ROB'S BIG IDEAS

2010-08-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Nicknames in Sport pt 4

2010-03-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

4. "He Hate Me" Rod Smart Oh XFL, how I miss thee. Actually I only watched about a quarter of one game, however it was a Las Vegas Outlaws game featuring one "He Hate Me" at running back. See, in the XFL players could put whatever they wanted on the back of their jerseys, and Rod Smart chose "He Hate Me." Why? I'll let Rod explain - "Basically, my brother's my opponent. After I win, he's gonna hate me. It is what it is. It's a saying I was saying when I'd feel something wasn't going my way. For example, (when) I was on the squad in Vegas and coach was putting other guys in, (if) I felt I'm better than them, you know, hey, 'he hate me.' See what I'm saying? Give me a chance. That's all I ask. It came from the heart. Within. The way I felt."

3. "The Spaceman" Bill Lee Bill was an articulate, charismatic pitcher/pot head for the Red Sox during the 70's (and Expos for a stint in the 80's,) who's "out there" comments to the Boston media earned him the nickname "The Spaceman." He was quite popular with his fans and teammates, as his flamboyant personality took center stage, relieving media tension in the clubhouse. On the field, he was never a stand-out pitcher. More of a junk pitcher, he would throw pitches like the Leephus (his Eephus) and the Space Ball. The world could use more originals like Bill.

Top 10 Nicknames in Sport pt 3

2010-03-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

6. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson When Billy Johnson was a kid, he spilled white paint on his brand new shoes. From that point on he was Billy "White Shoes" Johnson. While that story isn't a great he-took-off-his-new-shoes-because-they-didn't-fit-and-played-the-rest-of-the-game-shoeless legend, he is a legend... in college, a teammate made a bet with Billy "White Shoes" Johnson that he wouldn't do a dance after scoring a touchdown. He did the "Funky Chicken," single handedly creating the endzone celebration. You are welcome Chad Johnson.

5. Chad Ochocinco Speaking of Mr. Johnson Ochocinco, for all of his antics (putting with a pylon) and misadventures (racing against a race horse), going in front a judge to have your last name changed to the spanish pronunciation of your jersey number, just so you can circumvent NFL rules to get your self-created nickname written on the back of your jersey tops the cake. He could have just created a time machine to played in the XFL...

Top 10 Nicknames in Sport pt 2

2010-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

8. "Chocolate Thunder" Darryl Dawkins - Normally self-titled nicknames are a big no-no, however in Darryl's case we will let that slide as he gave himself a variety of awesome nicknames back in the 70's. Along with creating monikers like "Dr. Dunkenstein" and "Chocolate Thunder" he also named his dunks, giving the world the "Rim-Wrecker", the "Go-Rilla", and the "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying,Robezine-Crying, Teeth-Shakin, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam-Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam". Pretty inventive for a man who claimed he was an alien from the planet Lovetron.

7. Sebastian Janikowski "Sea Bass" Yeah, I see how Sea Bass can come out of Sebastian, and how not that original that is, but it makes me think of Cam Neely in Dumb and Dumber ("kick his ass, Sea Bass!). Also, he is a fat polish kicker, so that's funny. I always think of a fantasy draft a few years back when a friend, after picking Janikowski exclaimed "just because you have "cow" in your name doesn't mean you have to weigh as much as one."

Top 10 Nicknames in Sport

2010-02-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

Alright, nicknames aren't what they used to be. In this media saturated day and age you would think there would be a little more originality than calling someone by their initials. I have like 10 channels on my television dedicated 24 hours a day to covering sports, and I presume there are at least a dozen or so writers working for each of those channels. Where are all the witty, Bermanesque monikers of yesteryear? Well, the following are some of my favorites of today, and yesterday. (I left of any Chris Berman nicknames, as nothing can top Bert "Be Home" Blyleven.)

10. Lou "The Toe" Groza - Lou played 21 seasons in Cleveland as an offensive tackle and kicker. That odd combination of skill sets was not that uncommon in back in waning days of leather helmets. "The Toe" moniker was bestowed upon Lou by Cleveland sportswriter Robert Yonkers, as a reference to his kicking ability, which predated the soccer-style used today.

9. Shaun White "The Flying Tomato" Shaun White is the best known snowboarder in the world, quite possibly the only snowboarder in the world. His celebrity surpassed his "sport" during the 2006 Winter Olympics, when he won a gold medal or something. Who cares. He has long red hair, bringing about the nickname "The Flying Tomato." I'm just glad we only have to see him every 4 years.

Team of the Decade - the 00's (Defense)

2010-01-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've been putting this post off for too long. Determining the best defensive players in football can be a tricky thing. It involves what fits the needs of the defensive scheme your team is running. If you're running a 3-4 you want a big fat guy in the middle and two big-but-not-as-fat guys on the outside of the line, a pass rush specialist at left linebacker, two outside linebackers in the middle and a safety at the right outside position. For the sake of this list, we're going to determine the players at traditional positions who had the largest impact on football during the decade that was. Here it is, the long awaited Best Defensive Players of the 00's.

DE - Michael Strahan Big Ol' Michael Strahan was a two time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and in 2001 "broke" the single season sack record with 22.5 (that is if you count Favre laying down for him in the final game of the season in what appeared to me to be a work worthy of the WWE.)

DE - Jason Taylor The only Dancing With The Stars contestant to be named to my 1st team 00's list (Sapp is a runner-up) was originally a third round pick for the Dolphins and went on to 6 Pro Bowls.
Runners Up: Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney

DT - Kevin Williams Kevin didn't make All Pro his rookie year in 2003, and just missed it in 2005. Every other season he has played in the NFL, he has been the All Pro (not just Pro Bowl) DT.

DT - Casey Hampton The big Texan was a first rounder in 2001 and a 5 time Pro Bowler. He has anchored the defensive line in Pittsburg since, and helped lead them to two Super Bowl wins.
Runners Up: Warren Sapp, Richard Seymour, La'Roi Glover

OLB- Derrick Brooks Derrick went to 8 Pro Bowls in the 00's (11 in all) and was by and large the dominant outside linebacker of the 00's. He was named the 2002 Defensive Player of the Year, having 3 interception returns for touchdowns, then another in Tampa's win over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

OLB - Joey Porter Joey is a troubled man. He takes his job seriously. So seriously that during the 2007 offseason he (and 6 "friends") jumped rival offensive lineman Levi Jones in a Las Vegas casino. On the field he was a 4 time Pro Bowler and a crucial member of the Steelers Super Bowl XL team.
Runners Up: Keith Bullock, Julian Peterson

MLB - Ray Lewis The most dominating defensive player in recent memory, Ray was a 3 time AFC Defensive Player of the Year and 11 time Pro Bowler (8 in the 00's). He will probably be remembered as the best Middle Linebacker of all time, not for the two stabbing deaths he was alleged to be involved in after Super Bowl XXXIV.

