All fans can really ask for in an NFL season's Week 17 is that it is meaningful in some way.
Partly, that's because your fantasy season is over and you have that much less reason to care. Partly, that's because most teams' seasons are virtually over (no playoffs) and you have that much less reason to care.
Instead:
*The AFC East is totally up for grabs.
*The AFC West is a bonafide playoff game.
*The Cowboys may or may not make the playoff field in the NFC.
*And the Lions could be the first NFL team to ever finish a season 0-16 -- reason enough for that to have been a "national" game.
(For that last one, I say: Embrace it, Lions fans. Immortality doesn't come easy in sports -- and in 10, 20, 30 years, you'll be proud to say you suffered through this season.)
CFB Bowling: Pat White is one of the great college QBs of the last 25 years. Not only is he the leading QB rusher, but he ended his career an unprecedented 4-0 in bowl games as a starting QB, including yesterday's win over UNC, in which he passed -- not ran -- for a career-high 332 yards. There can and should be an NFL career in White's future.
Meanwhile, speaking of NFL careers, how about Cal RB Jahvid Best, who set an Emerald Bowl record with 186 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Only a sophomore, he should head into 2009 as a candidate for 1st-team All-American (along with Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter and Pitt's LeSean McCoy) and looks like a future NFL 1st-round pick.
Finally, was Florida State better than everyone thought -- or was Wisconsin just that bad?
CBB: God, West Virginia just destroyed (previously unbeaten) Ohio State. At least by what we saw on TV, it seems like WVU should be the team ranked in the Top 20 and OSU should be unranked. Great day for West Virginia yesterday, wasn't it?... Meanwhile, Louisville needed to shake things up; Pitino did (benching starters, elevating young reserves) and the Cards got back on track vs. UAB.
NBA: Well, at least we know the Wizards are better than the Thunder -- sigh. In a battle for the NBA's worst, OKC proved themselves the best (Blake Griffin will make a huge difference)... 7 straight wins for the Magic... 41 for Joe Johnson in a Hawks win over the Bulls (JJ has to be an All-Star, right?)... Say this for the Grizzlies: At least they are competitive (loss to Spurs in 2OT), and I think that has everything to do with the arrival of OJ Mayo (29 pts)... More 2OT goodness: Rockets over Jazz (Ron-Ron: 28)...
Enjoy the last week of regular-season NFL, friends. If your team isn't going to the playoffs, it's a long offseason.
-- D.S.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday 12/27 (Very) Quickie
Well, Tom Brady proposed to Gisele. You can all sleep better now, because I know it was keeping you awake. For a guy who had a truly crappy 2008 - between losing in the Super Bowl to missing virtually all of the 2008 season -- he still managed to be one of the year's biggest winners, with this news. (Say, I wonder what kind of Christmas he had with his, um, baby son?)
Wow, what happened to the Celtics? It's like the win streak was all leading up to the Lakers game, then when they lost that, they lost a core motivation...
Randy Johnson signs with the Giants: 3 Cy winners in one rotation? You almost have to wonder when they're going to convince Greg Maddux to come out of retirement...
Florida Atlantic beats Central Michigan in the Motor City (aka "Bailout") Bowl: Name to know? FAU QB Rusty Smith, who we might see playing on Sundays.
(Speaking of QBs having good bowl performances, I was called out in the comments recently for not praising Jimmy Clausen -- I should have. He had a monster game. I could say that he was finally living up to the hype and that the bowl game should vault him to a monster season in '09, but he's still being coached by Charlie Weis, right? Also: Brady Quinn. Let's just remember that.)
Heat beat Bulls in post-Xmas hangover game: It was billed as Rose vs. Beasley, but Dwyane Wade (of course) stole the show. And if you had to pick out the most impressive rookie in the game, couldn't you make a case for Heat 2nd-round pick Mario "Superintendent" Chalmers? Without question, the steal of the draft, making plenty of GMs look foolish for passing on him.
T'wolves beat the Knicks: I actually watched a lot of this game (for some reason), and perhaps the Knicks should consider acquiring Sebastian Telfair, because he had a fantastic game in his MSG homecoming.
I also ended up watching some replay of the Isle of Palms high school hoops tournament, from earlier this week, and I happened to luck into seeing Austin Rivers (Doc's son, who was a very early verbal commitment to Florida) of Winter Park (Fla.) H.S., who scored 40-something en route to a tournament win. I also caught a bit of St. Patrick's (NJ) vs. Mater Dei (CA) -- two of the top teams in the country. I couldn't stay up for the whole thing, but St. Pat's looked very good. (They ended up losing to Mater Dei, which stakes its claim as the best team in the country.)
