USC, New England, Memphis.

I often wonder to myself, is it possible to believe in things like destiny and karma, but not believe in a higher power that controls the aforementioned? I've never come across a solid answer; I don't expect that I ever will.

However, over the past 27 months, I have witnessed what seems to be karmic forces delving into the sports world, making their presence known on the biggest stages there are to offer.

January 1, 2006. The sporting world was hailing it as a crowning point for Southern California. The Trojans were the defending national champions, winners of 34 games in a row, and they trotted out back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners in QB Matt Leinart and RB Reggie Bush. To boot, the title game was in their own backyard, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Their offense was probably one of the best pro-style offenses college football fans will ever witness; the Trojans rolled to 600 points in a dozen regular season victories, breaking 40 points nine times, 50 points seven times, 60 points three times, and 70 points once. There were naysayers that pointed to their defense as a weak point. Indeed, defensive linemen Mike Patterson and Shaun Cody and linebackers Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu, bricks in the shattering 2004 edition of the team, weren't there for 2005. But everyone was blinded by the dazzling offense; it was the new "Showtime" in Los Angeles, reminding people of the Magic-led Lakers of the 1980s. They even appeared to have karma on their side, pulling a miracle out of the fire in South Bend against rival Notre Dame.

Nobody gave Texas a shot in the title game against Southern Cal. The Longhorns had an explosive offense of their own, racking up 541 points in 11 regular season games, and then dropping 70 on Colorado in the Big 12 Championship Game, which clinched UT's ticket to Pasadena for a date with USC. The reason Texas was overlooked - aside from EuScPN's hype machine - was because of two things: Mack Brown and Vince Young. Mack had long been dismissed as an ace recruiter who could coach about as well as some random guy off the street can juggle knives. And the offense he ran - led by Heisman runner-up Vince Young - was a spread, which had not been fully embraced by college football yet; it was still viewed as little more than a gimmick.

So what did Texas do? They toppled the Trojan Empire, exposing what everyone should've seen all along: USC's defense was shielded all year by Showtime. Karma exacted vengeance on the Trojans in the form of 267 yards passing and 200 yards rushing.

February 3, 2008. Once again, the sporting world tuned in to witness another coronation. This time they watched in disgust, as the New England Patriots, the universally despised villians, took the field in Arizona for Super Bowl XLII, looking to become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to finish the season as undefeated Super Bowl Champions. Like USC, the Patriots were driven by one of the greatest offenses ever seen on a football field, as Tom Brady and Randy Moss set single season NFL records for passing touchdowns (50) and receiving touchdowns (23), respectively. As a team, the Patriots set NFL records with 589 points and 75 total touchdowns en route to the first 16-0 regular season ever. The final game of those 16 was a nail-biting 38-35 triumph in the Meadowlands against the New York Giants.

Normally, a team going 16-0 while laying waste to the rest of the league would have fans buzzing about the possibilities of witnessing history; but not this time. This time, America had to hold back their collective vomit. After the first week of the season, the Patriots - already loathed by most for their aura of arrogance, personified perfectly by head coach Bill Belichick - were busted for videotaping the defensive signals of their Week 1 opponent, the New York Jets. The NFL punished the Patriots, making them forfeit their first round pick in the upcoming draft, and personally fining Belichick $500,000. The already rabid Patriots haters now had even more justification to spew venom. All the accomplishments of the Patriots, including Super Bowl victories in 2001, 2003 and 2004, were called into question. Belichick used it as a rallying point, and the Patriots collectively declared war on the NFL. For the rest of the season they bordered on the line of classlessness, never surrendering the opportunity to score an extra touchdown against an undermatched opponent. They won their first eight games by an average of 25.5 points, and for the season averaged a 19.7 gap between themselves and their foes. The fireworks from their explosive offense were slightly diminished in the playoffs due to the cold weather in Foxboro, but the Patriots got past Jacksonville and San Diego, punching a ticket to balmy Arizona, and a date with destiny at 18-0.

