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When Randy Couture easily submitted former multi-weight class boxing champion James Toney in the co-main event of UFC 118, MMA fans rejoiced at the perception that their sport bested boxing.  The problem is that there is blatant fallacy in such simplistic thinking.  Yet, none the less the build up to this fight was not that of two supremely gifted warriors on the tell end of their respective careers.  Rather, the UFC, along with fans, and some media outlets took this as a chance to trumpet the argument surrounding which sport is superior: boxing or MMA.

It’s a senseless argument given that the sports are completely different from each oher.  It’s not like an argument comparing the NFC to the AFC in professional football.  While there are some similarities in the basics of MMA with that of the techniques found in boxing, the sports’ similarities truly end there.  MMA is a sport comprised of various aspects of combative sports: boxing, kicks, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, et cetera.  Boxing is, well, boxing.  To compare the two would be like comparing a basketball player to a soccer player.  After all, those two sports are comprised of running and passing, right?

Sure, it’s silly to compare the sports of basketball and soccer against each other, but that type of improbable comparison is exactly what the debate between boxing and MMA is.  Boxing and MMA may both be combative sports; sports were you are allowed to pummel your opponent senseless.  But, just because a fighter is a boxer it does not mean that a transition into MMA would be smooth sailing.  James Toney proved that this past Saturday.  Likewise, an MMA fighter would struggle in the ring against skilled boxers.  The differences between the sports are so great that debating which is better is lesson in futility.

Look, the argument is simple, do you as an individual prefer boxing, or is MMA your type of thing. Both sports offer up fans distinctly unique experiences.  Personal preference is all that should be taken into consideration between the two sports.  Boxing versus MMA is an argument that needs to be put to rest.  The fact of the matter is that there is room in the world for both sports, neither is “better” than the other; it is as simple as that.

No doubt about it, Randy Couture vs James Toney is going to make the UFC some money at UFC 118.  The hype and buzz surrounding this match has even overshadowed the night's main event, Frankie Edgar vs B.J. Penn - Volume 2.  I hate to rain on everyone's parade, but the short-term benefits of Toney vs Couture are far outweighed by the long-term damage it could do to the sport.  So why is Randy Couture vs James Toney bad for the sport of mixed martial arts?  Let me count the ways:

 

1) Boxing vs MMA

Not surprisingly, Couture vs Toney has been billed as the be-all-and-end-all in the ongoing 'boxing  vs MMA' debate.  This is a very wrong, and very dangerous, assumption.  There are no mixed martial artists or boxers that represent their sport as a whole, especially not two fighters past their prime as Randy Couture and James Toney are.  Especially not a punch-drunk, flabby boxer with 83 pro fights under his belt (not to mention multiple failed steroid tests) or a 47-year-old mixed martial artist who hasn't beaten a top-rated opponent in over three years.  This matchup will settle nothing more than determining who is the best MMA fighter, Couture or Toney.

2) No-Win Situation

This is a no-win situation for MMA and for Randy Couture.  Couture HAS to beat James Toney, but when he does he won't be praised for it - he is supposed to win.  But, if somehow Toney figures out a way to beat Couture in the cage, the damage to the sport and Couture is immense.  Captain America's legacy is forever tarnished for losing to an out of shape, 42-year-old boxer making his MMA debut, and MMA will be deemed the redheaded stepchild to boxing.

3) Captain America Hangs Up His Cape

While it seems like the day will never come, Randy Couture eventually has to retire (doesn't he?!).  He is now 47-years-old and has been in the sport for 13 years.  As much as we all hate to admit it, Couture is very close to retirement.  So why waste precious time fighting a rookie like James Toney?  If we are to believe that Couture is still a legitimate contender for the UFC's light heavyweight crown, he shouldn't be wasting time with the James Toneys of the world.  He should be fighting other top contenders to see if he really can make another run to the top of the 205lb division.

4) 1993 All Over Again

Usually its a positive thing if something is labelled 'reto' or a 'throwback'.  That is not the case with Couture vs Toney.  It is retro and a throwback, but that definitely is not a good thing.  This match harkens back to the Stone Age period of MMA, back to UFC 1 in 1993.  Back in the days where matches were not much more than bar brawls.  Back where a tough guy off the street could enter the sport and have success.  Supposedly mixed martial arts has advanced significantly from its dark ages.  If so, then why is a guy who has never competed in the sport allowed to fight a legend like Randy Couture as a co-headliner on a major pay-per-view?  I have no problem with James Toney competing in the sport - I actually respect his courage for doing it - but he should have to work his way up, just like every other fighter.  It was bad enough when a guy fresh from a career in pro wrestling had the UFC Heavyweight Championship belt around his waist after his fourth fight - at least he had a stellar amateur wrestling career.  If mixed martial artists are to be respected as the hardworking, highly skilled professional athletes that they are, then allowing James Toney to co-headline an event just sends the wrong message to the masses.

5) This Is Not Japan

Randy Couture vs James Toney is nothing more than a gimmick fight; a circus sideshow.  These type of matches happen all the time in Japan or smaller organizations, but they don't happen in the UFC.  The UFC is supposed to be the 'major leagues' of MMA, where the best of the best go at it to determine the king of the hill.  What's next for the UFC - Jose Canseco vs Shaq?  Let's leave the freak show matches to our friends in the minor leagues and in the Far East.