MLB - Brian Urlacher Brian won the 2000 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and 6 Pro Bowls. Yet for some reason, this guy is widely considered one of the most overrated players in the NFL. His jerseys are one of the top sellers year in and year out, so I think everyone is just jealous.
Runners Up: Zach Thomas, Keith Brooking

CB - Champ Bailey There hasn't been a shut-down corner since Deion left the Cowboys after 1999. Luckily he went to Washington where he rubbed his magic onto a young Champ Bailey. He went to 9 Pro Bowls in the 00's (missing 2008). In a day and age where Corners have about a 3-4 year window of greatness, he has maintained top of the line play for an entire decade.

CB - Ronde Barber Tiki's twin here has been to 5 Pro Bowls, the first in '01 and his latest in '08 disproving my earlier 3-4 year statement. Ronde helped lead the Bucs to their Super Bowl XXXVII victory and is the sole cornerback member of the 20/20 club (20 INT/20 Sacks).
Runners Up: Ty Law, Troy Vincent

FS - Ed Reed Ed has had 6 All Pro seasons in Baltimore and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. His hobbies include scoring touchdown on defense, any way he can. He is the only player in history to return a blocked punt, punt, interception, and fumble for touchdowns. Most impressive is the fact that he has played in 7 post season games with 7 interceptions.
Runners Up: Brian Dawkins, Troy Polamalu

SS - Darren Sharper Darren is a 5 time Pro Bowl player for 3 different teams. He may not be the most well known player on this list, but over the past 10 years he has been an interception machine (he has 63), and an interception return artist. A little known stat that the NFL keeps is the interception return yardage stat. In 2009, an ageless Sharper set this season record at 376 yards (breaking Ed Reeds previous record). With the Saints going to the Super Bowl this year, he could add Super Bowl winner to his resume.
Runners Up: John Lynch, Rodney Harrison

P - Shane Lechler Shane Lechler will go down as the best punter in history. He's a 5 time All Pro player is a rarity in the fact that he is not just a bail-out type punter. He can put the ball on the other side of the field, making it harder (if his teammates weren't the Raiders) for the offense to score (a term I have coined as "Preemptive Punting"). He currently holds the record for highest punting average in NFL history.
Runners Up: Brian Moorman

KR - Josh Cribbs I'll be honest, Dante Hall had this spot until he returned 2 kickoffs in week 15 against the Chiefs. That was bad week for Dante Hall, he had his record 7 kickoff returns for touchdowns broken, then tied in front of his former fans, as well as resulting in his omission from my 00's Team of the Decade. Josh only made 2 pro bowls in the 00's, but did it in fine fashion.
Runners Up: Devin Hester, Dante Hall

Head Coach - Bill Belichick Yes the hoodie is a cheater, a disciplinarian, and genius. He has a 112-48 record in New England, a team he became Head Coach of in 2000, as well as a 14-3 in the playoffs, and has 3 Super Bowl wins to his credit. He would also be considered the General Manager of the decade, as this is included in his duties (until Pioli hires him in Kansas City).
Runners Up: Tony Dungy

Team of the Decade - The 00's (offense)

2010-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! Well the 00's are over, and another decade is in the books, so we here at Rob's Big Ideas have compiled our very own list of the NFL team of the decade. So here is the best the 00's had to offer, as voted by the folks here at Rob's Blog Spot.

QB - Peyton Manning - Peyton's MVP performance in Superbowl XLI finally proved that the Colts made the right choice in selecting Manning over Ryan Leaf.
Runners Up: Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, Ben Rothlisberger

RB - LaDanian Tomlinson - Nobody comes close. LT has been running all over the NFL record book since coming into the league in 2001. In 2008, sportswriters started calling him "washed up", and "irrelevant" because he only had 1,110 and 11 touchdowns.
Runners Up: Shaun Alexander, Edgerin James, Priest Holmes (I'm a homer)

FB - Tony Richardson - Yeah, Lorenzo Neal was awesome, blocking for some great runners (LT, Corey Dillon, and Eddie George) but T Rich made stars of Priest and LJ. The day he left KC, Larry Johnson fell off the map, and Priest Holmes was just a decent back before he joined Tony and the Chiefs. Makes you wonder if Adrian Peterson is really that good.
Runners Up: Lorenzo Neal, Mack Strong

WR - Torry Holt - Torry led the 00's in receptions and receiving yards, and went to 7 Pro Bowls. He played most of the decade along side NFL star Isaac Bruce, yet never stirred the pot because he had to share the work load. He's proof that consistent professionalism keeps the media away, as he is not as much a "household name" as divas T.O. or Chad Ochocinco.

WR - Marvin Harrison - He is proof that consistent professionalism keeps the media away only for so long. Marvelous Marvin also went to 7 Pro Bowls in the 00's, and is second in yardage. He and Peyton became the most prolific passing combination in history during the decade.
Runners Up: Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Hines Ward, Chad Johnson (Ochocinco)

TE - Tony Gonzales - Big number 88 was the most prolific receiving tightend in history, with most of his career being spent in the 00's. He went to 9 Pro Bowls during the 00's and was named All Pro 6 times (3 times second team). He wasn't just a "big receiver," when he was taking criticism for being too one dimensional, he worked on his blocking, helping Priest and Larry to multiple rushing titles. On a side note, he once used the Heimlich Manuever on a Chargers fan to save his life.
Runners UP: Antonio Gates, Todd Heap, Jason Witten

T - Walter Jones - Walt helped Shaun Alexander to one of the best seasons a running back has ever had in 2005, and has been called "the greatest tackle of all time" by a certain (possibly senile) former coach/broadcaster/video game personality. He was named to 8 Pro Bowls in the 00's, so he must be pretty good.

T - Jonathan Ogden - For an entire decade, I traded my first round pick for Ogden in Madden Football. He was that kind of impact player, paving the way for Jamal Lewis's success in the first half of the decade. His was also named to 8 Pro Bowls in the 00's (11 in his career).
Runners Up: Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace

G - Will Shields - Will went to 7 Pro Bowls in the 00's (12 in his career,) and never missed a start for the Chiefs. Kansas City was consistently one of the top ranked offenses in the NFL up until his retirement, after which they quickly fell to the bottom.

