Top 12 Sports moments that were crucial to me in 2013

The Top 12 Sports Moments of 2013 that were crucial to me. Let's face facts that there were tons of great moments all over sports in 2013, but this list is just selfish. The top 12 things in sports (or the seedy underbelly of kinda-sports) that made my year. Maybe they made it bad, maybe they made it good...but at least they made it.

12. A abrupt halt of the Anderson Silva express

I have never been a fan of Anderson Silva's. I had no expectation however that he was going to get beat, ever. That all changed when Chris Weidman shocked the world by punching right into Anderson's playtime hour in July. When you see arguably the greatest ever look human, it is shocking. When you see what happened to end the year, it is heart wrenching. I have never been a fan of Anderson Silva, but when he snapped his leg at UFC 168 in the Weidman rematch, it was hard to stomach. Not just the gruesome nature of the injury, but to see this great quite possible end his career that way, not of his own accord. The Silva express sputtered out in 2013. I was happy to see him lose a fight, I was sad to see him quite possibly lose it all

11. Big Papi says 'F' the FCC

In the wake of the Boston Marathon devastation, the city of Boston needed a voice, someone to wake them up. That was David Ortiz. In the pregame speech before the Red Sox first post-attack game, Papi declared “this is our fucking city” and with it, a new meaning to 'Boston Strong' was born and the unity of the city would carry the team forward for the rest of 2013.

10. Super Bowl Power Outage

Who forgot to pay the electric bill? That was what we all thought when the Super Bowl shutdown while the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers started the calendar year with an epic clash. It was a great game, which helped, but the oddness of banks and banks of lights going off without reason made this a night to remember. Conspiracy theories lit up and people ran their mouths about the NFL trying to help the Niners. Whatever it was, whoever's fault it was, it was fun as a spectator and made the game that much more memorable.

9. Battier cashes in...again

Because of there are “big three” groups, why not use it to your advantage. As an anti-Lebron James kind of guy, I try to take good things out of Miami Heat titles. I like Dwayne Wade and Mario Chalmers, even Chris Anderson...but the best thing is that Duke's Shane Battier gets rings too. He is the first Duke player to ever win multiple NBA Titles and has cashed in on the Heat big three's decision to play together. Even better, Battier has been a catalyst in those NBA Finals appearances, including this year going 6-for-8 from three point range in the decisive game 7. You are welcome Miami.

8. Mention on the Tommy Toe Hold show

One thing I have certainly become a fan of in 2013 is the Tommy Toe Hold show, a (sometimes) weekly MMA based cartoon comedy. In July, for the 50th edition of “Tommy's Sack,” Tommy let the fans decide what would be on the show. I jumped on the chance and what came out was Vitor Belfort on an octopus and Michael Bisping on raptor....jousting. Yes, jousting. As Tommy said, “Dan Vance trumped all.” and “...yep, that just happened.”

7. Bringing back In All Directions

I started In All Directions in March of 2008 with a blog about Brett Favre. Nobody read it. Literally, nobody. I looked yesterday, it has zero reads. After getting away from it for a long stretch, I decided to bring it back this year mostly so I could ramble some about sports. And while some articles have done better than others (471 reads of my top 5 songs to pump you up), it is nice that people actually take the time to read my half random, half consistent blog. It has been great to have it back.

6. The Return of Da Spyder

In the great landscape of mixed martial arts, Kendall Grove may not be as relevant as I would like him to be. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 3 had an up and down UFC career, then an up and down independent promotion career before signing with Bellator. For me as a MMA fan, nothing is better than watching Michael Bisping, Kendall Grove or War Machine fight. So when Kendall signed with Bellator, I was hyped. When Kendall appeared on my television screen on Spike TV once more and declared “guess who's back motherfuckers,” I was hooked again. He delivered that night, taking out Joe Vedepo and leaving me hoping that Da Spyder has one last strong run in him, perhaps toward a Bellator Middleweight title or a UFC return some day.

5. Rajon Rondo tears ACL

We all knew the end of an era was looming in Boston. Ray Allen bolted for Miami because he's a douche and then Doc Rivers was clearly headed out. The only hope Celtics fans held onto was that maybe, just maybe we could have one last run at a title before the ship sank. That all ended when Rajon Rondo tore his ACL and the top youthful talent and by far the best point guard in the organization went out with an injury he has yet to return from. This was a memorable moment but for all of the wrong reasons and it pointed to the end of Boston's return to contender glory.

