Top 10 AC Sports Articles of 2006

10 - Small Market Teams Can Find Major League Success by Brian McCormick

McCormick takes a little while to tie his points together, but he ultimately shows that the most valuable players in baseball (and baskeball) are the young guys who produce more than they are paid. He cites LeBron James as the best example in basketball, and the overachieving Oakland A's in baseball. The key in baseball is to draft shewdly in order to restock your young players after they run off to take the Yankees' money.

9 - Why College Football is Better Than the NFL by Lee Andrew

Personally, I haven't really cared about college football since I left college (with the exeption of my Northwestern Wildcats unlikely 1995 run to the Rose Bowl). So I was interested to hear Andrew's reasons why the college game is superior. Andrew cites the great rivalries, mascots and traditions that cause students and alumni to take school pride to near obsessive levels. I have to look no further than my home state of Ohio to see people go bonkers for the Ohio State Buckeyes, even though most of them didn't goto school in Columbus.

8 - Greatest Football Movies of All-Time by Jerrard Ellerbe

This is a strong collection of movies, from classics lile The Longest Yard and Brian's Song to modern hits like Remember the Titans and Friday Night Lights. This list lacks the "sleeper" movie that nobody knows about, but it's nice to see so many good football movies on one list, since baseball and boxing movies get so much more attention.

7 - Should You Let Your Children Try Thrill Sports? By renee

The parent in me immediately answered "No!" to this question. But renee actually brought up some possible benefits to allowing your kids to try death-defying sports like rock climbing, paragliding and whitewater rafting. She acknowledged the appeal these activities have for kids, and noted that they can give kids self-confidence. She also made the necesssary points about checking the safety of these activities firsthand if your child is determined to live in a Mountain Dew commercial.

6 - USA Basketball: What Happened? - John Domenic

The author takes a simple, intelligent look at the factors that have led to other countries surpassing the U.S. basketball team in international competition. Other countries have improved, ironically, as a result of the popularity of the NBA. Also, the best players from other countries are committed to the international program, a concept that is just getting started in the U.S.

5 - Baseball, The Media and Congress Are Missing the Real Steroid Issue by TheGOYM

For all of the hullaboo about steroids and how they are skewing the history of baseball, TheGOYM focuses on an even more relevant reason why they are such a problem. Not only do young athletes use steroids to try to get noticed, some of these drug may be dangerously tainted, causing even more health problems. The article also goes into details of how steroids are produced and imported. I didn't know that - I like that in an article.

4 - A Survival Guide for the Football Widow by Tracy Santany

This article could have been the same old "my husband only cares about football" article, but Santany threw in some original stuff. I liked the part about "Seasonal Furtniure Damage." She also made a good point that the best way to deal with a football-obsessed husband is not to fight the object of his affections but to work around it.

3 - The Best General Managers in Professional Sports by Edward Bauer

It's often easy to find a sportswriter's biases in an article like this, but Bauer shows a broad knowledge of different sports in different towns. He shows an impressive knack for details as he recounts the smart moves of general managers like R.C Buford of the San Antonio Spurs and Ozzie Newsome of the Baltimore Ravens.

2 - Untouchable Baseball Records by Lindell

One of the best aspects of baseball is the fans' ability to compare the stars of different eras. That's why the steroid scandals of the past few years have caused irreparable damage to the sport. Lindell's article is refreshing in that it focuses on other records besides the home run mark. Pete Rose wasn't dogged by scandal until he started managing, so there is nothing tainted about his records for the most hits and singles in baseball history. Walter Johnson and Cy Young own some pitching records that won't be coming down any time soon.

1 - Winning Without Height on the Basketball Court by Brian McCormick

McCormick disagrees with modern coaching theory when he says height is overrated and blocked shots are foool's gold. He says the keys to getting offensive and defensive rebounds are positioning, quickness and anticipation. He also cites examples of players and teams that succeed without height. McCormick is a former coach who knows his stuff. Now, when I interview a coach who says her team is too small, I'll know the truth.