-- D.S.
Wow, what happened to the Celtics? It's like the win streak was all leading up to the Lakers game, then when they lost that, they lost a core motivation...
Randy Johnson signs with the Giants: 3 Cy winners in one rotation? You almost have to wonder when they're going to convince Greg Maddux to come out of retirement...
Florida Atlantic beats Central Michigan in the Motor City (aka "Bailout") Bowl: Name to know? FAU QB Rusty Smith, who we might see playing on Sundays.
(Speaking of QBs having good bowl performances, I was called out in the comments recently for not praising Jimmy Clausen -- I should have. He had a monster game. I could say that he was finally living up to the hype and that the bowl game should vault him to a monster season in '09, but he's still being coached by Charlie Weis, right? Also: Brady Quinn. Let's just remember that.)
Heat beat Bulls in post-Xmas hangover game: It was billed as Rose vs. Beasley, but Dwyane Wade (of course) stole the show. And if you had to pick out the most impressive rookie in the game, couldn't you make a case for Heat 2nd-round pick Mario "Superintendent" Chalmers? Without question, the steal of the draft, making plenty of GMs look foolish for passing on him.
T'wolves beat the Knicks: I actually watched a lot of this game (for some reason), and perhaps the Knicks should consider acquiring Sebastian Telfair, because he had a fantastic game in his MSG homecoming.
I also ended up watching some replay of the Isle of Palms high school hoops tournament, from earlier this week, and I happened to luck into seeing Austin Rivers (Doc's son, who was a very early verbal commitment to Florida) of Winter Park (Fla.) H.S., who scored 40-something en route to a tournament win. I also caught a bit of St. Patrick's (NJ) vs. Mater Dei (CA) -- two of the top teams in the country. I couldn't stay up for the whole thing, but St. Pat's looked very good. (They ended up losing to Mater Dei, which stakes its claim as the best team in the country.)
-- D.S.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Friday 12/26 (Very) Quickie
Well, that Celtics-Lakers game lived up to the hype. The atmosphere was crazy, Pau Gasol scored out of his mind down the stretch and the Lakers snapped the C's 19-game win streak.
Now, like all sports except college football, the win really didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, except symbolically -- that the Lakers ARE ready to challenge Boston for the NBA title.
Kobe's quote says it all: "It's our year." I'm betting that by June, the Celtics have something to say about that. (Will it all come down to who has home-court advantage in the Finals?)
Meanwhile, Suns-Spurs was the best game of the day -- that Roger Mason 3 was tremendous. As a Wiz fan, I am torn about Mason's success, knowing the Wiz could have kept him. (Their first indication they should have should have been that the Spurs wanted him at all.)
Speaking of the Wiz, they put out their standard effort: Great play for 3+ quarters, then folding late. This might have been the worst loss yet -- this was the Wizards' Finals game, the chance to ruin Christmas on national TV for LeBron and Co.
And the Wiz were up 7 in the final minutes, before allowing the Cavs to run off 11 straight in the final 90 seconds to win the game. Mo Williams (24 pts) put on a display why he was the Best Move of the Offseason in the NBA.
The Magic led off the day with a statement win: They throttled the Hornets, who seemed right away like they would have rather been at home celebrating the holiday than playing basketball. Even Chris Paul was shut down -- no steals for the first time forver, snapping his streak at 108.
As I mentioned, I was down in Orlando last Thursday/Friday, and in talking casually with a couple of fans down there, they expressed the feeling that if it wasn't for the amazing start by the Celtics (and Cavs), the Magic's start would be one of THE stories of the season. But it feels buried.
Bowling tonight: Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic. Ehhh...pass. Although I'm always up for a chance to watch CMU QB Dan LeFevour.
NBA Today: Bulls vs. Heat. Rose vs. Beasley. (More like Rose vs. Wade.) Oh, and please go to NBA.com and vote for Joe Alexander as the 4th contestant in the Dunk Contest.
MLB Hot Stove: Derek Lowe to the Mets happening or scuttled? Or just delayed? Does anyone really think he's the missing piece?
More later.
-- D.S.
Now, like all sports except college football, the win really didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, except symbolically -- that the Lakers ARE ready to challenge Boston for the NBA title.