4. UFC turns 20

I remember being in middle school and watching VHS tapes of UFC in my friend Alex Schultz' basement. That was my introduction to the UFC: Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn. This year, they celebrated a milestone by turning 20. It was cool to watch all of the videos and documentary style stuff reliving those year as I vaguely remember the early years and have been a big fan ever since The Ultimate Fighter (the original) lured me in. The celebration finished with another arguably greatest fighter of all time, Georges St. Pierre, retaining his welterweight title in what may very well be his last fight in the Octagon.

3. Boston trades Pierce and Garnett

When Rondo went down, the pieces started to fall. But on Draft night, I felt sick to my stomach as the NBA experts discussed a trade talk that would send Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. Forget that we would be getting back crap like Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries (who recently almost shot at his own basket like this is rec. league) and also giving up Jason Terry....the thought of seeing either Garnett, or especially Pierce, in any other jersey, was sickening. The trade killed not only the Boston contender era, it was one of those times when you have to ask if anything is sacred anymore. Paul Pierce was the Boston Celtics. For his entire career, he was the centerpiece. It would be like Larry Bird not wearing Boston green. It was like those times that Karl Malone played for the Lakers or Patrick Ewing was a Seattle Supersonic. And it was sickening.

2. Duke signs Okafor and Jones

Duke should win one or two of the next three national titles. I know this to be fact. Will they? Who knows. Should they? Clearly. The signing of Jahlil Okafor (he just dropped 40 in a game) and Tyus Jones made next year's freshman class probably the best ever signed by Duke. Knowing that the two of them, along with Grayson Allen and Justise Winslow replace middle of the road Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton, never-to-be the same again Andre Dawkins and a former walk on who's name has too many consonants, it huge. Bring in four guys who can start right away to replace your bench? Yes please. The signing of this pair may go down as the most significant thing in the history of Duke basketball. Which is great, as long as you are a Duke fan.

1. Boston Red Sox win the World Series

Through all of the struggles in Boston after the marathon bombings and after the tribulations Boston had gone through in prior seasons, the return to glory was a great one. Dominance was key and pulling out big win after big win against Detroit in the ALCS and then the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. It was a perfect exclamation point on an era that saw them end the biggest drought in the history of ever with 3 titles in 10 years. And it was an even better exclamation for the city of Boston after 2013. It also was sadly a poignant end for the Boston strong trio of Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury with free agency pending and Ellsbury ultimately deciding he wanted to be a communist. But Yankee sucktasm aside, it was a big and fitting ending for the beard squad and a huge part of what made 2013 so memorable to me in sports.

Who would win the battle of the North Side Redskins?

As someone who was a coach in the program the last time the Fort Wayne North Side Redskins won the Summit Athletic Conference Holiday Tournament title, it is hard for me to believe that it has been 7 full years since that last crown.

Luckily for Coach Shabaz Khaliq and the Redskins, a chance to win that title tonight would make him just the third North Side coach to do so behind legendary By Hey in 1986 (they named the arena after him after all) and Mike Novell in 2006. And seven years is a much better drought than 20.

North Side is in a unique company tonight with the Snider Panthers as the last time either of them were in the finals, they won the thing. While North did it in 2006 against South Side, Snider did it in 2005 against the Redskins. North did however beat the Panthers in the semi-finals of their 2006 title run.

So today as I look back in my own head, I can't help but compare the two teams. How would this year's North Side stack up against the 2006 team? Who would have the advantage when broke down player versus player?

Point Guard

Justin Jordan (2006) vs. Tre'vion Crews (2013)

Fun thing about writing: I came back and wrote this match up last. Because, what do you really say? An Indiana All-Star against a kid who I truly believe to be the best player in the conference and in the area. But what I have to look at is the body of work for the give seasons. The very clear reality here is that the 2013 team would be lost without Tre Crews, while the 2006 team would hurt but get by without JJ. Justin was a cold blooded assassin on the court and set the standard for score-first point guards at modern day North Side. He was also a sophomore at this point and lacking some of the maturity that he would gain and that Crews has. I have told anyone that will listen that Crews could take over any game he chooses to and he shows flashes of that every night he is on the court. Better yet, he is the truest leader of either of these teams, the one you know you can rely on physically and mentally EVERY second of EVERY game. Comparing the two as seniors (Crews now and JJ in 2008-2009) would be damn near impossible. But when looking at these two seasons in question, to me it is clear.

