Sunday Rundown

I've been MIA for a while, but not without good reason. My dad told me I should get to the point on here and no one wants to hear about how tired I am. Ha. Well, I don't tell you because you care, I tell you because I want you to know why I've slacked off! Work, work, and more work . . . but I'm not complaining at all because I'm thankful that I even have a job, much less one that I enjoy doing. But I digress.

Nice, full day of good football games. The Dallas Cowboys just barely held on for the win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but a win's a win, I guess. Just ask the Detroit Lions, who got close (again) but couldn't seal the deal against the Washington Redskins. Nice to see that they're still putting in an effort. Nicer to see Roy Williams doing what he should be doing and wasn't doing in Detroit - scoring. He couldn't do that for the Lions but he got that chance on Sunday in the Cowboys game. Hopefully, as long as the Cowboys keep winning, he won't fuss too much, but let's see how many more TD's Williams can catch before T.O. raises a ruckus.

The Philadelphia Eagles, and more specifically, Brian Westbrook, looked pretty good against the surprising Atlanta Falcons. Coming off an injury and rushing for nearly 175 yards is deserving of the top performer of the week award, I'd say.

The NFL crossed the pond again for the New Orleans Saints vs. San Diego Chargers game in London on Sunday. Last year, I noted that it was a mucky mess, so this year had nowhere to go but up. This year, the fans actually got to see some offense. Even LaDainian Tomlinson broke out of his season and almost-a-half long funk to step up his game. Perhaps I'm just a cynic, but I can't help but think that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell put in a call to the Saints and Chargers and asked them to go easy on the defense? If you're a fantasy football player (which, thankfully, this year I am not), you might want to take that into account for the Europe game every year. I also thought it was kind of cute (yes, I am a female) how one team (the Saints) was designated the "home team," and the fans waved Saints pennants and cheered loudly. A small touch but maybe just enough to make these guys not sulk so much about "having to" be the ones to make the ocean-jump mid-season.

More and more, it's looking like the "Terrible Three" (aka, the Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Rams) might just be the Terrible Two. For the past few weeks, the Rams have looked like they really are interested in winning some games. Even the Lions are still making an effort. The Bengals, however, appear to have just given up. They don't get as much press for their terrible performance (they're now a perfect 0-8), perhaps because they don't have the legacy of losing of the Lions nor have they fallen from the ranks like the Rams, or maybe just because it's Cincinnati. And now that it looks like Carson Palmer is done for the rest of the season, the Bengals (who have been done for a long time aready) just never be mentioned again . . . unless, maybe, Ocho Cinco gets an 85 tattooed across his forehead.

Speaking of not-achieving (a step worse than underachieving, which implies that you are actually capable of achieving in the first place), the San Francisco 49ers, on the heels of firing their coach Mike Nolan last week, still looked a mess. Only everyone's not just going to roll over and die. New coach Mike Singletary has only been on the sidelines one game but already he's fed up and is not going to take it anymore. He sent underachieving (yes, he's capable) tight end Vernon Davis to the showers early, and benched his other major (in more than one way) underachiever, quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan. You have to watch the video of Singletary getting in Davis' face. Singletary's post-game interview definitely teetered on the edge of "rant" status - which makes him worthy of MYSM-status. Thanks, Mike.

You gotta love a man who's not afraid to go in and shake things up right from the start. I'm a firm believer that good things happen when you make a clean break from the status quo rather than gradually trying to turn things around. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this one shakes out . . . loving even more that we're not counting up black NFL coaches.

Monday Night Football should also be a good one, with Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts meeting the undefeated Tennessee Titans. Although, the Colts even record of wins and losses accurately reflects the likelihood that this game will be as good as it should be.

Yee-Ha!

Two of today's top stories came from the world of football - specifically, the Dallas Cowboys. Although there are a lot of topics worth running to (i.e., boxer Vitali Klitschko using his son's wet diapers to keep down hand-swelling, John Madden taking a seat, Eddy Curry taking a seat and busting an exercise ball, etc.), I decided to be a one-story-woman.

The first story is a toss up between Adam "Pacman" Jones getting suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after not being disciplined by the Dallas Cowboys AND Roy Williams getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys, joining another Roy Williams. Either way it involves the Cowboys so I'll just pick one.



So it looks like Pacman may have used up his 9 lives with the NFL. How many guys keep getting this many chances to act right, though? This is a guy who, when the Dallas Cowboys got him in a trade from the Tennessee Titans, they included a clause to move up draft pick received by the Cowboys if he got suspended during this season. I completely disagree with the suggestion from the sports commentators that he somehow would deserve more of a chance, or would be worth the risk, if he were contributing more on the field this season. That's the thinking that got Pacman and his last two teams in trouble in the first place. If he's not learning right from wrong despite the number of chances he has been given then he just doesn't deserve anymore chances. Period.

