by Stoker Dafire… Father time, and mother nature are life’s ultimate parents they have no superiors and they answer to no-one.

Bernard Hopkins believes he has found a way to avoid them, or cheat them somehow, but unfortunately he—like others who came before him—will receive a rude awakening very soon.

After all, its not like he doesn’t know the rules. There exists a long list of great names who have played this game before with father time.

Fighters like Archie Moore, Joe Louis, and even the great Muhammad Ali have fought valiantly and courageously while ignoring all the posted detour signs.

These great boxers were rewarded with losing efforts and ultimately endangered their lives and their health in the process.

Money is certainly no longer a driving force behind the legendary Hopkins, at 44 years of age he has been the most successful of any fighter in history.

Most boxers by the time they reach 35 are looking to duck out the rear entrance without being noticed, however Hopkins is still very much a main attraction.

Not withstanding the fact that he is undoubtedly an extremely wealthy man.

He is also Hopkins the Promoter, along with fellow legends Shane Mosley and Oscar de la Hoya he is one third of the great promotional team known as Golden Boy promotions.

However even a one sided thrashing of current middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on Oct 18 of last year wasn’t enough to satisfy his seemingly insatiable appetite to keep adding to his legacy.”

So maybe the thought of losing to Calzaghe has somehow prompted him to tempt fate by moving upward into the uncharted waters of the cruiser weight division.

Yes, recently the great B-Hop has expressed his interest in making a foray into the world of the current cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek.

B-Hop is ready to bite off much more than he can chew and I think someone should step up and stop him before its too late.

Not that Adamek is the greatest fighter around; he is mainly a pressure fighter, and doesnt seem to have an over abundance of skill.

He is prone to cuts has ordinary speed and is relatively inexperienced against top level opponents.

But then again, the cruiser weight division historically has never really been a hot bed of over-whelming talent.

It sits in 190 pound boxing limbo, and the guys who fight at cruiser are generally too small for heavyweight and either too big or too lazy to make light-heavy.

Adamek is a great example of a fighter who comes in at over 200 pounds on fight night.

So maybe this is some sort of Rocky Balboa deal where Hopkins gives an unknown fighter a chance to be famous, who knows?

My advice to Hopkins is to protect yourself at all times because the longer you stay in the game the tougher it’s going to get.

Especially when you keep moving up in weight trying to pad a legacy which is already great.

Nothing is worth losing your health or your life over—not even the great sport of boxing.

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.

Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

by Derek Viveiros… In 1996, Major League Soccer became the foundation of top-tier soccer in North America.

MLS currently consists of 15 franchises, with Philadelphia joining the ranks in 2010. The league will once again expand in 2011 with the additions of the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

So why is it that a league, which was so uncertain of its future not long ago, has such a bright future in place.

Some say the resurgence of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer program in 2002 brought much needed attention back into the sport.

Others say the designated player rule, which allows each team to field an imported player without the restrictions of the MLS salary cap, brings our game to a higher level.

Aside from a specific root cause I believe it all boils down to impressive marketing by the MLS organization as a whole.

The construction of “soccer-specific” stadiums allows the fans to experience the game in an atmosphere which compliments the beautiful game. The proven results have been a rise in attendance and profits which are visible across the league.

Television coverage is at an all-time high as games are broadcast across the continent on ESPN. In turn the media coverage has triggered an increase in sponsorship. MLS franchises began selling ad space on the front of their jerseys in 2007, following in the footsteps of clubs around the world.

Another viable source of exposure has been the inclusion of four MLS teams in the CONCACAF Champions League. If crowned champions, an MLS club would then compete in the Club World Cup against the world’s top squads.

The top four MLS squads who do not qualify for CONCACAF CL are placed in the SuperLiga. A competition organized by the MLS and Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación.

These competitions enhanceexposure for MLS teams, which in turn, enables them to be seen on a broader scale.

In 2004 it was reported by an accredited financial magazine that the MLS had lost more than $350 million since its inception. But these loses are deemed to be a thing of the past.

