From The Pressbox.....

Jeff Lurie....Keeping Things All In Perspective

2012-01-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

When the season ended, many Eagles fans were ready for brooms to come through the NovaCare complex, and clean house. After an 8-8 finish following all of the off-season acquisitions, many people thought the coaching staff did this team a disservice, and that they all should all be sent away. But let's look at this from another angle.
First, was it any of the coaches that tried to make that silly halfback pass against San Francisco that cost the Eagles the game? No. Did any of the coaches jump offside in Buffalo that allowed the Bills to run out that game? No. Did any of the coaches fail to knock the tar out of Larry Fitzgerald in the Arizona game, and not allow him to be open to score? No. And, did any of the coaches throw 4 INT's against the Seahawks? No.
But the final four games of the season is where the coaches did some of their best work. And sure, you can say it was against teams that had nothing to play for; and that they were sub-par on a talent level. But, it's still the NFL, and those games meant something, especially the Dallas game. Forget for a moment the fact that Dallas just rolled over and played dead, which was disgraceful on their part.
Eagles owner Jeff Lurie held a "State Of The Eagles" press conference shortly after the season, and many thought he would announce sweeping changes. He did not. He did state that the season was a disappointment, and that it was unacceptable. But, he also could see things from a different side. He liked how this team gelled towards the end of the season, calling it a reason for optimism. But, in his mind, this team should have been better. It was coming off a division title, and the NFC title game the year before that. He said that any team with Coach Reid, a coach that has been in the playoffs 9 out of the last 12 seasons, should not finish 8-8.
Give Lurie his due here. He is an owner, that despite the fast press conference to address the season, has not lost his cool and blown things up the way a Dan Snyder or Jerry Jones would. He is being cool headed about this, and is sitting back, and letting Reid decide who should remain on his staff, and who he needs to bring in. And that is the sign of a smart business man. He surrounds himself with quality people and lets them make the decisions they feel are best. Sometimes, Lurie might step in, but his approach in this case is spot on.
Reid is the man to coach this team. The players believe in him. I'm just not sure Castillo is the right man for the defense. I think that, as the season went on, players like Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin were able to adjust to the Wide 9 scheme, and be successful.
Let all of the new players from this season have a one year grace period to get adjusted to this new system and to each other. Besides, the Eagles were in the chase till the next to the last game of the season, and with the bad season they had, that says something. It doesn't say the NFC East is weak; did you all see what the Giants did to Green Bay this past weekend? It says that this team will be competitive next season, that it can win, and that Reid should be the man allowed to steer the ship. Lurie, thankfully, will sit back, and let the coaches do the job he pays them to do.

Eagles.....make a list. Here's one, for starters....

2012-01-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

A very special welcome to everyone out there today, and especially those at Philadelphia Sports Nation. Yes, the season is over for the Eagles, but all is not lost. The combine and the NFL Draft is coming up, and as any football fan knows, teams can get fixed in a hurry depending on their draft. So, with that in mind, I would like to throw my two cents in on what the Eagles need to do this off-season.

1. Re-sign Desean Jackson.

Yes, I know he can be a petulant pain in the back side, but when he is on his game, he is a player that can change the game at any time (remember the punt return against the Giants?). But, without a long-term contract for him, he decided to play half-hearted, an action that turned a lot of people off. But, trust me, you would rather be angry at him while he's still in an Eagles uniform than to watch him come to the Linc in another team's colors, and burn you in a totally different way. Get him signed, get him to camp on time, and make him happy. A happy Desean is a productive and dangerous Desean.

2. Protect Michael Vick

The offensive line had some rookies starting, and they didn't do half bad. Danny Watkins had a respectable season. Lesean McCoy was in the running for the rushing title right up to the last weekend of the season, and his O-line was partly responsible. So, what can the Eagles do? For starters, get this group a bit younger. Evan Mathis will be 32 next season, and Jason Peters will be 31. My suggestion is to let some of the younger guys get in there and start to play. Dallas Reynolds could contribute, Julian Vandervelde could contribute, and in this day of younger, stronger, faster defensive ends, getting the O-line a little younger will help keep Vick off his back, and his ribs intact.

3. Get younger as a team overall

First, release Juqua Parker, who will be 34 next season. I still can't get the memory of the Buffalo game out of my mind, when he jumped offside, when everyone in the stadium, on TV, watching on-line, and listening on the radio knew that Buffalo was going to try that. Also, Joselio Hanson, 31 at the start of next year, see you later. What team is really going to be scared of throwing at a cornerback that's only 5'9"? Ronnie Brown? Remember the San Francisco game? See you later, Ronnie. You, and your 31 years of age. Vince Young? OK, I know he will only be 29 years old, but 4 INT's against Seattle is just unforgivable. If the Eagles had the Seattle win in their back pocket, we would be talking about the Eagles playing this weekend, instead of talking about their off-season moves.

4. Trade Samuel or Rogers-Cromartie for some help

In this sense, I would probably keep Samuel, and trade the younger Rogers-Cromartie. I know, I just said to get this team a bit younger. But DRC cannot cover in the slot. Teams threw at him when they figured this out. Let Samuel and Asomghua pair up as the starters, and get someone else in who knows how to play the slot. DRC could bring back either a decent pick, or some younger talent in trade.

5. Let a defensive coach run the defense

I cannot stress this enough. When I first heard that a guy that used to coach the O-line was going to be the defensive coordinator, I thought I had heard it wrong. But, sure enough, an O-line coach was brought in, and you all know the rest of the story. Yes, the D-line came together, and became very strong, but too many teams ran for too many yards, and a good, strong defensive mind in place will stop that from happening next season.

With the Eagles picking in the middle of the first round, here is a list of players they should be looking at:

1. WR Alshon Jeffrey, South Carolina. Make him the #3 with Jackson and Maclin......scary!
2. Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama. This team needs linebackers, period.
3. Zach Brown, LB, UNC.
4. Luke Keuchly, LB, Boston College.
5. Cordy Glenn, T/G, Georgia. Getting younger on the O-line can't hurt.
6. David DeCastro, OG, Stanford.

That's all for now, folks. Hope everyone is having a great day, and Fly, Eagles....Fly!!!!!

Eagles post.....

2011-12-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

To the readers of Philly Sports Nation, I hope this will be good enough for you to warrant consideration to be one of your bloggers. For the year of 2011, I have been rehabbing from a TBI sustained on my primary job as a jet mechanic, and it has not allowed me to post on my site as I would have liked. I thank you for your time.

The NFL season enters its final weekend, with spots in the AFC up for grabs, and a disappointing race for the NFC title coming to a conclusion. The Bengals can end all of the drama by just winning their final game. The other teams still alive in the AFC need too many things to break just right for them, and it all seems like a long shot. The NFC East comes down to the Giants and Cowboys, which, as history has taught us, the Cowboys will probably find a way to lose, and we will be stuck with hearing all off-season how they need a "new" coach, one who can control Jerry Jones. They haven't created that man yet, so move on, Cowboys fans. I've had to defend my Eagles this past week, as I am an Eagles fan here in North Texas. All I have heard was "Well, it doesn't matter.....the Cowboys can still make the playoffs....". Spoken like someone who has, not only lost, but lost the season series in an Eagles sweep, and even lost the Pro Bowl race, making it three losses to the Eagles this season.

As the Eagles get set to host the Redskins in the season finale, many calls have been made for Andy Reid's head. OK, I will admit.....gong into this season, I questioned putting an O-line coach in charge of the defense. But then I thought, "Hey, it's Andy Reid. He knows more about this than I do...". The defense has come around in recent weeks, but not enough that it should save Castillo's job. The losses against San Francisco and Arizona were inexcuseable, and the road losses to Buffalo and Seattle were the result of the defense being unprepared. Somewhere, that has to be laid at the feet of the DC. In season's past, when a true defensive mind was in charge, the Eagles defenses were always prepared. It was the unit that carried the team on some Sundays. Troy Aikman and Joe Buck even spoke at length of the Eagles defenses of old during Saturday's game. But this defense this season has not lived up to that standard, despite a stellar season by Jason Babin. With additions like Cullen Jenkins, Babin, and Nnamdi Asomghua, this team should have been primed to take another step towards a championship. Instead, it has fallen to the middle of the draft, leaving many to question Reid's decision. I still think Reid has earned a pass or two, based on his total body of work, but if a true defensive coach, like Steve Spagnuolo, becomes available, then please, Mr. Lurie, hire him right away. Get a defensive mind that will know what to do when a 49ers team starts to come back in your own building. Get a defensive mind that will make his players understand the importance of not trying to arm-tackle Marshawn Lynch. Get a defensive mind that will put this team back on top of the NFC East.

Some people will lay the blame for this season at the hands of the lock-out. Well, I just don't buy that. All teams went through it. Some have dealt with it better than others. Will the game this weekend really make a difference if Reid plays his starters versus the young guys, who he really needs to take a good look at? Probably not. Of course, the last time a team played their starters against the Redskins with nothing to play for, they lost their all-everything back, Adrian Peterson. Not that it was a dirty hit on the part of the Redskins. But, to play someone, like Jeremy Maclin, who has battled injuries for most of the season, on Sunday seems foolishi. Let him get healthy now so the team can make better use of him later. Riley Cooper and Jason Avant will do in that position. I'm not saying for this team to lay down this weekend in the home finale.....I'm just asking them to be careful about getting guys hurt.

Go Eagles.......get a win on Sunday.....and focus on having an off-season that will put this team back in the playoffs for the 2012 season.

Armed Forces Bowl- wrap-up

2011-01-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Black Knights of Army had an extra defender on their side Thursday: Mother Nature. The stiff breeze that was blowing here in Dallas Thursday limited SMU's high powered aerial attack, and helped to give Army a 16-14 win in front of over 35,000 fans. The win gave Army their first winning season in 14 years. When this pairing was first announced, many thought it would be a blowout, with SMU running the show. Add to the fact that this game was being played at SMU's home stadium due to renovations at Amon Carter Stadium, and it had all the makings of a dominating effort, similar to the one SMU put up in the Hawaii Bowl over Nevada last season. Trouble is, someone forgot to tell the men from Army. They weren't flashy. They weren't glamorous. Like true Army men, they put in a workman-like effort, and waitied for their opponent to make the mistakes. They started early, by harrassing SMU QB Kyle Padron into a fumble at the Army 30 yard line on the game's opening drive. The ball skipped across the Ford Stadium turf and landed in the hands of Army defender Josh McNary, who took it 55 yards the other way for the game's first score. The return set a new Armed Forces Bowl record for longest fumble return. Army got the ball back midway through the first quarter, and went on an eight play, eighty yard drive, with junior wide receiver David Brooks taking the ball in from 13 yards out. The extra point was blocked, and the game stood at 13-0, favor of Army. The Knights would add a 44 yard field goal just before the half, and Army went into the break, leading 16-0, bringing a hush over the fans clad in SMU's red and blue.
The second half saw Army get the ball, and go into a keep-away mode, as their initial drive of the second half burned 10 plays and just over 6 minutes off the clock. Their punt was downed at the SMU 8 yard line, and Army looked to salt it away. But, Padron and company got clicking. They went on a 13 play, 92 yard drive (a new BHAFB record for longest drive), ending in an 8 yard TD pass from Padron to Senior wideout Aldrick Robinson, to cut the lead to 16-7. Following another Army stalled drive and punt, the Mustangs went on a 10 play, 74 yard drive, with Padron finding Darius Johnson in the end zone for an over-the shoulder, 8 yard TD pass. The game now stood at 16-14, and the SMU faithful started to feel like Padron had found his stride. When Army went off on a three-and-out, many at Gerald Ford Stadium thought it was merely academic, that the Mustangs would find a way to win in front of the home crowd. Remember me talking about Mother Nature? Army's defense stiffened, and forced SMU to try a field goal from 47 yards out. It wasn't even close. The wide left attempt gave Army the ball with just over 4 minutes left in the game, and when Army quarterback completed only his second pass of the day to wideout Dayvid Brooks on 3rd and five, it gave Army the new set of downs they would need to run out the clock, and preserve the win.
For Army, senior linebacker Stephen Anderson was named the game's MVP. He finished the game with 14 tackles, 10 solo, a sack, and an interception. For SMU, Johnson was named the game's MVP. He finished with a 9 catch, 152 yard, 1 touchdown day.
Army's season ends at 7-6. SMU's season ends at 7-7.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl- PREGAME

2010-12-30T08:39:00.001-08:00

Good morning, and welcome to the eighth annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. This year's game has been moved to Gerald J. Ford Stadium, home of the SMU Mustangs. This was done due to the recent renovations occurring at TCU's Amon Carter Stadium. I mention this for one main reason: SMU is one of the participants in today's game. But don't let that fool you. SMU will probably be the visiting team in terms of crowd size today. Walking through the concourse and on the outer grounds, one can't help but notice all the people decked out in the black and gold colors of Army. The cadets from West Point were granted a slot in today's game due to TCU making it into the BCS, and the Mountain West couldn't furnish another opponent. ANd, it's fitting the Cadets should be here. After all, this is the Armed Forces Bowl. Air Force has played in this game for the past three seasons, and Navy has reached an agreement that, should they become bowl eligible, they will play in this game next season. This is a game that features two old teammates and friends as coaches, as June Jones of SMU will square off against Rich Ellerson of Army. Currently. we're about fifteen minutes from the opening kick-off, and the pomp of the pre-game festivities is about to begin. The Army's Black Knight Parachute Team is making their way down from the Dallas skies, and all branches of the militaryhave their VIP's on the field for the coin toss. It's SMU and Army in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, coming your way today on ESPN at 12 PM, 11 AM CST. Hope everyone can tune in.

Stepping off topic........drop the "COUNTY"

2010-10-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again to everyone. I hope the Fall weather is treating everyone well. In some ways, this post continues on the topic of the last posting of forward thinking. Only this time, I'm adding "conviction" to the post. You all know what that is......strictly defined, it means a strong persuasion or belief. And it is with that that I implore all of my Union High School classmates (notice, I didn't put that damn "county" in there) to show some conviction this election season. It is my understanding that some new school board members will be elected this November. Your first question to the candidates should be "If elected, how long will it take you to drop the word "county" from Union High School?" If their answer is anything but "It will be my first prioroty", then don't vote for that candidate. Seriously though, people's politics are their politics. What I believe in might not be the same thing you believe in. But, I really feel that most in Union think that the word "county" in the school's name is silly, short-sighted, and a little moronic. Of course, one could make the argument that since the school is, in fact, in Union County, then it should be named as such. If that's the case, do we call it Spartanburg Couhty High School?
In 1987, the school board voted to remove Marion Parrish as our principal. As a result, we had protests, big meetings at the Truluck Gym and USC-U. We even walked out of class as a sign of protest (thank you, Mr. Bramlett, for "kicking" us all out of the room that morning). We were displaying our conviction. Yes, the measure still went through, but when was the last time you heard of something like that happening out on Peach Orchard Road? I understand that the people of Jonesville and Lockhart will feel slighted if the word is dropped from the moniker. I understand that. To that end, I will say this: My USAF home, the 58th Fighter Squaron, Eglin AFB, FL, was de-activated a few years ago. There is no more 58th, no more 33rd Fighter Wing to speak of. Only history books will document those legacies. The 58th was deactivated because the mission changed, and we had to accept it. The mission changed in Union as well, and to add words to appease a few people seems a bit asinine. Nobody is suggesting that the history of either school that was closed be erased from the record books. In fact, I'm quite sure that Andy Youngblood and Micky Belue, two guys I know that graduated from Jonesville, still speak highly of their school. The same goes for the people of Lockhart. But, as a graduate of Union High School, it bothers me to no end that the name was changed just because of a short-sighted school board that had to back out of an earlier promise.
Maybe I'm just venting, maybe I'm on to something here. Maybe one of my classmates, with children of their own, will see this, and begin to feel the same way. Maybe the classes of the 80's and 90's will all get together and say, as one "I graduated from Union High School", and demand the rightful name be returned. Maybe Will Hickson and his "Noize Boyz" from the early 90's playoff runs will return to do their "Who ya rootin' for.....UHS" cheer once again. If you add an extra letter in there, it REALLY loses it's punch. If you do become "inspired" by this post, Union, to remove the "county" from the school's name, all I ask is one thing...........

Do it with conviction.

Till next time,

Patrick

Forward thinking.....some can do it, some can't.

2010-10-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again, where we bid farewell to Braves manager Bobby Cox. It's been a great ride, and I got to celebrate a World Series title in 1995. Some will say that there should have been more championships, but I'll take the one, and be happy with it, from a fan's point of view. This comes from a fan that stayed at the park the entire time against the Mets on July 4, 1985. Some may recall it as the 19 inning game. Some may recall it as the game where they shot fireworks in downtown Atlanta at 5 in the morning. In any event, it was great. And I use that team to jump into today's topic: forward thinking. Back then, the Braves biggest draw was Dale Murphy. He was the golden boy. But, they never surrounded him with any talent to be competitive, and eventually, Murphy was traded tho Philadelphia for Jeff Parrett and Jim Vatcher. And, by the time he was dealt, his prime years were used up on a team with no direction. It wasn't till the Braves brought Cox back as the GM that some forward thinking started to creep in to the consciousness. The Tigers will probably never deal with the Braves again, since they were fleeced for John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander. But, when COx went back to the dugout, the Braves got John Schuerholz from Kansas City.....the same Kansas City that won the Series in 1985. And, if you can win there, that pretty much says it all. Schuerholz surrounded the bigger Royals players with complementary pieces to win, the same way he did in Atlanta. But, now that Schuerholz is the team president, it seems that forward thinking has taken the first MARTA bus out of town. Chipper Jones should have been traded two or three years ago, when he still had some value. But, like the Murphy deal, they are holding on to a player that they feel still has something left. I mean, even Tom Glavine and John Smoltz left town. Cox's undoing in this post-season was career minor leaguer Brooks Conrad. His hands-of-stone display in the field cost the Braves Game 3, and ultimately cost them the season. Had someone with a little forward thinking been in command, that would have never happened. Don't believe me? Look at the Yankees. Their ability to seperate emotion from production is almost cold, but it gets results. Tino Martinez? Thanks for the help, but we're going in another direction. Paul O'Neill? We appreciate all you've done, but we're bringing in someone else. They even let Bernie Williams walk, and he was a Yankee legend. But, because they have some forward thinking, they can do things like that. Sure, they have money.....but they assess their needs, and go out and address them. They don't rely on one player to keep them at the top. Their forward thinking is the model that everyone should use, but, sadly, most don't. They'll all say the same thing: "Well, the Yankees just have more money than we do." Ever thought why that is? Forward thinking.....that's what. Once Boston got rid of Dan Duquette and got someone in there that would take some chances, they won 2 championships. Once Texas got rid of their GM that treated the Rangers like a giant fantasy team, and got someone with cache, like Nolan Ryan in there, they started to turn it around. Atlanta, you can do it, too. Next season will be my 30th season as a Braves fan, and I want to see some forward thinking displayed. Don't bring Jones back. Let him go, release him, whatever. Re-tool the team if you have to, and I don't mean with re-treads like Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske. You were already set back with the Teixeira deal when you dealt Elvis Andrus. Bring the kids up, like you did in 1990, run them out there, and let them figure it out on the job. If not, be prepared for Jason Heyward to walk the first moment he can......to the Yankees or Red Sox.

Till next time.......

Patrick

NFL through Week 2, Athletic entitlement

2010-09-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

OK, through two weeks of NFL competition, many people say it's too earlyto really know. But, is it really too early? We all saw the Cowboys look awful in pre-season, and they sit at 0-2. We all saw the Texans get after it in pre-season, and they sit at 2-0. Coincedentally, those two teams meet in Houston this weekend. Can anyone imagine Dallas going 0-3? For a team that was supposed to contend for the Super Bowl, this season has gotten sideways on them in a hurry, and Wade Phillips isn't the type of coach that can turn it around. Minnesota was another team that was supposed to contend, but their QB looks like he really doesn't want to be there, and they also sit at 0-2. The AFC East was supposed to be the Jets division for the taking. But their star CB is now out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, and their QB is hit or miss. We'll see. Am I a Dolphins fan? Yes. Am I happy they are 2-0? Yes. Do I think it's going to last? Of course not. I do think they'll contend, and you have to tip your hat to their defensive performance so far. Hey, Tom Olivadotti......this is how the Dolphins are SUPPOSED to play defense. Sorry.....I had to get that last shot in there.
To college football, where Reggie Bush will voluntarily surrender his Heisman trophy to save the Heisman trust from taking it by force. Bush says his giving up the trophy is in no way an admission of guilt or wrongdoing. I beg to differ. If he's not guilty, then why wouldn't he fight to keep his reputation? He, like Pete Rose, is falling on the sword in this case because he doesn't want any dirty laundry aired in public. Which brings me to the entire issue of what these NCAA athletes are specifically entitled to. I keep hearing the same thing: These athletes should be paid because they can't buy "their" jersey from the college bookstore" or "These athletes should be paid because the school makes money off of what they do". They are being paid.....it's called a FREE college education. Go out and price a four year education at a college, room, board, books, tuition, the whole nine yards. These athletes sre getting that for free, and yet, they are still unhappy. In fact, most athletes on scholarship are on partial scholarships, so they have to pick up some of the tab. But, the people crying foul the most are those on full scholarship......go figure. I get that college athletics is a big-time business. I get that the universities are making money hand over fist. But, if we start paying these athletes, where does it end? If we start paying the football team, what do we pay the basketball team? If we start paying the basketball team, what do we pa the baseball team? And, if we start paying the male student-athletes, what do we pay the female student-athletes? It is a slippery slope, to be sure. But, just because one is a student-athlete, appears on TV each week, and his picture is on a school's media guide, or is used on promo material for a particular game, it doesn't mean that individual should be paid. He's already being paid with a free education.
Keeping it with my entitlement issue, there is a lawsuit making its way through the courts that some feel is going to tip this whole pay-the-student-athlete apple cart. It is a suit being brought against the NCAA by former athletes, most notably former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon and former Nebraska QB Sam Keller. Their suit contends that EA Sports used their likenesses in their video games, and the athletes aren't being paid for it. Now, these video games have been around for quite a while. And, I'm quite sure, on some level, that an athlete somewhere aloong the line, thought of this very same topic. But, nobody has really taken it this far. My first question in this whole issue is this: How can you really tell that the image that is part of the game is, in fact, your likeness? Keller's argument on that question states that he is the only QB that played with a visor on his helmet AND used eye black. Really? And my second question in this whole issue is this: If these guys had any kind of career in the pros, would this really be an issue with them? It all seems like a money grab by them, as well as those associated with the suit, because they weren't good enough to make it to the professional level. I seriously hope that somewhere, a judge with an ounce of common sense throws this one out on its ear.

