The Sports Truth

It seems like the only people who still maintain that the Patriots did the right thing by not signing Super-Bowl MVP wideout, Deion Branch, are the same folks who run up to owner Bob Kraft (left) every chance they get to kiss his ring and thank him for “saving the Patriots.”

Objectivity must supplant fanaticism when considering the plight of the ’06 New England Patriots. It is true that in years past, the Pats had the oft-mentioned formula for success - and proved as much with three Super Bowl wins in four years.

But if you were paying attention to the contract machinations of the off-season, you know the salary cap increased significantly.

Bob Kraft objected to the increase, one of only a handful of owners to do so.

His solution was to simply not spend the money. While other teams have caught up to New England in talent and methodology, the Patriots have failed to recognize the changing landscape of the NFL.

The Patriots are still a good team. The defensive front is menacing and quarterback Tom Brady is as heady as they come. Those facts alone keep the Pats in contention.

But what the Patriots players continue to do on the field, the ownership has failed to do in the front office - be a team player. The 2006 Patriots just do not have the firepower to win it all this season. If they do win the Super Bowl, get the construction equipment ready so that the Tom Brady Wing can be built in Canton, because it will take that type of effort.

Let’s face it. Although we may not want to admit it, Brady is no deity. For that matter, neither is Deion Branch. But at a certain point you must take one on the chin. The Patriots gambled with Branch and lost. They figured he would back down and come to camp. Then they determined he would not get what he was asking for. Most critically, they did not have a backup plan.

You’re not always going to get a bargain. Sometime you must pay premium pricing. The only time you get burned is when a player turns out to be a bum. Branch (pictured below) is no bum. His market value is not worth the money he got from the Seahawks, but to the 2006 Patriots, he would have been worth every dime.

One has to wonder, with the deadline to sign Daisuke Matsuzaka fast approaching, if not signing the Japanese pitcher was part of the Red Sox plans to begin with.

Was the $51.1 million negotiating offer just a preemptive move to prevent the Yankees from landing the prized Japanese pitching standout?

Probably not, and here’s why. The Red Sox learned from the 2006 campaign that a team can never have too much front-line pitching. When it comes to top-notch, top-of-the-rotation starters, the Red Sox now realize a little goes a long way.

Case in point: While the Sox were tired of Pedro Martinez’s indiscretions, they now understand the impact a quality starter makes on the staff as a whole. There is a cumulative effect. When one piece of the puzzle is removed, the entire staff takes a collective step back.

And pitching is the name of the game. The primary reason the Sox coasted to their 2004 title was starting pitching. The 2004 staff gelled at the perfect time and the team never looked back.

Certainly a strong argument can be made for the Sox not pursuing Martinez. Since he has left Boston, Martinez has not exactly been a world-beater. Also, the former Sox ace has been riddled with injuries.

So the question remains: If the Red Sox were correct in letting Martinez (and Derek Lowe) leave, where have they come up short? By not making the proper plans to address their starting pitching, the Sox have discovered themselves with a mediocre staff.

The fix is as simple as adding a front-of-the-rotation guy. Many baseball observers believe that Daisuke Matsuzaka is the guy. By inserting a starter with the potential to win 15-18 games, you not only gain those wins, but improve the overall quality of your staff.

One can only believe that at this juncture it is simply a question of who is going to blink first - Daisuke Matsuzaka and his super-agent, Scott Boras, or the Boston Red Sox.

Of course, the silver lining to all of this is that, no matter what, the New York Yankees will not be vying for the pitcher’s services this year.

If you’re a fan of ESPN.com’s Gregg Easterbrook, a.k.a. the Tuesday Morning Quarterback, or have had the misfortune of watching a Sunday of football with me, you probably already know what I’m going to write about:

Punting. Its rampant overuse, the poor decisions coaches make in terms of when to punt, when not to punt, how underrated going for it on fourth down is and how overrated “field position” is.

For those of you familiar with the topic, David Romer, a professor of economics at the University of California-Berkeley wrote a paper in July 2005 about the inefficiency of punting. As a scholar of economics, Romer used his paper to evaluate the effectiveness of NFL teams in maximizing their profits and to do so means winning football games.

