Rundown From the Stuffed Up

My head is stuffy today. I don't know if it's allergies or whether I'm getting sick, but I do know one thing: we're running:



1. Tragic update today on Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier. While it looks like he will live, he's going to be paralyzed from the waist down and had to have his leg amputated. He was shot 14 times. Wow. The shots to the groin apparently caused clotting which required amputation. His agent says he's down and out because he won't be able to fulfill his lifetime dream. I can't imagine how he must feel. I hope they're keeping an eye on him because this is a lot for a man of his age and potential to take. I also hope that he finds his new purpose in life, because he does have one if he can find the will to keep living. Keep your head up, Collier.


2. In other sad news, last Wednesday, the 3-month old son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' kicker Matt Bryant, Tryson, died suddenly in his sleep. It wasn't clear if Bryant, who had kicked the winning field goal the week before, would play this past Sunday. But he flew in from the funeral and not only played in the game, his field goal put the Bucs ahead of the Green Bay Packers for good. His teammates played harder for him and he rose to the occasion. I've said before that sports are a microcosm of life. Well, sometimes, they are therapy for life. My condolences to the Bryant family.


3. In happier news, Josh Howard apologized for his actions while addressing the media on the Dallas Mavericks' first day of training camp. In apologizing for his actions from the past 5 months, Howard said "this is not the way I carry myself . . ." but I say, au contraire, mon frère! This is how you carry yourself. The trick is to not get carried away . . .


4. Terrell Owens is turning on yet another QB. Just when you thought all was rosy in T.O. Land, it turns out all is still the same. By still the same, I mean still a mess - and still screwing himself out of endorsements. Following the Cowboys loss to their arch-rival Washington Redskins, T.O. had only complaints about not getting the ball from his formerly-beloved QB Tony Romo. Somewhere, despite the Cowboys' record, Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb are ecstatic that they aren't in Romo's position, even if that means they don't get to [sing country music] with Jessica Simpson.


5. Somehow, in the course of one week, I missed the entire WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The finals, which start on Wednesday, will feature the Detroit Shock and the San Antonio Silver Stars (seriously, who approved that name?). I didn't, however, miss this quote from Shock coach Bill Laimbeer: "You can't win the championship unless you're in the finals, and we're there." I'll cut Bill some slack because it probably sounded better before he saw it in print. It looks like I'll have to DVR this series in order to find some mention of it. . .


6. (I considered mentioning Monday Night Football here, but other than the overtime win, and Ray Lewis' usual antics, there wasn't much to report. Nice win, Steelers.) The Detroit Lions can take solace in the fact that at least one team in the NFL may - incredibly - be worse than they are: the St. Louis Rams. After benching QB Marc Bulger, Rams coach Scott Linehan got one better than the bench. He got the boot. You know it's bad when you blow it up with 12 more games to go. Whether this will be the same script, different cast remains to be seen . . . no, it doesn't. We can clearly see that winter in the Midwest started in September.

Pleats 'n Cleats Goes to Nike Town

Just outside of Portland languishes one of the most awesome places to work. Not that I know because I work there, but just by the looks of it, it's definitely more awesome than where I work.

For instance, when I walk into my job, there's no Tiger Woods conference center. (We also have pre-historic rotary phones, but that's a story for another day.)

And neither does Tiger Woods stop by my job. There's also no running trail, no Olympic track, and no exchange like the following has ever occurred: "I work in Ken Griffey Jr. Where are you?" "I'm over at Mia Hamm." Yes, the buildings are named after Nike's favorite athletes, including Nolan Ryan, Bo Jackson, and His Airness, of course.

But here, in Beaverton, Oregon, home of Nike, you can say all that. You can also work and lunch outside. Do you know how badly I want to be able to work outside? I'd stay all day (I guess I should add "without complaining" since I already stay all day) if we could work outside.

There's even a soccer goal in front of this one:

My camera died during my visit (just playing dead, I later discovered) so these pictures don't quite capture the woodsy and serene essence of the Nike campus. In a word: beautiful. Although, to be fair, I probably went on one of the nicest days of the entire year. (What can I say, Mother Nature is my homegirl).

While on campus (as they call it), you might even run into an athlete or two (or ten) in one of the two workout facilities boasting state of the art equipment, which the employees can access for free. This place really is like a college campus, and not a small one, either. I asked if there were places to sleep but was told I'd have to go home.

Another perk: employees get 50% off in the Nike employee store. I even saw a former NBA star in there with his family (I won't ID him since he wasn't there for publicity) so I guess this place must be a really good deal (or the economy is just that bad. Or both). My "tour guide" believes we passed Phil Knight en route to the store, but I can't confirm that. It is also due to this tour guide that I have refrained from inserting a joke here. (Sometimes I wish I weren't such a nice person . . .)

Shout out to a few employees inside. First, I'd like to say thank you to the guy who helped me pick out my running shoes - the Nike Air Zoom Vomero +3. I love them. I get the feeling that he wasn't expecting to provide full-service in that setting, so I appreciate his patience - and at least I bought the shoes! And, kudos to the guy at the front counter who explained the NCAA policy forbidding student-athletes from receiving the "extra benefit" of the employee store (under certain circumstances). Since I'm a lawyer (and am not shy with my opinion on NCAA policies) I had to find the hypothetical that would make the rule not make sense, and he was ready with his lawyer-like explanation. I was impressed (and I was right)!

The only downside I could see to working at Nike is . . . nothing, really. I submitted my application to the security guard on the way out. I'm willing to work my way up . . . or jump in the path of LeBron James' car so I can get paid. Whatever it takes.

MYSM: Dancey Dance Time with Amare

Just returning from another field trip, this time to Nike Town, USA, aka Beaverton, Oregon. Pics and story to come tomorrow . . .

This means I didn't quite catch the (football) games today, but I'll catch up with everything tomorrow . . . I hope. Some surprising results, n'est-ce pas? KC and Cleveland won (the latter not quite as impressive as the former. Good for Big Herm), the Cowboys and Eagles lost (the latter to da Bears), and Brett Favre set a career high in TD passes. The fact that he's setting records that have nothing to do with his longevity is quite impressive. I guess he was feeling better. Keep it up, New Yorkians will love you. Looks like that small bet on a random team might end up a big payoff come Super Bowl time.

Happy Monday!

Amare
Uploaded by bsap11

Phoenix Suns star Amare Stoudemire is our special friend, earning him his first spot on MYSM. Hey, at least he's trying to do something for the kiddies. I can dig it!

I'm also digging the leg of the blue thing in the back who appears to be some kind of step class enthusiast. Someone tell him/her/it that's not good dribbling form.

Go crazy!!

