Experts & Clowns: Discussing Playoff Upsets, Clemens Conversation, HOF Snubs and 2008 College Football Favorites

Welcome to the 14th installment of Experts and Clowns, where four AC sportswriters tackle today's hot sports issues. We've reached a milestone here at E&C with our first guest contributor. Here's our panel:

Michael Grisso steps in this week for Zac Wassink. We're hoping he can fill the bill and be a permanent replacement for whenever one of us needs some time off. So from this point on, we'll think of Michael as our Joan Rivers.

Nick Meyer wishes the college football season would never end, even if Michigan's season ended on September 1st. But his brooding, film noir photo was up before that date. Perhaps he's just a Billy Wilder fan.

Jake Emen has us all wondering what he really looks like. What's going on in that picture, Jake? Is it a UFO landing or is it the crowd of people clamoring for a glimpse of you? Even David Copperfield lets people photograph him from the side.

And you all know me. I am a rock, I am an island.

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Which team is most likely to pull off the upset this weekend in the NFL playoffs?

Jake - Well, I'd love to say the Giants, as I'm a Giants fan. 3rd time is the charm, Romo-gate and one team surging with the other team resting. But, being a Giants fan, I'm also absurdly pessimistic and don't want to say anything to upset the football Gods. Therefore, the Seahawks have the best chance to pull the upset this weekend. If there is one person who can solve the riddle of Brett Favre and Lambeau (and it's not Michael Vick, anymore) it's Mike Holmgren. Add to the fact that Matt Hassleback still is in Favre's shadow in Holmgren's mind, and he'll come to play. A defense with some great players, some playoff veterans...Gimme Seattle.

Brian - It has to be the Giants or the Seahawks, since we've known since early in the season that the AFC Championship was going to be between New England and Indianapolis. The Seahawks are 3-5 on the road this season, including losses at Arizona, at Carolina and at Atlanta. I don't see that team winning a playoff game in Green Bay. So, by default it's the Giants.

Michael - Probably the N.Y. Giants. No matter what is said the rest of the week in regards to T.O. it is going to be an issue for their offense especially when Romo likes to go to him on 3rd downs. Division rivalry, 3rd time playing each other, and the confidence of the Giants right now definitely accounts for a upset in the making.

Nick - Gotta go with the Giants because Dallas' secondary is shaky and Tony Romo hasn't played all that well lately. The Giants' running game is the key and with a healthy Brandon Jacobs and now Adhmad Bradshaw, they can get it going enough to take the pressure off of Eli Manning.

Following the taped recording of the Clemens phone conversation, do you believe him more or less?

Jake - Well, let me start by saying since his name was first mentioned I've assumed him to have taken steroids and or HGH. So, I still feel the same way. For starters, why would Mcnamee tell the truth about Petite, but lie about Clemens? Why didn't Clemens ever in the conversation say, "You know I never took steroids or HGH, stop lying." "You've never injected me with steroids or HGH, so why are you lying?" Furthermore, why should Clemens be given any benefit of the doubt when nobody else is? Clemens = steroid and/or HGH user... and still should be, in my mind, a surefire Hall of Famer, but that's for a different day.

Brian - One of the basic tenets of Common Law is the "reasonable man" standard. In other words, what would the average person do? But with professional athletes, we are not dealing with "average" people. An average person would hold a press conference, look the camera in the eye and say, "I never took steroids."

But what has Clemens done? He issued a statement through his lawyer, then he did a video tape that he put on his Web site. Then he held a press conference. And in all of these things he has claimed his innocence. Even in the taped conversation with McNamee, he said over and over again, "I just want the truth out there." It may not be the way I would have done it, but his message has been consistent.

Now consistency does not equal truth, but in his own way, Clemens has done everything in his power to state his case. He has even gone so far as to sue for defamation, even though it's virtually an unwinnable case unless McNamee recants his statement. I don't know if Clemens used steroids, and I barely care, but the phone conversation did nothing to make me believe him less.