Kobe's quote says it all: "It's our year." I'm betting that by June, the Celtics have something to say about that. (Will it all come down to who has home-court advantage in the Finals?)
Meanwhile, Suns-Spurs was the best game of the day -- that Roger Mason 3 was tremendous. As a Wiz fan, I am torn about Mason's success, knowing the Wiz could have kept him. (Their first indication they should have should have been that the Spurs wanted him at all.)
Speaking of the Wiz, they put out their standard effort: Great play for 3+ quarters, then folding late. This might have been the worst loss yet -- this was the Wizards' Finals game, the chance to ruin Christmas on national TV for LeBron and Co.
And the Wiz were up 7 in the final minutes, before allowing the Cavs to run off 11 straight in the final 90 seconds to win the game. Mo Williams (24 pts) put on a display why he was the Best Move of the Offseason in the NBA.
The Magic led off the day with a statement win: They throttled the Hornets, who seemed right away like they would have rather been at home celebrating the holiday than playing basketball. Even Chris Paul was shut down -- no steals for the first time forver, snapping his streak at 108.
As I mentioned, I was down in Orlando last Thursday/Friday, and in talking casually with a couple of fans down there, they expressed the feeling that if it wasn't for the amazing start by the Celtics (and Cavs), the Magic's start would be one of THE stories of the season. But it feels buried.
Bowling tonight: Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic. Ehhh...pass. Although I'm always up for a chance to watch CMU QB Dan LeFevour.
NBA Today: Bulls vs. Heat. Rose vs. Beasley. (More like Rose vs. Wade.) Oh, and please go to NBA.com and vote for Joe Alexander as the 4th contestant in the Dunk Contest.
MLB Hot Stove: Derek Lowe to the Mets happening or scuttled? Or just delayed? Does anyone really think he's the missing piece?
More later.
-- D.S.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Thursday 12/25 (Very Merry) Quickie
Merry Christmas, everyone. I am on my Nth viewing of "A Christmas Story"...
It's your average slow Christmas morning, but there are a couple of hot-button issues on the table:
(1) Yankees spend big, the 2nd-day revisionism: Was the big spend THAT bad? In fact, was it GOOD for baseball? It depends on how you see the Yankees. Do they say:
"WE are the Yankees." Or do they say:
"We are the YANKEES."
The former implies they are spending for spending's sake; the latter implies, as team prez Randy Levine argued yesterday, that the health of the Yankees is directly tied to the health of baseball. And that spending to make them a contender is good for all of baseball.
He's got a point: The Yankees draw a crowd on the road, boosting other teams' attendance. They drive TV ratings. They actually pay other teams to spend prolifically. Do the Brewers really want a salary cap when they earn so much money directly from the Yankees' spending?
And though the Yankees make a ton of money -- they spend it on the team. Not always wisely, but they spend it on putting out a competitive product. Because it's in the best interests of baseball. Not to CURB the Yankees' spending, but to embrace it.
And I say that as someone who hates the Yankees.
Staying in New York: We can all agree that Brett Favre's latest "Am I retiring or aren't I?" crap is wearying as ever. Let's hope that this season is his last -- although those of us who are Favre-haters are enjoying his INT-fueled implosion to end the season.
But even if he does retire this season, do you actually think that would be it? Or would he take a season (or even half a season) off, then make some sort of glorified "return" to the NFL? After all, he is still a "Pro Bowler" (cough...laughter...cough...)
(3) Notre Dame wins a bowl game...finally! And they won big. And they did it with Charlie Weis in the coaching box calling plays, rather than on the sidelines. And here's what we learned: Charlie Weis should stay up in the coaching box -- not as a head coach, but in his best role...as an offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, last night's win will silence the doubters... at least until he returns to the sidelines and his ill-fitting role as college head coach. (ND is very lucky they were playing Hawaii, with that porous defense.)
(4) Christmas Day in the NBA, as I have said all week, is the NBA's biggest day of the year. They own sports on TV today. And they loaded it up with an incredible slate of games: Chris Paul vs. Dwight Howard; Shaq, Amare and Nash vs. Duncan, Parker and the Spurs; Lakers-Celtics (of course... even a casual NBA fan will likely tune in for that one, especially given the Celtics' insane winning streak); and ending with Cavs-Wiz, where LeBron Worship will reach new levels when the entire arena throws chalk up in the air before the game, in the offputtingly messianic style that LeBron showcases before every game -- here's a prediction: FAIL.