Run Out of Town

Packing (or should be) for another weekend of adventure. And so we run:

1. I watched my second college football game this season, coincidentally involving the USC Trojans again, this time against the Oregon State University Beavers. Ok, not so coincidentally, because USC is the #1 team in the country, but, still coincidentally because I hadn't planned to watch it. Oregon State has USC's number, huh? Wow. I was looking around at some other sports blogs during the game and saw that most had pretty much dismissed Oregon State, despite last year's defeat of the Trojans. OSU (the other one) had this tiny tailback, Jacquizz (?) Rodgers who they say is 5'6" but looked to be about six inches less than that on the field. And I've seen some 5'8" guys in the NFL and this guy was nowhere near that. I'm guessing he's closer to a Prince-ly 5'4" (Rogers, ironically, is Prince's middle name). What's with short stars at Oregon schools? University of Oregon basketball player Tajuan Porter, one of the better players in the PAC-10, is also reportedly 5'6", but I think this is just an acceptable cutoff height. In any case, Rodgers, the self-proclaimed "little dude," lit up USC for 186 yards on 37 carries. Most yards on USC since . . . Vince Young in the BCS national championship game back in 2006 - another college football game I watched. His older brother and OSU wide receiver, James (why'd they do that to the younger one?), had two scores of his own. That's quite a story to tell to their kids . . . just like Al Bundy, but real. USC tried to come back in the second half, but the Beavers held off the Trojans (um . . .) for the win. Just another example of why they still play the game.

2. Kimbo Slice on PTI.

I don't know too much about his "sport" - mixed martial arts (coincidentally, I mentioned it on the blog the other day for the first time in the WNBA post) - but I am somewhat familiar with his story: homeless streetfighter on YouTube to superstardom as an ultimate fighter. What I didn't know is that he went to the University of Miami on an academic scholarship, even though he was a talented football player in high school. After watching this interview, I'm not surprised. My dad actually sent me a text last night asking me to post on Kimbo (I just can't call him Slice), but when I saw him on PTI, I realized daddy-o was right. His "five good minutes" Thursday is one of the better interviews I've seen in a while. "I'm just a little squirrel in this big world and I'm still trying to get my nut." Very regular person doing extraordinary things. Love it.

3. I'm calling this one "Knicks betta have my money!" Continuing with the video theme, Stephon Marbury and his chest decided to come out of hiding on Thursday. Starbury sat down with a local NBC affiliate to discuss all the rumors about what he will be doing (or where he will be sitting) when the Knicks season starts. He says he's not taking a penny less than the Knicks owe him (which he shouldn't, they're the ones who agreed to pick up his hefty contract when he came from the Phoenix Suns). He also says he's mentally, spiritually, and physically right . . . I'll stop my cynicism here because, say what you want about Marbury, I really do think he's a good person. He could maybe use some work on his delivery. It's a fairly long interview, but certainly one worth watching (although the difference in volume between Marbury (low) and the reporter (high "deaf") may get annoying).

4. The NFL has ruled that the Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee was not intentionally gouged in the eye during the Ravens win over the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. The Ravens submitted film to the league for a determination on whether the alleged "gougings" (two times in two separate incidents) were intentional. Apparently, the films showed the opposing Browns' players reaching under the visor to poke McGahee in the eye. Now McGahee may not play due to the injury to his eyes. Eye gouging? Is this 2008 B.C. or A.D.? You don't hear that term too often these days, probably with good reason. The last time eye gouging got my attention was in fifth grade when they showed us The Birds for Halloween. I won't spoil it for you in case you haven't seen it yet - even though you've had 45 years - but all I know is I have never liked birds ever since. Hmm. Ravens = birds. Creepy.

5. Monta Ellis, the over well-paid guard for the Golden State Warriors, claimed that he got scraped up and ripped up his ankle playing basketball. Surprise! Since exactly no one has ever been injured in basketball that way, it turns out Ellis was fibbing, and he really got hurt while riding a moped. At a slow speed. Of course. If you're going to lie (which I don't condone) then at least make it make sense. He had to have known the truth would come to light at some point, so now not only did he lie, but he told a really bad lie. Of course, on the flip side, he had everything to lose. Literally. That $66 million they're paying him for the next 6 years could have gone up in smoke. Under the terms of the standard NBA contract, Ellis violated the provision covering (pardon my French) "******** up your career doing some dumb ****." Really, I quoted that verbatim. They ought to add "poor lying" to the terms, too, which should be worth at least a few extra paychecks. He's just lucky that they need him now that Baron "I make sand castles with Jessica" Davis has defected for the Sacramento Kings. Hopefully he has learned his lesson.

And I've learned mine. I need more time and sleep! Enjoy the presidential debates (if they happen) and the weekend (pretty likely to happen)!

The Cycle of Suck

(Since I first started writing this several days ago, the Detroit Lions have unloaded their 7 year itch and team president, Matt Millen, giving the fans what they want, just not exactly when they wanted it. The timing couldn't have been better for this post, though. See? Every cloud does have a silver lining. )

Several teams are still undefeated in the NFL right now . . . and a few are still waiting for that ever elusive first win. Some will continue to wait for a few more weeks. Some will wait forever.

Mainstream media loves winners. Sure, they talk about losers, but it's not usually the top story unless no winner was also involved (i.e., the Lions firing of Millen, or a story on top 10 worst teams of all time).

But you learn more from losing than you do from winning.

Continually awful teams in professional sports and the fans who love/loathe them are an interesting study in how sport really is a microcosm of life (thanks, dad). In this post, I will take a trip through the "suck cycle" and then wrap up with my two cents on why we, the fans, still stick around to its completion. I decided against giving examples so that the trip can be a personal one. Here we go . . .

There are a few characteristics that apply to just about every awful team: They make few bold moves in the off-season. They're used to being hated so they keep using unquantifiable terms like "rebuild" or "taking it one game at a time." (So when they're still "rebuilding" after 20 years, perhaps they meant waiting for good players to be born?) They ignore the boos from their fans during draft day every year when they pick a dud . . . again, and the resounding boos during the game directed at the latest asinine trade. They even ignore the protest parades through the streets where people carry dolls on sticks dressed like management (yes, that has happened).

But despite all of this, every year, the fans get excited that this will be "the year" . . . just to come to the realization that the happiest moment of the year was the night before the first game. Then, before they know it, 30 years have passed, and while we've all had our ups and downs, the team's only "up" was that hiccup when they made it to the playoffs. Maybe even the finals. That one year. Back in '89. (Or was it '98?) You also remember the entire stat line of anyone who played that game. From time to time, you might even pop in that Betamax of the game that you just knew would be a collector's item when they finally won . . . but you're still waiting.

The "awful" process also tends to follow a familiar pattern:

In the beginning, when they first start stinking, the players individually get the blame - no offense, weak defense, too many turnovers/penalties, off-court/field knuckleheadism, etc. The player's stock may begin to drop at this point unless his individual numbers are at or near the top of the league.

Then, inevitably, the losing continues, perhaps an entire season or more, even though some of the key players have changed. All it takes is one player whom we once considered to be good to come to the team and fail. "It can't be just the players," we say. "Let's keep looking up the chain. The coach. It must be his fault."

But then, that well-respected coach comes to town and he can't turn it around either. Frustration increases, and we're in denial, because we know if player and coach were legit, the fight to get to "good" may be out of our hands. Sadly, that can only mean one thing: the crap is systemic. If a player or a coach sucks, and the fans are behind it, then management probably sees it, too, and acts accordingly. But when blame has made its way up to management level, then we know we're battling an owner who could well be immune to the wants of the people if s/he/they is/are getting paid (read: really paid) regardless of the team's performance. I'm really sitting on my hands here not to provide examples, but I'm keeping my word . . . (And by the way, any time the casual fan knows management by name, rest assured you have yourselves a crappy team.)

And so the "Fire ______!" chant goes on, because if we've gotten this far, then dagnabit, we're not stopping until we get a response. Even if responding wouldn't immediately help the team, we'll take anything because nothing is worse than doing nothing at all. And sometimes, when we least expect it, many years after the first tear was shed, the owner responds and fires management.

