The Unforseen Saviors

In terms of sports, “exciting” typically isn’t the word of choice used to describe the ambiance of the East Bay Area. The more common terms would be frustrating, disappointing, embarrassing, hopeless, or just downright egregious.

The Oakland Athletics have provided the hopelessness already this season, trailing the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by over 20 games throughout the stretch run of the Major League Baseball season. 2009 has been no different than 2008 and 2007 for the A’s, and they’re a very long way from any type of playoff run they achieved in 2006.

The Golden State Warriors have supplied a fair share of disappointment and egregiousness throughout their dysfunctional NBA offseason, doing virtually nothing to improve team personnel beyond the draft, dangling Monta Ellis in trade talks and failing to keep Stephen Jackson content enough to willingly stay on a team in which he signed a 3-year, $28 million extension less than a year ago. With the face of the franchise and Captain Jack both potentially departing, the Warriors could be redefining the term “rebuild.” Again.
Of all the teams to play savior in Oakland, the Raiders are the notorious candidates for unlikeliest of the bunch. They haven’t sniffed the playoffs since 2002, unequivocally the most abysmal output of Northern California professional sports franchises this decade.

Since the 2002-’03 championship run, the Raiders have not recorded a winning season, and have a league-worst 72 losses in that span. There has been a meager amount of Pro Bowlers, quarterback tribulations have been an ongoing issue, and head coaches have been spurned as rapidly as owner Al Davis brings them in (five head coaches in a six year span, to be exact).

However, with just one week in the books in the 2009 NFL season, the Oakland Raiders have already raised a few eyebrows and have become the team to unexpectedly resurrect sentiments of excitement in Oakland.

Yes, you heard that right. The Raiders.

Despite an enthralling 24-20 home defeat to the San Diego Chargers on Monday night of Week 1, the Raiders portrayed flashes of brilliance that haven’t been discernible since the early part of the decade.

Last season, Oakland began their season on Monday night at home in McAfee Coliseum as well, but things didn’t go particularly well.

Jay Cutler and the Denver Broncos offense lit up the Raider defense for 300 yards passing and an explosive breakout performance by rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal, who scorched the Raiders for 146 receiving yards and a touchdown with nine catches, all in a 41-14 trouncing.

In their Monday night opener of 2009, the mentality and execution of the Oakland defense was entirely renovated. They were intimidating, brutal, and flew around the field with rapid, controlled aggression and a go-big-or-go-home attitude.

Nnamdi Asomugha is obviously still the cornerstone of the defense, no shocking realization there. Richard Seymour jumped off the bus from the New England trade and looked superhuman, recording 2 sacks. He set the tone and gave The Raider Nation short-term Derrick Burgess memory. Furthermore, newly acquired defensive end Greg Ellis recorded a sack of his own. Michael Huff made a remarkably athletic play for an interception at safety. The linebacking core, also known as the one bright spot of the 2007 unit, perpetually hindered the San Diego running game all night. Chris Johnson made astounding plays at cornerback on the opposing side of Asomugha, deflecting two passes and recording nine tackles as the San Diego offense naturally avoided any interaction with one of the elite defensive backs in the NFL.

All in all, the Oakland defense had depth in personnel, allowed only 77 total rushing yards to LaDanian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles and Co., caused two turnovers and forced the San Diego offense to commit a dismal third-down conversion percentage of 42%. But most of all, they left a lasting impact on their division rival.

San Diego suffered a plethora of injuries throughout the course of the game, the most significant being ankle injuries to center Nick Hardwick and halfback LaDanian Tomlinson. The residual player injuries on the defensive side of the ball were not as severe, but a large portion of the San Diego offense is now questionable for next week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

"I'm encouraged by the signs I see," newly acquired defensive end Richard Seymour said. "Guys are fighting hard and playing tough. That's what it takes to win in this league."

On the other side of the ball, the offense wasn’t putrid. For a change.

