I know we are only a few games into the 2010 season, but I’m ready to panic.  The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen has already allowed two walk-off home runs this year and have been generally ineffective.  It’s not too early to start looking at how the St. Louis Cardinals can improve their bullpen by the trade deadline.  I’ve divided the pitchers into three categories, ranging from the easy to acquire to the nearly impossible.  I’ve also kept the possibilities mostly limited to pitchers on teams that will be out of contention by late-June.  With that being said, here are some pitchers who could drastically improve the Cardinals’ shaky bullpen:

Unlikely, but I can dream:

• Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals – The Royals are always looking to trade established players for prospects, so why should Soria be any different?

• Heath Bell, San Diego Padres – If the Padres aren’t competitive, they will probably blow up their roster.  First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is the only Padre who would generate more interest than Bell.

• Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox – Maybe the Red Sox will decide to cut ties with their closer if current set-up man Daniel Bard shows he is ready to be a full time closer.

Reasonable possibilities:

• Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates – We all know that when July rolls around, the Pirates will begin purging their roster of veterans, as has become a yearly occurrence.  Dotel, 37, definitely counts as a veteran and should be fairly cheap to acquire.

• Matt Capps, Washington Nationals – He had a grotesque ERA last year (5.80), but that was by far the highest ERA of his career.  Plus, he still managed to gather 27 saves for the cellar-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates.  He could be a valuable 7th or 8th inning reliever in front of Ryan Franklin.

• Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles – He’s already struggling this season (18.00 ERA, 2 blown saves), but St. Louis fans know that Pitching Coach Dave Duncan would fix that right away.  Gonzalez, a left-hander, would be a good compliment to right-hander Ryan Franklin in a closer-by-committee situation.  He would also be invaluable in a playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies, who feature left-handed sluggers Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

• Brad Ziegler, Oakland A’s – The A’s probably aren’t going to trade young closer Andrew Bailey, but they might be more willing to let go of Ziegler, who asserted himself as a solid set-up man last year, for a prospect or two.

• Cla Meredith, Baltimore Orioles – He is a submarine pitcher, giving him a slight advantage on hitters simply because they aren’t as used to seeing his throwing motion.  It makes him a pretty effective reliever, as he generally only faces batters one time per game, leaving them no time to adjust.

These guys aren’t great, but they’re better than the current options:

• Brendan Donnelly, Pittsburgh Pirates – He hasn’t stayed healthy for a full season since 2006 with the Angels, but if he’s healthy around the trade deadline this year, he could immediately step into a middle relief role for the Redbirds.

• Mike Adams, San Diego Padres – He has a career 2.49 ERA and had 45 strikeouts in 37 innings last year.  He sounds like a better version of Jason Motte to me.

The Cardinals don’t have much in their farm system to offer, but they do have outfield depth.  A package involving a young outfielder such as Joe Mather, Allen Craig, or Nick Stavinoha should be able to bring in some much-needed relief for an inconsistent bullpen.

Hello loyal readers, I am back to writing for the blog!  I took a couple weeks off to focus on my school work (a boring, test-filled week) followed by spring break (an exciting, fun-filled week).  But now I’m back and ready to start writing about my second-most hated sports team, the Chicago Cubs.  (The Minnesota Vikings are my least favorite team, thanks to my friend Joe Craven, who doesn’t let me forget how well the Vikings have done against the Packers recently, and of course the whole Brett Favre saga.)

Anyway, I was texting updates on the St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day game to my girlfriend, Danielle, a couple days ago.  I have no idea why, as she probably did not care at all.  I told her Albert Pujols had hit two home runs, to which she responded, “Is that one Joe’s favorite?”  I couldn’t help but laugh as I explained that even Cub fans would agree that “that one” is the best player in the game, so he is a lot of people’s favorite player.  (She admits she has a lot to learn about baseball.)  The conversation then moved to me insulting the Cubs as they were getting destroyed by the Braves (final score:  Braves 16, Cubs 5).  She then told me not to insult the Cubs since her grandparents are Cub fans.