The funny thing is that, normally, I'm not a fan of teams or leagues hanging a guy out to dry when they've tolerated his behavior all along the way, but that's not the situation that Pacman is in. He has been given chances - repeatedly - and he isn't making any progress. Maybe they're not getting him the right help (it sounds like he may have a drinking problem), but he has to do work on his part, too. The hardest thing for people who "care" (I use that term loosely) about people to realize is that some people just cannot be helped. All you can do is make the effort, but if you've done all you can and they don't respond, then you have to let them go. I don't want to say it's too late for him, nor can I say for sure that everyone has done all they can, but at the very, very least, he needs some time outside of the game to get his mind right before anyone gives him anymore chances. I know the Cowboys tried to keep him insulated and surrounded by good people, but it doesn't look like he changed on the inside. This reminds me of a fable my dad used to tell me:

A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on his back across a river. "Are you mad?" exclaimed the turtle. "You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown." "My dear turtle," laughed the scorpion, "if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you. Now where is the logic in that?" "You're right!" cried the turtle. "Hop on!" The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle resignedly said: "Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there'd be no logic in your stinging me. Why did you do it?" "It has nothing to do with logic," the drowning scorpion sadly replied. "It's just my character."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Pacman Jones, in a nutshell. Yes, a person is certainly capable of changing, but if he doesn't go through a serious character metamorphosis, this is a lost cause. The next team who dares take a chance on him may last a little while without incident, but they're only playing with fire. There are too many other talented players out there who would be able to appreciate the shot Pacman's been given.

So to any team who insists on even considering bringing Pacman Jones to town (assuming Goodell allows him to come back), please do yourself (and your fans) and him a favor and make him go through counseling for at least a year without playing (and without any incidents of any kind) . . . or just let him go.


Enough of that. On to the Roy L. Williams trade (not to be confused with Roy E. Williams, who was already a member of the Cowboys). People said this was a bad move by the Lions and the Cowboys. (Even worse than that move by QB Dan Orlovsky when he got a safety for attempting to extend the end zone past it's legal limits, and then the Lions lost the game by exactly two points? Doubtful.) Again, I'm going to have to disagree. This is a GREAT move by the Lions, probably the best seen since the Barry Sanders days.

The Lions picked up a future 1st, 3rd, and 6th round pick in the 2009 draft and got rid of a guy who couldn't wait to go. I imagine Williams feels a little bit like that one hostage who gets released. Who wouldn't want to get out of that miserable muck? I bet even Matt Millen has been sleeping soundly since he got the boot.

Most importantly, though, this gives the Lions another chance to blow it all up and start over, which is exactly what they need to do. If I were the Lions GM, I'd totally gut the team. Everyone. Every last player, starting with the ones who have been there the longest. I don't want anyone there who remembers what it was like to lose so terribly so many times, at least not until they've spent some time knowing what it's like to win somewhere else. The human mind is too powerful to ignore the psychological effect of being in a losing locker room for so many seasons.

From the Cowboys perspective, Williams may have been a Pro Bowler once upon a time, but he's not putting up Pro Bowl numbers these days (in his defense, he played for the Lions, which needs no explanation). So it remains to be seen how he'll fit in with T.O., who is said to be "ecstatic" with the trade. The only way T.O. is ecstatic is if he gets to catch the ball more often. And if Williams can draw some of the heat away from T.O., that leaves the latter open to catch more passes. Now I get it . . .

Let's just hope Tony Romo comes back before the season gets too far away from them . . . speaking of which, I'm now questioning Romo's allegiance after hearing about college football player Trevor Wikre, who opted to cut his off to avoid season-ending surgery. This is high on my list of most disturbing things I've ever heard.

Yes, That's A Lion Delivering Your Pizza.. No, They Aren't That Bad Again.

The problem with the internet is that any comments that appear on it can and will spread like wildfire. Not only will they spread, but because they are being read, people will assume that the tone used to make the comments is the one that best fits either a) your actual personality, or b) the personality that people imagine you might have. I think it's safe to assume the latter. And no matter what, sarcasm does not translate well in print.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Roy Williams learned this lesson the hard way, and now he's delivering pizzas because of it. A few weeks ago, Williams was on AM radio in Detroit, where he answered several unrelated questions. Because it's AM radio, only a few people probably actually heard this interview when it took place. This was a recipe for disaster. Here are some choice morsels from that interview:

• On being cheap: I am cheap, I’m a cheap date. Get you some McDonalds, with some cheese on it and I’m just really cheap, man. I’m very low key, I like to stay home. I like to go bowling on Monday nights and I go to the casino every once and awhile. Other than that, you won’t see Mr. Williams out at all.