In 2003, the Los Angeles Galaxy became the first franchise to turn a profit, soon followed by FC Dallas in 2005. By 2008 Toronto FC, perhaps the most passionately followed franchise in the league, joined the aforementioned squads posting positive figures at seasons end.

The MLS brass have been quoted stating that they project all clubs to be profitable by 2010.

If MLS commissioner Don Garber and his brass continue to attract such international stars such as David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Juan Pablo Angel, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and most recently Freddie Ljunberg. The leagues level of play and overall profile will most definitely be documented amongst soccer leagues abroad.

by Bryn Swartz… There are some things in sports that one just accepts without hesitation. The New York Yankees are the greatest franchise in professional sports history. Michael Jordan is the greatest clutch player in basketball history. And Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history.

However, what if a closer examination revealed…that the general public might be wrong?

What if Jerry Rice really isn’t the greatest wide receiver in NFL history?

What if somebody 50, 60, even 70 years ago was better?

Accept it. It’s true.

Meet Don Hutson, wide receiver of the Green Bay Packers from 1935-1945.

Don Hutson, the greatest wide receiver in the 89-year history of the National Football League.

To compare Hutson and Rice, I have chosen five different topics to focus on: supporting cast, longevity, postseason, impact on the game, and most importantly, a statistical analysis.

1. Supporting Cast

Let’s be honest. Jerry Rice was truly blessed throughout his entire career.

Rice had the luxury of playing for two of the five greatest quarterbacks in NFL history: Joe Montana and Steve Young. He also played for Jeff Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowler. And as a member of the Oakland Raiders, he caught passes from Rich Gannon, who captured the 2002 MVP award.

Overall, Rice played 20 seasons in the NFL, during which his quarterbacks went to the Pro Bowl 13 times and earned five—count ‘em, FIVE—Most Valuable Player awards.

Rice never played for a quarterback who was anything short of spectacular.

What about Hutson?

Hutson played for three very, very good quarterbacks: Arnie Herber, Cecil Isbell, and Irv Comp. Herber is currently a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Isbell was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.

Comp was a good quarterback who played like a great quarterback during the three seasons he played with Hutson. The year after Hutson retired, Comp threw for one touchdown pass and eight interceptions, while posting a single-digit passer rating (yes, single digits).

However, as great as Herber, Isbell, and Comp were, they were never better than Sammy Baugh or Sid Luckman.

Baugh and Luckman were always the two best quarterbacks in the NFL. Their rivalry was arguably the most intense in NFL history (sorry Colts and Patriots fans).

Whoever quarterbacked the Green Bay Packers, as in, whoever had the luxury of throwing to Don Hutson, was generally considered to be the third best quarterback in the 10-team National Football League.

Advantage: Hutson, easily

2. Longevity

Jerry Rice played 20 seasons in the National Football League. He played every single game of every single season, except for 1997, when he missed 14 games due to a torn ACL suffered in the season opener, after a facemask tackle by Warren Sapp.

Rice returned in the season finale, catching his lone touchdown pass, but cracking the patella in his left kneecap upon landing.

In all, Rice played 303 regular season games in his NFL career, and another 29 in the postseason. He played in more games than any non-kicker in NFL history and holds numerous longevity records, including oldest player to score a touchdown (40) and the oldest wide receiver to play in the NFL (42).

His training regime was legendary, as he was particularly noted for his fondness of running up hills in the offseason, a method also utilized by the great Walter Payton.

And Hutson?

Hutson played 11 seasons in the National Football League. He played wide receiver and defensive end. He also kicked field goals and extra points.

He played in 116 of 120 games during his 11 seasons, missing three games in his rookie season and one in 1938. Playing both ways–all three ways–Hutson played in 96.7 percent of games during his NFL career, slightly higher than Rice’s 95.6 percentage.

In essence, Hutson literally played all 60 minutes of every single football game.

Advantage: Rice, but only by a little bit.

3. Postseason

Yup, we’re addressing the postseason before the regular season. Why? Because the regular season is much more important.

