No need to check your calendar, it’s only December. But the Golden Grizzlies are already making a case for their third invitation to the national tournament, and second as many years.

Last year, Oakland made a quick exit dropping a first-round decision (89-66) to Pittsburgh, but early indications point toward a possible Cinderella story this season.

So far in the 2010-2011 campaign, the Golden Grizzlies have played against four top 25 teams and have had legitimate shots to win three. Tuesday was the fourth in Knoxville taking on the seventh-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

Walking into an arena with so much history and tradition could have been overwhelming for the Summit League leaders, but they proved the previous three upset attempts weren’t flukes when the Golden Grizzlies defeated the Volunteers 89-82.

Tennessee was sitting with a fairly comfortable eight-point lead when Oakland used a 13-0 run late in the second half that spanned nearly five minutes to go up 81-76 with just under two minutes remaining in the game. And even after the Volunteers snapped the run, Oakland guard Larry Wright hit his third three-pointer of the game to extend the lead to 85-79 with just 37 seconds to go.

The celebration was mild when the buzzer sounded as though the Golden Grizzlies expected to give Tennessee its first loss of the season. The Volunteers had just come off an 83-76 win over No. 3 Pitt three days earlier. It was Pitt’s first loss of the season, and an emotional letdown could be an excuse for Tennessee’s defeat. But looking deeper into the matchup, more credit should be given to Oakland for pulling off the impressive victory.

On November 21, Oakland played close with ninth-ranked Purdue, and despite losing 82-67 trailed by only four with just over 11 minutes to go in the game. And a little over two weeks later, the Golden Grizzlies came closer than expected to defeating No. 17 Illinois, and held a lead well into the second half until the Illini used a 17-0 run to regain their second and final lead of the game.

Just three days later, Oakland nearly knocked off No. 8 Michigan State losing 77-76.

For everyone outside of the Oakland University program, the recent upset and close calls are shocking and impressive. But for the defending Summit League champs, it’s expected. The Golden Grizzlies consider themselves a strong up-and-coming mid-major worthy of making noise on the big stage and have no plans of letting up.

Saturday they will go for their second upset of the season against Michigan, and will then have one more chance to improve their resume against No. 2 Ohio State before entering conference play.

With solid play through the remainder of the season, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the Golden Grizzlies eventually cracked the top 25 before the end of the season.

Perhaps it would have benefitted them more if they didn’t hit their stride until tournament time. Oakland is by no means going to surprise anyone in March. But that’s just fine with them because regardless of the opponent, the Golden Grizzlies no longer consider themselves an underdog. They believe they can compete with the nation’s elite. And they’ve proven as much.

As one of the hottest free agents on the market this offseason, much of the speculation about Lee’s new home pointed toward the New York Yankees. After all, the Yankees have seemingly had their way in free agency with the ability to throw money at any superstar they thought might help them add to their trophy case. And as expected, after making his way west as far as Seattle and then to Texas, Lee once again decided to head east agreeing to a contract worth over $100 million.

But Lee won’t be making his home in New York. This time, the Yankees lost out in the bidding war over one of MLB’s top hurlers. The kicker is that the Steinbrenners actually got undercut on the deal. Lee left an estimated $30 million on the table so he could return to Philadelphia to team up with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in what will arguably be pro baseball’s best starting rotation for the 2011 season.

Lee’s signing doesn’t guarantee the Phillies a World Series title or even a National League pennant. The prospects of winning the NL East are pretty good though, and Philadelphia will likely be at the top of the list for anyone picking winners for the upcoming season.

From last season to now, the Phillies have done nothing but strengthen their starting rotation, first trading away Lee to make room for the signing of Halladay, picking up Oswalt in time for the playoffs, and now luring Lee back into the fold.

But perhaps the real winners in this deal are the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees have always made deals to one-up the Red Sox. So far during the offseason, Boston has signed outfielder Carl Crawford and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. It was New York’s turn to make a move. It just always happens. Yankees fans expected nothing less than Lee agreeing to play in New York. Instead, Boston breathed a sigh of relief and the Yankees were shunned and stunned.

New York offered Lee a six-year deal with an option that could have reached $154 million. Nobody outbids the Yankees, and that was still true in this case. Lee’s deal with the Phillies is worth nearly $120 million over six years.

So why would a professional athlete turn down so much money and playing in New York all in one contract? The answer could simply be that Lee and his family prefer living in Philadelphia over New York. Maybe he’s just not fond of the Yankees. Or maybe this has not as much to do with Lee as it does the Yankees.