(Oh: Anyone else see the irony of Steve Francis traded from the Rockets to the Grizzlies? I wonder how Stevie Franchise's career would have gone if he had just stayed with the Grizzlies when they originally drafted him?)
More later.
-- D.S.
It's your average slow Christmas morning, but there are a couple of hot-button issues on the table:
(1) Yankees spend big, the 2nd-day revisionism: Was the big spend THAT bad? In fact, was it GOOD for baseball? It depends on how you see the Yankees. Do they say:
"WE are the Yankees." Or do they say:
"We are the YANKEES."
The former implies they are spending for spending's sake; the latter implies, as team prez Randy Levine argued yesterday, that the health of the Yankees is directly tied to the health of baseball. And that spending to make them a contender is good for all of baseball.
He's got a point: The Yankees draw a crowd on the road, boosting other teams' attendance. They drive TV ratings. They actually pay other teams to spend prolifically. Do the Brewers really want a salary cap when they earn so much money directly from the Yankees' spending?
And though the Yankees make a ton of money -- they spend it on the team. Not always wisely, but they spend it on putting out a competitive product. Because it's in the best interests of baseball. Not to CURB the Yankees' spending, but to embrace it.
And I say that as someone who hates the Yankees.
Staying in New York: We can all agree that Brett Favre's latest "Am I retiring or aren't I?" crap is wearying as ever. Let's hope that this season is his last -- although those of us who are Favre-haters are enjoying his INT-fueled implosion to end the season.
But even if he does retire this season, do you actually think that would be it? Or would he take a season (or even half a season) off, then make some sort of glorified "return" to the NFL? After all, he is still a "Pro Bowler" (cough...laughter...cough...)
(3) Notre Dame wins a bowl game...finally! And they won big. And they did it with Charlie Weis in the coaching box calling plays, rather than on the sidelines. And here's what we learned: Charlie Weis should stay up in the coaching box -- not as a head coach, but in his best role...as an offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, last night's win will silence the doubters... at least until he returns to the sidelines and his ill-fitting role as college head coach. (ND is very lucky they were playing Hawaii, with that porous defense.)
(4) Christmas Day in the NBA, as I have said all week, is the NBA's biggest day of the year. They own sports on TV today. And they loaded it up with an incredible slate of games: Chris Paul vs. Dwight Howard; Shaq, Amare and Nash vs. Duncan, Parker and the Spurs; Lakers-Celtics (of course... even a casual NBA fan will likely tune in for that one, especially given the Celtics' insane winning streak); and ending with Cavs-Wiz, where LeBron Worship will reach new levels when the entire arena throws chalk up in the air before the game, in the offputtingly messianic style that LeBron showcases before every game -- here's a prediction: FAIL.
(Oh: Anyone else see the irony of Steve Francis traded from the Rockets to the Grizzlies? I wonder how Stevie Franchise's career would have gone if he had just stayed with the Grizzlies when they originally drafted him?)
More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
List: My Top Sports Books of 2008
Just in time for the holidays, it's time for my annual year-end Best Sports Books of the Year list.
Here is what I know: This may or may not turn out to be the best year ever for sports bloggers publishing books, but it was certainly the best and biggest of the Internet Era so far.
The apex of sports blogging -- arguably -- in 2007 yielded a couple of very high-profile book deals; we finally saw those books published in 2008, and they delivered:
God Save The Fan (Will Leitch): Coda of the most influential sports writer of the decade. (Out in paperback next month.)
Men With Balls (Drew Magary): Bawdy and brilliant, just like KSK and his other online work.
The Macrophenomenal NBA Almanac (Free Darko): The essays are typically terrific, but the real genius is in the book's design.
(And John Gasaway and Ken Pomeroy joined the esteemed "Prospectus" annual rotation with their insightful "College Basketball Prospectus" season preview.)
That's not to say there weren't several notable books produced by "mainstream sports media's" finest:
A Few Seconds of Panic (Stefan Fatsis): My favorite "traditional" book of the year, this was a gripping, fascinating read about a guy like you or me in the NFL -- or, more specifically, at its margins.
Big Book of Baseball Legends (Rob Neyer): The latest in Neyer's "Big Book" series, it might be my favorite and his most accessible. Rob is the original online sports columnist -- I was torn by his recent admission into the Baseball Writers Association of America.
I'm sure there were others. And, for one more year, my own book goes unpublished. (I know I've got it in me! Ahh: Maybe '09.)