The one luminance of last season, the running game, was soundly consistent against a respectable San Diego defense. Darren McFadden received the majority of the carries, something he couldn’t achieve last year due to nagging toe injuries. He looked extraordinarily healthy in game one and recorded 68 rushing yards at four yards per carry. Michael Bush heavily contributed with a 4.6 yards per carry average and a touchdown of his own. If one thing was for sure before the season, it was that the offense would continue to be top-10 in rushing with inevitable development of young talent, and it didn’t disappoint with a 148-yard rushing total Monday night. Now that McFadden is carrying the load, the future is now for this 22 year-old rising star.

Speaking of stars, Zach Miller continued his role as JaMarcus Russell’s favorite target, leading the team with a stellar six catches for 96 yards. Also, out in the slot receiver position, an unexpected rookie gem was found after Louis Murphy wasted no time throwing his coming-out party.

Murphy would ignite for 87 receiving yards and was on the retrieving end of the most electrifying play of the night. Although Darrius Heyward-Bey was the Raider’s first round draft choice, Murphy has emerged as the more consistent and productive rookie, and may actually become the fourth piece to accommodate the Russell, Miller, McFadden youth trio.

Additionally, the penalties were scarce. The Raiders committed six penalties to the Charger’s nine, and none of their penalties resulted in opposing first-downs – a significant accomplishment for a bunch of misfits renowned for outlandish forms tomfoolery in crucial moments.

Most importantly for the Oakland offense, the passing game was productive enough to convert the necessary third downs and move the ball when needed. JaMarcus Russell was undoubtedly inconsistent, completing only 12 of his 30 pass attempts for 208 yards and a poor 47.6 passer rating; but it’s what Russell displayed beyond mere statistics that resonated in imperative fashion.

With 6:18 left in the fourth quarter, Russell sustained a knee injury following a fourth-and-one quarterback sneak play, resulting in a brief game stoppage and a seemingly detrimental injury. However, Russell got up under his own power, underwent a brief stint on the sidelines, and returned to orchestrate a potential game-winning drive into the heart of the Black Hole.
With 2:48 left in the game, Russell threw a dazzling stripe to Johnnie Lee Higgins, who was running a post route down the middle of the field. It was a beautiful throw in the most opportune time, but Higgins could not complete the catch due to a vicious blow to the chest by safety Eric Weddle.

The aftermath of this play led to a confounding fourth-and-fifteen predicament, and head coach Tom Cable wasted no time in leaving his offense on the field to attempt a fourth down conversion.

Go big or go home.

After the culmination of Russell’s first season as a rookie sitting on the bench, struggling in his second year last season, and suffering an injury just minutes before this play, JaMarcus Russell’s leadership qualities would manifest at last with a 57-yard bomb down the seam to Louis Murphy for the go-ahead touchdown, giving the Raiders a 20-17 lead with 2:34 left in the game.

This is where Murphy’s electrifying play of the night came in, where the Black Hole and Raider Nation erupted in uncontrollable euphoria, where an 11-game losing streak to the San Diego Chargers was just minutes away from coming to an end; all while JaMarcus Russell instantaneously became the team leader the Raiders have desired for nearly a decade.

Although his overall statistical performance was mediocre, Russell coordinated a potential game-winning drive with under three minutes left subsequent adversity. He did everything in his power to lead his team to victory, regardless of what he and his team had done preceding their final offensive drive. With 2:34 left in week one of the 2009 NFL season, a leader was born. Not a flashy, prevalent superstar that we’re accustomed to witnessing from afar in the NFL, but a genuine leader capable of leading his team to victory when it matters most.

The Oakland defense precociously relinquished the lead with 41 seconds remaining, shunning their nightlong gameplan, consequently resulting in Raiders disillusionment once again. However, this was of an entirely distinct form. They attained a three point lead with just over two minutes left in the game and had victory within their grasp, all against the best team in their division and one of the best teams in the league. For a team that needs a vast amount of polishing, experience and inborn camaraderie to build upon, the Raiders were impressive on a wide range of levels. Most of all, they were actually exciting to watch.

"I didn't know what to expect," Seymour said. "But talking with the guys, I felt how excited they were. That's what it'll take, to keep up that same sense of urgency."

While carrying the burden of an appalling six years of embarrassment, the Raiders’ season almost began by throwing a six-year San Diego monkey off their back and obtaining all the possible confidence in the world.