G - Alan Faneca - He's got 9 Pro Bowls under his belt, all in the 00's, as well as a Superbowl ring with the 2007 Steelers. I have to admit, I never really thought of him as the dominating lineman he has apparently been for 10 years now.
Runners Up: Steve Hutchinson, Brian Waters

C - Kevin Mawae - Kevin has been around for awhile now, and has earned 6 Pro Bowl appearances in the 00's, one of which came after he was cut by the N.Y. Jets who felt his best days were past him.
Runners Up: Olin Kruetz, Jeff Saturday, Tom Nalen

K - Adam Vinatieri - This guy was clutch for the Pats and Colts, winning 4 Super Bowls in the 00's. That is no fluke. He kicked the game winner in 2 of those Super Bowls, and has hit the game winner 20 of 21 times in his career.
Runners Up: David Akers

Top 10 Ugliest Uniforms and Their Nazi Counterparts pt. 5

2009-12-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

2. Joseph Goebbels and the Denver Nuggets

Goebbels was officially the Minister for Public Enlightenment, which meant he was charged with selling the Nazi idealism to the German masses. Which he did, all too well. He developed the "Big Lie" theory of propaganda, which is based on the "If we say it loud enough, and enough time, it becomes truth" (turn on Fox News if you don't understand). In addition to being probably the best salesman of all time, he was also probably one of the worst human beings of all time (you gotta believe in what you are selling). Some of the evils committed include setting off the attack on German Jews that led to the Holocaust, instigating widespread book burnings, rampant womanizing and pedophilia. He was Hitler's successor as leader of the Reich for one day, before killing his wife and 6 young children, then taking his own life.

The Nuggets of the 80's were horrible, and so were their jerseys. They appear to feature sort of rainbow Tetris motif, that is supposed to represent the Denver skyline on a Rocky Mountain backdrop. According to this logo Denver is some magical place to live (or at least the Gay Pride capital of Colorado), not the cold, thin aired, overpriced pit of misery that we all know it is.

What's the connection?

They are big liars. History can see through the veiled secrets they hid during their reign of misinformation.

1. Adolf Hitler and the Denver Broncos

We all know who Hitler was. So how about some stuff you may not have known? He was a vegetarian, for the most part, only eating meat on occasion. He was an ardent anti-smoker, advocating smoking bans in his bunker (the first thing officer's did after he committed suicide was light up.) He had three known girlfriends in his life, all three of which attempted suicide, with two succeeding. He was Time Magazine's 1938 Man of The Year (wtf?) He was raised Roman Catholic. His middle name was Schicklgruber until he entered politics and removed it due to it's Jewish roots (it was his father's surname until he changed it to Heidler, then Hitler.) History remembers him as the worst human being ever to walk the face of the earth (take that Art Modell.)

I'm not trying to pick on Denver here, but geez. Luckily for all the baby boomers out there, there wasn't a lot of color television going on at the beginning of the 60's when the Broncos first treated the world to these beauties. Unlucky for us in the here and now, you can't turn on ESPN, or read an article on nfl.com without seeing these things. The uniforms aren't terrible, there's something there with the earth-tones in contrast, but those damn socks give me seizures. To really understand, you need to see them in action. They're only temporary, so far being worn twice this season, yet the city of Denver never learns. In 1962 the fans burned these uniforms in a ceremony when the new "Orange Crush" uniforms were unveiled.

What's the connection?

When it's all said and done, and the big one is coming to an end, they'll be long gone, and hopefully mankind can learn from it's mistakes.

Top 10 Ugliest Uniforms and the Nazis That Inspired them. Pt 4

2009-12-11T13:26:00.001-08:00

4. Hermann Goering and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Nazi poster boy Hermann Goering joined the party in 1922, after a very successful aviation career in the first World War. As the years went by he gained momentum as a political force within the Third Reich. By the outbreak of the war he was appointed as the commander of the Luftwaffe. And despite being the most advanced air force on the planet, the Luftwaffe is now remembered as the Washington Generals of the History Channel. In 1945 he was relieved of command and charged with treason. He committed suicide while awaiting execution after the Nuremberg Trials.

The Buccaneers debuted in 1976 (and lost their first 26 games), wearing these uniforms as an AFC West team (because Tampa is in the western United States.) They were sent to the NFC Central the following season (because Tampa is in the center of the United States.), until 2002 when the NFL finally got out a map and sent them to the NFC South (Tampa is in the South, right?) and they won their first Super Bowl. These uniforms, however were long gone. They were ceremoniously discarded in 1996, after only making the playoffs 2 times in their 20 year history. They became a perrenial playoff team almost immediately after the change.

What's the connection?

After 20 years of autrocity and ineptitude, they were finally dismissed of their command.

3. Josef Mengele and the WFL's pants

Dr. Mengele was a "physician" at Auschwitz. The term "physician" here means demented madman with free roam to due horrible experiments on human test subjects in the name of "science." He had a penchant for experimenting on identical twin children, doing bizarre operations such as changing the eye color of his patients, and unnecessary amputations without the use of anesthetics. "Uncle" Mengele operated on approximately 3,000 twins, 26 pairs of which survived. After the war he fled to Argentina where he was hunted, yet not discovered until after his death in 1979.

The World Football League lasted for two glorious seasons, 1974 and 1975. The league was forward thinking, in that they had an "Action Point" which was a precursor to the two point conversion in the NFL. However another attempt at changing the sport as we know it, thankfully did not take off. In 1974 they experimented with position based pant color and design. Some of the examples include - blue for defensive linemen, purple for offensive linemen, white with three stars down the side for quarterbacks, and so on. Luckily the league folded soon after. Interestingly, because of the financial trouble the league was in, after World Bowl 1, the team's uniforms were confiscated by the local sherrif's department as collateral. This is so far as I know, the only time uniforms have been arrested.

What's the connection?

They were responsible for horrible experiments released upon human kind, only to disappear entirely shortly after.

Top 10 Ugliest Uniforms and the Nazis That Inspired them. Pt 3

2009-11-30T09:45:00.001-08:00

6. Heinrich Muller and the Chicago White Sox

Heinrich Muller was the head of the Gestapo and a main player in the planning of the Holocaust. He was last seen walking around the Fuhrerbunker the day after Hitler committed suicide. He remains the highest ranking Nazi whose ultimate fate is unknown.

These beauties were the brainchild of Chicago owner Bill Veeck. Veeck often used gimmicks to sell tickets (like the infamous disco demolition night), and this was one of his many 1976 stunts. Only worn once that summer, no attempt has been made to bring them back.

What's the connection?