The Giants, on the other hand, were never expected to come close to the Super Bowl. While the Cowboys ruled the NFC East and the Packers' resurgence grabbed the headlines, Eli Manning sputtered through another mediocre season as Giants' QB, finishing with 23 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions. Once the playoffs started though, the Giants, whose only loss away from home all season had been the season opener in Dallas, felt right at home on the road. They dispatched Tampa Bay and the archrival Cowboys before beating Green Bay at Lambeau Field in the 3rd coldest game ever, forcing Brett Favre into retirement. And still, no one expected anything to happen in the Super Bowl aside from the Patriots winning.

So what happened? The Giants, fueled by a relentless pass rush on Tom Brady and one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history - Eli Manning's magical escape from a sack and his miracle pass that David Tyree pinned aganst his helmet as he fell - toppled what many had thought was the best team to ever play in the NFL. The Patriots' defense folded on the Giants' final drive, revealing the old age that the pundits had called "experience" all season. The transgressions of Belichick and the Patriots finally caught up to them in the desert.

April 7, 2008. It had been a while since college basketball gave us a game to truly remember. Yeah, the 2005 Midwest Regional Final between Illinois and Arizona, and the Championship Game that year between Illinois and North Carolina were both memorable, but when was the last time we had a truly legendary game in the Final Four or for the title?

When all four #1 seeds - Carolina, Kansas, Memphis and UCLA - reached the Final Four in San Antonio this year, many thought we would be treated to the greatest Final Four in history. Instead, we were treated to two blowouts. Memphis's athleticism punched out UCLA by 15, and Kansas had North Carolina down 40-12 in the first half. The Tar Heels almost made a game of it, nearly pulling off the greatest comeback in Final Four history by getting to within four, but the Jayhawks had enough left in the tank to run away from UNC in the end, 84-66. Yet, despite dispatching the #1 overall seed in the tournament, Kansas was given almost no shot against Memphis. That's not really surprising though. Despite their less than stellar conference, Memphis was 38-1, having set the NCAA men's record for most wins ever in a season by a college basketball team, and the way they mowed down Michigan State and Texas in the South Regional, and then UCLA in the National Semifinal, it wasn't unreasonable to expect the Tigers to keep cruising. Their backcourt of Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts was unstoppable, as both players seemed to be clinching their statuses as lottery picks in the NBA Draft.

And yet all throughout the NCAA Tournament, Memphis had played with fire. Their borderline terrible free throw shooting which had plagued them all year had suddenly disappeared in the tournament. While they shot less than 60% throughout the regular season, they were up in the 70s so far in March Madness. In the second round against Mississippi State, they only made 15 of 32 attempts, and survived, 77-74. From there, they took off. Against Michigan State, they converted 26 of 35 (74.3%). Against Texas, they were 30-36 (83.3%). Against UCLA, 20 for 23 (87.0%). But the thing was, those last three games were all blowouts. Memphis beat Michigan State by 18, Texas by 18 and UCLA by 15. The question about Memphis being able to make their free throws in the clutch had not been answered yet.

For a time Monday night, it seemed like they would never have to answer it. The title game was a close game throughout, with Derrick Rose coming alive in the second half and staking Memphis to a seemingly insurmountable 60-51 lead with only 2:12 to play. Kansas quickly cut it to 60-56, however, with a jumper, a steal, and a three. Now, Memphis's intestinal fortitude would be tested. Douglas-Roberts answered the call, calmly sinking a pair of free throws, putting the lead at 62-56 with 99 seconds left. Kansas fouled out Memphis's Joey Dorsey seconds later, and made two free throws of their own; this started the giant spiral of choke by the Tigers. Douglas-Roberts was fouled, and missed the front end of the one-and-one, giving the ball back to Kansas, the deficit only four. A jumper with 1:01 left made it 62-60. Memphis ran the clock down while the Jayhawks D'ed them up, and Kansas got the missed shot they wanted, but quickly turned the ball back over. Douglas-Roberts went to the line with 16 seconds left, a chance to basically ice away the title for Memphis.

Instead, he missed both free throws. Miraculously, the Tigers recovered the offensive rebound, and this time it was Derrick Rose that went to the line. Only ten seconds remained now; two free throws would put Memphis up four. Rose, who had been so amazing throughout the Regional and into the Final Four, had a chance to leave as a legend; clinch the title for the Tigers and bolt for the NBA while winning the hearts of every Memphis fan in the process.