Could this be the end of the Yankees’ free agency run? Certainly one loss doesn’t mark the end of the team’s dominance. The money is still there and there will surely be more big-named free agents to sign in the future. But Lee’s willingness to accept less money to not go to New York will surely make others consider other options.

Sure, there were questions surrounding Pete Carroll’s University of Southern California football program, but nothing had officially been proven that suggested Bush had violated any NCAA rules. And really, why did it matter? With apologies to Vince Young, Bush was clearly the nation’s best collegiate football player for that one season as determined by the Heisman Trophy Trust.

But after an investigation that lasted nearly five years, the Trust decided it no longer wanted Bush to represent the select fraternity of college football history. Bush violated perhaps one of the most crucial qualifications required to receive the award — Integrity. So the committee did the only thing it thought should be done and revoked the honor.

Despite discussions of whether or not the trophy should be redistributed, and in this case given to Young, the 2005 award has been vacated and will forever be vacant. From now into the future, the history for college football’s highest individual honor will read: “…2003, Jason White, QB – Oklahoma; 2004, Matt Leinart, QB – USC; 2005, vacated…”

This year a new controversy has its arms wrapped firmly around the nation’s top player. From academic issues of cheating and later his arrest for the theft of a laptop computer while attending the University of Florida, to a webcam scandal that was or wasn’t a big deal, and the most recent accusations of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s father requesting pay in exchange for his son’s talents, Newton has seen controversy follow him every step of the way throughout his college athletic career.

The statements that have surfaced may in fact be true, and Cam Newton might have had nothing to do with his family receiving funds to play for the Auburn Tigers.

But whether or not the most recent dispute is accurate regardless of the degree of Newton’s involvement, the Heisman Trophy is an award said to recognize “the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.”

Arguments against Newton’s integrity may have nothing to do with whether or not he has changed personally through his trials and missteps — and the hope is that he has certainly learned from his faults — but rather the character represented by the individual who receives the award.

His prior immaturity and lack of integrity can be blamed on youth, ignorance or a sense of entitlement. And those will likely be the excuses. But Newton’s lack of integrity and respect throughout his collegiate career unfortunately tarnished his public image.

Newton will no doubt go on to make millions and have a successful pro career. His first check as a pro football player will likely make the funds allegedly received by his family seem insignificant. But as for exhibiting his pursuit of excellence with integrity, he has not.

The Heisman Trust Mission Statement clearly reads:

“The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award.”

If the Heisman Trophy Trust is determined to uphold the Mission Statement it represents, the Trust has without question got this one wrong.

Cam Newton was arguably the best college football player in the nation during the 2010 season. That can’t be taken away. But under the eyes of those who wish to uphold the integrity of “The Most Prestigious Award in College Football,” his trophy and the validity of his honor will forever remain in question.

McGwire told Costas, and for that matter the entire baseball world, that his hiring as the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals without doubt sped up his desire to come clean about using steroids.

And why not? He realized he would have otherwise been harassed endlessly throughout the baseball season by reporters and heckled by fans of opposing teams until he said the words.

But while numerous professional baseball players have admitted to using performance enhancing drugs, have sat through interviews, and have done so much to say and do the right things following their carefully crafted statements, there was something different about McGwire’s admission.

He didn’t do it in front of numerous cameras, photographers, and sports writers. He didn’t have his agent, a lawyer, or Brian Bartow, the Cardinals’ Director of Media Relations, comfortably (or uncomfortably) seated next to him.

Instead, he did his best to answer honestly and unscripted the questions that Costas posed during the one-hour, live interview, and left very few questions unanswered.

He even volunteered information that might have never been otherwise uncovered.

There will still be detractors that will bash, trash, and discount McGwire’s records, and say that he cheated. (Note that by rule, he nor Barry Bonds or any of the others accused during that time period broke the rules as there were no rules in place to be broken.)

And even if fans, writers, or simply those who like to disagree have doubts that McGwire was telling the full truth, the fact is, his approach and response to the allegations was different than those that came before him.

There was no dancing around the questions, no non-denial denials, but rather sincere regret for even putting doubt in the minds of his fans, friends, teammates, and family.

But as many tears filled his eyes, his goateed chin quivered, and his focused stare never broke Costas’ attention, the MLB Network studio analysts still refused to accept McGwire’s answers in full. They wanted something more.