No one is sure what happened to them, and however unlikely, the fear that they could return has terrified people for years.

5. Heinrich Himmler and the Houston Astros

Heinrich Himmler was the leader of the S.S., Minister of the Interior, Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Rhine and an all-round bad guy. He was one of the most powerful men in the Third Reich, and once attempted peace negotiations with the Allies. He was also involved in an attempted assassination of Hitler, so as to gain power. At the end of his life, he was hunted by both the Axis powers and the Allies.

First adorned in the late 70's, these sunrise inspired disco shirts remained throughout the Astros heydays of the 80's. They looked rather silly, and even made Nolan Ryan look less intimidating.

What's the connection?

These disgusting things started out strong, but ended up hated by everybody.

Top 10 Ugliest Uniforms and the Nazis That Inspired them. Pt 2

2009-11-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

8. Adolf Eichmann and the Vancouver Canucks

Eichmann is known as "the architect of the Holocaust", as he was in charge of the transportation of Jews to internment camps. He was caught hiding out in Argentina in 1960, and executed in Israel as a war criminal.

The Canucks first sported these safety vests in 1979 until finally being replaced in 1986.

What's the connection?

They appear to have worked for the transportation department until finally being killed, much too late.

7. Rudolf Hess and the Seattle Seahawks

Rudolf Hess was Hitler's top deputy, until, for unknown reasons, he crashed a plane in Scotland. Theories on this strange flight range from defection, to an attempt for peace, to the man just being insane.

The Seahawks expanded on their neon green stripe idea until it encompassed their entire torso, and the helmet is still a different shade of blue than the rest of the jersey. So far it has only made a few appearances this season.

What's the connection?

They've got a scheme that is just mind-boggling, and may never be understood.

Top 10 Ugliest Uniforms and the Nazis That Inspired them. Pt 1

2009-11-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

No one likes Nazis. There was a whole war about it. Also, no one likes ugly uniforms. So here are the most hideous uniforms in history, and the Nazis that inspired them.

10. Reinhard Gehlen and the Pittsburgh Pirates

Reinhard Gehlen was a Nazi spy, who after the war worked for the U.S. as their top intelligence agent working against the Soviet Union.

The Pirates wore these jerseys in the late 70's and early 80's, most notably during the "We Are Family" 1979 championship season.

What's the connection?

They may be bad, but there is also something good to remember them by.

9. Artur Axmann and the Oregon Ducks

Axmann was the chief officer responsible for the organization and actions of the Hitler Youth.

These neon forest uniforms have been worn by the University of Oregon for the past few years, and are fondly embraced by the student body.

What's the connection?

They are a horrible influence on impressionable minds

8. Adolf Eichmann and the Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks first sported these safety vests in 1979 until finally being replaced in 1986.

What's the connection?

They appear to have worked for the transportation department until finally being killed, much too late.

7. Rudolf Hess and the Seattle Seahawks

What's the connection?

They've got a scheme that is just mind-boggling, and may never be understood.

6. Heinrich Muller and the Chicago White Sox

What's the connection?

No one is sure what happened to them, and however unlikely, the fear that they could return has terrified people for years.

5. Heinrich Himmler and the Houston Astros

First adorned in the late 70's, these sunrise inspired disco shirts remained throughout the Astros heydays of the 80's. They looked rather silly, and even made Nolan Ryan look less intimidating.

What's the connection?

These disgusting things started out strong, but ended up hated by everybody.

4. Hermann Goering and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What's the connection?

After 20 years of autrocity and ineptitude, they were finally dismissed of their command.

3. Josef Mengele and the WFL's pants

What's the connection?

They were responsible for horrible experiments released upon human kind, only to disappear entirely shortly after.

2. Joseph Goebbels and the Denver Nuggets

What's the connection?

They are big liars. History can see through the veiled secrets they hid during their reign of misinformation.

1. Adolf Hitler and the Denver Broncos

What's the connection?

When it's all said and done, and the big one is coming to an end, they'll be long gone, and hopefully mankind can learn from it's mistakes.

Ten Things You Would Notice if You Were Watching a Baseball Game in the 19th Century

2009-11-12T00:36:00.000-08:00

The game of baseball began as the English children's game called rounders in the early 1800's. As with most sports, it went through some odd growing pains until it developed into what we now consider baseball. Prior to 1900 (considered modern era) there are a few things you would immediately notice.

Jamie Moyer was a bit younger then.

10. The Innings
There are nine innings in baseball. That's common knowledge. Unless the civil war hasn't happened yet, then you have to score 21 aces before you can go home. There were 3 outs per offensive strike, then the opposing team would get there attempt to come to strike, and so on. Until someone scored 21 points. In 1857 the powers that be settled on 9 of these innings, rather than a set score to reach, saving us from 7 hour games, for the most part.

Because the Amish cannot stay out that late.

9. The Gloves

Or the lack there of. Players simply were too manly to wear gloves. Early attempts by players to wear gloves resulted in childish name calling. Sticks and stones may break their bones, but in the 1870's words could hurt you more. It wasn't until 1875 that players came to their senses. Somewhat. The early gloves were leather with slightly padded palms. And no fingers. You ever stubbed a toe. You can stub fingers too.

pictured: not a sissy-girl

8. The Ball

The old horsehide, literally made of horsehide back then, was dark brown (as leather is when not dyed), and therefore, hard to see. The home team supplied the one ball that was to be used during a game, and the winner took home said ball as a trophy. This was significant as the balls were generally made by the players themselves. Mostly noticeable is the stitching. The "lemon peel" stitching was the common style until the 1870's when the "figure 8" design we all know now came into use. The oddest thing, in Alexander Cartwrights 1845 rules, a baseball hit over the fence was a strike, so balls would not be lost. Yeah, no homeruns.

Bonds would have come off as even more of a jerk.

7. The Umpire

Picked by the captains of each team from a list of respected locals and paid a princely sum of $5, umpiring was not an easy task during the dawn of the industrial era. These days there are four umpires in major league game. Those days there was one. Even Little League games have two umpires. The umpire not only had to be up to speed on whatever crazy rule change happened that week, he also was the end-all-be-all authority in the stadium. He had reign over fans, fines and rulings during his 21 aces on the field. To help him out, he was allowed to ask fans for their perspective on a call before rendering his decision, until 1882.

1882 also was the first year alcohol was sold in a stadium.