District play is getting ready to start for high school football. Conference play is set to begin for college football. And, of course, baseball is getting ready to start their playoff season. What a great time to be a sports fan. That's about all for now. My thanks to everyone for their support. Till next time...........

Patrick

College football.....through my eyes

2010-09-06T04:15:00.000-07:00

With a new season of college football upon us, I thought for a long time on what to write about after the first full weekend of games. Do I rip teams for scheduling easy wins? Do I hand out praise for teams scheduling some tough games right out of the gate? Or...do I simply wax nostalgic about what I've seen from college football for many years. In the end, waxing nostalgic won out. So, with that in mind, here we go.
I have to give thanks to Mrs. Frances Adams, my second grade teacher from Excelsior Elementary in Union, SC. She took me to my first ever Clemson game when I was in the third grade. Of course, it helped that my folks had a motor home, but that was beside the point. They asked to borrow said motor home to go to the game. My folks probably said on one condition: Take Patrick with you!! But, fro that weekend came my love for college football. Clemson played VPI (now known as Virginia Tech). We got up there on a Friday, went to Tigerama, saw all the Homecoming floats on the campus on Saturday, and did all the things you'd expect to do on a college campus on Homecoming weekend. We parked in a lot behind the library that I think now no longer exists (the parking lot, that is), due to the Strom Thrumond Institute. But, it was a time I'll never forget. As far as memories of college sports go, this one will hold a special place no other memory can touch. But the other memories.......well, let's explore what I've seen through the years.
If I make a list, I'd certainly have to include all the Clemson games I've been to as a kid and as a teenager. That first game to Death Valley (the stadium only had one upper deck then) was great, but other games turned out to be just fine in their own right. I got to see Doug Flutie play there. That was my first time experiencing what it was like for a game to end in a tie (22-22). I was there when they opened the second upper deck. I thought it was the greatest thing in the world to have tickets that said "Section GG", otherwise known as Green Grass, or, The Hill. When I finally made it to Clemson as a student and joined the band, I could always tell how big the game was going to be by how many RV's started showing up on a Tuesday afternoon. You have to get the good parking spots, you know. It is from my time as a Tiger Band member that I experienced a lot in the way of college sports. If I have to make a list, it might read like this:

5. Talahassee- Doak Campbell Stadium. I got to attend games there both pre and post rennovation. Pre-Bowden was when the end zone bleachers were the old high school, wooden seats with Boy Scout troops running around under them, in case something dropped. No kidding. That was their community service project. If a fan dropped something back then, they'd grabb it, and hand it back to its owner. After the rennovation, I'm not sure what they did, since it was all closed in with much nicer seating. Watching the FSU Band warm up at Howser Stadium is pretty neat, too. Of course, when you're on the lawn at the Circus College (again....no kidding. There's a big top oon campus at FSU) enjoying an adult beverage, and you hear the band start The Chop.......it's just great.

4. Columbia- Williams Brice Stadium. And, I can't believe I'm putting them ahead of FSU, since I've been to WAY more games in Tallahassee than Columbia. But, when my sisters went to school there, the late Joe Mirrison was coaching there, and there was a saying: If It Ain't Swaying, We Ain't Playing. Never knew what that meant till I got to go to a game there as a junior high kid. Ironically, USC was playing Florida State. It was the year USC started off 9-0, and lost to Navy the week before the Clemson game. Raynard Brown returned a kick for a touchdown, and then I felt it; the sway of the upper deck. And, I'm not kidding.....this damn thing was moving. Of course, as a kid, I thought it was great. When Sterling Sharpe scored his second TD of the night, it started to feel like a carnival ride. Of course, there have been odd moments here, too. Like, the time we were marching in for the annual Clemson-Carolina game for Tiger Band, and a man jumped out of a motor home, ran right up to our double-file formation, and proceeded to drop his pants and wave....well.....you get the idea. Apparently, he was not a Tiger fan, or he had just started drinking WAY too early.

3. College Station, TX- Kyle Field. Again, I can't believe I'm ranking them on my list, but this is a list of college atmospheres that I've experienced, so this one has to be on here. I didn't get to do the whole thing; no Yell Practice at Midnight (I was in Plainview for a high school game the night before). But, game day here is pretty unique. I was with my father-in-law, and my wife's uncle, both of whom graduated from TAMU. When they met, it was first names only, and the year they graduated. Apparently, that's how Aggies greet each other for the first time. But, we started off at the Dixie Chicken, which, if I called it a hole in the wall would be an insult to holes in the wall all over. This place was a dive. But, it was packed with people going to the game (Clemson was playing there that afternoon), and it was about a 10-to-1 ratio of TAMU to Clemson fans. It was in here that I first learned what it was to "Saw Varsity's horns off", a practice I'm not too fond of today. But, once inside the stadium, with the yells, the cadets, the massive student section, it all makes for a nice gameday atmosphere.

2. Any bowl game day- I've been fortunate enough to attend a few bowl games in my lifetime. Cotton, Alamo, Gator, Armed Forces. For my money, I like the Armed Forces Bowl gameday atmosphere the best. Not because I continue to cover that game (this will be my sixth year to that game in December), but nowhere else will you see: A guy who lost his legs to a roadside bomb make a perfect landing at mid-field, carrying the American flag, and not stumble and fall to the ground. Artificial legs or not.....that was impressive. Of course, the year that 2 Navy F-18's buzzed the field before the game. I mean, they had to be only 200 feet or so off the deck. You could feel the heat off the planes as they did their fly-by......sweet!! Of course, the Alamo Bowl holds a special place, not just because we did a show from there (interviewed a drunk fan who proceeded to drop an expletive on live radio), but the fact that we went to a game in San Antonio and came back all in one day (about 25 hours in all) rocked!!!!!

1. Texas-Oklahoma, Fair Park. Not even close. Not by a long shot. Clemson-Carolina can't touch it. I'm not too sure there are many rivalries that can. Don't believe me? Go to it one day. Just go to the Fair on gameday. Just get the experience from that. To borrow an expression from CBS and The Masters, it is truly a tradition unlike any other. The Fair is divided right down the middle, fans for both schools occupy both sides, then the bands come in. Once that happens, you almost can't hear the guy standing next to you. What was truly amazing about this gameday experience was all the fans in the parking lot that had set up some sort of makeshift TV setup, complete with dish. These were some hardcore people out there, too. But, as college football hospitality dictates, they were always quick to offer some of their food they had on hand, which could feed a small army. If you get the chance, if nothing else, just go to the Fair on the day of this game. You won't be sorry.

That's about it......a small sampling of college football traditions through my eyes. Of course, your list will vary. That's what makes it all so unique. Here's to another great college football season. Till next time...............

Patrick

Football is upon us.......

2010-08-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, with the football season getting underway next week (WFHS starts Thursday night), I thought it might be time to get my picks posted, so when I'm right, nobody can say I jumped on a bandwagon. But, I also reserve the right to change them, so I guess that shoots that theory right out of the water!!! Here we go........

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

I don't see defending champion Alabama running the table this season. They've lost WAY too many defensive people (Javier Arenas, Tay Cody, Rolando McClain), and they play six opponents that come off of their bye week this season. I think Ohio State will get picked off somewhere, possibly by Miami early in the season. Florida will spend the whole year comparing their new QB to Tebow, and if this new kid doesn"t break up a press conference after a loss to blubber and cry like a Girl Scout, then he'd better find a new line of work. Texas will be in the mix, as will TCU. But, if Boise State can get by Virginia Tech in Week 1, then they'll have the easiest road to the title game. Wouldn't that make the BCS people angry? So, I'm going to call Boise State vs. Texas in the title game. Call me a homer if you want.....Gilbert looked damn good in the title game last season, and Texas still has Will Muschamp as their defensive coach.

Speaking of Boise, they're leaving the WAC after this season to join the Mountain West. But, BYU threw a HUGE monkey wrench in the works this week by announcing they might want to become an independent in football and play in the WAC in all other sports (similar to Notre Dame). Here's the catch: Yes, BYU has a national following with the Mormons, but they don't have the cache that ND does. ND has a strange deal with the BCS to be automatically included, but I don't think BYU has the clout to get the same deal. Some say BYU is doing this because they're losing Utah as a conference member, and they want to keep that rivalry alive. Others say that BYU is more than a little upset that they didn't get an invite to join the PAC-10. As a fall back, the MWC invited Fresno State and Nevada to join, which they have reportedly accepted. When Boise jumped, the WAC then declared a 5 million dollar penalty to anyone else who defects. We'll see if Fresno and Nevada can come up with the cash. One thing is for sure: Conference realignment isn't over, and super-conferences are only a few seasons away.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

With the Super Bowl coming to Texas this season (doesn't everybody want to come to Texas?), many people think that the Cowboys will make it to become the first team to "host" a Super Bowl. But, I disagree. I think they'll make the play-offs, but I don't thinnk they'll make it to the BIG game. Here's what will happen division by division:

AFC East- Miami wins it Jets make the wild card (If Revis comes back, these could reverse).
AFC South-Indianapolis wins it. Tennessee could make it interesting.
AFC North- Baltimore wins it, Cincinnati is in the mix.
AFC West-With San Diego losing some key people and Denver relying WAY too much on Tebow, I'm going out on a limb and saying that the Chiefs will win this division.

NFC East- Dallas wins it, Philadelphia takes the wild card (Eagles have a Texan at QB....of course they'll be good).
NFC South- New Orleans wins it, Atlanta makes the wild card.
NFC North- Green Bay wins it, Minnesota makes the wild card.
NFC West- San Francisco.....no contest here.

Out of all these teams, I pick Baltimore and Green Bay to be in the Super Bowl.

Again, WFHS gets it going Thursday night against Burkburnett at Memorial Stadium. More details to follow on the air-time. Hope everyone is ready for some football. Till next time.....

Patrick

Backing off.....just a bit, NBA, NFL

2010-07-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hello once again

Good to be back after a vacation to South Carolina. I still can't get used to SC's speed limit still stuck at 55, but maybe, someday soon, that will change. Now.....on to the sports.

It has come to light recently that the UNC Tarheel football program was going to be investigated by the NCAA. My first reaction to this story was "What....Butch Davis has another dirty program (Miami)? Give them the death penalty!!!" But, as my partner on the TV show, Tim McMillan said, the death penalty should probably never be used again, and that we should wait to see what the rest of the facts are. Well.....here we go. It has now come to light that Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia have players that are also under scrutiny from the NCAA. Now, there are always 2 sides to an issue like this, and I see both of them. The sides are: 1. These kids are not getting "paid", per se, and that if someone wants to give them a little money to, say, go out to eat, then that's OK. I always thought the NCAA was wrong for hammering Utah's basketball program when former coach Rick Majerus bought a kid a slice of pizza at the airport as the kid was going home to bury his mother (true story). And the other side is: 2. These kids are, in fact, getting paid in the form of a "free" education, with room and board. All they have to do is play a game to get a free education. And, make no mistake about it, college athletics has become a huge business. Look at the money being thrown out by ABC/ESPN, CBS, FOX, and other subsidiaries to broadcast games. And, as such, if everyone is making a ton of money, the athletes feel they should receive some sort of stipend for their efforts. But, old-school as I am, I feel that they should go to class, go to practice, play in their given sport, and zip their mouths closed. The big complaint among athletes is that they see "their" jersey in the college bookstore, but they can't afford to buy it, since they don't get any money. Horse feathers!!! One, it's not "their" jersey, it belongs to the school, and two, once you leave school, you won't have any student loans to pay off.....go buy you a jersey then. But, this whole case has brought to light, once again, the seedy side of sports agents and their minions. Alabama coach Rick Saban likened them to pimps. He's also tossed about the idea of closing off the campus to NFL scouts, something that has the big league scared to death. We really haven't heard any kind of agent contact like this since the UNLV basketball team of the early 1990's. Are any of the athletes at the above mentioned schools guilty? Who knows....but one thing is certain. I'd kind of dismiss it if it were just one school, or one kid. But the fact that it's multiple schools and multiple athletes, it sort of has a ring of truth to it. We'll have to wait and see what the NCAA or the individual schools find out before we can really see how much of a problem there really is.

To the NBA, where New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul wants out of the Crescent City, and I can't blame him. The Hornets are in the midst of a huge house-cleaning, and Paul feels that the team is not headed in the right direction anymore. Most people are saying Paul saw all the attention lavished upon LeBron James and Chris Bosh in their recent free-agency, and he wants in on the act. Since James left Cleveland, everyone is saying that he's "tarnished" his legacy, that his "brand" has taken a hit, and that he's just plain greedy. Well......if he wins a title, all of that will be fotgotten. And, if Paul can engineer a way out of New Orleans, then good for him. It doesn't have anything to do with a so-called "LeBron effect", it has everything to do with the fact that soon-to-be former Hornet owner George Shinn has bled the franchise completely dry, and Paul doesn't want to stick around for a rebuilding period.

In the NFL, many teams are getting ready to report to training camp. But, with that as a backdrop, why has nobody really asked the question that teams need to sign their draft picks a bit earlier to avoid any confusion before camp. I mean, the NFL Draft was in April, here we are in July. Was there not enough time to get a deal done in between time? This should be the final year we see rookies get monster deals, too. The owner's side of the table has, for some reason, asked the Player's Association to, once aain, save the owner's from themselves. It's looking like rigiht now, we could be headed for a work stoppage in the NFL next season, and some of it comes from the revenue system. Leave it to 32 spoiled billionaires to kill the golden goose. It makes me love college football all that much more.

Sorry I haven't posted for a bit. High school football starts in 4 1/2 weeks. We'll be back on the radio this fall, with the internet broadcast to be posted the following day. Hope everyone can tune in this season. We'd love to have you on board. That's all for today.

Till next time.............

Patrick

Super-team in South Florida, SEC's wide open status...

2010-07-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello once again to everyone......

To the NBA, where the free agency period has been fast and furious. Most everything that was predicted to happen has, in fact, come to pass. But, we were all waiting for the "Big 3" as pertains to free agency (apologies to the Celtics) to let us all know where they were going to play. The only thing we knew for sure going into this was that Chris Bosh would not return to Toronto. And, that shouldn't be a shock. Toronto, at first, tried to placate Bosh by offering the maximum deal. Bosh, to his defense, said he wanted to test the market, but would give Toronto a fair shot at signing him. Then, word came out that Toronto wanted to dictate where Bosh went via a sign-and-trade deal. This, of course, struck a nerve with Bosh, who wanted to be the one who decided on his career, and not someone else. So, once the animosity started to reveal itself, we all knew Bosh was gone from the Raptors. But then, we heard DeWayne Wade was leaning towards Chicago because of his kids being there, and the fact they already had some nice pieces in place with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. So, we had all these pieces moving at one time until yesterday, when Wade and Bosh both announced they would sign with the Miami Heat. Now, earlier this month, Wade and Bosh were reported to have had a "sit-down" with LeBron James to see what the landscape was going to be, and what teams could take them on. Jump to today, where James is having a press conference tonight on ESPN in an hour-long show to announce where he is going to play. Now, the thing to remember in all of this is three words as pertains to the state of Florida: No State Tax. If James does indeed leave money on the table as he is reported to do if he signs in Miami, he'll still get comparable money due to the tax issue. So, while it seems that James will join Bosh and Wade in Miami, the population of Cleveland seems to be souring on the whole thing. It went from "LeBron, please stay", to "LeBron, this is home", and now to "If LeBron goes on national TV and stabs us in the back, it's the most classless, disgusting thing ever!!" Hyperbole, to say the least.
So, if you're from Chicago, New York, or New Jersey, and you're a fan of those teams, how do you feel now about coming in second place in the free agent sweepstakes? Chicago went from making room in the trophy case for another title to picking up the pieces in a matter of hours. New Jersey was never really a player, despite their new owner. And, New York put a lot of their eggs in the Amar'e Stoudemire basket, so they still have a slim outside chance, but it's highly unlikely. Tune in to ESPN tonight to see where James will make his NBA home.

To college football, where I was asked a question on the TV show the other night, and that was "Who do you think will be a surprise team in college football this season"? Well, I mentally went through a list, and started eliminating teams, mostly based on conferences. And, when I got to the SEC, it made me think a little harder. Let's start at the top: Alabama doesn't have Javier Arenas, Tay Cody, Rolando McClain, or the favorable home schedule this season, and they'll enter the season as the defending national champions, so they'll get everyone's best shot week in, week out. I don't think they'll run the table as they did last season. LSU is always a player out west, but they always seem to trip up on Arkansas at the end of the season. Ole Miss could make a run, but I just don't see that one either. In the eastern division, UGA has a huge cloud hanging over the program there with the resignation of their AD (charged with DUI last week) and Mark Richt is on a bit of a hot seat there. Kentucky.....well....no comment. Same thing for Vanderbilt. That leaves Tennessee (new coach, new staff, and trying to get over the whole Lane Kiffin debacle) and Florida (how will Meyer's health affect them in the post-Tebow era?) as teams that could possibly be a wild card, leaving.......God help me for saying this.......South Carolina as the picture of stability in the SEC East. Plus, their baseball team just won the national title, so it'll be a bit of a challenge to the rest of the teams there in Columbia to step it up. Can Spurrier put another run together? Who knows.....but, speaking from a continuity and stability standpoint, I think they could be a contender in the SEC this fall.

It's a great time in the sports world, folks. MLB's All-Star Game is next week, the World Cup final is Sunday, and NASCAR hits the home stretch before getting ready for the Chase. Oh, did I mention that training camps will soon open for the NFL? Hope everyone is having a great summer. Till next time..................

Patrick

The V Foundation, Gamecocks win, Free Agency...the great oxymoron

2010-06-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hello once again to everyone....

It's not often that I stand up and stump for a cause, but when I do, I put a great deal of effort behind it. And.....when one thinks about it, nobody is really immune from it. It has affected everyone at some level. I'm talking about cancer. I bring this uncomfortable topic up because the V Foundation is getting ready to have its annual ESPN Radio Auction (09 July) to benefit cancer research. Over the years, ESPN has really boosted the funds of the V Foundation with this auction, and they couldn't have done it without the generous donations of everyone out there. You can wait for the radio auction day to make your donation, and ESPN usually has some great items available for bids that day. Or, if that's a bit out of your league, you can call 1-800-4JimmyV and make your donation. You can also go to their website and donate as well. Just go to your favorite search engine and type in The V Foundation. Also, on their website, you can watch the most stirring speech the ESPY's has ever had. Jim Valvano's final speech is on the website, but be warned.......you will get either chills or teary-eyed. I can still remember the final words of his speech....."Cancer can take all of my physical abilities....but it cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to live on forever." We've all had to face this disease in our families at one time or another. If you can only donate five dollars, that's five more dollars they have to fight cancer. Please log on or call 1-800-4JimmyV to make your donation.

To Omaha, where I usually don't like to say I was right( OK, yes I do), but I said in the last post that I thought South Carolina and TCU were playing the best baseball of those left in Omaha, and I thought those two teams would be in the final series. USC beat Clemson (yeah.....what a stunner) in two straight games to claim their spot in the Finals. UCLA beat TCU in their third game to make up the other half. After winning Game 1, USC had to go to extra innings to win the game, the series, a national championship, and to close out decades of history at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. I know my nephew is walking on air this morning because of this win. Tip your hat to the Gamecocks. They got in a bit of trouble early on with their loss to Oklahoma. But, they went on a great run, culminating in a championship. And, Clemson......take notes on this one. This is what championship teams do......they finish. They close the deal, and they do NOT accept mediocrity. Congratulations Gamecocks. You deserve it.