That got me thinking:  Why do fans continue to root for the Cubs?  (I’m not taking a cheap shot at Cub fans here.  They are the most loyal fans in any sport and you have to respect them for that.)  But they haven’t won a World Series in over 100 years and don’t appear to be a threat to break that streak this year or in the near future.  Cub fans have lived THEIR ENTIRE LIVES without seeing their team win a World Series!  There are several reasons why the Cubs won’t win, and some of them are:

- Owners that view the team as a “business asset” instead of as a baseball team.  The entire reason the Cubs were sold by the Tribune Co. was money related.  They needed to sell the team in order to keep their company solvent.  The Cubs need a George Steinbrenner or Mark Cuban-like owner (it actually could have been Cuban himself) who will spend reckless amounts of money to keep the team competitive and will show a genuine interest in the game of baseball, not just someone who comes to games to be seen.  (Can you imagine Cuban sitting behind home plate arguing every ball/strike call, getting ejected, and racking up millions of dollars in fines?  I can, and I like it.  He would also help market the league.)

- A competent GM.  Milton Bradley?  Really?  The Cubs couldn’t have seen this coming?  (Fast forward to the 1:00 mark).  Or this?  Then GM Jim Hendry actually made the team worse by trading Bradley to Seattle for a pitcher (Carlos Silva) who has posted three plus-5.00 ERAs in the past four seasons.  They would have been better off trading Bradley for a backup Gatorade machine, just in case the first one is unable to fulfill its duties.

- Fans who demand a better team.  Whether the Cubs are winning 100 games or losing 100 games, Wrigley Field is always packed.  Why is this?  If the Cubs aren’t showing any signs of wanting to be competitive, quit going to the games.  Make the owners put a championship-caliber team on the field so that they can keep the seats filled.  Because, if the owners can fill the stadium with whatever team they throw out there, what is their motivation to improve the team at the trade deadline?  (Note:  this is a unique situation to the Cubs.  Teams like the Pirates, Marlins, and Twins simply CAN’T add payroll to their small market teams.)  But, the Cubs DO have the resources to add major players.  They have a national TV station that airs a lot of their games (WGN) and the third-largest TV market in the country.  So, I’m tired of hearing that going to Wrigley is a “great experience”.  What’s so great about a team that has 25 losing seasons since 1970 and just 13 playoff appearances in the last 101 years?  Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals have won 10 World Series in the last 84 years (The Yankees have won 27 in the last 87 years).

- The lack of a true pitching ace.  Current “ace” pitcher, Carlos Zambrano, had about as much control of his pitches during his Opening Day start as President Obama.  And as bad as his control was yesterday, he has even less control over his emotions.

- Poor outfield production.  Left fielder Alfonso Soriano plays left field about as effectively as a rock, only the rock wouldn’t cost $17 million a year.  New center fielder Marlon Byrd moved Kosuke Fukudome back to right field, so the defense is definitely better than when Milton Bradley was out there, but it is still questionable.

- But, the biggest thing the Cubs need is a little bit of good luck.  The promising Mark Prior/Kerry Wood top-of-the-rotation tandem was quickly derailed by injuries, Kosuke Fukudome hasn’t played as well as expected, Derek Lee had to be taken out of a game after falling through a chair while eating, Sammy Sosa blew out his back while sneezing, and, of course, the infamous Steve Bartman incident.  And these have all happened somewhat recently.  I’m sure there were even more ridiculous things that happened to the Cubs before I was old enough to understand baseball.

Overall, I just wish the Cubs would win a World Series sometime soon and shed the stupid “Loveable Losers” moniker.  Being a Cardinal fan, it’s no fun taking part in a rivalry in which the opposing side hasn’t even come close to winning a World Series since 1945, while your team has won 10.  (Wait, who am I kidding?  I love the fact that the Cubs are historically pathetic!)  But still, it would be better for baseball if the Cubbies managed to win a World Series every now and then to end the century-long suffering of their fan base.

As the NBA approaches the trade deadline, the Boston Celtics are in their worst slump of the last three seasons.  They can’t hold onto small leads late in games and continue to blow double-digit leads, leading to a 9-13 record in their last 22 games.  The problem is that they are simply getting old.  Rasheed Wallace has been disappointing at best, causing me to regret my preseason post in which I praised the Celtics for signing him.  Kevin Garnett still hasn’t fully recovered from a knee injury, and it seems as if he will never be the same KG.  On top of all that, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are 34 and 32 years old, respectively.  That’s pretty old in NBA years.  The only way the Celtics will be able to play far into the playoffs this year will be to get younger by making a big move or two at the trade deadline.

There are rumors that the Chicago Bulls would trade guards Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons for Ray Allen.  Allen has an expiring contract that the Bulls would like to have so they can clear even more cap room to try to lure LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade to Chicago this offseason.  The Celtics should take this trade.  Hinrich can start at shooting guard and switch to point guard when Rondo is not on the court.  In addition, Salmons would add an immediate scoring threat off the bench.  Essentially, the Celtics would have turned one old really good player (Allen) into two younger, above-average players (Hinrich and Salmons).  Plus, they solidify the backup point guard position and add a bench scorer.

