Rays vs. Red Sox -- BEST series ever!

Shooting from the Lip
Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...

Best series
Sports loves hyperbole and the present. Every time we see a great performance -- Tiger at the U.S. Open, Matt Garza's one-hitter, Evan Longoria's first three months -- we all tend to label it as "best ever'' as if nothing great ever happened in sports before last week. Everything is "the worst'' that,' the "greatest'' this.

Yet this is not hyperbole: The Rays open a three-game series Monday night against the Red Sox in what is the biggest series in franchise history. Those who can tell the difference between a ball and a bat know that the pennant race doesn't start until the kids are back in school. Still, for the first time, games at this "late'' date actually have a little bit of meaning in Tampa Bay. If nothing else, the Rays  have caught some national attention, including Sunday's Sports Reporters on ESPN, which talked about the best teams in baseball. Here's a rundown of one exchange.
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe: "Both of those fans in Tampa are saying when are you going to talk about the Rays? …The greatest and most important series in the history of that franchise is going to take place at the Trop. And the Rays are for real.''
Howard Bryant, ESPN: "They are for real, but the thing you got to wonder about them is -- is it now? They've got the talent. You just don't start from 10 straight years of 90 losses and then you go out and win the whole thing unless you're the '69 Mets.''
Michael Kay, YES Network: "You cannot say they're for real yet because young players in a pennant race for the first time (might get rattled). Also, you got a closer, Troy Percival, who has been hurt already. He's 38 years old. It has been a long time since he has had to close big games. I want to see how they react in August.''

ESPN analyst Peter Gammons, on Baseball Tonight, put it best: "This is tremendous for the game.''

Nothing is going to be decided in this series even if the Rays sweep or get swept. But isn’t it fun to at least have a reason to watch?

Best coverage
From the pregame ceremonies to the game itself to the halftime analysis to the trophy presentation to a wrapup of an amazing few weeks, ABC's Euro 2008 soccer coverage was about as close to perfect as a television sports broadcast can get. There was not one weak link in the coverage, and the best part of all was the game color provided by Andy Gray. In my unofficial rankings, he has surpassed golf's Johnny Miller, tennis' John McEnroe and boxing's Max Kellerman as my favorite analyst in sports. Anyway we can teach this guy American football and get him on Monday Night Football?

Biggest rip job
Rays announcer Dewayne Staats took out a sledgehammer and whacked Major League Baseball over the head during Friday's broadcast after the league reduced the suspension of Boston's Coco Crisp and upheld the suspension of Aki Iwamura for their roles in the big brawl at Fenway Park. Staats had the guts to say what everyone thinks, but no one ever says for fear of getting in trouble. And you know what? He was right.

"What happened is, in this case, the Red Sox retain their Most Favorite Nation status in the eyes of Major League Baseball,'' said Staats, just warming up. "That's just very clear -- that the message sent out of all of that to every other team in baseball, with the exception of the Yankees, would be you just better not mess with the Red Sox or the Yankees or don't defend yourself against those two teams because if you do, Major League Baseball doesn't like it. That's just not right.''

He wasn't done: "Well it confirms what everybody says anyway: that they really care about the Red Sox and Yankees, and the rest of the clubs exist for their pleasure.'' ... Youza!

Biggest whiners
Anyone else sick and tired about hearing Red Sox and Yankees apologists whine about injuries? Hey, the Rays have been hit, too. At times this season they've been without their ace (Scott Kazmir), their closer (Troy Percival), their top slugger from a year ago (Carlos Pena), as well as key players, such as Cliff Floyd, Dioner Navarro and Al Reyes. And let's not forget Rocco Baldelli. But no one nationally talks about it. You know why? The Rays don't whine about it.

Worst circus
NBC and ESPN combined to make a mess of Saturday's Wimbledon and U.S. Women's Open golf coverage. The Open was supposed to start at 3 p.m. , but NBC, which had been showing Wimbledon, said it would stay until the conclusion of the Rafael Nadal-Nicolas Kiefer match, which had completed only one set at 3, or until play was called by darkness, which was expected to be around 4:30 .
NBC didn't  announce it, but ESPN had the Open with NBC's announcers. Suddenly, at 3:30, NBC scrapped what it had told viewers and switched to golf. It told viewers to tune to ESPN2 for the rest of the day's Wimbledon coverage. That meant ESPN2 broke away from an exciting five-set match between Mikhail Youzhny and Radek Stepanek to take care of the Nadal fans who switched over to watch the end of his easy three-set victory. Meantime, ESPN stayed with golf for another 10 minutes then showed the last inning of what was supposed to be on anyway -- a taped replay of a USA softball game. Know how I solved the problem? Switched to Fox and watched baseball.

Best praise
What in the name of Jacques Demers is going on here? Not only did the Rays get mentioned on ESPN's Sports Reporters on Sunday, so did the Lightning. Host John Saunders, in his parting shot, talked about new Lightning coach Barry Melrose: "What will make Melrose a success again in coaching is what made him great in TV: incredible knowledge and confidence wrapped up in a never-take-things-too-seriously attitude.''

Best executive praise
On ESPN's Baseball Tonight, analyst Steve Phillips named the Rays' Andrew Friedman the best GM of the first half of the season, mostly for his trade that sent Delmon Young to the Twins for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett. As you might remember, I critized that trade at the time it was made and then again about five or six weeks ago. I'm not ready to give up the fight only three months into the season, but I am have second thoughts about my second-guessing.

Most tired story lines
Is it possible for the Fox baseball pregame show to go just one show without talking about the Mets and Yankees? There are other teams, you know. On Saturday, they had not one, but two separate segments on Yankees slugger Jason Giambi. They did, however, mention the Rays as "insider'' Ken Rosenthal said Tampa Bay and the Brewers are interested in Indians lefty pitcher C.C. Sabathia.

"You don't normally hear about the low-revenue Rays and Brewers being buyers at the deadline,'' Rosenthal said. "But this year they're both solidly in the mix for Sabathia. Both have the prospects to get such a deal done. Both can take on the rest of his $9-million salary. And both are willing to take draft picks if they lose Sabathia as a free agent.''

Sportin' mullets -- the best of sports mullets

The mullet is back. Well, actually, that's not entirely true. The man who helped make the mullet famous is back. Barry Melrose, proud wearer of the mullet (which did to hairdos what the Pinto did for cars), is back behind an NHL bench as the newly named coach of the Lightning. But in case you hadn't noticed, the mullet is gone. At least from Melrose's head. Here's hoping he brings it back, for old time's sake. To get him in the mood, here's a trip down memory lane with some memorable sports mullets.

Andre Agassi
The tennis great tried to make up for the hair he was losing on top by going long in the back. (As if we weren't going to notice.) This wasn't his worst idea of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Uh, that would be dating Barbra Streisand. That's pretty much the ace of bad ideas. But the mullet was a close second.

Wayne Gretzky
The Great One set about a billion official NHL records and one unofficial NHL record: worst use of hair. This was the worst thing to come out of Canada since Paul Anka wrote (You're) Having My Baby. Notice how Janet Jones didn't marry him until he chopped off the raccoon tail.

Randy Johnson
The Big Unit has become the Michael Bolton of baseball. He has the worst mullet going and he refuses to give it up even though the darn thing went out of style about six seconds after Billy Ray Cyrus' Achy Breaky Heart hit the airwaves. Cyrus is a first-ballot Hall of Famer when it comes to mullets, the Babe Ruth if you will. And even he was smart enough to give it up.