As I have said before, I don’t particularly like sports clichés, and never use them. In fact, I despise them. But in this case, the moral victory applies on all levels for the 2009 Oakland Raiders. They are coming off of a heart-wrenching loss in which they have an unprecedented form of stability. They’ve galvanized behind a second-year head coach who is currently adhering to the organization more successfully than his predecessors. They possess admirably naïve and talented young stars (I say naïve in the most positive way possible considering the poorly-run organization), and they obtain the combination of high-quality defensive prowess and invaluable leadership for the first time since the 2002 NFL season.

As Tom Cable said in his post-game press conference, “I'm very excited at what this team has come to, excited where we're headed, and I can't wait to get back to work and get ready for Kansas City.''

And neither can the pristinely beguiled Raider Nation. For the first time in nearly eight years, there is hope.

The Usual Suspects

Are you vehemently excited for the NFL season to begin? Have you been anxiously awaiting kickoff to the point that you forgot it was still Major League Baseball season?

Me too. I’m ecstatic. I can’t wait for the opening kickoff on Thursday night, Monday night football, the rivalries, the vicious hits, the perennial superstars, the birth of the inevitable sleeper teams, the epic letdowns, the individual breakout seasons, the fantasy numbers, the 80-yard passes, the 50-yard runs, the two-minute drills, the last-second field goals, the playoff runs, the Super Bowl, the gambling, and most of all: criticizing the flummoxing, utter incompetence of Al Davis. There’s nothing more gratifying after seeing your team lose dreadfully than having a direct and obvious source for franchise ineptitude, and to be able to bash on that person for as long as he lives, which is (hopefully) not much longer.

However, what if I told you there would be nothing surprising about the upcoming 2009-10 NFL season? What if I told you this season won't be any different from last season, the year before, or even the year before that? What if I told you there were only five teams legitimately in the crop of elite NFL status?

Sounds boring, huh? A little less excited? Well, don’t worry; it’s been this way for about ten years. So, if you’ve liked the product the NFL has given us this decade, feel free to keep up the enthusiasm.

The elite teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers. No surprise there. However, do the other 27 teams have a shot at a championship? We like to say they do. We love to envision the Cinderella stories, the epic upsets and the rise of possible dynasties. But in looking at a little slice of indicative history, nothing of the sort will happen this season.

Of the five aforementioned franchises, at least four of the five have made the playoffs in every season since the 2000-01 season. Of the four that made the playoffs every year, three were division winners in each season. In the 2007-08 season, all five made the playoffs and the only team to not win their respective division was the New York Giants, who would ultimately win Super Bowl XLII. The same would most likely have happened last season if Tom Brady didn’t go down with a knee injury in the first week of the season, arguably resulting in the first non-playoff season for the New England Patriots since the 2002-03 season.

Most significantly, these five teams have been at the forefront of Super Bowl stages throughout the decade. The only team in this particular constituency to not hoist a Lombardi Trophy this decade is the San Diego Chargers. At least one of the others has tasted Super Bowl glory, including the Steelers twice (’05-’06; ’08-‘09), the Patriots thrice (’01-’02; ’03-‘04; ’04-’05), and excluding the 2000-01 and 2002-03 seasons (Ravens, Buccaneers). Eight of the past ten seasons have culminated in Super Bowl victories by one of four teams: New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and the New York Giants. From there on down, nothing is imminent in terms of sure-fire successful seasons and/or postseasons.

Sure, there are the two worst-to-firsts of the 2008 season, and with a year under their belts and some offseason improvement, the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons potentially have deep postseason runs in them. However, they portend a fair share of question marks.

Matt Ryan had a brilliant season as a rookie quarterback last year, but sophomore slumps are more than just sporadic occurrences in the NFL. Ask Anquan Boldin, Donte' Stallworth, Keary Colbert, Julius Jones, Michael Clayton and many others about that. Additionally, Michael Turner’s rushing attempts surpassed the dreaded 370 mark last season. Ask Terrell Davis, Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, Jamal Anderson, Edgerrin James and Eddie George what the season subsequent 370 is like. There goes half of the Atlanta offense with one violent swing of dubiousness.