Jerry Rice has been just as successful–and consistent–in the postseason as he has been in the regular season.

In 28 postseason games, Rice caught 151 passes for 2245 yards and 22 touchdowns. Projected over a single season, Rice’s stats would look like this: 86 receptions, 1283 yards, 13 touchdowns.

Rice caught three touchdown passes in two different Super Bowls. His 215 receiving yards in Super Bowl XXIII are a single-game record.

Rice played in four Super Bowls. Three times he walked away on the winning team.

What about Hutson?

Well, Hutson played for two championship winning teams. He played in four total NFL championship games.

Unfortunately, game statistics cannot be found from these championship games, so we have no idea how Hutson performed.

All that is provided from these games is the boxscore, meaning we know that Don Hutson scored on a game-winning 48-yard touchdown reception in the 1936 NFL championship game. He didn’t score in any of the other three NFL championship games. One touchdown in four championship games is not at all impressive, but chances are pretty good, though, that the greatest player in the NFL had a major role in his team’s two championships.

He may not have dominated quite like Rice, but then again why couldn’t he have? Great players step up their game when it counts.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know how Hutson played, besides his lone touchdown.

Advantage: Rice

4. Impact on the Game

Rice showed that a wide receiver can excel–even dominate–without being the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest.

Longtime Cardinals’ coach Dennis Green calls Jerry Rice “the greatest route runner I’ve ever seen.” Rice is also universally regarded as one of the best, if not the best, blocking receiver in NFL history.

And Hutson?

Well, Don Hutson completely revolutionized the position of wide receiver in the National Football League. He was the first great receiver in league history. On Hutson’s first play from scrimmage in his first NFL start, he caught an 83-yard touchdown pass. The Packers won the game 7-0 and a legend had been born.

Hutson is said to have literally created the art of “route-running” among wide receivers. He is credited with creating the buttonhook, the hook-and-go, and Z-outs. It was said that there wasn’t a single defender in Hutson’s era who could cover him one-on-one. Not one.

Hutson literally created the position of wide receiver in the National Football League. He didn’t just revolutionize it for future generations. He created the position.

I wish Dennis Green (or any of us) could have seen Don Hutson play.

Advantage: Hutson

5. Statistics…

…where Rice blows Hutson away. Right?

Wrong.

I have one small issue with the success of Jerry Rice.

Rice had fantastic stats, stats that look much better on paper than Don Hutson. But nobody in the NFL dominated the rest of the league like Don Hutson.

Take Rice’s 1995 season: 122 catches, 1848 yards, 15 touchdowns.

Rice’s season is easily one of the greatest in history, right?

Nope. A case could be made that Rice was just the fourth best receiver in the NFC that season.

Herman Moore caught 123 (a new single-season record) passes for 1686 yards and 14 touchdowns, despite having Scott Mitchell as his quarterback (career Pro Bowl selections: zero).

Isaac Bruce caught 119 passes for 1781 yards and 13 touchdowns. His quarterback(s)? Chris Miller and Mark Rypien. The next leading receiver on the St. Louis Rams was the ever-dangerous Troy Drayton, a 260-pound tight end who hauled in 47 passes for 458 yards and four touchdowns during the season.

Cris Carter caught 122 passes for 1371 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns, while helping to coax one final great season out of the 39-year-old Warren Moon.

Michael Irvin caught 111 balls for 1603 yards and 10 touchdowns. Nine different players caught 100 passes that season. The list goes on and on.

Now, not to take anything away from Rice, but he wasn’t quite as dominant as some people may realize.

In his 20 seasons in the National Football League, Rice led the league in receptions twice, yards six times, and touchdowns six times. In all, he led the league in 14 different categories during his career, all between 1986-1996.

His 22 touchdown catches in 1987 set an NFL single-season record. Even more incredibly, they came in just 12 games, due to a strike-shortened season.

He caught 122 passes in 1995, the second highest single-season total in NFL history. His 1848 receiving yards did set a single-season record.