An interesting phenomenon occurs when management is the scapegoat: The players can pretty much crap (literally) on the field and we wouldn't care. Of course, we'd complain, but that would just take us right back to how poor management is. I can't imagine this is good for the psychology of the player, though. It has to make them worse off in the long run, even if they would have been decent had they never been sent to this black hole of a team. Maybe that's what happened to [insert name of once-thought good player who came to the team and never recovered.]. On second thought, no, [insert name of QB player who recently lost a job in the NFL] really is that bad.

But what happens if the new management never picks winners? While we like to think there is some science to this, the truth is, every draft and every trade involves a gamble, and hindsight is always 20/20. If the streak of no winners continues for years, then does that mean it's time for a new owner, and if so, do we publicly campaign to force the sell?

Alas, even when we think we've gotten what we wanted (i.e. old management is gone), we come to another sad realization: there is no clear cut solution to what ails the team. We can track what past teams have done and say that's what needs to be done, but I think good results are more of a "perfect storm" than a "perfect science." As I've said in the past, winning covers up a multitude of sins.

When the team is that bad, I truly think the best idea is to blow it up and start over. The fans will remain post-blow up. In fact, most of us would probably encourage the blow up. Just look how long we've stuck out the suffering and not given up. Because, despite the overwhelming odds that the team is going to continue to suck, we still go to the games, we still watch the drafts, we still post "______ sucks! and "fire ______!" messages on the web.

The reason we remain is simple: Deep down (very deep for the most negative among us), we all want to have hope for the best - even if it's just in our sports team. And so the season starts over from scratch every year, and they play the game even though we think we already know the outcome ('08 Super Bowl, anyone? Sorry, my only example!).

And we demand change, because if things change, then we can still have hope that things will improve. But even if we're not 100% certain of the outcome, if the alternative is more of the same thing that created the abysmal situation, then change looks like a much better option.

Yes, I'm still talking about sports . . . among other things.

Back In Action

Finally! Well, since I missed Monday and Tuesday, and most of you have had a chance to digest football from the weekend (and I'm holding on to my other football article until tomorrow) we're going to check in on some of the other leagues (yes, football is included):

Word on the street is that Stephon Marbury may have seen his last days as a New York Knickerbocker. What, waiving the best point guard in the league? Maybe it was the chess games in the car with interns. The word claims that there will be a buyout of Starbury's $21.9 million contract, which would put the Knicks well at the top of the list of the NBA's best/worst buyouts of all time. In case you're not familiar with how this works, buyouts occur when a team discovers that no other team will pay what they are paying for a particular player, making a trade not possible, but the team still wants to clear roster space to bring in someone other than the overpaid player. So the team literally pays the bought-out player not to play. (I know, I'm trying to figure out a way to make this happen at my job.) Who better than the Knicks to be involved when explaining buyouts?

But the word from new President (since Zeke departed the post) Donnie Walsh doused the flames on all that with some crazy talk. He says that the Knicks expect Marbury to come to camp . . . and they're expecting Allan Houston to come back, too. That was unexpected. So here's what I think happened: Houston's returned reminded them of the last time they paid someone $20 million not to play. Then the Knicks thought to themselves "Ya know, it's not worth another $20 million to be a good team in the best sports market in the country. It's not. If we keep adding players that other teams don't want and our draft picks get booed every year, we'll have a championship in no time." And then they struck the part about winning a championship and inserted just a question mark.

No fear, Knicks fans, you're likely to still have your same old (read: terrible) team to kick around, whether Marbury's there or not. If they let him go, who do they have to replace him? Sure, they've signed a guard - Anthony Roberson. . . 'nuf said. They can't really afford (not just monetarily) to buy out Marbury's contract and still pick up a solid, established player who would want to come into that situation. This last part is the key. The Knicks organization reminds me of another poorly run outfit in another city that has also become the laughing stock of the entire league. But the Knicks are even more special because they ensure that talented players don't shine there under any circumstances. Here's hoping Marbury is in the great shape they say he is and that former Phoenix Suns/new Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni can bring some of his winning ways - or at least mentality - out east . . .


I'm checking out these WNBA Finals. I'm currently watching the L.A. Sparks vs. the Seattle . . . wait, let me look that up . . . Storm. It's the elimination game, as they're calling it, with the winner going to the Western Conference Finals. The Storm actually has Sue Bird, although she didn't have a great first half. The Sparks, on the other hand, has Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker - the top two jersey sellers in the league - who, not coincidentally, are also the top scorers in this game. I'm no Nostradamus but I have a really, really good feeling that the Sparks are going to win this one. Let's just say I saw some highlights from the Detroit Shock game in which the only fans in the arena were seated in the lower third rows. I think they'll pick up more than just the diehard fan if/when the Sparks make it. I just saw a Storm player try to drive on Leslie and Parker . . . and come away with a blocked shot and some alone time with the hardwood. And mic'd up coaches - which mics occasionally catch a raucous fan seated nearby. And (female) commentators who aren't afraid to call like they see it. Fun to watch.

This brings me to another point. I just watched the Storm's coach talk to the ladies in the locker room. How come men can coach women's sports but women can't coach men's? When will we break through this, one of the last remaining glass ceilings? I may have to do a write up on this soon . . .

Quarterback Swap is on again. This week's victim is past MVP Pro Bowler Marc Bulger of the ailing St. Louis Rams. At least they're making some changes . . . . There's not much further down to fall than 0-3 after three weeks. . . but 0-4 after four weeks is a sure sign that the end is imminent. The man starting in Bulger's place is none other than Trent "walking endorsement for the anti-concussion helmet" Green. (I briefly considered posting a picture of him on a stretcher but I'm just not that cruel. Instead, I went with a picture of Bulger in a pose that may become more familiar to him over the next few weeks.) Last season, when Green was a Miami Dolphin, I suggested in my post that he ought to be nicer to the O-line if he wants to avoid having his block knocked off. Well, at least if he gets rocked (and I sincerely hope he does not - this article says it all), he will know that it's not because they don't want to protect him, they just . . . can't.

It looks like Bulger may have pine-riding company in Cleveland Browns QB Derek Anderson . . .


Turning to a place I don't turn too often: golf. (No, really. My brand new clubs are still sitting here untouched). The U.S. team actually won the Ryder Cup (that U.S. vs. Europe golf competition) for the first time in nine years, without the help of Tiger Woods. I don't think this is such a fluke or coincidental at all, and though the Brits apparently are blaming Nick Faldo for their loss, I think there is a far less complex explanation: no Tiger. It's hard to focus on your game when you're more concerned with matching up with your teammate than you are with beating the other team. Unfortunately, the "Tiger-effect" falls to other players too, effectively rendering anyone who doesn't win a major or compete with Tiger on the final day of an event virtually anonymous. This was confirmed when I failed to recognize most of the younger guys on the U.S. roster. But maybe this is just what they needed to get themselves on the map. Until Tiger returns, anyway.