6. The Inside Pitch

Pitchers didn't throw in the upper 90's back then, so inside pitches were their only way to show their intimidation factor. Did I say "inside pitch"? I meant "hit the guy in the head." There was no Hit-by-Pitch rule until 1870. Prior to this, and having nine balls before a walk, pitchers would repeatedly plunk batters to get them off their game. Could you imagine that now. We'd have batters wearing football uniforms at the plate. Or ridiculous looking helmets. (Our hero, the 1800's batter of course had no helmet)

Shake it off. You're at bat.

5. The Pitchers

Goodness. The pitching rules. We'll just say they used to pitch from a box, much like the batters box, of varying sizes and distance, until 1893 when the pitching rubber was invented and the powers that be came to the completely logical distance of 60 foot 6 inches (everything in baseball has to be divisible by 3). Mounds eventually came into use, raised, lowered, raised and lowered again in 1969. And until 1884, pitchers had to throw underhand.

pictured: 1883 Cincinnati Reds

4. The Color

In 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, becoming the first black player in Major League history, right? Wrong. Prior to the 1890's there were black players in baseball. Cap Anson was baseball's biggest star at the end of the 19th century. He was also one of history's biggest bigots. He started refusing to play in games where a black man also played. Not wanting to lose money due to Anson's no-showing games, clubs quickly released players of color. This "gentlemen's agreement" went unchallenged until after Hitler's (history's #1 bigot) atrocities came to light and people started feeling guilty about racism (somewhat.)

Nine gentlemen.

3. The Called Pitch

Did you know at one point in time, you could ask for a high or low pitch. Seriously, it was in the rules that before the pitch, the batter decided if he wanted a pitch up, or down in the strike zone. If the pitch wasn't deemed at the correct height it was a ball. Can't hit the low and away ball? It's okay just call for a high pitch. Just don't forget the guy with the ball can hit you about as many times as he wants to.

High or Low? Just reach the plate.

2. The Home Plate

Home plate used to be made of marble. Or Iron. Hopefully just wood. Remember there was no padding, and their were still collisions at home. And sliding. You ever slide noggin first into a plate of iron at full tilt? These days home plate is made of rubber, and is less likely to give you a concussion when you steal home.

Baseball is a rich man's sport these days.

1. The Count
Alright. How many strikes in an out? And how many balls before you can take your base? Try 4 strikes and up to 9 balls. That is, after the invention of strikes and balls. A rule was enacted in 1858 that allowed the umpire to call strikes on pitches he deemed hittable. The numbers varied on strikes and balls until 1899 when we got our current 3 strikes and 4 balls rule. These pitchers routinely pitched complete games, every game, AND had up to 9 balls and 4 strikes per batter? Could you imagine the pitch count on these guys?

I think I got another 400 pitches in me coach.

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Canadian Football

2009-11-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

Now, I've never seen a CFL game, and have no idea where (other than Canada) I would be able to see one. Nor do I have any desire to see one, but doing research on the subject, I've come to the conclusion it would probably drive me insane. It resembles American Football, they have uniforms, helmets, goal posts and lines on the field. However...

10. The field is 110 yards long (sweet seats on the 55 yardline), 65 yards wide (53 1/3 in the U.S.) and has endzones 20 yards deep.

9. The goal posts are still on the front of the endzone, the NFL moved them back before the 1974 season to reduce field goals and increase touchdowns.

8. They play with 12 players on each side of the ball, with the extra one on offense usually being a running back and a defensive back (defensive half back) on defense.

7. They play 3 downs instead of 4. That would confuse the heck out of me. "It's third and long, better punt"

6. Teams only have 1 timeout per half, with clock stoppages after every play within the 3 minute warning.

5. When a fumble goes out of bounds, the last team to touch it gets it, regardless of who last had possession.

4. The ball is much more oblong than the NFL football, making it harder to throw.

3. The CFL has a 42 man roster, 21 of which have to be Canadian.

2. Defense has to play 1 yard off the line scrimmage, and have only a 1 yard "bump and run" cushion.

1. There is no fair catch rule. Only the kicker (or any player behind the kicker) can come within 5 yards of the return man until he has possession. The kicker (or any player behind the kicker) is also the only one who can recover a kick that has not been fielded, and he can then advance the ball.

Well, there ya go Canada, you whacky canucks.

Things to Consider... (when writing a top 10 baseball movies list)

2009-11-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

As I wrote this list, I saw the formulatic pattern the studios were using to churn out great baseball movies (the resemblance most obvious with Major League and Bull Durham.) It is not a coincidence that between 1988 and 1989, four of the movies on this list were made (beside the fact I was in little league at this time and just ate baseball up.) Hollywood started coming up with a baseball formula way back with "The Babe Ruth Story" in 1948, and added to it as movies found success. Here is a list of questions studios look at when considering green lighting a baseball movie:

1. Is it based on a New York team(everyone lives in New York right)?
2. Is Kevin Costner in it?
3. Can we get Charlie Sheen?
4. Is James Earl Jones available, too?
5. Everyone loves an underdog, can the team suck?
6. Is there a pitcher/catcher relationship to exploit for plot purposes?
7. There's a superstitious latino player on the team, right?
8. And an unscrupulous reporter hanging around the club house?
9. Is Shoeless Joe Jackson a character in the movie? People love silly nicknames.
10. Management is a stressful career, can we make the coach an alcoholic?

Using the formula above, we get the following facts:
Bang the Drum Slowly gets 2 points.
Bad News Bears gets 3 points.
A League of Their Own gets 3 points.
Eight Men Out gets 3 points.
61* gets just 2 points.
The Sandlot gets just 2 points.
Major League has a hefty 4 points.
The Natural gets 3 points.
Field of Dreams gets 3 points (unless you count Ray and his Father as Pitcher/Catcher, in which case it gets 4 points.)
Bull Durham also has 4 points.

Perhaps I should re-look at this ranking. But before I can do that, I have a script to write where Shoeless Joe Jackson, played by Charlie Sheen catches for the New York Bombers, along with his best friend, a Hatian witchdoctor/pitcher played by James Earl Jones, coached by a drop-down-drunk Kevin Costner. Along the way, the team has to overcome the hostile New York media to win their first pennant in a hundred years. Throw in a trip to the hospital to see a dying kid and... Hello Hollywood!

Top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time (pt 5)

2009-10-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

2. Field of Dreams (1989)

"It's okay, honey. I... I was just talking to the cornfield."