Put any recommendations of your own in the Comments.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Wow, how could I forget Tom Farrey's remarkable and provocative "Game On!" Loved that book, by my longtime friend and ESPN colleague.
Here is what I know: This may or may not turn out to be the best year ever for sports bloggers publishing books, but it was certainly the best and biggest of the Internet Era so far.
The apex of sports blogging -- arguably -- in 2007 yielded a couple of very high-profile book deals; we finally saw those books published in 2008, and they delivered:
God Save The Fan (Will Leitch): Coda of the most influential sports writer of the decade. (Out in paperback next month.)
Men With Balls (Drew Magary): Bawdy and brilliant, just like KSK and his other online work.
The Macrophenomenal NBA Almanac (Free Darko): The essays are typically terrific, but the real genius is in the book's design.
(And John Gasaway and Ken Pomeroy joined the esteemed "Prospectus" annual rotation with their insightful "College Basketball Prospectus" season preview.)
That's not to say there weren't several notable books produced by "mainstream sports media's" finest:
A Few Seconds of Panic (Stefan Fatsis): My favorite "traditional" book of the year, this was a gripping, fascinating read about a guy like you or me in the NFL -- or, more specifically, at its margins.
Big Book of Baseball Legends (Rob Neyer): The latest in Neyer's "Big Book" series, it might be my favorite and his most accessible. Rob is the original online sports columnist -- I was torn by his recent admission into the Baseball Writers Association of America.
I'm sure there were others. And, for one more year, my own book goes unpublished. (I know I've got it in me! Ahh: Maybe '09.)
Put any recommendations of your own in the Comments.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Wow, how could I forget Tom Farrey's remarkable and provocative "Game On!" Loved that book, by my longtime friend and ESPN colleague.
Wednesday 12/24 A.M. Quickie:
Teixeira, TCU, Portland St, Celtics, Plax
UPDATE: I cannot believe I missed Festivus yesterday. I hang my head in shame. Add it to your "Airing of Grievances" about me from this past year that I'm sure happened yesterday.
I have been using this line for months. Now, for the last time, because at this point the phrase has been stretched -- by the Yankees -- to its bleeding edge of reason:
What recession?
The Yankees are making a mockery that we're in a recession/depression/whatever-it-is. I think Hal and Hank Steinbrenner should be named co-Secretaries of Treasury, because they obviously know something that we don't, and it involves massive spending:
It is the Yankees' own version of an economic stimulus package.
One non-playoff season and the team goes absolutely crazy: $140M for Sabathia. $85M for Burnett. Now $180M for Teixeira.
Overreaction much? What happened to last season's plan to implement financial restraint?
Instead, the Yankees have catapulted themselves into a previously unknown stratosphere of payroll spending, not just in baseball, but in all of team sports.
Meanwhile, what a surprise: All we heard was Red Sox-Nats-Orioles-Angels... so much for the crackerjack reporting by the legion of mainstream baseball reporters out there. It's the biggest signing of the offseason, and fans had no heads-up about it. You know? I actually like being surprised. Too much news in sports is a fait d'accompli.
Sure hope they win a championship from all this. I'd hate to see what would happen if they didn't.
(Actually, no I wouldn't. And I think most of us can agree that we are much more intrigued by what would/will happen if they DO miss the playoffs or miss a championship than if they win the World Series.)
Just in time for Christmas: What recession?
All we need to see now is the Yankees signing Manny for a short 2-3 year deal and everything about the Yankees Economic Stimulus Package will be complete.
(And, yet: The Yankees are doing one of the best promotions of 2009. For the April 3-4 exhibition series against the Cubs opening the Stadium, bleacher seats will be a quarter and grandstand seats will be $1.10, the price they were when Yankee Stadium first opened. Yeah, good luck getting your hands on those...)
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU grinds down Boise State. If you watched the first quarter of the TCU-Boise State game, you would have seen Boise in control -- maybe you would have even thought about how high the Broncos could end up in the polls. Then TCU did what they do best: They wore 'em down. They kept it close. They played amazing D. They won the game.
And now TCU stakes its claim as the best non-BCS team in the country -- with only a close loss to Utah ruining its season (UPDATE: Oh, and Oklahoma...I had forgotten, maybe because I don't consider Oklahoma to be on the radar as a great team...jokes!). If Utah gets blown out by Alabama, would you jump TCU over the team that beat them?