Jaromir Jagr
The hockey star sported the "colek''’ or "deka.'' Those supposedly are the Czech words for the mullet haircut. We can only guess that he kept the style so long because he never learned the English phrase, "Yes, please, can I have a haircut that doesn't make me look like a total doofus?''

Barry Melrose
Of course, we have to remind Barry what he looked like in our attempt to sway him once again to the dark side. And were not trying to suck up to the new coach, but he was one of the few guys who actually got away with it, especially when he loaded it up with the Castrol 30W or whatever that was he put in his hair.

See a special slide show of memorable mullets.

ESPN's Jemele Hill talks to AOL about her suspension

Perhaps you heard that ESPN recently suspended writer Jemele Hill for a line she wrote in a column about why a Detroit Pistons fan could not root for the Boston Celtics. Hill wrote that "cheering for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim.''

She is off suspension now and talked about the column and her suspension in an excellent interview with AOL Fanhouse's Michael David Smith, author of one of the best sports blog in the business. Here's the link.

Here's what else is going on ...

* Barry Melrose will be named coach of the Lightning on Tuesday. Catch 47 will show the news conference live at 11 a.m. Also, Melrose is the scheduled guest on Tuesday night's Sports Connection on Bay News 9 at 11 p.m. Look for No. 1 pick Steve Stamkos to be on the Sports Connection on Thursday.

* My TV show, The Press Box (Catch 47 at 6:30, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.), will talk about the Melrose hiring and the new Lightning ownership, as well as what's new with the Rays and Bucs. Guests this week include Times writer Joe Smith, Catch 47's Roxanne Wilder and Whitney Johnson -- the man, the myth and the legend from WDAE 620-AM.

* Neil Best, who writes a must-read sports media column for Newsday, had the big stunner of the weekend, writing that New York's famed Mike & the Mad Dog radio show might have seen its last day. Check out the first story and then the follow-up on Monday.

* HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel returns with a new show Tuesday at 10 p.m. This episode has four new features:
-- A look inside the Chinese sports school system.
-- The fight to keep softball as an Olympic sport.
-- A profile of British cyclist David Millar.
-- Looking at the billion-dollar business of horse breeding.

Tiger's absence means dark days for PGA

Shooting from the Lip
Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...

Biggest elephant in the room
A half-hour into its Saturday broadcast of the Travelers Championship, CBS dedicated about 10 minutes to the stunning news that Tiger Woods will miss the rest of the year with knee surgery. CBS didn't look back at what already has happened but smartly looked forward to what this all could mean to the PGA Tour and to Woods himself.

But you don't need 10 minutes to know what this means for the tour: It's disastrous. Golf addicts will continue to watch, but the casual fan won't. TV ratings prove that. And whose fault is that? The networks and the PGA Tour. They have only themselves to blame. True, no other golfers have stood up to seriously challenge Woods, but it's not as if Woods wins every time he plays. Still, when Tiger plays, it's all Tiger all the time. The networks show his every shot, his every walk up the fairway, his every move, often at the expense of other golfers. When you put all your eggs in Tiger's basket, you shouldn't be surprised that few care when Tiger isn't around. Now it's too late to sell the fans on other talented and charismatic golfers. Want an example? Rocco Mediate is 45 years old and has been on the tour for 22 years, and it was only last week that we learned how great of a guy he is.

This is going to be a long year for the PGA Tour.

Best point
Speaking of Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate, the Detroit Free Press' Mitch Albom made a point that needed to be made on Sunday’s Sports Reporters on ESPN: "The one thing I worry about with this injury thing with Tiger is that you diminish what Rocco Mediate did. This was an amazing thing, and I don't think Rocco Mediate deserves to be remembered as, 'Oh, well, if Tiger were healthy, he would've blown you out of the water.' ''

Worst trend
Anyone who regularly reads this blog or my newspaper column knows I'm a big fan of Rays TV announcers Dewayne Staats and Joe Magrane. I would rank them among the best in all of baseball, and Rays games (even when the Rays were really bad) have always been entertaining to watch because of those two. The Rays' success this season has been even more enjoyable because of how Staats and Magrane call a game. I wouldn't trade them for any other crew in baseball.

But having said all that, recently the two have fallen into the bad habit of jumping on umpires, especially regarding balls and strikes. Now and then is fine, and granted, based on replays, the two usually are right. Still, too much bellyaching starts to wear on the viewer. And while calls might be missed, it doesn't appear as if the Rays alone are getting a raw deal by umpires. Bad umpiring usually goes both ways. Wednesday against the Cubs, the two ripped into home-plate ump Kerwin Danley for not ringing up a Cubs batter then the very next half inning completely ignored it when Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano raised a stink on the mound for not getting two close pitches to go his way. By complaining as vigorously as Staats and Magrane have in recent weeks, they come off a bit whiny, and both of them are too good to ever be thought of that way.

Biggest rip job
Fox baseball pregame analyst Kevin Kennedy earned his paycheck Saturday, laying into new Mets manager Jerry Manuel. Essentially, Kennedy said Manuel didn't have the back of fired manager Willie Randolph. He pointed to Manuel, who was Randolph's bench coach, talking about the things he would've done differently and would do differently now that he has taken over. As far as Manuel's grand plans, Kennedy said, "What good does that do Willie Randolph now? … Jerry Manuel didn't handle it the right way.''

Shilling for Schilling
During Saturday's baseball Game of the Week on Fox, announcer Thom Brennaman had some powerful words regarding Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, who is out for the season with shoulder surgery and might retire.

"I've never seen a more fearless performer in any sport in my life,'' Brennaman said, "than Curt Schilling was in that 2001 year.''

That's the season Schilling went 22-6 in the regular season for the Diamondbacks then pitched six postseason games, going 4-0 while allowing six earned runs in 481/3 innings. So is Schilling a Hall of Famer? Well, consider this: Schilling won only 216 regular-season games with a 3.46 ERA. Bert Blyleven is not in the Hall and he won 287 games with a 3.31 ERA. Orel Hershiser won 204 games with a 3.48 ERA, and he's not in the Hall, either. Schilling's postseason numbers might push him over the top. He went 11-2 with a 2.23 in the postseason and won three championships. Still, Blyleven went 5-1 in the postseason with a 2.47 ERA and has two rings. Hershiser was 8-3 in the postseason with a 2.59 ERA and pretty much single-handedly willed the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series title, winning the NLCS and World Series MVPs.

One more thought when you're comparing postseason numbers: Schilling had the benefit of an extra round in the playoffs, something Blyleven and Hershiser never had. Throw out Schilling's first-round playoff numbers and he was 7-2 in the postseason. In fact, if it weren't  for the wild card, the 2004 Red Sox might not have even made the playoffs -- and the whole bloody sock game wouldn't have happened.
This isn't as much an argument against Schilling as it is for Blyleven and Hershiser. If one gets in, all three should get in.

Saddest stat
Just pointing it out: Two more horses were euthanized after being injured  Saturday at Churchill Downs. But, don't worry, fans assure us there's nothing wrong with horse racing.

Favorite analysts of the weekend
Andy Gray: ESPN soccer announcer makes Euro 2008 worth watching. I could listen to him reading a phone book and be entertained.
Bela Karolyi: Not slick or stylish, but refreshingly candid and himself analyzing women's gymnastics on NBC Sunday night.
Ian Baker-Finch: CBS golf analyst doesn't rely on shtick or gimmicks. He just calls what he sees, and that's good enough.