ADVANTAGE: Tre'vion Crews (2013)

Shooting Guard

Eshaunte Jones ('06) vs. Jeremy Jones ('13)

The two Jones have some pretty key things in common. Both are pretty silky smooth and have a nice stroke from long range. Key three-pointers from Jeremy were crucial to stop Bishop Dwenger runs in the semi-finals. But where there are similarities, there is one key difference: Jeremy can make the big shot, while 'Bear' was the big shot. Bear's ability AND especially his desire to run the show are the reasons he was an Indiana All-Star and probably the best scorer to ever put on a Redskin uniform and he was at his best in the 2006-07 season as a season with just two games with less than 20 points.

ADVANTAGE: Eshaunte Jones (2006)

Small Forward

John Hefty ('06) vs. Sean McGee ('13)

This is an interesting match up because of the difference at the '3' spot for these two squads. For old school North, they ran three forwards, while this year's squad runs three guards. So the two aren't really comparable and these two guys bring way different things to the table. McGee has proven already in his three games back with the team that he's a formidable part of the lineup. He is a clutch scorer and big game player who when controlling his own mind, is such a danger to opponents. If North Side was good without him, they will continue to be great with him. Hefty on the other hand was capable on offense for sure, but what Hefty did was so unique and rare. John Hefty was the intangible guy, he did the things that nobody else did and that is something the current team is missing. He got after the ball all of the time and on any given day was capable of putting up double digits in any statistical category. What often gets lost in the 2006-07 team is that Hefty led the state of Indiana in steals per game, which is impressive in itself, but more impressive as a 6-5 hulking forward.

ADVANTAGE: Push

Power Forward

Damarlo Belcher ('06) vs. Oosha Mitchell ('13)

Pure power versus pure will. That is what this should be called. Belcher was just a freak overall athlete and that made him tough to battle against. Mitchell on the other hand, while athletic, just wills himself to the basket, either to score or to block a shot (he had 5 VERY impressive ones in the semi-finals). Damarlo was often unstoppable with the ball in the low post, and out jumped everyone when he wanted a rebound. Meanwhile Oosha is one that you just can't leave alone or he will work hard enough to hurt you either on a drive, put back or even on occasion from downtown.

ADVANTAGE: Damarlo Belcher (2006)

Center

Dominic Moore ('06) vs. Mike Davis ('13)

If there is something you can't teach, it is 6'9'' and because of that, Dominic Moore already had the advantage on so many guys. He rebounded well, worked hard and created a tough match up for most teams because of his height and his lean frame that allowed him to weave into tight areas well. His problem is Mike Davis' strength, which is that Moore at that time really didn't know how to use his frame and Davis knows how to throw around his weight. He proved the first time the 'Skins played Snider this season that he is more than capable of being a thunderous and ferocious rebounder. Better yet, Davis can be flashy. His dunks can be pretty sick and he has the diversity (like Oosha) to step out and his the deep shot.

ADVANTAGE: Mike Davis (2013)

6^th Man

Grayson Wambach ('06) vs. Terrell Crews ('13)

This is a tough match up because I believe Crews to be the better player, but when comparing these teams at these points, Wambach was so clutch and sealed the SAC Tournament title. Grayson was a pure shooter, the best true shooting guard and when he was hot, he was hot. In 2006-2007, he was the only Redskin not named Eshaunte Jones to lead the team in scoring with 26 against Homestead. Crews on the other hand is a tenacious defender and uses that as his hallmark as he continues to learn the speed of the varsity level. Despite being listed here, he has been a starter but I expect McGee to take that spot back sooner than later. Crews isn't fully ready to be the guy yet, but he had the capability to do so in the future.

ADVANTAGE: Terrell Crews (2013)

7^th Man

Tyshawn Mauldin ('06) vs. Myluv Sutton ('13)

Another meeting not really by position on the floor as much as position on the team. Mauldin was super small (5'6'' at best), but was quick and mighty. His out of nowhere block of Concordia's 6'8'' Brandon Knox in January of 2007 leads me to believe that he would (proverbially) take Myluv's cookies – if given the chance. But Myluv could have something if he puts all of the pieces together that he is capable of. He showed in the semi-finals that he can be huge off the bench when Mike or Oosha are in foul trouble or not putting numbers up. Myluv, like this year's team's other bigs, can also step out and hit jump shots well. He is sneaky and often forgotten, which is excellent for him to put back offensive rebounds.