Romer takes it to an extreme, but in short, indicates that so long as the play is fourth and 10 yards or less to go for the first, statistically it is in a team’s favor to go for the first down versus punt, regardless of field position.

Now, it certainly takes some chutzpah to go for it on fourth and nine from your own six, but NFL teams are abusing the use of the punt. I’m not going to list the numerous egregious situations where teams should have gone for it on fourth down, say, in opposing territory down in the fourth quarter - for a comprehensive week by week list of those moments scan through any TMQ article. But, I’d like to try and point out a loose correlation between teams winning games, not punting, and going for it on fourth down.

It would probably surprise no one to learn that the best teams in the NFL don’t punt the football. The logic stands to reason that teams that are scoring points and winning football games are not punting as much because they’re not even facing fourth down as much. That the Colts, Cowboys, Chargers and Patriots are teams 1 through 4 in least amount of punts probably doesn’t shock anyone.

That’s not to say these teams don’t punt often, they’re just not “forced to punt” as NFL broadcasters would like you to think, because they’re not facing fourth down as often. However, the Patriots, Colts, and Cowboys are in the bottom third of punts inside the 20. Does this mean they have poor punters? Probably not, all three teams are in the bottom third of punts for touchbacks. More likely, these teams are only punting on fourth and long from within their half of the field (the Chargers, inexplicably, have 47 punts, 24 of which have landed in the end zone).

The bottom line is that the punt is vastly overused and vastly overrated as a tool of winning football games. On to this week’s picks…

[Home team in CAPS. Spreads accurate as of Friday, 5:30 EST]

LAST WEEK: 8-8 SEASON: 86-100-7 LUKE’S LOCKS™: 3-7

PITTSBURGH (-7.0) over Cleveland
One of the fun things about the Thursday night games, for me at least, is to comment on the game after I’ve picked it. Thank you, NFL Network.

If they pay attention to Sportscenter at all, or use ESPN as any sort of barometer, last night’s midnight Sportscenter could not have been encouraging news. Instead of starting with the Thursday primetime NFL game, Sportscenter first gave us the mouth-watering news that Barry Bonds had resigned with San Francisco and then highlights of the Suns-Nets game (which was, in all fairness, phenomenal) and then the riveting Browns Steelers game was the third story and *gasp* after a commercial. I really couldn’t imagine a more disastrous start to their package.

Atlanta (-3.0) over TAMPA BAY
Tampa Bay has fallen to the point where you can’t pick them, even as a home underdog, even against the inimitable (in a bad way) Michael Vick. I can’t even pretend to have an enthusiasm about this game.

Minnesota (+1.5) over DETROIT
How does Matt Millen still have a job? Okay, Roy Williams, good pick. Your second leading receiver is Mike Furrey, a former safety? The third receiver is Cade McNown, a former quarterback? How embarrassed must Mike Williams and Charles Rodgers be? They were number one draft picks and can’t even beat out former safeties and quarterbacks for a wide receiver position.

LUKE’S LOCK™ ALERT!!
Tennessee (+1.0) over HOUSTON
The Titans are 8-4 against the spread this year, including 7-2 against the spread when Vince Young starts. Somehow, they’re only giving one point to the Texans, who stink. I don’t get it either.

New York Giants (+3.0) over CAROLINA
There is one way to neutralize Steve Smith that we all forgot about - get rid of his quarterback. Does any non-Giants or Panthers fan even know who Delhomme’s back-up is? It’s career record of 1-15 Chris Weinke! That’s all I needed to hear.

(more…)

The cream is continuing to rise to the top as Dallas and Phoenix keep their runs going. Amazingly, Orlando is practically running away with their division. Denver keeps putting on a scoring show, while even the Bulls are finally living up to their potential.

Unfortunately, Cleveland and Miami continue to struggle.