Next up is Garnett.  Scouts and GMs know he’s old and is having trouble staying healthy.  Also, he has a salary-cap killing contract (3 years, $16.5 million per year).  But, if the Celtics can find a taker, they should trade him for a forward and some picks.  This might anger Boston fans, but it’s in the best interest of the team.  (I wouldn’t want to be the one who has to tell Garnett he’s been traded to a team like the Grizzlies though.  He may be old and injured, but he’s still scary.)

With all the changes I’m proposing, there are some members of the team that have to stay.  Paul Pierce is one of those players.  He’s the face of the franchise.  He’s seen the good times, like Garnett and Allen, but he’s been through the bad times as well.  He suffered through seasons of 33 and 24 wins before Garnett and Allen came along and won a championship in Boston.  He’s the youngest of the current Big Three and he can still play at a very high level.

Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are the other two players that need to stay.  I would argue that Rondo is the best player the team has right now.  He can’t shoot very well, but he’s great at everything else.  If he could add a jump shot to his long list of skills, he would immediately become one of the best players in the league.  Perkins is one of the top-5 centers in the Eastern Conference.  He can hold his own defensively against Dwight Howard, Shaquille O’Neal and David Lee.

The most likely scenario is that the Celtics will have to hold onto Garnett, but trade Allen.  Then, they should try to unload Garnett in the offseason for draft picks to use on a young forward.  For the rest of this season, that leaves a starting five of Rondo, Hinrich, Pierce, Garnett and Perkins.  Hinrich for Allen is a downgrade until you consider that he is younger.  He will be effective later into games (let’s face it:  Allen hasn’t been hitting many clutch late shots as he usually does).  Plus, it gives the Celtics a dynamic scorer (Salmons) to bring in late in games to shoot threes.  If Garnett can just last the rest of this season and manage to stay somewhat healthy, this trade gives the Celtics the best chance to win.

I’m sick of hearing all these Vikings fans complaining about the NFC Championship game.  Yes, it was a heart-breaking loss, but they should have seen it coming.  Minnesota fans shouldn’t be so depressed and/or angry about it.  For example, read this column by ESPN’s Bill Simmons.  There are so many emails about how tortured Vikings fans have been.  They’ve lost four Super Bowls (tied with the Bills for the most Super Bowl losses without a win) and have suffered through years of mediocrity.  Even though I’m a Packers fan, I do hope the Vikings end up winning a Super Bowl someday.  But, that being said, they definitely deserved to lose this year.

First off, let’s start with the defensive line.  Defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams (no relation) both tested positive for a banned substance late last year.  They appealed their suspensions at the time, allowing them to finish the 2008 regular season and playoffs.  Then, they were supposed to serve their four game suspensions at the start of this season.  But, once again they appealed, this time to a Minnesota court.  The Minnesota court ruled that the Williamses would not have to serve their suspensions.  The lesson here:  Minnesota professional athletes can take illegal substances and get away with it.  I’m guessing the football gods weren’t too happy with this.

And, of course, we come to the case of Brett Favre.  I’ll admit, Favre was the perfect quarterback to run the Vikings offense this year (I can’t even pretend that Tarvaris Jackson would have been a better choice).  But first, I need to get this off my chest:  I’m glad the Packers got rid of him two years ago.  There is simply no way a 39-40 year old quarterback is going to survive a 16-game season behind Green Bay’s offensive line.  Current Packers QB Aaron Rodgers led all NFC quarterbacks in rushing yards and was still sacked 50 times this year!  Brett Favre could never run, not even in his prime.  The point of this story is that I am not a bitter Packers fan who wishes we held on to Favre.

But, the Vikings should have known better than to bring in a man who quarterbacked their biggest rival for 17 years.  There were rumors from Day One (well, it was more like Day 40 for Favre since he didn’t join the Vikings until training camp was over) that he only came back to get revenge on the Packers.

Finally, add in the fact that Favre’s last pass in a Packers uniform was an interception in a crucial situation of an NFC Championship game.  It was only fitting that he did the same thing wearing a Vikings uniform.  If you believe in the football gods, which I do, the Vikings season was destined to end this way.  There was no way they were going to win the Super Bowl with all that bad karma surrounding them.