This isn't to say I'm not interested in watching Couture vs Toney tomorrow night.  Here's hoping Couture makes quick work of him and Toney can disappear as quickly as he burst onto the scene.  I'm just saying that if Dana White plans on making MMA the biggest sport in the world in the next decade (like he claims), he should be looking at things long-term.  Then again, White comes off as more of a gambler than an investor, so this is par for the course.

California and Nevada decided Antonio Margarito hadn't learned enough from getting caught with loaded hand wraps before his 2009 fight with Shane Mosley. Texas, apparently, has no such qualms.

As predicted by those in the know, Texas granted Margarito a license today, ironically clearing the way for what will almost certainly be the biggest money fight of his career just a year and a half after the hand wrap controversy. That's because it will be against Manny Pacquiao in palatial Cowboys Stadium outside of Dallas on November 13.

Promoter Bob Arum had mentioned Las Vegas, Atlantic City and even Abu Dhabi as potential hosts for a Pacquiao-Margarito fight, but it was clear from early on that the site would be dependent on which state would be the first to grant Margarito a chance to fight again. The WBA light middleweight titleholder has fought just once since getting suspended following the Mosley fight, and that was in Mexico three months ago.

Though Nevada decided to punt on a decision to license Margarito and California barely even seemed to deliberate before denying him, Texas was equally quick to say he was okay to fight. Arum's smug confidence that his fighter would be good to go looks justified now, for better or worse.

So everyone wins: Margarito gets to fight again, Pacquiao has a chance to win another title in another weight class (however dubious) and Arum gets another event to put on in Cowboys Stadium - and without having to negotiate with another promoter. It remains to be seen if the fans will come around, since people haven't exactly been clamoring to see this match-up.

But in a year that has featured one of the least exciting boxing slates in recent memory, they just might.

Although this hasn't been 100% confirmed at this hour, it looks like Ballhype.com along with its sister site Showhype.com as well as Daily Radar have been shuttered by their parent company, Future US. Above is the screenshot of what you get when you try to reach all 3 of the sites.

Some bloggers are holding out hope that maybe the site has just been hacked but former Advisory Board member Alana G seems to confirm on Twitter that the site is done. I'll concentrate most of this blog on strictly BallHype opposed to the other properties that are being retired with them as my knowledge of the other properties is very scant.

The move seems to be oddly timed considering the return of football is a couple weeks away in addition to the fact that the site just underwent a redesign. Ballhype also seemed like a site that didn't need too much resources as the content and voting was all done by users and not editors. Most of the work behind the scenes I am guessing was on the technology front.

In the end there is no doubt in my mind that this decision was financially motivated. If you recall, Ballhype and Showhype were purchased for reportedly about $3 million in 2008 by Future US, which is primarily a niche magazine company. Some thought it would have been wise to holdout for a larger payday, but given BallHype was founded by a couple who had not raised any venture capital and the site had no revenue because they didn't have advertising programs, in retrospect it was a well timed exit. In the first 90 days after the acquisition the economy collapsed and I think its unlikely to think it could have garnered a higher valuation since.

For those unfamiliar with BallHype, it was essentially "Digg For Sports" an expression that was bestowed on them by many publications which also was thrown around in the early days of  my former employer, Yardbarker,  when their homepage had a similar community voting system. At its core, Ball Hype was a democratic way to promote content. If you thought you had great content, then depending on the subject matter and your ability to round up votes,  users could "hype" your content allowing it to be showcased higher on ballhype.com.

Some of my finest traffic days here at benkoo.com came with some help from Ballhype and a lot of the bloggers on Bloguin and guys I've worked with at Yardbarker were heavy users of the site, so it certainly is a sad day as many will lose this resource in their arsenal of ways to promote content.

I think the closing of Ballhype is especially tragic due to the fact that it was bought out and is now closing only a hair over 24 months later. A lot of hot startups break their backs trying to get an exit to a larger media company thinking it will allow them to continue to grow. The truth is many larger companies just don't have a good feel for operating a startup and often have cultural issues with the community or the niche area in which they are operating in. As more sports blog entities find their way to greener pastures like The 700 Level, The Basketball Jones, The Big Lead, etc, you have to keep your fingers crossed that those entities continue to thrive and that corporate politics and cost cutting don't lead to the demise of some this genre's biggest success stories which seems to be the case here.

Below are 5 Reasons Why Ball Hype Seems to be Done for Now

1- Decling Traffic and Community Shift

First and foremost, the site was slipping in terms of its significance. See charts below.

The chart above is the total amount of monthly visitors BallHype attracted. As you can see its been mostly in decline and clocks in at about 1/3 of its peak audience on October of just last year. While some of this may have just been seasonal declines, the chart seems to show that the audience is about half of where it was a year ago. Obviously this was probably a big part of the decision although nearly 800k unique visitors is still very significant and you'd think with the return of the football and other sports they'd be likely to get back to a million. Below is a look at the page views which paints a similar negative trend. Only averaging 2 page-views per visitor is also not an encouraging stat.