On to this week’s Sports Truth Power Rankings…

[Current ranking, followed by last week’s ranking in parentheses, followed by team record]

1. (1) Utah (15-4). Jazz are 14-1 when they score 100 points. December 11 showdown with Dallas is key in terms of momentum.
2. (3) Dallas (13-5). Win a dozen straight and the league takes notice. Defense is much improved to go with talented offense.
3. (2) San Antonio (13-5). Manu Ginobli returns and Spurs beat Warriors by 40. He played just 16 minutes, but he tallied nine assists.
4. (8) Orlando (14-5). 11-2 in their last 13 games. Dwight Howard continues to dominate.
5. (12) Phoenix (10-6). Won seven straight thanks to Amare’s four 20-10 games.
6. (6) L.A. Lakers (12-5). Favorable home schedule so far (10-2), but Kobe Bryant (right) is still the best in the game.
7. (5) Houston (12-5). Tracy McGrady’s 31 buried the Warriors after the Rockets held the Cavs to just 63 points.
8. (9) Denver (10-5). Averaging 110 points per game to lead the league.
9. (4) Detroit (11-7). Kobe is the best player in the league, but Carmelo Anthony is the best pure scorer in the league. ‘Melo has scored at least 28 points in every game he as finished this season… he was ejected from the opener with only 15.
10. (7) Cleveland (10-7). Batman needs a Robin. Lebron James is trying to carry the Cavs, but a healthy Larry Hughes would certainly help.
11. (26) Chicago (8-9). They make the big jump thanks to five straight wins… in the East, that’s like winning 10 straight in the West.
12. (10) Golden State (9-10). Tough stretch losing four straight, but they are still better than most teams.
13. (13) L.A. Clippers (9-8). They’ve won three out of four after dropping five straight.
14. (15) New Orleans/Oklahoma City (8-8). Peja and West are out… let’s see how good Chris Paul is now.
15. (14) Indiana (9-10). 2-3 West coast road trip is good enough to stay on pace in the East.
16. (19) New Jersey (7-10). Some team has to win the Atlantic division, but I’m still surprised this team is not better.
17. (21) Toronto (7-10). I still think they are the best team in the Atlantic division. The Raptors have played a tough schedule and are 1-7 against the West. If they can continue win six out of every nine against the East, they’ll be in the playoffs.
18. (11) Sacramento (8-9). Ron Artest (right) says he wants to shoot more… good luck.
19. (25) Washington (7-10). They still can’t win on the road and they have zero talent after Gilbert Arenas.
20. (23) Miami (7-10). Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem are still trying to keep this team in contention, but they need Shaq and some youth.
21. (24) Atlanta (7-9). They are quickly falling. Soon the Hawks will end up at the bottom.
22. (27) Milwaukee (6-11). Bucks are still up and down too much, but they are showing signs of life.
23. (16) Minnesota (7-9). This team still has no chance of a winning record with that roster.
24. (17) Seattle (8-11). This is what happens when you draft poorly and your best player is in a contract year.
25. (22) Portland (7-12). Randolph continues to have an unbelievable year, but they need Brandon Roy in the lineup.
26. (28) New York (7-13). Even Isiah Thomas (right) admits the Knicks are afraid to play at MSG.
27. (20) Philadelphia (5-11). Remember that 3-0 start? Yeah, neither can anyone on the team.
28. (18) Boston (5-11). Greg Oden looks good?
29. (30) Charlotte (5-12). Five wins came against Detroit, Cleveland, San Antonio, New Jersey and Boston… go figure.
30. (29) Memphis (4-13). Could Pau Gasol be on the move? Doubtful, but Hakim Warrick has been great.

For Thanksgiving, my family enjoyed the traditional things - way too many family members over, awkward conversations with relatives, turkey and the like, finally wandering home around 8 p.m. The one thing we were unable to do, however, is watch all of the NFL games on TV - usually a tradition.

Heck, if nothing else, it’s something to distract us and keep us from those awkward conversations. The NFL, however, made the decision to broadcast it’s first prime time Thanksgiving game on a network no one seemingly has access to.

I’m not a marketing guy, I’ve never worked in marketing and don’t really have an affinity for the discipline. Maybe there is a long-term strategy here by the NFL which involves depriving (at least indirectly) its audience of Thursday night games in order to develop a larger long-term base, but I can’t see how this helps. Seems like an old case of “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face” to borrow the cliché.

