Hey Now You're an All-Star... But No One's Watching

With the NBA All-Star game quickly approaching I noticed that I wasn't as excited as I used to be growing up. The dunk contest isn't really the spectacle it once was, the three point contest was never that exciting, the skills competition is pointless and the game itself is more or less a non-competitive excuse for athletes to run up and down the court showing off their dunks and three point ability anyway. That being said, it's still probably the most exciting all-star weekend of all the major sports, but thats not saying much at all. I'd like to rank the 4 major sports in their attempts at capturing some fun while displaying the best talents.

4. The NFL

They just don't get it. Something is always missing and that something is a reason to watch. There are no skills competitions and therefore no ways to showcase off some of the talents in the NFL. The game isn't that physical and it shouldn't be, but then again what's the point? Why play a game of football no one takes seriously? Especially if no one is watching.

Improvement Idea

Skills competitions! Who wouldn't like to watch Tom Brady and Peyton Manning battle others in an accuracy competition? Or Jay Cutler and Michael Vick bombing the ball as far as they can? Then we could see speed competitions between the people claiming they're the fastest, maybe a little Devin Hester vs. Chris Johnson action? Anyways the point is anything not a game would add to the Pro Bowl weekend and you'd think with the NFL's audience size, something would happen.

3. The NHL

They did a better job this year adding to some of the luster and fun by having the teams pick players in a different style and having some fun with skills competitions. The only issue with the NHL is the fact that it doesn't have as big an audience as the other sports so even if it does attempt to make some fresh changes it can't ever reach the top.

Improvement Idea

Keep it the way it is. Just get more viewers.

2. MLB

Major League Baseball almost gets it. The home-run derby has lost most of its flash and there are no skills competitions besides that, but the one thing they do right in the majors...they make the game worth something. Home-field advantage in the World Series, which could be worth a lot when it comes down to that game 7. This is why baseball gets to be number 2 on this list despite only having a home-run derby.*

Improvement Idea

Maybe a fastball competition or something to do with the pitchers? Or maybe a speed competition? I mean I know baseball players are fragile, but isn't that supposed to change after the steroids are gone?

1. The NBA

This is the most exciting All-Star weekend in major sports. Almost by default. It has flash, popularity and celebrity appeal. The skills competitions are still fun though we'd all still rather see Lebron vs. Dwight rather than Gerald Green vs anyone. The 3-point contest is also the perfect platform for players that won't ever do anything else to have a little bit of glory like Voshon Lenard and superstars to show off like Larry Bird. The game itself can be fun at times and basketball combines physicality and taking it easy enough that it still can be fun at junctures.

Improvement Idea

Make the stars always do the competitions. I want to see superstars dunk! This year we are getting a taste since Blake Griffin is in it, but then he faces no household names, how boring.

These changes will likely never occur but just thinking about some of the possibilities makes you wonder why things aren't different. These athletes get paid a lot of money! More than some people will make in consecutive lifetimes, so they can put on one extra show a year.

* I did not forget about the Future's Game... Just quite frankly who cares?

Brady Vs. Manning

Who's better? Recently Sportscenter tackled who deserves more money and I would like to elaborate on the debate and maybe something I say may finally help you chose or maybe you won't agree, regardless this is some greater perspective on Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning.

Tom Brady

6'4" 225 lbs

Peyton Manning

6'5" 230 lbs

College Successes
Both players attended prolific football schools during their college primes, but Manning was significantly more hyped when he finished with Tennessee. Brady attended Michigan and only played in 31 games and started 25 of those in 5 years. His final year was his best though as he had 20 TDs and 5 INTs and had his best game of his career in his last game. In the FedEx Orange Bowl vs Alabama he went 34-46 with 369 yards and 4 TDs. Manning on the other hand was putting up great numbers every year as he started 45 games for the Vols. In his final year he won numerous awards and was an All-American, while leading Tennessee to a 11-1* season that ended with a loss to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Overall though the edge still goes to Manning.

Other Talents Growing Up
This category may seem unfair but I wanted to touch on it regardless. Back in high school Tom Brady was a 2-sport superstar, excelling in baseball and football, he was actually drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 18th Round as a catcher but chose to go to Michigan instead. Manning's hardest choice was Ole Miss or Tennessee. Edge Brady.

NFL Statistics
Peyton Manning is a statistical machine, there is no doubt about it. He already is 4th in yards, 3rd in touchdowns, 5th in passer rating and 4th in completion percentage. He is on pace to hold every major quarterback statistical category. He also hold the 2nd highest single season total for TDs with 49. Brady on the other hand does not have as complete a resume though impressive none the less. He's been trying his hardest to make up for lost time though, he currently is 21st in TDs, 7th in passer rating, 31st in yards and 9th in completion percentage. He also has the greatest statistical single season for a quarterback on his resume, in 2007 he had 50 TDs, 8 INTs, 4806 yards, a 69% completion percentage and a passer rating of an astonishing 117.2. Overall though Manning's sheer consistently gives him the call here. Edge Manning.