To the NBA, where the biggest oxymoron in sports is about to take place with NBA free agency. Now, with the likes of LeBron James, DeWayne Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh and Paul Pierce available for the taking, these guys will be anything but free! But, with word coming out of Miami that Wade has met with James and Bosh in an effort to get them to South Beach, it seems as if the remaining big ticket free agents will re-sign with their old teams. Miami and Chicago have the most salary cap space, with about 30 million available for both clubs to work with. But....Miami only has two guys under contract right now, and if they go the Wade-James-Bosh route, how much money will be available to fill out the rest of the team? And, in Chicago, owner Jerry Reinsdorf has never paid the luxury tax for going over the cap, and if he signs James, will he open the wallet to keep Derrick Rose when its time, or Joakim Noah? His propensity to throw money around like manhole covers is part of the reason the Jordan dynasty broke apart. Plus....if you're LeBron, do you really want to go to a city to where you'll always be judged by what Jordan accomplished? If LeBron goes to Chicago and wins a title, there will be those that will say "So what.....Jordan won six". It's all very interesting, and it all gets underway tonight at midnight. Stay tuned for more developments.

To the NFL, where it seems some people still don't get it. And, when one of those people is named Michael Vick, you really have to wonder what kind of thought processes go through his head. He threw a 30th birthday bash at a Virginia Beach night club. On the surface, that's not so bad. But.....when you add in that: 1. Someone was shot outside the club where the party was held. 2. The man that was shot is one Quannis Phillips, one of Vick's co-defendants in his dogfighting case, and the same co-defendant that Vick has been ordered to stay away from. Vick's initial defense in all of this was that he didn't invite Phillips to the party. But, authorities have documents where Vick posted on Facebook and Twitter that he was having a party, so the argument could be made that he, indeed, invited Phillips to the party. Today, evidence has surfaced that the timeline that Vick initially gave authorities is somewhat skewed. My question is this: If you've gotten a second chance to play in the NFL, and the team you play for traded their top QB to make room for you....how in the heck do you even think of doing something like this? I said it before, when it all went down, and I'll call for it once again here: Permanently suspend Vick from the NFL. If he wants to be a knucklehead, let him do so at his own peril. It's clear that he just doesn't get it, and he probably never will. I'm sorry, Eagles, you now have to deal with this mess.

With the 4th of July coming up, I'd like to take this opportunity to say "Happy Anniversary" to my father, Art. What a dad!!!! I was 15 years old, and he toook me to a baseball game in Atlanta, the one that turned out to go 19 innings versus the Mets, and the Braves still lost 16-13. Did I mention there were two rain delays, and the game took almost twelve hours to finish? Oh yeah......and Dad had to go to work the next morning. What a night in Atlanta!!!!

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th. Till next time.................

Patrick

A big mess in Arlington, World Cup, College World Series....it's all a mess!!!

2010-06-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome back everyone. I'm still pumped about the way the US World Cup team defeated Algeria yesterday, so if I start to sound a little excited, there's your reason. And, while I'm on that topic, I hope the guy at the London paper that ran the front page headline "England, Algeria, Slovenia, Yanks"....or EASY.....I hope he is hearing it from his readers today. Maybe Beckham won't be coming back to the States after all......not that we'd really miss him.

To Arlington, Texas now, where a bankruptcy judge has apparently sided with Rangers owner Tom Hicks in the sale of the team. Hicks had reached an agreement with a group headed by Nolan Ryan, but when another prospective buyer tried to enter the party, he was told that his name was not on the list, so to speak. Ah, but never underestimate the power of greed. Hicks heard about this individual, and met with him anyway, hearing basically what he wanted to hear. This new guy would offer more money than the Ryan group. Now, understand, in all of this, it's not really about the fact that Hicks defaulted on loans, or the fact that his Southwest Sports Group (he's selling the Stars too, by the way) got WAY too big for anyone to successfully manage. Hicks saw the writing on the wall, or on Randol Mill Road, as it would be in this case. Jerry Jones put his Cowboys in a HUGE stadium not 500 yards from Hicks' front door in Arlington. And, I don't have to tell anyone from Texas this fact: When faced with a choice of baseball or football, most Texans are going to the pigskin. So now, here sits Hicks, in what used to be his own playground, not getting what he perceives to be his "rightful share" of the money being generated on the corner. And believe me.......it might as well be another US Mint site with all the money generated there. So Hicks defaults on a bunch of his loans, tells his creditors he's broke, and he wants out of baseball (kind of like Tom Osborne, taking all his toys and going home). MLB obliges, and all parties reach what was supposed to be a solid agreement with the Ryan group. Here's where the greed comes into play. Because the price from the Ryan group won't fully square Hicks with his creditors, he complains that he's getting the short end of the stick. Obviously, the creditors object to the sale, since they wouldn't be getting their full dollar amount, but who does, really, in a bankruptcy case? So, for now, Hicks gets to be the owner of the Rangers, and try to squeeze every last penny he can out of this sale. He's got the money to walk away right now, but he's too damned arrogant for that. Despite the Rangers having a great season, the football season can't get here fast enough, so I can quit seeing Tom Hicks on the front page of my Star-Telegram, complaining of poverty. Do us all a favor Tom: Sell the team, walk away, and don't come back. Your usefulness has run its course.

How about that Wimbledon match? John Isner and Nocholas Mahut went 11 hours, 183 games, and finally ended in a 70-68 tiebreaker in the fifth set. Even if you're just a casual tennis fan, this has to pique your interest. Poor Isner, though. He has to play again tomorrow. Will he have anything left after this?

Italy lost today to Paraguay, and will not make it out of the group stage in World Cup. The defending champions, who played France in the last World Cup Final, at least had a better time than France did. Their whole team basically quit in mid-tournament following their coach's decision to send a player home that had verbally abused him. In other World Cup news, when Portugal defeated North Korea by a score of 7-0, it was reported that the entire Korean team would be sent to the country's coal mines to attone for their loss. Why can't it just be about sport, people, and, for once, not have some sort of political implications?

To Omaha, where the last bastion of pure college sport will bow out to the almighty dollar. This will be the final season that Rosenblatt Stadium will host the College World Series. The Series will move to a brand spanking new stadium starting next season, because God forbid, we have some tradition on baseball. But, as it stands right now, Clemson is in the catbird seat by virtue of wins over Arizona State and Oklahoma. For those of you keeping score (Alex and Miss Betty), that's Clemson 2 Oklahoma 0 in all-time meetings. But, let me just take this moment to caution all my fellow Clemson fans out there. I've heard this song before, and I know how it ends. Every time the Tigers have an opportunity to be great, they collapse. That's why I'm not getting excited about their chances right now. Don't believe me? Look at their last seasons of "big-time" sports. The football team was mediocre, at best, but had a chance to play for the conference championship. What happened? Collapsed under the pressure. The basketball team made it to the NCAA's, though I really don't see how after being bounced in the first round of the ACC tournament. But, again, Clemson didn't make it out of the first round, collapsing under the pressure. With that as a track record, how can I truly be excited now? I'd like to think that the baseball team can at least show a little heart, since their football and basketball teams don't have any. It still looks to me like TCU and South Carolina are playing better baseball right now, and are the two teams to watch going into the weekend.

As a new member of the FWAA, I got a free copy of Phil Steele's college football magazine. Folks, this is hands down, the BEST magazine out there as far as predicting the season and covering the teams. Go pick up your copy today.

That's about it for now. Hope everyone is well. Till next time..................

Patrick

Conference expansion, USC probation...

2010-06-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to everyone, where I'm finally agreeing that I may need some help. I caught myself watching the Slovenia World Cup match the other day, and I was glued to the set, literally. If you get a chance to watch some World Cup action, I highly recommend it. You may even get to see another British keeper completely whiff on a shot! Sorry......I thought that was funny in its own sort of way.
But, on to the big news, where the rumors of the Big XII's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Now, we all heard the stories, and we all read the last posting of this blog (hopefully). The stories had Nebraska leaving, and they did. They accepted an invitation to the Big Ten. In a final display of hubris and audacity, Nebraska AD Tom Osborne, when asked about his team leaving breaking up the Big XII, answered "I don't think one team leaving breaks up a conference. I think six teams leaving breaks up a conference." Now, once again, don't fool yourself for one minute into thinking this was anything but a big money grab. Nebraska now falls into the Big Ten, with their own network, and all the revenue sharing that goes with it. And, Tom Osborne goes to a conference where he can become, once again, revered as a coach, since the Big Ten ain't exactly brimming with household names in the coaching department right now, save for Jim Tressel at Ohio State. The Big XII also lost Colorado to the PAC 10 in what was rumored to be the first of HUGE defections to the conference. But, in a last-minute save, the Big XII will stay together, partly because of a new TV deal, and partly (well.....mostly) because Texas will start to put things in place to start up their own Longhorns Sports Network. Had they gone to the PAC-10, they wouldn't have been allowed to do that. And the big fish the PAC-10 wanted to get were the Longhorns and the Sooners. Getting them would have gotten the PAC-10 into Texas and Oklahoma City, and given them a fallback option for the mess USC and Oregon are in right now (more on that in a minute). But.....the Big XII (Texas) decided to keep everything together and operate as a ten team league. The defectors aren't scheduled to leave till next season, which, I'm sure by then, the Big XII will have two more teams in mind so they can keep their conference championship game. If TCU and Baylor can mend their fence, and since they meet this year in football, that ain't likely.....I predict that the Big XII will get Houston and TCU (outside shot there) to join the Big XII. I've tried to get some people inside the Mountain West Conference to answer some of my questions, and have been met with either canned answers or complete silence. Give all this a little time to simmer down, and we'll see what happens when the dust settles. And, wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall when Osborne has to write that 3 million dollar check for leaving the conference early? I hope DeLoss Dodds is there to accept it, to stick it to the Huskers once more on their way out the door.
The wild card in all of this was, surprisingly, Texas A&M. The Aggies were rumored to be heading to the SEC so they could have a "rivalry" with Arkansas. In an article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Randy Galloway, he quoted "multiple" sources from College Station as saying they were "damn tired of being Texas's house boy!" Once the stories got out of A&M's flirtation with the SEC, Texas then announced that should A&M leave their conference, then the rivalry between Texas and A&M would cease to exist (and that, my SC and FL friends, is kind of like saying the Tigers and Gamecocks would never play, nor would the Gators or Seminoles, but multiply it by a few thousand). In the end, it seems as if A&M saw the light. I can't imagine a Thanksgiving night without the UT-A&M game, and now, thankfully.....I won't have to.
Moving on to the PAC-10, the NCAA came down HARD on USC for their transgressions, and the Trojans are shocked....SHOCKED...that this has happened. The dreaded words "lack of institutional control" were used to describe some of the reasons for the tough sanctions. OK, we all know the big stories by now, but just in case: FACT.....former USC basketball coach Tim Floyd was caught giving cash to a representative of OJ Mayo to come to USC. FACT.....Reggie Bush took over 300,000 dollars from budding sports agents, then tried to renege on repayment. Only before the men had Bush on the courthouse steps did he decide to repay the loan. And, if that wasn't enough, these men pretty much footed the bill for a lavish house for his parents while he was at USC. So.....USC will now lose 30 scholarships, be banned from TV and from post-season games, and pretty much be on "double secret" probation once the two year ban has been lifted. USC AD Mike Garrett said the NCAA sanctions are all being handed out because "the NCAA is jealous of the Trojans' success in recent years". Really? You have a team using "professional" players, and you're surprised when you get in trouble? I applaud the NCAA for dropping the hammer here, since they haven't displayed a propensity to do it to a "revenue producing" school. Look for Washington and Oregon State to take advantage of the Trojans' misfortunes here, and if Steve Sarkisian in Washington can do that, he'll take the prized recruits out of LA and USC will fall back into the pre-Carroll funk they were in.

The new Dave Campbell's Texas Football is out now. I got my copy yesterday. It has a great article on Houston's Case Keenum and TCU's Andy Dalton. Check it out today. Well, off to prepare for tonight's TV show. Thanks again.

Till next time.........

Patrick

The Big XII......may she rest in peace.

2010-06-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again to everyone.....

Since I am now a newly minted member of the Football Writers Association of America, I figured I'd better start writing this again to support my membership. Besides....I know that you all missed me out there (well, maybe one or two, but it's a start). Let's move on.

As you all know by now, the Big Ten (can we call them the new Big 12.....I'm just asking) has picked off Nebraska in an effort to remain on the minds of college football fans through the first week of December. Remember, with the "old" format, the Big Ten had their rivalry weekend around mid-November, and was virtually a non-player come Championship Weekend. This led to them being shut out when talk came for the invitees to the BCS title game. Well, Big Ten commissioner changed all that with the addition of Nebraska yesterday to the conference. Everyone in Lincoln would have you believe that it's a better fit geographically, that it's a better fit academically, etc, etc, etc. But, one need look no further than the AD at Nebraska when it comes to this move. Former Huskers coach Tom Osborne as hated the Big XII all along. He hated being lumped in a conference with Texas. He hated losing the first Big XII title game to Texas 37-27. He hated how the Big XII divided up the TV money (the more times on TV, the more money you got......sounds pretty simple to me). He hated the fact that Nebraska just wasn't eating at the big table any more, and somehow, got relegated to the kid's table when talk of college football heavyweights surfaced. So, one has to think that the way the title game transpired last season, he had his fill of the Big XII. For a guy that is pretty much the emperor in Licoln, he's an unhappy fellow. But, when talk started about Nebraska leaving the Big XII, it all started with Nebraska, and Osborne was nowhere to be seen issuing any denials. So, it comes as no shock, then, that the first domino in this musical chairs of conference re-alignment comes from Nebraska. I wonder how Osborne will feel when his school gets overshadowed this time by Ohio State. Let's all be honest, though.....this is a money grab, plain and simple. The Big Ten has a greater revenue stream due to the Big Ten Network. The Big XII gives the lion's share of the TV money to Texas and Oklahoma. Let's see now.....if I'm a TV executive, and I want to remain a TV executive, do I choose to air the Texas-Oklahoma game, or the Nebraska-Kansas game? Sounds like a simple decision to me. So, Osborne did what so many petulant brats before him have done.....he grabbed his toys and left. As of this morning, Colorado announced they,too, would leave the Big XII for the PAC-10, quite possibly taking five other Big XII schools with them to form the nation's first super-conference. When the Big XII obituary is written, let it start out with the fact that Osborne cried because the Big XII didn't kowtow to him as he felt they should. Osborne will have his revenge, somewhat, but his name will always be associated with the death of a great conference.
And, while we're on the subject of super-conferences, if the PAC-10 indeed takes on five more schools from the Big XII (Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech) and forms a super-conference, don't expect the SEC to stand by. SEC commissioner Mike Slive is a more forward thinking individual than his counterpart at the Big XII, Dan Beebe. Guess that explains why Slive will still have a job when this is all over with. But, the SEC is rumored to be going after four schools from the ACC to make their conference stronger. If Notre Dame also goes to the Big Ten, and these super-conferences start forming, then maybe the world will get what they've been wanting all along......a college football playoff to determine a champion. Don't think it's not on the minds of the NCAA either. THey see the writing on the wall, and it scares them to death. If the super-conferences form, and let's face it....it's going to happen sooner or later, why then would they stick to the traditional bowl format when they could sign their own deal amongst themselves, and keep all the money to themselves? And.....if that occurs, then what's to stop the basketball schools from coming together to form their own playoff system, and relegating the NCAA tourney to what the NIT tourney is today? There is WAY too much money out there to stop his from becoming a reality. It now becomes a question of "when" rather than an idea of "what if".

Hope to see everyone at the Oil Bowl this weekend. Till next time.........

Patrick

The NCAA does it again!!!!

2007-07-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hello once again to everyone.

Since my last posting, the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, decided to make Oklahoma forfeit all of its wins from the 2005 season for having illegal players on its team. Now, I know all of you are out there, saying "But wait a second, didn't Oklahoma dismiss both players once the news had come out about their actions?" Well, sure they did. In fact, Oklahoma went so far as to impose a probation on its own program, in an effort to gain some sort on leniency from the usually heavy handed NCAA. Let's look at the whole story in a nutshell. Two players (QB Rhett Bomar and OL J.D. Quinn) were supposedly working at a car dealership in Oklahoma City. The problem here is that not only were they not working, they were getting paid for not working. A third player, walk-on Jermaine Hardison, was also dismissed from the team in all of this. Now, if you're a walk-on, why can't you have a job? The NCAA isn't paying your way through school, so who really cares? But, I get off track here. The three players were dismissed from the team, and the NCAA said that being paid for not working was flat out wrong. Yeah, and I saw the NCAA react swiftly in the wake of former OU player Brian Bosworth's tell-all book about being paid to watch an oil well, while sitting on the hood of a brand new Corvette.
My problem with all of this has many angles. First, OU opened that season by losing, at home, to mighty TCU. How much worse does it have to get for a BCS team to lose what basically amounts to a revenue game for TCU, and in their own home stadium? Second, during OU's national title run of a few seasons ago, when OU was making boatloads of cash for the NCAA, the Sooners could have come right out on national TV and said they were paying players, and the NCAA would have turned a blind eye to everything except the bank account. All that mattered then was that OU was making them money. Third, and here's a real kicker here, the interim chairman of the NCAA Division 1 committee on Infractions is none other than Paul Dee. You all remember him, right? He's the Athletic Director at good old Miami, the school well-known for its penchant for flaunting the rulebook. In other words, Paul Dee is the proverbial pot, and OU is the proverbial kettle in this scenario. Dee's committee cited OU for "failing to monitor" the players of its program. Want to know how much Dee and his staff "monitored" his players at Miami? Talk to a friend of mine about officiating the Cotton Bowl game between Miami and Texas in Jan. 1992. He'll be more than happy to tell you about how Miami "strictly" monitored its players. Fourth, and I will always refer to this incident in some way when bashing the NCAA, where were they when Kimberly Dunbar stole money from Notre Dame's athletic fund, and planned a trip for her and a Notre Dame football player? Or, where were they when it came out that Notre Dame football players were living in an off-campus condo being paid for by a Notre Dame booster? I'll tell you where they were. They were out squashing the smaller programs, like Utah's basketball program. You all remember that one incident, where former coach Rick Majerus bought a player a deli sandwich. This was right after he had to tell the kid his father had passed away, and slightly before he had to put him on a plane to go home. Or, when Majerus bought a kid a bagel when the kid had found out that his brother had recently attempted suicide. Places like Utah are where the REAL criminals are. Not in Los Angeles, where it has since been revealed that former USC tailback Reggie Bush and his family had a house paid for by a potential agent in San Diego, all while Bush was still a member of the Trojans. Did anything happen? No, because USC is still making the NCAA a pile of money, and why kill the golden goose? Not in Columbus, Ohio, where former QB Troy Smith admitted that he accepted $500, and all he had to do was sit out two games, probably against the likes of Northeast South Dakota State and Saint Mary's School for Girls. Don't give me Maurice Clarett in this case, either. He was a head case waiting to happen, and he lived up to expectations, probably the only time he will ever accomplish that feat. But even in his case, the NCAA didn't step in and lay down any penalty. All of it was done by the school itself.
Which brings me back to the OU situation. If they had already self-imposed penalties on them, why did the NCAA feel the need to pile on even more? I mean, if this is how they are going to act, where's the incentive for programs that are found to be less than legal, to impose penalties on themselves? By saying this, in no way, shape, or form should it be construed that Iam an OU fan. I'm not. In fact, my school, Clemson, sent OU legend Barry Switzer into retirement. Well, that and his QB showing up on the cover of Sports Illustrated in prison orange. Again, I digress. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there's no clean program in this country. No program can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it follows the NCAA rulebook to the letter. Show me a program that can say that, and I'll show you a program that has never won a game. What this action does, at the end of the day, is help out the Big 12 conference, as a whole. It means that Dennis Franchione in College Station, Bill Callahan in Lincoln, and Mark Mangino in Lawrence can all now say that they beat OU in 2005, and add one more win to their resume. And let's face it, if that's the only way you can lay claim to a win, I'd be embarrassed to show up at the post-game press conference. While OU plans to appeal this decision, it sounds to me like the NCAA has already made its mind up. All that an appeal can do at this point is drag out the possibility that the NCAA might change its mind, which we all know won't happen any time soon. NCAA President Myles Brand and his cronies will spend a few days patting each other on the back, congratulating themselves on another job well done. All the while, they'll still maintain that the NCAA football player can't endure two more weeks added to the football season for a playoff, but the basketball player can be sent to all parts of the country, because CBS is paying the NCAA a billion dollars to let that happen. He who has the gold, makes the rules.

Till next time..............

Patrick

On The Sauce Or Not, NBA vs. NFL, Signed Contracts

2007-07-06T03:14:00.000-07:00

Hello once again.

It has come to my attention that a certain major league baseball star might be on to something, or in this case, just plain ON something. I mean, Not many, if any, guys his age are doing what he's doing. It takes a lot to defy Father Time, and while some athletes might be able to hold him off for a few years, very few, if any, actually beat him. Look at the facts. The man we all thought as a sports immortal was proven to be less than that when he tried to come back with the Wizards. How many people in baseball today over the age of forty are either on the DL, or are sidelined with some sort of injury? So, in light of these facts, I can only come to one conclusion:

Roger Clemens is on some kind of sauce.