ADVANTAGE: Myluv Sutton (2013)

8^th Man

Robert Williams ('06) vs. Marco Lee ('13)

This is a match up that we will call notable because neither one of these kids had/has played much at SAC Tournament time. Williams had his break out game against Elmhurst in January after the tournament and worked his way into the starting lineup at times as a sophomore. Before that, he was a guy to give the top three guards a breather and was a there to be a shooter. Lee has also not played much, but is a slick guard with a good shot.

ADVANTAGE: Push

Style

2006 vs. 2013

What makes a style? Accomplishment of the task at hand. Both of these teams are very, very good at putting their game plan and style to work. The difference as I see it is that the 2006 team did almost all of the time. Their season ended prematurely in Huntington during Sectionals and yes, they lost some games along the way (something the 2013 team has yet to do) but their transition game was smooth and their 1-2-2 full court zone press did what it needed with Bear (and later Williams) at the top moving the ball handler from side to side to get a turnover. This year's squad needs more consistency to avoid letting teams make runs like Bishop Dwenger did in the semi-finals. But their quickness is an asset and one they use well by getting in passing legs and fast breaking with numbers to hurt their opponents. I think both teams thrive in each other's own styles, but who worked their own the best?

ADVANTAGE: 2006

Coaching

Mike Novell ('06) vs. Shabaz Khaliq ('13)

Novell has the strength to drill in his philosophy. And while he had other successes and semi-successes, his drilling in of run, run and run some more worked well with this squad. Get up and down the floor, score in 8 seconds or left. It was simple and how he ran his practices to make it perfect. Khaliq on the other hand, is a great in-game coach (not to say that he isn't in practice). Shabaz does, what I've always thought to be the most important thing as a coach: he relates to his players. He can talk them down, he can build them up, fire them up and maneuver them as needed to get the most out of them. Their styles, and I am assuming, their philosophies are very different. When Novell was at North, Khaliq was the coach at Elmhurst. And what I am trying to keep in mind also when comparing the two is that Shabaz always seemed to have Mike's number one way or the other.

ADVANTAGE: Shabaz Khaliq (2013)

Overall

This would be such a fun game to watch. So we are all winners, right? Don't worry though, no cop out there. I coached at North Side in 2006 and I have coached a handful of games with Tre Crews, McGee and Sutton from the current team, but I know things to be true and I can be honest about these things now that I have thought deeply about it. Many parts of the 2006 team would be a nightmare match up wise for 2013. The biggest part of that is the three forward versus three guard issue. Who would change their approach to try and even things up with the other? But here is the difference to me: neither would. In 2006, replacing Hefty in the lineup for a big game or a title game would significantly weaken the team. And for the 2013 team, first glimmer of thought would say add Sutton to the lineup. But, not is Sutton soft, but is he hard enough to really battle with Hefty on the level Hefty would push things to? So leave McGee in, he'll beat and bang with anyone of any size. And I feel that wisdom would prevail for Khaliq too. So what wins? Big and bold or smaller and quicker? I said before that either team would work the others style with style and strength. And I think this game would go the pace of the 2006 team, which would be a mistake against the speed and enthusiasm of a Crews/Jones/McGee/Sutton/Davis lineup. I think the North Side Redskins become the 2013 SAC Holiday Tournament Champions tonight. And I think they will be the best Redskin team to ever boast such.

ADVANTAGE: 2013

Making a case for Big Mac in the Hall of Fame

Earlier today, I read an ESPN story on Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, discussing how to push all things other than numbers aside in their cases for Hall of Fame enshrinement.

But I think that the numbers are the point on why they aren't in the Hall. The numbers are the visual reference of the cheat. Paying only attention to the numbers is paying only attention to the cheat.

So instead, I have a different pitch for the enshrinement of McGwire. And yes McGwire only.

I have my opinions on the other two, but neither is really a case for them.

For Bonds, a guy who "allegedly" cheated at a time when the watchdogs were on high alert, he disrespected the sport on higher levels. Bonds had a chance to be a guy....or even THE GUY to take a stand against the use of PEDs when he was at the highest point of his popularity. He chose not to. Barry Bonds did more damage to the sport with his "alleged" PED use than any of the rest. It does not make any of the other PED users right, it does not make them better either. It does however, in my humble opinion, make Bonds worse.