You thought the quote would be "If you build it, he will come" didn't you. This movie about an Iowa farmer with daddy issues having a midlife crisis is based on W.P. Kinsella's novel "Shoeless Joe." The studio actually refused to use the book title as the movie title because they were afraid the movie-going public would think it was about a homeless guy. All the homeless guys I know have shoes, silly studios. Not so much about baseball as it is about life (as stated on the VHS tape jacket), it stars Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson, and James Earl Jones as Terry Mann (an author that was J.D. Salinger in the book version.) A voice tells Ray to build a ballfield on his Iowa farm so that Shoeless Joe can return. The ghosts of the 1919 White Sox (rember Eight Men Out from earlier?) walk out of the cornfield to play baseball, something apparently not offered in heaven. Ray keeps hearing the voice and doing it's bidding, until the final scene, where he asks "what's in it for me?," and Joe points to the catcher, some words are said, and everyone cries.

1. Bull Durham (1988)

"This a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."

Here comes Kevin Costner again, as Crash Davis, journeyman minor league catcher who hands out wisdom like some sort of life-experience dispensing ATM machine. Susan Surandon plays Annie Savoy, an aging groupie, who hands out sex like some sort of sex dispensing ATM machine. She is however, in the pretext of the baseball season, monogamous. Every season she picks one of the ball players on the Durham Bulls minor league team, has a relationship with them, and then they move on. She is considered a good-luck charm, as not a ballplayer yet has not had their finest season when he is with her. This year it is young hard-throwing pitcher Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins). Crash happens to be brought in to tudor young Nuke. The sexual tension between Crash and Annie is played out through their mutual control over Nuke. This film makes you want to spend a summer on a bus in the Carolina Leagues. It looks like baseball, feels like baseball, and smells like pinetar.

Top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time (pt 4)

2009-10-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

4. Major League (1989)

"JUUUSSSTTT a bit outside"

Now this list gets serious. Major League came out in '89, and if you went to a little league game around that time, you wouldn't need to see the movie to quote the entire script. We start the movie learning that the owner of the Cleveland Indians has died and left it to his Vegas showgirl wife Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton) who hates the city and plans to move the team to Florida. She goes about hiring the worst players she can find; Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) is an aging, washed-up catcher playing in the Mexican League; Roger Dorn (Corben Bernsen), an arrogant half-asser is the loan remainder from the previous season at third base; Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes) is a speedy centerfielder who wasn't even invited to training camp; and Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) is a ex-con pitcher with a nasty uncontrollable fastball. Bob Uecker is a quote machine as Harry Doyle, the Indians radio announcer. The loser team rallies around their hatred for Phelps in their quest to win the pennant and make us laugh. This movie spawned two unwatchable sequels (Major League 2, and Major League: Back to the Minors) which pretty much followed the same script, minus the laughter.

3. The Natural (1984)

"It took me 16 years to get here. You play me, and I'll give ya the best I got"

I don't know if Bernard Malamud spent billions on a secret lab full of scientists and sportswriters to come up with the perfect baseball name, but "Roy Hobbs" just sounds like a ballplayer. The Natural is based on Malamud's 1952 book of the same name, and follows 19 year old Hobbs (played by 48 year-old Robert Redford) as he leaves the family farm to pitch in the majors. After striking out The Whammer (a Babe Ruth clone) in a carnival exhibition, he is shot by a mysterious woman for mysterious reasons. He disappears from baseball before ever arriving, only to reappear 16 years later as a 35 rookie outfielder for the lowly New York Knights. The story evokes themes from both the Aurhurian Myths of Sir Percival, Homer's Odyssey, and good old fashioned baseball. It sounds a little high-brow for a baseball movie, but is saved by the fact Wilford Brimley plays coach Pop Fisher.

Top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time (pt 3)

2009-10-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

6. 61* (2001)

"He hit 40 homeruns last year, a lot of players would kill for that kind of "off" season"

This HBO movies was directed by Billy Crystal and starred Barry Pepper as Roger Maris, Thomas Jayne as Mickey Mantle, and Anthony Michael Hall as Whitey Ford. It followed the story of the "M&M Boy's" 1961 chase to beat Babe Ruth's single season record of 60 home runs. The Mick was everybody's favorite ballplayer, while Maris was a quiet newcomer to New York. Despite being the league MVP in '60, the New York media buried Maris for his quiet demeanor and strict non-MickeyMantleness. This movie showed an unflattering, and honest look at the "all-american" Mickey Mantle as a womanizing drunk with a mouth like a sailor, which plays an "Odd Couple" theme in contrast to Maris's ah-shucks, family-centric sense of morals. Maris comes off as sweet and tragic while Mickey comes off as awesome and tragic.

5. The Sandlot (1993)

"Anyone who wants to be a can't-hack-it pantywaist who wears their mama's bra, raise your hand"

This movie would have been almost as awesome as "The Goonies" had it come out 7 years earlier. Taking place in 1962, it follows 12 year-old Scotty Smalls as he moves to a new neighborhood in L.A. and befriends a group of kids who play small-ball in an empty lot. They don't hit homeruns because over the outfield fence is a ferocious dog named Hercules, and they have only one ball. One day Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez knocks the cover off the ball, so Scotty runs home and grabs his stepfather's ball that is autographed by "some girl" (Babe Ruth), which he promptly hits over the fence, into the dog's territory. Fiascos ensue, and James Earl Jones appears as a former Negro League player, and tells us why baseball is good.

top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time (pt 2)

2009-10-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

8. A League of Their Own (1992)

"Are you crying? There's no crying in baseball!"

This star packed feature directed by Laverne, tells the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) that was formed in 1943 while most MLB stars were fighting in WWII. It follows Dottie Henson (Geena Davis) as she and her kid sis Kit Keller (Lori Petty) join the Rockford Peaches and manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) for the first season of the fledgling league. Rosie O'Donnell as Doris Murphy and Madonna as "All the Way" Mae Mordabito round out the cast of lady ballplayers. Most of the comedy comes from the changing perception of the stereotypical female in the 40's set against the masculine backdrop of baseball. There's something immediately funny thinking about your grandmother's clubhouse etiquette.

7. Eight Men Out (1988)

"Say it ain't so, Joe"

In 1919, 8 Chicago White Sox players took money from gangsters to throw the World Series. This is their story. This movie really centers around Buck Weaver (John Cusack) and his story that he never took any money, and never attempted to throw any games. Of the other 7 players, we have Eddie Cicotte (David Straitharn), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (D.B. Sweeney) and "Hap" Felsch (Charlie Sheen). The other players play mostly incidental spots in this version. The entire incident is commonly known as the "Black Sox Scandal." This term is quite ironic, as the label "Black Sox" had been used for years before the scandal due to owner/cheap-ass Charlie Comisky's policy of making the players wash their own uniforms because he did not want to pay the laundry bill, resulting in stained uniforms. This was before free-agency, and baseball had an anti-trust agreement with the U.S. government, so players were basically slaves. They had to take the meager pay, or not have a job. I think I'd have taken the money, too.

