In one of the most lopsided Super Bowls ever, the Ravens made the closing argument in their case that they possess the greatest defense in the history of the National Football League (NFL).
After a 34-7 victory-in which the only points scored against them were on a kickoff return-the Ravens may have enough evidence to prove their case. Over the course of the season, the Ravens allowed an astoundingly low 188 points in 20 games. They even managed not to score a touchdown for five straight games, but their defense was good enough to win two of those games.
The cornerstone of the defense was Ray Lewis, the infamous linebacker. This year Lewis had another "average" season. Well, average for him.
For the third time in his five years in the league, Lewis led the league in tackles, and this year he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Add a Super Bowl win and the Super Bowl MVP award, and Lewis has amassed one of the most impressive seasons by a defensive player in the history of the game.
The Ravens have put together a solid core of players around Lewis. Safety Rod Woodson was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary team and is a surefire Hall of Famer. The defensive line, with behemoth tackles Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams-one of the best names in football-stifled the run all season. And the cornerback duo of Duane Starks and Chris McAlister are near the top of the league. Combined with the scheme that allows Lewis to roam the field from sideline to sideline, this defense has dominated every team they have played.
How it stacks up against the best defenses of all time-the Steel Curtain Pittsburgh Steelers, Purple People Eaters of the Minnesota Vikings and Da Chicago Bears of 1985 are the major competitors for that title-remains to be seen, but I would take my chances with this defense.
War on the shore
Even though nothing major has happened in baseball over the last few weeks-this is the traditional "dead time" every year-there is still plenty to talk about.
With two of the biggest moves of the postseason being made by the Yankees and the Red Sox we can clearly expect another tight race in the A.L. East.
As it stands now I think that the Red Sox made bigger upgrades in the offseason. The addition of Manny Ramirez to the Red Sox lineup gives the Red Sox the best 3-4-5 hitters in the game. Last year Nomar Garciaparra led the major leagues with 20 intentional walks. Don't expect to see a number that high this year with Ramirez following him in the lineup.
None of the Red Sox additions to their starting rotation particularly thrill me, but I think that they will be able to pull together an adequate staff behind the best pitcher in the world.
The Yankees made one major move by signing Mike Mussina and also by getting rid of David Cone-who the Red Sox picked up. Last year Cone was bad-well, bad doesn't really do his performance justice-and Mussina is one of the great pitchers in either league.
The Yankees lineup still has question marks, but they will find a way to score enough runs to win games.
Right now I think that the Red Sox will win the division with the Yankees right on their heels. All this will change if the Yankees make another of their blockbuster deadline deals-don't rule out the possibility of Sammy Sosa in pinstripes. Whatever the outcome, we can expect another competitive race in the A.L. East.
The Dukes still rule
Another of the great units of all time appears to be the Duke University men's basketball teams of the last decade.
I was rooting for the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV when they were trying to finish out their undefeated season in 1991, and when Duke beat them in the Final Four, the foundation of my dislike for the Blue Devils was set firmly in place. Since that win 10 years ago, the Blue Devils have consistently been one of the best teams in the country. Every year they bring in one of the best recruiting classes, and they keep their players in school at a much higher rate than other basketball powerhouses.
This season has been no different than most in recent memory as the Blue Devils again are one of the top-ranked teams in the country.
The impetus for this praise of Duke is their recent victory over the University of Maryland. With one minute left in the game the Blue Devils were trailing by 10 points, but somehow they managed to tie the game up in regulation and win in overtime.
Duke will again be a threat in this year's NCAA Tournament, and it appears that they will continue to be a power in college basketball.
Playing it safe
The plane crash that took the lives of two Oklahoma State University basketball players and eight others on the plane is a tragic reminder of the dangers of travel. Any athlete who has to travel great distances to their games faces the threat of injury or death, and we are all lucky that travel has become as safe as it is. In circumstances such as these, it is imperative that organizers, coaches and fans remember the value of human life and don't rush the surviving players back into action.