The strategy by the NFL went even further with advertisements for the NFL network running during mainstream Sunday games, asking people to contact their local cable network and ask for the NFL Network. They even went so far as to launch a website, iwantmynflnetwork.com - a site with a marketing campaign so successful, it took me five tries to get the name correct.

The website itself is quite inflammatory, preying on customer’s lack of knowledge by making broad statements without no proof to back anything up. One statement claims “NFL Network was created so you could watch it. There is no reason the network would be withheld from you. It doesn’t make sense for you or the network. Think about that. Why would this network be created and then kept from you?”

In the simplest sense, the statement is correct, but the implication is that money is not an issue. Another important question is not asked “Why was the NFL network created?” with the logical answer being not to altruistically provide viewers with another avenue to watch football, but to make money. Clearly money is the issue.

I didn’t see this Thursday’s game because I was predisposed and because my cable provider does not carry the NFL network. Frankly, the reason I didn’t see it has a lot more to do with former than the latter and raises a few questions about the NFL’s strategy. Is three days a week of football too many (four when Saturdays are in effect, and those prime time games will also be on NFL Network, for those who didn’t know, which included me until a few minutes ago)? Does it dilute the quality of Sunday? I say yes, but I’ll use another sport to show why.

A few years ago, Major League Baseball began starting the season with a Sunday night telecast. Just one game, seemingly randomly chosen, usually in the Sunday night, 8 p.m. slot on ESPN. The idea, with fans chomping at the bit to watch some real baseball, people all over the nation would tune in. I’m one of the largest baseball fans I know - I prefer it to the NFL and, as such, my breed is on the endangered list. However, the one-game season openers don’t appeal to me. It’s the subsequent Monday when there are 12 games being played throughout the day with so many different games to follow during the course of the day that is the most fun.

I’ve contended (to mostly deaf ears) that MLB should go the NFL route and have a grand opening day on a Sunday with as many games as possible on that opening Sunday. Run the games on as many networks as possible, recreating the NFL Sunday Ticket effect (for those of us lucky enough to be able to watch): constantly flipping to runners on first and third with 2 outs in a random Cincinnati vs. Milwaukee game.

The point is, simply, the one game a day marketing strategy might not be as effective as it seems. Again, I’ve never seen numbers for this; maybe the strategy MLB employs to open their season give them their biggest ratings. I’m just not convinced it’s a good long-term strategy throughout the course of a season. I think Thursday night NFL games on a network no one can watch won’t garner the type of dedicated audiences the NFL is striving for.

On to this week’s picks…

[Home team in CAPS. Spreads accurate as of Friday, 5:30 EST]

LAST WEEK: 6-10 SEASON: 78-92-7 LUKE’S LOCKS™: 3-5

Baltimore (-3) over CINCINNATI
I gave this pick last night to my editor, Michael Stephens, before the game and, upon hearing a score of 13-0 on the radio, wanted to scream. Why? Not because I cared or put money on the game, but because after my tirade last week, I didn’t have the cojones to stick with my anti-Ravens theory until it paid off. Pansy.

Minnesota (+9) over CHICAGO
What a career Rex Grossman (left) has had so far, eh? I’m not talking Peyton Manning-impressive, but so much has happened to him. He’s been injured a bunch of times, but when he does play, there have been times when people are real high on him and times when they are down. Currently, the stock on Grossman is down, and thus the Bears are giving nine - too many. Wonder if the Vikes are bold enough to copy the Pats’ strategy of putting 7-8 guys at the line and daring them to pass deep.

PITTSBURGH (-7) over Tampa Bay
I’ve been down on Pittsburgh all year but Tampa Bay is atrocious. The only way this game could be more painful to pick is if it were in Tampa Bay (and just because home underdogs are dangerous this year in the NFL).