I think another item to mention in relation to this drop in traffic is that the effects are really felt in multiple ways. Less traffic means Ballhype can't send as much traffic to blogs that promote their content. Less outbound traffic means bloggers are less motivated to use the site.  With quality bloggers not using Ballhype and the decrease of traffic you also have not as many votes on the site meaning the content filtering is not as good. All of these issues are intertwined and probably helped lead to the death spiral. Also similar to Digg, many users complained that mainstream media entities like ESPN was getting a lot of the promotion when the initial appeal of the site was to help promote content away from major portals.

Another thing is that I believe Ballhype after the acquisition started even smaller niche sites covering things like Fantasy Sports on its on hype style website which only further fragmented their core audience.

2- Unappealing to Advertisors

Out of the aggregation sites, really only Digg has been successful from an advertising perspective. I can't recall what type of advertising programs BallHype had if any, but can attest that BallHype failed to garner a lot of buzz in the advertising world. Whether that was a failure on their advertising partners and sales team or aggregators are just unpopular as a whole, BallHype seemed to be stuck at a low level of revenue per page comparative to other emerging entities like SB Nation, Yardbarker, Bloguin, and Bleacher Report.

3- Other Sharing Options

Twitter's really blew up right around the time BallHype was acquired. Many in this business think Twitter is this biggest traffic driver for blogs and certainly it displaced Ballhype for many bloggers as their primary focus in terms of promotion. Facebook too has revamped their ability to connect users to external content (fan pages, like plugins) and with the usage of plugins and API's a lot of this ability to promote is done automatically and to a wider audience.

Meanwhile general plugins that allow you to promote via tools like Reddit, StumbleUpon, FanFeedr, and Twackle have also encroached on BallHype's turf over time. SI's Hot Clicks and Bleacher Report's Newsletters are also now very popular in terms of finding new content.  Essentially although promotion of sports content is a niche field, it got oversaturated very quickly.

4- They Couldn't Find a Buyer

I would think that Future US made some type of effort to gauge interest in a buyer. While 1.5 million page views is probably not enough to really excite a lot of companies, I do think BallHype is significant enough from a brand, technology, community, and traffic standpoint that it had value.

My guess is that either they wanted to pull the chord quickly and didn't bother to really investigate finding a buyer or more likely they couldn't find an entity who would really keep the site on a similar path the original vision of the founders.

5- The Internal Support Eroded

For any large acquisition, there is an internal champion. Someone who says "Let's do this" and attaches their name to the strategic move. That person has to mobilize support, capital, and plan out the post acquisition fit into the bigger company. Once the smoke clears, you have a smaller startup that is hopefully well assimilated in a larger company who understands its needs.

But all too often it goes the other way and the acquiring company grows skeptical of their new asset. Resources that are needed can be withheld, decisions can be vetod, and focus can drift to other areas of the business.

The fact that on the surface its pretty clear that BallHype was losing money, its relevance was eroding, and potentially a lot of people involved on the acquisition on both sides may have left the company as time went on ,was most likely the larger driving factor that got us here today.

Where Do We Go From Here?

There could still be hope for a BallHype relaunch either with Future US or maybe a buyer comes to the table because of the shutdown. That would be ideal imo, to have some really sharp folks who get the space to come in and roll up the sleeves to make it a viable entity and valuable asset to the blogosphere.

If not, its unclear if anyone will ever fill this void. Digg does have a sports area, Yardbarker used to have a competing voting system, and Twackle seems to be getting some level of traction, but to recapture the adoption, goodwill, and significance BallHype would likely be a very uphill battle.

Another thing to consider is that really BallHype was just democratically curated sports portal. While its a great concept, each sports fan can tap into many great bloggers daily link dumps/roundups as a lot of bloggers have shown great ability to find and promote great content from around the web.

In the end it didn't feel like someone pulling the plug but more like someone pulling the rug underneath a large amount of bloggers who had a connection with the site whether that connection was in the past or still alive. You have to wonder what Future US's expectations were for BallHype when they bought it and how much money they are really saving by making this move. I think its possible that similar to Family Guy, there may be enough community support to have the site make a comeback but at the same token its going to be a lot of work and an investment so this really could be the end of a historic cog in the rise of sports blogs.

RIP BallHype. Like all good things, you went too soon.

Even with the way my boxing news feed fills up with stories about James Toney vs. Randy Couture, each day that goes by without me mentioning it feels like a personal triumph. Many of the headlines are along the lines of "Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing Face Off with Couture vs. Toney" or something, and usually appear to be written by people who never have covered either sport. They are so ill-informed as to not even warrant a response in this space, as others have more than capably explained how wrong they are.

A very encouraging percentage, though, perhaps the majority, recognize that Toney-Couture on Aug. 28 proves nothing whatsoever about either sport.

But there's a "but" to the "but." Within the percentage of articles about how Toney-Couture proves nothing whatsoever, there are some which manage to make it sound like Toney is any kind of relevant boxer today. He is not. It's accumulated to the point that there will be no personal triumph for me today.