And for Roger Clemens, it is simple. He was acquitted by a jury of lying about using PEDs. Therefore, by saying he didn't lie when he said he didn't use PEDs, they basically said he didn't use PEDs. So let him in if he deserves it, why not?

But for Big Mac, it isn't so cut and dry.

Mark McGwire, with all else aside...the cheating, the numbers, the asterisk, the argument...still remains how he revitalized baseball.

When Mark McGwire broke the single season home run record in 1998, it wasn't just that someone actually chased down Maris' mark of 61, it was the attention that he and Sammy Sosa captured with their back and forth chase of breaking and then eventually setting the single season record.

Before you can really re-appreciate that chase, remember how dead baseball was? The strike of 1994-1995 killed the sport. There has been plenty of greed, lockouts and generally douchebaggery in sports since then and there was even plenty before that. But that strike, it made people not care about Major League Baseball. People who were sports fans didn't care. People who were baseball fans didn't care. I'm pretty sure a fine percentage of owners, managers, coaches and fans of the sport also didn't care.

Baseball was dead.

And then McGwire and Sosa gave it CPR. When McGwire tied that record of 61, it was awe inspiring. When he broke it one evening with a home run over the left field wall, it was bone chilling. Mark McGwire saved baseball. Sosa was there too, but let's all face the fact that he was Robin to McGwire's Batman. It captured the attention of America in a way that baseball has not captured attention in my life span, nor will it probably ever capture attention like that fateful year again as long as I live. The fact is that Major League Baseball was not going away. But where would we be today without the McGwire/Sosa chase? Would it be the major money sports and league that it is today? My guess is no.

For me, Mark McGwire belongs in the Hall of Fame because what would the modern Hall of Fame be without him. He is the face of a rejuvenated league, an era that is all too forgotten.

Mark McGwire's status, his reputation and his numbers will always be tainted. 70* is how that year will stand on paper, in numerical form. But nothing can taint that feeling that Big Mac gave the country in 1998. I just hope that some year, this or another, that the baseball writers can remember that.

An open letter to Mr. Dana White

Dear Dana White,

You are a great businessman. You have taken the UFC to heights that nobody else could have taken them to. Not in the same time, not in the same way. Anyone who doesn't believe in you is a fool.

And the best part of who you are is that you are always 100-percent honest and real with everyone about everything. You know what you want, you have always done it your way. By hook, by crook, by convincing, by demanding. It is Dana White's way or the highway.

But Saturday night wasn't the time or place. You overshadowed your huge 20th anniversary show by buying into a controversy that wasn't so controversial. And you overshadowed the perhaps retirement of arguably the greatest UFC fighter ever. And why? What is your reason?

Because Georges St.Pierre owes you something? Because you need to placate Johny Hendricks' ego with something other than your always go-to "don't leave it in the hands of the judges," belief. Sure, you said that same thing to him post fight, but your conviction didn't support that stance. Not one bit.

And, before we get into the meat and potatoes, about that 20th anniversary? What a huge night! But your spit on Royce Gracie and Rorian Gracie, on Dan Severn and Chuck Liddell, on Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture, on Art Jimmerson and Ken Shamrock....and so, so many others, but letting your hotheaded opinionated self overshadow the event itself. An epic event just because of the magnitude of the anniversary of a sport that was once so dead in the water.

But really, let's strip this down to bear bones Mr. White, let's talk about GSP. You have said, and recently, how he is the biggest draw in the history of your company. Save for an experienced young man losing to Matt Hughes and the most unlikely upset in the history of combat sports to Matt Serra, the man sports a career that is blemish free. He has his haters because he doesn't finish fights. But again, save for a round with Jake Shields and a pair with Carlos Condit (that was more like a solitary kick), he has had no real push until Saturday night. Finish or not, he has systematically picked apart every contender he has been fed from Jon Fitch to Dan Hardy to Nick Diaz.

We will, to save whining, say that he is “arguably” the greatest fighter in the history of your already storied promotion. He has earned you, Frank and Lorenzo millions and millions and millions of dollars. So

what does he really owe you? Hasn't GSP always given you what you wanted? Fight who you want, when you want it, set a record rehab pace coming back from a torn ACL to fight for you. Georges St. Pierre has done everything for the UFC.

