The "Hot Rod" visits the Mohawk Valley

Once again I've been negligent in my blog.  It's been five months since my post-Super Bowl entry and since then nothing.  But here I am again, just hours after one of the greatest interview experiences in my life, when I had the honor of talking to professional wrestling legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper!

The "Hot Rod" was at the Field of Dreams Complex in Schuyler to be a part of 2CW's "Bagpipes & Boilermakers" event.  He was joined by his son, Colt Toombs, an up and coming MMA fighter and pro wrestler himself.  Colt was supposed to take on 2CW's "Juggernaut" Jason Axe, but was unable to compete due to an injury suffered the previous night at an event in Watertown.  (Too bad, because I was curious to see how good Colt was.  Apparently he's half of a championship tag team in the northwest.)  Instead another of 2CW's rising stars substituted as "Piper's son," Colin Delaney, who ended up winning.  The "Hot Rod" even donned a ref's jersey when the assigned striped shirt was knocked out.

It was great to hear the bagpipes in person once again and see the 2005 WWE Hall of Fame and 2007 Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame (in Amsterdam) inductee in action and on the mic!  I'm pretty sure the last time I saw Piper in person was at a WCW Monday Nitro event at TD Garden in Boston (then known as the Fleet Center) back in June of 1997, during the midst of the nWo and Monday Night Wars era.  I've never seen him this close though, and even at 59 years old, he can still thrill a crowd like no one else.  Especially this group of about 400 rabid fans at 2CW.

Before I get to the incredible thrill of speaking to the "Hot Rod," however, I've got to mention how impressed I was with 2CW.  From the top down they're exactly what you want from a small, regional promotion in pro wrestling.  Kevin Parker is the man behind the scenes running the show and also doubles as a ringside official named "Jack Trades."  (Aptly titled as he does a little bit of everything, but  mainly keeping everyone involved in the production, from the wrestlers to the ring crew, working together.)  When I originally heard that Piper would be coming to the Mohawk Valley, I contacted the promotion through their website and Kevin got back to me, saying I could have all the access I wanted, from interviewing the "Hot Rod" to shooting video of the event to promoting it on the air and our website earlier in the week.  Kevin is a local boy, though he usually works out of Syracuse as 2CW holds shows all over the state, from Rome to Binghamton to Oswego among others.  

Their wrestlers are mainly up and coming young talents who hope to one day make a big promotion such as WWE or TNA.  Most people don't think much of pro wrestling (like my own mother who always hated my interest in it as a kid) and consider it to be not much more than a bunch of neanderthals yelling and pretending to beat each other up.  My days of defending it died out a few years back, but in just one night, 2CW reminded me why I caught on back in my youth.  While most of the moves are staged and the outcomes of the matches predetermined, it's still an entertaining art form when those moves and outcomes are executed the right way.  (Ever launch yourself in the air directly onto someone else on the floor?  That doesn't tickle.)  The characters are pretty over the top, like "Bin Hamin," an anti-american character from Iran, similar to another legend of Piper's era, the Iron Shiek.

The most underrated wrestler on the card was Mike Mondo, who challenged Isys Ephex for the 2CW championship belt.  Mondo was in the WWE a few years back as a character named "Mikey," a member of a male cheerleader-like group known as the "Spirit Squad."  I knew as soon as I saw him that he had been in the big time, as he had a certain look that only the top guys have.  Although he didn't win the title, the 2CW fans showed their appreciation for his work after the match, giving him an ovation as he was helped to the back.  This is a common occurrence at shows with fans who understand how the business works.  There's a lot of politics involved and the most hard working and talented guys don't always win.  That's why "smart" fans will show their appreciation whenever someone like Mondo gives them a great show.

Although they don't often come this close to Utica, 2CW usually does a handful of shows at Kennedy Arena in Rome every year.  Plus, they'll be at the NY State Woodsmen's Field Days for a few shows August 16th & 17th in Boonville and their special guests will be "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Mickie James.  I can definitely see myself going back to cover a few of these shows in the future.  And yes, it has always been a dream of this broadcaster to be a part of a wrestling show as an announcer, referee or whatever.  In fact, during intermission, yours truly was almost as popular for the fans in attendance as the wrestlers!  I was hoping to get some video of the wrestlers who came out to sell their t-shirts and mingle with the fans, but instead I ended up taking a bunch of pictures with a handful of kids who were in awe of seeing the local sports guy.  (One little girl asked me to smile for her, then she and her brother posed with me, trying to emulate my smile!  Reminded me of my nephews, who are always copying all of my bits!)

