Here are my two quick tangents for the week...
First, sweet sweet revenge. Aaron Boone injured his ACL by playing basketball this week, possibly ending his 2004 season and / or voiding his sweet new contract from the Yankees. Gee, I'm all teary-eyed...
Secondly, I've been applying for many openings with local newspapers and TV stations trying to break into professional sports writing. But you know what I've found? No one will hire you without experience, and you can't get experience without getting hired. Talk about a Catch22. Ugh.
OK, back to what matters. So obviously the news this week is, what else, The Big Game (I'm going to refrain from using the correct term simply because I feel like it). So what's left to be said about the game? I know, I know. It's all been done. Nothing else could possibly be said that hasn't already been talked about. Unfortunately, I don't have the means to travel to Houston and do an on-site type of story, so I am stuck writing what I can based solely on what I know off hand. So here's what I know:
1) The Patriots and Panthers are both dominant forces on one side of the ball, and mediocre, at best, on the other side. And luckily for us, the faithful TV viewers, the side that both teams are strongest on is defense. So we can expect to watch a nice boring 12-9 or so game. I wouldn't be surprised if the only touchdowns scored were on defense or special teams.
2) Tom Brady is either going to establish himself as on of the best playoff QB's ever, or get knocked off the pedestal that every reporter in America has put him on. Think about it, Brady has never lost a playoff game. He threw his first career postseason INT last week, a garbage pass in the fourth quarter that got picked in the end zone. The guy is good, period. But no one is giving him any kind of respect. I know, it's cliché. He's the most recognizable player on either team, just a step ahead of He Hate Me. It's kind of like the Marlins in baseball, they've never lost a playoff series, yet they get no respect when it comes to playoff time. Give the man his due.
3) This may end up being the first time in my memory that the National Anthem ceremony is more anticipated than either the Halftime Show or even the game itself. Beyonce is singing the Anthem, and she's getting more publicity for it than just about any other aspect of the entire day. Oughta be interesting.
Well, enough with the facts. I'll be spending my Sunday in Connecticut with a couple of friends. Foxwoods is holding a nice Super Bowl buffet-style dinner with 4-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion Ken Stabler, who I am looking forward to meeting. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to seeing his Super Bowl ring, which I really hope he has with him. Only seen one up close once, from the Packers in '96. Knew a guy whose daughter worked for the team and she gave him her ring.
Anyway, I'll be in Connecticut for the game, watching on some of the biggest screens I've ever seen. I'm talking like movie screens here. Should be awesome. I'll try and get the pictures from the Shula Dinner up here soon, and if we get pictures on Sunday, I'll have those too.
So what have we forgotten. Let's see... big football game, casino, ah yes, the pick. I'm 7-3 for the postseason, not bad for a fist year handicapper. Just wish I hadn't pulled out my money after the first round. Cost myself at least a grand. Speaking of handicappers, I met a guy at a blackjack table last week who had done quite well with the Pats. It seems he made a couple of real ballsy bets, like taking New England, Carolina, and the Philly/Carolina under. Made about $25,000, in one day. Needless to say, he decided to reward himself by going to the game this week. Lucky bastard.
So here's my pick, use it as you will...
PATRIOTS (-7) over Panthers: Yep, you guessed it. I'm sticking with my boys and taking them all the way to the Lombardi trophy. If not for McNabb's injury I would have predicted this game back in August. Oh well, guess I'll just have to take it as is. Here's how it's gonna go. The Patriots will probably manufacture about 4 good drives all game, but the Panthers won't muster much more than one or two, until garbage time. Jake Delhomme will show his inexperience after he is forced to make plays because there is no question Bill Belichick and Romeo Crennel will find a way to shut down Stephen Davis. Tom Brady will do just enough to win, no turnovers, maybe a sack or two, probably one TD pass. There are only two things that scare me about this game. First, Carolina's defense. They're great, and I respect Brady and Charlie Weis, but the Panthers' D-line is really fast, almost akin to the Bucs last year. Secondly, special teams. If this comes down to a field position game, Carolina has probably the best punter in the game right now, while New England has, undoubtedly, the worst. Hell, I can punt a football 35 yards; Ken Walter is only getting 35+ if he really booms one. Who knows, maybe he'll break out of it. God I hope so.