Three things that popped into my head
1. Why did Willie Randolph lose his job as Mets manager? Partly because the Mets payroll is loaded with supposed stars who aren't really stars. Carlos Beltran might be the most overrated so-called "superstar'' in baseball. Bottom line is the Mets just aren't as good as the Mets think they are.
2. Watch out for the Yankees. They play 23 of their next 35 at Yankee Stadium, and of their 12 road games, nine are against the Pirates, Mets and Blue Jays.
3. Dang, that Rays' loss Sunday hurt. Losing two  of three to the Astros took some zip out of sweeping the Cubs, didn't it?

Tiger's greatest moments

I already miss Tiger Woods. He has only been out of commission, what, three days now? And, already, we are wondering what in the world golf is going to be like without him. Plus, all golf fans are still drunk from his incredible performance at the U.S. Open. Speaking of that performance, where exactly does it rank in a career full of incredible perfomances? Well, right at the top.

Here's a look at the top 10 moments (so far) in the career of Tiger Woods:

1. 2008 U.S. Open
Considering the knee surgery, doctor's orders to not play and the long layoff -- heck, the guy hadn't played a tournament in two months -- this has to top the list, especially knowing what we know now. He seemed out of the hunt heading into the back nine on Saturday. But two eagles and a birdie while limping and wincing in pain combined to make up one of the best and most dramatic nine holes in major championship history. As if all that wasn't enough, he overcomes the enormous pressure that he is supposed to win a playoff against a heavy underdog and does just that -- wins. And he did it with two fractures in his leg. Incredible.

2. 1997 Masters
This tournament officially announced Tiger intended on being one of the legends. At age 21, Tiger shot 70, 66, 65 and 69 for a Masters-record 18-under-par 270. He won the tournament by 12 strokes. CBS's Jim Nantz accurately called it "a win for the ages.''

3. 2000 U.S. Open
Tiger shot a U.S. Open-record 12 under at Pebble Beach. That's remarkable. Can you think of a word better than remarkable? Well, you should think of one to describe the rest of this story. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els tied for second. They were 3 over par! Tiger;s score and margin of victory were U.S. Open records.

4. 2000 British Open
Tiger became only the fifth player -- and youngest, at 24 -- to win a career grand slam. And it was in grand fashion. He shot an astounding 19 under, the lowest score in regulation in the history of the Open. In fact, 19 under remains the lowest score in the history of all four majors. He won the tournament by eight shots over Els and Thomas Bjorn. British Open legend Tom Watson said, "He is something supernatural.''

5. 2001 Masters
Tiger shot a final-round 68 to beat David Duval by two strokes. When he put on the green jacket that April afternoon, he  was the current defending champion in all four majors, thus completing the "Tiger Slam.''

6. 2006 British Open
Tiger showed that he is human. Not because he played poorly, but because he broke down in tears after winning the Open. It was his first major victory after the death of the man who inspired him -- his father, Earl.

7. 2000 PGA Championship
Tiger beat Bob May in a three-hole playoff, but only after he birdied the 71st and 72nd holes to force the playoff. The victory came after he had won the U.S. and British Opens, making him the first since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year.

8. 1996 U.S. Amateur
Tiger trailed Steve Scott by five shots with 16 holes to go and needed a long birdie putt just to send it to a playoff. He won on the second extra playoff hole, his third consecutive amateur championship.

9. 2006 PGA Championship
At the longest course in major championship history, Tiger had rounds of 69, 68, 65 and 68 for an 18-under 270 and a five-stroke victory. The 18 under tied the PGA Championship record set by Bob May in 2000. Oh, and Tiger shot 18 under in 2000, too, then beat May in the playoff.

10. 2005 Masters
After Saturday rain stopped the tournament halfway through the third round, Tiger trailed Chris DiMarco by four shots. But helped by seven straight birdies, Tiger waged a duel with DiMarco that ended with Woods winning in a playoff for his fourth green jacket.

WDAE's Duemig arrested for suspicion of DUI

Update: 6:10 p.m.

Steve Duemig, arrested on suspicion of DUI early Sunday morning, addressed the incident on his WDAE radio show at 3 p.m. Here is a sampling of some of his comments:

* "This is a very difficult situation and I will face it like a man.''
* "It was an unfortunate situation I was involved with on Sunday morning. ... I will face it and go from there and let the legal system take its course. ... I was literally in the driveway of my home.''
* "I apologize for putting the station on turd watch. ... It's not fun. I apologize to the station for putting us on a negative view.''
* "There are a lot of haters out there that will have a field day. That's expected. When you're the top dog, they come after you. They're going to attack. I can accept that. It's not fun going through it. This is not a prepared statement. This is from the heart.''
* "Many, many, many, many, many more make the decision to drive home than don't. And you can consider yourself very fortunate if you've never been pulled over.''
* "I apologize. I will accept the hate. I hope you don't use hypocrite (to call me.) I don't go after athletes who have been charged because it can happen to anyong.
* "I want to thank the station for supporting me. It has been very, very comforting to have some of the big, big hitters in this company saying, 'We'll get through it.' ''

WDAE-AM sports talk show host Steve Duemig was arrested early Sunday morning near the Feather Sound area in St. Petersburg on suspicion of driving under the influence. Duemig, also known as the "Big Dawg,'' hosts what is probably the most popular sports talk radio show in the Tampa Bay area.

Reached Monday afternoon, Duemig had no comment other than to say he would address the arrest on his radio show, which begins at 3 p.m.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's department report, Duemig was pulled over in his white Lexus at 1:39 a.m. Sunday morning. He was booked at 3:11 a.m. and released at 10:15 a.m. No other details were available.

Too much Tiger

Looking back at the weekend in televised sports ...

Worst golf announcer of the weekend
NBC's Dan Hicks is married to ESPN's Hannah Storm. But by the way he was gushing Saturday as lead announcer of the U.S. Open, he sounded like a man ready to leave Storm for Tiger Woods. Woods' third-round charge had some thrilling moments, but when you add up the scorecard, he still only shot 1-under par 70 for the day. Listening to Hicks, however, one might have thought Tiger played the most brilliant round of golf that had ever been played. It was obvious that NBC so baaaaadly wanted Woods to do well, and that's understandable. The lower Woods shoots, the higher the TV ratings. But did Hicks need to make it so obvious?

Hicks spent Saturday ignoring the other golfers and stories and, sadly, added nothing to what we were witnessing with Woods. Even if you think Woods was having a remarkable round, Hicks added little to the moment other than to say Woods was having a remarkable round. We could see that. We already knew that. Give us perspective. Give us a call to remember. Give us something. And if you don't have anything, that's fine. Be quiet, and the let the sights and sounds tell the story. Instead, Hicks talked. He talked a lot. He just didn't say anything.

Hicks was a little better Sunday but not enough to wash the bad taste of Saturday out of our mouths. The thing that was so disappointing is Hicks is better -- much better -- than he showed over the weekend.