Despite the future Hall-off-Famer’s age, the offseason acquisition of Tony Gonzalez should unquestionably fill the void at tight end with ease, but nothing beyond is certain for the Atlanta Flacons going forward. Another magical run in 2009 is seemingly unlikely.

Chad Pennington had a very successful 2008 campaign in Miami, throwing for a stunning 97.4 passer rating and a league-leading 67.4 completion percentage. However, Pennington has had a rough time following up his previous marquee seasons. He followed up his outstanding 104.2 passer rating in 2002 with a sub-par 83.9 passer rating in 2003, and did the same in 2005 (70.9 rating until injured in week 3) after a reputable season in 2004 (91.0). His completion percentage also went down an average of about six points in those seasons as well, and the touchdown/interception ratios decreased significantly. The Dolphins may still attain tremendous athletes such as Ronnie Brown and Ted Ginn Jr. and a coach in Tony Sparano that can orchestrate a scintillating offensive scheme, but quarterback play (not to mention a quietly tough division) will have a huge impact on Miami’s potential success this season.

So what about the Baltimore Ravens? They had an exceptional season with rookie Joe Flacco at the helm and lost one of the most physical and exciting games in NFL playoff history against the would-be Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, the sophomore slump does come into play here, and, unlike Matt Ryan, Flacco has few offensive weapons to work with. Sure, the Ravens are still physical and have a dauntingly stalwart defense, but the age of Ray Lewis, Samari Rolle and Trevor Pryce could diminish production late in the season. Baltimore is more than likely to claim a playoff birth in 2009, but the five elite shouldn’t have a tough time handling the Ravens this season.

Then there’s the Houston Texans. The ubiquitous sleeper selection designated for the most impressive second-half team in the season preceding has been awarded to you. Congratulations, you now join the 2008 Cleveland Browns, 2007 New York Jets, 2006 Miami Dolphins and 2005 New Orleans Saints in this coveted category of inexplicable disappointment. Let’s keep the trend going, Houston. I’m counting on you.

There are two teams outside of the five elite that intrigue me to a great degree. The first is the Philadelphia Eagles, who were actually an enticing Super Bowl pick for me before they acquired Michael Vick.

It has nothing to do with Vick not having the goods. For an athlete who has been out of the game for two years, he unquestionably portrayed his internal instincts and athletic ability this preseason. He brings even more versatility and speed to an offense that is unequivocally the fastest most athletic coming into the 2009 season. Furthermore, by using a first-round draft choice on Jeremy Maclin to give Donovan McNabb another lethal YAC specialist on the opposing side of DeSean Jackson, and by shoring up the highly-desired complimentary back situation by drafting LeSean McCoy, the Eagles have the offensive firepower to rack up 40 points on anybody.

However, three factors come into play in Philadelphia. First, the defense is nowhere near adequate. Lito Sheppard was traded over the offseason, Stewart Bradley injured, and the defensive line is notoriously inconsistent. Secondly, Andy Reid is the coach. The brilliant McCoy draft choice is of no value when Brian Westbrook doesn’t need a breather from running the ball, but from running passing routes virtually every down. When you don’t run the ball, you can’t control time of possession, and your defense stays on the field. In Philadelphia’s case, Andy Reid feels that McNabb should throw the ball 40 to 50 times a game and leave an insufficient defense on the field. Moreover, when you obtain a top-five back, it makes no sense to be 17th in rushing attempts in 2008.

Lastly, the newly inherited Michael Vick saga will summon far too heavy of a distraction for the Eagles to handle.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the type of person to use the “distraction” cliché, or any overused form of sports cliché for that matter, but this is an entirely distinctive circumstance. This is Philadelphia, where there is no sympathy for anyone or anything that makes one mistake out of many accomplishments. Michael Vick is already hated by a large group of animal rights activists in the Philadelphia area, so one slip-up can mean an array of shots thrown Vick’s way.

This is what has been plaguing every Philly-based sports organization for years until the Phillies won the World Series less than a year ago. Ask Donavan McNabb, if you are at the forefront of a team in that area, the fan base is never entirely on your side, and you have to earn that respect each and every time you perform. For Michael Vick, it will be nearly inconceivable for him to achieve that, no matter how much or how little time he gets under center or in the Wildcat formation.