But back to the reason I was there in the first place.  "Rowdy" Roddy Piper is one of the guys I grew up watching and idolizing.  He was always one of the most hilarious talkers in pro wrestling, from his mic work during interviews, as well as his "Piper's" Pit segments and even when he shared a broadcast booth with the likes of Vince McMahon, Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.  This was the guy I wanted to be, as he combined athleticism along with the best communication skills of anyone in the mid-1980s through the 90s as well.  

As he walked into the building the legend greeted me warmly, asking me where I'm from and if I've got family.  "Yes sir" I say. "Most of them live in Boston, where I'm from."  I think of my brother, who got me into wrestling in the first place, from the MTV bits to the "Hulk Hogan's Rock N' Wrestling" cartoon, in which Piper was the big bad villain.  He asks me if I've got kids.  "No sir, not yet."  I think of my parents and how much they've always hated wrestling.  They reluctantly bought me the "Wrestlemania VII" show on Pay Per View for hitting the proverbial home run at my Bar Mitzvah.  Kevin then tells him that I'm a big fan.  I blush a little and think about Double J, my best friend from college, who's a much bigger wrestling fan than I'll ever be.  (Thanks to him I wound up in the fourth row ringside at "Wrestlemania XV" in Philly.)  He sees that my camera and mic are set up and says "You're all ready to go!"  "Yes sir, Mr. Piper," I say, until I ask, "should I call you Mr. Piper or Roddy?"  "Call me Hot Rod!" he exclaims as son Colt joins him for some support and to chime with a few classic bits of his own.  While I didn't get to see him wrestle, Colt's certainly got enough of his dad's personality to make it big one day.

Piper's battles with Hulk Hogan are well documented, from the "War to Settle the Score" leading up to the first "Wrestlemania" show at MSG during the height of the "Rock N' Wrestling Connection" era, which helped launch MTV as a media entity.  But he also feuded with Hogan during the nWo/Monday Night Wars era I mentioned earlier, with the two switching roles.  In 1985 Hogan was the "good guy" and Piper was the villain.  But in 1996, Hogan was the evil leader of the nWo and Piper showed up to give "Hollywood," as Hogan called himself, a "Reality Check."  While Hogan and Piper have always maintained a professional respect for one another, there's always been a heated personal rivalry between the two that will likely never fade.  

Piper also has a well-known dislike for Mr. T., with whom Hogan teamed in that first "Wrestlemania" show.  T and Piper would square off a year later in the second "Wrestlemania" show, during which they had a boxing match, instead of a wrestling match.  The "Hot Rod" and the man who once played "Clubber Lang" in Rocky III had a real life hatred that still simmers somewhat today.  (Apparently they still trade hate mails.)

Along with the original "Wrestlemania" show, Piper's fondest memory in the business was at "Wrestlemania III," when he fought "Adorable" Adrian Adonis (a native of Buffalo) in what was Piper's first "retirement match."  While the "Hot Rod" won with help from Brutus Beefcake, who would help shave Adonis's hair (thus kickstarting Beefcake's "Barber" gimmick), Piper was planning to step away from the business to film the movie "They Live" and just enjoy life a little.  The reason the Adonis match stands out in Piper's memory is that the event drew over 90,000 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan, a crowd that set an indoor attendance record at the time.  I wish I would've had time to ask him about the crowd at the Hoosier Dome five years later, at "Wrestlemania VIII," which looked eerily similar to the one in Michigan.  In Indianapolis, Piper wrestled family friend Bret "Hitman" Hart for the company's "Intercontinental Title."  That match is considered my many, including myself, to be the best pure wrestling match of the "Hot Rod's" career.  

Like the Bret match, there are many other great moments in Piper's career I would've liked to talk about.  His ongoing friendship and rivalry with Ric Flair, who's in some big time trouble financially, for one.  I would've also asked him about another of my favorite guys I mentioned earlier, the late "Macho Man" Randy Savage.  It would've also been fun to talk about his infamous "dog collar" match against Greg "The Hammer" Valentine at the original "Starcade" show in 1983, before Piper's big run in the World Wrestling Federation.  

A lot of his life and career is covered in the WWE's DVD "Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story," like his most infamous "Piper's Pit" segments.  In my conversation with him, the "Hot Rod" referred to two of the most hilarious, when he humiliated lowly wrestler Frank Williams, as well as the time he broke a coconut over the head of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.  Piper also made a mention of painting himself half black for a match with "Bad News" Brown during "Wrestlemania VI" in Toronto and something about calling the late Andre the Giant.  On the DVD, Piper recounts the story of how Andre poured out the solution he needed to clean that paint off his body, so Piper had to cross the border painted half black.  

