2010 Is So Last Year

Wow, truly can't believe how quickly the past 365 days went by. Seems like just yesterday we were making plans for a rocking finale to the end of 2009 and looking towards 2010. Well, now 2010 is in the rearview mirror. What a great amount has transpired over the past year in this great city of Boston. Consider:

-On December 31, 2009, Tom Brady's top 3 receivers were Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Sam Aiken. His tight ends were Ben Watson and Chris Baker. Welker promptly tore his ACL in Week 17, and if not for his superhuman rehab effort, Brady would have an entirely different receiving corps on December 31, 2010. And despite all the change? He's practically a shoo-in for NFL MVP.

-Also on this date last year, Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor were the Patriots' top two running backs. Combined rushing totals for Maroney and Taylor this year: 69 carries, 194 yards (2.8 yards per carry), 0 touchdowns. Fortunately, BenJarvus Green-Ellis needs just 72 yards on Sunday to surpass 1,000 yards for the season, and, well, do we need to say anything about Danny Woodhead?

-Tim Thomas has gone from being written off as a one-hit wonder for the Vezina, to quite possibly taking home his second award in three seasons. Who knew hip surgery made all the difference?



-Milan Lucic's statistics for the 2009-10 season: 50 Games played, 9 goals, 11 assists, -7 rating, 44 PIMs

-Milan Lucic's statistics for the 2010-11 season: 36 Games played, 16 goals, 11 assists, +13 rating, 58 PIMs

He still fights. Now he scores. Good news for the Bruins. Bad news for the rest of the NHL.

-The Red Sox were selling us on the merits of Mike Cameron, Marco Scutaro, and "Run Prevention" in December 2009. Glad to see it only took one summer of despair to right the ship.

-Josh Beckett was, by most accounts, the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff looking towards the 2010 season. One must ask: is he even our no. 3 starter at this point?


-Throughout the early portion of 2010, many questions arose about the longevity these Celtics had as a Championship-caliber team. Sure, they made a surprising run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but was that just one last hurrah with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett truly looking as though they were running on fumes?  A 24-6 start to this season, thanks in large part to the Renaissance of KG, the Celtics remain on a short list of teams capable of winning the NBA Championship.

KG's resurgence has given Celtics fans hope that the Championship window is still wide open.

And those are just the main plot points that are different around here. You could look at every roster from this time last year to the updated version you'd find today, and notice wholesale change all around, be it completely new players or previously under-heralded ones taking on larger roles.  And that's just what's gone on around here. How about across the country?

-Michael Vick has gone from that "washed-up, dog-killing 3rd string QB" to a legitimate MVP candidate. You have an opinion on him one way or the other. We all do. But there is no justifiable way you can hate on the man for what he does on the gridiron. Forget resurgence; Vick was never this good to begin with. He's possessed the talent all along, but apparently it took a 23 month sentence in a Kansas prison, coupled with a year as Donovan McNabb/Kevin Kolb's backup, for him to realize that talent once and for all. Better late than never.

Michael Vick was the NFL's no. 1 overall pick in 2001. The Eagles 1st round selection that year? Freddie Mitchell. It took 9 years, but it definitely looks as though the Eagles wound up with a good 1st rounder from that year after all.

-LeBron James took his talents to South Beach. I'm not discussing this one anymore. I'm sick of it. You're sick of it. Period. Although it definitely warrants mentioning that he was among the most beloved players in not just the NBA, but all of professional sports this time last year. What a difference a decision can make.

-The San Francisco Giants (last World Series title: 1954) and the Texas Rangers (last World Series title: Never) faced off in the fall classic. Wasn't this kinda thing supposed to happen back in 2003 when the Red Sox and Cubs were both within 5 outs of winning their respective league titles? Eh, this was cool enough (although the executives at FOX or the Nielsen Ratings people would beg to differ).

-Brett Favre retired a few more times, just like the year before and the year before that, but it looks like no. 4 will be out of our lives for good come Sunday. Unless, as my man Bill Simmons ponders, he returns to Green Bay to be Aaron Rodgers' backup in 2011. Would you put it past him? And sorry to go here, but if you think back to LeBron's "What should I do?" commercial, wouldn't the line "Should I really pretend I've ruined my legacy?" apply more to Favre than LeBron?

-Jayson Werth signed a $126 million dollar contract. No, this is not a misprint.

-People pretended to care about soccer for a few weeks in June and July, and now, I defy anyone to name the "Final 4" at the World Cup event in South Africa. I'll even spot you Spain, the winner. I think they won anyways.