LUKE’S LOCK™ ALERT!!
ST. LOUIS (-6.5) over Arizona
Yea, yea, I know, this is third time I’ve selected the Rams for a lock and I’m not doing well on my locks, but come on, it’s Arizona! What have they done to show they could cover a game on the road, more or less win a game.

(more…)

Before we begin, some quick division updates:

Atlantic: The worst in the league, with Boston trying to take control from an aging New Jersey team. Central: This Pistons have taken control once again. The Bulls and Bucks are terrible and the Cavs and Pacers are hanging on. Southeast: Orlando has the largest lead in the NBA as the rest of the teams battle the Atlantic in the Greg Oden Sweepstakes.

In the West, we begin with the Northwest, where Utah is hitting its first tough stretch as Denver catches fire. Pacific: Probably the most competitive with the Lakers holding the top spot. Southwest: Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks will be in a dogfight all season.

On to this week’s Sports Truth Power Rankings…

[Current ranking, followed by last week’s ranking in parentheses, followed by team record]

1. (1) Utah (12-3). Only 153 points scored in back-to-back losses. They take on San Antonio tonight, and the L.A. Lakers tomorrow night. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams have been very solid.
2. (2) San Antonio (11-4). They hit the road for Utah tonight. They’ll struggle without Manu Ginobli (right) for a few games.
3. (3) Dallas (10-4). Ten game winning streak and a reasonably soft schedule for the next few weeks.
4. (10) Detroit (9-5). Won six straight as Big Ben bickers in Chicago.
5. (6) Houston (10-4). Yao is playing great, Battier has been huge help and now McGrady gets hurt again.
6. (5) L.A. Lakers (9-5). Bad loss to Milwaukee, but this team is solid with Bynum and Odom playing so well. Can’t say the same for Kwame Brown.
7. (4) Cleveland (9-5). Overrated? Cavs have one “good” win against the Spurs… on November 3. They have feasted on bad teams.
8. (11) Orlando (11-4). The Magic are still being overlooked, but they have the largest division lead in the league. Their loss to Memphis was not as impressive as their win over Utah.
9. (12) Denver (8-5). Nugs looked unstoppable, then they lost to Memphis… at home! Dropped 140 on Golden State… scoring is not an issue.
10. (8) Golden State (9-6). Can’t play defense, but they get up for big games with wins over Utah, San Antonio, Dallas and Detroit already.
11. (13) Sacramento (8-5). Meet Kevin Martin (right). He is from Western Carolina, averages 23 points per game and shoots 53 percent from the field.
12. (14) Phoenix (7-6). 6-1 in their last seven. Still the worst defensive team in the league.
13. (9) LA Clippers (6-7). They’re 0-6 on the road - seriously, they really need to win a few road games.
14. (18) Indiana (8-7). Pacers have lost to Boston, Toronto, Washington, New Jersey and Chicago this year. Guess they are just trying to get the tiebreakers for the lottery.
15. (7) New Orleans/Oklahoma City (8-7). Four-game slide has Chris Paul and the rest of this young team thinking too much.
16. (25) Minnesota (6-8). Quick gambling tip: T-Wolves are 9-4-1 against the spread this year. Other than that, they need to move KG.
17. (23) Seattle (6-9). Rashard Lewis has been a monster. He’ll certainly be the most attractive free agent on the market next summer when he opts out of his contract.
18. (17) Boston (5-8). How do they lose by 24 at home against the Knicks? Just when you think they are taking control of the division, they go and do something like that. First place battle with the Nets tonight!!!
19. (15) New Jersey (5-9). Lost four straight and are fading faster than Jason Kidd’s scoring ability.
20. (16) Philadelphia (5-9). Sixers are 2-9 in their last 11. Philly is getting nothing from guys without the initials A.I.
21. (28) Toronto (5-9). Strange team… six losses against strong teams from the West, but three losses against Atlanta and New Jersey. Maybe this team isn’t that bad. We’ll see.
22. (22) Portland (6-10). Zach Randolph is been very impressive. He’s finally earning his cash.
23. (21) Miami (6-8). Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem are now getting help from Dorrell Wright, but will it be enough? The rest of this team has been terrible.
24. (19) Atlanta (5-7). 1-6 in last 7 and struggling to win games.
25. (20) Washington (5-9). 0-7 on the road. Just not a very good team.
26. (24) Chicago (5-9). Two wins over the Knicks keeps Bulls out of the bottom. Ben Wallace sold his heart for the money.
27. (26) Milwaukee (5-9). Big win over Lakers, but Michael Redd (right) can’t do it all.
28. (27) New York (5-11). Throttled the Celtics on the road, but this team is still a lost cause on defense.
29. (30) Memphis (4-10). Hakim Warrick can play, but he is not enough. Big wins over Denver and Orlando so far this season.
30. (29) Charlotte (4-10). Adam Morrison looks awesome, but he is still a bit inconsistent. Not many teams can say they defeated both San Antonio and Cleveland this season.

