il papa's pontifications

This week's edition of il papa's pontifications, the Pope's weekly tirade involving the world of sports, discusses the blog-hater Buzz Bissinger, the NFL Draft from this past weekend, and the BCS of college football. Here we go:

1. Buzz Bissinger - WTF? As Im sure many of you blog fans have read on Deadspin, Kissing Suzy Kolber, or Every Day Should be Saturday (EDSBS), Buzz Bizzinger is the ire of the blogging world after his comments on the Bob Costas show last night. Here is a great synopsis of what occurred (from AOL Sports Fanhouse).

I'd say he needs about $100LARGE worth of indulgences to clean up his mess. This guy is getting railed on by the entire internet, so I wont waste your time. There is great stuff about the Buzz situation on the blogs I have linked above. I enjoyed his book "3 Nights in August", but won't ever buy another piece of his again.

2. NFL Draft Coverage - I want to know who is picked, a little about the player, and then what Mel Kiper or Ron Jaworski thinks about the pick. Unfortunately, I got too little of what I wanted and too much of the below during ESPN's NFL Draft coverage this past weekend:

- Todd McShay (McGay), Chris Berman, and Keyshawn Johnson all fighting for words with more seasoned analysts that we want to hear from (Mortensen, Kiper, Jackson, Jaworksi). Too many morons fighting for the microphone, causing the analysis to lock continuity or flow, and become confusing.

- Too little Mel Kiper Jr. Say what you will, this guy is to NFL Scouting media coverage what Bill James is to baseball statistics. Kiper isnt always right, but he brings a wealth of knowledge and contacts to the table. More of him, less of awful suit Keyshawn.

- And the Grand Pontification of ESPN's NFL Draft coverage - Camera crews at every potential draftees house, oftentimes revealing the outcome of a pick before it happens. Teams call a player before they make an official pick. Well, ESPN was filming these players celebrating before the pick was made. Then they would hit up a commercial break, coming back to see the official pick being made of what the viewer already knew. How about just a little suspense for this male soap opera, please?

More NFL draft coverage like this would be appreciated:



3. BCS Playoff Discussion - The BCS committee met the past few days and officially rejected the idea of a playoff. Everyone wants a playoff, and its going to take 20 years to get it. Most in need of Pontificating - the fact that we keep talking on and on about a playoff each year. Here are some agreed upon beliefs, pretty much close to fact:

- A playoff would be wildly entertaining and much better way to crown the national champion
- A playoff could make plenty of money and likely would make much more than the current system
- Scheduling issues about when to play all the playoff games would be minimal; play some during December, the season could end at approximately the same time as it does now

So why no playoff? Simple. More facts:

- The BCS is as financially healthy for all the schools involved as any college bowl system ever
- Very handsome TV contracts are signed and done through 2014. Any change to the formula would call for those to be renegotiated and could be a risk
- Any type of playoff will cause revenue uncertainty for all major conferences

All BCS conferences are guaranteed one $17M paycheck per year, at a minimum. Any type of a playoff would be very difficult to negotiate $$, and could likely cause the $$ to be spread out over more teams (like the NCAA Basketball Tournament revenues, spread over all 350ish Division 1 teams). That means less money guaranteed. Presidents and Athletic directors dont have the balls to take that chance.

I find it interesting that the Pac-10 and Big 10 are against it. Obviously there is some Rose Bowl snobbery there, an appreciation for tradition in spite of better alternatives.

Conversation with Charlie Weis

Last night the Pope had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Weis. I was only allowed to speak with Charlie a moment, but wisdom permeated the conversation on both ends. Here is a quick look at what was said, in this week's Supreme Pontiff's Conversations:

THE POPE: Charlie, the pleasure is all mine. Im glad you have come to this meeting.

WEIS: No problem your highness. I have a lot of repenting to do.

THE POPE: [muttered under his breath] (your goddamn right you do . . .)

WEIS: UH, Excuse me? Did I hear you say something.

THE POPE: Nothing, just have a slight cough (cough cough). Charlie, we are very happy here to speak. What might you be speaking about this evening?

WEIS: I was going to talk about the commitment Notre Dame football has to excellence in character, grades, and on the field play.

THE POPE: 2 outta 3 aint bad - in baseball you'd be the greatest hitter ever at that average

WEIS: The on the field excellence wasn't there last year, but its coming.

THE POPE: I agree Charlie, I agree. San Diego St, Syracuse, Navy, Washingon, Stanford - must have bought a lot of indulgences for that 2008 schedule, Charlie

WEIS: Not sure what that means. I think we are going to be better next year not just because of the schedule, but because our team will be a year older and more experienced, and much bigger.