But, there is hope on the horizon.  Pat Williams and Brett Favre are contemplating retirement.  Get rid of them and some of that bad karma goes with them.  Also, Donovan McNabb is rumored to be available.  McNabb wouldn’t be too much of a downgrade from Favre, and he would ensure that the Vikings would be among the favorites to win the NFC year in and year out.  Maybe he coul even win the Super Bowl that was always just barely out of reach for him in Philadelphia.  Oh, and erase the decades of misery and heart-breaking losses that Minnesotans have had to endure along the way.

It was recently announced that the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard, Mo Williams, will be out for 4-6 week with a shoulder sprain.  Williams was LeBron James’ only reliable sidekick, so now that he’s out, the Cavs must get LeBron some help via trade.  We all know that LeBron’s contract expires after this season, and if Cleveland’s front office won’t help him out, he’ll go somewhere with a GM that will surround him with better talent.  I’ve come up with a way for the Cavaliers to get F/C Chris Bosh, F/C Amar’e Stoudemire, and a PG, Ramon Sessions, who can run the team while Mo Williams is out.

How to get Stoudemire: Trade Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ expiring contract and Anthony Parker to the Suns for Amar’e

Why the Suns would agree: They get Parker, a lethal three point shooter, who will fit in well with Steve Nash.  Stoudemire was going to leave anyway in free agency, so any sort of return they get on him would be a plus.

How to get Bosh: Trade Shaquille O’Neal and Jawad Williams (both expiring contracts to the Raptors for backup PG Marcus Banks and Bosh.

Why the Raptors would agree: From a purely financial standpoint, the Raptors would gain even more cap room to try to entice a big name free agent this offseason.  They were going to lose Bosh anyway, so getting rid of Marcus Banks’ $4 million dollar salary might be enough for them to pull the trigger on this deal.

How to get Sessions: Trade backup PG Daniel Gibson for Sessions and backup G Wayne Ellington

Why the Timberwolves would agree: Gibson can play SG as well as PG, so he will fit in better with the T-Wolves’ young PG Jonny Flynn.  As an extra incentive, the Cavs could throw in a second round pick for Minnesota as well.

These trades all work in terms of matching salaries.  I plugged it into ESPN’s trade machine and they don’t violate any NBA rules.  Although these trades will never happen in real life, which starting five do you think Cleveland fans would rather have?

Team 1:  LeBron, Anthony Parker, Delonte West, Shaq, JJ Hickson  Bench:  Ilgauskas, Gibson

Team 2:  LeBron, Sessions, West, Bosh, Stoudemire  Bench:  Anderson Varejao, Jamario Moon

The answer is pretty obvious to me.  Team 2 is the only team that will be able to beat out Boston, Orlando, and even Atlanta in the Eastern Conference.  Cleveland should do something or else risk losing the best player in the NBA.

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints

Saints Offensive Key:  Protect Drew Brees.  New Orleans’ Offensive Line has to do a much better job protecting Brees than the Dallas O-Line did of protecting Tony Romo last week.  The Vikings brought constant pressure with their front four and didn’t let Romo get comfortable in the pocket, leading to six sacks.  If the Saints give Brees time to throw the ball, he will pick apart the Vikings suspect secondary.

Vikings Offensive Key:  Get Adrian Peterson back on track.  Peterson hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 10 against the Lions.  That streak will have to end if the Vikings are going to win in New Orleans.  I think the Saints secondary will do a better job stopping the passing game than the Cowboys did, so that will put more pressure on Peterson to make big plays.  He also must avoid the fumbling problem he’s had of late.

Saints Defensive Key:  Stop Sidney Rice!  Rice torched the Cowboys for 141 yards and three touchdowns last week and almost had a fourth.  If Darren Sharper and company can keep Rice from making big plays, then Favre will start forcing the ball to his other receivers.  That will lead to interceptions and ineffectiveness from the Vikings passing game.

Vikings Defensive Key:  Make Drew Brees uncomfortable.  Jared Allen will be double-teamed and chipped all day.  That means it’s going to be up to Ray Edwards to get pressure on Drew Brees.  He did a fantastic job last week, sacking Tony Romo three times.  This week, he will be battling a knee injury, but coach Brad Childress expects him to start.

My Prediction:  Saints 34, Vikings 24 – The home field advantage the Saints receive from the Superdome fans is the best in the league.  It is one of the few crowds in the NFL that can still influence the outcome of the game.  This will be key to the Saints moving on to their first ever Super Bowl.