In an otherwise good piece at Yahoo recently, Steve Cofield wrote:

Toney has plenty left, especially if he got down to cruiserweight where he belongs. He's still a top-10 heavyweight, with a granite chin and defensive abilities as good as anyone in the sport.

In an otherwise good piece this week, Todd Martin wrote for ESPN:

As a result, the stage was finally set for the long-anticipated showdown between an elite MMA fighter and an elite boxer. Multiple-division boxing champion and future boxing Hall of Famer James Toney saw the opening and began a campaign to get a UFC fight. UFC decision-makers were initially cold on the idea, but Toney eventually talked himself into a fight with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture on Aug. 28 at UFC 118.

And just today, USA Today's Bob Velin wrote:

Toney, 41, will become the first elite boxer to step into the octagon when he meets heavyweight Randy Couture, 47, in the main event at TD Garden.

No, and no.

Toney is not a top-10 heavyweight. He hasn't been since 2006. He is not an elite boxer. He hasn't cracked Ring magazine's top-10 pound-for-pound since 2003. The last top-10 opponent in his division he beat was John Ruiz in 2005, but that was turned into a no-decision because Toney failed a post-fight drug test. The last top-10 opponent in his division he beat officially was Evander Holyfield in 2003, and even then Holyfield looked that night like a fighter whose career was over. Toneys was good enough in 2006 to lose narrowly to Sam Peter and draw with Hasim Rahman -- two men who passed for quality heavyweights in that day and age -- but by 2007, Peter blew him out easily. In 2008, he got a decision win over journeyman Fres Oquendo in what some considered the robbery of the year, so thoroughly did Oquendo outbox him. He hasn't done anything of note in a boxing ring since. Outside the ring, he's taunted the Klitschko brothers endlessly, but if the Klitschko brothers had fought him, they would have faced widespread criticism for choosing to fight an old, maybe-shot heavyweight who hadn't scored a significant win in the division in years and years.

I say that with remorse, as Toney is one of my all-time favorite fighters. The only thing he has left is defensive skill and a granite chin, and both have degraded in recent years, as Peter showed by decking Toney with a jab and as Oquendo showed by hitting Toney more than he should have been hit. He's likely not even a top-20 heavyweight at this point. He is formerly an elite boxer, formerly a top heavyweight. And if that sounds like nitpicking -- after all, Toney for the balance of his career was an elite boxer, so maybe using the present tense isn't so bad -- consider that if Muhammad Ali got in the octagon with Couture, nobody would say "Ali is the first elite boxer to step into the octagon." Ali's a good deal more beyond his best days than Toney, of course, but neither are currently elite boxers, and what Toney is now matters more for Aug. 28 than what he once was or what he was for most of his career. To call Toney "elite" today is misleading at best.

Everyone who writes that Toney-Couture will prove nothing about boxing vs. MMA is right. But it proves even less than some of them think.

Since 1996, Major League Soccer has strived to increase its leagues popularity and move soccer up the sports food chain in the United States.

Facing opposition from everyday American sports fans; the moving process was very slow in the first 6 years. With two disbanded franchises along with the dismissal of the founding MLS commissioner, Doug Logan, the health of the MLS was in serious question. The 1998 World Cup Finals in France made matters even worse as the US team made up of primarily US players exited quickly with three consecutive losses, including an embarrassing loss to Iran.

The following World Cup held in Japan/South Korea proved to be the beginning of a new era in US Soccer.

The National Team shined as they made quick work of world powers Portugal and Mexico and reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup Finals. The MLS Cup Final, four months later, set an attendance record with a sellout crowd at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. In the next few years the MLS sold off some of the best talents in the league to the biggest clubs in Europe as Tim Howard, Freddy Adu, and Landon Donovan made their way across the Atlantic. The league also quickly expanded to 14 teams with the additions of Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo, Chivas USA, and Toronto FC.

Although the resurgence of the MLS was in full force, the quality of the players in the league was still not up to standards of the best leagues in the world.

But in 2007, the most important provision ever put in place by the MLS, since it was founded, was adopted. The designated player rule allows each MLS franchise to go out and sign one player that would be considered outside of the teams' salary cap. This allowed teams to bid for international soccer stars. The first of these players was English National Player, and soccer icon, David Beckham.

At the age of 31, Beckham secured a 5 year contract with the LA Galaxy that would pay him 6.5 Million Dollars per season. This was an unprecedented salary for the MLS but was viewed as the only way the league could compete with European powers for the services of soccer stars. Over the last 3 years, the MLS has added 20 Designated Players to the rosters of its teams. Fans of the MLS, have experienced a sharp increase in the value and quality of the league. It is no longer thought of as a developmental league for US players, but as a comfortable landing spot for aging soccer stars across the world.

This brings us to the current problem of the DP rule, the age factor.

Although quality players have started to come over to the MLS, the age at which they make their transition is worrisome. Most of the players are over the age of 30, and in soccer years, this is the beginning of the end of their careers. The next step in the evolution of the DP rule is bringing in players in the prime of their careers. In the current MLS transfer period, this evolution is beginning to show. The first of these players, Alvaro Fernandez, a 24 year-old Uruguayan International, has joined the Seattle Sounders. Fernandez just came off a great run in the 2010 World Cup Finals helping Uruguay finish impressively in 4th place.