I won't say the other "s" word here. We all know what I'm talking about. Now, while some of you are getting ready to e-mail me back and bombard me with all kinds of hate mail, consider the facts. In his early years with Boston, he was a lights out pitcher. He had double digit wins from 1986 to 1992. But, in 1993, he falls below .500 with a mark of 11-14, then it gets worse. He starts to show signs of wear and tear, and it's the prime reason Boston chose not to re-sign him. That, and former GM Dan Duquette was an absolute jerk. But really, look at the numbers. He has some mediocre seasons at the end of his Boston career before going to Toronto in 1997. There, he experiences a reniassance of sorts, winning over 20 games a season his two seasons there. Wait a minute......didn't Jose Canseco once play in Toronto? But, as Clemens got deeper into his career, his numbers either improved or stayed the same. He didn't experience a decline as we see in most aging major league players. Former Arizona Diamondback pitcher Jason Grimsley told anyone who'd listen that Clemens was on the sauce, but we all laughed it off. Clemens himself said he was going to sue Grimsley for slander, but so far, no such suit has been filed. Hmmmm. Everyone that was named in Canseco's book said they would also sue. Again, no suits have been filed. And, for the record, everyone who Canseco named in the book has turned out to be a user to some degree. Now, am I saying this because I hate Clemens? Certainly not. I loved it that he threw a piece of a bat at Mike Piazza. I loved it that he also beaned Piazza with some high heat. I like Clemens, and can certainly appreciate the fact that he's won 350 career games. After Greg Maddux and soon-to-be 300 game winner Tom Glavine, we won't see another pitcher approach this win total for some time. All I'm saying is that there's more here than meets the eye. Call me whatever you want, but the facts still remain. Clemens hasn't experienced a slowdown into his 40's, and there's a good reason for that. The sauce is good for whatever ails you.

To the NBA, where the draft was held last week, and already, the top two picks have signed, and they are in summer league basketball with their respective clubs. And, while some may see this as no big deal, the NFL draft was held in April, and only three guys have signed a contract, and one of those is the last pick in the draft, Mr. Irrelavent. Why does the NFL continue to accept this as status quo? If I'm an NFL owner, I get my picks under contract as soon as I can so I can start making plans for the upcoming season. Too often, we see a high NFL draft pick holdout of training camp, only to see a can't-miss type player look foolish once the season starts. Is it really that difficult to sign an NFL draft pick? I mean, pick up the phone, set up a meeting, go over some numbers, etc. It could certainly drag on throughout a weekend, but it shouldn't take nearly this long to get some of these guys signed. Don't gve me the argument of "Well, they just want to see how much money the other guy is getting". Baloney! That kind of infomation will get out in its due time, and if the player is worth a darn to begin with, he'll still get the fat contract before its all said and done. Come on, NFL GM's, start getting this done. We're two and a half weeks from trining camp, and this hould have been done long ago. It's probably the only area that the NBA beats the NFL.

Speaking of the NBA, have you heard all about the trade rumors flying about? I mean, this player is going here, that player is going there.....oh, wait a minute. Some of the players mentioned have started saying that they don't want to go to a particular place to play. Well, let me let all of them in on a secret: YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT! At the end of the day, you'll go to wherever has your contract, and you'll like it. I'm more than tired of all of the NBA players dictating what GM's can do. If you get traded, you get traded, period, end of story. Just deal with it. I mean, you're still playing a game for more money than you'll ever spend in a lifetime, with the exception of Latrell Spreewell. Remember when he turned down 14.5 million because, and these are his words "I have a family to feed. That ain't enough". Again, you signed the deal, now live up to it.

That's about it for today. I won't go into Bonds making the All-Star team on an obvious ballot box stuff in San Francisco. Besides, I don't want to give him too much space here. I'll just say that I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th, and thank you all for your support.

Till next time...........

Patrick

Can we stop it already?

2007-06-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hello once again to everyone. Now that the greeting is out of the way, let me just say this:

I can't stand Kobe Bryant.

There, I said it. I'm not ashamed of it, but someone had to get it out there, and I volunteered. Before we pile on, let's take a look at the wys in which we, or at least I, detest this NBA "superstar". One, upon being drafted out of Lower Merion High School in 1996, his quote was "I don't want to go play for Charlotte. I only want to play for the L.A. Lakers". To that, I would have said "Then, enjoy college, cause we own your rights. Oh, that's right, you can't go to college, since you already signed with an agent. Enjoy the European leagues." First off, blame Hornet management for placating him with a trade, and all they got out of him was Vlade (Flop-ay) Divac. Second, he makes it to the All-Star game shortly after arriving on the NBA scene, and during play, waves off some of his more established NBA veterans so he can act like he's on a playground court. Well, upon seeing this, a man wearing number 23 for the Eastern All-Stars entered the game, and proceeded to smoke young Kobe every time down the court. Third, and this is really a sticking point, he wins his third NBA championship in a row, and complains because he's not the focal point of the team. I'm sorry, but do you think Jack Haley or Will Perdue ever complained that they weren't the focal point on their championship teams? No! They just sat back and admired the shine of their rings. But, everyone knows how the story played out.....Shaq got traded to Miami, Miami won a title, the Lakers were left with squat, and now Kobe is complaining again. I mean, enough already. Kobe created the mess he's in now by complaining about Shaq. Now, Kobe says he wants to be traded to a "winner". First of all, there's not too much chance of a trade in this case, unless a lot of teams get involved. There's too much money for it all to match between just two teams. But, Jerry Buss needs to tell Kobe that Jerry Buss owns the Lakers, not Kobe Bryant. This whole "I want to play for the Lakers, I don't want to play with Shaq, I want a trade, I want, I want, I want" act is so old now, it's pathetic. I mean, I want a million dollars, but I don't see Brinks backing the truck up to my driveway. I keep waiting for someone to slap the 2 x 4 of reality across Kobe's forehead. In a way, head coach Phil Jackson did it in his book about the Lakers, "The Last Season". In it, he takes every opportunity to rip Kobe for his selfish attitude. Maybe that's why I like the book as much as I do. But, we all know who would get the door first, and for a time, he did. Jackson left the team for a while, despite being the owner's daughter's boyfriend. His replacement, Rudy Tomjanovich, lasted 41 games in Lakerland before quitting because he was tired of being a baby-sitter for this spoiled brat. Jackson seems to be the only person that can control him to a certain degree. So, to Laker GM Mitch Kupchak, I say this: Trade him. For the good of the league, and for the health of my sanity, please trade him. I don't know how much more of him I can really take.

Let me also say this.........

Would everyone PLEASE stop saying Tiger lost the US Open Sunday.

OK, he was in the final group. OK, he was all expected to win the contest (I still can't call it a tournament). So when he didn't win, everyone is now shocked. To them, I say this: Let it go, already! He was playing the same "tough" course everyone else was. What do you expect, that the USGA would let Tiger play a different course? So, he came up short on Sunday in a major. Big, stinking deal! Can we please just give credit to the winner, Mr. Angel Cabrera? OK, so he was chain-smoking up the back part of the tournament. OK, so he wasn't the most in-shape athlete. Big deal! At the end of the day, he was under par in two of the four rounds, and he ended up with the best score. That's it, period, end of story. So Tiger Woods didn't win the US Open. Big deal. Like Kobe, are we supposed to hand him everything on a silver platter just because he's Tiger Woods? If Woods really wanted to win the thing, here's a tip for him: Feel free to make some more birdies! Can't we all just deal with it, and move on?

Some more "Can we stop it already" items up for consideration.......

Can we stop banging on Hendrick Motorsports for signing Dale Earnhardt, Jr? Everyone else had the same opportunity to sign Junior, and Hendrick stepped up and did it. Like the New York Yankees, Hendrick goes out and signs what he feels is the best talent. He has the money, he does with it what he wants. Don't hate Hendrick for stepping up to the plate on ths one.

Can we stop declaring Tony Romo as the second coming of Troy Aikman? Romo wants a re-worked contract after only eleven games, and a botched extra point atempt. Hey Tony, Aikman got his respect by actually performing well in the playoffs. Fumbling a snap doesn't get you a raise, for crying out loud!

And finally, can we all stop banging on the San Antonio Spurs? Four titles in nine seasons, deal with it. The Mavs should have one, but they have no killer instinct, and let the Heat back in the door. So, even though the Spurs don't resonate with everyone, we should just dismiss them? I'm not a big-time Spurs fan, but four titles in nine seasons is borderline dynasty. Deal with it. They manage their team right, they manage the salary cap right, and they have a proven plan in place. The proof is in the championships, and they now have four. Again......deal with it.

That's about it for now.

Till next time..........

Patrick

Sheffield/MLB, Donovan's reverse

2007-06-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hello once again.

OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but people get fired nowadays for saying racist things over the airwaves and in print, right? I mean, former Atlanta Brave John Rocker was raked over the coals for his comments to Sports Illustrated some years ago, and Don Imus was fired from his longtime post when he referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as a bunch of "nappy headed ho's". OK, so with those two things in mind as the framework or the standard by which we view things in a hyper-sensitive world, why hasn't anybody called for Detroit Tigers DH Gary Sheffield's head recently? You all remember him. He's played with seven teams in his major league career, he's linked to being a training partner with Barry Bonds when all of the steroid questions came about. This is a guy that also said he was the best player on every team he's been on. OK, let me stop that train right here. Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Tony Gwynn. Those are three of the players he's played with before, and believe me, he's not even in the discussion when it comes to those guys. OK, back to my original gripe here. Sheffield said in a recent interview with GQ magazine that he has a theory why there are fewer black players in baseball today. He said, and I quote" I called it years ago. You'll see black faces, but there ain't no English coming out. It's about being able to tell the Latin players what to do, being able to control them". He went on to say "You can't control us" and "These are things my race demands". Again, stop right there. Imus gets fired for saying something off-color, but Sheffield walks away from this incident? Now, granted, it would be hard to fire a professional baseball player, but nobody seems to mind that Sheffield said any of this. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say I haven't noticed the decline of black players from baseball. I have, along with everyone else. But, with the way baseball markets itself in comparison to basketball and football, it's no wonder kids today aren't tuning in. And, with the continued rise of corporate America, it's hard to find a decent baseball field for kids to play on. They've all been bought up all in the name of property development. Baseball used to rely on the fact that it was a father-son game. And for a while, that was true. But, somewhere along the way, those sons grew up, and started getting into football and basketball, not to mention Mixed Martial Arts. The NFL had constantly adjusted its marketing program to fit in with most, if not all, of their fan base. The NBA latched on to Michael Jordan in 1984, and they continue to ride the wave of marketing success from his era. Both of these sports know what it takes to bring in new business. Baseball, however, does not. Now, don't get me wrong. Baseball knows how to make a buck. Just look at any park today, and try to find an empty spot on an outfield wall. Even Wrigley Field sold ad space on the ivy-covered wall. But football and basketball have adjusted to meet the demands of a newer generation, and baseball has stood firm. As such, baseball is paying for it with a lack of participants. Don't believe me? Look at a top college anywhere in the country, and take their top 20 athletes. Chances are, only one or two of them will be a baseball player. Baseball needs new blood in its leadership ranks to re-energize its product, or it will continue to languish behind football and basketball. But, what do you expect when you have a used car salesman for a commissioner?

To Orlando, where former Florida Gator coach, soon-to-be-renamed Florida Gator coach Billy Donovan had reportedly backed out of a deal to coach the Orlando Magic. He was all smiles at his news conference Friday. He said all the right things. But, on a subsequent return trip to Gainesville, he had second thoughts. I saw this coming a mile away. I even called a friend and asked, during the news conference, why Donovan would ever consider leaving Gainesville? He's won two national titles, he is in a position to tell the players what to do, and how to do it, and he'll never have to pay for a meal in the city. Don't believe me? Go to Gainesville, watch Coach Donovan walk in to an eatery, and watch how many people fight to pick up his check. But, Donovan looked to be all set to give the NBA a try. Now, a few names come to mind here, like Jerry Tarkanian, Rick Pitino (OK, he did well at New York, but he stunk in Boston), PJ Carlesimo, John Calipari, Lon Kruger (former Gator coach before Donovan), Mike Mongtomery, and Tim Floyd. All were successful college coaches. All stunk in the NBA when they learned one thing right away: The inmates run the asylum that is the NBA. You think a pro team is going to side with a coach over a top tier player? Think again. NBA coaches have no real authority. If they did, Rasheed Wallace wouldn't have an NBA job. Donovan was all set to inherit a decent roster, with Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson to build around. They are also going to have some money under the cap to use in free agency. Apparently, it's not enough to lure Donovan away from Gainesville. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're saying right now "Well, Pat, he signed a contract. He's bound to the Magic, right?" No. At this level of athletics, contracts don't mean much, as far as coaches go. They're allowed to come and go as they please. The conventional theory is that Donovan wanted away from a football school. Let's face it, we're talking about a team that won it all, and they only sold out two games last season. The football team drew over 45,000 for spring practice. Not a game, not Tennessee coming to town, not Florida State, not Georgia, but a practice. Some say Donovan wanted out of the football program's shadow. Good luck with that. But, when you get right down to it, I have the real reason Donovan wants to remain in Gainesville. It's Mrs. Donovan. Look, don't tell me it's a money thing. When you're making 3.5 million, plus endorsement deals and a radio/TV show contract, what's another 2 million, really? Besides, Donovan has no idea what his checkbook looks like. He's a coach, not a financial guy. All that stuff is being handled by the wife. Want proof? Go find Florida football coach Urban Meyer, and ask him how much is in his checking account. He'll have no idea, because that's the wife's job. Donovan is the same way. He's a 12-16 hour a day coach who couldn't care less what's in the account. All he's thinking about is a gameplan for the next opponent. Had he truly committed to the NBA job, all he'd have to do is go to Orlando, smile for the cameras, maybe do a Disney parade, and go to work. Mrs. Donovan would be in charge of planning the move, picking a new house in Orlando, setting the kids up in new schools, etc., and so forth. She didn't want to do it, and I don't blame her. Moving day is a pain, and at one time or another, we've all been there. So, at the end of the day, take a look at this issue for what it really is: Coach Donovan was fired up to go, Mrs. Donovan hit the brakes. And I, for one, applaud her for doing so. I kind of like Donovan, though I detest the Gators, and I would have hated to see Donovan go to the NBA and get shredded like other college coaches have done.

Before I close, and staying on the NBA, what's really going through their minds? I mean, they have a great Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where LeBron James finally gets to the championship round, and they have everyone fired up about that game. But then, the news comes that the Finals won't start for another five days, and even then, it won't tip-onn till 9 o'clock Eastern. Not good enough, NBA. I might have tuned in had the Finals started soon after that Game 6, but now, who knows? Maybe the Braves will be on TV. Maybe NFL Live will be on, and it's drawing ratings so good right now, ESPN is showing it two times a day. Or, maybe I'll just go play some golf. Strike while the iron is hot, NBA. You'll keep more of an audience.

Till next time.....

Patrick

This time, it's personal

2007-06-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hello once again.

First, I want to say that in this post, I'm really going to let fly. I'm saying this now because some people might not like what I'm going to say, but, like I said before, things like that get said in this forum. So, with that in mind, here we go.

It's been said that many people in life don't know the pain of losing a child. It's also been said that we might not know first-hand the experience of being involved in a drunk driving accident. Well, guess what? I qualify on both accounts, so here goes. I know in my last post I ripped Josh Hancock's father for filing his lawsuit. If you're new to the program, the short version goes like this: Pitcher for the Cardinals goes out, gets drunk, drives, kills himself. If you need the backstory or longer version, I invite you to look at some of the more recent posts in this blog. Now, this lawsuit is exactly the reason the courts are flodded in this country. Why is it that when something happens, we're all now conditioned to find fault somewhere, and sue them? Why is it, that a 29 year old pitcher that gets himself killed in a drunk driving accident wasn't put into rehab or dealt with in some way or fashion before this incident? Looking at this more closely reveals things that haven't really been brought to light. Like the fact that he (Hancock) overslept, and missed the start of a game almost a week prior to this incident. Or, the fact that he was involved in another accident that was swept under the rug before this incident. Or, even the fact that Hancock was well-known for being a guy who could close 'em down with the best of them, and I'm not talking about big league hitters. Why then are we not assigning some sort of blame to the support network of Hancock? I mean, where were his friends when he needed someone to take the keys? Where was his family when he exhibited this sort of self-destructive behavior? And, where was Josh Hancock's judgement to realize he was too impaired to operate a vehicle? Sad to say, we'll never know the answers to any of these questions. But, to assign blame to the wrong parties is absolutely absurd. It's not the tow truck driver's fault for doing his job. He was called out to assist a motorist. It's not the stranded motorist's fault. Cars stall where they stall, and one cannot predict where that may or may not be. It's not the bars fault. Their job is to serve drinks, period. Bartenders are usually running at a fast pace, and they usually keep that pace up for most of the night. And, being that the bar is owned by a former Cardinal player, now Cardinal broadcaster, why then isn't the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team being sued as well? I really don't get it, and if someone out there does, try to argue with me on this one. I guarantee I'll win. Accountability means taking responsibility for one's actions. Nobody forced Josh Hancock to do what he did. And, at the end of the day, nobody else is responsible for anything that occurred on that night but Josh Hancock himself. This lawsuit, as most are nowadays, is ridiculous, plain and simple.

If there are any more Michael Vick fans out there after all that has gone down regarding him in recent weeks, then I really feel for you. If you are still on the fence regarding the whole Vick-dog fighting issue, I invite you to read this week's Sports Illustrated which has a brutal tale of the events that occurred at Vick's property. Here's hoping that the prosecutors in this case will get the evidence they need to shut this operation down, and take everyone associated with it down as well. I won't go into details about the article, since it's quite graphic. But, let's just say that the Falcons, if they are smart, are looking into getting out of the deal with Vick. Now, will someone else come along and pick him up should the Falcons get rid of him? Of course they will. It's the nature of professional sports. But, if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell boots him out of the league, then that's a horse of a different color. He could always play for the Edmonton Eskimos, I guess. This case gets more disgusting by the day, and as more evidence comes up, it seemingly adds another nail in the coffin of Michael Vick. Will we get to that point? Hard to say. Like I said before, read the article for yourself. It's brutal. After that, if you have any Vick memorabilia, throw it away. It's trash, just like Vick is.

That's about it. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

Till next time........

Patrick

Here we go again......

2007-05-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of "Are You Kidding Me?". I mean, seriously people.......what has gone on in the world of sports that has everyone saying some of the displayed behavior is acceptable? Before I address any of that, I would like you to know where some of the backlog in the court system comes from.
Remember last time we talked, I spoke of Josh Hancock. He was tragically killed in a car accident in St. Louis, and while that's bad enough, he was legally drunk at the time. Now, put aside all I said, for the moment, about his culpability in the whole incident. It now comes out of St. Louis that Josh Hancock's father has filed suit against the bar that was serving Hancock. Nothing like assigning blame on something other than a grown man. The suit not only names the bar that was serving Hancock, but the tow truck driver, the towing company, and the individual whose car had broken down. I'll pause for a moment while you all collect your thoughts. At first, I thought this was a joke, but sadly, it is not. We can sue everyone in the world when something goes wrong, and it still won't bring a loved one back. As I said before, none of the aforementioned people killed Josh Hancock. Josh Hancock killed Josh Hancock......plain and simple. This lawsuit, hopefully, will be thrown out for a lack of merit.