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts

Colts Offensive Key:  Let Peyton Manning do his thing.  The Colts aren’t going to be able to run the ball against the stout Jets D, so their game plan must be to let Manning throw the ball all over the field.  Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon will have to have big games for the Colts to win, since Darrelle Revis will be shutting down Reggie Wayne all game long.

Jets Offensive Key:  Get big plays from the running game.  The Jets are the best running team in the league because of their excellent offensive line.  They should have no trouble moving the somewhat small Colts defensive line away from the ball-carrier.  The Jets will need to score points on the ground early and often so that they don’t need to rely on Mark Sanchez and the receivers late in the game.

Colts Defensive Key:  Force Mark Sanchez into rookie mistakes.  The Jets are going to pound the football with the running game, and they will gain a lot of yards.  The key for the Colts defense will be to generate turnovers whenever the Jets are forced to pass.  If they force Sanchez into a stupid mistake early, it will rattle him and he will continue to make mistakes throughout the course of the game.

Jets Defensive Key:  Confuse Peyton Manning.  Darrelle Revis will shut down Reggie Wayne for the most part.  Unfortunately for the Jets, there will still be three or four other receivers on the field for Manning to throw to.  In order to be successful against him, they cannot give away their coverage/blitz schemes before the snap.  If Manning can figure out what’s coming on a particular play, he will burn the Jets defense.

My Prediction:  Colts 17, Jets 13 – The Jets defense will hold up pretty well, but the offense won’t be able to put together the late scoring drive they will need to win the game.

Last Week:  4-1  (.800)

Upset Picks:  8-6  (.571)

Final Overall Total:  59-23  (.720)

After breezing through my picks the last two weeks of the regular season, I’ll keep this train rolling throughout the playoffs.  Here are my picks for Wild Card Weekend:

Ravens over Patriots:  The Wes Welker injury is bigger than everyone thinks.  Most analysts are saying losing Welker will keep the Patriots from being Super Bowl contenders, but that they will still beat the Ravens.  I disagree.  This is not the same Patriots team of 5-6 years ago.  I’m not sure what Bill Belichick is doing to his defense, trading star defensive lineman Richard Seymour and letting several very good cornerbacks leave.  The point is, the Pats defense is not scaring anyone anymore.  Plus, the offense isn’t what it was two years ago.  And now they’ve lost the receiver who opened up the field for deep passes to Randy Moss.  I don’t think they stand a chance against the Ravens this weekend.

Jets over Bengals:  The Jets offensive line will manhandle the Bengals again.  I know the Bengals were resting some key guys last weekend when the Jets ran all over them, so it’s hard to know exactly what to expect this weekend.  But, I saw enough of the Jets O-line to know that they are scary good.  Also, the Jets have a very stout run defense.  This is a problem for the Bengals, who rely heavily on their running game and don’t have many big play threats.

Cowboys over Eagles:  The Cowboys have only allowed the Eagles to score a total of 16 points in their two games this year.  They also shut out the Eagles in Dallas, where this playoff game will be held.  I know the old saying is that it’s hard to beat a team three times in one year, but Dallas seems to have the Eagles’ number this season.

Packers over Cardinals:  BIAS ALERT!  Yes, I am a huge Packer fan, so of course I’m picking the Packers to win their first playoff game.  But, it’s not like I’m making a big stretch when I make this pick.  WR Anquan Boldin was injured last week and might not play.  This is a big time injury, because if he can’t play, it takes a ton of pressure off of young CB Tramon Williams.  Williams would then have to go up against WR Steve Breaston instead of Boldin.  I’ll take that match-up any day, and I’ll take the Packers to win Sunday night.

Packers over Seahawks:  The Packers need to regain focus after a heartbreaking last second loss to the Steelers.  They can secure a playoff spot with a win and a loss by either the Giants or the Cowboys.  The Seahawks are the perfect team to play when you need a bounce-back game.  They’ve only scored 14 points combined the past two weeks while allowing their opponents to score 58 points.  The Packers can’t afford to lose this game.

Eagles over Broncos:  The Eagles still have a lot to play for.  The Vikings have been struggling lately and the Eagles could possibly swoop in and steal Minnesota’s first round bye.  So I expect the Eagles to be more motivated than the Broncos, who essentially have a wildcard spot locked up in the AFC.  Plus, the Eagles have the added advantage of playing at home.

Cowboys over Redskins:  The Cowboys absolutely cannot afford a letdown against the Redskins this week after a huge win against the Saints last week.  If Wade Phillips can’t keep his team motivated after a big win when they have everything to play for, then he deserves to lose his job.  The Cowboys finish the season at home against Philadelphia next week, so they can’t afford to lose to the Redskins this week.