Another high profile move that transpired this summer was the addition of International soccer star Thierry Henry. Although Henry is on the downside of his career, it should be noted that Henry is viewed as a better player than Beckham was when he joined the MLS. Rafael Marquez, Henry’s former Barcelona teammate, also made the move to the MLS New York Red Bulls in what figures to be the most impressive MLS roster in the history of the league.

All of this movement should be extremely exciting.

The prospect of being able to see the best soccer players in the world every week here in Portland starting next year gets me pumped up for the MLS expansion even more. Hopefully the Timbers will fully utilize their DP and we can have a star to root for here in the Rose City.

Next time we will look forward to the possible DP additions to the Timbers roster as they make the jump to the MLS.

photo: zimbio

The California State Athletic Commission on Wednesday made the right decision by ruling, 5-1, against restoring the boxing license of junior middleweight Antonio Margarito. In explaining their vote, members of the commission argued that Margarito hadn't shown enough contrition for or taken adequate steps to correct what happened the night in 2008 when illegal wraps were discovered in his glove; that there should be a zero tolerance standard on safety in the boxing ring; and questioned what he was thinking in seeking a license elsewhere before returning to the commission that punished him.

It was the right decision for all those reasons, but most especially because, under the rule in California -- and it's a good rule -- the boxer is held to "strict liability" for his equipment and what he puts in his body, even if he claims that his trainer was the one who was to blame. As one commissioner said in explaining his vote: "You can delegate authority, but you can't delegate responsibility." And, as another commissioner said earlier in the hearing, a mere one-year license revocation could send the wrong message that loading one's gloves is worth the risk of getting caught because if one doesn't get caught, cheating in that way could lead to a win that would pave a fighter's career path with gold.

But I'd be surprised if it affects whether Margarito fights in America again, as it should per the usual standard of one state honoring another's rulings. Texas is the preferred location for Margarito's fight with Manny Pacquiao, wherein Margarito will make more money than he ever has. Promoter Bob Arum said he expects Texas to provide a license, and last week came reports that Margarito's team had been "assured" that he would receive a license. Maybe Arum's wrong, and maybe the unnamed source who said Margarito was "assured" of receiving a license is unreliable. But all signs point to the likelihood that, no matter what California did, Texas was going to be on board for the fight.

So there was probably no justice done Wednesday, in reality. But what California's commission did is, at minimum, a victory for principle. And that's worth something.

Not only did Anderson Silva steal away Chael Sonnen's dreams of middleweight gold at UFC 117, he also took the money and ran.  The California State Athletic Commission yesterday  released the reported fighter salaries from the event, and Silva came away the big winner, netting a cool $320000 when you include the end of night bonus awards.  As always, please remember that this is only the reported purses that the fighters earned - it doesn't include any unreported bonuses, sponsorship money or pay-per-view earnings a fighter may have made.  In total, the UFC paid out a reported $1329000 to UFC 117's combatants.  Here's how the money was divvied up:

 

Anderson Silva: $320000 ($200000 to show, $60000 for Fight of the Night, $60000 for Submission of the Night)
Matt Hughes: $260000 ($100000 to show, $100000 win bonus, $60000 for Submission of the Night)
Jon Fitch: $120000 ($54000 to show, $54000 win bonus, $12000 for Thiago Alves coming in over weight)
Chael Sonnen: $95000 ($35000 to show, $60000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Stefan Struve: $90000 ($15000 to show, $15000 win bonus, $60000 Knockout of the Night bonus) 
Junior dos Santos: $80000 ($40000 to show, $40000 win bonus)
Clay Guida: $56000 ($28000 to show, $28000 win bonus)
Thiago Alves: $48000 ($60000 original salary minus 12% paid to Fitch for coming in over weight)
Johny Hendricks: $40000 ($20000 to show, $20000 win bonus)
Ricardo Almeida: $35000
Tim Boetsch: $32000 ($16000 to show, $16000 win bonus)
Dennis Hallman: $30000 ($15000 to show, $15000 win bonus)
Rick Story: $22000 ($11000 to show, $11000 win bonus)
Dustin Hazelett: $18000
Phil Davis: $18000 ($9000 to show, $9000 win bonus)
Roy Nelson: $15000
Ben Saunders: $12000
Rafael dos Anjos: $12000
Charlie Brenneman: $8000
Rodney Wallace: $6000
Todd Brown: $6000
Christian Morecraft: $6000

Silva's big payday also moved him into second place in the 2010 UFC fighter salaries rankings, behind only Rashad Evans.  Check out the updated 2010 UFC fighter salary info here.

 

The one lesson everyone who watched yesterday's PGA Championship will walk away with is that golf isn't a fair game.  If golf were fair, Dustin Johnson would have had a chance to win his first major in a playoff, instead of being penalized two strokes for grounding his club in a sandbox/bunker.  If golf were fair, Bubba Watson might have completed one of the more inspirational major victories of recent memory, winning his first major while his father battles cancer and his wife just survived another cancer scare.  And if golf were fair, a talented, young German (Martin Kaymer) would be celebrated today as golf's next breakout star with more potential than anyone to win multiple majors, instead of being a current-day Bob Goalby.

