The final BCS poll is still months away. But I can already see at least one controversy looming in the not too distant future.

Before jumping into what’s coming up, let’s take a look back at what’s already happened. It’s no secret the BCS is an imperfect system. The examples below are proof of that.

Last year LSU was the best team in America. But they were also the first two-loss champion in the BCS era. Late season losses by No.1 Missouri and No. 2 West Virginia aided LSU’s ascent to the top of the polls. But how do you explain Les Miles’ bunch hopping over Georgia and a one-loss Kansas team? LSU also jumped Virginia Tech. But that was justified due to the Tigers lopsided regular season verdict over the Hokies. Of course the Bayou Bengals stomped Ohio St. in the National Championship Game. But they took a circuitous route in

Every week I will give you my NINE. I will come up with the topics, however I am more than open to suggestions. These are my top nine, feel free to comment in the rare case that I have overlooked something. You can always drop me a suggestion via e-mail; insiders@999thefan.com.

This week I felt the need to honor the Fourth of July. The Niner is putting on its stars and stripes button-down shirt to get in the spirit of our nation's holiday. Let’s celebrate the greatest country on earth with a very American "Niner."

The Nine Most Patriotic Moments in Sports:

9 – Kerrie Strug/ Mary Lou Retton – Choose your limping to victory Olympic gymnast. 1996 Olympic hero, Strug fights off emmence pain in her ankle to secure one last vault for team victory. In 1984, Retton fights off knee surgery earlier that year, to score a perfect 10 and a gold medal. Little known fact, her picture on the front of the Wheaties box

I know that it is never easy for fans when a favorite player is traded away for an unknown entity and as Erik Cole heads to Edmonton in exchange for defenseman Joni Pitkanen, while unpopular to Canes fans, this deal had to happen. Erik Cole is one of my favorite players in the NHL, an American born winger who plays bigger than his size and has the skills to one day score 40 goals in the League and on top of that he is a good guy. To see him leave has many fans scratching their heads. Why Cole? He was the one player with high value and the Hurricanes could deal him without having to waive a no trade clause, and he was an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Also it is the age old adage in sports trades that you have to give to get.

Trading a popular player is never easy, but it has been two years since the Carolina Hurricanes made the playoffs and these past two seasons the Canes have been pretty much the same team that won the Stanley Cup. So GM Jim Rutherford

A record ten freshmen were taken in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday. Seven were selected in the lottery. This is what going to college for a year and being 19 has gotten the NBA. So much for all that talk about being “exposed” at the college level. I think “exposure” is the more apt term for what these kids got.

What did their respective schools get? Almost a dozen kids who are one-and-done along with lingering problems from coast-to-coast and all parts in-between.

To be totally fair, the system as it stands today worked for Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, and their schools. Rose and Love were both top-five picks. Memphis and UCLA made it to the Final Four. Sounds like a pretty good trade-off. Rose and Love get their big payday this month. UCLA and Memphis got theirs back in March and April. Plus, neither program is in any trouble of falling off the deep end anytime soon. The future is as bright in

Every week I will give you my NINE. I will come up with the topics, however I am more than open to suggestions. These are my top nine, feel free to comment in the rare case that I have overlooked something. You can always drop me a suggestion via e-mail; insiders@999thefan.com.

It has been 20 years since Bull Durham made its mark as the greatest sports movie of all time. It tops the list even when it comes to movies of any genre. I wanted to jog my memory of sports movies and what came out was….

The nine worst sports movies according to Mark Thomas:

9 – Rookie of the Year – A kid has arm surgery and he now throws 99. I know it’s a cute kids movie, but it is lame.

8 – Major League 2 and Back to the Minors – I’d rather have another Jurassic Park. Major League was top ten. “Rinse and repeat” method for movies stinks.

7 – Bad