THE POPE: Experience is overrated. So is size. Especially in your case . . .

WEIS: Whats that supposed to mean!?

THE POPE: Your NFL experience is a bit overrated, dont you think? Thats what I meant.

WEIS: Possibly. I think its a selling point in recruiting.


THE POPE: Thats like saying my experience loving God is a great selling point for me with the ladies.

WEIS: ?!?!

THE POPE: Moving along now. As long as you stay focused, not paying attention to what the fans say, any dumb websites, or blogs, then I think your 2008 season will go well. Maybe much more like your 1st season in South Bend



WEIS: Thanks your eminence.

There you have it. Historic conversation, recorded for you, right here at VaticanSmoke.com.

Vegas Baby, Vegas

The Pope was in the US, so he couldn't not go to Vegas right? During my visit, I roamed the sports books of Caesar's, Mirage, Paris, and MGM, looking for futures. Here are some interesting bets/odds that I found:

Tennessee Titans to win Super Bowl = 25 to 1
Memphis Tigers to win 2009 National Basketball Title = 25 to 1
Notre Dame to win 2009 National Basketball Title = 20 to 1
Indiana to win 2009 BCS National Championship (Football) = 125 to 1
Notre Dame to win 2009 BCS National Championship (Football) = 75 to 1
USC to win 2009 BCS National Championship (Football) = 7 to 2 (3.5 to 1)

A few thoughts:

- When was the last time Notre Dame had a greater chance to win the basketball national championship, than the football one? Not only a greater chance, but three times greater chance.

- Certainly we must take into account the Notre Dame bias. Due to the widespread and large number of Notre Dame fans, oftentimes the lines on Notre Dame bets, especially football, are slanted a bit more against Notre Dame (paying less) due to the large number of bettors. If Notre Dame is favored by 7 points in reality, the number of bettors on ND might move the line to 8 or 9 so that the casino can even out the betting. Case in point: the 75 to 1 odds on the National Football Championship have moved down to there from 100 to 1 at the start of betting.

- The Memphis Tigers basketball odds just bring up more pain and coulda/woulda/shoulda from this past season. The Tigers will remain in the picture, although never guaranteed to have a shot at the title like they did in 2008. Tough to read those odds, especially given that they were behind Notre Dame and other teams that clearly they can be better than.

- The "Field" bet for the National Football championship was 18 to 1. Thats a dumb bet though, because every decent BCS team is not considered to be "in the field". A team like Vanderbilt or Ole Miss were examples of teams that would be in the field, and I dont think those odds pay enough despite the 50 or so teams that you would have included.

- I think the Titans winning the Super Bowl is more doable than 25 to 1 personally. Certainly they are not a top 3 team in their conference, but I think that a playoff team with that good of a defense definitely has a reasonable shot at improving for a title shot. I would be more shocked if Notre Dame won the Basketball championship honestly. The defense could be improved through the draft, as well as some potential development in the offense with the new and returned Mike Heimerdinger returning as Offensive Coordinator, he of Steve McNair's MVP season offensive coordinating fame.

- USC, I think, has the best shot to win next year. Vegas agrees, with the lowest odds by far being the 7/2 bet on the Trojans to win the title. The SEC is too tough to consider Georgia, Florida, or a rebuilding LSU, and the Trojans have proved to be the best team outside of the SEC in many's mind each year. USC last year, possibly could have beaten LSU at season's end, and they would have been in the title game if not for 5 major injuries in the middle of the season that cost them 2 close losses (Stanford & @ Oregon). 7/2 odds is not worth the bet though, as Vegas knows better than anyone who the best chance is.

Odds of the Pope returning to Vegas = 1/1 Zillion

Notre Dame Spring Football 2008

Spring brings new beginnings, both to the flowers and trees, but also to the mosquitoes and other annoying insects. Which will be a more appropriate analogy for Notre Dame Football this spring?

So far, here's the run down on the major occurences since the end of last season (which ended on a two game winning streak):

- Bill Lewis retires as Secondary coach, making way for famed Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta to join the staff as Defensive LB Coach and essentially co-Defensive Coordinator with Corwin Brown (although not officially).

- Jimmy Clausen gains some pounds - now fully able to lift weights due to his elbow healing, Jimmy reportedly weighs in about 15 pounds heavier than the end of last year, at a solid 212 pounds

- The Offensive Line has bulked up, led by RT Sam Young packing on about 20 pounds to weigh in a 330 pounds. These guys are finally maturing physically, and also mentally by all accounts

- The #2 recruiting class in the nation was signed in February. This fall will definitely see the arrival of arguably the best recruiting class in Notre Dame history. Time will tell if they pan out, but I'd rather be #2 in the rankings of high school recruits than #20.