Best golf announcer
Johnny Miller was the opposite of Dan Hicks over the weekend. Everything that came out of his mouth was good stuff. As it always is. I could fill this whole page every week with Miller's brilliance, but here are just a few of the highlights:
• On Stuart Appleby blowing up in the third round: "He has not done well in majors for no particular reason, and it's sort of showing up today. Maybe his insides and majors don't necessarily like each other.''
• On watching Tiger Woods wince because is knee injury: "It makes you sick to your stomach.''
• On the slowness of a particular green: "This is about as fast as cold maple syrup.''
• On Rocco Mediate staying in the hunt: "Rocco Mediate is dodging more bullets than Indiana Jones.''
• On Phil Mickelson hitting shot after shot on the par-5, No. 13 on Saturday: "This is like Six Flags. You don't see many snowmen (an eight) at the beach.'' In Hicks' best moment, he added: "He's got to be hoping for a snowman!'' Hicks was right. Lefty took a nine.

Most underused golf announcer
NBC added a nice touch, bringing in Golf World magazine's Tim Rosaforte to act as an "insider,'' telling a few behind-the-scenes stories. The only problem was it barely used him. In the future, more Rosaforte, please. Also, NBC has the best announcer in the business (Bob Costas) and barely used him, as well. It's like having A-Rod on your team and using him only to pinch hit.

Best coverage
I'm not even a soccer fan, and yet I'm glued to ESPN's coverage of Euro 2008. The coverage has been outstanding, and the studio show is as good as any studio show, thanks to analysts Julie Foudy, Andy Gray and, best of all, Tommy Smyth. The reason it all works so well is ESPN is not "dummying down'' the coverage. Everything is geared for the soccer aficionado, and that's exactly the right approach. Compare that to, say, CBS's recent coverage of mixed martial arts, which spent too much time teaching the sport to viewers. Listen, viewers are smart. They'll catch up. Sports aren't rocket science. ESPN is smart enough to treat the sports they cover and the fans who love those sports with respect.

Biggest nonbeliever
Someone show Fox baseball pregame host Jeanne Zelasko the latest major-league standings. Or maybe she just hasn't bought into the Rays just yet. During Saturday's show, Zelasko asked analyst Rob Dibble if Reds slugger Ken Griffey could end up with the Cubs. Here's the exchange:
Dibble: "I see maybe the Tampa Bay Rays. I've heard the owners really want him down there in Tampa Bay. He has a home in Orlando. I think the Rays would be a better fit.''
Zelasko: "He’s going to go to a noncontender?''
Dibble, setting her straight: "No! The Rays are a contender! And he could put butts in the seat.''
Zelasko: "Point taken.''

Best analyst
What a pleasure it was to listen to Red Sox analyst Jerry Remy working Fox's Game of the Week, although we could've done without partner Thom Brennaman. (By the way, Remy earns extra bonus points in these parts for, on air back in New England, criticizing Boston's Coco Crisp the night he charged Rays pitcher James Shields.) Remy is quick, knows his stuff, has a sense of humor. It was nice to hear him instead of, oh, let's say Tim McCarver for a change.

Best shoutout
On ESPN's Baseball Tonight, insider Tim Kurk­jian, talking about Rays pitcher Matt Garza, said, "A scout told me last year that this is a young John Smoltz.''

Most interesting poll
The NBA has a serious problem. This Tim Donaghy/officials fixing games stuff is not going away. Donaghy, the NBA ref who admitted to gambling on games, accused that a playoff game in 2002 wasn't on the up-and-up. Who knows if the allegations are true. The problem for the NBA is the public thinks they might be true. ESPN conducted a poll over the week asking viewers, "Do you believe Tim Donaghy's allegations that two referees conspired to ensure a 2002 playoff series went seven games?''
Of the first 12,817 responses, 76 percent said yes.

Three things that popped into my head
1. Can we please officially ban the phrase "Tiger is on the prowl'' from all future golf telecasts?
2. Whether he was right or not, maybe ripping into an umpire wasn't the smartest thing Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir has ever done.
3. If you're an NHL team with an opening for a head coach, why wouldn't you at least talk to John Tortorella? The Senators, Maple Leafs and Sharks -- all of whom didn't talk to Tortorella and hired other coaches -- combined don't have as many Stanley Cups as Tortorella in the past 40 years.

Tim Russert and sports

Tim Russert, the NBC news anchor who shockingly died Friday at age 58, will be remembered and honored -- certainly more eloquently in other places by those who knew him -- as one of the sharpest political analysts of our time, as well as one of the nicest and most respected gentleman in broadcasting.

But we feel it appropriate to point out that what added to Russert's charm was his love of sports. A native of Buffalo, Russert was a huge Bills fan and, during football season, would close Meet the Press with a smile and a "Go Bills.'' Occasionally, he would tease politicians from cities or states with teams that the Bills recently defeated.

And here's something you might not know: Russert, a season-ticket holder for both the Washington Wizards (NBA) and Washington Nationals (MLB), was on the board of directors for the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board for the Hall of Fame, said:
"We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Tim's sudden passing. He was an integral member of our Board of Directors and its executive committee, and he cared about the Hall of Fame and its mission so much. We'll miss Tim's critical thinking and his unsurpassed passion for the game tremendously.''

Charlie Jones passes away

Long-time sports broadcaster Charlie Jones passed away Thursday at the age of 77. He's best remembered for his work with old American Football League, as well as the NFL, but he also covered baseball, golf, tennis, the Olympics (mostly track-and-field) and soccer. He also called games for the Reds and the Rockies.

While he worked recently for ABC/ESPN, Jones spent most of his career calling events for NBC, particulary the bitter football rivalries in the AFC West involving games between the Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos. Over the years, his broadcast partners included Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Merlin Olsen and Jimmy Cefelo.

Personally, I think his shining moment came in 1987. At that time, Jones was the voice of the Fiesta Bowl. But when Penn State and Miami agreed to play in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship, there was talk that Jones and partners Cefalo and Griese would be pulled from the game and another broadcast team would be brought in. NBC correctly decided to keep Jones and his partners on the game. Jones brilliantly called Penn State's 14-10 upset of the Hurricanes.

In 1997, Jones was award the Pro Footbal Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics released a statement that said:
"All of us at NBC are saddened at the passing of one of the great pioneers of NBC Sports. His work in particular on the NFL, golf and the Olympics left a lasting legacy.''

Broadcasting's best

Last week, we lost the best television sports broadcaster ever in Jim McKay. At age 86, McKay, the longtime host of the Olympics and Wide World of Sports, passed away. It got me thinking about the most notable and influential sports television broadcasters to ever look into a camera and talk into a microphone. They weren't known for one sport, but for their ability to cover any and all sports. But if they were there, you knew one thing for sure: This was the big event of the moment. Here is my list of the most notable TV sports broadcasters of all time.

1. Jim McKay
The gold standard. The Edward R. Murrow of sports broadcasting. His prolific work on ABC's Wide World of Sports alone sets him above all others because he wasn't calling just baseball or football. He was calling every sport known to man and a few man didn't know, such as barrel jumping or some such thing. Of course, he had no problem with the big event either. After all, does it get any bigger than hosting the Olympics? In fact, you could argue McKay helped make the Olympics what the Games are today, and his work covering the tragedy at the Munich Olympics in 1972 was legendary. Throw in his smooth, classy and comfortable work on golf and horse racing and you have the master.

2. Howard Cosell
Some of you out there will absolutely hate Cosell being this high on the list, or even on the list at all. But in the 1970s, if it was a big event, Cosell  was there. Let's face it, he WAS Monday Night Football. He WAS the World Series. He WAS boxing on TV, especially because of his playful interaction with  Muhammad Ali that not only helped make Ali famous, but helped advance Ali's social causes. You watched often not to see the game, but to listen to Cosell. You loved him or hated him, but you were never ambivalent. When you think about it, is there a better compliment than that?