On top of all of this is now the report that alleges that St. Pierre wants to take the time off because of an unplanned pregnancy with a woman AND that his father is terminally ill and dying.

So when, if not now, is GSP's turn to be selfish? Anderson Silva has made a mockery at times of the UFC, Jon Jones made you CANCEL a card. Cancel. Not postpone. Cancel. And still, 'Rush' can't take some time away because of an unplanned child and dying father? That is pathetic Dana. If you had a dying father, would you be at a show? Why expect more from GSP than you would expect from yourself?

You are not qualified, nor even slightly allowed to make mental health decisions for Georges St. Pierre. Whether these new rumors are true or not, if GSP is struggling, then he is struggling and the level at which he struggles is not up to you. I don't care if its a dying dad or his favorite Tim Horton's closed. I don't care if it's an unexpected child or he stubbed his toe. GSP's personal life if GSP's personal life and quite frankly sir, it is none of your business.

And don't try to put it on us as fans by saying that Georges St. Pierre owes the fans an immediate rematch with Johny Hendricks. Why should he? Because it was close? Then why didn't Alexander Gustaffson get an immediate rematch against Jon Jones? Pick a precedent and follow it, don't be so fickle. Because true fans, not just Johny Hendricks fans, know that GSP owes us nothing. You say he owes you and the UFC and the fans because you want to cash in on a pay day, nothing more and nothing less and we all know that.

You don't want Hendricks as your Welterweight champion any more than you want Chris Weidman as your Middleweight champion. He's got a boring personality, he's bland and he's not marketable. The best thing he does is knock people out quickly and who oh who is going to pay $60 to watch him headline a pay per view when the main event, if he wins, will end in 23.6 seconds. All you want is the pay day of the immediate rematch. GSP doesn't owe you anything, you just want to take.

As a fan of the sport, I can tell you that GSP has already given us enough. If he never came back, I wouldn't blame him. If he walked away with your belt and your PPV revenue, I (as one of the UFC's truest fans) wouldn't care one bit. Would I be sad that I don't get to see the greatest of all time perform anymore? Sure. But does GSP owe me more than the years of entertainment that he has already provided? No sir.

And for you to expect more is just cheap and pathetic. Your antics this time don't amuse any UFC fans and I think that you need to know that. That is if you truly have our best interests and opinions at heart.

Sincerely,
A UFC Fan

The flawed world of this so-called Toy Hall of Fame

The ball.

It is the world’s most original toy. Yet, as I have learned, it took 11 years for the ball to make it into the Toy Hall of Fame after it’s inception in 1998.

And yes, there is a Toy Hall of Fame; I am not making that up. I understand your skepticism, I just learned of this Hall of Fame which is apparently in Rochester, New York. I mean, it makes sense, there should be one. There should have been one before 1998.

But what exactly are the voting criteria based on? How does the ball get skipped over until it’s induction in 2009? Did I mention the Hall of Fame opened in 1998?

Apparently, over 40 toys are more
Hall of Fame worthy than the ball.

It would be like, as my boss pointed out, like putting Peyton Manning in the Hall of Fame before Johnny Unitas. Even more basically, it would be like calling hockey more of an impact worthy sport than wrestling. Point is, there has always been a ball. I’m sure Caveman Charlie and his son Cavechild Cameron went out and threw the round rock back and forth. That was a ball.

The inaugural class was strong, without a doubt. Barbie, Crayola Crayons, Legos, Teddy Bear…they all made the cut, among others. But none of them are more original than the ball. And take into mind other toys inducted before 2009, like the View Master (1999), Tonka Trucks (2001), Raggedy Ann (2002), Scrabble (2004), Cardboard Box (2005), Easy-Bake Oven (2007) and Atari (2009). 42 toys went into the Hall of Fame before the ball. It makes me sad, very sad for the “museum committee of curators, educators and historians” who choose finalists and inductees based on “their longevity, innovation, and other attributes.”

To continue to show their negligence, the stick didn’t make it in until 2008 and the blanket was a 2011 inductee.

Their 2013 inductees, which went in just this morning, were two more pretty basic items: chess and the rubber duck. Basic items that didn’t make it in before specific items like the Nintendo Gameboy (2009) and Star Wars action figures (2012). Those who missed out this year as finalists: Bubbles, Clue, Fisher-Price Little People, Army men, Magic 8 Ball, My Little Pony, Nerf toys, Pac-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the scooter.