Rutgers University QB Mike Teel threw an interception and then a punch at his teammate, Glen Lee, just during a game Rutgers eventually lost to Navy last Saturday. Rutgers' coach Greg Schiano has decided not to punish the QB, saying the situation "was over and done with." Does it help that this teammate was a reserve defensive back who was trying to tell Teel to keep his head up? Look, I know he was frustrated, but if the situation had been reversed, I wouldn't be surprised if Lee had been kicked off the team. Lee supported the move not to punish Teel, calling it a "family" matter (over and over again). In all the key players' own words:



I should have counted how many times they all used the word "family" in this video. It has to be on par with Allen Iverson's love for "practice." One of them blamed it on being "competitive." I'm competitive, but I've never attempted to punch a teammate in the mouth, and neither do most people (even though we all may have wanted to more than a few times). Lee sounds like a battered spouse. I don't know what happened behind closed doors, or why Lee appears literally to be taking the punch, but I get the sneaking suspicion that it's directly proportional to his perceived importance to the team. Yuck. I know Schiano doesn't want to go 0-4 and miss that bowl game they're used to attending, but your QB's out of control, buddy. This one gets a thumbs way down.



But I'd like to end this post on a thumbs up, which goes out to Ball State University football wide received Dante Love. Love had been having a stellar season thus far, picking up where he left off as an All-Mid-American first team standout. On Saturday, Love was injured during Ball State's win over Indiana University when he collided with an Indiana cornerback. I've read that his head dipped at the last moment, which is almost always followed by injury. Unfortunately, they're saying that Love's injury will end his career, but that he will be able to live a normal life - meaning he likely won't be paralyzed (and if he's able to move now, then that's probably the case). The one consolation I can offer Love is that "they" have been wrong many times before. While I certainly wouldn't encourage him to come back before he is ready, it doesn't necessarily have to be over just because they say it is. I really hate to see anyone's hopes and dreams dashed in an instant - especially at his age and in his situation. But even if he never plays again, I believe things happen sometimes to teach you a lesson that you wouldn't have learned otherwise or to push you in a direction that you may not have otherwise considered. Hopefully, in time, it will all make sense to him. Two thumbs WAY up for a speedy recovery.

To Tide You Over

No rest for the weary. Work hard, play hard, then work hard again. So little time, I can't even do a rundown. I'll try again tomorrow night, but I don't want to make promises that I can't keep. Something tells me my topic of choice will still be relevant any day of this season . . .

Instead, I thought I'd keep the smiles going into Tuesday . . . click here and here for past MYSM's. (Yes, one day, I'll make these into one label). Please watch Carl Lewis' rendition of the national anthem if you're in a bad mood. Studies have shown that it is impossible to feel down after multiple viewings.

So I'm adding Jerry Stackhouse's rendition, just to combat any idea that athletes must be tone deaf.



Or clickhere for my Michael Vick coverage since people seemed to like that. Not to mention he took up the most real estate on this blog over the past year or so. I must have missed this one, but it looks like he has been keeping up with his skills while he's away.

Hopefully, I'll be back in action tomorrow. . .

MYSM: Stuffed Shaq

Late (very late) night, so I need to catch up on my DVR'd football games. I have a partial post analyzing the "terrible team" cycle, but it's not quite ready for prime time . . .

This may not be funny to everyone but it has to be one of the best blocks I've ever seen (ok, borderline foul with the body, but up top it was all ball), especially if you can appreciate the degree of difficulty it takes to stuff Shaq hard enough to send him crumpling to the ground. Definitely one of Ben Wallace's better days.

Endweek Downrun

Long day tomorrow . . . and the rest of the weekend. I received a nice comment on the Kenny George article from someone who works at his school. I hope to be able to follow up on his story at some point down the road.

Unfortunately, the following stories don't quite inspire the same hope (well, I guess that depends on your perspective), but I believe in balance. Jumping right in:



1. Michael Beasley has now been fined $50,000 for unspecified conduct during the rookie orientation program in which his fellow rookies, Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers already coughed up $20,000. I had heard rumors about his involvement but nothing was ever substantiated so I certainly wasn't going to write anything unless it seemed credible. (It's tough enough being in the public eye without people writing untruths about you and presenting it as fact.) But it seems something went down, and the punishment appears to be just that - punitive - since Beasley didn't cooperate with the investigation. Something else seems to be going on, though, since Beasley canned his agent last week, too. I'm sure we'll find out more about this shortly . . .


2. The WNBA playoffs have started. What? You didn't know they were in season? Maybe you couldn't find their tab on ESPN.com. It's kind of hard to find under "mixed martial arts." What happened to that big marketing push they started when Candace Parker came to the league? I haven't seen her or anyone else on TV since the night she was drafted. SportsCenter very rarely mentions the league unless a fight or other controversy occurs. Did they even compete in the Olympics? I'm going to tune in to the playoffs, though. I watched them last year and was quite entertained. I just wonder how long the NBA will continue funneling money to this league without doing more to promote it. It's like they don't want to end it and face criticism that they're being sexist, but on the other hand, they want to see it fail so they can say "I told you no one was into this." We'll see who wins.

3. Just a day after talking about both Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson (AP and LT, respectively), neither was able to practice today, and it's not clear they'll play this weekend . . .and the fantasy football bust just keeps moving . . .

4. Speaking of busts, the Detroit Lions have been "interviewing" several former high-profile running backs this week who are looking for jobs, including Cedric Benson (da Bears) and Shaun Alexander (Seahawks), among others. The Lions claim that they aren't hiring immediately and are only window shopping in case of injuries. Sure, I buy that. Now, they probably have a greater need at just about every other position, so more RB's may not make sense, but the Lions are at (or past, depending on whom you ask) the point of no return, so I say anything is better than stagnancy. Whoever gets his luggage lifted first has been signed.


5. Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez and his (now former) wife Cynthia reached an amicable settlement of their divorce proceedings. No dirt and public mud-slinging? That's definitely a first, especially considering how the events surrounding their divorce were splashed across the New York dailies for the better part of a month until she finally decided to file. So this relatively quick settlement can only mean one of two things: 1) the prenuptial agreement was air tight, fair to both parties, and contained no terms which could be disputed by either of their lawyers . . . or 2) whatever he's trying to hide is worse than we imagined. I know, I know, this is a tough one.

Have a great weekend!

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

Why does there always seem to be a camera around when ignorance is present? Or do cameras bring out the ignorance in people?

I'm going to go with the former on this one just based on the past history of the Dallas Mavericks star Josh Howard. Howard was attending a charity football game put on by Allen Iverson and friends. Some kid (is he famous?) was going around with his camera talking to participants in the game. While the national anthem was being sung nearby, Howard exclaimed to the camera "'The Star-Spangled Banner' is going on right now. I don't even celebrate that ****. I'm black ********." He then added "Obama '08. Obama and all that ****."

Apparently, Howard doesn't know or doesn't care that if you're on video, whatever is said or done on the video may come back to haunt you (see: Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian/Ray J. . . R Kelly). Heck, not only will the video probably be seen by other people, it may even end up on this totally obscure website that posts videos, which people might be able to find on another seldom used search engine. And if all that happens, and you're an athlete, chances are you will end up on a sports channel of some type, which might post said video on its also fairly unpopular website.

I'm positive that all of these things weren't going through Howard's head when he decided to let loose, but I was hoping that maybe just one of these sunk in at some time prior so he didn't have to think when the camera turned his way. The one thing that is clear from this video is that thinking probably did not occur.

I'm not posting his video here because I don't like the content (the whole video, not just the few seconds featuring Howard), but you can find it on the Internets somewhere.