3. Bob Costas
When it's all said and done, Costas likely will be at the top of this list. He has hosted just about every major sporting event from the Olympics to the Super Bowl to the World Series to the NBA Finals. He mixes humor with intelligence and he manages to pull off the difficult task of being a thinking man's broadcaster while relating to the common man. In other words, he appeals to those who read the New York Times and the New York Post. Best of all, he never makes himself bigger than the event he is covering. And he is the best interviewer in sports.

4. Al Michaels
Simply put, the absolute best play-by-play man there has ever been. Timing? Perfect. Emotion? Always just right. Mistakes? Rare, if ever. He's so good that it seems as if he is calling a game that he has already seen and he knows exactly what is going to happen. His call of the 1980 U.S.-USSR hockey game might be the single-best performance ever by a play-by-play announcer. Sure, we all know his signature line of "Do you believe in miracles?'' but go back and listen to that entire broadcast and just how good Michaels was. That was 28 years ago and he has only gotten better since.

5. Curt Gowdy
Maybe there wouldn't have been a Dick Enberg or an Al Michaels if it hadn't been for Curt Gowdy, whose work in the late 1960s and 1970s earned him the well-deserved tag of "the best announcer in the business.'' He had another nickname -- "Broadcast of Everything'' -- because of his ability to call any sport. He did it all, but saved his best for the World Series and Super Bowl. During the 1970s, Gowdy's football work on NBC -- calling classic showdowns involving the Raiders, Dolphins and Steelers -- helped turn football into America's favorite sport on television.

6. Dick Enberg
For a good chunk of the 1980s, Enberg seemingly called every sporting event on TV -- the baseball game of the week to the top football game each Sunday to the best college basketball games to Wimbledon to the Olympics. While he called a game, he made it sound as if there was no place he would rather be than watching this game with you. Nearly 30 years later, Enberg still can be found at many major events and he hasn't lost a step.

7. Brent Musburger
Wait, don't roll your eyes. Yes, I know Musburger has become the butt of jokes by fans and critics. But don't underestimate his work. "You are looking live at … '' has been a signature call for, don't look now, more than 30 years. And you know what? He's still around, calling ABC's top college football and basketball games, hosting big horse races, as well as major bowl games. With Musburger as host, CBS's NFL Today became the blueprint for the modern-day NFL pregame show. And, say what you will about his style, you cannot deny that Musburger sounds truly excited about whatever he is calling.

8. Chris Schenkel
A pioneer in broadcasting. He might have been the original sports "host.'' For parts of five decades, Schenkel -- with his low-key, baritone, smooth style -- called it all, but is best known for his work on college football, the NBA and the Pro Bowlers tour. He was the voice of college football before Keith Jackson. He was the voice of the NBA before Marv Albert. And you can't even think of bowling on television without thinking of Schenkel.

9. Keith Jackson
The voice of college football. If Jackson was calling the game, you knew it was the game in the country on that particular Saturday. But often forgotten is Jackson was the original play-by-play announcer on Monday Night Football and called events such as the World Series, the Indy 500, the NBA Finals, the Olympics and even a few Evel Knievel jumps. His college football work was so outstanding that it overshadowed just how versatile he was.

10. Pat Summerall
Summerall isn’t known for covering the variety of events like the others on this list. He is best known for two things: the NFL and the U.S. Open tennis tournament. He called more Super Bowls (16) than any other broadcaster. He was the voice of the NFL at a time when the NFL on TV became the phenomenon that is today. Plus, he was a former NFL player, which leads us to this statement: Summerall is, by far, the best athlete-turned-broadcaster in the history of sports or broadcasting. That's why he's on this list.

Sam Wyche update

Hey, congrats to Sam Wyche. The former Bucs and Bengals ballcoach cleared his first big hurdle at winning elected office. Wyche defeated incumbant Ben Trotter in the Republican primary Tuesday for the Pickens County (S.C.) Council District 3 seat. He now will face Democrat Wesley Burbage in November. Earlier this week, Two Cents talked with Wyche, so scroll down for the interview if you missed it.

Sam Wyche wants your vote

He's Sam Wyche and he approves this message. And he wants your vote.

Well, he wants it if you live in District III of Pickens County, S.C. Wyche, who coached the Bucs from 1992-95, is 63 and living in semi-retirement outside of Greenville. Tuesday, he's going out for a new job on the Pickens County Council. On Monday, the day before the Republican primary, Wyche answered the phone at his campaign "headquarters'' (uh, that would be home) and spent a few minutes talking to Two Cents.

So, Tuesday is the big day?
Yep. If there is a good turnout, I think I will win comfortably. But we're in the middle of the heat wave and they're calling for afternoon thunderstorms. So if we have tough weather, the numbers could be down. My opponent is the incumbent and he has lived here all of his life. He's 59. And he comes from a big extended family that lives throughout Pickens County.

How did you end up in Pickens County, S.C.?
I went to Furman. Met my wife there. She's from Pickens. We lived here after college. Had a little garage apartment with a pot-bellied stove to stay warm back in 1965. We came back in 2000. Now we just bought a 28-acre Morgan-horse farm. So we've experienced it all here.

What made you decide to run for county council?
Well, I contracted a heart disease a while back -- and I'm feeling fine now, by the way -- and during surgery my larynx was damaged. I was working for CBS and they went as far as they could for me, but eventually I semi-retired and we moved here. I get itchy and I pretty much volunteer for everything. I'm an assistant football coach for the high school. I substitute teach for fun. I love doing that. I'm chairman for the Pickens Meals on Wheels. I work with Special Olympics. Well, people called and said it looked like I had room for one more thing and we needed a change. That's sort of a theme all over politics this year. So I decided to do it, but the campaigning has been tough.

How so?
Just a lot of hand-shaking. You're trying to be sincere, but it's hard not to be a little bit phony. You say, "Hey, great to see you.'' Well, we're standing in the middle of street. It's not that it's great to meet you, I'm trying to get your vote. But I tell them that. Occasionally I put my foot in my mouth like I did when I was coaching. But I think people can see that I'm just being myself.

Do you have aspirations in politics beyond county council?
I don't know. I'm just dipping my toe into the public service pool. If I were to get in there, I hope I wouldn't drink the Kool-Aid and become a so-called politician. I'm really just trying to make some changes here and do a good job.

What is your platform?
Well, I'm running as a Republican, a conservative. This part of the state has lost a lot of textile work. It has gone overseas. We need to find an industry that will settle here, create new jobs. That's No. 1. There are other issues, such as improving the fire departments. A lot of the rural areas outside of Greenville have fire stations that are mostly manned by volunteers. We need to find ways to improve that. Those are the big things. Also, improving the arts and culture and listening to all the concerns that people everywhere have.

Anything else?
Well, I'm here to do what I can for John McCain and his bid for president.

He has an opening for a running mate.
Oh yeah, I'm really pulling for that. I've started a toll-free line: 1-800-VP! Seriously, though, I am interested in speaking on his behalf and doing what I can to help get him elected.

Do you still follow the NFL?
I follow it in that I still watch games. I don't follow it in terms of the newest rules on salary cap exemptions or anything like that. Usually at the end of December, I start getting phone calls from old coaches I've worked with who say, "Looks like we're going to get fired here, can you make a call and help me get another job?'' And I'm conveniently located between Atlanta and Nashville so I still get to do some work with NFL chapel programs with teams as they pass through.

