The Cliff Lee sweepstakes

Tonight is Game 1 of what is sure to be one of the least watched World Series ever, much to the chagrin of Fox. However, much attention will be paid to the pitcher taking the mound for the Texas Rangers tonight, Clifton Pfifer Lee. Lee, now playing for his fourth team in the past two seasons, has developed a reputation for postseason dominance, with a postseason record currently standing at 8-0. This offseason, Lee will be a highly soft after free agent, and could possibly receive a contract comparable to the 7 year $161 million deal that C.C. Sabathia signed with the Yankees two years ago. Let us take a look at Lee's possible destinations.

New York Yankees
The Yankees, recently defeated by Lee's Rangers in the ALCS, have a clear need for starting pitching given the under performance of A.J. Burnett and possible retirement of Andy Pettite. Lee's postseason dominance of the Yankees over the past 2 years has only served to further enamor them with him. A factor that may work against the Yankees is that Cliff Lee's wife was reportedly harassed and spit at in Yankee Stadium during the recent playoff series. However, the Yankees usually get their man, and they are further aided by Lee's close friendship with his former Cleveland teammate Sabathia.

Texas Rangers
There is much incentive for Lee to remain with his current team. They are in the World Series, and have a strong core that is likely to contend for the next several seasons. Texas is close to Lee's home state of Arkansas, and has significantly lower income tax than New York. With new ownership in place, the Rangers have secured a new tv deal and have money to spend, but it remains to be seen if they can prevail in a bidding war with the Yankees.

Philadelphia Phillies
Although only a Phillie for half a season, Cliff Lee reached folk hero status in Philadelphia during his dominant 2009 playoff run. Lee's legend has only grown given his current status as the one that got away. General Manager Ruben Amaro has been widely criticized for trading Lee to Seattle for three prospects last offseason, although his acquisitions of Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt seem to make up for it. Lee clearly enjoyed his time in Philadelphia, and was vocally upset when he was traded. With several contracts, including Jayson Werth, coming off the books, is it possible the Phillies could find the money to make a run at Lee? Although the prospect of a Halladay/Lee/Oswalt/Hamels super rotation is salivating, it is also extremely unlikely, especially considering that one of the major reasons for trading Lee is that Amaro didn't feel he would resign. With that being said stranger things have happened, and in the immortal words of Jim Carey, "You're telling me there's a chance!"

Verdict: It would not be surprising for Lee to resign with Texas given all the factors in their favor, but I just have a nagging feeling that the Yankees will tap into their financial resources and make Lee an offer he can't refuse. Look to see Lee in blue pinstripes next year.

Top 5 Spectrum Moments

Many things changed in the world when I was on deployment, among them the Spectrum, one of the nation's best loved arenas has closed.  The long time home of the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers, as well as countless college basketball games, concerts, and other events. Though not as large or sophisticated as the Core States/First Union/Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center, the Spectrum had a character that few buildings can match.  Let us take a moment to remember some of the Spectrum's greatest memories:

Honorable Mention: Rocky vs. Apollo
 Not eligible to be ranked being a fictional event and all, but the Spectrum served as the setting for one of the greatest movies of all time.


#5 J.J. Daignealt scores the winner
In the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers were pitted against an Edmonton Oilers team that included Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Yari Kurri, and is widely considered the greatest hockey team of all time.  The Flyers trailed the series 3-2 when they returned home for game 6.  After the Flyers tied the game late in the third period, J.J. Daignealt scored  the winner, in what was probably the Spectrum's loudest moment.  The Flyers went on to lose Game 7 in Edmonton, in what was one of the alltime greatest postseason series in NHL history.





#4 The Shot
Among the many college basketball games hosted by the Spectrum was the 1992 NCAA regional between Duke and Kentucky.  With Duke trailing by a point with just over 2 seconds left, Grant Hill threw a court length inbound pass to Christian Laettner and the rest is history



#3 The Flyers win the Cold War
In 1976, the Soviet Red Army team, one of the most feared hockey teams of the world, embarked on a North American tour in which they defeated several NHL teams, and tied the vaunted Montreal Canadians, before concluding the series in Philadelphia.   The "Broad Street Bullies"  had been the scourge of the league, but they now represented the hopes of a nation.  The Bullies did not disappoint, winning the game 4-1, and inflicting enough hard checks that the Russians threatened to walk out.




#2 The Doctor is In
The 1983 76ers, the last Philly team to win a championship until the 2008 Phillies, were one of the strongest squads in NBA history.  The Sixers added reigning MVP Moses Malone to a team that  already included Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, and Andrew Toney.  The Sixers stormed through the playoffs, sweeping the Magic and Kareem led Lakers in the Finals.  Although they clinched the championship in Los Angeles, the '83 Sixers provided many great Spectrum moments along the way.