The Last 3-4 Years
As quarterbacks age their statistics usually start to either round off or spike (if you're Brett Favre). Manning has gotten better at winning, but his statistics are starting to come down a little bit. Don't get me wrong they are still incredible but the quick snapshot of averages for the last 3 years is:
30-TDs
14-INTs
97-QB Rating
261-Y/G
66%-Comp %

For Brady it's this:
34-TDs**
11-INTS
100-QB Rating
264-Y/G
64%- Comp %

Brady has actually continually improved over the last 3 years as Manning has hit a slight decline. Edge Brady.

Winning
Peyton Manning is a winner. In every level of football he has had incredible regular season records and he continually leads the colts to great seasons. Over his NFL career he is 131-61 in the regular season which is an incredible 68% winning percentage. Tom Brady makes that look mediocre. He has played in 127 games and has won 97 of them. For you folks at home not good at math that's a 76% winning percentage in the regular season. This guy wins almost 8 out of every 10 games he starts, for a career! What puts Brady way over the top in this category though is the playoff winning, Manning's career record in the playoffs is 9-9 with one ring, while Brady's is 14-4 with 3 rings. No contest, Big edge Brady.

Awards
Tom Brady has one regular season MVP, 2 Superbowl MVPs one offensive player of the year award and is a 5-time pro-bowler. Peyton Manning has 4 MVP trophies, which is the most all-time and 1 Superbowl MVP, oh yeah and by the way he also has 10 pro-bowl appearances. Edge Manning.

Extra-Curricular Activities
Tom Brady has a super-model wife, a child, and is constantly picked as one of the most attractive men in sports. Peyton Manning on the other hand is just hilarious, enough said. Edge Manning.


So when all is said and done Manning got the edge in one more category than Brady, but then comes the difficult part in deciding which player you'd rather have. What do you weigh more? Statistics or Winning? If you're answer is winning, which should be expected, than that big edge Brady has in that particular category should be the largest deciding factor. If you were going to start a franchise today and needed a quarterback...who would you chose? My choice, Tom Brady, but there is no wrong answer.



*This includes the SEC Championship game victory over Auburn.
** This includes the year after Brady's injury not 2008.

The Greatest Athlete Ever? What Could Have Been for Bo Jackson...

In order to be a professional athlete it takes work, dedication and an extraordinary amount of talent. You must be willing to give every ounce of strength in order to excel and push your body to the next tier of performance. It takes relentless hours of practicing that one sport and becoming a master of it. In one very interesting and particular case, one man mastered two sports in a way that no one else has ever done. His name was Bo Jackson, and he was one of the most gifted athletes to ever step on a baseball field or a football field. You may ask yourself, why a person that incredible is not as well known as he should be and the sad answer is...injury.

His credentials before his career altering injury, A Heisman Trophy, a Pro Bowl Selection and an MLB All-Star Selection. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft and drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the MLB amateur draft. He holds the record for most yards recorded during a Monday Night Football game with 221 in 1987 and was the MLB All-Star game MVP in 1989.

During his best year as an NFL player he rushed for 698 yards on 125 carries averaging an incredible 5.6 yards per carry in only 10 games and as a backup.

During his best year as a MLB player he finished 1oth in the MVP voting and hit 32 homeruns with 105 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. He was 26 and wasn't even being as utilized as much as he could have been due to his dueling careers.

Now hypothetically, taking an in-depth look at Bo Jackson before the injury that ended his career in 1990 as a football player and 1993 as a baseball player I have come up with a view on what could have been. In the NFL he was just beginning to bloom as a star, he was taken down in the prime of his career and was averaging over 5 yards per carry, just to put that in perspective a little, Barry Sanders averaged 5.0 and Emmit Smith, 4.2. If he had just stayed on pace with his minimalist numbers he could have reached 14,000 yards very easily, but based on his style of play it would have been much more likely for him to have reached 16,000. Ending his career with total like that, would have made him a Hall of Fame player without a doubt.

In the Major Leagues he was not known for his batting average, but for his speed and power. He wasn't utilized in the ways he could have been due to his two-sport career, but he was on pace for Hall of Famer numbers as a baseball player too! Before his injury he was averaging 33 homeruns and 100 RBIs per 162 games. Of course this is all hypothetical, but a career like that would have led to about 400+ homeruns, 400+ steals and about 1350 RBIs. And that would have been only as a part-timer considering he never played more than 125 games.

All in all it’s a tragedy that one of the greatest athletes to ever participate in professional sports was never able to complete the career that could have been the most incredible thing any one had ever seen. Unimaginable things happen, leading us to only ponder... what could have been for Mr. Bo Jackson.