Now, I'd like everyone to recall a time when Charles Barkley, then of the Philadelphia 76ers, came out on national TV and said the following words "I am not a role model". Remember the uproar that caused? People were like "Oh, well, he's a professional athlete. He should be a role model for all of our children". I said it then, and I'll say it now.....it's not Barkley's responsibility to raise other people's children. He was just being honest, and that's all he's been for his entire career, both on the court and off. Look back at the athletes as a whole from that timeframe. We never heard anything negative about Gretzky, Jordan, Elway, Kelly, or Smith. They went out and played hard. Now, some people made a big deal over Jordan losing a lot of money at an Atlantic City casino one evening, but guess what....he's a grown man, it's his money. Deal with it. Look at some of the more modern athletes. We never hear anything negative about Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, or to a smaller extent, DeWayne Wade. Those guys go out, play hard, and come back to do it all over again for their teams' next game. But, like I said in the last posting, that doesn't sell papers, and it doesn't spike TV ratings. Oh sure, people will make mention of Jeter being a night owl, and in New York, that's real easy to do. But again, its never affected his team, he's a grown man, and we should all be so lucky. Deal with it. Now, though, comes today's athlete. These are the ones who come into their respective leagues with a sense of entitlement, like it's their birthright to play professional sports. We've got guys throwing thousands of dollars at strip clubs in Vegas, causing enough of a riot to where someone ended up paralyzed. We've got guys keeping enough weapons and ammo in their homes that the military is considering making it an adjunct arsenal. Never mind the fact the owner is on probation for a weapons violation. And, the big kicker....we have a franchise player who is being looked at hard for running a dog fighting ring out of a home he owned in Virginia. Now, the last three guys I mentioned.....THAT'S making ratings. Stuff like that will sell newspapers, and it will get the talk radio people all worked up. Two of the three have been addressed. Adam "Pac-Man" Jones (throwing money at the club) has been suspended for the entire 2007 season by the NFL, a verdict he is appealing. But, before he could meet with the NFL commissioner, he's spotted at a New York strip club, doing roughly the same thing that got him into trouble. I can't make that one up, people. You don't find "I just don't get it" like that every day. It comes from years of bad decision making. In the second case, the owner of the weapons (Chicago Bears DT Tank Johnson) was a guest of the state of Illinios for a period of sixty days. He still has to meet with the NFL, but conventional wisdom says that he'll serve a suspension that's less than that of Adam Jones. After all, Johnson served time for his crime. But now, let's jump head-on into the final one, and that's the case of Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick. First, let's read off his laundry list. One, he almost caused an incident at a Miami airport by refusing to give up a water bottle before boarding. The bottle was surrendered, and subsequently found to have a secret compartment in the bottom. Miami-Dade police all said it smelled like marijuana, but tests were inconclusive. And, the security tapes from the whole episode were mysteriously erased. Second, he blows off meeting with Congress. That's right. Vick was supposed to meet with Congress on funding for after-school programs for America's youth. But, instead, he makes a lame excuse about oversleeping, missing an alarm,,,,,whatever! You're a grown man! Accept the responsibility. And, finally, the incident that has the Falcons, as an organization, holding their collective breath. Vick owned a home in Virginia that was found to have malnourished dogs, dog fighting items, blood-soaked towels and rags, andchains tied to car axles buried in the backyard. Dog fighting, the act that is a felony in most, if not all states, is the act that could bring the Falcon organization to their knees. They've invested over 100 million in Vick, and he rewards them with this. They've traded their top backup, Matt Schaub, to Houston, and have Joey Harrington in the wings. I predict Harrington will be the starter by Week 8. The more Vick hopes this will go away, the more comes out to tie him to this. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is beyond upset, he's downright ticked off. And he has every right to be. He's bent over backwards to accomodate Vick, and now, he has the proverbial egg on his face. Trading Vick is out of the question. Who would want to take on the contract? You can't really bench him, because who pays huge money to a back-up? Some Vick apologists are saying "Oh, this isn't him. It's his cousin". Rationalizing it doesn't make it right, but to Vick fans, it'll soothe their consciense a bit. Others will say "Well, it's just not in him to make bad decisions like this". Come on, people. This is a guy whose brother was dismissed from Virginia Tech for a history of bad decisions. Do I really need to bring up Marcus Vick stomping on the leg of then-Louisville DT Elvis Dumervill's leg in the Gator Bowl? It's time, for us, as a sports loving society, to re-claim the world of sports. Stop supporting these morons and their idiotic behavior. Will it make a dent on the surface? Probably not. But, how far do we have to go before the pendulum swings back to the side it once was on.....when we looked at our pro athletes and weren't ashamed to wear their jerseys? And, before you say this is just a case of boys will be boys, do me a favor. Go tell that to the guy in Vegas who was paralyzed from bad decision making. Go tell that to the dogs that the state of Virginia has had to put to sleep, or the other dogs that the Virginia ASPCA is trying to re-nourish due to their lack of care. If you can look those people and animals in the eye and rationalize the behavior.......have your head examined, or visit a priest. I'm done with it, plain and simple.

Till next time.....

Patrick

It's sad when it happens, but are we blaming the wrong thing?

2007-05-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hello once again. You know, I've been thinking long and hard about a subject in sports today. During this time, I went from one side to another, to another. I even brought up this topic with my friends and colleagues. And, after a lot of discussion and consideration, here is my final thought on the topic: Josh Hancock killed himself. Not beer, not marijuana, not anything else. Josh Hancock killed Josh Hancock. Let me give some of you a back-story here. Josh Hancock, former relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, was killed almost two weeks ago when he was involved in an accident on the highway in St. Louis. According to sources, he was on the phone, speeding, and had a blood-alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit in Missouri. In the car was a stash of marijuana. Now, when I first heard all of this, I wondered out loud: Isn't this a case of the media just piling on? But, after looking at it from all angles, I figured this out. It's a bit like the news media following the shootings at Virginia Tech. We all agree that the event itself is reprehensible beyond belief. We all agree that it was a senseless act. But, at the end of the day, when the shooter's tape reached the news media, all bets were off. Today's media is all about sensationalism, and whoever got that tape out first got the ratings. News media companies are, after all, a business, and their goal is to make money. What makes money? Controversy. It's why every media outlet, for almost a week, ran the tape and pictures of the shooter. Now, by saying all of this, in no way am I condoning what the shooter did, or what the news companies did. But, the paralell here is this: Once there was some zip to the Josh Hancock story, it was everywhere. It was bad enough that he was killed in a car accident, but now add to it that he was on the phone, legally drunk, and had marijuana in his possession, now that's front page material. Now, in the reactionary society we live in, we're seeing where some teams in Major League Baseball are banning alcohol from the clubhouse, with St. Louis taking the lead. OK, then why didn't they take this step in spring training, when their manager, Tony LaRussa was found alseep at the wheel at a stoplight? He wa over the legal limit then, but I never heard anything about banning alcohol from clubhouses. And, if we're going to start banning alcohol from the clubhouses, then when do all the alcohol advertising signs come down? I mean, if St. Louis is going to really take the lead here, let's see them remove all of the Budweiser signs from around Busch Stadium. Better than that, let's see them completely stop the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages from their games. That will never happen, of course, because of the revenues that alcohol brings in. At most parks, one beer goes for seven to eight dollars per cup. Now, clubs think it's more than OK for us, as average fans, to come in and buy beer from the National Anthem to the 7th inning stretch, and then go drive home. They have the cash in their pocket, and he have a hangover in the morning. But for clubs to then turn around and tell their milti-million dollar, pampered employees they can't have a beer after a game? Good luck enforcing that one. The fact that someone died while driving drunk is not an indictment on beer.....it's an indictment on the person. At what point do reason and accountability come into play? At what point does a 29 year old man realize he's had too much to dring, and therefore, should seek alternate methods of transportation? Let's assign blame where it really needs to be, people. It's not the spoon that makes people fat. The teacher is not the reason some kids do poorly in school. And, it's not the beer that killed Josh Hancock. Josh Hancock killed Josh Hancock.

That's all I have for now. Thanks again.

Till next time.......

Patrick

Baseball, Final Four, NASCAR......what a bore!!!

2007-04-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

First off, let me start off by saying that I am in no way bored by baseball or this year's Final Four. NASCAR, we'll address that later.

Did anyone catch that moron Pete Rose on the Tonight Show? If not, let me paraphrase what he said. First off, Jay Leno asked hom, point blank, "Do you gamble anymore?" His reaction was priceless! He stuttered, stammered, then finally got out some feeble response, but it was like keeping a chunk of kryptonite around Superman. Then, Rose went on to claim he, at one time, was bigger than Elvis. Let me just say this: The Graceland estate makes 40 million a year, Rose bets the dog track in South Florida......who's bigger? Then he went on to say that he bet on his team every night. I know I was younger back then, but does anyone remember when he steadfastly denied that he ever bet on baseball, despite all of the evidence in front of him? He also went on to say that his gambling problem made him more of a human. OK, I'll need clarification on this one. More human? Come on.......I could come up with something a little better than that. He was on ESPN Radio recently, saying that if we were allowed back in baseball, he would get hired, strictly because he'd be a draw at the gate. Always thinking of ways to maximize the cash flow, that Pete is. I said it a long time ago, and I'm saying it now. Pete Rose doesn't deserve to be reinstated into baseball just because he's now admitting what we all knew years ago. I hated the fact he was allowed on the field prior to a World Series game in 1999. I also hated the fact that people crushed then-NBC reporter Jim Gray for grilling Rose about his gambling. Turns out Gray was on the right track, doesn't it? If we're going to reinstate someone, then reinstate Shoeless Joe. He was proven, in a court of law, not to have been on the take, along with his other 1919 Black Sox teammates, but Judge Landis banished them anyway, citing the "best interests of the game" clause. Keep Rose out of the Hall, please. He doesn't deserve it.....period. Was his accomplishment of breaking Ty Cobb's record something to see? Sure it was. But, when it comes out that, during the course of that game, you were changing jerseys once an inning to maximize the income potential, and that the bat used to break said record was sold to pay off gambling debts, then that should tell you what kind of degenerate we're talking about. I don't even think there should be some kind of plaque recognizing his accomplishment. Actually, there is a plaque about him on every clubhouse door. It says "Gambling on the game is subject to a lifetime ban from baseball". Take a clubhouse tour one time. You'll see what I'm talking about. Keep Rose out of the Hall. He'd just bring down good guys like Brett, Yount, Molitor, Gwynn, Ripken, Ryan, and Fisk.
So, I took a call the other day from a friend, who said he wanted to see more Yankees coverage in this website posting. Well, how's this? George Stienbrenner had named an heir-apparent to his Yankee throne a couple of years ago. Steve Swindall, Steinbrenner's son-in-law, was hand-picked by the Boss to succeed him when he finally steps down. Well, a monkey wrench got tossed into those plans. Turns out that Steinbrenner's daughter, Jennifer, has filed for divorce from Swindall. Boy, talk about having the keys to the kingdom snatched away from you. The Boss can't fire Swindall altogether, though. Swindall remains a minority owner of the club. Boy, you have to hand it to those New Yorkers. They sure can put on a great soap opera.

To the Final Four, where Florida thumped Ohio State for its second championship in as many years. What made it a little more interesting is that these two schools met for the football championship, where Florida manhandled the Buckeyes. But, it's at that point where the basketball story becomes a secondary topic. Both of these schools are football schools. When someone first mentions either Florida or Ohio State, what do you think of? Football related things. Spurrier. Meyer. Wuerffel. Emmitt Smith. The Swamp. Or, in the case of Ohio State.....Hayes. George. Katzenmoyer (remember him?). The Horseshoe. Dotting the I. Troy Smith. All of these are football related things, people, and nothing is going to change that about either school. Florida coach Billy Donovan is supposedly going to meet with Kentucky officials about the job in Lexington. Two consecutive national titles, and he's still a distant third in Gainesville, behind the upcoming defense of their football championship and spring practice. And, while I'm on this subject, much has been made about Florida winning both the football and basketball championships. A little too much if you ask me. I mean, didn't Texas win both the football and baseball championships in one calendar year? They were even in line for the basketball championship that year as well. Yet, somehow, that gets brushed under the rug. Why? Because the baseball championship is awarded around the time we're all talking NFL training camp, and getting ready for two-a-days. Give credit to the Gators.....they hold two titles right now. They aren't the first to do it. Probably won't be the last.

To NASCAR, where way too much credence is being given to this boxy looking Car of Tomorrow. They recently used this car at Bristol and Martinsville, and, for my money, it stinks. This is a car that will be fully implemented in to NASCAR in the near future, and by then, we'll all sit back and remember the good racing days, where stock cars looked like cars, and not some Indy car knockoff. And, did anyone see who was on this development team for this atrocity? None other than Brett Bodine. You remember him.....the guy who used to drive the #26 Quaker State Buick for Kenny Bernstien Racing, who won his only race because he was a lap down at North Wilkesboro, and everyone else had to pit, handing him the race. Most other times, you could find him at the back of the field, up in the wall, or in the garage area once the green flag dropped. So, with this "stellar" career resume under his belt, how did he get involved in such an indeavour? Why is it, that the people who get trounced at something are the ones saying that things have to change (see also: McCain, John, 2000 Republican Presidential nominee)? One of the biggest things driving this change is safety, and I don't have an issue with that. But, I think with the addition of SAFER barriers, restrictor plates, and HANS devices, racing was already much safer. At the end of the day, it's called racing for a reason. Whoever is the fastest wins. If you can't go fast enough, or if you feel you can't compete, get out of the business. There's a reason (and this pains me to say more than you'll ever know) that Hendrick Motorsports is so successful. They spend whatever it takes to be at the top of their game. If teams can't compete with that, then so be it. Get out of the sport. But, for a loser like Bodine to come in and say he car needs to be redesigned, that's just plain sour grapes. I mean, what does he do now on race days? He drives the pace car, and was in danger of going a lap down to the field just this past Sunday! NASCAR should have just looked at his career totals. Then, they would have known what I've said all along: For some reason, the great teams are penalized by the sorry teams. For those about to make the argument that some of the lesser teams can't attract big-boy sponsors, yeah. There's a reason for that, and it just goes to prove my point. Show you're a winner, get the big dollars. Show you can't keep a car going straight, struggle to make the field each week. Scrap the Car of Tomorrow, please NASCAR. It really is a bad idea.

Well, there you have it. Baseball is now in full swing, no pun intended. The NFL is getting ready for its draft and mini-camps. The playoffs will soon start for both the NBA and NHL. It's a great time to be a sports fan. Take care.

Till next time......

Patrick

I'm back.....Thanks for your patience

2007-03-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it's good to be back. Sorry I've been away for all this time. With our weekend show done with for the season, I now have more time to devote to the blog, which really couldn't come at a better time. I say this, because, as everyone knows, the Madness is finally upon us. And it is within that light, I'd like to bring out a few things that are really bugging me about this tournament.
One, and we go through this one every year: Who got snubbed, who got in that shouldn't be in, etc., etc, etc. Syracuse will cry to anyone who will listen that they should be in. Listen to any interview with their coach, and he sounds like a sports information dude on a three-day Red Bull trip. He can quote strength of schedule, who won where, why his team should be in, and why his team is better than some teams that actually got in. But, press him on one key issue, and he goes into Fred Astaire mode. `Ask him about his big non-conference road game, and I swear to you, he'll bring up Canisius. I'll pause here to let everyone's jaw return to its original upright position. He uses Canisius as his big road game, even though it was played in Buffalo. OK, road games in college aren't like road games in high school, Coach. Then, keep pressing him about his choice of scheduling, and he'll finally say that things "just didn't work out". Well, guess what: Syracuse didn't work out either, and they'll miss the NCAA Tournament. Bravo to the committee for their stance on that.
Two, now, I'll shame the committee for leaving out the Drexel Dragons. That's right, I'm defending Drexel. They did all they had to do. They went on the road to play tough teams. They went into Syracuse and got a win. They went into Creighton (tournament team), and got a win. They went into Villanova (tournament team), and got a win. So, they did everything asked of them by the committee, and still got left out in the cold. I guess that fourth place finish in the Colonial Athletic Conference had something to do with it. So, one can say that the little guy got hosed again. However, the committee is, for all intents and purposes, putting on a TV event. The tournament will take up some prime time slots, knocking some pretty big shows off of CBS for a few weeks. They don't want something that's not going to get ratings. Everyone says they love the underdog, but the ratings say otherwise. I'm not saying it's a fair decision, I'm saying that if the NCAA and CBS are business partners in this venture, then don't look for Cinderella on any kind of prime viewing slot.
Three, and I told everyone this one long before it ever came to pass. Clemson does not deserve a spot in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT-Not Invited Tournament). Yes, they were 17-0 at one point, but when the schedule includes mostly teams from the Southern Conference, then that's really nothing to be bragging about. Clemson does not committ to basketball, period. It's why Rick Barnes left, it's why Larry Shyatt was able to stay as long as he did, and it's why they are not relavent in ACC talk when it comes to baketball season. And this is all coming from someone who went to school there. In 1990, Tate George hit an improbable shot to knock Clemson out of the tournament. That team had Elden Campbell and Dale Davis. The TIgers haven't had any team that could even come close to that team. Heck, they even lost to Elon College just last season in a game that was supposed to be a tune-up for the ACC season. I can just imagine the Elon people now: Wow, let's see, we went on the road to Littlejohn Coliseum, beat a school from a major conference, and asked for a check on the way out the door. Sounds like a winner to me. This season, Clemson had too many excuses and not enough wins when it counted. They blame a clock error for a loss at Duke. Do you really think, as a visiting team to Cameron Indoor, that you're going to get sympathy? The very next game, they forget to score in the last six and a half minutes of the game to lose to Virginia. Feel free to put the ball in the bucket any time, boys. After that, they just mail it in. Want more proof? OK, try this: Why would a senior point guard, in his conference tournament, knowing that his team has to have that game to even be considered for an NCAA bid, committ a backcourt violation in the closing seconds? Don't give me the argument that the refs blew the call. I saw the play, and no, there wasn't a foul.....it was an all ball block. But, the bottom line is this: Clemson should have never let Florida State be that close to begin with. Clemson basketball will always be synonymous with mediocrity, and sometimes, even that is giving them too much credit.
Bottom line for everyone complaining how they didn't get in the tournament: Win some more games. Toughen your schedule. Playing the Nevada Culinary Institute will no longer count as a good win. And, while we're on the subject, consider this for all the teams that are going to the NIT: Since the NCAA now owns the NIT, did anyone really think they were going to fill it with teams that had no real compelling stroyline? Again, business decisions trump everything else, and the NCAA is protecting its investment.
Baseball is right around the corner, and for the life of me, I'm still trying to figure out why the Braves still have Mike Hampton. I'm also trying to figure out how A-Rod is still with the Yankees. Nobody comes out in the press in New York, rips Derek Jeter, and keeps their spot in the Yankee lineup. Jeter brought championships to the Yanks, A-Rod has brought nothing but problems. I've actually met the guy before, for about thirty seconds in the Rangers locker room. Remember that saying about first impressions? It's all true. He's a bonafide, certified, stuck-on-himself jerk. I'm also trying to figure out why San Francisco re-signed Barry Bonds. I know it's all about the home run chase, but even if he breaks the record, does anyone really think he'll be recognized as the true home run king?
Well, that's about it for now. I'll do a better job of posting since I now have more time. Hopefully, we'll have a website for the weekend show coming this summer. With all this talk about basketball and baseball, just remember this: Spring practice is right around the corner, then it will be on to the 7-on-7 season. After a short break, it will be time for 2-a-days once again. Gotta love the sports calendar, don't you? Till next time................

Patrick

I can let it die, with dignity

2006-09-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, an event happened that practically flew right under the radar, what with all the action in college football. The Atlanta Braves were officially eliminated from post-season contention. I never wanted to admit it. I hung on as long as I could without letting the thought enter my mind. And, as a fan of the team, why would I? Don't get me wrong....this wasn't like the teams of the mid to late 80's, where you knew going into the season that they weren't going to win. Back then, it was kind of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You knew you weren't supposed to watch, but you just couldn't help but watch to see how they would lose the next game. People who claim to be Braves fans today more than likely jumped on the wagon during the run started in 1991. They don't really remember the "lean years", because they weren't fans then. You ask them about Joe Torre, and they'll swear that he never managed the team. Some don't even know who Dale Murphy is. At the end of the day, it's their loss. It's one thing to read up on the history of a team. It's another thing to live through some of the sorriest years in a franchise's history, then realize the dream as your team defeats, oh, say the Cleveland Indians in six games to win the World Series. So, if we look back to the 1991 season, we find that there is only a couple of people left from that club currently on the team: John Smoltz, Bobby Cox, and Pat Corrales. Most of the people on that team aren't even in baseball anymore. And while the members of the World Series winning team will always be remembered for their victory in 1995, to me, the 1991 team is just a bit more special, because they were the ones that shed years of losing and did what nobody thought could be done. I only hope that the Braves can find a way to sign Tom Glavine in free agency (if the Mets let him go), so he can win his 300th game in a Braves uniform.

Did anyone else see the sorriness that is the Miami Dolphins over the weekend? They squeaked by the Tennessee Titans and Kerry "The Quitter" Collins by a final score of 13-10. Once again, Daunte Culpepper is at the heart of my dismay here. Come on....if you can't light it up against the Titans, who can you light it up against? Now, we all knew they wouldn't get Matt Leinart or Vince Young. But, with Kellen Clemens, Charlie Whitehurst, Bruce Gradkowski, Brodie Croyle, and Stefan LeFors available in last year's draft, one might think the Dolphins could draft and groom a future QB. Well, so much for wishful thinking. Here's hoping that the Dolphins realize that Culpepper is not the answer, and at least give Joey Harrington a try. Heck, they're playing the Texans this weekend. It couldn't hurt.

To college football, where the number one team, Ohio State, had a time with Penn State before pulling away in the second half. Right now, the Buckeyes are on everyone's short list of teams that will be competing for the national title. But, with Iowa and Michigan still on OSU's schedule, can they make it to the BCS title game? I still like West Virginia, though I feel like they should have blown East Carolina off the field last Saturday. With the way this season is shaping up, it feels like the BCS title game will have at least one team with a loss on their record. West Virginia has the easiest schedule, save for Louisville at the end of the season. My prediction on 25 Sep is this: WVU will take on Michigan in the BCS title game. I included the date there, because I reserve the right to change my prediction at any time.

I know its not a lot, and I apologize. Next time, I'll try to do better. Hope everyone is well. Take care.

Till next time.....

Patrick

A few notes about football, so far.....and other stuff

2006-09-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

How's everyone doing? Well, I have to say, if the Dolphins would play just a little better, I'd be feeling great. I mean, what is the deal with Daunte Culpepper? I'll tell you what it is.......HE STINKS! It just goes to show that Randy Moss made him as a quarterback. When you lose to a team whose quarterback throws for a whopping 86 yards and only one touchdown, you stink as a quarterback, period, end of story. The Dolphins have never had a real quarterback since Dan Marino. Look at it: Jay Fiedler, Sage Rosenfels, Gus Ferotte, and some other assorted bums have combined to make the entire city of Miami pine for the days of Marino, Duper, Clayton, Jackson, Cefalo, Rose, and Fryar. Most of the guys on that Miami team deserve better than Culpepper. Is Joey Harrington the answer? I really don't know. But, I do know that the Dolphins need a quarterback in the most desperate of ways. They got Culpepper because he's a local product (UCF, Vanguard High, Ocala). They could have had Drew Brees. Looks like the Saints got the better of that whole deal. I hear Oakland needs a quarterback. Maybe they'd take Culpepper off the Dolphins' hands, and reunite him with Moss. Davis loves that vertical passing game anyway.