Now, Josh Howard clearly has some issues. Among other things, he has admitted to occasionally smoking weed (apparently some Nittany Lions do, too), and didn't want to play for the U.S. Olympic team because he said it "conflicted with his summer training camps." Since guys way better than him can do it, he really could have kept that one.

I don't even understand what his comments are supposed to mean, to be honest. What I do understand is that he probably thought he was being funny and had no clue (at the time) how ignorant he may have sounded to others. And most importantly, I don't think he considered that the video might end up on the Internet. Apparently, it was a cell phone camera, so that's not so far-fetched, I guess. It has actually been up for almost two months but apparently no one got wind of it until the past day or so.

Had Howard been aware of the import of his statements, he would know that every comment made by one black person reflects on the group as a whole. If you think I'm making this up, check out the comments on ESPN.com's article on this story. Of course, all black people are not unpatriotic, so he was speaking for himself and not anyone else. Unfortunately, he's just feeding into what some people already think ... the same people jumped on Michelle Obama for her alleged lack of patriotism when she said she was proud of her country for the first time. Yes, there are plenty of legitimate reasons why some black people might not feel patriotic, but Howard wasn't speaking on any deep level. He was just being irreverent.

Mark Cuban's attempt to remedy the the situation fell flat, in my opinion:

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, according to The Dallas Morning News, that the team dealt with Howard at the time of the incident. He added that the team has a plan in place to address the issue at training camp.

"That said, we will be going through some advanced communication skill sessions together this training camp," Cuban said Tuesday. "I have explained to him that cell phone cameras are not your friend and that what you think you said on camera is never what people will hear when it shows up on YouTube or TV."

"Advanced communication skill sessions"? For what? Let him keep his butt on the court. (Although I do agree with the last part - cameras are not your friend). Howard just needs to keep his mouth shut and make sure he knows/trusts the people who get to see him in "laid back" mode. Period. Clearly, what we heard on the video is Howard's normal way of speaking and though he may have been joking, there's probably some truth to the statement he made (to him). His words and thoughts are not going to change with any "sessions." He appears to not have known this guy who filmed him, and I say that because if he did, then he probably would not have posted this video. There are pictures and video of celebrities and athletes on regular people's cameras right this second, but most people who want to continue to befriend celebrities/athletes don't publish the images if they want to remain in with the "in-crowd." Such was not the case here, and Howard ended up the loser. Hopefully, he has learned that he can't just "keep it real" with everyone he encounters.

The ESPN folks on Outside the Lines went a little far, as I don't think he's going to be dismissed from the Mavericks for acting a fool, nor should he be fined, even if he has a history of cutting up. What's the basis for the fine? Being unpatriotic? Disparaging Obama? Cursing? Using the "n" word? I'm not a fan of fining people for words they say, especially if they are unrelated to the body that is doing the fining. Any fine here would be for an "image violation." Aww. And they worked so hard to on it . . .

Two Quickies: Kenny George; The Replacement Players

Last college basketball season, I wrote about a player named Kenny George from UNC-Asheville. At 7'7" and in possession of the top field goal percentage in the NCAA, you'd think he had it made, but his size seems to get in the way of him living a normal life. This is a guy whose dad has to drive across the country to pick him up from school because he can't fit on an airplane. And I felt a tinge of sadness watching him play, mainly because he seemed to be in pain. Although I'm sure he loves basketball, there's an air of exploitation surrounding him. I'm not suggesting that UNC-Asheville is necessarily the culprit, but it's just an uneasy feeling I get.

Well, now it looks like he's going to miss the entire upcoming season. George is currently laid up in a Chicago hospital following two surgeries due to a foot infection, and his coach says that he's probably not going to even attend school this semester, which sucks because this is his senior year. (Although he could possibly have another year of eligibility if his injury is non-sports related. I actually had an extra year of sports eligibility when I started law school. . . but God denied my petition for 28 hours in a day.) Hopefully, he will be able to at least return to graduate even if he can't play . . . something tells me that even if he takes the year off, he has a good shot at being picked up by an NBA team who wants to take a chance on him. While I don't think his body will handle too many years in the league, though, I do hope he gets a shot - for his own sake and no one else's . . .


The latest episode of "Pull the Plug on the QB," features the Minnesota Viking's Tarvaris Jackson. Vikings coach Brad Childress announced Wednesday that Jackson will be riding the pine from here on out until further notice. In his place will be 15-year veteran Gus Frerotte - aka the poster child for "one time a bride, usually a bridesmaid." He made a name for himself with the Washington Redskins where he made the Pro Bowl in 1996 (12 years ago) but was perhaps even more famous in our nation's capital for spraining his neck during a touchdown celebration (but at least he scored, DeSean) and ending up in the hospital.

Only two weeks in and the coach is shaking things up. Childress clearly doesn't like what he sees and apparently neither do the fans as they vocally expressed their disapproval of Jackson's playing during the last game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Vikings have certainly woefully underperformed in their first two games, but I'm not sure anyone on the team was expecting this move, not even the two men who are swapping jobs. Right now, Jackson has barely 300 yards in his two starts - Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb both had about that on Monday night. Which doesn't have to be a bad thing (everyone can't be Romo and McNabb)...if you're still getting it done other ways. Oh, there's the problem: Despite Adrian Peterson rushing for 160 yards, the Vikings never scored a touchdown in Sunday's game against the Colts. Childress probably thinks, like many folks, that if you've got a player like AP, who's still performing at AP-level (i.e., LT - I know, the toe, but 2007 counts, too) you ought to be winning, or at the very least, scoring.

Frerotte has had a very, very (very) long time to become a premier QB in this league, and if it hasn't happened in 14 years, I don't see 15 being the charm, so we'll see how long this lasts. But, boy oh boy, life is tough for a starting QB, isn't it? We're just two games in, and this season has already changed at least one institution: fantasy football. All those "draft the best QB first" owners will definitely be re-thinking that strategy next year . . .

Show Me Some Skin

Some things I've been musing over the past few days:

1. Chris Cooley, tight end for the Washington Redskins, has his own blog which is apparently pretty decent. Cooley had a game this Sunday but wanted to do a post before his game, so he hurriedly posted a picture of what he thought was just his play book. Unfortunately, in his haste, he included a little too much "fore red skin" (why did I just see that PTI stole my joke??). So not only did Cooley catch flak from his coach for posting a page from the play book, but now we all know . . . a little too much about him. Hopefully he has learned that a 2" x 2" digital camera screen is short on detail (no pun intended). You can click here to see the picture, but I'd wait until you get home because it's definitely NSFW (not safe for work). I would have put this up for MYSM next week, but most of you wouldn't be smiling . . . Cooley apologized for the exposure, but I feel like we deserve some kind of an explanation for the conduct itself. (Update: And here it is). Hilarious.
   
   
2. The NFL referee who botched the call that let the Denver Broncos back in (and eventually win) their game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday has received a downgrade from the NFL for his mistake. They say this means he could receive less pay or even be terminated when he comes up for review. Gee whiz. Ed Hochuli is a veteran ref who made a really bad call - accidentally, not purposely. Bad calls happen, but it's not like he wasn't working within the rules nor was he trying to ruin the game. I'm happy to see his brethren rallying around him in his hour of need. Had his call come at a less pivotal point in the game, then obviously his mistake wouldn't have mattered as much. So, yeah, he blew it, and yeah, it sucks for the San Diego Chargers, but as Norv Turner said, the score will always be 39-38. Let's move on.
   