Upset Pick:  Titans over Chargers:  The Chargers have locked up a first round bye in the playoffs, and can’t catch the Colts for home field advantage, so this game is meaningless for them.  On the other hand, this game means everything to the Titans.  A win keeps their slim playoff hopes alive and a loss will kill them.  It will be interesting to see how long the Chargers keep their starters on the field in a game that doesn’t matter.  This game has upset written all over it.

Monday Night Pick:  Vikings over Bears:  This will be the first time Vikings QB Brett Favre has played in cold weather all season.  The Chicago forecast calls for below freezing temperatures for Monday night’s game.  Recent history dictates that Favre will play poorly in this game.  However, the Vikings won’t need anything from Favre to beat the disappointing Bears.  Minnesota’s defense will have multiple interceptions against QB Jay Cutler, and Chicago’s defense won’t be able to slow down RB Adrian Peterson.

Last Week:  5-0  (1.000)

Upset Picks:  7-6  (.538)

Overall:  55-22  (.714)

2007 New England Patriots (16-0 in the regular season, lost Super Bowl):  Why they were the best:  They had the best regular season ever, and averaged 36.8 points per game.  QB Tom Brady threw an NFL-record 50 touchdown passes.  Why they weren’t:  They didn’t win it all.  They came up short in their biggest game of the year, losing Super Bowl XLII by three points to the New York Giants.

2007-08 Boston Celtics (66-16, won NBA Championship):  Why they were the best: In 2006-07, the Celtics finished a miserable 24-58.  The 07-08 team improved by 42 wins, the biggest improvement in league history over a one year span.  Offseason acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen paid off immediately.  Why they weren’t:  They didn’t win a road playoff game until Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Detroit.  They almost lost to the No. 8 seed Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

2004 Boston Red Sox (98-64, won World Series):  Why they were the best:  They broke the “Curse of the Bambino,” ending the franchise’s 86-year championship drought.  They swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.  They became the first team in MLB history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series (the ALCS vs. the Yankees).  Why they weren’t:  They weren’t even the best team in their own division during the regular season, finishing three games behind the New York Yankees.  They went into the playoffs as the AL wild card.

2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers (56-26, won NBA Championship):  Why they were the best:  The Lakers breezed through the playoffs with a stunning 15-1 record.  Their only playoff loss was in Game 1 of the Finals in overtime to the Philadelphia 76ers  Why they weren’t:  Although they breezed through the playoffs, they did so as the No. 2 seed.  The best team in the Western Conference during the regular season was the San Antonio Spurs.

2005-06 Texas Longhorns Football (13-0, BCS National Champions):  Why they were the best:  They won the Big 12 Championship Game by a score of 70-3 over the Colorado Buffaloes, the most lopsided conference championship game ever.  In the BCS Championship Game, the Longhorns beat a USC team featuring QB Matt Leinart, RBs Reggie Bush and LenDale White, and WRs Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett.  Texas QB Vince Young became a college football legend with his performance against USC.  Why they weren’t:  Though they went undefeated, they were ranked #2 in the AP poll all year, behind USC.  They played a relatively weak schedule, featuring only three ranked teams (not including #1 USC, who they beat in the Championship).

2001-02 Miami Hurricanes Football (13-0, BCS National Champions):  Why they were the best:  This team was loaded with future NFL stars, including S Ed Reed, WR Andre Johnson, RB Clinton Portis, TE Jeremy Shockey, and OL Bryant McKinnie.  QB Ken Dorsey was a great college quarterback as well (he would later be a bust in the NFL).  They beat their opponents by an average of 32.9 points per game, a school record.  Why they weren’t:  They didn’t play a top-10 team until Nebraska in the championship game.  Would they have beaten Florida or Oregon that year?  Probably, but we’ll never know.

My Pick:  The Miami Hurricanes.  It’s amazing how many players from that team moved on to become NFL stars.  Ed Reed is one of the greatest safeties ever to play the game, WR Andre Johnson is one of the most electrifying players in the game today, and Clinton Portis has been a solid running back for the Broncos and Redskins.  This team had everything:  great players, great recruiting, and great coaching.  A ranked Virginia Tech was the only team that even came close to beating the Hurricanes, losing by a score of 26-24.  For all these reasons, the 2001-02 Miami Hurricanes had the best season during the 2000s.

Coming up next:  The team that sustained the most success through the 2000s (i.e. in the ’90s, it would have been Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, who won 6 championships in the decade).