Bob Goalby?  Even a knowledgeable golf fan might look at you with a confused face if you asked him about Bob Goalby.  But, if you mentioned the name Roberto DeVicenzo and the 1968 Masters, you would hear another sorry tale about golf's fairness, or lack thereof.  DeVicenzo, like Dustin Johnson, was about to go into a playoff with Bob Goalby for the championship, until he signed an incorrect scorecard and was disqualified from the playoff.  Much like the situation with Dustin Johnson, DeVicenzo took full blame for his mistake with his famous quote, "What a stupid I am!" While Johnson didn't say as much yesterday, he did face his gaffe like a man and took full responsibility for the penalty on the 72nd hole. After all, even though everyone sitting at home and sitting in that "bunker" knew it wasn't a fair outcome, it was the right outcome.

It was the right outcome because golf is different from any other sport, where the rules of the game, and values like honor and integrity are more important than fairness.  It wasn't fair that Dustin Johnson's drive found one of the 1,000 bunkers strewn about Whistling Straits by designer Pete Dye that happened to be filled with fans. Sure, it wasn't fair that throngs of people filled the "bunker" that Johnson's tee shot found on 18, making it impossible for Johnson to assess his surroundings accurately.  Maybe it wasn't fair that Johnson's caddie and rules officials didn't do a better job of clearing the crowd and reminding Johnson he was actually in a bunker.  Of course it wasn't fair that the PGA couldn't give Johnson a break in such unusual circumstances to allow him to participate in the playoff.

But, take it from someone who plays the game and played golf competitively (although small-time Ohio high school golf loosely qualifies as "competitive"), golf's very foundation is built on honesty and integrity.  This isn't a sport where players get ahead by blatantly cheating through the shameful flopping that has become so popular in soccer and basketball.  For generations, golfers have been calling penalties on themselves, not relying on rules officials to follow them every step of the way. Dustin Johnson admitted as much yesterday, he knew he should have looked at the rules more closely. The bunkers at Whistling Straits were a big story all week, and players and media were told each of the 1,000 or so would be played as hazards, whether they were inside the ropes, or whether little Johnny was building a sandcastle in it outside the ropes. No other major venue in the world would have fans standing in a bunker with a player as he's trying to par the last hole to win his first major. That still doesn't excuse Johnson not knowing the rules, and refusing to play it safe by not grounding his club.

Many in sports will compare Johnson's plight to Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga, who had a perfect game robbed by umpire Jim Joyce's blown call at first base for the last out of the game.  Both had significant accomplishments stolen from them by a lack of fairness.  And while both handled their tragic circumstances with class, the two situations should be remembered differently. Bud Selig still could have intervened and given Galarraga the perfect game since it was the last out of the game. Or better yet, he could have replay systems in place to avoid a botched call costing Galarraga a place in history.  But most of all, in that situation, no rules were broken, an umpire missed a call.

Here, the officials got the call right, the rules were followed as they were laid out before the tournament.  And while anyone who saw what happened at the PGA would agree it wasn't fair, they should all agree it was the right decision.  So while Martin Kaymer might still live in obscurity as a first-time major winner, and Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson have the consolation prize of making the Ryder Cup team, everyone will remember the 2010 PGA Championship for Johnson's penalty on the 72nd hole.  Golf, like life, is filled with instances like yesterday, where the world just isn't fair. But, the values of integrity and honor were preserved yesterday by Dustin Johnson and the PGA, which will always be more important than fairness in the game of golf.

Yesterday we gave you the 20 players to watch in this year's EPL season.  In the second and final part of our preview, it's time to put our prognosticating prowess on the table.  We let you know our forecast for the final table in the 2010/11 English Premier League season.  Who will fight the battle for relegation?  Who will qualify for Europe?  And most importantly, who will be lifting that Premiership trophy when all is said and done?

(1) Manchester United (last year-2nd)
Though questions about for Manchester United just like any other side (health of the defense, age of key midfield pieces, can Rooney keep it up), Sir Alex Ferguson always seems to have the answers.  While his side has stayed at the top of the table for years, he's also managed to develop the deepest side in the EPL by a large margin.  Expect to see even more of the youth movement on a week-to-week basis with players like Gibson, Macheda, Fabio/Rafael, and new signing Chicharito being given the chance to be more than bit players in the Carling Cup. This youthful, skillful depth, along with the wily leadership and steady hand of players like Van der Sar, Vidic, Giggs/Scholes, and Rooney, Man United seem to be the most complete side going in to the season.  While it certainly won't be a run away, expect Manchester United to finally get their 19th Premiership to pass Liverpool for the most all-time.

(2) Chelsea (last year-1st)
Many forget that Chelsea were perhaps a dubious offside call at Old Trafford away from losing the Premiership.  Instead, they were barely able to hold off their top rivals in Manchester to be champions by a single point.  While it will be hard to duplicate the drama of last year's title race, expect Chelsea's priorities to be on other tasks than defending their Premiership.  Russian tycoon/owner Roman Abramowich has always coveted the Champions League above all else, and with a side missing a lot of players who provided depth (Joe Cole, Belletti, Carvalho, Ballack, etc.) it will be difficult to fight a war on two fronts.  Unless reinforcements to Ramires and Benayoun are brought in, it appears Chelsea will fall short once again in England.