For a complete listing of toys in the Hall of Fame, check out http://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys

Losing Ellsbury would kill the sport's greatest trio

With their game 6 win last week, the Boston Red Sox have solidified themselves as the best organization of the past decade. Titles in 2004, 2007 and 2013 have made the once cursed boys of Beantown the crown jewel of Major League Baseball.

Outside of the Yankees of the 90’s, no team has been as dominant in this era of baseball. Case in point is one of, what I consider, the most amazing stat of importance of this series: David Ortiz is the first non-Yankee to win 3 titles with the same team since Jim Palmer did so with the Baltimore Orioles’ title in 1982.

But Ortiz isn’t alone as what I consider important consistent pieces. While the names and faces with the teams have changed from 2004 to 2007 and more so to 2013, there are three name that everyone can place with Boston’s championship aura: David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Each of these teams has had their own identity, but this trio has been the constant. Ortiz is the lone Sox player from 2004 left on the roster and Pedroia and Ellsbury, both clutch hitters and exceptional fielders, were part of the 2007 team as well. Many may argue, but there is a very high likelihood that these three are the best non-pitching trio in the modern era of championship teams.

Life won't be the same without Pedroia, Ortiz and Ellsbury all together.

It is sad to me to know that the trio's era may be over. Ellsbury is the Red Sox free agent least likely to resign according to multiple sources. And his new qualifying offer from Boston is great, but I don't see it sticking.

In their 2007 championship season, a second year player in Pedroia, a rookie Ellsbury and Ortiz combined for 388 hits. This year, their second title together in sights, the trio totaled 525 hits, helping dominate the American League. When one wasn't on, the others picked up the slack. That came up big time in the World Series, when Ellsbury was mediocre and Pedroia was below average. So Ortiz simply redefined what being Mr. October was all about, swinging for the fences and making the “ace” Cardinal pitching staff look like Little League relief pitchers.

At 37, Ortiz doesn't have many years left in the tank, even if he does drive the ball just as well today as he did during the Red Sox first World Series run. But Pedroia and Ellsbury are only 29 each and if they stay together, with Ortiz for a few years and then whoever the great Boston front office replaces him with, they could add a few more titles easily.

Boston looked so much different in 2007 than they did in 2004, with so much turnover. And honestly, the turnover was great since that 2007 title to this year too. But losing Ellsbury, breaking up the foundation of this happy family, could be the biggest nail driven into the continuing of this legacy.

College Basketball Preview Part 6: Why are you sleeping on Duke?!

Yes, this is it. My official column of bias. But quite frankly, I am sick of college basketball experts and keyboard warriors not giving the Blue Devils the credit they deserve as they head into the season.

Duke is the deepest team in the country. Does that make them the best? Maybe. Does that mean they will win the National Title? Probably no. The really, really good Duke teams get upset in the tournament and leave their big stars title less (see Redick, JJ and Williams, Sheldon). It is the very good, but not great Duke teams that win National Titles these days.

So no, as a Duke fan, I do not think they will automatically win the National Title. Will that stop me from penciling them in as National Champs when the time comes to fill out a bracket in March? Only time will tell.

But this column (OK, so it is kind of a rant) is not about what will happen in the Madness of March (and April?). It is about how teams like Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State are all getting their due above the Blue Devils, a team that matches their fabulous freshmen and returning veterans, combines the two and has unrivaled depth.

I will be the first to say that I am not buying into the Andrew Wiggins/Julius Randle hype until the time comes when they actually do something. And no Mr. Randle, getting dunked on by a walk on does not count. So for that same reason, I am not 100% on the Jabari Parker hype train either. Duke has been nailing down the “can’t miss one-and-done” prospects and while good, they haven’t lived up to a mostly unattainable hype. Kyrie Irving was too injured, Austin Rivers was too one dimensional and Rasheed Sulaimon just wasn’t ready.