Nick - To be honest, I never believed him in the first place and this conversation didn't seem to bring anything concrete to the table. Whether or not anything can be determined from the comments made by his trainer "What do you want me to do?" is up to a legal expert.

Clemens did seem very defensive, however, so I'll go ahead and trust the Mitchell Report for now until something better comes out in Clemens' favor if anything.

Michael - Well I do know one thing, if they find him guilty he has a great career ahead of him in acting! I mean the guy looks and acts pissed, but what was the point of letting us listen to the phone call? Yep McNamee thinks your the man, great, you've treated him like more than family, great. Did he say anything about lying to the feds? I must of missed that part.

Which player who did not get into baseball's Hall of Fame this year most deserved to go?

Brian - Too many people don't realize how good Bert Blyleven was. He's fifth all-time with 3,701 strikeouts, ninth all-time with 60 shutouts, 13th in innings pitched (4,970) and 26th in wins (287). Here's how Blyleven compares with the eight Hall of Famers who are most similar to him - Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Fergie Jenkins, Robin Roberts, Tom Seaver, Early Wynn, Phil Niekro, and Steve Carlton.

IP       H      ER      BB     SO   HR   ERA   
Blyleven              4970  4632  1830  1322  3701  430  3.31     
Group Average  4974  4541  1800  1429  3263  434  3.26

It looks like he fits in amazingly well with that prolific group.

Many people favor Jack Morris over Blyleven, because Morris, well I really don't know why. Blyleven laps him in every category you can imagine. And if Blyleven had the run-support that Morris enjoyed in his career, he would have finished with 100 more wins than Morris.

Some point to Morris' post-season record but Blyleven was 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA in the playoffs compared to 7-4 with a 3.80 ERA for Morris. Everyone thinks that Morris was this great post-season pitcher, like somehow 1992 never existed. Morris has a myth but not the facts to support his Hall of Fame case. Blyleven has the facts but without a myth he still finds himself outside of Cooperstown. And that's a shame.

Nick - I'd have to say Jack Morris because I take clutch performances into account almost as much as anything else. There are lots of guys who put up huge stats in the regular season but the playoffs are when it count.

Morris was the Curt Schilling of his day and was extremely durable and dependable. He was the 1991 World Series MVP and won 3 other titles and he's one of the pitchers of the past 20 years or so I'd most want on the mound with the game on the line.

Michael - Pete Rose. With all the talk of steroids, integrity of the game, and everything else, when all the steroid era players get their shot to be inducted it will be interesting to see what they do with ol' Charlie Hustle.

Jake - Andre Dawson should've gotten the call. Winning an MVP and being runner up in I believe 2 other years indicates that he wasn't just a good player, he was a great player for a stretch of years. 8 All Star appearances and 8 Gold Gloves certainly add to his case as an all around player; and while the numbers of 400+ homerns and 2700+ hits might not be extraordinary, being one of only three players ever to hit 400 homeruns and steal 300 bases certainly is. Send him in.

Who's the favorite for the national title in football next year?

Nick - USC is definitely the favorite because the Pac-10 won't be all that strong again next year and the Trojans return tons of top playmakers on offense. Joe McKnight has some Reggie Bush in him after all at RB and I never thought John David Booty was all that great so his loss isn't a huge deal.

LSU, Florida, and Georgia will all have a shot in the SEC next year too. All have tons of young talent.

Michael - Next year is going to ridiculous. Since 2007 was the year of the upset you think any top Division I-A team is going to slouch against the App. States and Louis-Monroes of the land. Me too, I'll take SMU and June Jones since he must see a national powerhouse there that we don't,. If anything why would you leave the freakin' weather in Hawaii!

Jake - It has to be USC, it always is. The depth of talent on that team, the always great incoming freshman class, and some younger players with more experience and the momentum of this season's end spells undefeated season for USC. I would say Ohio State, but the voters will not get them into a championship game for a 3rd straight year if there is any way around it. I like a USC-Florida BCS championship game.

Brian - Appalachian State has 12 straight playoff wins and has to be the favorite until someone else beats them in the post-season.

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