He's had a fantastic and colorful career in an industry that's often called "Sports Entertainment" and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper will forever be known as one of the greats to ever compete.  For a few brief moments, I had a chance to speak with this legend and while he abruptly ended it, it was clear he'd talked enough for the moment.   It was time to move on, for "Hot Rod," son Colt and yours truly as well.  But at the very least, this was a highlight of my broadcasting career.

Super Bowl Weekend and Pick

I really thought the Patriots would do it, but the mistake I made was comparing this year's team to last year's and forgetting that the only reason they were even in the Super Bowl last year was because the Ravens blew two big plays that cost them the AFC Championship.  That's why I picked the Ravens to win it all before the season began.  Anyone remember that I had the Ravens over the Packers?  (crickets chirping)  Yeah, I didn't think so.  Maybe that gives me a clean slate as to whom I should pick to win Super Bowl XLVII between Baltimore and San Francisco, eh?

I was actually happy for the Ravens, making it back to the big game after beating my Patriots.  That is until the Patriot haters, especially Ravens LB Terrell Suggs, decided to treat the Pats like the Yankees.  I understand that people are still angry about Spygate, but seriously, and Marshall Faulk I'm talking to you, Belichick and the Pats paid their penalties for Spygate already.  It was your esteemed Commissioner, Roger Goodell, who levied the largest fines in league history onto New England for it.  But NFL teams, specifically the Saints, didn't learn their lesson from Spygate, and are continuing to break rules and are cheating to win.  That's why the Saints fines were higher than the Patriots.  Because the Pats came first.  Even so, I'll never truly believe the Pats, and my people, the Patriot fan base, will ever be as arrogant as Yankee fans.  We don't have the history of being good for as long, quite frankly. When I was growing up, the Patriots were one of the laughing stocks of the league.  Before Kraft and Parcells there was Rod Rust and Tommy Hodson, Hugh Millen, Mosi Tatupu, Tony Eason and the team that got trounced by the Bears 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.  Even the great Syracuse coach Dick MacPherson oversaw two pretty laughable seasons at the helm in New England.  I'm sorry, but this idea that Belichick, Brady and the rest of the Pats are arrogant and terrible and the worst human beings ever is just ridiculous.  They got beat fair and square and I give credit to Baltimore for getting the job done, no cheap penalties, no reason for New England fans to cry foul.  Give it a rest already people.  I am.  No more talk of the Patriots in this entry.

Super Bowl Weekend is very interesting this year.  In addition to the big game, locally we've got two big ECAC West hockey games between the top two teams in the conference, UC and Hobart, both at the Aud.  The Pioneers beat the Statesman at their place two weeks ago, so you can bet Hobart will be out for revenge.  The first game is Friday night at 7 and the second is Super Bowl Sunday at 3.  Yep, it's right before the big game and will end just before the pre-game ceremonies commence.  Friday night at 7, there's also a huge high school game at Kennedy Arena in Rome.  RFA, undefeated in league play, hosts C-NS, whose only league loss so far this year was an early season setback at home to the Black Knights.  The game should decide the #1 seed in Division I East, unless something strange happens.

In the NHL, the only game we'll see locally Friday night is Blues-Red Wings on NHL Network.  On Saturday they've got two games, Devils-Penguins at 1, then Bruins-Leafs at 7.  (That Jersey game will also be on MSG+)  CBC's got Sabres-Canadiens at 2, then MSG has Rangers-Lightning at 7.  Super Sunday has a number of games that might split the hockey crowd, especially with UC playing at the Aud.  On NBC, thus on NEWSChannel 2, Penguins-Caps is at 12:30, then Senators-Canadiens at 2 on CBC, Devils-Islanders at 3 on supposedly both MSG and MSG+, though I'm guessing one of them will have Panthers-Sabres here in CNY.

College Basketball is also all over Super Bowl Weekend as well, with Syracuse visiting Pittsburgh at noon on Saturday, as well as another Big East game at 2, Notre Dame-DePaul.  Plus Oklahoma State-Kansas at 4 in the Big 12, Ole Miss-Florida at 7 in the SEC, and a battle of two top 3 teams as Michigan visits Indiana at 9 in the Big 10.  On Super Sunday there's three more Big East games, with Providence-Villanova at noon, then Marquette-Louisville and USF-UConn, both at 2.  There are plenty of other games all over the place as well that I haven't mentioned that are just too numerous to go through.

The NBA also has some interesting games, with Bulls-Nets, Bucks-Knicks, Heat-Pacers and Lakers-Wolves on Friday.  Saturday there's Kings-Knicks and Hornets-Wolves.  For some reason there's no Sunday games on ABC, which I think is a bad call.  But Clippers-Celtics is on NBATV at 1, though I don't like Boston's chances now that Rajon Rondo is out for the rest of the year with a torn ACL.  Ah yes, the Rondo injury.  Just the latest setback to Boston Sports, who rode an incredible run of success that will likely never happen again.  All four pro teams won at least one title between Super Bowl XXXVI in early 2002 until the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.  Plus Boston College and Boston University collected a few NCAA Division I Hockey championships as well, but the downturn had to start eventually.