Speaking of Miami, the Larry Coker watch is officially on. The Miami Hurricanes got blasted by Louisville this past Saturday. Had you made that statement eight to ten years ago, someone would have had you committed. But, it now seems that the wheels are officially off the Cane bandwagon, and they are returning to their thug-like ways. I mean, how classless is it that you feel the need to dance on the home team's mid-field logo? This team acts like the Miami team that set a Cotton Bowl record for penalties against Texas in the early nineties. They have no offense, their defense has more holes than a practice jersey, and all the firings they did on the coaching staff don't appear to be the answer. What will be the answer is that Cooker will be looking for a job when all this is done. Will Miami bring back Butch Davis? Who knows, especially after he said he never wanted to leave Miami, then took off for Cleveland. Miami doesn't have the appeal they once had. Their aura is now tainted, and it'll soon be time to clean house. We'll see who will be the (un)lucky guy to re-build the once-proud Hurricane program.

Staying in college football, that thud you heard late Saturday evening was Notre Dame's national title hopes being thrown out the door. But, if we leave it to Beano Cook, Notre Dame will be crowned the champion, Brady Quinn will win the Heisman (see:Powlus, Ron), and we can just stop the season right now. Trust me, folks, Notre Dame is nothing special. Like Miami, they've lost their aura. Plus, I can't respect a team who schedules some difficult games (USC, Michigan), but sandwiches them with patsies like Purdue and Navy. You want to impress me, ND? Play a full Big Ten schedule. You'd get smoked by Ohio State, Michigan (already happened), Iowa, Penn State and Michigan State (soon to happen). You don't want that? Play a full Big East schedule. West Virginia would blow you off the field. Louisville would run you ragged. These are the reasons that ND doesn't play in a conference. They'd get blitzed in regular conference play. If I were in charge at the NCAA, ND would be out of the BCS picture until they joined a conference. How fair is it to some team that might be more deserving for ND to have an almost automatic bid to the BCS payout? As if they really need the extra cash, right?

Still in college football, the PAC-10 officiating crew from the game in Oregon should have their credentials revoked. They blew two big calls that were even reviewed, leading to an Oregon win. I'm not a Sooner fan, and I'm almost glad they lost, but they lost a game that the officials completely blew. This is why we instituted replay.....to get calls right. Not to be blatantly blown by an inept crew.

College football, once again. To Jordan-Hare Stadium, where a great game ended on a head scratching play. To the LSU quarterback, here's a thought. If you're down four, with only two seconds left on the clock, how about throwing the ball into the end zone? Auburn wins a thriller, 7-3 over LSU.

To Tallahassee, where Bowden Bowl was decided on a play where the Florida State defense got caught, literally, with their pants down. While their front seven was trying to decide what scheme to line up in, Clemson snapped the ball, and ran James Davis all the way to the two. Clemson scored a TD two plays later, sealing the win. And, while I'm on this game, hey Clemson.....feel free to block for Jad Dean, your kicker.

Back to the NFL, here are some early surprises:

1. Chicago can actually keep Rex Grossman injury-free.
2. Minnesota hasn't gotten in trouble.
3. San Francisco looks like a decent team again.

Some same old-same olds from the NFL:

1. Oakland stinks!
2. Culpepper is a joke.
3. The rich get richer (Seattle acquiring Deion Branch).

I'll have more for everyone soon. Take care.

Patrick

Things that drive me completely insane.......

2006-08-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

OK, I've been watching the world of sports recently, and I just want to scream. I hate the coddling, the sucking up, the whole bend-over-backwards attitude of some organizations and networks, and it really makes me sick. I mean, I do some radio coverage, and I try to maintain a professional attitude as much as possible (well, there was that little thing during the WTAMU game. If you see me one day, just ask). But, I'd like to think I don't call a player a "great" player, when he's really not fit to clean up the hot dog wrappers in the bleachers after the game. With that in mind, let's move on to what's really driving this article.

The British Open was completed recently, and instead of being on TNT and ABC, it might as well have been on K-TIGER Radio, or something to that equivalent. I mean, if I had to hear the phrase "an emotional Tiger Woods" one more time, I was seriously going to throw something through my TV or XM receiver. I mean, I'm sorry he lost his father. Yes, that is sad. But, at the end of the day, it's also a part of life. It's something we'll all have to go through, unfortunately. The guy that finished second, Chris DiMarco, had also lost a parent, and how much love from the networks did he get? None, compared to the syrup-laden comments Woods received. For a week, I had to endure seeing Woods' crying face all over my magazine covers, my favorite websites, my newspaper, etc. Come on , people, LET IT GO! The kowtowing the media gave Woods during this time is shameful, at best.

Another thing that is driving me nuts is pro football. Now, don't get me wrong.....I'm ready for the game to start. But, the draft took place in April, and some of these players haven't been signed yet? What are you waiting for....an invitation? I mean, these pro teams go through all of the mini camps during the summer, and you couldn't get something done during that time? Here's a tip, NFL front offices.......GET SOMETHING DONE!!! If they want to play bad enough, you'll get them in camp with a signed deal. REggie Bush basically held the New ORleans Saints hostage for a few days, because he wanted #1 money. Hey Reggie, you weren't the #1 pick, so you don't deserve #1 money. And who knows, maybe Bush needed the #1 money to pay for his parents' house in San Diego. Oh come on....like none of you were thinking the same thing. Speaking of athletes on the take, read on.

In Norman, OK, the Sooner football season has been torpedoed by player greed and booster exuberance. Never mind the fact that Clemson is undefeated against OU, and that the Tigers are the team that sent Barry Switzer into that good night. But I get off-track. Back to the real story. QB Rhett Bomar and OL J.D. Quinn were kicked off the Oklahoma football team for taking illegal cash payments from an Oklahoma City car dealership. This was "compensation" for these players having a "job" at said dealership. Well, OU coach Bob Stoops reacted quickly, and dismissed both players from the team. Once again, it's a case of players who have always had their hands out during their careers meeting up with boosters who want to be "part of the team", or who are "friends of the program". Don't get me wrong. I've always said "You show me a program that follows every NCAA rule to the letter, I'll show you a program that's never won a game". But, at the end of the day, discretion should also be the better part of valor. Hey guys, I hope the money was worth it. Maybe you can use it to buy yourself a ticket to the Red River Shootout this season. That will be the only way you get to that game. And, guess what, more athletes on the take. Read on.

Maurice Clarett........do I really need to go on here? He's a regular for the Sports Hall of Shame. He's quickly becoming the player who gets enshrined in the section that houses former Nebraska RB Lawrence Phillips. Clarett, while awaiting trial on charges of brandishing a weapon and theft of a cell phone, led police on a chase last night before being dragged from his vehicle, maced, and led away in handcuffs. It's worth noting that the police Taser had no effect on Clarett, sine he was wearing a bulletproof vest. It should also be noted that, again, while out on bail, and awaiting trial, he was found with LOADED WEAPONS in his possession. I think I said it a long time ago when he filed that phony police report while he was still at Ohio State. Cut your ties with him and move on. Ohio State finally did it, and they are better for it. The Broncos finally did it, and they are better for it. And, if I'm not mistaken, this should be his third strike. Shouldn't he be called out by this time?

And, while I'm not a fan of their team, I will come to their defense. To all the people that call the New York Yankees cheaters for acquiring Bobby Abreu and others at the trade deadline, stop the whining. What are the Yankees doing that is not within the framework of the rules? Do they have a huge advantage as far as revenue streams go? Let's see: They are in the nation's number one media market, they have their own network, and their logo is recognized worldwide. OK, I see the advantages there. So, why do people cry when the Yankees go out and try to improve their team? Did they overspend for Abreu? Probably, especially since he'll be paid 15 million for next season. But, they did nothing illegal. If they want their payroll to go over the 175-200 million dollar mark, well, that's their problem. They are the ones cutting the check, at the end of the day. Besides, looking at the Yankee roster, it's a collection of guys that have seen their better days pass them by, so age will catch up them before its over. Are they buyin the championship? That remains to be seen. The last time someone tried to do that, it didn't work out so well (See also: Lakers, Los Angeles). I'm a Braves fan, and I still long for the days of Ted Turner, when he would go get whatever the team needed. I wish they would have traded Chipper Jones while he still had huge value. I'd rather see them trade a player one year too early than one year too late. Hopefully, they can flip Andruw Jones in the off-season, and get some young talent in return.

Well, that's about it for today. I feel much better, having gotten that off my chest. College football season is right aound the corner, so we can debate all of that in this forum as the season draws closer. I really like West Virginia this season. I don't think Ohio State will survive the heat of Austin in the second week of September. Never mind that Texas doesn't have Vince Young anymore. Mother Nature can be a heck of a teammate. Penn State lost a lot of people, so we'll see what they have. Miami looks like they are returning to their penitentiary ways. Florida State is an enigma. Florida won't make it past their tough SEC schedule. Neither will Tennessee or South Carolina. And, while I'm on that, who really gives the Gamecocks a shot at the title, even though they have Spurrier? Maybe in the late 90's, but I really thing the game passed Spurrier by during his stint in the NFL. USC is another question mark. Sift through all that, and you're really left with West Virginia with returning starters and riding a momentum high. There hasn't been this much hype in Morgantown since the days of Major Harris and Don Nehlen.

Till next time............

Patrick

Is it any wonder.......

2006-07-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone.

Is it any wonder that the NY Knicks are in the shape that they are in? OK, if you haven't heard this one before, I beg you to stop reading for a few minutes, take a few deep breaths, sit down, and maybe have a glass of water handy. OK, now that you've done all that, go ahead and read on. By now, everyone knows about the whole Larry Brown issue. He was hired away from the Pistons to coach a team that needs to be completely torn down more than it needs a title-winning coach. But, unfortunately for Knicks fans, their management doesn't recognize that. The Knicks think they have a team that can compete and win now, and that's just plain unrealistic. Let's take a look at the Knicks, shall we? They have two guys who are notorious "me first" players in Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis. They have Jamal Crawford and Eddy Curry, whom the Bulls are STILL laughing about unloading them on the Knicks. Jalen Rose.....career malcontent. Quentin Richardson......yet another guard, so where do you play him? I like Channing Frye, but I don't think a young center can get a fair shake in NY, due to the comparisons to Patrick Ewing. These items are not news. Everyone knows that the Knicks are not wisely put together. But, when you have some of these players going to the media and complaining about Brown's coaching style....come on! What have these guys done to earn the right to complain about a coach that has championships at both the college and pro levels. Here are the quotes from some of the NY players in a recent summer league game. From guard Nate Robinson "Coach Brown is so old-school. He wants things done just like this...not getting the crowd involved. isiah just wants to have fun. Coach Brown was trying to take my joy away. At the same time, I have people in my corner saying not to change." From forward David Lee "Torward the end of the season, it was so up and down, I just told myself to get on the floor and make the most of my opportunity, because I didn't really understand what was going on." OK, let me just say this" Number one, if you are a five foot nine inch player, and you have a job in the NBA, keep your trap shut, Nate Robinson! And, what is this about taking away your joy? Yeah, I'm quite sure your joy was taken away every two weeks when you backed up to that pay window, and robbed the Knicks of good money. You'd better be glad I'm not the GM in NY right now. Talk about taking away your joy....I'd take away your job, unless, of course, you wanted to sell hot dogs in the upper levels of Madison Square Garden. What is going on in sports right now that the players run the show, and not the coach? I don't get that. I appreciate a good pro game, in any sport, but situations like this are why I like the college game more. "He took away my joy...." GIVE ME A BREAK! What's next, are we going to have a suport group for NBA players from Portland, New York, Toronto and Orlando? I can see it now. Some therapist somewhere is dreaming this up right now. What? You play on a team that has NO chance to win in the NBA? It's OK. You just ignore your coach. Just play your game. Don't follow the "team" concept. There's a league for guys like that. It's called the And 1 Streetball Tour!

If anyone is a true NASCAR fan out there, you'll understand what I'm about to say. I was watching NASCAR when guys like Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, and other tough SOB's were driving. That was back when it was not a sport for sugarplums. I used to joke, although it wasn't that much of a joke as it was a reality, that, in order to pass from grade to grade in school back in South Carolina, we had to be able to identify what driver drove what car, who his sponsor was, and what make of car he drove. But, as it is with all things, change occurs. NASCAR went corporate, got away from its package with Bob Jenkins and ESPN, and went mainstream. Guys like Jeff Gordon walked right into multi-million dollar set-ups, rather than earning their stripes by driving sub-par cars for a few years to gain experience. And I bring up Gordon for last Sunday's example. Did he have the faster car at the end of the race? Sure, he did. He closed a huge gap on then-leader Matt Kenseth. When it seemed like Gordon would make a clean pass, what does he do? He intentionally spins Kenseth out exiting Turn 2 in Chicago, goes on to win the race, and NASCAR does nothing to its Golden Boy. If anyone else had done that to Gordon, they'd be either fined, suspended, or placed on probation. Kenseth and Gordon actually had a dust-up at Bristol earlier this season, and Kenseth went over to Gordon to apologize after the race. What does Gordon do? He takes a shot at Kenseth! Now, it should be noted here that Gordon took the shot while still wearing his helmet. Hey Jeff, you're such a tough guy, take that helmet off, and then take that shot. See what happens to that pretty-boy face of yours! As you can probably tell, I'm not a fan of Gordon's. Now, after Sunday, I'm much less of a NASCAR fan than I used to be. I'll still watch some of the races from time to time, but it seems now that NASCAR has its own agenda, and they intend on pushing it down our throats. I had a debate a few years ago with a friend that has stopped watching NASCAR. He said then that it was all becoming fixed, and that the fans don't know the difference. I'm now beginning to believe that friend of mine.

The All-Star Game is upon us, and I couldn't care less. That's pretty sad, coming from a baseball fan. But, when the fan vote takes center stage, it's time to devalue the game. I strongly disagree with the fan vote, because all it turns into is a popularity contest. Worthy guys are left off the roster (Liriano, MIN). I know he got added, but that was a last-minute thing. The home field advantage issue is a ploy thought up by Bud Selig to take the heat off of him for declaring the All-Star Game a tie when it was in his house in Milwaukee. Can't we just skip the All-Star Game, and keep the regular season games going? Again, that's a sad statement. Nothing will top the All-Star Game where they brought Ted Williams out in Fenway, and all the players surrounded him when he got to the mound. Butr, since then, the game has become a shell of its former self. I'm just waiting for Thursday, where real games begin again.

Football is right around the corner. Before long, we'll all hear the familiar sound of shoulder pads hitting each other, as they go through two-a-day practices. I'm really liking the early season schedule in college football, too. Ohio State at Texas will be a classic match-up. More games in the early season are starting to mean something. We're not getting something like Southern Cal versus Northwest South Dakota Tech. College football looks to be wide open, too, as both USC and Texas have lost their mega-stars, but they re-loaded in recruiting. How will they perform under pressure? Give it about a month or so, and we'll all find out.

Till next time.......

Patrick

NO KILLER INSTINCT, A Royal Mess, A New NL East

2006-06-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Good to be back again. OK, I'm going to say this to start this posting: I am pulling for the Mavs to win the NBA title. I am a Mavs fan. There.....I said it. But, when you have an opponent down 13 with six minutes and change to go in the game, you'd better damn well close the deal out, period! Michael Jordan's teams would have NEVER let something like that happen to them. Look at the NBA champions from 1991 up to now. The Bulls had Jordan, who was as money as they come in the Finals. The Rockets had Robert Horry, and to a lesser extent, Mario Elie. The Bulls, part 2, had....well..Jordan. Then, he Laker dynasty had Shaq, and as much as I hate to say it, Kobe. Remember the monumental meltdown of the Trailblazers against the Lakers during that era? The Spurs had Duncan and Robinson. The Pistons had Ben Wallace and Chauncey "Ice Water" Billups (good move trading him, Pitino). All of these guys had killer instincts. They had what it took to take the heart out of an opponent when it was time to drop the hammer. Dallas did not display that the other night, and as a result, now find themselves tied at two games apiece in the Finals. Plus, going into Game 5, I'm going to guess that Jerry Stackhouse will be suspended for the flagrant foul he delivered to O'Neal in Game 4. Bottom line is this: Mavs didn't close out Miami when they should have the other night, and if it costs them the series, they're going to be remembered along with the Cubs (Bartman game) and the Red Sox (Little leaving Pedro in one batter too many) as teams that got to the final turn, but couldn't cross the finish line. Game 5 is Sunday night in Miami.

So, the Kansas City Royals finally fired GM Allard Baird. Well, what took them so long? The Royals are owned by David Glass, formerly of the Wal-Mart empire. What he's done to the Royals is nothing short of pathetic. In his six year tenure, they have averaged 97 losses per season, and have had three seasons of over 100 losses. This is just sad for a franchise that is in such a loyal fan based town such as Kansas City. Glass's philosophy has been the Wal-Mart way: Cheap, inexpensive, and customer friendly. From what I hear, seats in Kansas City cost 7 bucks to get in the door. Try that just about anywhere else in baseball. But, there may be hope on the horizon, as they have hired Dayton Moore away from Atlanta to be the new GM. Moore's first act was to hire Dean Taylor away from Cincinnati to be the assistant GM. Taylor also spent time in Atlanta. Now, why do I include the references to Atlanta here? In 1990, former KC GM John Schuerholz was hired to rebuild the struggling Braves. In 1991......well, REAL Braves fans know what happened in 1991, and from that time since. Maybe it's time for Atlanta to repay that favor. By hiring guys who worked for an MLB Executive of the Year, KC is showing a little business sense here. My ultimate wish is that the team get bought by a group of investors, led by George Brett. Second, make more of a reference to two late Royals in Dick Howser and Dan Quisenberry. Those two are permanently etched into Royals lore, and there should be more of a reference to them. Let's see what KC can do now with new management in place. I'm sure trading Reggie Sanders will be on the list, as well as figuring out a way to get someone to take Matt Stairs off their hands. I'm staying on the Royal bandwagon, because they'll be back one day, and I want to be able to say I was there.
While I pull for the Royals, my all-time team is the Atlanta Braves. Fourteen straight division crowns, five league championships and a World Series title since 1991 is nothing to sneeze at. But, over time, the economics of baseball have turned to where the bigger media markets are taking over. Well, that's no shock. In 1996, when Ted Turner sold the Braves to Time-Warner, I knew that someday, the run would end. Under Turner, if the team needed a player, they went and got him, no questions asked, no matter what the cost. Now, under Time-Warner, it is run in a business-type fashion, where the bottom line is still the bottom line. They have cut up to 20 million off their payroll, watched Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Gary Sheffield, J.D. Drew, Russ Ortiz, Javy Lopez, and Rafael Furcal leave via free agency, and yet, they still have continued to win their division. Until this season. While I'm not throwing in the towel on the season due to the wild card, the Braves just can't get it going this season, and the NY Mets are absolutely running away and hiding with the NL East. It's an odd place for the Braves to be, too. They've never had to deal with as many problems as they are dealing with their pitching staff, and that's the whole reason behind the skid this year. The lineup is still pretty sound, but when you have a pitcher in the rotation that was cut from Tampa Bay (Jorge Sosa), that should tell you something. They're investing too much on John Thompson, Mike Hampton is out for the year, Kyle Davies just underwent surgery for a torn groin, and Horacio Ramirez is still being bothered by dizzy spells after taking a Lance Berkman line drive off his head. With all the starters banged up, you can probably guess the bullpen is in sad shape. Reitsma is likely headed to the DL, they've just about overused everyone else, and the Richmond pipeline is getting dry. I will never jump off this wagon. I just wish that I could have a more competitive team with which to remember my 25th season of being a Braves fan with. Go Braves! Win the Wild Card!!!

To the NFL, we close with the NFC West.
San Francisco- Is there anything more sad than this team? They signed Larry Allen away from Dallas, and for what? Are they going to compete in a bench press contest? Allen's best days are way behind him, and the Cowboys should have traded him long ago, when he still had value. I do like Coach Nolan's style of leadership there. A much more disciplined style than Dennis Erickson. Alex Smith is still a year away. By that time, given the right circumstances, the Niners might be able to rise to respectability, but I wouldn't go stand in line for 49ers playoff tickets any time soon.
Arizona- Love what they did in getting Matt Leinart and Edgerrin James. Add them to the reciever combo of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, and you have an offense that can keep them in games. Here's hoping the defense can keep them in games as well. I predict that Leinart will be the starter before the season ends. This is due to the fact that Kurt Warner cannot play in a five step drop system. Warner is an Arena football QB, plain and simple. I know you're going to bring up his time in St. Louis, and to those that do, I say this: Look at that system back then. QB takes the snap, drops three steps, gets rid of the ball. It was all based on timing. Put him in a new system, (NY Giants, Arizona), and he's inept. Leinart is the future, and he's got a heck of a core around him to help his transition.
St. Louis- With the injuries to Marc Bulger and Marshall Faulk, many people are looking for the Rams to throw in the towel. RB Stephen Jackson might be ready to step up and carry the team like Faulk did years ago. But, with a new coacn comes a new system, and that sometimes spells trouble. Isaac Bruce is no spring chicken anymore, neither is Torry Holt. They lost SS Adam Archuleta to free agency, and that was a big blow. St. Louis might be able to compete for a wild card spot, but I see Arizona beating out the Rams for that.
Seattle- Filled the biggest need by re-signing RB Shaun Alexander. Lost OL Steve Hutchinson to a strange contract in Minnesota, but got WR Nate Burleson from Minnesota in free agency. This is a team that has tasted Super Bowl defeat, although, that kind of depends on what side of the country you are. Most of Seattle's key components are still in place. This team will win the NFC West, and just might be the number one seed in the NFC again this season. They are a strong team that will go deep in the playoffs again.