Instead, he made only one of two. We all know what happened from there. Kansas raced down the floor, Mario Chalmers made the three, and Kansas ran away from Memphis in overtime. I can only imagine the agony Memphis fans feel. The only thing I can possibly relate it to is the 2005 NBA Finals. After six grueling games and three quarters, the Pistons and Spurs were dead locked, but San Antonio pulled away in the final quarter, leaving the Pistons as close to repeating as champions as they could come without actually doing it. Monday night, Memphis came as close to winning the NCAA Championship as one team can without actually closing. The law of averages exacted cruel, cruel revenge on the Tigers. Karma finally caught them by their tails.

Finally.

I'll have a more complete blog entry about this tomorrow...but finally, college basketball gives us a finale to remember. It's been a while.

Retribution

In fairy tales, action movies and stories that parents tell their children before putting them to bed, good always prevails over evil. It comforts the person watching or listening, to know that those of noble actions and pure intentions win out in the end, squashing those of the dark side.

In the world of sports though, "evil" has reclaimed their throne. The throne they held in 2003 and 2004 has been returned to them for the time being. In years past, their drive was fueled by desire; the desire to prove those who doubted them wrong. In 2001, they were America's underdog, bearing the name everyone could rally behind at a time when a nation needed a distraction from the evils of the world. The underdog prevailed, and America felt good.

As their dominance stretched on though, America turned on them. Just like every other dynasty, people looked for a weakness. They looked for anything to discredit them. As the championships mounted in 2003 and 2004, people angrily accepted them as a dynasty. When their reign was interrupted in 2005, there was rejoicing. Rejoicing because their leader is an asshole in their eyes, and to see him knocked from his throne was awesome.

In 2006, they seemed poised to reclaim their throne. For the third time in four years, the playoffs pitted the ultimate battle of good vs. evil. On one side was the good, the team that said everything right, was gracious in victory and noble in defeat, led by their coach who oozes class and bases all that he does on his never-wavering faith. On the other, the evil, the 3-time champions that had the world against them. Twice before, the evil had triumphed over the good in the postseason en route to glory. And even now, the good could not overcome, falling into an 18-point deficit.

This time though, evil would be thwarted. The media darlings, the "good", finally exorcised the demons, defeated evil, and won their own championship.

But, like all good evil entities, the thwarted analyzed what was wrong, and retooled. They reloaded with weapons to equal their arch enemy's. The results have been terrifyingly efficient and deadly - but not just because of their new weapons.

This time, they're pissed off. They're pissed off because people have dared to question their previous glory. They were caught cheating, and the floodgates opened. Everywhere, people got their shots in, claiming that they only won their previous titles because they were cheating the whole time. Their response to these naysayers?

"Fuck you."

With that, they provided even more ammo, this time in amusing fashion - they were daring to run up the score! This isn't how you're supposed to behave in this sport! You're supposed to win with dignity and class, and be gracious and feel bad for teams that you're defeating. Instead, they have stomped the throat of their opponents while simultaneously flipping the bird at those who dared to question them.

All of it culminated today, as once again, Good met Evil. The winner was expected to establish themselves as the dominant team, the true favorite to reach the summit this season. All the while leading up to today's game, questions have swirled around Evil - are they being classless? Are they the greatest team of all time?

There is no definite answer to either of those questions. #1 is strictly a matter of opinion, and while #2 is as well, that opinion can't be formed until January. But today, they passed their first test. "Evil" triumphed over "Good" today. Their dreams of perfection are still alive. Their vendetta against the rest of the free world remains. If "Good" was the only hope at stopping them, then this is one story parents aren't going to want to tell their kids.

All while being led by a Michigan Man.

Hope springs eternal.

...Okay, so the Lions will probably still be bad this year. The run defense is suspect, the pass defense is bad, the rush offense is mediocre, and the offensive line offers about as much protection as the condoms Kramer gave to George.



But hey, if you're gonna stink...you might as well stink like the Lions are gonna stink this year. Gone are the days of Joey Harrington being pathetically inept (have fun Atlanta). More often than not the Lions' offense with that idiot under center was like a solar eclipse - if you looked at it directly for more than a few seconds, you went hysterically blind.