Do you still follow the Bucs?
Oh, yeah. Jon Gruden is a good friend of mine. I still can't help keeping an extra eye on the Bucs and Bengals — the two teams I coached.

Do you ever come back to Tampa Bay?
Not as much as I want. I do a lot of motivational speaking and I thought I would be around Tampa and Orlando a lot more than I am, but I don't seem to get there very often.

You're still a young guy. Would you ever want to return to coaching?
I would go back in a heartbeat. I'm probably out of the loop now. I still get calls from players or coaches I used to coach who just want to talk football. About a month ago, (new Redskins coach) Jim Zorn called and asked for some advice. Those talks get you thinking and I think I would love to get back in it. But right now, the big thing for me is this election and being on county council.

Remembering Jim McKay

Shooting from the lip
A look back at the weekend in televised sports ...

Saddest news
How poetic we all learned Saturday afternoon that legendary ABC sportscaster Jim McKay had passed away. For many, he will always be known as the face and the voice of the Olympics and for breaking the tragic news that "They're all gone'' during the hostage takeover at the 1972 Munich Games. But for anyone in their mid 30s and older, McKay was best remembered for coming into our homes on Saturday afternoons with these magical words:

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The human drama of athletic competition. This is ABC's Wide World of Sports.

A show like Wide World of Sports probably would not work today. Back then, you had a handful of stations. Watching McKay at a tree-cutting competition or a soapbox derby was better than the other choices on the few other stations. These days, there are hundreds of stations, and the sports fan is more likely to watch mainstream sports such as baseball or football, which can be found at almost any time during the weekends.

And that's sad, really, because no matter how silly the sport, how outrageous the competition, Wide World of Sports was riveting and, I'm positive, a favorite childhood memory for most people old enough to recall the show. And all of the credit goes to McKay. He took every event and every athlete seriously. Somehow watching ice-skaters jumping over a bunch of barrels didn't seem that goofy as long as McKay was calling the action. Along the way, dumb kids like me who didn't care about anything other than sports and what was for dinner learned a few things about life in some faraway place.

Of all the tributes paid to McKay over the weekend -- and all of the them on all networks were splendid -- the best line might have come from Al Michaels: "He was the greatest tour guide who ever lived.''

A suggestion for ABC/ESPN and a wonderful wait to pay tribute to McKay: Take this summer and use ESPN Classic to show reruns of Wide World of Sports. On Saturday afternoons, of course.

Most superfluous
NBC commentator John McEnroe must have been taking happy pills over the weekend because he was handing out compliments as if they were going to become illegal by Sunday night. When the recently retired Justine Henin appeared for the women's French Open trophy ceremony, McEnroe said, "Probably the most talented player I've ever seen … the most talented female player in the history of the sport.''
Wow. Really? Better than Martina Navratilova? Steffi Graf? Chris Evert?

Then, after Rafael Nadal destroyed Roger Federer (the result wasn't a surprise, but the score of 6-1, 6-3, 6-0  sure was), McEnroe got caught up in the emotion of the moment and called Nadal the greatest claycourt player ever. He said this even though he interviewed Bjorn Borg moments later. But give McEnroe a bit of credit. Most athletes-turned-commentators like to brag about how great things were in the "good old days'' when they played. (Right, Joe Morgan?) In their time, everything was better, tougher, greater. McEnroe, however, is always the first to praise today's athlete.

Oh, interesting side note that came out of NBC's French Open coverage that was a shocker: McEnroe and Borg never played each other on clay. Isn't that hard to believe?

Best backing of the Rays
Fox's baseball pregame show broke down the Rays-Red Sox brawl of last week. Analysts Kevin Kennedy and Eric Karros came down on the side of the Rays. They credited Rays pitcher James Shields for throwing at Coco Crisp's legs instead of his head, and both said Crisp should've run to first base instead of charging the mound.

Best debut
Former Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly made a smashing debut for ABC/ESPN over the weekend, popping up at the Belmont to give his 10 reasons why it was good for Big Brown to win the Triple Crown. His best was No. 5: "That name — Big Brown. I love that name. It's not one of those fancy-schmancy names. … It's just, 'Uh, well, uh, he's big. And, uh, he's brown. How 'bout Big Brown?' ''

Best boxer
Now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has retired from boxing for the moment (and I say moment because it would not be shocking to see him return to the ring at some point), who is America's top fighter? HBO Boxing's Max Kellerman weighed in Saturday night: "Kelly Pavlik is poised to become the focal point of American boxing,'' Kellerman said.

Moments later, Pavlik TKO'd Gary Lockett in Round 3 to keep his WBC and WBO middleweight titles.
Not an action-packed night of boxing for HBO. In the other big fight, Juan Manuel Lopez knocked out Daniel Ponce De Leon in the first round to win a junior featherweight world title. The whole night consisted of less than four rounds of boxing.

Best insight
Rays color analyst Joe Magrane, talking about second baseman Aki Iwamura after a nice play Saturday:
"I said after seeing him in spring training that I thought he would make a better second baseman than a third baseman, and he already is that.''

Best hustle
Nice work by the Rays TV crew to pick up on the Matt Garza-Dioner Navarro dustup on Sunday afternoon. One minor nit was analyst Joe Magrane immediately swept it under the rug, essentially saying it was no big and that stuff happens all the time. True, it isn't unusual for emotions to run high between teammates during a long season. And it probably was no big deal. But maybe -- just maybe -- it was a big deal. Maybe there is a problem beyond pitch selection. It might have been more prudent for Magrane to not decide so quickly that it was just the boys being boys.

Best line
What in the world happened to Big Brown on Saturday? Not only did he not win the Triple Crown after trainer Rick Dutrow guaranteed victory, but he pulled up and finished last. New York Times horse racing writer Joe Drape had the best line on ESPN's Outside the Lines:
"What we saw is when you taunt the racing gods, they not only smite you, they humiliate you.''

Most unwatchable sports
Sorry, but the two College World Series -- baseball and softball -- have become unwatchable. They score too many runs in baseball and not enough in softball. Two things might make it better. Eliminate the aluminum bats in baseball and move the pitcher's mound back about 5 feet in softball.

Best preview
Sports fans should already be getting excited for next week's U.S. Open golf tournament. Tiger Woods returns and, for the first time, the third and fourth rounds will be in prime time because the tournament is in California. Now all we need is a showdown between Woods and Phil Mickleson.

"(Mickelson) needs to stop being the Sam Snead of the United States Open,'' Mike Lupica said on ESPN's Sports Reporters. "He needs to stop racking up second-place finishes. This is a tournament that he has to be considered at least a favorite more than Tiger because Tiger hasn't played.''
Don’t bet on it: I’m picking Tiger to finish ahead of Phil.

Bring the kids, we got entertainment for the whole family

You might enjoy this old clip of John Tortorella being interviewed on something called Sabres Tonight back in 1992 when he was a Buffalo assistant. I watch this and can't help but thinking of Jim Carr from Slap Shot. "The Chiefs are home against Hyannisport at the War Memorial at eight. Good seats are still available.''

As for Torts, I don't know what's hipper -- that cool 'stache or the Bill Cosby sweater. Enjoy.

">

Go Jonny Go

If Rays outfielder Jonny Gomes ran as fast to first base as he does to brawls, the guy would have more infield hits that Ichiro. Ever notice how fast Gomes arrives whenever punches are being thrown? And it doesn't matter where on the field -- pitcher's mound, second base, wherever. He wasn't even in the lineup last night and he almost got to the mound before Coco Crisp did.