For Boise State, they were barely on the wrong end of a spirited effort, keeping them from an unbeaten season and a claim that they should have been in a BCS-level bowl. But I'd say that both Boise State and TCU proved that they are BCS-quality teams. TCU will make the Top 10 in my final Top 25 rankings. Boise St won't drop far.
(Bowling tonight: Notre Dame vs. Hawaii. Pass. I've got a date with Chinese food and "A Christmas Story." With 9 straight bowl losses on their record, Notre Dame can't do much worse. When their offensive coordinator was hired yesterday to coach Miami-Ohio, I found that curious: Wasn't ND's offense this year horrible? Eh: Must have been Weis's fault. I fully support the hiring -- anyone who was the recruiting coordinator at Texas is OK by me. Um: Gene Chizik wasn't the recruiting coordinator when he was there, was he?)
Portland State shocks Gonzaga in Spokane: Know the name -- Jeremiah Dominguez, a 5-foot-6 senior for PSU who just lit up the Zags. He scored 25 points, including an eye-popping 7/10 on 3s. (Great detail: Because of weather issues, Portland State got to the game only 3 hours early and didn't have a shootaround.)
More road goodness: Butler beats Xavier in Cincinnati, which would have been a nice-sized upset to discuss today -- if not for Portland State. (By the way, that's 2 losses in a row for 2 teams that I was demonstrably in the tank for this season. And that doesn't even count Louisville -- my preseason pick to win it all -- losing to Minnesota on Saturday.)
Even more: Wisconsin may not be as good as they have been in years past -- and Texas could be better (even better than the Durant or Augustine teams of the past 2 seasons) -- but Madison is still a hell of a tough place for an opposing team to win. After losing to Michigan State on Saturday in Texas, the Longhorns return the favor in Big Ten country.
Speaking of Big Ten hotness this season (which Wisco wasn't able to hold up), Illinois thumped Missouri last night in the Braggin Rights game in St. Louis. Illinois has owned Mizzou in this series recently, but it's another sign of just how unexpectedly strong the Big Ten is this season.
Celtics win 19th in a row: They have done it so seemingly effortlessly that you forget that they have just accomplished something that no other Celtics team -- not the Cousy/Russell dynasty of the 60s, not the Bird dynasty of the 80s -- was able to do. They are so focused. Tomorrow's game against the Lakers can/should/will be epic.
Full slate of NBA last night: The Lakers seem to be back on track (beating the Hornets), just in time for tomorrow's game against the C's... The Cavs still haven't lost at home (beat the Rockets behind LeBron's 27-9-5, all leading the team)... Yes, that was Rodney Stuckey scoring 40; meanwhile, an injured AI went without a made FG for only the 2nd time in his career... Triple-double for Joe Johnson (20-11-11)... Buzzer-beater: Devin Harris, leading the Nets over the Pacers... God, the Wizards are truly terrible.
Plaxico Update: It actually gets worse! Cops found a cache of weapons and ammo at Burress's house. He is so screwed.
Lance Armstrong is going to have a big 2009: He isn't just going to race in the Tour de France, but he is going to have a baby with his girlfriend, Anna Hansen. Why do I think Lance can afford to hire the help to let him avoid the overnight wake-up fussiness (what? oh, wait: I meant "amazingness") that is new fatherhood.
More later.
-- D.S.
I have been using this line for months. Now, for the last time, because at this point the phrase has been stretched -- by the Yankees -- to its bleeding edge of reason:
What recession?
The Yankees are making a mockery that we're in a recession/depression/whatever-it-is. I think Hal and Hank Steinbrenner should be named co-Secretaries of Treasury, because they obviously know something that we don't, and it involves massive spending:
It is the Yankees' own version of an economic stimulus package.
One non-playoff season and the team goes absolutely crazy: $140M for Sabathia. $85M for Burnett. Now $180M for Teixeira.
Overreaction much? What happened to last season's plan to implement financial restraint?
Instead, the Yankees have catapulted themselves into a previously unknown stratosphere of payroll spending, not just in baseball, but in all of team sports.
Meanwhile, what a surprise: All we heard was Red Sox-Nats-Orioles-Angels... so much for the crackerjack reporting by the legion of mainstream baseball reporters out there. It's the biggest signing of the offseason, and fans had no heads-up about it. You know? I actually like being surprised. Too much news in sports is a fait d'accompli.
Sure hope they win a championship from all this. I'd hate to see what would happen if they didn't.