As for the big game, I've been going back and forth as to whom I think will win as well as who I'll be rooting for and it's not the same for me.  I could really care less who wins, but I actually wouldn't mind seeing San Fran win their sixth title.  More than Baltimore getting number two anyway.  Too bad I have to stay with the Ravens, since I picked them at the beginning of the season.  MIKE'S PICK: RAVENS 22, 49ERS 20

By the way, Ray Lewis, I do not believe you.  I think you used that deer antler spray with the banned PED, which is why you were able to come back from a supposed season ending injury so fast.  That's just my opinion and I'm entitled to it.  Same for you A-Rod.  Why exactly did the Yankees give him a ten year contract in 2007?  No matter how good any athlete is, ten years is way too long of a deal and every team that signs a player to one has regretted it in the end.  Yep, that's how I'm ending this entry.  Boo you PED players!!!

Why the Patriots will win the Super Bowl (I think)

Yes I am a Patriots fan and obviously will be rooting for them this week when they host Baltimore in the AFC Championship for the second straight year.  But Bill Belichick's team really didn't deserve to win last year and got lucky at the end of the 2012 AFC Championship.  This year I am confident in my Pats, that not only will they find a way to beat a Baltimore team that's pretty darn good and oh by the way, the team I picked to win the Super Bowl before the season began, but also take home the Lombardi trophy two weeks later.

I obviously wouldn't be shocked if the Ravens pulled it out and got to the Super Bowl one more time for the retiring Ray Lewis.  Joe Flacco was simply incredible in getting Baltimore back in the game late Saturday in the Divisional Round and that 70 yarder was fantastic!  He played better than Tom Brady in last year's AFC Championship as well, but he and the Ravens still didn't win the game.

Sorry, it's tangent time.  Jim Boeheim is on Sportscenter this morning.  At first I was going to rant on why he's talking to them when he barely speaks to the Syracuse media, but actually he's giving the same responses to Hannah Storm that he gives to all of us.  We'll see if she mentions James Southerland, who was deemed ineligible by the school prior to this past Saturday's game against Vanilla-Nova.  Wow, BOEHEIM mentioned Southerland!!  Apparently there's a chance he'll be back this season and Boeheim says he's been working really hard.  Sorry, I just rolled my eyes, not because I don't believe how hard Southerland works, just that if he's worked so hard, how did he become ineligible?  The Orange are going to Louisville on Saturday and the Cardinals should be the #1 ranked team, since they were #3 last week, and both #1 Duke and #2 Michigan lost.  JB says there's 10-15 teams that have a chance to win it all this year and 5-6 more that are good enough to make the Final Four.

Anyway, back to the Patriots.  Their defense has been their big issue the last few years, pretty much since they lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.  But that unit has improved a lot in the past year and they have some big play potential, as shown against Houston when Rob Ninkovich made that Tecmo Super Bowl-style leaping interception.  But even more important is how good their running game has become, with Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen stepping up.  Well, Woodhead got hurt yesterday, so Vereen broke out with three total touchdowns and picked up over 120 total yards.  Ridley was one of the mainstays for my 12-2 fantasy team this year, the Rick Rollers!  Hmmm, that gives me an idea: Check it this out if you have a chance!  It's the perfect mix of the RR, Family Guy and Back to the Future!

New England did lose uber-Tight End Rob Gronkowski to another injury against the Texans, but they've still got Aaron Hernandez, another of my fantasy guys.  (Though after a great regular season, I lost to Jill Reale in the playoff semis!  Had to settle for third place, d'oh!)  Tommy Terrific has plenty of weapons with which to choose, so that shouldn't be a problem.  I expect a close game against Baltimore, though, as the Pats defense would have to make some pretty big plays to go up as big as they did against Houston.

If they do take care of business in another AFC Championship game, the Pats would get the winner of San Fransisco and Atlanta, who face off in the NFC Championship game.  I'd love to see the Falcons personally, with former Boston College QB Matt Ryan and future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez.  But I also think they're a better matchup for the New England than the 49ers, who have a very tough defense, to go along with quite the prolific offense, with Colin Kaepernick officially arriving on the playoff scene.  (Did you see what he did to Green Bay?  He set a new QB playoff record with 181 rushing yards, and also passed for 263 more, scoring four total touchdowns!)  Even so, a matchup between the Patriots and 49ers could be very intriguing as well, with both Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh guaranteed to throw some interesting plays in there, just to throw the other one off.  But I would give the advantage to Belichick, who's been there plenty of times before.