   
3. Baltimore Ravens QB Troy Smith has been cleared to work out following a severe case of tonsilitis that cause him to lose 20 pounds. The Ravens doctor added, however, that he was never critically ill and his health was never in danger. He's still on antibiotics and will likely need his tonsils removed, but probably won't have the procedure until the end of the season. Wow, all that from tonsilitis? I had tonsilitis when I was a babe (as in young, not "hot"), but I can't imagine it being that bad. I'd say losing 20 pounds when you're sick is sufficiently serious even if he wasn't "critically ill." Poor guy. To go from Heisman Trophy winner to having to compete for a starting QB spot has to be a tough transition over a two-year span. Although there are a lot of great things about being a professional athlete, the fact that it can all be over in an instant is definitely not one of them. Here's hoping he surpasses the expectations of this latest batch of naysayers.

4. Speaking of competing for a starting spot, the Tennessee Titans have decided to stick with the veteran Kerry Collins as their QB, potentially even after Vince Young is able to return. Coach Jeff Fisher says he'll stick with Collins as long as the Titans keep winning. I can't say that I blame him, and maybe this will be actually be good for Young, giving him more time to collect his thoughts. (With every day that goes by, I am increasingly happy that I don't have a fantasy football team this year . . .)

5. You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned O.J. Simspon's Las Vegas trial at all. That's because I'm just really not interested anymore (although I expressly reserve the right to blog about this if something interesting happens). As I've said in previous posts on Mr. Simpson, it's probably about time the Juice got squeezed, but with folks like this testifying for the prosecution, (and check out this other great court performance) one can't be too sure. For some reason, I have a feeling he'll be cleared again, but whether he does time or doesn't, he has already been punished. Living on the outside knowing that everyone believes you've killed your wife and won't have anything to do with you because of it is prison - only you never get to leave. I know lawyers aren't taught to believe this, but the courtroom is not the only place where justice is served.
   

6. Monday Night Football scored a ratings coup for cable TV with its Cowboys vs. Eagles showing taking the crown as the top-watched cable program of all time. Of course, they could have had bigger ratings if they were on network TV so those who can't afford cable could have watched it, but that's of no import to the Not Free League. A story for another day . . .
   

Hype Can Be Good . . . Premature Celebration, Bad

It's not too often that events live up to their hype. But two did, in almost as many days. First, Tina Fey's spot-on impression of Sarah Palin. She really ought to get an Emmy for that.

Second, but only because it occurred later, was Monday Night Football. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles definitely earned their spot as one of the premier games of the week.

(Sorry to interrupt but as I'm typing this, I'm watching the post-game show and is it just me or is something fishy with Steve Young's hair? )

It had all the things you want to see in a football game: lots of offense, defense (when it really counted), long bombs, and some added perks for Eagles/Cowboys fans: Donovan McNabb playing and moving well, T.O. doing what T.O. does best - scoring, and Brian Westbrook having a good game. Before you ask, yes, I can and do like both teams. It was a shootout in the first half with both teams racking up almost 60 points - I've definitely seen basketball games with less scoring - which slowed down considerably in the second half, to the Cowboys advantage. Ended up a squeaker with the Cowboys eventually winning by four. I don't know what that was McNabb and the Eagles tried to do in their last two plays of the game, so I'll just chalk that up to good defense by the Cowboys. Overall, it was quite the entertaining outing. So entertaining that they only mentioned Jessica Simpson once, and that was to remark that they hadn't talked about her.

I'll let you check out ESPN.com for the rest of the game round-up because I want to focus here on two events from this game: 1) Tony Romo's fumble and 2) Desean Jackson's "letdown" (aka "do that again and you WILL be gently reminded what city you play in").

First, Romo. Is someone putting baby oil on the footballs these days? (Don't answer that) What's with all the QB fumbles? The hurricanes don't usually make their way to the Irving/Dallas area so I don't think it was the rain. This particular Romo fumble happened near a very bad place - the Cowboys' end zone - which resulted in a touchdown for the Eagles. And just like the Eagles last few plays of the game, I can't really tell what Romo thought he was going to do here.


I can tell you what he was NOT trying to do, and that was go for the ball. I couldn't see it that well in real-time, but if you have DVR, please watch the replay (again) of this one. Not only did he not try to recover the ball, he actually leapt in the total opposite direction (this picture is a second too early to get the effect), no doubt trying not to end up like many other quarterbacks this season ... not playing. Romo made the right decision in not sacrificing himself for one touchdown...even if he made a terrible one in trying to make a play out of no play just seconds before. I just found myself amused watching the slo mo of him leaping clear out of the screen. Had the Cowboys not scored near the end again, no doubt this play would have gotten him a lot of flak. But they won, so it didn't. And once again, winning covers up a multitude of sins.

On to #2. While this game was filled with things you like to see, it also had one glaring thing we all hate to see.

DeSean ("Michael") Jackson, there ought to be some type of award for what you did. For those who didn't catch it, Mr. Jackson, the Eagles rookie wide receiver, caught one of those long bombs from Donovan McNabb. He then proceeded to fool us - and himself - into thinking he was going to score, but just as he was setting foot into hallowed land, he threw the ball away. No, really. He tossed it behind him, into the field, as he crossed into the end zone. Believing he had scored, he spontaneously broke into dance (quite a confident dance for a rookie, I might add).

Well, all that changed in a matter of seconds when it became increasingly clear (after a replay or two) that Jackson had celebrated too early. After a challenge by the Cowboys, sure enough, the refs decided he had indeed not scored. Since there was no camera to catch the side view because of the long throw, it was hard to tell exactly where he broke the plane of the end zone. But he deserved to have the TD taken away for that mess. Thank goodness he only lightly discarded it so that the Eagles ended up with the ball on the ene yard line.

I was incredulous that someone in the NFL would actually put more thought into their post-score dance than they did into actually scoring. I still am. I'd rather refer to someone's actions than call them names (notice the MNF folks called it a "bonehead play" rather than calling Jackson a bonehead) so I'll just stick with that may be one of the most ridiculous plays I've ever seen in my life. I actually can't think of a worse careless error. Only the timing could have been worse, worsened still had the Eagles not eventually scored. Even attempting and missing a 360 dunk on a fast break comes in a distant second.

I was already shaking my head when those ESPN researchers tracked down the video of Jackson doing a forward flip just short of the end zone in an All-American high school football game. That actually made me laugh out loud when I saw it, and again just now while typing this. So he behaved ridiculously once, and now he has done it twice. For Jackson's own good, I'm hoping that the third time is not a charm. Eagles fans have ZERO tolerance for antics like that, and anyone seen in or around the stadium/arena is fair game. I was at that All-Star game when they booed Destiny's Child's entire performance because one of them had on a Lakers jersey. (And if any of those fans also have Jackson on their fantasy teams. . . )

So if you're at Wawa, Jackson, and suddenly get struck in the back of the head with a hoagie, don't say I didn't warn you.

MYSM: Mascot Fail

By now, the regulars know I have an affinity for mascot bloopers, but I'll let you be the judge of funny.

Happy Monday!

PnC Is Ready For Some FOOTBALL!

What a weekend. Camp Obama (which will be sending me to a battleground near you!). The Sarah Palin interview with Charlie Gibson. Tina Fey knocking her impression of Palin out of the park on Saturday Night Live . . .