Much of their disapproval came with McGwire’s belief that the performance enhancers were never necessary for him to put up the eye-catching numbers he did at the end of his playing career. They just wouldn’t have it.

Costas remained persistent in continuously asking whether or not McGwire believed there was any correlation at all between his remarkable offensive numbers and the fact that he admittedly used steroids.

And each time, McGwire remained consistent in his belief that he had no doubt in his mind that he would still have been able to produce similar numbers throughout his career.

Still, the former slugger said he used the drug only sparingly and in small doses, and in the initial report, that he had only used in 1993 and 1998 (with the exception of a couple of weeks during the 1989-90 offseason).

If those admissions are true, consider the numbers:

In 1996, McGwire hit 52 home runs, and his 1997 total (which was shared between the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals) only jumped up six to 58. In the memorable and now disputed 1998 season in which he battled with Chicago Cub outfielder Sammy Sosa, ultimately setting the new home run record, McGwire’s home run total increased by 12 to 70—not out of the question for a one-year difference, especially for a guy that crushed 49 in his 1987 rookie season.

For many, there is still that doubt. And with so many other athletes having admitted or been accused of using steroids, the numbers, though never recorded illegally, will be tainted in the court of public opinion. If only there had been appropriate testing prior to the 2002 season, like McGwire says he wished had happened, perhaps the usage would have been slowed, and we would all know for sure those same numbers could have been produced, and little doubt would be in place as to who should really hold the title of Major League Baseball Home Run King.

Tony La Russa is still the manager, Dave Duncan is back for another season to continue his mission of turning around the careers of pitching has-beens. And Mark McGwire is wearing a Cardinals uniform.

No, it’s not 2001. But stories from nearly a decade ago are likely to resurface throughout this offseason and into the 2010 campaign.

Hal McRae is out as St. Louis’ hitting coach, and general manager John Mozeliak and principal owner, Bill DeWitt Jr. have brought the former Cardinals slugger back to coach up the hitting abilities of the current Redbirds.

McGwire has taken a lot of flak for going into hiding after the congressional hearings that accused him and others of abusing performance-enhancing drugs. McGwire denied all claims and infamously repeated the line, “I’m not here to talk about the past.”

Now that he is back in the spotlight, he might have little choice. McGwire is expected to speak soon via conference call and will then take questions from reporters.

Just curious — has a line been set on the over/under of questions that will refer to PED’s? Maybe answering questions over the phone will be a little easier to handle, but there is little reason to think it will keep reporters from asking the questions. And what will his response be?

By midseason, all of the hype around McGwire’s troubled history might have passed by. But there might be other problems. There’s no question that he made his mark in Major League Baseball by hitting home runs and at one time, setting the single-season record that has since been broken.

But remember that high-priced outfielder Mozeliak lured away from Oakland? Matt Holliday came into his own and eventually broke out of his slump that had A’s fans frustrated, and he did it right before he arrived in St. Louis.

And his solution didn’t come until he broke the bad habits taught to him during the previous offseason and went back to what had made him so successful.

Whoever told him to get rid of that high leg kick that produced so many home runs and base hits should never be allowed set foot in a major league clubhouse. He must have no clue what he is talking about. The problem is, McGwire is the one that messed up the St. Louis Savior’s swing.

And now he will be working with the entire Cardinals’ roster, ideally to improve their swings.

It’s true, McGwire worked with Skip Schumaker to improve his hitting performance and he did, in fact, have a decent season. Maybe he can work wonders and help the rest of the Cardinals improve as well.

True Cardinals fans will likely welcome the former home-run king back to Busch Stadium with open arms. Once he arrives, the PED allegations won’t matter and the only things that will be remembered are the good times and winning moments. The most overplayed video clip at the beginning of next season will probably be that of McGwire’s record-setting home run and the high-fives exchanged between he and Sammy Sosa after he rounded the bases.

Regardless of the media bashing that will likely take place, the red-headed Redbird will always have a place in the heart of St. Louisans.

Let’s just hope he stays away from Mr. Pujols.

Is it safe to consider an end-of-regular season roundup for Major League Baseball? Perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising that there will be a one-game playoff to help decide the AL Central.

Thanks to the NFL and the Minnesota Favres, we will have to wait an additional day. But as for preseason predictions, here is how Midwestern Banter fared in picking the 2009 MLB winners.