(3) Manchester City (last year-5th)
Man City are certainly the nouveau riche of the football world with the money pouring in from their Arabian owners.  As if all of their additions last season weren't enough, the Sheiks have kept going adding quality pieces like David Silva, Yaya Toure, and defenders Boateng and Korolov.  Give City credit though for not following the Real Madrid model by buying the best attacking talent and leaving the defense to fend for itself.  They recognize, especially in England, that a solid defense is the key.  And with the attacking talent already in place (Tevez, Johnson, Adebayor or possibly Balotelli from Inter), any sort of defensive resistance should be enough to vault City past some of their rivals into Champions League qualification.  While they aren't on the level of Man U/Chelsea yet, they are much closer than many traditionalists would like to admit.

(4) Arsenal (last year-3rd)
The football punditry has been waiting for years for this generation of Gunners to challenge once again for the Premiership.  And with talent overflowing at almost every position, it isn't hard to fall in love with Arsene Wenger's free-flowing brand of the Beautiful Game.  But, a couple of familiar foes will derail any serious title hopes.  First, the constant distraction of captain Cesc Fabregas's eventual departure to Barcelona still doesn't seem settled.  Second, there aren't reinforcements in the middle of the park, specifically in central midfield and central defense.  And third, Arsenal will never win a major title with Manuel Almunia as their first-choice goalie, take it to the bank!

 

(5) Tottenham Hotspur (last year-4th)
Tottenham were the beneficiaries of Liverpool's failures and Manchester City's extravagance to finish 4th and claim the crucial Champions League berth (i.e. truckloads of money!)  But, with the improvements already seen in Manchester City, Spurs have been chasing transfer targets like a hare around a greyhound track, only to come up empty so far.  Complicating matters is the usual logjam at striker with players like Keane, Pavleyuchenko, Defoe, and Crouch all fighting for minutes.  Added to that the uncertainty in defense with the health of Ledley King, and it will be tough for Tottenham to get back to Champions League football.  In a season where their depth will be tested, Tottenham are just a few players short to duplicate last year's success.

(6) Liverpool (last year-7th)
The buzz word around Liverpool this season is transition, which might as well be code for "big fat waste of time".  Without Rafa Benitez to kick around, and many of the players who gave fans bouts of joy and heartache, it will be a new look Liverpool squad at Anfield.  And while stalwarts Torres and Gerrard were convinced to stay, neither looks as if they are at their physical peak.  The biggest developments for Liverpool will happen off the pitch, where American owners Gillett and Hicks have to be ousted if Liverpool are to compete with the new Top 4.  Without a few big money signings, Liverpool could begin a slow slip down the standings from Champions League, to Europa League, to fighting for their lives.

(7) Everton (last year-8th)
One has to give credit to Everton manager David Moyes for always making a sweet-tasting batch of lemonade out of some sour lemons.  Seemingly with only smoke and mirrors, Moyes has made Everton a constant fixture in the Top 10, which should hold true again this season. The return of a healthy Mikel Arteta will be a huge boost.  Add to that the potential of resigning American Landon Donovan, and Everton should find even more success.  If MLS had any brains at all, they would sell Donovan to Everton in a heart beat and adopt them as their unofficial EPL team, with U.S. GK Tim Howard firmly entrenched there as one of the country's best goalies.  Of course...that would require MLS to use their brains...I won't hold my breath.

(8) Stoke City (last year-11th)
Stoke City have gone from one-trick pony (Rory Delap's long throw-ins) to hard-nosed home specialists to a very real threat to make it to European competition.  WIth their rock-solid defense, the question for Stoke was always going to be if they could score enough goals to break through the glass ceiling.  Well, with the signing of Kenwyne Jones from Sunderland, manager Tony Pullis might have found just the man for the job.  While Darren Bent got all the headlines and goals last season for Sunderland, Jones can be just as dangerous when he wants to be.  If he brings his A-game to go with Stoke's always rough-and-tumble defense (led by Ryan Shawcross), Stoke will be on the verge of European qualification.

(9) Aston Villa (last year-6th)
Frankly, Villa are a team who have gone from competing for the Champions League to hanging on by a thread in a matter of days.  With the loss of manager Martin O'Neill, it seems a tower of cards might come tumbling down at Villa if owner Randy Lerner gives the go-ahead. Not only might Villa lose James Milner to Man City, but GK Brad Friedel and W Ashley Young could be following out the door soon after. If that's the case, Villa may stumble further down the standings than 9th.  But, even with a couple of losses, there is enough quality in the side to stay inside the top half of the table.

(10) Fulham (last year-12th)
While Fulham lost Roy Hodgson to Liverpool, the rest of their Europa League runner-up squad returns, including rumored target GK Mark Schwarzer.  But, Fulham's hopes will rest on the form of their front men, namely Clint Dempsey, Andy Johnson, and Bobby Zamora.  If they score goals in the EPL the way they did on Fulham's Europa League run, they could find themselves easily within the Top 10.  If not, the team will struggle to compete, it's as simple as that.  Also, don't discount the redemption factor of Mark Hughes, who was dumped so rudely by Man City last season.