On top of that, McNabb and Vick could potentially be vying for starting quarterback positions, as both of their contracts expire in two years. As always, an individual distraction unavoidably transcends to a full-fledged team disruption in Philadelphia, and no matter how far the Eagles fly into the playoffs, they always manage to misstep at one point or another. Maybe one day Donavan gets his ring, and I truly hope he does. It just won’t be with Michael Vick as his teammate.

Elsewhere, quarterback questions arise in Tennessee, Dallas, Arizona, Carolina, Minnesota and Chicago.

Kerry Collins has yet to prove he can stay consistent from a year-to-year basis throughout his 15 year career, and a highly reliant running game always requires third down quarterback efficiency. Oh, and the highest-paid defensive lineman also departed for an attractive $100 million in Washington.

Tony Romo has yet to prove he is a top-tier quarterback and shed his overrated status, Kurt Warner to prove that age is not a factor, Jake Delhomme to prove that he isn’t in the back end of his career, Bret Favre to somehow prove he’s bionic and not ignorantly selfish, and Jay Cutler to portray his talents outside of Mike Shanahan’s system. The Bears have become a selection by many to make profound noise this season and climb deep into the postseason, and it is undoubtedly the acquisition of Jay Cutler alongside a potent running game that has raised those sentiments and increased my intrigue level. Say what you want about his antics prior to the trade to Chicago, but Cutler will wear a fair amount of skepticism and scrutiny on his shoulders if the Bears disappoint in any form or fashion this season. Only time will tell if Jay Cutler is the true savior in Chicago.

So, while inquisition for hopeful contenders is aplenty, the most prominent of teams answer every question, and have the individual athletes to do it.

Last season, the San Diego chargers possessed a quarterback who led the league in passer rating. In 2007, the Patriots had that same luxury and a record-setting 50 touchdown passes with Tom Brady. That same season, the Chargers had the leading rusher in the league and interceptions leader. In Indianapolis, Reggie Wayne led the league in receiving. In the three consecutive seasons prior, Peyton Manning led the entire NFL in passer rating, and LaDanian Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman held their own in 2006 as the leaders in rushing and sacks, respectively.

In short, whenever these elite teams have their question marks, they answer them and shut the door on any further contradiction. Aside from the individual prowess, the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers have always thrived on their renowned, stout veteran leadership both on the field and within the coaching staff.

Despite injuries and a grueling battle with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game, the Steelers prevailed and won Super Bowl XLIII thereafter. The Giants did practically the same in Super Bowl XLII, achieving the inconceivable with the same sheer defensive aggressiveness and will that starts from the coaching staff and trickles on down. Despite defensive departures in Pittsburgh and an offseason Plaxico Burress incident in New York (look for Hakeem Nicks to be an immediate impact replacement as a rookie), deep and balanced teams are never in question in Pittsburgh or New York.

So there you have it. Only five teams that have the legitimacy and certainty of a possible road to Miami glory in February. If that doesn’t sound entertaining to you and you like the story of the underdog, the team that finally gets over the hump, or the team that unconventionally makes a deep run, well you’re living in the wrong decade. The 00’s will be known as the expensive cuisine era in the NFL, where only high-quality steak dinners are purchased and the fast food and surprisingly satisfying TV dinners are shunned.

But is there anything wrong with that? Who wouldn’t want to see the ’07-’08 champs and the ’08-’09 champs face off in arguably the most traditionally smash-mouth oriented Super Bowl of the decade? Who wouldn’t want to see LaDanian Tomlinson and the Chargers finally win the AFC and a Super Bowl? Who wouldn’t want to see the Manning brothers face off in a voluminously hyped Super game? Who wouldn’t want (this is my favorite scenario and prediction for the season) too see a Patriots-Giants rematch of the biggest Super Bowl upset in history? Now wouldn’t that be a way to end the decade…

There may only be five, but the copious postseason possibilities are just too much for me to fathom.

Did I mention I was ecstatic?