So yes, I'm a biased Patriots fan, but I'm just feeling it.  New England is going to win the Super Bowl to solidify the Hall of Fame careers of Brady and Belichick... At least that's what I think is going to happen.  Besides, the Patriots currently have the longest title drought of any of Boston's pro sports teams.  If they win again, then the world will make sense again... because then the Red Sox will be the ones with the longest Boston drought.

HOF Fallout

I'm not surprised that no one got the necessary 75 percent needed from the writers to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I was hoping to see at least Jack Morris get in, but that didn't happen.  Instead we have no one going to Cooperstown from the writers ballot for the first time since 1996.  What's worse, with the new format of the veterans ballot, the three inductees for the class of 2013 all died about 70 years ago.

The real losers in this situation are the good folks of Cooperstown, who depend on all the tourists who come in for Induction Weekend.  With a class of Jacob Ruppert, Hank O'Day and Deacon White, you can't expect too many people to make the trek from all over the country this year.  The Hall is planning something extra, like honoring guys such as Lou Gehring and Rogers Hornsby, who didn't have an induction during wartime, but I doubt it will bring in too many fans.  What they need is a big turnout by the returning Hall of Famers, who should make themselves available to the public as much as possible.

Most members of the media have been blaming the writers for not electing anyone this year.  Why?  Because they didn't elect guys who used performance enhancing drugs to become great?  Yep.  What does that say about you, that you actually want cheaters in the Baseball Hall of Fame?  It's deplorable and anyone that says someone like Sammy Sosa deserves to be in Cooperstown is just not getting it.  I also hope Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro never get anywhere near the Hall and based on the low vote totals for all three, I think that's a safe bet.

Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, however, both received about 36%, and depending on how much added support they get in subsequent years, they may both get in someday.  In fact, as I said in my last blog entry, even without the PEDs, they would've had HOF numbers.  But it's the way both disgraced the game that will take them a long time, if ever, to get elected.

Here's my question.  Why now, are people saying we should ignore the honesty and integrity clause as stated to me last week by Hall President Jeff Idelson and just let the cheaters in?  While I agree that figuring out everyone who was a user is way too difficult, at least we know Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, McGwire and Palmeiro did.  So if we're not allowing Pete Rose and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, two of the greatest ever who made mistakes that (at least in the case of Rose, who knows about Shoeless Joe) have shown remorse for what they did, why should we let in these guys who won't even admit their guilt?  (I guess McGwire did admit it, but his non-PED numbers don't impress me enough to say he's a Hall of Famer.)

I guess it just shows where we are as a society, cheat to win, eh?  I say no to them all, and even though I said in my last blog I said I would vote for Mike Piazza, not anymore.  The reason is sad, though, because Jose Canseco implicated him.  I hate Canseco, but how sad is it that he's the one telling the most truth about the Steroid Era in baseball, which by the way, is still going on, folks.  We may never truly get by it, as long as players are continuing to find ways to cheat the system.  But at least the players union has officially agreed to in season HGH testing and that's a great step to moving on.  I hope I'm wrong about Piazza, though it doesn't really matter what I think.  Besides, his 57.8% on this year's ballot will likely go up in the next few years and my guess is he'll get it eventually.

Here's something else to remember about the Baseball Writers:  they rarely ever elect anyone in their first year eligible, unless they're a very special player.  Craig Biggio may have been a 3,000 hit guy, but I think his 68.2% this year had more to do with it being his first year on the ballot, as opposed to accusations of PED use.  Biggio made a statement saying he thought the voters were lumping him in with the steroid guys, but I don't think that's the case.  I'm sure there are some who do have doubts about Biggio, mainly because he shared a locker room with admitted user Ken Caminiti, but I'm pretty sure next year he'll get at least 75%.

Another likely inductee in the future is Curt Schilling, whose 38.8% was better than Clemens or Bonds!  It usually takes pitchers longer to get into Cooperstown anyway, but my money's on Schill to get in eventually.  (I wouldn't be surprised to see former Red Sox aces Schilling and Pedro Martinez go in the same year.)  Jeff Bagwell's 59.6% in his third year may get him in eventually as well.  Like Biggio, Bagwell is often associated with Caminiti, which has hurt his chances as well.

