Idiots, Mavericks, and the rest of sports

Good to be back after taking some time off to enjoy my birthday. And, I did it at the Ballpark. What's not to love about that? Oh, and a specal thanks to the rangers third base coach for throwing me that ball. I appreciate it. Now, on to the news.


Is there a bigger moron than Joe Theismann in the world today? If you missed it, here's a guy that went on a national sports talk radio station and absolutely blasted the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL for taking a flyer on Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. Now, we all know Ricky got the boot for a year from the NFL for failing another drug test. OK, nobody is questioning that. It's not like we all thought Ricky was a candidate for Mensa membership. But, for Theismann to go on air, in a public forum, and blast, not only the team that gave him his start in pro football, but Williams as well. Theismann is the guy that gave us the very entertaining quote of "There are no geniuses in football. A genius is someone like Norman Einstien." True story. I can't make that one up. Theismann is a guy who loves to hear himself talk, and his teams always did it "the right way". Hey Joe, last time I looked, your team was on the short end of a 38-9 beatdown in a Super Bowl game against the Raiders, and there were nothing but tears coming off your stupid looking one-bar helmet. Sorry about that one folks, but as I've said before, in this column, if someone needs to get told, then it's all fair game in the Soap Box! With Theismann now going to MNF, I guess I'm now thankful that I can't get cable where I work. That way, I don't have to hear the windbag drone on endlessly about how good a football player he was. I hope Kornheiser slaps him before the season is out.


The basketball playoffs are going on now, and I'll say this:When you have a team down three games to one, DO NOT let them back in the series. Finish them off. Apparently, this message hasn't filtered through the AAC, where the Dallas Mavericks just about lost out to San Antonio in the conference semi-finals. Great teams in NBA history have always displayed a killer instinct. The Bulls had it, the Lakers had it (Kareem-Magic's Lakers, not the other one), the Rockets had it, the Celtics had it. Utah didn't have it. That's why they don't have any banners hanging from the rafters of the Delta Center. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the Mavs win it all. I'm from the old school of Mavs fans, at least, when I got to Texas in 1995. I've been through the Shawn Bradley's, the Greg Drieling's, the nine-player deal with New Jersey that did nothing for the team. I stuck with them through the Jim Cleamons era and the Samaki Walker draft. I just wish that the Mavs would show a bit more of a killer instinct now. If the Mavs can get to the Finals, it will erase the disappointing Stars season, and basically, take us right up to Cowboys training camp with the debut of TO. I want them to win, but more importantly, I want them to put opponents away with more of a surgical precision than with a win-it-at-the-buzzer mentality. Go Mavs.......but please go for the kill when it presents itself.


Roger Clemens is coming back. Big shock there. He's returning to the Astros. Once again, big shock there. His son is in the Astros organization, his best friend still plays there, and his family is close by. Nobody else could compete with that. I would have loved to see what he could have done at the Ballpark in Arlington (still can't get used to that new name), but now that the suspense is over, the watch is on for him to make his first start. Houston won't catch St. Louis in the Central division, but they have now made themselves a serious contender for the wild-card. I hope Houston has to fight it out with the Mets for that spot, since I want my Braves to win another division title!


Now, we look at the NFC South

Carolina- loved what they did with the drafting of DeAngelo WIlliams. The kid from Memphis made running the football look easy. And, while C-USA football is not the NFL, Williams gives the Panthers a fresh approach at the running back spot. Williams will be the understudy to DeShaun Foster. They also signed Keyshawn Johnson to take some heat off Steve Smith. Say what you want about Johnson, he's not araid to go across the middle, and he comes up with a big catch more often than not. They picked up a cornerback to replace Ricky Manning when they drafted Richard Marshall out of Fresno State. Add some more of their "depth" picks, and Carolina looks to have another strong season next year.
Tampa Bay-You'd think a team that won eleven games last year didn't need to add anything, but Tampa bay did a nice job of shoring up some weak spots on their roster. Most important, they got some pretection for QB Chris Simms. Their defense still has Derrick Brooks and Simeon Rice, who play as if every game will be their last. With Cadillac WIlliams in their backfield, and a young Simms running the show, Tampa Bay will be a problem for any team that faces them.
Atlanta- Now, people might think that I'm a Falcon fan, just because I pull for the Braves. But, the Falcons are one-dimensional, period, end of story. They did get a great CB in Jimmy Williams. He'll partner up with former VaTech teammate DeAngelo Hall. But, their draft was sparse, and the emphasis in the Georgia Dome will always be the same thing: Michael Vick is running the show. Warrick Dunn continues to have fine seasons for the Falcons, as well as Keith Brooking. They've added John Abraham from the Jets in the hopes he'll be able to give the team more of a defensive presence. In my opinion, until Atlanta gets a full supporting cast, it will continue to be the Michael Vick show, with sellout crowds, and a .500 record.
New Orleans-OK, they got Reggie Bush. Who saw that one coming? Anyway, they're going to need a lot more than Bush to help revive this moribund franchise. But, they will get to play in the Superdome, which is a step in the right direction. They got Drew Brees in free agency, which gives them a legitimate option at QB. Deuce McAlister is coming off a knee injury that took his season last year, and there's a new coaching staff in place. Not quite the bag-faced team of the 80's here, but I don't think anybody is going to look on their schedule this coming season and be afraid of what the Saints are bringing to the table. I don't see Sean Payton as a strong, leadership type guy to right this franchise. Who knows? In a few of years, we could be hearing...."With the first pick in the 2010 draft, the Los Angeles Saints select......" .


Before I close, my player of the week is Russ Springer. This is a guy that had the guts to plunk Barry Bonds with a pitch. His efforts got him tossed from the game. Lousy umps! Springer should have aimed for the ear hole, but I'll take him getting popped, nonetheless.

Take care, everybody. Good talking to you again.

Till next time....


Patrick