(11) Bolton Wanderers (last year-14th)
Give Bolton credit for being one of the few mid-table sides committed to playing an attractive brand of football to fight their way up the table.  They've signed Martin Petrov to pair with some promising midfield pieces and have brought back Ivan Klasnic to be the primary goal-scorer.  If Bolton can get anything, anything from hulking Swedish striker Johan Elmander (8 goals in 55 appearances), they can be an outside threat for the Europa League.  Whatever the case, expect goalie Jussi Jaaskelainen to continually turn in some of the more spectacular saves in the league on a weekly basis.

(12) Birmingham City (last year-9th)
One of the surprise packages of last season was Birmingham City's march inside the Top 10 of the EPL in their first season after promotion.  But, there just don't appear to be enough goal-scorerers to support the mercurial Cameron Jerome up front.  Many of their crucial players (Phillips, Ferguson, Bowyer, Carr) are another year older, and none of Alex McLeish's transfers do much to spark excitement at St. Andrews.  While Birmingham City are firmly entrenched in the middle of the table, they won't see the same success as last season.

(13) Sunderland (last year-13th)
The last of the mid-table sides who will fight it out for faint hopes of Europe will be Sunderland.  The Black Cats always seem to have unbridled optimism at the start of the season, but usually have to claw their way back to mediocrity by the end of the campaign (kind of like a cat...rimshot?).  Manager Steve Bruce has always seemed more concerned with using the job as a stepping stone than building a cohesive side to threaten the Top 10.  This summer has been no different seeing players come and go, including powerful striker Kenwyne Jones.  Despite all the wheeling and dealing, expect Sunderland to finish right where they did last season, in the middle of mediocrity.

(14) West Ham United (last year-17th)
Not long ago, West Ham was a team in disarray with the departure of popular manager Gianfranco Zola and a 17th place finish last year.  But, give credit to owners Gold and Sullivan for hiring perhaps the perfect man for the job, the battle-tested Avram Grant.  Grant has made enough prudent signings to strengthen the squad, especially when compared to the lack of strength in many other teams who could finish below them in the Premier League.  While there is a significant step down in quality after the Top 13, West Ham should be the best of the also-rans this season.

(15) Blackburn Rovers (last year-10th)
The great Sam Allardyce led Blackburn from nowhere to 10th place last season.  As we mentioned yesterday, a lot of the burden will fall on David Dunn to facilitate and score many of the team's goals, but another player to keep an eye on is 22-year old Mame Biram Diouf, a striker on loan from Manchester United.  If Diouf can build on the flashes of glory seen in part-time appearances, he may be the missing piece to the strike force.  That, combined with a steady Paul Robinson in goal and the leadership of Allardyce, Blackburn should be safe.

(16) Wigan Athletic (last year-16th)
American fans who saw ESPN's World Cup coverage might pay more attention to Wigan, managed by the affable analyst Roberto Martinez.  Unfortunately, Martinez's team doesn't boast as much quality on the pitch as he does on tv.  Still, Martinez's sides usually show enough quality at home to barely scrape by another season in the EPL.  Expect to see more of the same this year, with Wigan hanging around the bottom five positions all season long.

(17) Newcastle United (last year-Championship 1st)
One of the most beloved teams in English football, Newcastle, are back in the Premiership after a year-long voyage through the wilderness of the Championship.  They dominated their opposition last year, but the team they bring back to the EPL is not near as strong as the side that was demoted two years ago.  They will rely heavily on the experience of veterans like Sol Campbell and Kevin Nolan while also infusing a nice blend of youngsters (Andy Carroll and Dan Gosling).  If crazy owner Mike Ashley can stay out of the way long enough, Toon should just avoid the drop.

(18) Wolverhampton Wanderers (last year-15th)
One of the fascinating subplots of the EPL is the relegation battle, where the bottom 3 teams are demoted at the end of the season to the 2nd-tier Championship (if only we could do the same to the Pirates and TWolves!).  The first side we predict to go down our Wolves, who only barely scraped the drop last season by 8 points.  And for the lowest-scoring side in the Premier League last season, they haven't made any significant moves to bolster their attack.  

(19) West Bromwich Albion (last year-Championship 2nd)
Many soccer pundits have rightly noted that WBA are the epitome of a "yo-yo" squad...one that can easily gain promotion into the Premier League, but is never good enough to stay there. No one player strikes fear into the hearts of opponents, and they never seem to have enough cohesion as a unit to ward off the rest of the bottom-half of the table.  That's a bad combination to fight off relegation.

(20) Blackpool (last year-Playoff Winner)
The most surprising entry into the Premiership in years have to be the Tangerines from the seaside resort town of Blackpool.  They finished 6th in the Championship last season, but managed to win the four-team playoff for the final promotion spot.  However, even their popular return to the top flight won't be enough to help a paper-thin squad devoid of any real Premiership quality players.  They will struggle to even top the poor records of some of the worst sides in recent memory like Derby County and Portsmouth...they are a lock to be relegated.