Top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time pt 1

2009-10-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

10. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)

"Skip the facts, just give me the details."

Released in 1973, and based on the 1956 Mark Harris novel, this film starred Michael Moriarty as Henry "Author" Wiggen, a veteran pitcher for the fictional New York Mammoths, and his friendship with his dim-witted catcher Bruce Pearson (an unkown actor named Robert De Niro) who has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. The movie works a little sad, but really seems to capture the life of ball players back in the days before free agency, agents, and out-of-the-world salaries. For instance, because of their low pay, the ball players have come up with a card game called tegwar (The Exciting Game Without Any Rules) that they play in hotel lobbies to scam other patrons out of money, and Henry is often seen trying to sell insurance to his teammates (his offseason job). A touching tear-jerker-for-the-fellas, I consider this the "Brian's Song" of baseball movies.

9. The Bad News Bears (1976)

"All we got on this team are a buncha' jews, spics, niggers, pansies and a booger-eatin' moron"

The original Bad News Bears starred Walter Matthau as Morris Buttermaker, a former minor league player and current alcoholic, who has been hired to coach a little league team that has been added due to lawsuits charging that underskilled children are not being allowed to join teams in the league. Morris inherits a team of misfits and outcasts that lose their first game 26-0 without getting an out. He recruits an ex-girlfriend's daughter, Amanda Hurlitzer (Tatum O'Neal) as his star pitcher. He then finds the best athlete in the area, 12 year old Kelly Leach (Jackie Earle Haley, or Rorschach) who rides a Harley, smokes cigarettes, and hangs out around the ballpark because "there's a lot of nice ass at the field". It was written by Burt Lancaster's son Bill Lancaster and spawned 2 more movies, Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977), Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978), a CBS television series from '79 to '80, and a decent 2005 remake starring Billy Bob Thorton.

Top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time

2009-10-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the MLB playoffs are heating up so this week here at Rob's Big Ideas we will be featuring a list of the best baseball movies ever made (as voted by me.) I've only included movies I've seen, as there are maybe 2 baseball movies ever made that I have not seen, so this is not an all-inclusive list. Let's see how well I, and you, remember these movies about the great american pastime.

10. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)

"Skip the facts, just give me the details."

9. The Bad News Bears (1976)

"All we got on this team are a buncha' jews, spics, niggers, pansies and a booger-eatin' moron"

8. A League of Their Own (1992)

"Are you crying? There's no crying in baseball!"

7. Eight Men Out (1988)

"Say it ain't so, Joe"

6. 61* (2001)

"He hit 40 homeruns last year, a lot of players would kill for that kind of "off" season"

5. The Sandlot (1993)

"Anyone who wants to be a can't-hack-it pantywaist who wears their mama's bra, raise your hand"

4. Major League (1989)

"JUUUSSSTTT a bit outside"

3. The Natural (1984)

"It took me 16 years to get here. You play me, and I'll give ya the best I got"

2. Field of Dreams (1989)

"It's okay, honey. I... I was just talking to the cornfield."

1. Bull Durham (1988)

"This a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."

Top 10 Punters All-Time pt 5

2009-10-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

2. Sammy Baugh (Washington '37-'52)

Grandpa here is widely regarded as the one of the best football players (and athletes) of all time. In college he was a 2 time All-American at TCU. Followed by a stint as a short stop in the St. Louis Cardinals orginization. In 1937 he moved to Washington, DC to play for the newly moved Washington Redskins. Slingin' Sammy was an All Pro Quarterback, Defensive Back and Punter, at the same time. Multiple times. He was on the field the entire game, offense, defense and special teams. Despite this, the guy carried a 45.1 yards per punt for his career, that wasn't broken until recently by Shane Lechler. He was a Hall of Fame Quarterback, who in his spare time was the greatest punter in history, until draft day 1973...

1. Ray Guy (Oakland/L.A. Raiders '73-'86)

Ray Guy was taken in the first round of the 1973 draft. The only pure punter to be taken so high. A 6 time All Pro, he was named to the all 70's team, the NFL 75th Anniversary team, both the Mississippi and Georgia Sports Hall of Fames and has a collegiate award named after him. He was known for his high, booming kicks, that once hit the ceiling of the Superdome. Ray won 3 Superbowls with the Raiders, once kicked 619 punts in a row without having one blocked, and never had a punt returned for a touchdown. Before he came along, the NFL didn't track hang time, keep punts inside the 20 as a stat, or consider punters as football players. He is often brought up as one of the top players not in the hall of fame, and is considered for induction every year. I ask you, Mr. Hall of Fame Voter, when will this prejudice end. Punters wear helmets and facemasks and pads just like real football players. Equality for all man, equality for all.

Top 10 Punters of All-Time pt 4

2009-10-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

4. Jerrel Wilson (Kansas City '63-'77, N.E. '78)

One of the most underrated punters/players in history, Jerrel "Thunderfoot" Wilson came out of Southern Miss to join the Chiefs after the '63 draft. Listed as a 3rd string running back, he was one of the few players at the time whose roster spot was reserved as a special-teamer. He seemingly revolutionized the position (as did fellow teamate Jan Stenerud) as teams around the league started seeing the potential advantage of "specialists". He became a 3 time AFL All Star and a 3 time NFL Pro Bowler. Named to the all-time AFL team, "The Duck" as he was sometimes known, led the league in punting 4 times, only one other guy has ever done that.

3. Shane Lechler (Oakland 2000-present)
This guy is a weapon. A special teams weapon that cannot score points, but a weapon none the less. His 47 yd punting average is an all-time record, and he's currently sporting a 52.4 average on the 2009 season. These numbers come at a price, as his $12 million for 4 year salary shattered the price tag of NFL punters. He is probably the Raiders true defensive MVP these past few seasons considering the Raiders have given up 382 yards per game this season. Simply put, he puts the ball at the opponents end of the field, then he walks off the field and the opponents walk it 80+ yards for a score. Repeat. That's a Raiders game.

Top 10 Punters of All-Time pt 3

2009-10-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

6. Jeff Feagles (New England '88-'89, Philadelphia '90-'93, Arizona '94-'97, Seattle '98-'02, N.Y. Giants '03-present)

Jeff Feagles is old. He started out as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots in 1988. Twenty-one years, four teams, and 342 (as of this week) games later, and he is still considered one of the better punters in the NFL as a N.Y. Giant. He is a two time pro bowler, one time Super Bowl winner, and has one National Championship to his credit. He is the NFL career leader in punts, punts inside the 20, and punting yards. His 342 (as of this week) games are an NFL record for consecutive games played. That's over 20 years of not missing a day of work - impressive, except he's just a punter. It's not like he's a fast food employee or something. Let's see the guy at the McDonald's drive-thru not miss a day for 20 years. Now that would be impressive.