- A new Charlie Weis emerges - the formerly gruff, interview declining and "arrogant" Weis has been replaced by someone who is more open, humble, and grounded. Players over to his house for dinner, more meetings with prominent ND alumni, and even Weis relenquishing play calling duties come this fall, all add up to a man who knows that the 2007 season was his one free pass.

- Secondary and Running Back Depth - With the infusion of talent the past three years, arguably the two positions where Notre Dame is the healthiest in terms of numbers and talent is the secondary and running back. This depth never was achieved under Willingham or Davie at either positions.

What are the most important Papal tidbits stemming from spring practice?

1. Jon Tenuta - His hiring was bigger than any recruit we got in our #2 rated class in February. Known for his relentless blitzing and aggressive defense, his knowledge and fire will greatly help a defense that needs direction. Tenuta shut down the Irish when he coordinated the Georgia Tech defense during 2006 and 2007, and decided to leave when knew Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson was introduced. His defenses at Georgia Tech never were outside of the top 30 in total defense or total rushing, and in 2007 his Georgia Tech team led the nation in sacks. Not only will his knowledge help, but also passionate yelling during practice (be wary of F bombs):

2. Jimmy Clausen - Weis says that he is ahead of Brady Quinn at the same age. Hard to argue, especially since Jimmy had a better Freshman season than Brady did, by most accounts. He didnt play as much as Brady, but had better numbers during his minutes, despite playing fresh off an injury. Jimmy has gained weight, is taking the reins of the offense, and is clearly the man. No QB controversy will allow Jimmy to focus on absorbing as much from Coaches Weis, Haywood, and Paulus. Look for him to have a solid year, with flashes of brilliance, but also flashes of youth. 2009, this guy will be ready to go, trust me.

3. Lets Get Physical, Physical - After not practicing "tackling to the ground" (aka, full tackling) last spring or last August in camp, the Irish have taken a new approach to try and address the lack of toughness last season. Now the Irish are hitting and tackling full speed in practice, compared to a half tackle of sorts last year. Basic fundamentals of tackling, blocking, and hitting were awful nearly the entire year. Weis has learned that at the college level, to be a good hitter and tackler, you have to practice doing it, unlike the Pro level. Practices are leaps and bounds more physical this year, as evidenced by a few "scraps" here and there between players, which Weis later called "a positive thing":

4. The Talent is Maturing - The past three recruiting classes have been ranked in the top 7 in the country. The only other programs consistently ranked at the top with us are Florida and USC over the past 3 years. Obviously those programs are well ahead of the Irish. They are ahead of the Irish due to their 4th and 5th year players, not their 1st thru 3rd year players, however. Too many 1st and 2nd year players saw the field last year for the Irish, and it showed. Hopefully that fire of a season, combined with physical and mental maturity that naturally comes between the ages of 18 and 20, will allow these kids to take the quantum leaps in their game. Many players see their biggest improvement between year 1 and 2 of their playing time. Time will tell if this hold true for the Irish in 2008.

Jimmy Clausen is a man, the offensive line is beefed up. The defensive backs are all over the place, 10 deep. The linebackers blitz every play and can get to every quarterback but ours in practice. The WRs look like pro-caliber talents out there, and heck, we have 3 bonafide NFL runningbacks.

Oh wait, its spring ball. Seriously though, yall have to try this Kool-Aid - so good.

il papa's pontifications

In the first of what will be a regularly used format, the Pope presents "il papa's pontifications", a venting, ranting, diatribe of a post, focused on unveiling the sins of the sports world to all.


"Jose Canseco - The Biggest Tool in all of Baseball"
"Dear People who got mad at Roy Williams for wearing a Kansas sticker . . ."
"Hi, my name is Carmelo Anthony, and I drive drunk instead of having a driver"


These are all topics that need pontification, or pontifying, if you prefer the gerund form of a noun never meant to be a verb. There will be no regular schedule per se, for the Pope's sermon's, except that on the month of Awesome, every day will be comprised of il papa's pontifications.


Today's Topic >> The NBA Playoffs

The NBA Playoffs begin this weekend, with the first of 4 rounds of potentially 7 game series. The NBA Finals dont begin until June 5th . . . 50 days from now. So when the playoffs start on Saturday the 19th, until the earliest day the Finals could end (after game 4, assuming a sweep) on June 11th, that would make the length of the playoffs 52 days. Yes, thats 14% of the year from start to finish. Yes, Dimaggio's hit streak was 56 games in 62 days.