My biggest problem with this year's vote is the non-PED guys who were slighted, namely Morris, Lee Smith and even Fred McGriff, who got less votes than Bonds and Clemens.  He'll never make it in, even though I think his numbers, which are completely clean, should be good enough.  I'm not a big fan of Tim Raines being a Hall of Famer, but with 52.2% in just his sixth year on the ballot, he'll probably make it in eventually.  Originally I felt that if Morris didn't make it in this year, he'd have no chance next year.  But then again, based on how this year's vote went, the only first ballot guy that's a definite I would say is Greg Maddux.  There's a chance Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine and even Mike Mussina and Jeff Kent, could all get in, but based on voting history, I would not be surprised if all four were held back.

Besides, if Biggio and even Morris get enough for election next year, along with Maddux, that's a pretty good class of 2014 and that's without even considering the veterans ballot.  In 2014 the Expansion Era committee will be back and four of the great managers of the era will be up for the first time: Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa and Lou Pinella.  So the fact is the Class of 2014 will be the one that will be the big one some expected this year.  I guess it's just too bad that big manager crop for the vets committee wasn't this year, because that would've been a lot better.

But once again, I feel for the people of Cooperstown.  It's going to be rough getting people to show up to honor three very old school inductees.  It's too bad they didn't reinstate Shoeless Joe this year and have him be elected by the vets committee.  Can you imagine Jackson's family flanked by Ray Liotta, Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones in an homage to "Field of Dreams?"  That would've been the perfect draw this summer.

The Most Controversial HOF Ballot in History

There's no question in my mind that the best part about covering sports at WKTV is that Cooperstown is in our market.  There's no place closer and the folks in town watch us more than any other news station.  Cooperstown, I've said many times, is my "happiest place on earth," (Between April and October anyway) because it's known, whether true or not, as the "Birthplace of Baseball."  I've covered every type of HOF related event in the Coop and I always feel blessed when I get to talk with President Jeff Idelson and the many baseball legends, whether they're enshrined in the Hall's Gallery or not.

In just a few days, the Hall will announce the results of the most controversial writers ballot in history.  Some of the top guys in the modern era of baseball are eligible for the first time, but many of them are considered cheaters, for their alleged use of performance enhancing drugs.  Some have the bad luck of being on this ballot.  Guilt by association may hurt two that should be easy first ballot Hall of Famers.  There's also a few holdovers from last year's ballot that have pretty good chances to make it as well.  So I decided, like many sports fans like to do, to figure out whom I would vote for, if I had the chance.

First and foremost, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa.  All three obviously have the stats to be first ballot Hall of Famers, but because of PED allegations none will get in this year.  Sosa I don't think will ever get in, because his numbers are pretty much all linked to cheating, whether through PEDs or even corked bats (he was caught with at least one during his career).  Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro, who have each been on the ballot a few years, are in the same boat.  Bonds and Clemens, however, both had monster numbers before either touched anything extra.  I honestly feel that both deserve to get in.  But I wouldn't vote for either this year, because of what Mr. Idelson told me when I interviewed him this week, reminding me about Rule 5 in the voting guidelines: "Voting shall be based on player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."  Yes both Bonds and Clemens deserve to get in, but it wouldn't be on my vote this year.  (Probably not next year either, when Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas will be first timers, or the year after that, when Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz are first timers.)

I feel differently about Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio, however.  I feel bad, because each are the best at their position of this era, but each are also quietly suspected of using, though no one's ever officially accused them.  Piazza has the best offensive numbers of any catcher, EVER.  427 HRs, 396 as a catcher, including nine seasons of hitting at least 30.  His career batting average was .308 and he drove in 1,335 RBI, six times hitting over 100 in a season, with the second longest streak in MLB history, 15 straight games with at least one RBI, in 2000.  Only nine others hit 400 HR, hit over .300 for their careers and didn't strike out more than 100 times in a season.  Among those names are Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.  Piazza was also a 12 time All-Star, the MVP of the game in 1996 and the NL Rookie of the Year in 1993.  Biggio had over 3,000 hits, 668 of which were doubles, putting him fifth all-time in that department.  He drove in 1,175 runs, scoring 1,844 and his 146 in 1997 were the most since 1932.  He's also the "King of the HBP," having been hit 287 times, the most in the modern era, second all-time.  A seven time All-Star, Biggio also won four gold gloves at second base.