Well, those days are, at least somewhat, over. Yeah, Kitna will be sacked 60 times. He'll probably throw 20 interceptions. But when he's upright and not throwing to the wrong team, he'll have some fun, with Roy (Roy Roy Roy!) Williams, Mike Furrey and his new toy Calvin Johnson out there snagging passes.



So yeah...the Lions will be something awful like 5-11, 4-12....MAYBE 6-10. But unlike the past couple years...I might just be awake by kickoff to watch them.

A "dynasty" is crowned.

dy·nas·ty

-noun, plural - ties.

1. a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group: the Ming dynasty.
2. the rule of such a sequence.
3. a series of members of a family who are distinguished for their success, wealth, etc.

When thinking of the term "dynasty" relative to the sports world, there are really shades of gray; it's open to interpretation.

In the old sense, no "dynasty" compares to those of the Boston Celtics and UCLA Bruins. In the 30-year period from 1956 to 1986, the Celtics won 16 NBA Championships, including 8 straight from 1959-1966, 20 division titles and 18 conference titles. UCLA won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years from 1964-1975, including an 88 game winning streak from 1971-1974.

Since those days, factors have popped up in the world of sports that have made such eras of dominance impossible. The expansion of the leagues, and more importantly the era of free agency has ensured that no team can assemble enough talent and keep it together long enough to match the Celtics and Bruins of yesteryear.

Hence, the term "dynasty" is now watered down, to a point.

For example: I often hear people loosely throw around the word "dynasty" for the Detroit Red Wings. Since 1992, the Wings have won 11 division titles, 5 President's Trophies, 4 conference titles, and 3 Stanley Cups. An impressive run, no doubt, and only New Jersey has won as many Stanley Cups. But a dynasty?

It seems like the requirements for the modern dynasty is being a perenial contender, and winning at least 3 championships (or being very close). Another example is USC Trojans football. I like USC; I enjoy watching them play because they are ridiculously talented year in and year out. Since the 2002 season, they are 59-6. They've won their conference in each season. They shared the National Championship in 2003, won it outright in 2004, and lost in the Title Game in 2005. They show no signs of slowing down, and are the odds on favorite to win the National Title headed into this season. And yet I already hear people throwing around the word "dynasty" in regards to them. Please.

The New York Islanders won 4 straight Stanley Cups from 1979-1983. The Edmonton Oilers won 5 in 7 years during the 80s (including beating the 4-time champion Islanders in 1984). The Pittsburgh Steelers won 4 Super Bowls in 6 years in the 1970s. The San Francisco 49ers won 4 Super Bowls in 9 years in the 80s. The Dallas Cowboys won 3 in 4 years during the 90s, and the New England Patriots repeated that feat in this decade. The Chicago Bulls were (and still are) the landmark dynasty of this generation, winning 6 titles during an 8 year span during the 1990s. The Los Angeles Lakers won 3 straight NBA titles from 2000-2002, and lost the 2004 NBA Finals to the Pistons.

In the midst of that though, there were the San Antonio Spurs. Led by Tim Duncan, they beat the Knicks in the 1999 Finals. The Lakers then went on their 3-year reign, before the Spurs dethroned them and then beat New Jersey in 2003. The Pistons won in 2004, and the Spurs dethroned them in 2005.

After losing in Game 7 on their homecourt to Dallas last year, the Spurs were back again this year, coasting through the entire playoffs. They disposed of Denver in 5 games, beat Phoenix in a controversial 6, and mowed down Utah in 5. The Finals were the most lopsided, as the Spurs "crowned their dynasty" in a 4 game sweep, finishing the job tonight in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.

I am not at all trying to undercut the achievements of these teams. Hell, I'm jealous of the Spurs. My Pistons have one ring, while the Spurs have four now.

I often wonder what Bill Russell - the centerpiece of the Celtics of the 1960s - and Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - the stars of the UCLA teams in the late 1960s and early 1970s - think, when they hear the same word used to describe today's teams that is used to describe their legendary achievements from decades earlier.