-Cameron Beckham, Derek Lamely, Arjun Atwal, and Matt Bettencourt were among the players with more PGA tour victories this year than Tiger Woods. Which would be, 1 apiece, compared to 0 for Eldrick. 

-The New Jersey Devils finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 103 points in the 2009-10 season. They are currently ranked dead last in the entire NHL with a mere 20 points, on pace for 46. Yikes. 

-Staying on hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks had the longest Stanley Cup drought entering 2010 at 49 years (1961 was their last title). After winning the Cup, the onus now falls on the Toronto Maple Leafs (1967). And the Bruins jump up a notch to second (1972). Damn.

Alright, enough about 2010. It was quite a year in the sporting world, no doubt about that. I mean the New Orleans Saints are now a model franchise in the NFL. Before I head off to Boston to celebrate the New Year, a few burning questions for 2011:

-When will Tom Brady throw his next interception? Sometime in January? February at the Super Bowl? September, the opening month of next season? 2012? Later? Never? 

-Kobe Bryant is one ring shy of tying Michael Jordan at 6. But with the Lakers struggling somewhat of late, is it too late for Kobe to match MJ? How much left does Kobe have in the tank?

-How far will the Miami Heat go in the NBA playoffs?

-Is the Sidney Crosby/Alex Ovechkin debate over?

-Should we really forgo the regular season, LDS, and LCS and just play the World Series between the Red Sox and Phillies?

-Are Peyton Manning's recent struggles just a slump, or a sign of things to come? The Colts have to sign him to an extension regardless, right?

-How many championships will be won in the city of Boston?

-Can Duke repeat as college hoops champs?

-Is the end of the BCS near, so I can finally start caring about college football?

That's about all I've got. Everyone, stay safe tonight, and don't drink too much. I know I won't. Be sure to check back next year for a new edition of The Jake Levin Experience.

2010: The Naughty and the Nice

What would Christmas be without a list of who's been naughty and who's been nice? As we get near the end of 2010 and closer to the start of 2011, there have been plenty of personalities in the world of sports who fall into either category based on their performances of the past year. This isn't necessarily a compilation of who has put up the best numbers, the most wins, etc. over the past year. This also weighs heavily into off the field/court/ice factors. Especially when it comes to "The Naughty". So without further ado, the best of both worlds in 2010:

The Nice
Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Whether he was saving the city of New Orleans, or taking a trip through Disney World with his Super Bowl MVP award, or overcoming a "Super Bowl Hangover" and leading the Saints right back towards the post-season, who's been nicer this year than Drew Brees? The SI Sportsman of the Year has had a year for the ages, and any list of this kind wouldn't be complete without him.

Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

Coming into 2010, there wasn't a lot Crosby hadn't accomplished. Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP)? Check. Raising the Stanley Cup? Check. Being anointed the Greatest (active) Player Alive? You could make the case for Ovechkin, but since it's a huge debate, check. All that was missing was an Olympic gold medal in ice hockey.  Much to the chagrin of the United States, Crosby potted the game winner in the Gold Medal game against the Americans, and in the process crossed that off the list. What's next for Sid? He's already got 60 points (29-31-60) through 36 games this season. That puts him on a pace for 137 points, which would be the highest total in the NHL since Mario Lemieux put up 161 in 1995-96. Sid ain't a kid no more.

O, Canada!

Landon Donovan, M, United States

What did Donovan accomplish in 2010? Nothing really, other than getting everyone in the United States a serious case of soccer fever. The American's best player highlighted a memorable game when he scored in stoppage time against Algeria, on a thrilling play in which he streaked in and knocked the rebound past Algeria's goalie. The U.S. ultimately lost to Ghana in the round of 16, but Donovan's goal will have a lasting impact on the growth of soccer in the United States.

Phil Mickelson, Golf

Winning The Masters and the Green Jacket that comes with it are nice. Winning while your wife is overcoming a yearlong bout with breast cancer? Winning while dealing with the media-circus that came with Tiger Woods' return to the PGA? Couldn't think of a much greater degree of difficulty than that. Made it all the more satisfying for Lefty, who won his third career Masters title. It may have been his only PGA win of 2010, but it's certainly enough for Phil to earn the label of 'nice'.

Kevin Durant, F, Oklahoma City Thunder

Portrayed as the anti-LeBron, Durant quietly announced his 5 year, $86 million contract extension just days after LeBron's Decision. No need to go on ESPN or anything like that to make the announcement. Durant also led team USA to the FIBA World Championship title over the summer, and in the process has raised expectations for his Thunder through the roof. A nice year indeed.