Rice hauled in 100 passes four times, 90 passes six times, and 80 passes 12 times. He topped 1000 yards receiving in 14 different seasons. He caught double-digit touchdowns nine times, including five seasons of over 15. All of these are NFL records.

What about Hutson?

Hutson was literally the greatest wide receiver in the National Football League every year for 11 consecutive seasons. He might have been the best PLAYER in the National Football League in half of those seasons.

Hutson led the NFL in receptions eight times. He topped the league in receiving yards seven times. He finished first in touchdown catches nine times. In all, Hutson finished first in 24 different receiving categories in his 11 seasons. He finished second seven times, third once, and sixth once. He finished in the top three in all three receiving categories in 32 of 33 possible chances. The only exception? A sixth place finish in receptions in his rookie season.

You want to give Rice an advantage because he played in a league with 30 teams, compared to Hutson, who played with 10 teams?

Realistically, that’s fair.

Let’s count all of Rice’s top three finishes in receiving statistics, while only counting Hutson’s number one finishes.

Rice finished in the top three in receptions six times, receiving yards ten times, and touchdowns nine times. That’s equal to 25 first place finishes, which would give him a minuscule advantage (25-24) over Hutson.

Hutson’s 1942 season is the greatest season by a wide receiver in the history of the National Football League. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. Hutson caught 74 passes for 1211 yards and 17 touchdowns. In today’s game, this season would look fantastic. In 1942, Hutson’s season was simply out of this world.

The league’s second, third, and fourth leading receivers combined for 74 receptions for 1336 yards and 17 touchdowns. Those are the TOTAL statistics of the next best three wide receivers COMBINED. Projected over a 16 game season, Hutson’s statistics would look like this:

108 catches for 1761 yards and 25 touchdowns

That’s WITHOUT any way to compare the difference in eras. You think that passing was considered to be legit in the 1940s? Passing the football was considered risky! The forward pass was considered dangerous so most teams utilized two or three running backs (and often two or three quarterbacks).

Hutson’s season was Ruthian. He caught more touchdown passes than eight of the nine TEAMS in the National Football League. He had more receiving yards than four NFL teams and more receptions than three teams.

In any given year, for Jerry Rice to dominate the rest of the league the way Hutson did, Rice would need approximately:

300 catches for 4200 yards and 45 touchdowns.

That’s never going to happen. Ever. Only one player has ever gotten half of any of those statistics in a single season, and that was when Randy Moss caught 23 touchdown passes in his record-breaking 2007 season.

Let’s look at how each player performed in their typical season. We’ll give Rice an advantage and pick his best 11 seasons, meaning we exclude his rookie season (1985) and every season after 1997. For Hutson, we can simply use his entire career, which was 11 seasons.

In Rice’s 11 best seasons, he caught 1001 passes for 15450 yards and 151 touchdowns.

In Hutson’s 11 seasons, he caught 488 passes for 7991 yards and 99 touchdowns.

It’s not even close. Rice blows Hutson away. Now let’s look at their average season.

Rice averaged 91 catches for 1405 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Hutson averaged 44 catches for 726 yards and 9 touchdowns.

When adjusting to a 16 game schedule, Hutson’s average season looks like this:

67 catches for 1102 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Rice still wins by a decent amount.

But there’s still one more adjustment to be made—accounting for the difference in eras played. When Hutson played, the average team passed the ball approximately 20 times per game. In Rice’s era, teams passed approximately 30 times per game. The final adjustment shows Hutson’s average season looking like this:

101 catches for 1653 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Those are Don Hutson’s statistics on an average season, projected to today’s game.

You want to see his 1942 season again, with all of the adjustments?

162 catches for 2641 yards and 38 touchdowns.

And for the final comparison?

Let’s see Hutson’s 11-year career compared to Jerry Rice’s 20 seasons, when adjusted for relative to eras.

Hutson: 1110 catches, 18389 yards, 225 touchdowns, 16.4 yards per catch

Rice: 1549 catches, 22895 yards, 197 touchdowns, 14.8 yards per catch

Despite a nine-year disadvantage in career length, Hutson managed to outscore Rice by 28 touchdowns, despite playing in the football equivalent of the Dead Ball Era.