(Actually, no I wouldn't. And I think most of us can agree that we are much more intrigued by what would/will happen if they DO miss the playoffs or miss a championship than if they win the World Series.)
Just in time for Christmas: What recession?
All we need to see now is the Yankees signing Manny for a short 2-3 year deal and everything about the Yankees Economic Stimulus Package will be complete.
(And, yet: The Yankees are doing one of the best promotions of 2009. For the April 3-4 exhibition series against the Cubs opening the Stadium, bleacher seats will be a quarter and grandstand seats will be $1.10, the price they were when Yankee Stadium first opened. Yeah, good luck getting your hands on those...)
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU grinds down Boise State. If you watched the first quarter of the TCU-Boise State game, you would have seen Boise in control -- maybe you would have even thought about how high the Broncos could end up in the polls. Then TCU did what they do best: They wore 'em down. They kept it close. They played amazing D. They won the game.
And now TCU stakes its claim as the best non-BCS team in the country -- with only a close loss to Utah ruining its season (UPDATE: Oh, and Oklahoma...I had forgotten, maybe because I don't consider Oklahoma to be on the radar as a great team...jokes!). If Utah gets blown out by Alabama, would you jump TCU over the team that beat them?
For Boise State, they were barely on the wrong end of a spirited effort, keeping them from an unbeaten season and a claim that they should have been in a BCS-level bowl. But I'd say that both Boise State and TCU proved that they are BCS-quality teams. TCU will make the Top 10 in my final Top 25 rankings. Boise St won't drop far.
(Bowling tonight: Notre Dame vs. Hawaii. Pass. I've got a date with Chinese food and "A Christmas Story." With 9 straight bowl losses on their record, Notre Dame can't do much worse. When their offensive coordinator was hired yesterday to coach Miami-Ohio, I found that curious: Wasn't ND's offense this year horrible? Eh: Must have been Weis's fault. I fully support the hiring -- anyone who was the recruiting coordinator at Texas is OK by me. Um: Gene Chizik wasn't the recruiting coordinator when he was there, was he?)
Portland State shocks Gonzaga in Spokane: Know the name -- Jeremiah Dominguez, a 5-foot-6 senior for PSU who just lit up the Zags. He scored 25 points, including an eye-popping 7/10 on 3s. (Great detail: Because of weather issues, Portland State got to the game only 3 hours early and didn't have a shootaround.)
More road goodness: Butler beats Xavier in Cincinnati, which would have been a nice-sized upset to discuss today -- if not for Portland State. (By the way, that's 2 losses in a row for 2 teams that I was demonstrably in the tank for this season. And that doesn't even count Louisville -- my preseason pick to win it all -- losing to Minnesota on Saturday.)
Even more: Wisconsin may not be as good as they have been in years past -- and Texas could be better (even better than the Durant or Augustine teams of the past 2 seasons) -- but Madison is still a hell of a tough place for an opposing team to win. After losing to Michigan State on Saturday in Texas, the Longhorns return the favor in Big Ten country.
Speaking of Big Ten hotness this season (which Wisco wasn't able to hold up), Illinois thumped Missouri last night in the Braggin Rights game in St. Louis. Illinois has owned Mizzou in this series recently, but it's another sign of just how unexpectedly strong the Big Ten is this season.
Celtics win 19th in a row: They have done it so seemingly effortlessly that you forget that they have just accomplished something that no other Celtics team -- not the Cousy/Russell dynasty of the 60s, not the Bird dynasty of the 80s -- was able to do. They are so focused. Tomorrow's game against the Lakers can/should/will be epic.
Full slate of NBA last night: The Lakers seem to be back on track (beating the Hornets), just in time for tomorrow's game against the C's... The Cavs still haven't lost at home (beat the Rockets behind LeBron's 27-9-5, all leading the team)... Yes, that was Rodney Stuckey scoring 40; meanwhile, an injured AI went without a made FG for only the 2nd time in his career... Triple-double for Joe Johnson (20-11-11)... Buzzer-beater: Devin Harris, leading the Nets over the Pacers... God, the Wizards are truly terrible.
Plaxico Update: It actually gets worse! Cops found a cache of weapons and ammo at Burress's house. He is so screwed.
Lance Armstrong is going to have a big 2009: He isn't just going to race in the Tour de France, but he is going to have a baby with his girlfriend, Anna Hansen. Why do I think Lance can afford to hire the help to let him avoid the overnight wake-up fussiness (what? oh, wait: I meant "amazingness") that is new fatherhood.