I really believe that the Pats will take home their second trophy in three years. And I've heard from some of my friends about the question I posed last Sunday as to whether or not the Pats are a dynasty. I can see where you guys are coming from when you say they're not a dynasty yet, especially because they've made their run with essentially interchangeable players. But 2 titles in 3 years, and 3 trips to the Big Game in 8 years has got to count for something.
Predictions:
Final Score: Pats 27 - Cats 13
MVP: Kevin Faulk
I'll explain this next time, whether or not I'm right.
And just think, if you're not into football, only 22 days until pitchers and catchers report....
Ah yes. This is that glorious week in January when I have nothing to write about. I'm still engulfed in football, so I haven't paid much attention to the NBA or NHL (although the fights between the Bruins and Rangers over the past week have been most entertaining). Yet the NFL is on hiatus until "The Big Game" (I can't say the real name, because the NFL claims trademark infringement).
Alas, that leaves naught but college basketball to fill the void. Sure there's plenty of media coverage in the NFL right now, but nothing is going to happen until next week, so who cares until then? Besides, I'm on a college basketball binge right now.
You see, I'm running my first annual NCAA Tournament Fantasy Pick'em Contest. I'm running it with friends, and if you want the info on it, contact me. But enough self-promotion. NCAA basketball, to me, really is the purest form of basketball. The kids who play in college actually care about the game. They're not playing for contracts (yet), they're not playing for stats, they're playing for school pride.
I still enjoy watching NBA highlights, but I really can't stand an entire game. Especially not games like the one ABC decided to nationally televise last weekend. C'mon, who wasn't riveted by that Minnesota/Houston game, a game that was 45-26... AT THE HALF. 26 POINTS AT THE HALF?!?!? With one of the top five players in the league on your team? They only had two players score in the entire first quarter, Garnett and Spreewell.
I realize I'm rambling a bit here. But it's 1AM and I just realized how much I love NCAA basketball. And I love it for two reasons. First, like I said, it's the purest form of the game, a point where untapped talent can still be molded by some of the best coaching minds in history. Second, it fills the gaping hole between The Big Game and Opening Day of baseball. But that's secondary. For two months, I truly follow and love college basketball, and I believe that most of America does as well.
We all have our favorite teams. Before I went to college, I loved Duke, Michigan, and UMASS (The Camby years). Now, before you call me a fair-weather fan or a sellout, realize that I live in an area that had little college basketball success during my youth. Michigan is a team that I've always loved; I've followed them in basketball, football, and hockey for many years now. Duke, well I think Coach K is absolutely brilliant, and certainly one of the best basketball minds ever. As for UMASS, well I only started following college sports in 7th grade, when I started thinking about college. Those were the years that UMASS and Kentucky took rivalry to new levels, both running off unbeaten streaks that stretched almost to the tourney itself.
That's why we all love NCAA basketball. it doesn't matter who the players are, it's only team pride. Off the top of your head, tell me which colleges Shaq, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen and Vince Carter all went to.... I can, because I remember watching them in school. Without looking it up, I can tell you it was LSU, Wake Forest, Georgetown, UCONN and UNC. And I remember watching every one of those teams play their hearts out and win. And every one of them played for a high quality program with a hell of a coach (John Thompson, Dean Smith, etc.)
I don't know, maybe I'm not convincing you. I know I've got plenty of friends that say they won't even try to follow college sports because they can't deal with player turnover. Duly noted point. But if you're trying to follow players, you're missing the point. College basketball is about College. It's about 18-22 year old kids going nuts, making noise, and drinking their asses off to cheer on their team. It's not about some first-round point guard saying that he's not getting the playing time he deserves.
Come February 2nd, I'll be in NCAA mode. I'll be scouting teams, I'll be figuring out who looks good, and I'll be cheering on my boys at Michigan and Duke. And you should be too.
Eh, what the hell... SUPER BOWL.
Can we just call the Patriots a dynasty right now? This will be their third Super Bowl in seven years, second in the last three (Take that Jets fans, and by "Jets fans", I of course mean my buddy Vinny "The Chin").
But it's not just the fact that they're going to the big one. Every fan in New England has truly opened their hearts to this team. Had they lost today's game, no one would have faulted them for it. The Patriots always look like they're having fun, and the fans get to truly enjoy every moment of every game because the players are enjoying every moment of every game. We've all had a hell of a ride, and there's just one stop left.