Preseason picks

	American League East New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays Boston Red Sox Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles	American League Central Minnesota Twins Chicago White Sox Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Cleveland Indians	American League West Los Angeles Angels Oakland Athletics Texas Rangers Seattle Mariners
	National League East Florida Marlins Philadelphia Phillies Atlanta Braves New York Mets Washington Nationals	National League Central Chicago Cubs St. Louis Cardinals Milwaukee Brewers Cincinnati Reds Houston Astros Pittsburgh Pirates	National League West Arizona Diamondbacks Colorado Rockies San Diego Padres Los Angeles Dodgers San Francisco Giants

Final Standings*

	American League East New York Yankees Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles	American League Central Detroit Tigers Minnesota Twins Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals	American League West Los Angeles Angels Texas Rangers Seattle Mariners Oakland Athletics
	National League East Philadelphia Phillies Florida Marlins Atlanta Braves New York Mets Washington Nationals	National League Central St. Louis Cardinals Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers Houston Astros Pittsburgh Pirates Cincinnati Reds	National League West Los Angeles Dodgers Colorado Rockies San Francisco Giants San Diego Padres Arizona Diamondbacks

Midwestern Banter took quite a bit of flack from readers and comment posters about this year’s predictions. Though the Chicago Cubs presented their usual collapse, MB decided to give the Northsiders and General Manager Jim Hendry the benefit of the doubt. Like clockwork, the Cubs flopped without even a respectable end-of-season fight. The Cardinals were, however, the MB’s wild card pick.

A link to the original post had been initially included, but all comments have since been deleted by the respective posters – perhaps to save face. Here is one commenter’s post following the initial picks:

“To think the Cardinals are in competition to go anywhere after their 162nd game of the year is not only a stretch, it won’t happen. Wainwright and Carpenter are top of the line pitchers. That’s no secret. Pujols is their offense. Ludwick and Ankiel are are not quality hitters but they will go into an occasional 7-10 day hot streak. In all reality, there is nothing else positive to say about the Cardinals. I do hope the Cardinals exceed your expectations. And I also recommend you do not set yourself up for a lot of disappointment. If you want to see how things will actually turn out, you should read my picks for this season.”

– Jim Skinner

Though Mr. Skinner’s picks were nowhere to be found, it might be safe to assume he is a Cubs fan, or maybe enjoys watching the Pirates or Orioles. Postseason baseball is officially here, but for those disinterested, there’s always football season…or next year.

It would seem that a team which failed to win a single game last season and drafted the top-rated quarterback in the draft would be the best story.

The Detroit Lions have been looking for a quality pick – any decent pick at all – for who knows how long, and have virtually an entirely new front office. They got that in Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Conventional wisdom might suggest that Detroit’s story would be headlining all sports shows, national print publications and Web sites.

Instead, the national sports media is showing the same bias it has been accused of for years.

Instead of Detroit being in the spotlight, it is the New York Jets and former USC quarterback, Mark Sanchez. Now before comments and emails begin flooding this way, the previous statement likely tells the story: New York, USC.

But why is a quarterback who has barely started for one full season, didn’t graduate from college and really hasn’t proven nearly as much on the field as Stafford more deserving of air time?

If anything, a team with a history of losing that would make even the Chicago Cubs feel good about themselves should be getting pumped up.

The difference and reason is really quite simple. However unfair it might be, it’s simple.

New York and Southern California have such a common, sexy appeal to the coastal press corps that the fit couldn’t have been better if the quarterback was drafted by his hometown team.

Imagine if it were the Jets who had gone 0-16 last season and selected with the No. 1 overall pick, Stafford. The story would have been genuinely covered as the top story coming out of the draft.

It’s also somewhat difficult to believe that Sanchez would be getting the same amount of coverage if he had been picked by the Lions. Then the likely story line would be about how Detroit made another mistake, and Stafford and the Jets met at the corner of Destiny and Dynasty while waiting for the Super Bowl bus to arrive.

Where are the inspirational and motivational stories of Michael Oher (OT, Mississippi) or Aaron Curry (OLB, Wake Forest)? Those are the stories worth telling. Those are the stories that truly make sports worthwhile.

LAKE FOREST – There was certainly cause for concern among Bears fans when General Manager Jerry Angelo let the first day of the 2009 NFL Draft fly by without even attempting to make a selection.

While a number of moves were uncharacteristically made by Angelo & Co. prior to the draft to help fill holes and secure positions with reputable veterans, there were definitely a handful of glaring needs the Bears had to address.