I already addressed his team as the Thunder once. That's more than enough to justify a Sonics reference.

The Naughty

LeBron James, F, Miami Heat

First, he quit on Cleveland in the playoffs. Next, he stabbed the entire city of Cleveland in the heart on national TV. Then, he played the race card. Followed by comparing himself to Randy Moss. Let's not forget his having the audacity to tell Cleveland fans to "get over it". His latest endeavor has been endorsing contraction in the NBA. I don't know how many more times, in how many more different ways I can say it: Shut up, LeBron. Just shut up.

Don't mess around with the Green, LeBron. Dating back to the Eastern Conference semi's, you've lost 5 in  a row against them.

Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Pick after pick, sext after sext, press conference after press conference, it's been a rough year for no. 4. His streak of 297 consecutive starts just ended. And the pick I'm referring to the most indirectly allowed Drew Brees to appear on the 'nice' list, for had Favre not tried to force the ball through Saints coverage, it is very likely that his Vikings could have been Super this year, not New Orleans. Lowest QB rating of his career. Bet you wished you had stayed down on the farm, eh Brett?

Rex Ryan, Head Coach, New York Jets

I already did a great expose on the Jets after they lost to the Patriots 45-3 on MNF earlier this month. The Jets continue to talk like they're the 3-time defending champs, yet they are currently looking like a one-and-done playoff team. That vaunted ground game has faded, Mark Sanchez has been nothing short of dreadful, Braylon Edwards is dropping passes left and right if he's not getting a DUI, and best of all, it came to light that Rex Ryan has a foot fetish. Maybe when you're 350 pounds, feet action is all you can get.

Not hands, Rex. Feet. You like feet.

Jim Joyce, Umpire, Major League Baseball

Joyce has routinely been regarded as one of the best in the biz, year in, year out. Unfortunately, his legacy will never be as a top-flight umpire, but rather as the one involved in the "imperfect game". On June 2, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga had been perfect through 8 2/3 innings of a game against the Cleveland Indians. The Indians' 27th batter, Jason Donald, hit a weak dribbler down the 1st base line. 1B Miguel Cabrera darted towards the ball and flipped back to Galarraga, who was covering 1st. While replays clearly showed that Donald was out by at least a step, Joyce flung his arms out in a "safe" motion. While Galarraga shrugged the call off, his Tiger teammates erupted towards Joyce in the immediate aftermath. Galarraga would get the next batter out, completing a 1-hitter, and Joyce later admitted his blunder had cost Galarraga a perfect game, but Joyce's gaffe is undoubtedly one of the naughtiest performances of the year.

As an umpire, I feel for Jim Joyce.

Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, New Jersey Devils

Kovalchuk signed a much-lampooned 15 year, $100 million contract with the Devils in the off-season after trying negotiations resulted in the initial contract of 17 years, $102 million being nullified by the NHL. Through three months, the Kovalchuk signing has been a flat-out DISASTER, as the winger has put up totals of 8-10-18 through 33 games while sporting a -25. His 8.2 shooting percentage is by far the lowest of his career, and oh-by-the-way, the Devils have the worst record in the NHL. Coincidentally, the league's second worst team, the New York Islanders, also made an erroneous 15-year contract blunder once upon a time with goalie Rick DiPietro. But that's another story for another time. 

Randy Moss, WR, Tennessee Titans

http://jakelevinexperience.blogspot.com/2010/11/mossapalooza-tour.html

http://jakelevinexperience.blogspot.com/2010/10/moss-back-to-minny.html

I googled 'Randy Moss Titans' and this was the most intense action picture I could come up with.

Cecil Newton, Father, Cam Newton

His now-infamous "pay for play" plan for his son, Heisman winner Cam Newton, has cast a shadow of doubt over the legitimacy of Newton's eligibility, as well as his Heisman Award. It was just in September when 2005 winner Reggie Bush lost his trophy due to NCAA violations, and this was the last thing college football needed: another scandal. Newton's team, Auburn, is set to play Oregon for the BCS National Title in January. That, too, may come into question depending on what is further revealed about Mr. Newton in the coming months and years. I've gotta say, shame on the University of Alabama for firing the music director who played Steve Miller's "Take the Money and Run" during the Crimson Tide-Tigers game in November. The song was a reference at the pay-for-play, as the director hoped to rile Newton before the game.