Add Spider to the List

When watching sports, there is always a multitude of probable circumstances, situations and outcomes. The possibilities to be sought over, the predictions that we all account for – they all get thrown out the window no matter how much we love or know sports. Even though some prospects may substantiate, things will happen outside of the consensus opinion and even the rebellious perspective. However, there is that rare occurrence when things seem surreal. When you can’t get over what you’ve witnessed just moments before. When instant replay, DVR and YouTube become your greatest saviors. When nothing in your life matters but that one small bit of fresh, pristine nostalgia.

It’s a scarce moment of euphoria caused by that one instance to make you jump out of your seat and go completely and utterly bonkers with no care in the world of who’s watching, who else is experiencing the same jubilation, or what you have to do when it’s all said and done.

To attest how uncommon this experience within the sports world really is, I can only recall this happening to me 7 times in the 19 years of my life: after Derek Fisher’s buzzer-beater with 0.4 seconds on the clock to beat the Spurs in game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals (a game which actually consisted of two buzzer-beaters – Duncan hit a fall-away jumper just seconds before to take the lead in what would have been one of the greatest shots of this decade if it went in just 0.1 seconds later.), the series of plays to win the game for Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Baron Davis’ dunk over Andrei Kirilenko in the ’07 Western Conference semifinals, the Eli Manning scramble and throw followed by the David Tyree “Helmet Catch” and ensuing upset by the New York Giants over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, Ben Roethlisberger’s throw and Santonio Holmes’ catch just this year at Super Bowl XLIII (mostly because I had a parlay bet on the Steelers and the over, but still an epic play nonetheless.), LeBron James’ buzzer-beater in Game 2 of this year’s Eastern Conference Finals (I live in California with an excess amount of Laker/Kobe fans that loathe LeBron James and ignorantly feel he’s overrated, so that was personally and profoundly satisfying), and Anderson Silva’s performance in the octagon versus Forrest Griffin on Saturday at UFC 101 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was unlike anything ever performed in the octagon, or in any MMA bout for that matter. Anderson Silva, already known as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in Mixed Martial Arts, took the bar and raised it to an unparalleled level with his jaw-dropping performance on Saturday night.

Silva, who holds the title at the 185-pound middleweight class, decided to take the leap to the 205 light heavyweight class for the second time in his MMA career; mostly because of the lack of competition due to all of the so-called challengers he steamrolled through with little difficulty. To start a new journey through the 205-pound weight class, Silva would be matched up with original “TUF” winner, Forrest Griffin.

Although the bout wasn’t the main event of the evening, it still had its fair share of hype. Griffin had become notoriously praised for his heart and emotion in his performances, and how he has employed that to get himself numerous one-sided victories. He had also defeated premier fighters such as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 86, where he attained the UFC light heavyweight championship belt for the first time and revealed the true severity of his devastating leg kicks.

Despite Anderson Silva’s performances at the most premium of levels in the UFC and his clearly illustrious career as a whole, this fight wasn’t considered to be a walk in the park for him. Forrest Griffin is one of the leanest and largest fighters in the light heavyweight division, while the slender Silva had moved up from his comfort zone in the middleweight division. Silva is obviously smaller in stature, and Griffin has shown the power and will to defeat a top fighter in the UFC, but this was different. This was Anderson Silva, and if he was a little bit under the radar in the pound-for-pound conversation before UFC 101, he unquestionably put himself towards the top of that list thereafter.

The bout began with a calm and collected Anderson “The Spider” Silva and an emotionally high Forrest Griffin sizing up one another in a minute-long feeling-out process. The Spider would stay unpredictable in that stretch, as he most often is, switching stances and staying inconsistent while not taking any premature risks. Then, at nearly one minute into the fight, Silva catches a Griffin leg kick and lands a straight right reminiscent of the shot he handed to James Irvin in July of last year. Griffin would recover and reset, but Silva’s defense would reduce his confidence in his renowned kicks and he would virtually revert from them for the remainder of the fight.

Silva would impressively evade a handful of strikes within the next minute, and come at Griffin with a series of flurries, eventually catching Griffin with another right, sending him to the canvas. Forrest would manage to escape and recover with a smirk on his face in the process.

