doesn't have CC Sabathia's 7-year, $161 million contract. He doesn't have a signature pitch like Johan Santana's change-up. And he doesn't have the strikeout ability of Tim Lincecum. But what he does have -- that those big-name pitchers don't -- is a signature performance on the biggest stage in baseball. Lee became the first pitcher in World Series history with 10 Ks, no walks and no earned runs in the Phillies' Game 1 victory. More impressively, he did it against the best offense in baseball, on the road, in a ballpark where fly ball outs turn into home runs in the right-field upper deck. After Alex Rodriguez...

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Two NBA prospects lead top-ranked Kansas

Five teams to watch in college basketball: 1. Kansas » The preseason No. 1 team touts two top player of the year candidates -- center Cole Aldrich and point guard Sherron Collins. 2. Kentucky » A Wildcats team that didn't make the NCAA Tournament last season is one of this year's favorites after bringing in coach John Calipari and a couple of top recruits. 3. Georgetown » Center Greg Monroe's draft stock will rise or fall depending on how well the Hoyas do in the Big East. 4. Villanova » A Final Four team returning a good core of guards -- Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Reggie Redding. But will they have anyone to fill the void inside left by Dante...

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The team in the mirror

Two teams, one identity. This year's World Series pits two power-hitting big-market East Coast teams against each other. On Wednesday night, the Phillies and Yankees will play Game 1 of the World Series in the new Yankee Stadium. Philadelphia is trying to become the first repeat World Champion since the Yankees won back-to-back Fall Classics in 1999 and 2000. The further into the postseason these pennant winners advanced, the more alike they appeared. Think you can decipher the difference between the two ball clubs? See if you can solve this World Series riddle: We defeated a team from Los Angeles in the league championship series and enter the Fall Classic riding our ace -- a former...

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Primetime bounce back week for NFC East

Remember when the NFC East was "the toughest division in football"? Here's the reality from Week 6: The Redskins lost to another winless team. The Cowboys had a bye week after getting taken to overtime by the Chiefs in Week 5. The Eagles traveled across the country to embarrass themselves in Oakland. And the Giants allowed 48 points to the Saints in a game that was supposed to be about Eli Manning's return home to New Orleans. So if any division needs to save face in Week 7, it's those four beasts in the East. And all are on center stage. The Cowboys have a chance to prove themselves against a one-loss Atlanta Falcons team that made the playoffs last year. The Giants face...

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An East Coast of crazies

As Phillies fans chanted "You took steroids" at Manny Ramirez, we realized how hard it was to look past classless fanhood. There is no place in sports for fans to sink to the level of their performance-enhancing stars. But jeers aren't confined to the streets of Philadelphia. So what city has the harshest crowds? 3. Boston » A nation has been formed in the last five years (pausing for time to vomit). Where were all these pink-jersey-wearing annoying Red Sox fans during that 86-year drought? Not that there wasn't a strong Red Sox following prior to 2004. Remember how the Boston fans treated Bill Buckner? The first baseman was a key part of their playoff run, but the fans...

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A national champion in Boise?

The BCS standings are out and the No. 4 team in college football resides in the WAC. So what needs to happen in order for Boise State to jump two spots and play in the BCS Championship Game? Glad you asked: 1. Win and win with style » Obviously a one-loss team from the WAC does not make the title game. The conference has only one other team -- Idaho -- with a winning record, so Boise State must win all its remaining games convincingly to even be considered for the title game. 2. Oregon must win the Pac-10 » Boise State played their toughest game of the season on Sept. 3 on the blue turf. The Broncos beat Oregon, 19-8, and their BCS dreams were set in motion. Oregon, ranked...

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NFL's flaming brown bag

Has the NFL ever had this many bad teams? Entering Week 6, four teams are 0-5 -- more than any other year this decade -- and six teams have only one win. And this excludes the Redskins, who have managed only two ugly victories despite being the first team in NFL history to open the season against six winless teams. So over one-third of the NFL is awful. But who is the worst? 5. Detroit Lions (1-4) » They've improved from the worst team in NFL history to just this season's worst defense. Allowing 32.4 points per game puts a lot of pressure on a rookie quarterback. At least their star receiver, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, has the sweetest nickname in football. 4....

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Becoming a big market game

This weekend, three teams -- the Yankees, Dodgers and Angels -- swept their way into the MLB league championship series. Those teams also reside in the two largest media markets and have payrolls over $100 million. Is baseball being taken over by big market teams? This question has resonated for years with MLB's lack of a salary cap. Big market teams have taken some of the parody out of baseball, especially in the American League. The Yankees, Red Sox and Angels have been three of the four playoff teams in four of the past six years. Only the Central has consistently been up for grabs in the American League. Small market teams can compete with the big dogs -- as we've seen with recent...

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College football outlook, 9/22/09

TOP 25 Top contenders dwindling fast With highly-ranked unbeatens USC, Utah, BYU and Georgia Tech falling, the contenders fit for a No. 1 ranking are dwindling fast. And with four of the top seven teams from the SEC, other unbeatens are soon to fall. Could this be a season where a two-loss team sneaks into the BCS championship? This week’s top eight are fairly straight-forward. After that, a trio of traditional powers, all with one loss (Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma) are bunched with five unbeatens who will be tested this weekend. At the bottom of the rankings, could have just as easily been Georgia, Georgia Tech, Nebraska or Oregon. No....