When the Pats win, it's kinda like everyone is validated for another week. We all wish and hope so much for the team to do well, so that we can claim "I was a fan when...". Each win brings us closer to our ultimate goal of claiming membership in a championship fan club. More importantly, it brings every fan closer to every other fan. In New York, fans pelted players on both teams with snowballs. In New England, they gleefully threw them into the air in celebration of big plays. Every fan is turned back into a 10-year old kid idealogically and innoccently rooting for their favorite team or player every Sunday afternoon. And with this team, with this group of guys, we really feel like we, as fans, have accomplished something with them. We all know, no one likes to lose. And what this Pats team has done since late September has really lifted the city of Boston and all of New England to new heights.
The 2001 edition of the Patriots were special and unique to that time. They were the underdogs. No one gave them any respect. They were always fighting for their collective lives. Remember, two weeks into that season, 9/11 shocked everyone. I'm not about to truly compare a football season to a terrorist attack that took over 5000 innocent lives and its aftermath. But the Patriots' season from that point on really was a metaphor for the entire country at that time, at least for me.
Remember that in the first game back from the tragedy, the Pats played their bitter rivals the Jets at home, and were stunned when they lost their franchise player, their star QB, with a vicious hit that really came out of nowhere. Enter a much more innocent, untested player by the name of Tom Brady. He burst onto the scene as a complete unknown, and he left it on top of the football world, as a Super Bowl Champion and MVP. The whole season after Drew Bledsoe went down was of coming from behind, picking themselves up by their bootstraps and fighting through it all.
But this year's team, well they had expectations all season long. Last year was a disappointing year, a year when they were exposed, and perhaps a little complacent after their stunning Super Bowl win, much like the Buccaneers were this year.
Aside from the surprise release of Lawyer Milloy, there really haven't been too many times when, going into a game, Pats fans were worried. Nothing phases the team or their fans. In fact, the Redskins game was given away by the Pats more than it was lost. No real reason why the Patriots elected to go for it on 4th down rather than kick a game-tying field goal well within Viniateri's range. That may have been the only time that Patriots fans were disappointed by their team. But that was then.
Since late September, every game the Patriots play in they are expected to win. Or at least keep it close. I'm watching the NFC championship game right now, and I can't see any reason for the Pats to not be at least 6 point favorites come gameday. This team has found a place in every New Englander's heart. It took the anguish of Game 7 and wiped it clear to the back of everyone's memory. Honestly, before I just said Game 7, when was the last time you thought about it?
This Patriots team, win or lose, has done more for this region than any team before them. Now, with one more showing like today's, we'll all be winners, if only in team spirit.
Alright, last week's column delved a little into my moral and ethical side. That's enough of that.
Last week, I had the pleasure of going to a sit down dinner with Sr. PGA golfer Jim Thorpe, much like the Don Shula dinner a couple of months back. On the Super Bowl, I'm going back to meet Ken Stabler at a buffet with more square feet of TV screens than I can even imagine. I'll bring the camera, I promise.
The Jim Thorpe dinner was nice, I was quite happy to meet him, and two of his special guests, Ernie DiGregorio of PC Friars and Boston Celtics fame, and "El Tiante", Luis Tiant, a man that I rank among the top five pitchers to ever wear a Boston Red Sox uniform (more on that later).
Thorpe was leading the dinner in order to promote his affiliation with Foxwoods' new golf course, which is absolutely spectacular, at least judging from the sketches. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture with any of the people at the dinner, but I was able to get autographs from Thorpe and Tiant, and even better, I got to play craps with Luis later that night.
Sometime soon, I will put up all of my sports stuff behind my bar at home, as soon as I get the bar itself.
As I was saying, I consider Luis Tiant to be one of the top five Red Sox pitchers ever, placing him behind Cy Young, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, and Curt Schilling. I realize that Schilling hasn't thrown a pitch yet, but I'm ranking these guys on career achievements. Even Tiant wasn't a lifelong Red Sox player. Neither are Pedro or Clemens.
As for the All-Time great Sox players, well, it's quite a list. I'm going to try and rank my top players at each position, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do it justice. My knowledge of older players isn't what it used to be, especially since I haven't been able to talk baseball with one of my friends, The Irvdawg, for so long. Seriously, he watches more classic sports than every other person I've ever met, combined. As for my list, here goes:
P: Cy Young - No brainer, hell, the award that defines all other pitchers yearly is named for him. 'Nuff said.