Michael Phelps, uh, hosting SNL . . .

And sports. Where should we start?
I'll go in order (sorta) of occurrence:

So I was all excited for my first planned real college football viewing of the season, featuring Ohio State and USC, and I have to say I was pretty disappointed. It wasn't much of a contest from what I saw, so I got into conversation with a friend during much of it . . . unless someone was getting hit - hard! Well, I don't think this game will affect the Trojans because you can't get much higher than #1, but it wasn't entirely clear where Ohio State would rank because they lost to #1. Maybe they're #2 . . . maybe not. Maybe #13. I've seen the 100,000 comments from OSU fans on ESPN.com so I'm not trying to get hate comments from those who stumbled on this page from Google, but even they have to admit that was fairly unwatchable. This was on the premier national stage, so I'm sure the glare hurt worse, but they found a disappointed bedfellow in . . .

Michigan vs. Notre Dame. All you need to know is that the Wolverines had 7 fumbles, 6 turnovers, which resulted in 3 touchdowns for Notre Dame. Yes, it was mucky and nasty, as it was in a lot of parts of the country on Saturday, but they were both playing in the same conditions. It's funny (not "haha") that this used to be a huge rivalry, even outside of South Bend and Ann Arbor. I was just thinking yesterday that these programs aren't really relevant anymore except to their students and alum. Allegedly, they're both rebuilding (the Fightin' Irish
perhaps moreso than the waning Wolverines). But how long is that going to take?

Freak accident at the game: Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis had both his MCL and ACL torn when his defensive end crashed into him on the sidelines following a block. I always wondered if people ever got seriously injured standing that close, and now I know. Not as much outcry about this as there was for Tom Brady. I think it was a dirty hit. . .Unlike that weakling Brady who decided to succumb to the knife*, Weis says he's going to forego surgery (for now) so he can remain in the danger zone they call the sidelines, proving there's no "i" in coach, either . . .

Pro football. I like to end on a good note so let's start with the Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers. Not a good week for the State of Michigan (in sports, anyway -- the Tigers just lost a doubleheader, too, to the Chicago White Sox). Unfortunately, being a Michigan team wasn't the only similarity the Lions had to the Wolverines. After coming back against the Packers in the second half, and going up 25-24 late in the game, the Lions -- or should I say Jon Kitna -- threw 3 interceptions in the last 5 minutes of the game. Even better, the three interceptions came in about 3 minutes - no, I'm not kidding. Two straight weeks facing young (or un-tested) QB's in Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers, and two straight bad losses. But they still manage to sell out every week. I might compare this to the phenomenon of voting for the same regime and expecting a different result . . . but I digress.

Speaking of Brett Favre, or teams that used to feature him, the NY Jets game against the New England Patriots was supposed to be very interesting a week ago. Brett vs. Tom, like an early Christmas gift. Alas, it didn't pan out that way, and to be honest, this game was ho-hum at best. I tried to watch it in real-time, and failed, then tried to DVR it, and couldn't get through it again. As not-interesting as it was, the Patriots are 2-0, and Matt Cassel has now started and won his first game since high school. I wonder when they'll start the predictions about them matching the '72 Miami Dolphins . . .

Interesting ending to the Denver Broncos game vs. the San Diego Chargers. End result is two last second losses and an 0-2 record for the Chargers. With about a minute or so left in the game, down by 8 points, around the 10 yard line, Broncos QB Jay Cutler clearly fumbles the ball (he'd already dropped it once a few minutes earlier), and the Chargers recovered it. But the ref blew the whistle (I couldn't hear it but he confessed to it) which deaded the ball at the 10 yard line. Saved by the whistle. Then Cutler threw a TD to WR ER (Eddie Royal), which meant the Broncos were only down by one. Then, I saw the unbelievable - really, even the other Broncos were surprised. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and Cutler call for a two-point conversion for the win, at home, rather than just going for the extra point, which would have tied the game. In basketball, sometimes they'll go for the 3-pointer for the win rather than the two-point field goal if they have a better look at the former. But in football, since the extra point is pretty much a given, and every single game is so precious (as Chargers coach Norv Turner's post-game interview so aptly "alluded"), going for the conversion is pretty risky. But they went for it, and they converted it, with another pass from Cutler to Royal. The commentators alternated between Shanahan was "playing with the house's money" (i.e., they pressed their luck after they'd already lucked up with the bad call) and that the coach was showing his confidence in his team, more specifically, in Cutler. I agree. Whether they converted or didn't, knowing coach would bet the house on you has to do good things to the self-esteem. Smart man. All I know is that Shanahan has instantly earned my respect, because if they don't convert that, the secret service may have needed to return to Mile High Stadium to get him out of there. Or maybe the fans are nicer in Denver than they are in the rest of the country. Either way, people would have been pissed. . .but they won, so they're not (and to anyone who regularly bets for/against the Broncos, now you know). This just proves yet again that the only difference between a bad idea and a good idea is whether it worked. Kudos to Cutler, again, for keeping the party going under the circumstances. . .

Eli Manning and the NY Giants beat the St. Louis Rams. zzzzz. Which leads me to the real point of this post . . .


BRING ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!






*Severe sarcasm, in case you're new here.

Running Into the Weekend

Is it just me or is this the longest week ever? I feel like I've been going to work for a week straight already, and it's not even Friday yet.

Funny stuff out there today. This won't exactly be a run-down, but I am going to jump around a little bit.

First, Shaquille O'Neal is quite the character. Today, he played Nostradamus, informing the public that he will cease to be a professional basketball player in "735 days." He says he's going into law enforcement. There is only one word for this: awesome. Hopefully, he'll be a beat cop for a little while so someone can give him his own reality show. (I would DVR that, too.) Personally, I'd like to see him become a lawyer. He certainly has a way with people, and they love him even when he's openly dissing Kobe Bryant (T.O.: take note). This bodes well for his ability to sway a jury . . . but says nothing about his ability to rap. I hope he retires from rapping in 735 days, too . . . or sooner. I mean that in the nicest way possible . . .

Vince Young took to the cameras to re-affirm that he's OK and that there's nothing to worry about. I, for one, didn't believe you'd lost your love for the game, as some have charged. But I'm going to have to agree with the PTI guys here, Vince. Mama and coach don't just jump in the fray and call the police over nothing. People are hating on you and will continue to hate on you until you right the ship, but don't let them get you down. Keep fighting the good fight. You can do it . . .


I'm going to give this college football thing a try so I can see what all the fuss is about, starting with Ohio State's game vs. USC. It's not like I've never watched a whole game, it just didn't really factor into my family's sports viewing habits so I only really watched it if someone I knew was playing or a bowl game. I'm kind of mad that it's looking like I won't get to see this guy Chris "Beanie" Wells play, which means I may have to watch Ohio State play again at some point when he's finally back (which may help my viewership). 2,500 comments about one guy's injury on ESPN.com? Clearly, I'm missing something . . .