Some day a team is going to trade for Gomes and the other GM is going to say, "We hated to give up our top pitching prospect, but we needed a guy with a little right-handed pop and someone who can apply the figure-four leg-lock in a fight. Now we think we have the missing piece to put us over the top.''

NBA Finals preview -- Two Cents style

This is the matchup everyone wanted. It's the matchup we all saw coming months ago. Everything until now has been merely the appetizer before the main course. Thursday night the best rivalry in NBA history is renewed as the Lakers and Celtics begin playing each other for the NBA title for the 11th time, but the first since the Bird-Magic days of 1987. Among the key ingredients that remain are the parquet floor in Boston and Jack Nicholson sitting courtside in L.A.  But best of all, not only are these clearly the best teams in the NBA, but just like the days of Magic and Bird, the series is loaded with stars -- Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Phil Jackson. It's a series fitting for this historic rivalry. Here's a Two Cents breakdown of the series, its history and the pick for which team will win it all. (Hey, I correctly picked the Red Wings in six for the Stanley Cup, so I could go 2-for-2.)

Season series
The Celtics won both regular-season meetings, and the games weren't even close: 107-94 at Boston and 110-91 at Los Angeles. But two things to remember: Both games were played before the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol, and Celtics guard Tony Allen helped hold Bryant to 28 and 22 points in the matchups. There's a chance Allen won't play because of an Achilles' tendon injury, but he did practice Wednesday. How effective will he be? Well, it's hard to cover Kobe with two good legs.

Who wants it more?
Boston's Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have two things in common: They are great players, and none of them has won an NBA title. This Celtics team was assembled to win the title. Meantime,  Bryant has won three titles, but none without  Shaquille O’Neal. He's out to prove he can win without Shaq. Who wants it more? My money is on KG. By the way, this is interesting: If Bryant wins the title, he will have more at his age (29) than Michael Jordan did at 30.

Chasing history
As if the renewal of the NBA's greatest rivalry isn't enough, another juicy bit of history comes into play.  Jackson has won nine NBA titles as a coach. He's tied for most ever, and a Finals victory would give him sole possession of first place, ahead of … Celtics legend Red Auerbach.

Two more story lines
Yeesh, this series is full of story lines. Keep an eye on Bryant and Allen. The two don't care for each other. It stems from Allen popping off about Bryant when L.A. traded Shaq. Meantime, guess who said this: "As a kid, I hated the Celtics.'' That would be L.A. native  Pierce, now a Boston star.

The best of the rivalry
You can't talk about this matchup without paying homage to the best moments in Lakers-Celtics history. Here are the top five:
1. Magic Johnson hits his "junior sky hook'' at Boston Garden to win Game 4 as the Lakers go on to beat the Celtics in six games in 1987.
2. After falling behind 2-0 in the series and not having won in Los Angeles all season, the Celtics overcome the NBA Finals-MVP performance of L.A.'s Jerry West to win Game 7 on the road 108-106 and the 1969  title.
3. The Memorial Day Massacre: The Celtics beat the Lakers 148-114 in Game 1 of the 1985 Finals. But the Lakers rally to win the series in six.
4. Boston great Bill Russell scores 30 points and pulls down — get this — 40(!) rebounds as the Celtics win Game 7 in 1962. This comes after L.A.'s Elgin Baylor scores a Finals-record 61 points in Game 4.
5. Inspired after being called "sissies'' by Larry Bird, the Celtics rally behind the MVP and win the 1984 Finals in seven games, a series that featured several hard fouls and bad blood.

O vs. D
The Lakers, behind MVP  Bryant, had the fourth-best offense in the league this season, averaging 108.6 points per game. Led by Bryant's 31.9-point average, the Lakers are averaging nearly 106 points in the playoffs, best in the NBA. Meantime, the Celtics have the top defense in the playoffs, allowing a little more than 87 points per game. So what wins championships, offense or defense? We shall soon find out, but history in the NBA suggests defense. The big key is that Boston has to figure out how to stop Bryant. The Lakers have to figure out how to stop  Garnett. And Pierce. And Ray Allen, who might have woken up from his playoff slumber. Boston has a little more offense than Los Angeles has defense.

Breaking it down
The Lakers have a little more going for them than Bryant. Gasol who should keep Garnett busy on defense, is averaging nearly 19 points and eight rebounds. And Lamar Odom averages 14 and 10, along with 3.5 assists. We know about Boston's big three, but Rajon Rondo is playing well at point guard with 10 points and five assists, as well as playing great defense. And the Celtics can turn to veteran Sam Cassell if Rondo isn't productive. Give the bench edge to Boston but the coaching edge to the Lakers. It's really a coin flip to pick a winner. Well, a coin flip or home-court advantage.

TJ's pick
Seems as if everyone is picking the Lakers, but winning titles comes down to three things: team chemistry, team defense and playing at home. The Celtics have all three. Boston in seven.

Remembering Tortorella

Say this for John Tortorella: He was one of a kind. Brutally honest. Outspoken. Controversial. Emotional. He said what he thought when he thought it. Everything he said went from his gut to his brain to his mouth in less than a second. If it ruffled feathers, so be it. If you didn't like it, tough. He could be gruff, insensitive and disrespectful to players, media, NHL officials and even his own bosses. His focus was one thing: the team. He wanted it to be better today than it was yesterday, and better tomorrow than it is today. That was his sole focus every day, all day.

Yet, he had a soft side, too. Believe it or not, he could be a players' coach, giving them more days off than most NHL coaches and once taking them for a four-day, in-season vacation to Atlantic City. He often sought their advice on how to best handle a certain situation or dilemma. He praised more than he criticized. You might not think it, but most players loved playing for him. (Well, the non-goalies, that is.) And his charity work, helping children  who had cancer, was a passion and went unnoticed, mostly because he never wanted it publicized.

When looking back at Tortorella's 61/2  seasons in Tampa Bay, you remember the stories. The time he yelled about this, the time he exploded about that. This wasn't all that Torts should be known for, but, right or wrong, these are the stories we remember today.

Shut your yap!
You can't even think about Tortorella without thinking of "Shut your yap!'' It's like Pavlov's dog. Someone says "Tortorella'' and someone else says, "Shut your yap!'' With the 2004 Eastern Conference final at one game apiece, Tortorella looked to deflect criticism from his team, and went after Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock because Captain Kangaroo mouthed off to one of the Lightning players during a game. Torts cut loose with his most famous tirade:
"The last time I looked, he's wearing a suit back there, the same type of suit that I'm wearing. He's not in the battle. You have two quality teams here. He should shut his yap. When it comes to a coach (and) an opposing player, it's disrespectful and it's wrong. It's gutless. That's got to stop. Park your ego and shove it in your pocket. It's about the two teams.
"It's chicken (expletive). And it's not for the series. I don't care about all the garbage that goes on, and Philly does it all the time. They like to listen (to) hear themselves talk about this, that, the other thing. That's not going to affect us. But when it comes to a coach to a player, that's just so disrespectful.''
The Lightning went on to beat the Flyers and then the Flames for the Stanley Cup.

He said it
"The circumstances stink. The famous line is that it's all part of the game, but it still stinks.''
— John Tortorella, on Jan. 6, 2001, when he was named to replace the fired Steve Ludzik as Lightning coach.