Pontification 1 - The first round should be shortened to best of 5 or even best of 3 games. Lest we all get to miss a game of the Cleveland vs Washington series, or dear god not the Magic vs Raptors first round match up. If these series go 7 games, who will be watching besides the fans in the stands, ESPN, and the player's moms? Not il papa.

Pontification 2 - Lets reseed the playoffs. Because of the great imbalance of the Western Conference vs the Eastern Conference, lets reseed the playoffs, without regard to East or West, so that the top 16 teams in the league get in and appropriate matchups occur. There is a nice blog piece on the topic, albeit from last April, but nonetheless appropriate. Yes, division winners automatically get in, but past that, the top teams based on record would enter the field and everyone would be reseeded. Instead of having Phoenix vs San Antonio in the first round for 2008, you would have Phoenix vs Washington and San Antonio vs the Raptors. It would work just like the NCAA tournament in a way, meaning that you wouldn't play someone from your division in the first round, but past that you could play anyone in any round.

And lastly, we would not be a papal minded blog if we did not wish Happy Birthday to Pope Benedict, who happens to be traveling in the US currently.

The Final Four

We here at Vatican Smoke are not going to get into the decisions that were or were not made by the Memphis Tigers, or any plays that were or were not made, at the end of the championship game against Kansas Monday night. Instead we are going to celebrate the amazing experience of the Final Four that capped it off.

I was one of the lucky few that got to attend the Final Four in San Antonio, described by one lovely lady as, "A bowl game with four teams, on steroids" (Editors Note: The bowl game was on steroids, not the players). A bowl game is the only close comparison to the Final Four experience. The teams that win the semi-final games on Saturday are treated to a second game and a few more days, unlike any bowl game. The Tigers fans were out in force and made a solid showing, outnumbering the UCLA and likely the North Carolina fans for the weekend. San Antonio with the riverwalk might be the perfect venue for any large sports event!

Walking around the team hotels and Riverwalk area, you can feel the energy of each team, as well as see a huge number of notable fans. The sheer number of sports figures, media figures, and other stars is so large, that I kept running into notable people and decided to keep a list. Here is the list that I kept, of all the notable persons that the Pope came within 20 feet of at some point during the weekend (yes, 20 feet). This list includes sports figures, some media figures, and some Memphis-specific figures, with some notes/and or stories, videos, about them:











The Coaches:
Lute Olsen
Jeff Capel
Roy Williams
Gene Keady
John Calipari
Tom Crean
Milt Wagner
Shaun Miller
Digger Phelps

The Players:
Penny Hardaway
Hasheem Thabeet
Dajuan Wagner
Chris Douglas-Roberts

The Media:
Bonnie Bernstein
Digger Phelps
Boat Woloshin

Other Sports Figures:
Barry Alvarez

Other notables:
Harold Ford Jr
Its All Good Auto Sales Guy
Tom Crean's wife
Elvis

Seeing the Tigers beat UCLA was definitely special. Here is a video clip from the Pope's seat in the stands when they announced the Tigers starting lineups:




The Pope had the good fortune of hanging out with Richard "Digger" Phelps over the course of the weekend. You might know him better as the Anti-Drug Lord of the George H Bush Administration, or possibly an emerging broadway actor, but I know him as "Digger". The quote of the weekend was definitely from Richard. When asked by the Pope about how it felt to be on the box cover of Wheaties a few years back (no pictures available!), he responded very even keeled, "Cheesits", noting the Pope's misremembering of the orange/red box cover that he was on. Good times.

A renaissance man of sorts, Digger's talents are well documented. Add "dancer" to the list please:



Check out the pictures of the Pope's weekend by clicking here

Game time!

Tigers Belong

While the Pope is typically more interested in the St Louis Cardinals, Memphis Grizzlies, and Notre Dame, the Pope is also a huge University of Memphis fan. Is the Pope now getting on the bandwagon? Please.

Being a lifelong Memphian, and a member of a family where 3/4 members attended the University, my spot on the bandwagon has been reserved since my childhood. True Memphis Tigers fans know names like Win Wilfong, Baskerville Holmes, Keith Lee (the greatest Tiger ever, pictured in black and white),John Mclaughlin, Billy Smith, Cheyenne Gibson, and Elliot Perry in the late 80s, Ben Spiva, Penny Hardaway (pictured), David Vaughn, Chris Garner, Michael "Quarters on top of the Backboard" Wilson, Rodney Newsome, and Justin Wimmer of the early and mid-90's, Tic "Tac Hoe" Price (pictured) and both his taste for 20 year old female students and his no name players that included Kelly Wise, and God knows who else, and now the current run to greatness with names like CDR, Dorsey, Rose, Anderson, and co. The Pope has been there and been a fan.