Speaking of Ohio, folks there are peeved with its native son, LeBron James, for his affinity for sports teams located outside of its borders. (Warning: I'm actually supporting him here. I think I'm getting soft in my old age.) He's a fan of the NY Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bulls - all teams that have enjoyed tremendous success in their respective sports, particularly while James was growing up. It seems like he's just like half of the country in his preferences, even picking up on "America's team" in the Yankees and Cowboys. I don't really see anything wrong with that. While it may seem hard to understand how a man can root against the home team when he has lived there his whole life, I know plenty of people who have done it. My guess is popular teams gain the most fans they're winning, and the most successful teams tend to keep those fans even if they start losing. But, come on, it's LeBron James. He likes winners because he strongly identifies with what they do . . . win, which is more than can be said for most of the teams in Ohio (pro, not college, of course). Sure, it probably stung the Cleveland Browns to see him donning a Yankees cap, blue and silver tee, and saying what's up to his boys on the Dallas Cowboys sideline, but I think they should just be happy he's still playing in Cleveland . . . for now . . .

Speaking of Cowboys, Tony Romo made a stop on his way home from Cleveland last Sunday night to help a couple change a flat tire. The couple said that 100 cars drove by before someone stopped to help them. And he'd just gotten over a dozen stitches in his chin. I think it's great that he stopped, which I know most people (including me - not at night!) wouldn't have done, and clearly didn't do here. But I'm most happy that he knows how to change a tire. I had wrongly assumed my whole life that all men knew how to do this until a few months ago. This is one area where equality isn't so important . . .


Rounding up with football, Ricky Williams proved that you can negotiate your own contract when he re-upped with the Miami Dolphins, all by himself, with no agent (Look ma, no hands!). I don't know how well he negotiated it, but if anyone can, he can. I think some of his past actions have caused people to underestimate how intelligent he really is. I'm encouraged to see veterans taking control of their own decision-making. Most lawyers/agents may not like what I'm going to say, but I look at it like this: if you've gone to trial 5 times for the exact same offense, you could probably do a pretty decent job defending yourself on the 6th one. Just a thought . . .


Have a great weekend!

Timeout for T.O.

Every time Terrell Owens opens his mouth, I cringe. I don't care if he's talking about his charity (does he have one? Hopefully he does), you just never know what he might say. Scratch that. You know what he's going to say, you just don't know who he's going to offend.

This time the target was Donovan McNabb - again - in anticipation of the Dallas Cowboys Monday meeting against the Philadelphia Eagles (Can't wait for that one!) Choice excerpts:

"I will say that Donovan made me a better receiver in Philadelphia, but I think Donovan would have a hard time admitting I made him a better quarterback," he said.

Owens also suggested their problems were the result of McNabb being insecure about Owens' popularity surpassing that of the quarterback, saying, "I remember being in that stadium and hearing them chanting my name, and that couldn't bode well for Donovan."

Owens said he has a unique relationship with the Cowboys' Tony Romo because the quarterback "gets me" in a way none of the others ever did.

Owens also said he honestly does not believe what happened in Philly was his fault.

Owens says in many ways he still feels like a kid from a small town in Alabama with something to prove.

When asked about how it seemed Philly dominated the NFC East when he was an Eagle, much as the Cowboys are doing now, Owens suggested it was largely because he had changed teams. "The common denominator was me being in both places, but I will let you make that assessment," he said.

Part of me says this is just showmanship, talking trash to get more hype for the game. But the tone of his words are just . . . ugly. There's a way to hype up the game without taking multiple shots directly at McNabb. Just once, I wish he would take the high road. What happened to that note he left on his locker that time? Bring that back.

Let me be clear. I like T.O. I just recalled that I won autographed pictures of him and McNabb at an auction once. He is clearly talented, one of the best receivers, and is always entertaining, but he has to be hurting himself in the endorsement area (and likely elsewhere) because his personality is just not that likable. People say "he may be an a****** but at least he keeps it real." Maybe it's good that he feels he can be himself, but when "yourself"is mean-spirited and holds a grudge for years on end, perhaps you ought to think about being someone else for a change.

Just Running

So it turns out I really do need sleep. And today was one of the least exciting sports days that I can recall. That can only mean one thing:

1. Kobe Bryant is taking it like a man (what does that really mean?) and is deciding to forego pinkie surgery. Coincidentally, several people I know who've played basketball have really fmessed up pinkie fingers that they never got fixed. It may not look pretty, but as long as his pinkie can support the ball, he'll probably be OK. I always knew he was tough.

2. San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith looks like he's out for the year with a broken shoulder. (This was not supposed to be an injury report, I swear). And it looks like he's thrown his last pass for the 49ers - for good. He came in with high hopes, and ended up . . . injured. I recall a certain someone from my fantasy team (who may or may not read this blog) who had him on their team and ended up regretting it. It sounds like another case of a guy with an injury that needs time being forced to come back before he's ready. And unfortunately, the person who pays the worst price is always the athlete. Check out this article by Jemele Hill, where she virtually composes an open-letter to Shawne Merriman asking him to stop playing. (Turns out he didn't have a choice.) And as an added injury-bonus, DJ Gallo from Page 2 explains why Matt Cassel's better than Tom Brady. Funny stuff.

3. I caught the tail end of the L.A. Angels/N.Y. Yankees game on ESPN. The Angels clinched the AL West with the win, the first team to have a solid spot in October. I also caught the familiar champagne bath after the game. I thought about how it was funny to see a team celebrating like that just for making the playoffs, but I guess the season's so long and the playoffs only include a few teams so it's a bigger deal than in other sports. But who knows. Baseball has so many "traditions" that it's hard to keep track sometimes . . . I may have mentioned here that I used to turn on baseball games to take naps, and I actually fell asleep during the game tonight, but maybe it was just a Pavlov's dog reaction. I can fully admit I'm more ho-hum than usual because no team I care about has been in contention. This fight between Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Torii Hunter did pique my interest. Just a bit. Actually, the fact that Derek Jeter passed Babe Ruth's Yankees record for most hits also interests me. As you saw a few days ago, I'm skeptical of any accolades received when the playing field fails to include everyone who could beat you. Congrats, Jeter.

4. Continuing the theme, allegedly, there's this like, really big college football game on Saturday featuring USC v. Ohio State - the #1 and #5 ranked teams in the country, respectively. I haven't been much of a college football fan but I think I may watch this one. That is, if I have energy after Camp Obama . . . if not, DVR will have to come through in the clutch. Have I mentioned how much I love DVR yet? Or how happy I am that I never gave Comcast my money for this service?

5. #3 and #4 above made me realize now that I need to expand my sports horizons so I have more to write in these run-downs (I rarely run out of material for the longer posts, I just run out of time!) Since football's primarily a Sunday event, there just isn't much action to keep my attention on the weekdays. . . until the NBA starts up. Jessica Simpson/Tony Romo stories just don't do it for me - although the "Yoko Romo" tag was amusing.

6. I know it's usually five, but just as I was about to wrap this up, I turned on vh1 to check out Luke's Parental Advisory. When I turned it on, I wasn't sure which "Luke" they were referring to (Luke Jensen got a reality show?) but then I saw that Uncle Luke aka Doo Doo Brown, former fearless leader of 2 Live Crew, has his own show. In the two minutes I saw, I caught the following: Luke and his fiancee, Kristin, appear to be getting married soon, so they are sitting with someone talking about potential videographers. The other guy tells Uncle Luke about a few and notes that one of them shoots "pornos." Luke, naturally, says he wants this guy. Why? Because he is "good at close ups" and "taking tight shots" (and as Luke later tells us, "You know he can get the money shot.") When Kristin protests, this other guy says he's siding with the bride on this one. She actually seems like a classy lady. Further proof that love really is blind.