#1 The Flyers win the Stanley Cup
The title says it all, Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent and company defeated the Boston Bruins  to win their first Stanley Cup in 1974. They would repeat as champs the following season. Legendary broadcaster Gene Hart made the memorable call.

Arcidiacono commits

Villanova has built a highly successful program in recent years largely on the strength of Jay Wright's recruiting.  That success has continued this week, as the Wildcats received a verbal commitment from their first class of 2012 recruit, Ryan Arcidiacono of Langhorne, PA.  Arcidiacono was ranked the #8 point guard in the country by Rivals, and the #45 player overall. Arcidiacono's whiteness will inevitably lead to Mike Nardi comparisons, but with all due respects to Nardi, Arcidiacono appears to have a much more complete game. Check out his highlights here:

Mediocre Middle Reliever of the Week: Chad Durbin

Lost in all the stories of Jayson Werth's pending free agency is the fact that the Phillies face a decision on another key contributor to the current run, our mediocre middle reliever of the week, Chad Durbin. Durbin, a right handed relief pitcher, was a typical MLB journeyman, beginning his career in Kansas City with subsequent stops in Cleveland, Arizona, and Detroit. Durbin was signed by the Phillies as a free agent prior to the 2008 season, an under the radar move that created confusion due to the presence of J.D. Durbin, who he is not related to. (J.D., a spot starter for the Phillies in 2007, is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan). Chad had a breakout year in the Phillies championship season of 2008, appearing in 71 games and posting a 2.87 ERA. Over the past two seasons, Durbin has continued to be a solid contributor out of the pen. The Phillies have some major decisions to make about a bullpen which currently has only Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson under contract for next season: Let's hear from the readers, should the Phillies keep Durbin?

Where are they now? Curtis Sumpter

Brooklyn native Curtis Sumpter was an integral part of Jay Wright's prized recruiting class that also included Allan Ray, Randy Foye, and Jason Fraser. As a junior in 2004-05, Sumpter was the most prominent player as this group ended Villanova's 5 year hiatus from the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, an ACL injury caused Sumpter to miss the following season in which Foye and Ray led a team that started four guards to the Elite Eight. Sumpter returned to lead the Cats back to the tournament in the 06-07 season, but he never really seemed like the same player after the injury. After graduating, Sumpter was cut by Foye's current team, the LA Clippers. After a stint in Germany, Sumpter has caught on with a French team, JA Vichy. Check him out here in his ridiculous green and yellow uniform http://www.ja-vichy.com/joueurs.asp?id=2

The Origins of "Doofus"

If you have attended Big East basketball games in recent years, you have likely heard large Caucasian players on visiting teams serenaded with cheers of “doofus.” Most dictionaries do not include “doofus” as an official word, but it remains widely used in the vernacular. In the basketball sense, a doofus is best defined as a large, lumbering, white center or power forward.

The doofus phenomenon has mostly developed over the past 20 years. In the days of Bob Cousy and Jerry West, white basketball players were not considered a novelty, therefore making doofuses impossible. An important component of doofus-dom is badly sticking out amongst other players. The decline and retirement of Larry Bird was what finally made it possible for the doofus image to take hold.

It is difficult to identify an original doofus, but if we were to pinpoint the player who most put doofuses on the map, it would be former Indiana Pacer Rik Smits. Smits, a 7’ 4” native of the Netherlands, played center for the Pacers from 1988-2000. With the bulk of his career being inthe Jordan era, when baggy shorts became the norm, Smits, with his trademark high black socks, stuck out more than a New Jersey guido in Amish country. During this same time frame, we must also take note of Shawn Bradley; the man who was 7’6” and wore #76 for the 76ers, a feat that will likely never be topped.

Today, thanks to the likes of David Lee, Aaron Gray and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the doofus brand is alive and well in the NBA. However, it is in the college game that the doofus is strongest. Several doofuses have risen to prominence in recent years; most notably UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough and Kansas’ Cole Aldrich. Doofuses ranging from star players to bench warmers fill rosters across the country, all sharing the same skill set of rebounding, inside scoring, and attracting the derision of opposing fans. Doofuses are well established throughout the sport, and are not going away anytime soon.

Where are they now? Pittsburgh doofus squad

Many college basketball fans will remember 7'0 Pitt center Aaron Gray. Fewer remember his 6'10 Canadian side kick, Levon Kendall. Together, these large, lumbering white boys brought life to the term "doofus." Gray was an All-American while at Pitt, and Kendall was most infamous for a haircut that would put Andy Rautins to shame. After graduating in 2007, Gray was selected in the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, and was recently traded to the New Orleans Hornets. Meanwhile, Kendall moved on to Europe, and is currently playing for Panionios of the Greek league.