But how, in anyone’s mind, does Jabari Parker not cancel out Randle and Wiggins, who were basically Johnny-come-lately compared to the long standing thought that Parker was the best player in the Class of 2013 for years. On top of Parker, Duke’s freshman class is more than solid. Matt Jones is stuck down the depth chart for Duke, but will be a thriller when he gets his due. He is the next in a long line of Duke clutch shooters and can knock down from almost anywhere on the court. And next to him, getting a little more playing time is Semi Ojeyele. While I was excited about getting Parker, Ojeyele is something that Duke hasn’t had since Grant Hill, in many ways. He is transcendent of a particular position and does a lot of intangible things. He dominated the Kansas high school scene, hit 38% of the three-pointers he shot and just proved at Duke’s Countdown to Craziness that no person on the team has hops quite like he does. Did I mention he averaged over 38 points PER GAME his senior year?

So while the new faces of two McDonald’s All-Americans and a guy who scored 38-freakin-points per game will help negate Kansas and Kentucky’s so-called “stellar recruit classes,” it is the veteran depth that with help keep Duke high atop the mountain as the season progresses.

Seniors Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston are the final remaining pieces of the last “just OK” Duke recruiting class, but still add real value. Thornton will get to log some starting minutes, but as Quinn Cook has become a calming force, the senior isn’t really needed for that. Instead, look for Thornton to become a real threat from deep most of the time, while still playing some point. And Hairston is Hairston; he is a body on a shorter team and has the aggression that will help strengthen the younger forwards.

Bu the real veteran depth that makes Duke equal or better than Michigan State comes from Sulaimon and Cook. No, Rasheed was not the one-and-done prospect he was expected to be, but he is going to be a very good player for Duke and I think for all four years because his tenure, very realistically, could end with a National Player of the Year honor in 2016 if he does. He is a more established and out together version of what Ojeyele could be if he develops correctly.

I was worried, as he came out of high school, about what Quinn Cook would provide to the program. When I watched him at Oak Hill High School, I was in awe 85-percent of the time. The other 15-percent though, I cringed. During those times, he was too fast, too out of control and too selfish. He has lost all of those things at Duke. His assist-to-turnover ratio was phenomenal last year, showing maturity of leadership while running the point as a true point guard that Duke has been missing FOREVER. Cook is a general, could be one of the very best at his position in the country and could be a Player of the Year contender as a senior in 2014-2015, if not this year. Quinn Cook is the guy who could make the difference from pretender to 100-percent legit contender.

Quinn Cook should end up as the best point guard in the
modern era of Duke basketball.

And then there is Rodney Hood, the highly anticipated transfer from Mississippi State who sat out last year with NCAA rules. Is Hood that big of a difference maker? I am not so sure. But with the explosive wing game that Duke has, he doesn’t have to be. He has to be Ryan Kelly or Brian Zoubek or Josh McRoberts. He doesn’t have to be the post that Sheldon Williams was because there are enough threats that he doesn’t need to be, he just needs to be productive.

On top of ALL OF THAT, returns Andre Dawkins. Is that a good thing? I think so, at least more so than when he last was with the program. His life has been tragic for some time now, but I really think the year off will not only clear his head, but mature him, which he needed. He was too loose with his shooting when he wore #20 and I hope that is remedied. Because if it is, he can slide right into Seth Curry’s role and thrive in it just as well.

The return of Andre Dawkins is a great catalyst for Coach K.

Hood and Hairston as bodies, Thornton and Dawkins draining threes and Sulaimon and Cook taking you off the dribble; who is going to contend with that?

And I have only mentioned nine guys. Amile Jefferson and Alex Murphy have each put on 15-20 pounds of muscle to help bang around down low with depth, and IF Marshall Plumlee is actually healthy, he is – if nothing else – a 7-feet, 260 pounder that helps give the Blue Devils a depth of, IMO, 12 on a good night and at least 8 on a night when the game is too close to pull players 9-12 off the bench.

And when the skill of players runs out, let us not forget that this team, even if they were less talented, are led by Coach K...THE SINGLE GREATEST COACH IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS. Period, end of discussion. And then a bench that consists of Wojo, Jeff Capel (who has been a major Division 1 head coach) and newly added Jon Scheyer, who knows a thing or two about the Duke system and how it transfers into a National Title.

Again, its not that I think they won’t lose, they will. Duke plays in the toughest conference in the country with an ACC that has only gotten tougher this year with a bevy of new league opponents. They are going to lose.

But the reality is this: too many people are sleeping on Duke because of elements on other teams that Duke also has in droves. You want shiny and new, you got it. You want smart and veteran, you got it. You want depth, try to top it.

Don’t sleep on Duke.