Rice caught about 400 more passes for 4000 more yards, which, if distributed among those extra nine seasons, is equal to 49 catches for 501 yards per season. Those are the numbers of a solid number three receiver.

Ignoring the difference in eras is the biggest mistake one can make when comparing two players. On paper, Rice appears to blow Hutson away, but in reality, it’s Don Hutson who leaves Jerry Rice in the dust.

Advantage: Hutson, by a solid margin.

The Verdict

Calling Jerry Rice the greatest wide receiver in NFL history is probably the safest argument for a football fan to make.

However, I highly doubt that most football fans have even considered the other side of the fence—that there is in fact somebody better than Rice.

Hutson led the NFL in the three major receiving statistics 24 out of 33 times. He finished in the top three 32 times. He led the league in either receptions, yards, or touchdowns every single season of his career.

He won the receiving Triple Crown five times, including four consecutive seasons (1941-1944). He caught a touchdown on 20 percent of his receptions, compared to 13 percent for Jerry Rice.

Don Hutson is the only wide receiver in NFL history to win the Most Valuable Player award, which he did twice (1941 and 1942).

Hutson was a winner, as shown by his four championship game appearances and two victories.

He didn’t have the career length that Jerry Rice did, but he also never lost a step, retiring at the top of his game. Rice, however, never again produced an elite season after his ACL injury at the age of 35.

When his career statistics are adjusted due to the time periods, Hutson matches up quite well with Rice.

When their average seasonal statistics are compared, Hutson blows Rice away.

There’s no other way to look at it. The greatest wide receiver in NFL history is not a 6′2″, 200-pound first-round draft pick from Mississippi Valley State—it’s a 6′1, 183-pound walk-on at the University of Alabama.

by Dorothy Willis… The photo shows Georges St-Pierre being interviewed on the set of “Death Warrior,” an action film in which he portrays the villain “Shaman.”

It has been a magical transformation after the irksome plague of Greasegate and the continued accusations from BJ Penn ranging from greasing to the use of steroids.

Fortunately, more rational heads than those making up Penn’s crew have prevailed, and no punishment was deemed necessary, as none of the accusations were proved before the board of directors.

Georges has been kept busy doing interviews, filming commercials for Gatorade with the likes of Muhammad Ali and Gordie Howe, and working on his part in the Death Warrior film.

His manager Shari Spencer has accompanied Georges since the hearing by the Nevada State Athletic Commission was closed on Mar. 20, and confesses to being almost too tired to walk at the end of the day.

Shari further states that Georges has really taken to the flurry of activity, just as he typically enthusiastically takes to the rigors of training for his fights.

As one of Georges most dedicated 63-year-old fans, I am truly happy for all the good fortune that is coming his way, and in talking to Shari, it is good to hear of all the projects for Georges that are yet in the works.

The most prominent morning TV show and talk shows have been keeping Georges very busy, as the Canadian MMA fans show their devotion to their biggest Canadian athletic hero.

Makes Grandma’s old heart swell with pride!

by Jon Neely… There are the players who you know, every year, will be at the top of the points list, have the most goals, tally the most wins, and be regular contributors to the highlight reel.

It is no shock to see guys like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby at the top of the scoring race, while goaltenders like Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur steal games for their teams on a nightly basis.

We expect it.

But every year there are players who step onto the ice at the beginning of the season with low expectations, and low fanfare, as a player who is there just to fill a roster spot and do their job…

Until they explode onto the scene and have a monster season, surprising even their own team, going from a predictable nobody to a potential All-Star in the span of a season.

Whether it be a rookie, sophomore, or a veteran player making an unexpected impact on a team this year, they are all staking their claim as more than just another guy on the team.

These players are not the ones with big names, yet, but it will be a shock to nobody when they come out strong next season and for the years to come.

Here are the players that shocked us the most this year.

1. Bryan Little had outstanding success with the OHL’s Barrie Colts, scoring over 100 points in two of the four seasons he played there. Things were looking bright for the young gun, who was drafted 12th overall in 2006 by the Thrashers.