The problem is Piazza and Biggio both seem too good to be true, even if both are 100% clean.  Biggio was close in the Houston clubhouse with admitted user Ken Caminiti, as well as Jeff Bagwell, who has been rumored to have been too close with Caminiti as well.  Bagwell is another story, as it's his third year on the ballot and solely by the numbers, he should be in Cooperstown as well.  But his numbers (449 HR, 1,529 RBI, 1,401 BB, .297 career AVG) just feel dirty to me.  Bagwell I wouldn't vote for this year.  But Piazza and Biggio I would.  MIKE'S VOTE: MIKE PIAZZA AND CRAIG BIGGIO

Curt Schilling.  Yikes.  Where do I begin?  I don't think it would be possible for me to impartial when it comes to this guy.  Whether or not the bloody sock in 2004 was a fake, Schil was one of the guys that delivered a championship to the Red Sox and I can never thank him enough for that.  He was also on the title team in 2007, though far less effective then.  In fact, his Hall of Fame credentials are really more from his NL days, with the Phillies and Diamondbacks.  When and if Schilling does make it someday, it will ignite some fantastic hat debates.  (Which of the three should he go in as?  Hey, you'll hear it this year between the Mets and Dodgers if Piazza gets in as well.)  As for Schilling's numbers: 216 wins, 3.46 ERA, 1.137 WHIP, 3,116 strikeouts (15th all-time), 20 shutouts, an 11-2 postseason record with a 2.23 ERA in those games.  He also had a fantastic 4.38-to-1 strikeouts to walks ratio in the regular season.  His three world series titles, two with Boston and one with Arizona in which he was co-MVP, speak for themselves and he was also in a fourth with Philadelphia.  But believe it or not, I also invoke Rule 5 with Schilling, at least for this season.  He's actually lacking in integrity in my eyes, whether it be "shilling" (pardon the pun) for GW Bush the day after winning the title in 2004 or his truly awful management of his video game company, in which he laid everyone off.  If I'm going to punish Bonds and Clemens, I'm just going to have to do it to Schilling as well.  Ouch, that hurts.

Jack Morris is a very interesting case.  It's his 14th year on the ballot and thanks to the strong pitchers on it for the first time next year, if he doesn't make it here, he's done.  Morris earned 66.7% of the needed 75% last year, which means he should get enough this year.  Does he deserve it?  254 wins, with at least 20 three times, 2,478 strikeouts, 28 shutouts, a 1.296 WHIP, a no-hitter in 1984 and five All-Star selections.  But Morris, like Schilling, was a big game pitcher in the postseason, where he technically won four championships, though he was really on great in 1984 for Detroit and in 1991 for Minnesota.  (He was part of the rotation for Toronto in 1992, but wasn't that good, then didn't even make the postseason roster in 1993.)  His ten shutout innings for the Twins in Game 7 of the 1991 Fall Classic is one of the great pitching performances ever.  It's for that reason I would vote for him.  Yes Schilling has better numbers, but he'll have his chance again down the road.  This is it for Morris and I'd like to see him get in.  MIKE'S VOTE: JACK MORRIS

Lee Smith is another toughie, as Dennis Eckersley was really the best reliever of that era, but had to convert from being a starter.  Smith was consistently the best reliever, pretty much all through the 80s, though he didn't break 40 saves until late in his career, 1991.  I never understood why the Red Sox got him in 1988, then swept him out by 1990.  He was a lot more reliable than his replacement, Jeff Reardon, but for whatever reason, he went to St. Louis, where he revitalized his career.  His 478 saves over 18 seasons were the most until Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera surpassed him and he finished 802 games, an MLB record.  His career ERA was 3.03, WHIP 1.256 and he struck out 1,251 batters.  He was a seven time All-Star and holds the saves records for both the Cubs and Cardinals, two bitter rivals.  You can debate whether relievers belong in the HOF if you want, but I say this is one guy who surpasses them all and if I could, I'd give him the thumbs up.  MIKE'S VOTE: LEE SMITH

There's no question that Tim Raines has great credentials as well.  A .294 career batting average and the NL champ in 1986, 2,605 hits, 1,330 walks, 1,571 runs scored (leading the league in both 1983 and 1987) as well as 430 doubles.  But it's stolen bases that are where Raines excelled, with 808 in his career, leading the NL every year between 1981 and 1984.  But that number only put him fifth on the all-time list.  Raines was a seven time All-Star and three time World Series champion, but only two of those titles came as a player, and it was when he was really more a reserve with the Yankees in 1996 and 1998.  I've never really thought Raines was quite good enough for the Hall and if I had a vote, I wouldn't give it to him.  The same goes for Julio Franco and Kenny Lofton, who both appear on the ballot for the first time.  Neither had as many hits, runs, or stolen bases as Raines, so they're both a no on my list.

Some people might make a case for David Wells, with 239 wins, 2,201 strikeouts, a 1.266 WHIP, two World Series titles and a perfect game in 1998.  But his 4.13 ERA and my general dislike for "Boomer" could never result in a yes vote for him, especially over Morris and Schilling.