C: Carlton Fisk - Pudge (the original) Did it better than anyone else ever behind the plate. Although Mike Piazza is beginning to catch up to him, and Pudge II, Ivan Rodriguez, will go down as the best pitcher ever, better than Fisk, Piazza, Bench, Campanella any of them.
1B: Not a whole big crew to choose from here, but I have to choose Mo Vaughn. He meant a lot not only to the team, but the community as a whole. He won the AL MVP playing with the Red Sox, and had they paid more attention to him over Bernie Williams in his free agent season, he probably would have finished his career with Boston. Although that would have caused a serious kink in the plan to get Pedro, Schilling, etc. I can't consider Yaz at first; he'll always be synonymous with the Monster.
2B: Again, not many dominant second baseman in Red Sox history, but I'll take Jody Reed, if only because I got to watch him play while I was growing up, and I remember him and Marty Barrett sharing time at second, but Reed was far superior. He was solid defensively, and while he may not have added much with the bat, not many in that position do. I'd like to include Bobby Doerr, but he was too far before my time.
SS: Gee, wonder who I'm going to take here. Nomar by a landslide, although If I was a bit older, I would have to give Johnny Pesky a lot more consideration. Nomar will eventually go down as one of the best shortstops ever, behind Ripken, A-Rod, Ozzie Smith and perhaps a couple of others, but he will probably be one of the top 10 shortstops ever.
3B: Wade Boggs - Narrowly inches out Jimmy Foxx, but Wade Boggs just dominated his position in the 80's. How many batting titles did this guy win in his career? No hitter used the Monster better during Boggs' time with the Sox. Such a shame he went to the Yanks to get his ring. And who can forget his memorable 3000th hit as a member of the (yikes!) Devil Rays?! Well, when he deservedly gets into the Hall, he'll have a big "B" on his head.
OF - Ted Williams, Carl Yastrezmski, and Dwight Evans - The first two are absolutely unquestionable, but Evans took a little work. I'd love to put Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Ellis Burks, or even Manny Ramirez in this slot, but damn Dewey was good. I'd venture a guess that if he were playing in his prime today, he'd be competing for the batting title every year, and he'd be mentioned in the same sentence as Ichiro, Vlad, and Jose Guillen for the best arm in baseball. When he was in his prime, you just didn't hit a ball at Dewey unless you wanted to stand at first base for awhile.
So that's it. That's my top Sox team of all time. If we wanted to add closers, I'd put in Eckersley, Lee Smith and Jeff Reardon, all three of whom held the All-Time saves lead at one time or another in their careers. As for my starting rotation, it's above. I suppose we could include some guy named Ruth as a spot starter or a DH....
FOOTBALL
Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm on a roll in the playoffs, and I really wish I'd still been playing this past week. I'll take a 3-1 week anytime. I'm 6-2 for the playoffs, with three games remaining. This week is looking pretty tough though, especially with only two games. Man, I'm gonna be bored until baseball starts again. Might even have to start writing about hock... Anyway, this week's picks.
EAGLES (-4) over Panthers: Both teams won in OT last week, and both had some serious drama leading up to their wins. I mean 4th and 26?! What the hell is that? Well, I picked Philly in the beginning; I'm picking them in the end. But if they don't figure out how to stop the run, and fast, this game could get out of hand.
PATRIOTS (-3) over Colts: I've got a bad feeling about this game. Peyton Manning is playing like a man possessed, but I think the Pats, and Bill Belichick in particular can figure out a way to stop him. They're going to have to disguise their defenses a lot though, or else Manning will change the play to match the scheme, and he'll pass all over them. BEWARE THE BIG-PLAY... Still think the Pats win and cover though. So, like I said in August, Pats/Eagles in Houston.
See you next week....
Pete Rose is a complete and total farce. But he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Let that sink in for a minute.
There are plenty of people in the Hall of Fame whose personal lives weren't really exemplary as a model citizen. Babe Ruth was a womanizer and alcoholic. Ty Cobb was a notorious racist and might have even been a murderer. But neither of them bet on baseball, that we know of.
Pete Rose just admitted it.
I watched the Rose interview last night on ABC. For the most part, I was sympathetic to Rose, until he began denying things left and right again. He admitted he gambled. He admitted he gambled on Reds games. But he denied that he did it from the clubhouse, or that many of the betting slips used as evidence against him were actually his.
So is he still lying? Or is he just trying to cover his tracks until he's in the Hall, and then come totally clean?