His ex-wife may or may not be dating Tony Romo, but Nick Lachey (right) isn’t worried. Instead, he’s got a new game up his sleeve: baseball.

The “What’s Left of Me” singer is officially becoming part owner of the AAA Tacoma Rainiers franchise, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

“It had always been a dream of mine to be involved in sports in general, especially on a local level in your hometown. I’m a huge baseball fan (who) grew up in Cincinnati, and baseball is kind of a religion there,” he told People.

A couple of years ago, when his hometown Cincinnati Reds came up for sale, Lachey tried his best to climb aboard the ownership train — to no avail.

“I made an attempt to become a part of the ownership. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, but it certainly reiterated my interest in having some kind of ownership involvement. So, when this opportunity came around, it felt like a great way to get involved,” the former Mr. Jessica Simpson said.

Lachey’s stake actually makes him one-third owner and active investor in the team, alongside Bob Schlegal and Kirby Schlegal. Lachey is also starting an ABA franchise with his pal A.J. DiScala. No word on whether Lachey’s buddy, Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, was asked to join the venture or if he was too busy getting sacked.

Soccer legend Mia Hamm her husband of three years, Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, are expecting twins.

Hamm played on the U.S. women’s national soccer team for 18 years. When she retired after the 2004 Athens Olympics, the Wichita Falls, Tx., native had won two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals.

Nomar, meanwhile, sparked the Red Sox to the 2004 title… by being dealt in an 11th-hour, trade deadline megaswap. While he left Boston on bad terms, the Sports Truth’s Red Sox fans who idolized him will always remember the good times, and wish him the best in his future trips to the DL endeavors.

Hamm and the former Boston Red Sox great met at a 1998 charity event and began dating thereafter. They wed in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 2003.

Because of her pregnancy, Hamm recently turned down an invitation to be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in February, telling officials she would accept the honor in 2008 instead.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, a rep for Hamm said her doctor advised her not to travel after January because she is due in early spring.

Hamm and Garciaparra live in Los Angeles, where he joined the Dodgers prior to last year and is expected to sign another contract this offseason. Congratulations to the happy couple, and here’s wishing the whole Hamm family a long, prosperous and injury-free life together.

This year’s Baseball Hall of Fame ballot features Cal Ripken, Jr., and Tony Gwynn, a pair of living legends and virtual locks to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

The ballot also features Mark McGwire, the first big-name Steroid Era star given Hall of Fame consideration, and whose prospects are a bit murkier. Does Big Mac have a chance at being voted in? Yes. But should he?

Not in this fan’s opinion. Granted, all players bear some responsibility for the steroids quagmire, as does the Major League Baseball brain trust. The prevailing attitude was to shut up and reap the benefits. But in McGwire, we have a player guilty of more than a wink and a nod.

This is a slugger who mythically and farcically shattered records. There may never be actual proof, but the circumstantial evidence is unmistakable. We’re all aware of what went on. This is not a court of law and no burden of proof is required (everyone knowing he did it wasn’t enough to put O.J. Simpson away, but in the case of Hall of Fame balloting, it’ll suffice).

As a matter of fact, voters are instructed to consider not just a player’s record and ability, but also integrity, sportsmanship and character. Like MVP balloting, Hall of Fame voting is predicated on subjective judgments. Writers’ dubious votes gave us hotly-debated American League MVP results in each of the last two years, and have kept players out of the Hall that many deem worthy.