He said this, too
"In this day and age, it's not the adversarial coach and players. The players and coaches are partners. The Lightning has been (bad) for a number of years. The only way we have to go is up.''
— Tortorella, after his first team meeting as coach.

How about a save?
Tortorella's wrath at times seemed exclusively reserved for goalies. Mister Rogers, he was not. Dozens of times over his tenure, Tortorella laid into his netminders. But his best was probably on the night of Dec. 28, 2005, after John Grahame -- one of Tortorella's favorite chew toys -- played poorly in a 4-3 loss to the Canadiens at the St. Pete Times Forum. Asked if the goaltending could've been better, Tortorella exploded:
"Think that has a little thing to do with it tonight? Yeah. We can't have four goals go in our net on 10 (scoring) chances. Especially the fourth goal. It can't happen!''

By that point, he was pounding the podium with his fist.

Asked if it was time to think about trading for a goalie, Torts said, "Absolutely, but in today's game, where are we going to go with the (salary) cap? I am (upset) at what is happening there because I thought our team played very well tonight. … Is there other options out there? We can't do (anything)!''

Get the … outta here
During the 2007 playoffs against New Jersey, an irritated Tortorella met with reporters after a tough loss. When pressed by New York Post hockey writer Larry Brooks on an argument he had with a Devils assistant, Tortorella made it clear he didn't want to talk about it. Brooks responded by saying the interview was "a waste of time.''

Tortorella, on live TV in Canada, responded by saying, "Well then get the (expletive) out of here then.''

Brooks was heard yelling an expletive back as Tortorella said, "Okay, see ya.'' He turned to the rest of the media and barked, "Next question.''
Not that we promote profanity here at Two Cents, but there's a YouTube.com clip of it if you’re interested. But you've been warned about the, shall we say, colorful language.

(Expletive) that
Tortorella detested making excuses, but occasionally, his anger and need to defend his team got the best of him. Such was the case Nov. 19, 2007, when the Lightning lost in OT at Atlanta with Brad Richards in the penalty box for an iffy penalty.

"The frustrating part for me is these organizations pay the players millions upon millions of dollars,'' Tortorella said. "They're the ones who need to decide outcomes of games. Listen, I'm trying to stay away from criticizing as far as the calls, but (expletive) that. I just don't get it. And it makes the coaching job that much harder, how you coach your players in playing when you get that (expletive) out there.''
Two days later, Tortorella was fined $10,000 by the NHL for his comments.

Torts vs. Andre
Tortorella often butted heads with players, especially the goalies and, often, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. But no one drove Tortorella crazy more than enforcer Andre Roy. Twice, Roy was booted off the team for a short spell -- once last season and once during the 2003 playoffs.

Sorry 'bout that
In a game early in the 2005-06 season, Lightning defenseman Paul Ranger was injured after a dirty hit by Atlanta tough guy Eric Boulton. Tortorella was incensed. "That guy should be playing the East Coast Hockey League and he takes out a National Hockey League player. He'll get suspended, but who cares? Nobody wants him on the ice anyway.''
The next day, Tortorella apologized, saying, "I don’t think a coach from another team should be criticizing another player.''

The disease of the mores
Few things infuriated Tortorella more than players he felt were disloyal. That was how he viewed who left for free agency after the Stanley Cup victory, players such as Nikolai Khabibulin and Jassen Cullimore. Here's what he said after Cullimore left:

"We won the Stanley Cup as a team.  …But when it comes to negotiating in the summer, all the garbage coming out of the agents' mouths and the players' mouths make it seem like they were the most important part of the Stanley Cup.  …(It's) the disease of the mores. I want more. When is it a little giveback to the organization and their teammates? I know we don't live in a perfect world. It's not just Jassen, but the whole scenario of the people coming to (GM Jay Feaster). What they're throwing at him is a joke.''

Final thought
Ultimately, Tortorella will and should be remembered for one thing. Yes, we will think of "shut your yap'' and all the times he bashed the goalies or used his catchphrases such as, "We’re just going about our business'' and, "this, that and the other thing'' or the ever-favorite, "None of your business.'' But this is what fans should think of first: he coached a team that won Tampa Bay the Stanley Cup. Just after the Lightning won the Cup, Tortorella was named the league's coach of the year, and he summed it all up in one short sentiment: "The reason we had success is we believe it's about a team. You give them an opportunity to go down the right road. If they veer off you've got to bring them back.''

Who will be the Lightning's next coach?

Who will coach the Lightning next season? Will it be John Tortorella or ESPN analyst Barry Melrose? The smart money is on Melrose. Yet it appears to be an either-or proposition. Why is that? If soon-to-be-Lightning owner Oren Koules is bent on making a change — and I'm not so sure that a change is in order — these are five others he should at least consider for a minute or two before deciding that his new favorite hairstyle is the mullet. I'm not saying any one of these guys should get the job, but don't you at least consider them?
1. Ron Wilson
The former Ducks, Caps and Sharks coach has a lifetime record of 518-446-127. Those 518 wins are eighth in NHL history. During the past three seasons, his Sharks went 187-97-38, but then again, they failed to get past the second round of the playoffs. Still, eighth most victories of all time?
2. Scotty Bowman
Hey, why not? He's the greatest coach in NHL history. Maybe the greatest coach in any sport ever. And, here's the kicker: He lives in Sarasota. You probably would have to give him a boatload of money and let him be in charge of the whole shebang, but, say it again, the greatest hockey coach of all time!
3. Pat Burns
Another local. He has a place on the other side of the Skyway. He has overcome cancer and appears a little more mellow these days. Was coach of the year with three teams and is a proven winner. And he's hungry.
4. Andre Savard
There's always some hot assistant coach floating around, and Savard, an assistant with the Penguins, is the hot name these days. He has been a head coach (back with Quebec in 1987-88) and is very well-liked by the players he coaches. Rumor is he could be the Panthers’ next head coach.
5. Paul Maurice
Fired after two seasons in Toronto, but he did take the Carolina Hurricanes to the finals in 2002. A young guy (he's only 40) who relates well to players.

HBO's summer sports film festival

No one makes better sports documentaries than the folks over at HBO. Starting Tuesday, June 3 and running each Tuesday throughout the summer, HBO will show its best sports documentaries at 7 p.m. Here is the summer schedule.

June 3: Barbaro. The story of the thoroughbred who captured America's imagination in 2006.

June 10: Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team. The inspiring story of the women who became legends: Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly and the rest of the 1999 World Cup team.

June 17: Do You Believe in Miracles? The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team. My favorite of the HBO documentaries looks at, perhaps, the greatest moment in sports history.

June 24: Joe Louis: America's Hero ... Betrayed. (Note: the story of one of the all-time boxing greats will air at 6:15 p.m.)

July 1: Hitler's Pawn. Tells the remarkable story of Margaret Lambert, a Jewish athlete training to compete for the German Olympic team in the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin.

July 8: Fists of Freedom: The Story of the '68 Summer Games. Looking at the controversial 1968 Mexico City Olympics when U.S. track medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos staged their famous protest.

July 15: Mantle. A biography of the great Yankees centerfielder on the same day as the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

July 22: The UCLA Dynasty. Tracing the incredible success of the UCLA men's basketball team under John Wooden which captured 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975.

July 29: A City on Fire: The Story of the '68 Detroit Tigers. Revisiting a baseball team and a season that hepled heal a shattered city during one of the most explosing eras in American history.

Aug. 5: Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry. Looking back at college football's best rivalry.