   When he joined the farm team Chicago Wolves in 2007 he was expected to bring the same offensive skill. Unfortunately he struggled in his first year, only scoring nine goals and 25 points in 34 games with the Wolves, and then six goals and 16 points with the Thrashers in 48 games in the 2007-2008 season.

   Could this be another case of a player having a stellar minor league career only to be a big disappointment once turned pro?

   Not this kid.

   Little has burst onto the scene this year in Atlanta, proving he can score as he sits second only to Ilya Kovalchuk with 31 goals on the team. He is tied for the team-lead in power play goals (12) and is second with 157 shots.

   The 21 year-old has been a bright spot in a dismal season for the Thrashers who have been out of the playoff race for months now. He has gotten a chance with the team though, and proven that he can be an offensive threat moving forward.

   It seems as if Atlanta has found someone not named Kovalchuk who can score - and that is something they have needed for a while.

   He started the season hoping to come in and find his spot on a struggling team.

   Sitting next to Kovalchuk in the team scoring race seems like a pretty good spot to me.

2. As a rookie for the San Jose Sharks last season, Devin Setoguchi played 44 games, tallying a respectable 11 goals and 17 points coming up from the minors

   Entering this season it was not even certain that he would make the team, a team that was boasting arguably the best lineup they have ever had.

   Not only did he make the team, he started the year on fire, and hasn’t really slowed down since. His 57 points is third on the team, and the 27 goals he has scored is second only to Patrick Marleau.

   This 8th overall pick in the 2005 draft has had an excellent start to his career, and surprisingly is standing out on a team full of All-Stars.

   San Jose is undoubtedly pleased with his quick development, and with some of the players on the team with their younger days behind them, he will be a stud for years to come as a Shark.

   Definitely a surprise player this year, but one you won’t be surprised to see skating around the rink with a sparkling, silver cup over his head at season’s end.

3. Drafted in 2003 in the second round (33rd overall), Loui Eriksson came into the Dallas Stars organization from the Swedish Elite League having only scored more than 30 points in a season once for the various teams he played for over there.

   He was sent to the AHL farm team, Iowa Stars, for a year in 2005-2006 where he put up a solid 31 goals and 61 points in 78 games.

   He made the NHL team in the 2006-2007 season and during the next two years he had a combined 20 goals and 70 points, playing a total of 128 games.

   Needless to say, expectations were rather low for Eriksson coming into this season. With really only one impressive season under his belt, he was not going to be looked upon as an offensive threat for the Stars.

   Or so they thought.

   Not only has he played every game for Dallas this year, but he is second on the team in points with 57. His 33 goals make him the number one goal scorer ahead of known snipers Brad Richards, Mike Modano, and Mike Ribeiro.

   He also leads the team in plus/minus (+12) and shorthanded goals, and has four game-winning goals.

   Not only has he been a surprise for the Stars this year, but he has become the go-to guy with other offensive players on the team struggling or dealing with injuries.

   Pretty good for a guy who came into the season as virtually unknown.

4. What?

   Jamie Langenbrunner, a 15-year veteran, the captain of the New Jersey Devils, a Stanley Cup winner.

   How could he have a surprising season?

   Well, first of all, he is having the best season of his career statistically. In fact, he has career highs in goals (25), assists (38), points (63), and plus/minus (+27).

   The new-attitude New Jersey Devils, now able to brag about scoring goals as well as stopping them, are a big reason why Langenbrunner is having a career year, but it is a surprise he is playing this well.

   With the younger, more skilled players that are running the show in New Jersey now, the fact that Langenbrunner is still finding a way to get on the scoreboard is impressive.

   After only having 13 goals and 41 points last year, no one was expecting him to come into this season and put up the numbers that he has.

   Maybe he is just accepting his role on the team and embracing it mightily, or maybe it is just a case of the young guys on the team teaching this old dog some new tricks.

   Whatever it is, the Devils are happy this vet is playing surprisingly well right now.