Dale Murphy has no chance, though his kids have been campaigning hard, given that it's his last year of eligibility.  But even given how great a guy everyone says he is, his numbers just aren't good enough.  398 HR, with six seasons of at least 30, 1,266 RBI, five of at least 100, 1,197 runs scored and just a .265 career batting average.  He was an All-Star seven times and won five gold gloves.  It amazes me that he won the NL MVP twice, but I guess it's because offensive numbers were pretty low in 1982 and 1983.  I compare Murphy to my favorite player all-time, former Red Sox Dwight Evans, who was dropped from the ballot after just three years, in 1999.  "Dewey" hit 385 HR, 1,384 RBI, 1,470 runs scored, 483 doubles and also walked 1,470 times, nearly 500 times more than Murphy.  He only made three All-Star appearances, but won eight gold gloves.  There's no way Murphy is a Hall of Famer if Dewey isn't.

Now Fred McGriff on the other hand, is a different story.  I've never been a huge fan of "The Crime Dog," but always had a lot of respect for him and certainly never thought of him as a PED guy.  His numbers always seemed not impressive enough to warrant speculation, either a cheater or a Hall of Famer.  But as I broke down his credentials, I saw that okay, his 493 HR were seven shy of 500, but he hit at least 30 in ten different seasons.  He hit 1,550 RBI, with at least 100 in eight different seasons.  He walked 1,305 times, scored 1,349 runs, hit 441 doubles and was a career .284 hitter.  He was an All-Star five times, winning the MVP of the game in 1994, right before the strike by the way, and won a World Series title with Atlanta in 1995.  I like those numbers, though he's never going to make it this year after getting just 23.9% last year.  That's less than Alan Trammell and Edgar Martinez who are far less impressive and not even worthy of researching in my opinion.  McGriff, however, is and I would give him a yes.  (Though like Piazza and Schilling, his hat discussion would be crazy!  Five years with Toronto, Four and a half with both Atlanta and Tampa, plus a few years with San Diego, the Cubs and the Dodgers mixed in.  Oy!)  MIKE'S VOTE: FRED MCGRIFF

So looking back, I would've voted for five guys this year: Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, Jack Morris, Lee Smith and Fred McGriff.  Curt Schilling might make my "ballot" in the future, and who knows, maybe Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will as well, but not this time.  In any case, it will be fascinating to see how the real voters see all these guys.  We'll find out Wednesday at 2 p.m. live on MLB Network!

Bills need some Lovie

After parting ways with head coach Chan Gailey and his entire staff, including former Super Bowl winning Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt, Monday, the Bills are now looking for a new leader. I certainly don't know everything about the NFL and what it takes to build a winner, but I'd quite frankly love to see Da Bills go after Lovie Smith, who was dismissed by Da Bears Monday as well.  His record isn't exactly impressive, at 84-66 including playoffs, in his nine seasons in Chicago, but he was a defensive coach before taking the top job in the Windy City.  That's perfect for a Bills team that has a lot of defensive talent, but still has some big holes to fill.

Smith, by the way, has been to a pair of Super Bowls, one with Chicago, in which he lost to Peyton Manning and the Colts.  The second was as a Defensive Coordinator with the Rams, when they lost to Tom Brady and the Patriots in my favorite Super Bowl, number XXXVI.  (I wonder why it's my favorite?)  He's rumored to be considering the job in snowy, cold Buffalo, though he's also reportedly interested in Arizona as well, which if Smith goes by warmer climate, is obviously a no-brainer.  But hopefully that won't be the determining factor.

Smith is likely the leading candidate for any of the other six head coaching vacancies.  Seven teams, including Buffalo, Arizona and Chicago, fired their coaches on 'Black Monday,' with the others being the Chiefs, Browns, Eagles and Chargers.  The Eagles finally divorced themselves from Andy Reid, after 14 seasons and a grand total of ZERO Super Bowl titles, though he did lose one to the Pats.  But then again, I feel bad for Reid, after his son's death back in August.  Norv Turner in San Diego,  however, I don't feel bad for at all.  His six years with the Chargers were actually better than either of his previous head coaching stints, with the Redskins and Raiders, finishing 55-40, but just 24-24 and ZERO playoff appearances over the last three years.  Turner's actually a decent Offensive Coordinator, just not a good head coach.

Neither should be in the Bills immediate plans as Lovie, Ken Whisenhunt, the now former head coach of the Cardinals, as well as current Arizona Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton are the top candidates so far.  Apparently Buffalo will also talk with Broncos Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy as well as the one and only Doug Marrone, head coach of the Syracuse Orange!!  It would be fantastic, as someone who covers SU on a regular basis, to see Marrone make that jump, though if it's a choice between Smith and Marrone, I'd go with Lovie, since he's got the NFL head coaching experience.

In any case, Russ Brandon is the team's new President and CEO and will oversee GM Buddy Nix, who for now is still employed in Buffalo.  Hopefully the two will get together and find the right person for the job!