And despite not picking a receiver with their first pick in the third round, the Bears still finished the day with relative success. Of course, the truth won’t be known for at least a year or so – maybe even three. But Angelo just might have ruined his reputation for being a horrible draft-day general by selecting a number of players who, at first glance, should be able to contribute right away.

The two receivers, Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma) and Johnny Knox (Abilene Christian), selected in the third and fifth rounds respectively, should be in good position to compete this summer at camp. Given the current state of the Chicago receiving corps., the starting spots should be up for grabs and there for the taking for whichever playmaker shows the most promise heading into the season.

But the draft pick that will likely grab the most attention is on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears made it no secret that they were concerned about the state of their defensive line, and with new DL coach Rod Marinelli taking over, it might not matter who gets the nod to start.

YouTube sensation, Jarron Gilbert, was taken by the Bears with the fourth pick in the third round (68th overall) out of San Jose State. For those that maybe didn’t keep up with San Jose State, Gilbert made himself famous by way of a YouTube video showing him jumping out of a pool. The video was impressive on its own and became an instant hit.

While it might be entertaining to watch, the feat clearly shows his strength and athleticism, and the fact that he’s 6-5, 288 pounds doesn’t exactly hurt his chances of being a force on the line.

“What stands out about Jarron is just an imposing, physical player as far as height, weight, speed,” Bears scout Marty Barrett said in a video interview on the team’s Web site. “He’s 6-5, 288 (pounds). Very strong, athletic, powerful, and he ran in the mid 4.8s. His ability to jump, close, and cover ground is very good.”

According the Barrett, Gilbert has the ability to play both inside and outside. In 2008, he was a team captain, All-American, All-WAC, conference co-Defensive Player of the Year and team MVP. Gilbert started all 12 games for the Spartans at left defensive tackle registering 52 tackles, led the nation with 22 stops for loss and had 9.5 sacks.

Perhaps most impressive is his unbelievable reach and wingspan.

“He’s an imposing guy when you meet him in person,” Barrett said. “His wingspan is really unbelievable. On a normal door, he can touch the floor with one hand and the other hand touch the top of door jam. And on top of that, he’s a very smart kid, well grounded and he’s going to work hard. So, I really think the sky is the limit.”

In all of this, Marinelli might be the biggest winner.

After making one of the biggest offseason acquisitions in the entire league – trading for quarterback Jay Cutler – and doing just about everything possible to help bolster the offensive line, the Bears’ first draft choice seemed relatively obvious: Get Cutler a receiver.

The Bears gave up their first-round pick to get Cutler, but when their turn came in the second round at No. 49 overall, they whiffed.

Pick after pick, Georgia receiver Mohamed Massaquoi remained on the board and was just begging to hear his name called. Instead, the Wizard of Flaws traded the pick to Seattle for a third and a fourth round pick.

It was the first time the Bears did not make a selection since 1978 and the third time in franchise history. According to Angelo, he didn’t like the team’s chances of landing an impact guy at the point in the draft. So quickly he must have forgotten that Matt Forte was selected at No. 44 overall one year ago.

It’s possible that Angelo can hit on something decent in the third round and beyond, but history shows that success hasn’t exactly been on his side in terms of hitting on draft picks. Most of them never even see the field.

For example, Mike Haas showed plenty of promise when he was given the opportunity but was never given a fair shot. Sure, Angelo has hit on some offensive players like Forte and Greg Olsen, but the chances aren’t favorable.

The good news is, the Bears have the fourth pick on Sunday and can hopefully pick up a quality receiver like Brandon Tate out of North Carolina, Demetrius Byrd from LSU, Penn State’s Derrick Williams, or even Patrick Turner from USC.

Turner probably isn’t too high on many people’s draft boards, but he’s a big receiver at 6-5 and has been playing in a college program run like a pro organization.

Getting a quality receiver and some help in the defensive backfield should be enough to keep Angelo in good graces with Bears fans.

The management in Chicago obviously isn’t too concerned about listening to the critics and generally does a good job of staying on course with the direction it thinks is best for the organization.

Angelo received a bit of criticism on the national level from analysts who thought he gave up too much for Cutler. Keep in mind, these were the same guys that forever berated Angelo and the Bears for not doing anything at all to solidify the quarterback position.

Fans in Chicago saw it differently and they are still giddy about their new signal caller.

But having Cutler lining up under center isn’t going to guarantee a Super Bowl ring. It isn’t even going to win the Bears a division title.

Cutler is definitely a franchise quarterback, or at least the closest Chicago has had in quite some time, but he is only one piece of the puzzle.