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Top 10: Mid-major teams during the BCS era

Have mid-majors ever been stronger in college football? This past week five schools from non-BCS conferences made The Examiner Top-25 poll, including three from the Mountain West Conference. Here’s a look at the best mid-major schools since the inception of the BCS (1998): 10 » TCU (11-2), 2008 The Horned Frogs lost two games last year, but to two top-five teams — Oklahoma and Utah. TCU’s year ended by spoiling a perfect season for Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. Their defense dominated opponents, holding every team except the Sooners to 16 points or less. 9 » Fresno State (11-3), 2001 Led by future No. 1 pick David Carr, the Bulldogs began the season...

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College football forecast, 9/15/09

TOP 25 Mid-major teams look strong There’s not much argument about the top seven, but then it gets muddled. Weighing the relative merits of Boise St. of the WAC and Mountain West teams Brigham Young, TCU, and Utah against BCS conference powers is difficult because of strength of schedule. The three Mountain West teams will eventually sort themselves out. But Boise already has beaten its most serious foe (Oregon), and done so in unimpressive fashion. The bottom eight also are unclear. It easily could include Texas Tech, Nebraska and Boston College, or Oregon State and Georgia, teams that dropped out of the top 25 despite winning. No....

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Fearless Forecast for week of 9/14/09

EVENTS TO WATCH NFL » Ravens at Chargers, Sunday, Sept. 20, 4:15 p.m., CBS The unstoppable force meets the immovable object. The second-best scoring offense of 2008 (Chargers) will face the defense that gave up the second-fewest yards (Ravens). The edge will likely lie with Norv’s Chargers who don’t have the long plane ride — but you can never count out Ray Lewis and the boys from Charm City. MLB » Angels at Red Sox, Wednesday, 7:10 p.m., ESPN This Tuesday-Thursday series of postseason archrivals, puts the Halos in an interesting predicament. The Sawx are in a stiff Wild Card fight with the Texas Rangers — whom the Angels hold a solid, but...

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Fearless Forecast, 9/6/09

Events to watch MLB » Braves at Cardinals, Saturday, Fox, 4 p.m. Maybe the two best pitching staffs in MLB. Tim Hudson’s return from Tommy John surgery gives Atlanta yet another quality arm. Meanwhile, Joel Pineiro (3.19 ERA) has been excellent — even if teammates Adam Wainwright (2.47) and Chris Carpenter (2.28) have been better. NCAA Football » USC at Ohio State, Saturday, ESPN, 8 p.m. A rematch of last year’s early-season game in Los Angeles. It was no contest then as the Pac 10’s best ripped Ohio State, 35-3. Maybe the Buckeyes can earn some revenge at home. USC will start true freshman Matt Barkley at quarterback. MLB » Dodgers at...

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Fearless Forecast 08/30/09

What to watch U.S. Open Tennis, All Week, USA » One of the signs summer is slipping away - late-night tennis at the U.S. Open. Even casual fans can find themselves drawn in by the rambunctious atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium as the top seeds try to deal with the heat, the disorderly NYC crowd, and upset-minded challengers. South Carolina at North Carolina State, Thursday, ESPN » In last year's season opener, the Gamecocks threw four interceptions and still stomped the Wolfpack, 34-0. So it's not that we think this is a great matchup (it isn't) or that we're dying to see these two teams again (we aren't). We just miss college football. It's good to see you again, old...

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Fearless Forecast 08/23/09

Events to Watch Little League World Series » Saturday, ABC, 3 p.m. OK, it’s become over-commercialized, and over-analyzed, but it’s still fun. Turn on ESPN any time this week and you’ll likely catch a dose of the 16-team extravaganza. Thankfully, the title game is still Saturday afternoon from Lamade Stadium on network TV. Golf » Solheim Cup » Sunday, Golf Channel, 11 a.m. Can the U.S. women make it three straight in their biennial Ryder Cup-style competition with Europe? Sunday singles matches should hold some intrigue with players such as Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis and Suzann Pettersen under the gun. NFL preseason » Patriots at Redskins...

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Fearless Forecast 08/16/09

Events to watch MLS » Los Angeles Galaxy at D.C. United Saturday, 7:30 p.m. The controversy surrounding David Beckham’s return to Major League Soccer may have simmered down. But his presence on the field overshadows the fact that the Galaxy had already turned things under head coach Bruce Arena and with or without Beckham are well on their way to returning to the playoffs for the first time since winning MLS Cup in 2005. 2009 Little League Baseball World Series Aug. 21-30, ESPN For the third consecutive year, the entire Little League World Series is scheduled to be televised by the ESPN family of networks, giving young players from all over the country and world a chance...

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Fearless Forecast 08/09/09

Events to watch NFL Preseason » Redskins at Ravens, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., CSN/NBC 4 Move along, not much to see here — really. The starters may play a series. But it is preseason football and sports fans love it. Be sure to stand back — what is now a slow burning love affair by Redskins fans with backup QB Colt Brennan will surely grow to a blazing fire as he takes the field against the Ravens’ backups. MLB » Astros at Brewers, Fri. (FSN-HD, 6:05 p.m.), Sat. (FSN, 5:05 p.m.), Sun. (FSN-HD, 12:05 p.m.) The NL Central is all tied up near the top, with the Cardinals and Cubs as likely choices to take the division crown. Lurking just a few games back are the...

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Fearless Forecast 07/26/09

Events to watch Golf » British Senior, Sunday, 1-3 p.m., ABC Tom Watson, 59, on the leader board in a tournament in the British Isles? Have we seen this episode before? The competition isn’t as stiff as last week in the British Open, but the story line is the same as Watson tries to become the oldest major winner, this time, on the Champions Tour. CONCACAF Gold Cup final » U.S. vs. Mexico, Sunday, 3 p.m., FOX Soccer Channel The meeting between these two clubs that really matters is in 17 days, when they meet in a crucial World Cup qualifying match at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. But the region title is on the line today, and the intensity of this rivalry will add to...

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