Well, that about covers it. Interleague play starts again this weekend. Add to that the U.S. Open, the World Cup, the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the NBA Finals, and it's a great time to be a sports fan. And, before we all know it, two-a-days will be starting. GOtta love the sports calendar. Always something going on.

Till next time..............

Patrick

Idiots, Mavericks, and the rest of sports

2006-05-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

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

I have signed with a new team.......

2006-05-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

Remember in my previous posts about me declaring myself an NFL team free agent? What with Dallas signing the "human cancerous tumor" in Terrell Owens, and Miami trading for "he of the shredded knee" Daunte Culpepper, I was at the end of my rope. The Dallas thing had been sometime in the making, and I still love the play of Roy Williams. But, when Dat Nguyen, who was my favorite player on the team, retired, I knew my days with them were numbered. I'll still keep my interest in them, which is a lot more than I could have said in the early 90's, but it's just not the same now in Dallas for me. South FLorida, as well, holds nothing but bad things right now, as a team I'll still have a soft spot for has now announced they will be inviting Marcus Vick to training camp. OK, follow me on this one. You have a player who was suspended to start his first year of college because of the infamous "team policy" voilation. Second, he misses an entire season due to the fact he was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor....well, you know the rest of THAT sordid affair. Third, he stomps the leg of a fallen player in the Gator Bowl, other team, of course. Then, while serving that suspension, he gets in trouble again, resulting in his dismissal from Virginia Tech. Now, he could have gone to Division 1-AA to play his final year, improve his draft stock, rehab his image, etc. But, no! He sees the lifestyle his brother enjoys, and he declares himself eligible for the NFL Draft. OK, big shock that he doesn't get taken. Miami is now reaching out to him by inviting him to camp, which tells me that the proposed Joey Harrington trade may be more complicated than it seems. So, in light of all that, I am now here to say that my team for the 2006-2007 NFL season will be..................

To be continued

If you're Charlie Casserly, how much do you just want to crawl into a hole if Reggie Bush goes on to be the next brightest star of the NFL? Instead of taking Bush with the number one pick, the Texans took DE Mario Williams from NC State. Now, I kind of understand the selection. Houston is deep at RB, with Dominick Davis and Vernand Morency. Also, Houston plays in a division where they have to face Peyton Manning twice a year. So, with those two in mind, I understand. But, when you have a chance to get a player like Bush, you take it...period. New Orleans jumped all over Bush at two, but they have Deuce McAlister at RB. He's coming off a torn ACL, so maybe its a safe bet to get a RB there. But, while I'm talking about all of this, would someone please remind me.......What happened to the last Heisman Trophy winning running back that went to New Orleans? That's right....he's out of the league now because he couldn't stay off the nickel bags. Let's hope Bush's fate is better, and that New Orleans doesn't heap the entire load on Bush's young shoulders too early.

We look at the NFC North now, and that's kind of a sad division. Let's begin.

Green Bay- OK, so Favre is coming back, and they've traded Javon Walker. They get A.J. Hawk in the draft, and improve at the wideout slot. Are these the answers? in a word....no. Favre should just ride off into the sunset. He has absolutely nothing to prove. The Arron Rodgers era should be this season, so this team can take their lumps, and improve over time. I like the pick of Abdul Hodge in the third round. He'll help to replace Na'il Diggs, who went to Carolina via free agency. Bottom line, the Pack might win six next year. Anything more than that will be a pleasant surprise for a new head coach in Mike McCarthy.
Chicago- Did what they had to do, and that's get help at the defensive back position. They got a great one in Danieal Manning from Abilene Christian. I've seen the guy play many times, and he's going to represent the Lone Star Conference well. Chicago also got Ricky Manning from the Panthers in free agency. For a team that got scorched in the play-offs by the pass, they went a long way in shoring that position up. Devin hester might have been a reach at #57 overall, but he can absolutely fly, which is what the Bears return game needs. DT Dusty Dvoracek might help, lining up alongside former teammate Tommie Harris, but remember, this is a guy that was suspended for almost beating a kid to death at Oklahoma following a night of drinking. Let's monitor him, shall we?
Detroit- Well, Ernie Sims will help at the OLB spot, but this team is still a ship without a rudder. It's run like a fantasy team, and their team president seems to be coated in teflon, since nothing sticks to him. I wonder if people up in Detroit aren't pining away for the days of Wayne Fontes now? This team stinks, plain and simple.
Minnesota- For a team whose biggest story from last season was the "Love Boat" cruise on Lake Minnetonka last year, there's nowhere to go but up. New coach Brad Childress looks a little like he fell off of the set of a Nick At Nite re-run, but that's another story for another day. But, they're putting their money on Brad Johnson at the QB spot, a guy whose best days are behind him. I love the pick of OLB Chad Greenway, and getting CB Cedric Griffin will certainly help this club. But, at the end of the day, Minnesota will stink, and this division will be won by Chicago.....almost by default. I guess its good to be Lovie Smith these days.

OK, two more divisions to go, and we'll cover those in later postings. Some teams did well over the weekend, and some teams acted like they were new to the whole process of drafting. Arizona, San Francisco, NY Jets, and Cleveland did very well in the draft, while Detroit and Buffalo really caused a lot of head scratching. Mini camps are coming up soon, so we'll see how these new picks will work out once they step up to the penultimate level of football.

Now, getting back to my new team to follow for the 2006-2007 NFL season, it can be summed up in very few letters.

J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!

I love what they did in the draft, with D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold for the O-line. I love what I've seen of Kellen Clemens, out of Oregon. Let me tell you something about this guy. He breaks his ankle in a game last season, and rather than go to the locker room, he insists on going back out on the field on a cart, so he can call signals to the backup quarterback. The guy is in pain, and all he's thinking of is helping his team. Gutsy!!! Schlegel out of Ohio State will complement Jonathan Vilma at the LB position. The X factor could be Brad Smith out of Missouri. He played QB at Mizzou, but NY took him as a WR. Didn't everyone laugh at Pittsburgh for taking a guy that played QB in college and making him a WR in the NFL? How did that work out? Watch Super Bowl XL. There's your answer. So, with all that in mind, I'm jumping on the Jets bandwagon. In a division with New England, they'll have to compete for a wild card spot. But, with Miami and Buffalo in their division, and playing a last-place schedule, they'll be a much better team this season.

That's all for now. Talk to all of you soon.

Patrick

Mea culpa, mea culpa

2006-04-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

OK, I apologize for not keeping up lately, but it just hasn't been that good of a sports time. Oh, I'm sure people will say that it's playoff time, etc, etc. Come on now....let's all be honest: Who's really keeping up with the last couple of weeks of the seasons, especially if you're a Knicks fan. Oh, ok, if you're a Knicks fan, you stopped caring at Thanksgiving, and you can't even look forward to a good lottery pick. You traded it away to the Bulls. But anyway, garbage time in professional sports can really be a bore. So, with that in mind, let's get to ripping those in sports who need it most.

Kieth Hernandez, please pick up the nearest white courtesy phone. Of course, you'd just call it a phone. For those that don't know, Hernandez publically ripped, on the air, I might add, a massage therapist for the San Diego Padres for being in the dugout during a game, and congratulating Mike Piazza for hitting a home run. I should add the therapist is a woman. Hernandez said the woman had no place in the dugout. Wake up, Kieth. Look at all the women involved in professional sports now. I dare say that ESPN's Suzy Kolber could more than hold her own in an NFL discussion with a room full of guys. She'd probably embarrass more than a few of them. That's just the way things are now. Hernandez is a caveman from a bygone era of professional sports. I will say this, though. If a guy doing a WNBA telecast popped off about women, he'd be out of a job before the broadcast was over. Hernandez was a pro baseball player, so he'll probably get a hall pass. Where's the equality?

The NBA playoffs have gotten underway, and I'll probably be eligible to draw my retirement before the first round is over. The first round of the NBA playoffs is akin to getting a root canal without any kind of pain medication. It used to be a five game series, and it was more exciting then (See also: Denver upsetting Seattle, 1994). Now, with TV dictating the pace of the playoffs, baseball will be talking about who's starting in the All-Star game before we get to their conference finals.
And, staying with the NBA, is there any franchise more pathetic (ok, don't count the Knicks) than the Portland Trailblazers? Here's a hint for the NBA: When one of America's richest men can't make the thing work, it's not happening. Again, sports is a constantly evolving being (see:Hernandez, Keith, above), and where a team once made it work might not be feasible today. Portland is for sale, but with their reputation of recent years, who knows what they'll be able to get for an owner? They should either move the team to another city.......wait a minute, nobody wants them. OK, blow the whole thing up, and let that be the end of it in Portland.

In baseball, and I must send out apologies to my friend Emil right here, if the Texas Rangers don't get a closer who is a true "fireman", and not a guy who comes out there with a gas can, The Ballpark will be a lonely place for the Rangers come Spetember. Rangers closer Francisco Cordero, the last holdover from the Juan Gonzalez trade, blew another save against Tampa Bay (yes, that's right, I did say Tampa Bay) Saturday night by giving up a three-run homer to right. Forget the fact that the Rangers won it in the bottom of the ninth, Cordero isn't fooling anyone. He has one pitch, and it's coming straight down Randol Mill Road. Time it right, and it's going to go a long way in the other direction. Before the trade deadline, Rangers GM Jon Daniels had better beat the bushes for someone who can actually close games. I hear Billy Koch is looking for work. Heck, while you're at it, audition John Wetteland, Jeff Russell, and Jeff Zimmerman. Any one of those guys can do a better job than Cordero is doing now.

To the NFC East now, and this will be fun, since Big D is in this division. We'll start with them.

Dallas-They signed T.O., and then went on to sign a couple of offensive linemen, and a kicker. FOr the first time I can remember, they won't have to scour the waiver wire for a kicker on the day before the season. Owens will end up destroying Valley Ranch, if not Texas Stadium as well. I've seen the spot where the new Cowboys stadium is going. Maybe this is all by design. If the Cowboys don't get it done this season, they're done! Parcells won't be staying around to catch the latest edition of the T.O. circus, and I don't blame him. But, come Saturday, I'd love to see Dallas pick up Winston Moss, offensive lineman out of USC. If he's not available, hopefully saftey Michael Huff out of Texas will be there.
New York-Media circus heaven. Eli Manning seems to enjoy it there. They just picked up the highest priced, least productive linebacker in LaVar Arrington. When the Redskins bench you, that's saying something. But, not just anyone can play for the Giants. It takes someone with some mental toughness. That's why I look for someone from a high profile program to get drafted there. If they take, say, someone from Idaho, he'll either crumble under the microscope, or gewt swept up in the New York scene. Seriously, New York needs just to add depth at a few positions, and they'll make a solid run for the division title next season.
Washington-Normally, I'd do nothing but rip their owner here, but it's almost lost its punch. Snyder collects players like he berates team employees. But, on the flip side, he must be doing something right. His team is securely in first place in revenue generated. They got Super Bowl hero Antwan Randle-El in free agency, but he can't do it all. QB Patrick Ramsey won't be there for long, and backup Jason Campbell has never taken an NFL snap. They really need some help at corner, because I think they regret the Champ Bailey trade. This draft has some good corners, and I see Washington going after someone like Marcus Maxey out of Miami, since they have no first rounder, and they'll be looking for gems in the later rounds. They might get back to the play-offs, but it will only take a good hit on Mark Brunell to derail the whole wagon. Joe Gibbs should return the NASCAR.
Philadelphia-With the whole T.O. thing behind them, they will be looking to rebound from a year where it seemed they got five years' worth of bad luck in one season. Donovan McNabb went down with an injury, and the season quickly headed south. They lost a game on Monday night last season they had absolutely NO business losing (Dallas), and, as is the custom in Philly, got booed from their own home fans. They'll look to upgrade at WR, and Florida's Chad jackson should be available to them at 14. Where they'll get healthy is on day two, where they have three 4th round picks, and two 5th rounders. Usually, teams can get really good on day two, and Philly is primed for it. Keep McNabb healthy, and they'll return to the playoffs.

Again, apologies for the tardiness. Watch the draft this weekend. Things will really get going Thursday, right up until the whole thing kicks off. I'm stoked for this. TIll next time.....

Patrick

Patriot games & Cross another team off the list

2006-03-27T05:19:00.000-08:00

Take that, UConn! Yesterday, George Mason erased a little of the pent up hostility I have against the UConn Huskies for 1990. Let me take you back in time to the Meadowlands, Sweet Sixteen, 1990. Clemson about to go to the Elite Eight, being led by Elden Campbell and Dale Davis, They were the regular season ACC champions. But, when Tate George hit that shot (3 pointer) at the buzzer off an improbable in-bound play, I almost fainted. Mostly, what I remember after that shot is that stupid Huskie mascot running on the floor, almost knocking over some of the Clemson players. Well, yesterday, that Husky didn't have a chance to do a stupid floor dance. George Mason sent the tournament's number one seed home yesterday with an 86-84 OT victory, sending a 11 seed to the Final Four. Last time an 11 was in the Final Four, was 1986 with LSU. Speaking of LSU, guess who is also going to Indianapolis? LSU dominated Duke, spoiling CBS' dream match-up of a Duke-UConn final. UCLA, who had NO business beating Gonzaga the other night, is the third team going to Indy, while Florida completes the Final Four. I hope Florida doesn't win it, just for Joakim Noah wearing his hat the way he was yesterday. Plus.....it's FLorida. I'm an FSU fan. I can't pull for the Gators. They'd rescind my Florida citizenship.
In my last posting, I said I was a free agent looking for an NFL team to pair up with for next season. Cross off Dallas. After the signing of Terrell Owens, it pretty much made my decision easier. I mean, this is a guy who: Called his former QB gay (Jeff Garcia), criticized his other QB for not having heart in the Super Bowl (Donavan McNabb), had run-ins with coaches (insert any name fron San Francisco-Philadelphia here), and got kicked off his own NFL team when he griped about a contract that he signed! Anyway, Jerry Jones thinks he is the man that can control TO. If I'm Bill Parcells, I fax my resignation into Valley Ranch and to Jean-Jacques Taylor at the Dallas Morning News. I don't even have a conference. I'm gone. At this stage of Parcells' career, he doesn't need the hassle. Look what happened to Antonio Bryant when he tried to throw attitude towards Parcells. Now, I'm not comparing Bryant to Owens, because that's not even a fair fight. But, Parcells has two rings. His place in NFL lore is secure. With nobody on the current Cowboys roster to remind Owens of his place in the world (save for Roy Williams, who should just tackle him from behind again), TO will destroy the Cowboys. And, tops on my list of questions with this signing is this: Why would you sign a guy who disrespected the star at mid-field? At least they Cowboys got rid of Larry Allen, the guy who can lift a house, but can't run a wind sprint to save his life. I've been saying it for a long time now that they should have traded Allen while he still had some worth, but I wasn't consulted on personnel decisions by the club. Now, I know what some people are going to say: Larry Allen was an All-Pro. He did this, he did that....etc. You know what? If I'm 350-375 pounds, and can bench press over 750, I'll win whatever battle I'm in on the offensive line. That's a no-brainer. What he did was take up space for someone that could do a better job. I'm not saying he wasn't a fine player. I'm saying this move came far too late for Dallas to benefit from it. In this day and age, you can't fall in love with a player, just because he's a link to the "glory years". If that's the case, Tom Glavine would still be in Atlanta, and do NOT get me started on that subject.
Memo to the IRL- You guys are classless. When a guy dies, as one did yesterday at Homestead, you don't go ahead and hold the race. Have some respect. You're better than that!
Today, we take a look at the AFC West
Kansas City- First thing they need is a coach who won't cry like a little girl every time a microphone is placed in front of him. Oh wait, they got that. They'll definitely need to look at a QB, cause Trent Green is no spring chicken, and his coach is gone. They should cut Priest Holmes today. Larry Johnson proved he can tote the rock, and with Holmes' concussion history, he's damaged goods. Keeping Will Shields was a plus for them. They'll probably tweak the defense some more, since their defense has really stunk up the joint the past few seasons. Herman Edwards will have this team knocking on the door of the play-offs within a season.
Denver- Well, I would say they need a running back, with the loss of Anderson, but it doesn't seem to matter in Denver. Tatum Bell looks to be the next man up in the Denver running system. They'll need an upgrade at wideout, with Rod Smith getting on in years, and Ashley Lelie is not the answer. Since they moved way up in the first round, I look for them to take a WR, possibly Santonio Holmes out of Ohio State. Denver went deep in the playoffs, so some fine tuning is all they need.
Oakland- Come on. I don't have the time to list all that's wrong with them. Remember the days of Oakland stretching the field with the vertical game? So does Al Davis. Trouble is, he thinks he can revive those days. Anyway, all I know about the Raiders now is Robert Gallery, and he's an offensive lineman. When a lineman is your most recognizeable player, you have problems. They rid themselves of Kerry "The Quitter" Collins, so that was a good move. They brought back Art Shell. Not because they really wanted him, but because he was the only person who would actually take on this type of rebuilding project under the meddlesome eye of Davis. Oakland is sad. plain and simple.
Seattle- First, they need a crying towel for their coach. Were they the first team to lose a game because of questionable officiating? ANyway, they keep Shaun Alexander, so that solves the running back problem. They lose Steve Hutchinson from their offensive line to free agency, so he'll need to be replaced. Can it be done from within, or will they take someone in the draft? They'll have a lot of time to think about it, since they pick near the bottom of the pile in the upcoming draft. Will Winston Justice from USC still be there when they pick? And will they finally get the whole 12th Man issue settled with Texas A&M? Seattle could make another strong run next season.

There it is. Fresh off the presses. Baseball starts in less than a week. Will the Yankees be another momumentally expensive failure? Will the Red Sox re-capture some of their World Seris magic? Will the White Sox be able to defend their title? Will someone throw at Barry Bonds (I know I would....right in his earhole!)? Can the Braves pitching be near as good without Mazzone? Can St. Louis finally bring home a title? And, can we just go ahead and move the Marlins somewhere else? Joe Girardi doesn't deserve to be given a glorified team of minor leaguers. And, while we're asking all of these questions, will this finally be the year that someone tells Tim McCarver to shut up?

See you next time.

Patrick

Does anyone else see something wrong here???