Silva would later get in close with Griffin and barely miss a vicious uppercut. At this point, Silva is standing toe-to-toe with him, openly challenging and pleading Griffin to come at him. Silva would then release his guard and drop his hands down to his side, dodging strike after strike with his astonishingly swift head movement while sneaking in a jab or two. His ability to maneuver around Griffin’s strikes was one of the most impeccable displays of talent and ability ever portrayed in the octagon, and at the 2:44 mark of the first round, resulted in one of the most beautiful mixed martial arts sequences in history.

Silva would avoid a strong left hook by Griffin with another immediate backward evasion. He would then quickly duck to avoid a right-hand haymaker, then stand up again, revert his head back to avoid a third and final hook, and subsequently land a strong left punch to the chin of Griffin, sending him directly to the mat.
At this point, everything in the outside world didn’t seem to matter. It instantaneously became one of the single most fascinating and purely mind-blowing performances by a single athlete I had ever seen in sports, and the fight wasn’t even over. It was as if the improbable had been witnessed.

He would land some strikes while Griffin was on the floor, but step back to actually allow him to stand back up. Silva would reach out to Griffin, offer to help him up, and let him recover and stand on his own will. It was one of the cockiest, yet compelling displays of humanitarianism I had ever seen. The swagger of Anderson Silva may be a little bombastic at times, which is one of the key reasons why he has suffered the four blemishes to his record, but there is no doubt it gives him a likeability factor as well.

At this point, Anderson Silva was noticeably toying with Griffin and knew he would have to make a horrible mistake to lose the fight. Griffin seemed confused and perplexed, throwing wild unorthodox punches to no avail. “The Spider” would remain composed, his hands to his side, ultimately landing an effortless backpedaling right jab to the jaw of Forrest Griffin, sending his body to the canvas for the third and final time, winning by technical knockout at 3:23 in the first round.

Forrest Griffin (16-6) is considered one of the top fighters in the light heavyweight division, and it was obvious that he didn’t belong anywhere near the proximity of the tier of fighters that Anderson Silva (25-4) has been placed in. His prominent ability as a counter striker, incredible ambidexterity, unmatchable speed and agility, and his high effectiveness in Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills not only make him one of the most well-rounded and enjoyable figures to watch in the UFC, but one of the top-ranked fighters in the world.

His no-contest victories over Rich Franklin (twice), Dan Henderson, James Irvin and Forrest Griffin have proven his capability to not only win bouts, but to finish them well before the final rounds. Simply stated, he is a freak of nature, and a force to be reckoned with in both the 185 and 205-pound weight classes.

Does he have a shot at obtaining double-titles in the UFC? It’s not inconceivable. From what we’ve seen from “The Spider”, nothing is inconceivable. However, the current titleholder in the light heavyweight division, Lyoto Machida, is a close friend of Silva’s, and sources have said that Silva would be unwilling to fight his Brazilian counterpart. That being said, Silva said he is prepared to face the best fighter in his path, and that would be Machida at this point.

Despite the complexities of Anderson Silva’s future, he attains the intangibles and unequivocal potential to captivate one of the fastest-growing sports in the world like no fighter has ever done before him. The other pound-for-pound greats, Fedor Emelianenko and Georges St. Pierre, either haven’t produced the adequate widespread popularity or compelling aura to veer audiences towards a specific superstar, which is why the discussion is always so disputed and the answer is so ambiguous as to whom the real pound-for-pound champion truly is. In Anderson Silva’s case, he has all the tools. It’s just a matter of time and triumph.

Did he clear up the pound-for-pound discussion with his performance? UFC president Dana White seems to think so. However, keep in mind that Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) will now be performing for a widespread audience in Strikeforce. Time will tell if fighting for a secondary corporation will bring the well-deserved attention Fedor has yet to receive.

Until then, we can recollect the magnificence of what Anderson Silva showcased at UFC 101. It ranks with some of the most entertaining and stunning performances of the sport and the entire sports world this decade. It’s become inserted in the short list of seven sports moments in my life that I will never forget, a list that will progressively grow throughout my lifetime.

It would be a good idea to keep an eye on "The Spider,” it wouldn’t be shocking if he were added to this list more than once.