Mark McGwire’s place in history is up to the opinion of those selected to vote, and they have every reason to nix him from Cooperstown. Those that feel you cannot reject a player’s candidacy without concrete evidence, or that you would then have to subject every player from the Steroid Era to equal scrutiny, are off base.

Every case must be reviewed differently. This is not about Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmiero, Jason Giambi or the host of other stars who have been busted for, accused of taking, or have admitted abusing steroids. All it comes down to (at least this year) is Mark McGwire and what writers know - and perceive - about his career.

No, McGwire hasn’t failed a single steroid test we know of. But here are some events from his career and its aftermath that are worth considering in assessing his resume:

1. He used androstenedione, a legal supplement at the time (and illegal now) in 1998, when he destroyed Roger Maris‘ single-season home-run record.
2. Two drug dealers snared in a federal investigation said another dealer provided McGwire with illegal steroids.
3. Jose Canseco accused McGwire of being a juicer.
4. McGwire stonewalled a Congressional committee on the subject.
5. Since the end of his playing career, he has gone quiet, despite his pledge to educate others on the dangers of steroid abuse.

It’s not a stretch to say that by failing to counter the allegations against him, McGwire is effectively admitting responsibility. And for a slugger whose Hall candidacy is based almost entirely on epic power — his 583 career homers are seventh all-time, and his 135 from 1998-1999 were astronomical - that’s a telling sign.

These aren’t baseless claims thrown around by bloggers. We’re talking about asserting Fifth Amendment privileges under oath. McGwire had no choice but to remain silent as he had broken U.S. law and was as tainted as could be. Writers now need to make him pay the price while sending a message to the rest of the league that cheating will no longer be rewarded. Baseball’s integrity won’t be restored overnight, but a small step in the right direction would certainly help the cause.

And the editors of the Sports Truth thought we needed to see psychologists for our sports betting addiction after we wagered cash on a pair of U.S. Senate races.

Yes, the headline you read above is true. A man killed his friend with a rifle in a dispute over a $20 bet on the South Carolina-Clemson game, authorities said Sunday. James Walter Quick, 42, has been charged in the shooting of Richard Allen Johnson, 43, who died from a single shot to the chest.

Quick and Johnson watched the game Saturday at Johnson’s home in Lexington, S.C., about 100 miles south of Charlotte. Quick took South Carolina, while Johnson took Clemson, straight up. The Gamecocks came from behind and won, 31-28.

Quick celebrated.

Johnson said the Tigers “shouldn’t have lost” and refused to pay.

Quick left the house and retrieved a high-powered rifle from his Chevrolet Corsica.

“He went back in and told Richard, ‘I want my money or I’m going to shoot you,’” said Lexington County Sheriff James Metts, adding that both (stunningly) had been drinking beer.

Johnson’s wife and several friends told police that Johnson retorted: “You can’t shoot me, I’m invisible.”

Quick replied, “No you’re not.”

Deputies arrived on the scene and charged Quick with murder and possessing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was leaning against his Corsica, with arms crossed, when police arrived. The men had gone deer hunting together the morning of the shooting and were dressed in camouflage as they watched the game with friends.

Quick and Johnson met a couple of years ago after their wives became good friends. Soon they were inviting each other over for cookouts and to watch games, Quick’s mother and sister told the Charlotte Observer.

Quick didn’t attend USC but always supported the team, said Quick’s mother, who declined to give her name. He usually watched games on TV but sometimes went to the stadium. He also enjoyed playing football with his children, ages 14 and 7.

“You just hear so much commotion about the Gamecocks,” she said. “It’s state loyalty.”

What happened is “totally out of his nature,” his sister, Anne Marie Quick, said.

You mean he didn’t typically murder other humans over football bets? Really?

Let this be a lesson to all you compulsive gamblers to pay up after you lose a bet, regardless of whether your team loses fair and square. But in the event that your friend refuses to cough up $20, it’s probably a tad extreme to take his life. Even if we’re talking about the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.