2006-03-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

OK, let the debate begin right now. Am I too much of a stickler, or is it my prior military background? Here's my beef today. John Chaney stepped down as the coach of the Temple Owls yesterday to much fanfare and much applause. However, I have a huge problem with this. Isn't this the guy who once threatened to "kill" another coach in a post-game press conference? Isn't this the guy who admittedly sent a goon into a game to hard foul a St. Jospeh's player? Forget for just a second that the guy that was fouled was a senior, had his arm broken, missed the NCAA tourney, etc. This is a guy whose retirement should have been five years ago, and now, all of the sudden, we are praising a guy whose behavior is no worse than Bob Knight's in his last days at Indiana. Say what you want about that last comment.....Miles Brand was president at Indiana when he instituted the "zero-tolerance" policy, and thus, spelled the end for Knight in Bloomington. But, years later, it's OK for Chaney to act like a moron, embarrass Temple by admitting to the thug incident, and basically rant and rave like a crazy man? Where is the equal treatment? Don't give me the argument that's coming out right now....the "Well, he helped inner city kids from Philadelphia become men.." . Don't even try to sell that one here. Chaney will surely leave his mark on the game. Heck, he's a Hall of Famer. But, again, I think he hung on five years too long, and tarnished his legacy with the thug incident. Should we celebrate him? I don't think so. I think Temple will be better off by upgrading at its coaching position. Now, maybe they won't lose so many recruits to Villanova, St. Joseph's, or other area schools. Temple is finally stepping into the 21st century.
As of this posting, I am seriously considering becoming an NFL free agent fan. The Miami Dolphins today sent a second round pick to the minnesota Vikings for QB Daunte Culpepper. It's a homecoming, of sorts, for Culpepper, who played his college ball at UCF, and his high school ball at Vanguard (Ocala). But, to spend that high a pick on a QB whose knee was literally shreeded during last season is too much, in my opinion. Keep the pick, and gamble on a QB being there, like a Charlie Whitehurst, or a Corey Bramlet. Give Miami credit, though. They were very thorough ni testing Brees' injured shoulder. They were also unwilling to meet Brees' demands of guaranteed money. I guess it was a good dream while it lasted. If you're Brees, though, what are you thinking? The Saints? A new head coach, a team still in flux following the storm, and a team with absolutely NO chance to win. Plus, what does this do to the upcoming draft? I'll tell you. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. New Orleans was never going to take Leinart with the second pick. He'll go to Tennessee to reunite with Norm Chow. When it happens, remember where you read it, OK? Young now drops due to the fact he didn't want to do full workouts at the combine. Does Vince Young end up in NY with the Jets? Who knows? Gosh knows they need so much more than just a QB. I think the Saints are now sitting in a decent spot, being that they could trade out of #2 for a boatload of selections, or they could take D'Brickashaw Ferguson or Mario Williams, and address needs on their club. For Young, here's where it all shakes out now. At noe, REggie Bush to Houston. New Orleans now is the wild card at two, Leinart to Tennessee at three, and then it gets interesting. Unless the Jets take him, and i really can't see that they will, Young could slip out of the top 10. Following the Jets would be Green Bay (Arron Rodgers), San Francisco (Alex Smith), Oakland (relying too much on the deep ball that Young hasn't proven he can throw consistently), Buffalo (JP Losman), and Detroit (Joey Harrington, Jeff Garcia, and now, Jon Kitna) and Arizona (Kurt Warner) to close out the top 10. This makes the debate for Young a lot more interesting. Before people jump on me for saying Young isn't a top 10 QB, consider two things: 1. He can ride the Rose Bowl wave for only so long, then he has to come back down to earth, and 2. The last time a hyped QB dropped out of the top 10, it was a guy named Roethlisberger. How is he doing in the NFL nowadays? Last time I checked, he was hoisting a big trophy with the name Lombardi on it.
Real quick, and I don't want to spend too much time on it, lest I get called in front of Congress (as if they don't have more important things to be doing), read the latest Sports Illustrated article on Barry Bonds, and it will all but prove that he's been on the sauce for a long time. I remember Bonds from his Pittsburgh days when he played against the Braves. Nowhere near as big as he is now. Now, comes new allegations in a different book that Bonds was quoted as saying he was going to take hard-core performance enhancers? Face it, Bonds fans. He got caught. If we had any kind of a commissioner in baseball with some real backbone, Bonds would be tossed from the league. Why won't he? Because he's a huge B.I.T.S. factor (butts in the seats). That's what Selig is looking at. And why not? He is a salesman. But, I say this.....toss Bonds out on his ear, wipe his records from 1998 to present day off the books, and get the whole thing done. I was right, people, about Pete Rose......I'll be right about this one.
We'll look at the AFC South today, starting with the Indianapolis Colts. They now need a franchise running back, with the departure of Edgerrin James. De'Angelo Williams from Memphis will surely be gone by the time they pick. They'll probably go second round to take a Maurice Drew. They'll tweak other positions, like kicker and linebacker, and add depth at others, but they'll still be a tough team to beat in the coming season.
Houston- We all know they are going to take Reggie Bush, but what else do they need? We don't have time to cover that question. Obviously, the big need is offensive line help. Carr spent too much time running for his life last year, and he's getting paid way too much money not to be a productive player by this point in his career. Houston is still a few years away from contention.
Jacksonville- Get a new RB to replace Fred (The Human Infirmary) Taylor. Upgrade at wide receiver, and add depth all around on the defensive side of the ball. Jacksonville made the playoffs last season, and with a good draft, they'll be a solid wild-card team in the AFC.
Tennessee- Get Matt Leinart, put him with Chow, re-create the magic. McNair has another year to go, so let Leinart hold a clipboard a la Carson Palmer, then work him into the mix. They upgraded at center today with the addition of former Jet Kevin Mawae, and got better at the wideout, by adding David Givens from the Patriots. If Adam Jones can keep his head on straight next year, he'll be the presence on defense that the Titans need him to be. With Jeff Fisher at coach, Tennessee could make things interesting next season, but more than likely, they're probably 2 seasons away from returning to the play-offs.

There you have it.......you heard it here first. The tournament is starting this week, and we're about three weeks from Opening Day. If I ever get elected to Congress (God forbid), Opening Day will become a national holiday. More to come again soon. Thanks for reading.

Patrick

Sad day in sports

2006-03-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

"And we'll see you.......tomorrow night!!!"

When the late Jack Buck uttered those words, I sat and started at the TV, stunned. Go back in time.....Game 6, 1991 World Series. "Worst to First" teams Atlanta and Minnesota locked into a series that still ranks as the greatest series ever played. Both teams had battled each other to an almost standstill, exhausting their benches in the process. With Atlanta leading the Series three games to two, they were in place to claim baseball's biggest prize, and cap one of the most improbable seasons in baseball. That is, until Kirby Puckett showed up. Puckett's snare of a long drive to left-center off the bat of Atlanta's Ronnie Gant got the Metrodome crowd on their feet in the 11th inning. If people thought that was the end of it.....well, here comes Mr. Puckett again.

"Here's the 1-0 pitch from Liebrandt......change up down and away...swing, and there's a drive to left-center field...way back....and we'll see you tomorrow night!" Jack Buck 1991 World Series, CBS Sports

Little did I know then that I was watching a series that would still be revered by so many in sports. As I drove through Atlanta after the 1-0 Game 7 loss, I was shocked to see the city bereft of the traffic and bustle that usually identifies with the city. I-85 through the city was an easy drive, compared to what it usually is. Atlanta would finally claim a World Series title in 1995, but Kirby Puckett had left his mark on the World Series, on the nation, heck, on the entire sports-watching world.
Puckett passed away at the age of 45 yesterday due to complications from a stroke. His baseball career was cut short due to glaucoma in his right eye. He was a first-time-eligible inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. While every baseball fan at the time might not have been a Twins fan, everyone knew who Puckett was. The man, who was only five foot eight, had the stubby biceps peeking out from under his uniform, and always smiled, no matter what happened, was a fan favorite throughout the league. He led Minnesota to two championships in five years (1987 and 1991). While it will always be debated just how good a player he might have turned out to be, one thing will always remail clear: Puckett gave his all in a sport where so many just give some, back up to the pay window, and complain about not being respected like the players of old are. Puckett's #34 was retired by the Twins on 25 May 97, joining Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Kent Hrbek, and Tony Oliva in Twins lore.

Is anyone else sick about how the NFL is about to kill the golden goose? In a nut shell, here it is. The players feel they deserve a bigger slice of the money pie. After all, they are the ones doing the lion's share of the work, they are he ones putting their careers on the line each week for our entertainment, and they are the ones who make the NFL the biggest money making machine in sports. The owners see it pretty much the same way the players do, and if this were the key sticking point, a deal would already be in place. Ah, but therein lies the rub. The key here is revenue sharing, something that makes the NFL unlike any other league. The late Wellington Mara, of the NY Giants, said that for the NFL to succeed, each club must equally share the revenue pie. He really must be turning over in his grave now. The NFLPA wants all NFL money to be thrown into one pot, and their union get a sizeable chunk out of it. The owners contend that if all money is to be lumped together (ie- TV money, merchandising sales, etc. ), then the players should get less, since it's a significant increase from the first pot of money. The fly in the ointment becomes revenue sharing. Here's how it stands right now: Why should a team with worldwide appeal, like Dallas, New York, Washington, or Pittsburgh equally share with a team with considerably less appeal, like Jacksonville or Arizona? The answer....To keep the league afloat, you morons. I really don't understand the stance here. The owners are meeting today to decide if they want to accept the latest players union proposal. If they don't accpet, the new league year starts, and you'll see household names on the waiver wire as teams try to get under the salary cap. If the owners kill the golden goose, they'll have nobody to blame but themselves.

Tournament time is upon is, and while everyone is wonderg about who the number one seeds will be, I keep asking myself this: Who will the next small school be that makes a name for itself in the Tournament? From Bucknell to Valpo, Weber State to Santa Clara, some small school jumps up around this time of year and knocks one of college basketball's big boys out of the dance. I think its great, especially if it happens to a team that is a media darling. Some of basketball's smaller conferences have already crowned their champion. The big conference tournaments get underway this weekend, with the whole bracket revealed this Sunday afternoon. This is really a great time of the year. While I hate to see the cold temperatures go away, once we crown a national champion in college basketball, it's Opening Day! Pardon me while I shed a tear of happiness.

The last time I left off, I covered what the AFC East should be looking for in the upcoming draft/free agency period. Today, we'll cover the AFC North.
Baltimore-quarterback, quarterback, quarterback. I still can't bring myself to call Trent Dilfer a Super Bowl winning quarterback. That said, I don't think anyone is calling Kyle Boller a world beater, either. But, the fact still remains that the Ravens need a QB, as well as someone to replace Jamal Lewis. Face it, Ravens fans, he's gone. Chester Taylor might be a suitable replacement, but you're going to tell me you'd rather have Taylor than someone like DeAngelo Williams? I thought so. Baltimore also needs to find some depth for the defensive side, as they found out in season-ending injuries to Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. A MLB wouldn't hurt, since Lewis won't be there forever.
Cincinnati- While their rise to the playoffs was inspiring, it was costly. They lost franchise QB Carson Palmer to a knee injury, and were never really the same team. So, do they spend a little to keep Jon Kitna and continuity, or search the waiver wire for a replacement? Among their cuts will be an unnamed player who supposedly leaked locker room events to a member of the media, a serious breach of sports etiquette. While I think the Bengals should just tweak, their QB situation bears watching as mini camps start to get underway.
Cleveland- Wow, where do I start? I mean, we are talking about the franchise that has one of the most loyal fan bases in the league, but still can't seem to shake the "expansion" blues. They need help all across the board, soup to nuts. They'll get it. because no team in the NFL really stays down for long. Oops, sorry about that, New Orleans. I like Charlie Frye, the second year QB, I like Braylon Edwards, their star reciever, who will be coming off a major injury. Speaking of Browns coming off injury, it remains to be seen how Kellen Winslow, Jr. will handle NFL pressure. If he's half the player his old man was, the Browns will be a few pieces away from respectability.
Pittsburgh- What can you say about a team that won it all? Well, for starters, this: Keep Randle-El. His ability to make the trick play keeps Pittsburgh a threat to win each week. While they'll miss Jerome Bettins, they'll be more than happy wilt Willie Parker. Same as Cincinnati here.....tweak the roster to fill in some depth, and pick up a decent back-up for their starting QB, Ben Roethlisberger.

Well, that about puts the ribbon on the package. Hope everyone is well. Talk to you soon.

Patrick

Guess who's back......

2006-02-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the times. I got a little busy, things got sidetracked, etc. Anyway, I'm back, and it's time to rip some people!

Did anyone else think the whole US speed skating was given WAY too much media coverage? Come on , NBC, let it go already! So Davis and Hedrick don't get along, big stinking deal! So Davis wanted to focus on his event rather than do the team pursuit, big deal. Sounds to me like Hedrick was counting on riding the coattails of his teammates through some of the Olympic events. At the end of the day, they both won medals, and isn't that the ultimate goal? US athletes went to Turin, and won some hardware. Big congrats to them, pats on the back, high fives, etc. If they don't like each other, who cares? Someone should tell NBC to leave the soap opera business to Days of Our Lives, and not the Olympic games.
While we're calling people on the carpet, would someone tell Bode Miller to pick up the nearest white courtesy phone. It's Dan and Dave of Reebok decathlon fame.......or shame. I've never seen such a build-up of an athlete since the Dan or Dave campaign, and, just like that build-up long ago, Miller fell flat on his face. Well, not exactly fell, but to be a World Cup champion, you'd think he'd know how to get around a slalom gate. All he did was go to Italy, and stink up the joint. Someone from the USOC should ask for reimbursement for the plane fare! Bode Miller......get him off of my TV!
Did anyone else see the action in Minnesota last night? To paraphrase, the T-Wolves Kevin Garnett gets a double tech, and gets tossed. Well, before getting tossed, he throws a ball into the stands. The ball actually creams a guy sitting courtside, and they come get this guy out of the arena ON A STRETCHER, PEOPLE!!!!! Come on, doesn't the ticket warn people with seats so close to the action to be ready for something? You can just smell the potential lawsuit on this one. I mean, a guy in Chicago threatened a million dollar lawsuit on then-Knick Antonio davis because Davis went into the stands to defend his wife. Some words were passed, yadda, yadda. If I, as a fan, go up to an NBAer's wife, and harrass her, I deserve what I get, especially if it's her husband rushing into the stands to defend his wife. And, I know what you're asking: What about the Malice at the Palace incident? Two TOTALLY different things. For one, people didn't rush the floor, thinking it was "Challenge an NBA Player To A Fight" night. For another, this one was rather compact, in that Davis went to where his wife was sitting, security showed, and it was done. The other incident had, well, you all saw it. David Stern should still have Artest out of the league, but Jackson should be right there with him. If anyone has a right to be upset, it's that kid on the cover of SI right after the incident. Look it up. You'll see what I'm talking about.
While I'm on the NBA, is there anyone out there more disgruntled, more of a malcontent than Steve Francis? Go back to the night he was drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies. What did he do, and on national TV, no less? He pouted like a third grader, told Craig Sager he didn't want to go to Vancouver, and forced a trade out to Houston. Anyway, he gets to Houston, and what does he do? Just like most NBA guards today, he hogs the ball. See also: Bryant, Kobe, Iverson, Allen, Marbury, Stephon. It ends up getting the Rockets a whole lot of nothing, so he gets traded to Orlando. Same song, different city. Then, and here's the puzzling thing: He gets traded to the Knicks, where he's in the same backcourt with Stephon Marbury! In his press conference, what was Francis doing? You guessed it: pouting like a third grader. I know the real reason Marbury and Francis won't get along. It's an ACC thing. Marbury from Georgia Tech, Francis from Maryland. Would someone please release these me first players and go on about the business with people that want to be team players. If Stevie is "The Franchise", then that franchise will go down the tubes in a hurry, trust me on that one.
I'll leave you with this.....what NFL teams need to go get in the upcoming draft/free agency market. If you're not paying attention, this might all be tossed out without a labor agreement in the NFL, so this is all subject to change. Anyway, we;ll look at the AFC East.
Miami- needs a starting QB (Brees would look great in coral and aqua). Upgrade the defense- Thomas and Taylor aren't getting younger. Get some WR help. Quick, name me three of the Dolphins WR's. And, of course, wahs your hands of that waste of a career Ricky Williams.
New England- re-sign Vinatieri. He's the guy responsible for two of those shiny tophies. Upgrade their LB corp. Bruschi probably shouldn't be playing, but that's my opinion. Get help in secondary. Law is available again. And, for their sake, skip training camp altogether. The Pats were a walking MASH unit by the end of the season.
New York- Where do I start? A shorter list would be to name what's right with them. Jonathan Vilma. There it is. These guys are sad in the worst way. They need help everywhere, and without it, J-E-T-S will again stand for Just End The Season!
Buffalo- Come on.....if you bring Marv Levy away from the Early Bird special in South Beach to run the franchise, you've got more problems than you realize. The Buffalo owner, Ralph Wilson, is hoping Levy can capture some of the old Bills magic. Well, last I checked, Jim Kelly, Don Beebe, Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith weren't walking through the door, so that's out. Mularkey was smart to jump ship when he did. And, though some might not think this way.....if you're Thurman Thomas, what does it say about your legacy as a Bill when you try to squeeze one more year out of the NFL with the Bills' nemesis, the Miami Dolphins? I can think of two words for it: Sell Out! Buffalo is in a tailspin. Pity Takeo Spikes, too. He leaves Cincinnati to "join a winner", as he puts it, and what happens? Bufalo stinks, and Cincy went to the play-offs. Take that as you will.

I'll see you all soon.

Patrick

Torino, NHL, Get Him Outta Here!!!!!!

2006-02-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

How's everyone doing? Starting off, the Winter Olympics are finally underway from Torino. The USA team is already off to an arousing start, what with suspending their skeleton coach and finally firing him over a sexual harrassment scandal. They also lost their best slider, skeleton event, due to a failed drug test. Now, I know what you're thinking: What kind of drug do you have to take to be good at sliding down a hill? Well, for my money, it would be something that makes your grip tighter, since these skeleton sleds reach speeds over 90 MPH. But the drug that has gotten our guy suspended is a hair loss drug. The IOC claims that this drug is also used as a masking agent, defending their decision to suspend our best slider. That's a kick in the teeth, isn't it? I mean, you spend countless hours training for a particular event, only to get busted on something that you can pick up at any corner drugstore. My advice to any future Olympians out there is this: Once you begin your training, and you start competing in these national events, if you get sick.......chicken soup and orange juice.....that's it! It's not worth the risk to throw so many years of training down the tubes.
Speaking of throwing a career down the tubes, a grand jury has chosen to indict Maurice Clarett on charges of robbing two people behind a bar and carryng a concealed weapon. You remember Clartee from such fiascos as challenging the NFL over eligibility rules, filing a false police report at Ohio State concerning a car that was broken into (provided by a booster, of course), and failing to disclose information to investigators from the NCAA who decided to look into the Ohio State athletic program a little further. Oh, by the way, then-AD Andy Geiger suddenly resigned around that time, saying he wanted to pursue other opportunities. Remember that analogy about rats leaving a sinking ship? Anyway, Clarett is now behind bars, and I, for one, say good riddance. I keep hearing how sad a story this is, and I'll admit it's sad, but Clarett did all this to himself. He showed up at the NFL combine out of shape one year. He milked a hamstring injury when Denver took a flyer on him, and subsequently released him. Come on, how many shots do you give a guy? Don't give me that he had a tough childhood. Don't give me that he didn't have a chance in life. He had a full ride to a prestigious NCAA institution, and he threw it all away because he had too many people in his ear, and had his hand out for far too long. Put his name on the pile along with Lawrence Phillips, Cecil Collins, and J.R.Rider. Use this case as an example to future athletes. Maybe one of them will pay close attention as to what happens when you choose the wrong path. As for Clarett, we all have to pay the piper sometime. Coaches always talk about accountability, well Clarett is going to learn a hard lesson in accountability.
With the recent NHL gambling incident, one question comes to mind: Would this really be as big of a deal as it is now if the name Gretzky weren't involved? I mean, come on......when the story broke, and every news agency was reporting the name Rick Tocchet, nobody outside of die-hard hockey circles picked up on it. But now, add the name Gretzky to the mix, and now you have yourself a story! For those that don't know, here's the condensed version: Gretzky coaches the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL. Tocchet is one of his assistants. Tocchet is under investigation in New Jersey for being involved in a gambling ring. The ring is not all that large, but now when it involves an assistant coach, plus the Gretzky name, everyone is on board. The big question now is were any NHL games fixed during this ring to cover someone's bets. If they were, the NHL can close its doors. Gretzky's wife, Janet, is reported to have made bets in this circle. The perception there is that she's making wagers for her husband, so none of this will stick to him when it all hits the fan. And, for those of you out there who think I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, stop it! Baseball has CLEAR, WRITTEN RULES on every clubhouse door about betting on baseball. And when there is evidence that bets were made from the manager's office, there's your case! This is totally different from the Pete Rose deal, which, by the way, he's not going into the Hall, so that's a happy day for me. Anyway, with the NHL coming off the season-long strike, and them doing their best to try to win fans, this may knock a large hole into he bridge of goodwill that was being built between hockey and fans.

Enjoy the Olympics. More to come soon.

Patrick

Super Bowl Letdown

2006-02-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

Did you feel as cheated as I did last night? We didn't even get that good of a commercial set, although the FedEx commercial and the streaking sheep spot were pretty funny. Back to what I was saying, though. The NFL should take a lesson from last night's game and stop scheduling the Super Bowl two weeks after the AFC/NFC title games. All we got this year was a HUGE letdown. I mean, if you're a Steelers fan, you loved it. Any other football fan looked at it like it was a Week 2 game. You can't tell me that a coach that has won a title before couldn't manage the clock any better than he did in that game. You can't tell me that an offense that was the best in red zone scoring this season suddenly couldn't find the end zone. And would someone please tell Jerramy Stevens that its OK for him to remove his foot from his mouth now. That is, if he can get a good grip on it. With all the butter on his hands, he might have a hard time ermoving said foot.
Jerome Bettis rides off with a title. Good for him. But, is he really a Hall of Fame running back? Yes, he is popular. Yes, he is an icon in Pittsburgh, though many forget, he started with the L.A. Rams out of Notre Dame (his choice of colleges is another reason for me to keep him out of the Hall, but that's another story for another day). He's amassed a LOT of yards since coming into this league (over 13,000 to be exact), but I just sometimes question if he's worthy of the Hall. From the position he played, and gaining that many yards, he'll probably make it. After all, longevity is something the voters take into consideration (see also: Davis, Terrell). We'll see in five years if he makes the cut.
Take a look at list night's winner. They join Dallas and San Francisco as the only five-time winners of the NFL's big game. If you look back, only a handful of teams can say they've won Lombardi's trophy. Between the aforementioned teams, that's fifteen trophies. Add to that Green Bay (3), New England (3), Washington (3), and Oakland (3), that makes twelve more trophies, taking us up to twenty-seven. Add the two-time winners of Denver, NY Giants, and Miami, that takes us up to thirty-three. Throw in Tampa Bay, Chicago, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City, St. Louis, NY Jets, and the Baltimore Colts, that gives you the forty titles. I know I mentioned Baltimore twice, but I'm from the old school. Looking back at it, its not a lot of teams that can lay claim to the title. I know parity is important in this league, and if you look at the early years, teams could actually build dynasties. Now, in the salary cap era of the NFL, that's almost impossible.
With another season in the books, it's time to make some predictions for next year's NFL season. In the AFC, I like New England in the East, Pittsburgh in the North, Indy in the South and Denver in the West, with Miami and Kansas City as the wild cards. In the NFC, I like New York in the East, Carolina in the South, Chicago in the North, and Seattle in the West, with Philadelphia and Washington as the wild cards. That all may change as the off-season rolls along. The draft is coming, and free agency is just around the bend. Plus, with some teams having players come back from injuries, I reserve the right to change said picks right up until the season opener this fall.

See you next time.

Patrick