Now with the Tigers advancing to the school's 3rd ever Final Four, the Tigers' basketball tradition is being put in the national spotlight. Unfortunately, the Tigers are considered the "Clampett's" that have been invited to a party of royal American families like the Rockefeller's (North Carolina), the Carnegie's (Kansas), and Stanford's (UCLA), as one Newsweek writer put it this week. While the Tigers have no where near the tradition of their Final Four co-members Kansas (3rd winningest program of all time, notable players included Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith, 13 Final Fours, 2 NCAA Championships), North Carolina (2nd Winningest team of all time, 17 Final Fours, 4 NCAA Championships), or UCLA (5th Winningest team of all time, 18 Final Fours, 11 NCAA Titles!), the Tigers do have tradition of their own.

Here is a brief synopsis and history of the University of Memphis basketball program. I found it a fantastic read, even though its on Wikipedia. Who can forget the 24-0 run to start the game against hated rival Louisville in 1989 at their place? Or what about the overtime game against Arkansas in 1996, with the fabled "hand-check" by Chris Garner? Some great moments growing up for me, to be sure. There is a more detailed history of U of M basketball on the Memphis website, by clicking here and here.

The Tigers are entering their 3rd Final Four (1973, 1985, 2008), and their first under John Calipari. The Tigers have been a competitive program through the years, despite the fact that they have never been able to settle into a solid conference. The Tigers have moved from the Missouri Valley Conference (1966-1976), to the Metro Conference (1976-1992), then the Great Midwest Conference (1992-1995), and currently Conference USA (1995-present). Each of these conferences has been considered a second tier or lower level conference in basketball, creating a stigma that the Tigers and whatever gaudy record they might have mean nothing compared to major programs.

Despite the Tigers run through less than major conferences, the program and University has not sat around and waited, but has been trying to up their conference affiliation. The moves in 1976, 1992, and 1995 show that. If the Tigers would have been in the SEC or another major conference (which someday I believe they will), I believe the program would have a few more Final Fours and maybe even a national championship in the trophy case.

This weekend, just like last weekend, will see the discussion of two major stigmas about the Tigers. First, the aforementioned "Conference USA sucks - how good can the Tigers be?" discussion. This is pretty much a true statement in and of itself. But when its used to define or measure how good Memphis is, this thought process becomes ignorance. Good teams are good because of what they do, not who they play. Playing weaker competition has many benefits many forget - like building confidence, and honing your game under more favorable conditions. Any comentator worth his salt will give another reason for not liking Memphis besides conference affiliation.

The second stigma is more interesting, and one that the Pope thinks might be up for a socialogist to discuss. There is a stigma that Memphis plays "streetball" and has players that are "talented" but not necessarily smart. Why? To some, their style of play might not be as graceful or traditional as the other final four teams. To others race might be a factor. Memphis has all African-American players. Memphis is a largely African American populated city. Memphis is rather unknown, as a city, University, and as a basketball team. What do people do when they aren't very familiar with something? They generalize and use stereotypes. So when a person watching Memphis for the first time sees the all African American team with "Memphis" on their jerseys, some people more quickly think of "streetball" or "playground basketball".

Streetball? Please. This team is efficient (9 turnovers or less in every tournament game), plays swarming lock down defense on the perimeter, passes very well, and has been working the shot clock of late, taking many shots with under 10 seconds to go after a good halfcourt posession. Dont be fooled - these guys are talented, smart, and have a very distinct method to the madness that ensues on the court.

The Pope is rooting for the Tigers. Why? Because watching the Tigers do what we knew they could is so sweet. Because proving the doubters wrong never gets old. Because becoming the first team that Dickie V has picked against incorrectly 5 rounds in a row would be awesome. Because this city needs attention drawn to its fantastic basketball tradition, beyond the negative attention that the Memphis Grizzlies have provided recently. Because watching this team win over basketball royalty would go a long long long way towards breaking the stereotype that only major conference teams can win titles. Because winning unites and brings an often divided city together. Should be a great weekend of basketball. GO TIGERS!! Enjoy the team tribute video

PS. Oh, by the way, the Tigers have the 2nd best fight song of all colleges, period!