• On what he plays at the casino: I’m a craps and blackjack guy. I like to throw the dice a little bit. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll take it to the cards.

• You do tip the pizza guy? There’s no such thing as a tip. But I am really polite and I say ‘Thank you sir.’ … The pizza man knows, when he comes to my address, he’s coming for free.

• If you’re on a date and she wants to go to a nice place, what do you do? I might just take her to the casino and get her a free buffet. If I did take a date out to a nice place, I’d take her to a nice place, like a Red Lobster or something. It wouldn’t be Morton’s or nothing like that.

Now, I am sure that he was joking, at least partially. He might well be cheap, but maybe not to this unabashed degree. Others were not so amused, per these posts following his comments:

And you probably NEVER get good pizza , Roy. Totally classless not to tip the pizza guy. An embarrassment to us all. They see your order at the pizza shop, nobody wants to make it or deliver to old cheapass Roy.

If you actually ever worked , instead of getting Alumni payoffs & handouts , you would tip , Roy. Guaranteed "unwanted extras" that you have been eating over the years. That was not an olive you just swallowed. That mushroom was extra juicy, wasnt it. I have lost almost all the respect I had for you Roy. No more defending your incredibly cheap backside to the legions that think you are vastly OVERRATED.

The best part is that the pizza shop probably has always charged you an extra buck or two because they know you dont tip. My son works at a pizza place and delivers some. That is exactly what they do to those very ,very few people who are too full of themselves to tip. So you tip whether you like it or not. The jokes on you. Grow up and think about someone other than your incredibly selfish "all pro" self. And two hands on that ball at ALL TIMES, "all star".

Hope you dont get injured and blow all your cash. You may have a hard time even getting a pizza delivery job with that unused cranial matter.

And your dates ??? None of them like you for you. That free casino buffett
shows so little class or respect. But one of them will certainly play the game (better than you play the game) , convince you she 'loves" you, has a few lil ones...divorces your ultra cheap immature backside, takes 1/2 of what you got ( which is a lot , considering you dont spend) and gets immense child support.

Just a free "tip" . Dont go out, go through fast food. Mickey D's is your destiny.

And one more, just because I want you to see how serious people took his comments:

It's all about how you were raised and sometimes someone has to TEACH you. However, people like Roy... It's really dispicable. You can afford it, you know about it, and you don't do it. It will come back to him, probably in the form of an unwanted topping on his pizza.

As far as dates, it's not news that most pro-athletes have little to no respect for women. Often the disrespect is well-deserved because men will only do what women let them get away with. If these women are so excited to be with a pro athlete that they are happy with going to Coney Island, then that is what they will get - a 99 cent double cheeseburger and I'm sure he'll throw in the STD for free.

Ok, one more:

I worked at a pizza place for years in college and he shouldn't be so smug about not tipping. I bet he gets a "special sauce" on his pizza. My advice to Roy, if he wants to get pizza without other's DNA - order deliveries several nights in a row, and after giving a large tip, throw them away. Get your reputation back and then you'll get good pies.Good advice for us all.

Clearly, the moral of the story is that if you don't tip the pizza guy, he's going to reward you by sharing a special part of himself. So if I understand these comments, people are outraged at Williams not tipping, but the pizza man releasing in your pizza is OK.

I know things are rough in Detroit's economy but, come on, people, lighten up! He was clearly pulling your legs.

Not satisfied with the first round of backlash, Williams returned to AM radio to, among other things, set the record straight. From AOL Sports Fanhouse:

Well, we have good news and bad news. The bad news, ladies, is that Williams doesn't seem intent on changing his habits when he goes out to dinner. But the good news is that Williams now says he has seen the error of his ways when it comes to ordering pizza, and it all started when he pulled up next to a pizza delivery guy at a red light:

"And guess who pulls up next to me?" Williams said. "Pizza Hut man. I roll my window down and I say, 'Pizza dude, how much am I supposed to tip you?' He said, 'Three, four maybe five dollars.' ... So I'm going to start tipping the pizza man."

On the flip side, Williams also risks an NFL fine every game by giving the fans the football after he scores a touchdown. I really think the man doesn't know how to turn it off. His sense of humor is dry, and he never reveals his hand. Cool for him, bad for PR.

But PR to the rescue. On Tuesday, Williams will be an honorary pizza delivery man for a metro Detroit area (read: he will NOT actually be within the city limits of Detroit) Pizza Hut from 4 to 6 pm. He is personally donating to the World Food program, including any tip he receives.

Well, at least your pizza is in pretty good hands. And he probably won't take it out on you (or the pizza) if he doesn't get a tip.