The whole interview reminded me of an episode of The Simpsons (which was on in local syndication last night, ironically, about three hours before the interview) in which Homer denounces his faith, then states "And if I'm wrong, I'll just recant on my death bed".
That seems to me to be exactly what Pete did. He denied his gambling for 14 years. Then, on his proverbial death bed for Hall enshrinement, only 2 elections before he could no longer be voted in by the Baseball Writers of America, he decided to recant and ask for forgiveness. It's a slimy way to do it, but it just might work.
Consider the aforementioned other slimy players who are in the Hall. Ruth and Cobb are considered among the greatest players of all time. Rose has more hits than either of them, Cobb is second. Rose also has more at-bats than anyone in history, Yaz, another Hall-of-Famer, is second. Rose has played in more games in which his team won than any other player ever. He's a proven winner, and for that he deserves entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
But the betting. And the lying. In this past year, we saw a sure first ballot hall entry get suspended eight games for corking his bat. Yet because Sammy Sosa was so beloved by baseball fans, he was essentially given a skate. Sure, people might question his records, but he'll still get in the Hall on his first try. And do you know why? Because he admitted it, he apologized, and he was sincere.
Pete Rose denied it, lied about it, never offered any type of remorse, until he published a book and made a ton of cash off his story.
I still believe that players should be granted Hall entry based on what they do during their time as players. Rose didn't bet until he became a manager, or at least no one can prove that he did before then. For his sheer talent as a player, he deserves entry. But he should never be given the chance to manage again, at any level. There would just be too much controversy. Can you imagine the first time he made a questionable call? Every reporter in the country would assume he was betting on the opponent.
Pete Rose is a farce and a liar. But he's also a Hall - of - Famer.
OK, that's the ethical portion of today's column. Now football.
3-1 last week, making me 3-1 for the playoffs. Ah, I love good first weeks. And if not for the stupid Seahawks actually playing hard in Green Bay, I'd have been a whole lot happier. And wealthier.
Still, I made my money for the season, and have since pulled all of my cash out of the betting pool for the rest of the year. I'll be back next season.
This week's picks go like this:
Panthers (+7) over RAMS: Very simple concept here, a good defense will almost always stop a good offense. And the Rams are only a good offense, no longer great. The Panthers can stop the run, and Marc Bulger hasn't been exactly stellar as of late. If he is forced to start throwing all over the field, the Rams will be in trouble. Plus, the game is indoors, and while the Rams are built for turf speed, the Panthers have a ton of speed and ability on their front lines. This is going to be a great game.
PATRIOTS (-6) over Titans: I love Steve McNair, and I love my Patriots. So this game is hard for me. Well, it was hard, until I realized that it was going to be 0 degrees during the game, with a wind chill of -10 to -15. Let me tell you from experience, leg injuries, like McNair's, don't feel real good in the cold. He's a gamer, but Bill Belichick is the best coach in the NFL right now, and as he's shown in the past, when he has time to plan an entire game scheme around one player, he's pretty damn good.
Colts (+3) over CHIEFS: The Chiefs really limped into the postseason, and the late-season game against the Vikings really exposed their defense. Peyton, Marvin, and Edge will all have big days. There is not a better quarterback in the NFL right now than Peyton Manning when it comes to dissecting a defense. He comes to the line and just torches people with his audibles. If the Chiefs can show one package and play another, they might have a chance for a few cheap picks, but I still think Edge should be able to take off against the weak, at best, KC run defense. Second rule of football, a great offense will almost always destroy a meager defense.
Packers (+5.5) over EAGLES: Another team that just can't stop the run against another team with a marquee running back and a masterful QB. No one would ever question Brett Favre's ability, but if the Packers even want a chance to win this game, they need to take Ahman Green and run him about 35 times, and just hope that he doesn't fumble six of those times. Like I said last week, the Packers have a little something extra on their side this year, and not just that, but they look like they're having fun again. Besides, the game time temperature in Philly should be in the low to mid teens, which will seem like a heat wave compared to Green Bay, or Foxboro.
Don't look now, but the Eagles are beatable. That would certainly mess with my Philly/NE Super Bowl XXXVIII prediction, but we'll have to wait and see.
On a personal note, I will be spending tonight with Sr. PGA player Jim Thorpe, at a dinner much like the one with Coach Shula. And for the Super Bowl, I will be dining with Football Legend and one of the best QB's of all time, The Snake, Ken Stabler. Oh yeah.