5. Sean Landeta (Philadelphia Stars (USFL) '83-'84, N.Y. Giants '85-'93, St. Louis Rams '93-'96, Tampa Bay '97, Green Bay '98, Philadelphia '99-'02, St. Louis Rams '03-'04, Philadelphia '05, N.Y. Giants '06)
Sean started life out as a star in the USFL, being named to the All-USFL team during both USFL seasons, along with the all-time USFL team (that sounds like a joke, but that list included Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, Gary Zimmerman and Reggie White). He was the last active former USFL player in the NFL. He was a 3 time NFL All Pro, 2 time Super Bowl winner, and was named to both the All-80's and All-90's teams by the NFL. He even made a guest appearance on Sesame Street one time. However, the most impressive of all of these feats is that he was the last active player in the NFL to appear in the original Tecmo Bowl.

Top 10 Punters All-Time pt 2

2009-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

8. Brian Moorman (Buffalo 2001-present)

Playing at Division II powerhouse Pittsburg State University, Moorman was not just an all-american (DII) punter, but was the collegiate national champion in the 400m from '97-'99. After leaving the Gorillas as the most decorated athlete in school history, he spent 2 years being cut by the Seahawks, before being signed by the Buffalo Bills and sent to Berlin to play in NFL Europa. In Berlin he led the league in punting for 2 consecutive seasons, and was brought back to Still-Within-The-United-States-But-Close-Enough-to-Canada-to-be-considered-in-Canada Buffalo and was named to 2 Pro Bowls, and as an alternate to 3 more. He has been considered, even by Bills fans, as the best player, and only "good" one to play in Buffalo for the past decade or so, yet is most known for being set vertical by the late Sean Taylor in the 2006 Pro Bowl.

7. Tommy Tupa (7 teams '88-'05)

As a teenager, Tom won the NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick contest, foreshadowing what would lead to an impressive Madden 2000 rating. He was THE starting Quarterback for THE Ohio State before being drafted in the 3rd round of the '88 draft by THE Pheonix Cardinals. He was eventually named the starting the quarterback by 1991, and then cut. He spent a year at backup QB before deciding "hey, punters are people too," and converted to punter. He was signed by the Browns, then cut. Then re-signed as the new punter in Cleveland. His time in Cleveland was not remarkable, other than his proficiency for converting the newly added two-point conversion option. In 1994 he was the first ever NFL player to convert a 2-point attempt. Then did it 2 more times that season. "Two Point" Tupa went on to be an All-Pro in '99 and the most sought after punter in Madden Football history.

Top 10 Punters of All-Time

2009-10-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome all to our first attempt here at Rob's Big Ideas. We will be posting mostly in an oh-so-easy top ten format following the random thinking and interest of editor Rob (from Rob's Big Ideas fame). So here we go, we'll start with the much under-appreciated (and often ridiculed) profession in all of sports, the punter. No true punter has ever been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. No true punter has ever won any meaningful award in the history of sports. They often play in the NFL for 20+ years, and yet most fans can name more officials in the league than punters. So here's to the poor bastards that still pull down a 6 digit salary and only really work one day a week for 5 months of the year.

10. Russell Erxleben (New Orleans '79-'83, Detroit 1987)

Russell Erxleben played college ball for Texas University and was the only 3 time consensus all american (1976,1977,1978) at the position. A punter and kicker, he owns the longest field goal in NCAA history at 67 yards. This unprecidented collegiate career led to Russell being named to this list, and picked in the first round (11th overall) by the Saints in 1979, two slots before HOFer Kellen Winslow (the good one). He went on to 5 years of mediocrity and ineptitude for the Saints, coming back for a game with Lions 4 years later and a 7 year stint in federal prison for fraud and money laundering, making him the have-to-pick for the punter/kicker in any "The Longest Yard" list.

9. Bob Cameron (Winnepeg Blue Bombers (CFL) 1980-2002)

If longevity means greatness, and Canada means America's hat, then Bob Cameron was a guy with a job and universal health care. He won the Hec Crighton Trophy in college, an award given to the most outstanding college football player IN CANADA. If you were not aware they had colleges in Canada, let alone that they had college football programs in Canada, or an award for the best player in said programs, just have a look at the luminaries that have won this prestigious award. He was a 4 time CFL All-Star, the '88 Manitoba Athlete of the Year(?), a 3 time Grey Cup (Canada's Super Bowl) winner and the '88 Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian (not the MVP of the game, just the most valuable Canadian to play in the game.) He holds the record, all-time, of any league, with a total of 122.8 km (134,301 yards) punting (of course, in Canada the field is 110 yards long and they play 18 games a season.) So why didn't he ever get a look from NFL scouts? He's still just the fastest kid on the special olympic team.

8. Brian Moorman (Buffalo 2001-present)

7. Tommy Tupa (7 teams '88-'05)

6. Jeff Feagles (New England '88-'89, Philadelphia '90-'93, Arizona '94-'97, Seattle '98-'02, N.Y. Giants '03-present)

Sean started life out as a star in the USFL, being named to the All-USFL team during both USFL seasons, along with the all-time USFL team (that sounds like a joke, but that list included Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, Gary Zimmerman and Reggie White). He was the last active former USFL player in the NFL. He was a 3 time NFL All Pro, 2 time Super Bowl winner, and was named to both the All-80's and All-90's teams by the NFL. He even made a guest appearance on Sesame Street one time. However, the most impressive of all of these feats is that he was the last active player in the NFL to appear in the original Tecmo Bowl.

4. Jerrel Wilson (Kansas City '63-'77, N.E. '78)

3. Shane Lechler (Oakland 2000-present)

This guy is a weapon. A special teams weapon that cannot score points, but a weapon none the less. His 47 yd punting average is an all-time record, and he's currently sporting a 52.4 average on the 2009 season. These numbers come at a price, as his $12 million for 4 year salary shattered the price tag of NFL punters. He is probably the Raiders true defensive MVP these past few seasons considering the Raiders have given up 382 yards per game this season. Simply put, he puts the ball at the opponents end of the field, then he walks off the field and the opponents walk it 80+ yards for a score. Repeat. That's a Raiders game.

2. Sammy Baugh (Washington '37-'52)

1. Ray Guy (Oakland/L.A. Raiders '73-'86)