More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tuesday 12/23 A.M. Quickie:
Bears, NBA Xmas, Bolts-Broncs, Okla, More
So today was my final SN column of the holiday week -- expect expanded coverage here the rest of the week (for those of you still checking your favorite blogs over the holiday).
As such, the column previewed the week ahead:
Was it too much to say that the Broncos are headed for the worst choke-job in NFL history? The gold standard is that 1992 Wild Card game (held in Jan '93) between the Bills and Oilers.
In a way, this is worse: It's not just a collapse in a single half; it's a collapse over the final 3 games of the season. At the same time, the Chargers have had to rally from 4-8 -- if they make the playoffs, that alone is a first. It's not a sexy game, necessarily, but it's as meaningful as it gets in the NFL regular season.
Meanwhile, Bears fans who made it through that frozen OT win last night will probably unthaw this morning feeling good -- but not great. In addition to winning at Houston next week, the Bears need to see the Vikings lose to the Giants... and the Giants have nothing to play for except health of their starters, which means don't expect much more than exhibition-style tuning.
Also this week: The NBA on Christmas Day, which has become an annual tradition on par with the NFL on Thanksgiving and college football on New Year's Day. I'd argue that Thursday's slate of games is as compelling a quadruple-header as the league has ever produced. Celtics-Lakers may set a new high for TV ratings, certainly in the Internet Era.
The college bowls this week are fairly weak -- except tonight: Boise State vs. TCU, in a battle of two teams worthy of the Top 10, two of the Top 3 non-BCS teams, a fantastic offense (Boise) vs. a fantastic D (TCU), and a certain Top 10 finish for the winner (and, if it's Boise State, an unbeaten season). Should be an absolutely awesome game.
College hoops this week is also fairly weak -- tonight's Missouri-Illinois Bragging Rights game is the best of the week. The way the Big Ten is playing right now, don't be surprised if Illinois wins. Is there anything more surprising this season than the success of the Big Ten?
Complete column here. More later. I spent the last 2 days driving from Gainesville to New York City, so there was much time to contemplate.
-- D.S.
As such, the column previewed the week ahead:
Was it too much to say that the Broncos are headed for the worst choke-job in NFL history? The gold standard is that 1992 Wild Card game (held in Jan '93) between the Bills and Oilers.
In a way, this is worse: It's not just a collapse in a single half; it's a collapse over the final 3 games of the season. At the same time, the Chargers have had to rally from 4-8 -- if they make the playoffs, that alone is a first. It's not a sexy game, necessarily, but it's as meaningful as it gets in the NFL regular season.
Meanwhile, Bears fans who made it through that frozen OT win last night will probably unthaw this morning feeling good -- but not great. In addition to winning at Houston next week, the Bears need to see the Vikings lose to the Giants... and the Giants have nothing to play for except health of their starters, which means don't expect much more than exhibition-style tuning.
Also this week: The NBA on Christmas Day, which has become an annual tradition on par with the NFL on Thanksgiving and college football on New Year's Day. I'd argue that Thursday's slate of games is as compelling a quadruple-header as the league has ever produced. Celtics-Lakers may set a new high for TV ratings, certainly in the Internet Era.
The college bowls this week are fairly weak -- except tonight: Boise State vs. TCU, in a battle of two teams worthy of the Top 10, two of the Top 3 non-BCS teams, a fantastic offense (Boise) vs. a fantastic D (TCU), and a certain Top 10 finish for the winner (and, if it's Boise State, an unbeaten season). Should be an absolutely awesome game.
College hoops this week is also fairly weak -- tonight's Missouri-Illinois Bragging Rights game is the best of the week. The way the Big Ten is playing right now, don't be surprised if Illinois wins. Is there anything more surprising this season than the success of the Big Ten?
Complete column here. More later. I spent the last 2 days driving from Gainesville to New York City, so there was much time to contemplate.
-- D.S.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Monday 12/22 A.M. Quickie:
Giants, Titans, AFC West, AFC East, Lions
Wow, now that was a great day of NFL. It's really too bad I spent the entire day on the road traveling. Today's SN column can be found here, and it's loaded:
*AFC West: Denver's chokery sets up a Week 17 playoff game.
*AFC East: Schadenfavre AND the Pats don't control their own destiny!
*NFC East: The Eagles totally ruined a perfectly good Cowboys disaster scene.
And that doesn't even consider the top two teams in each conference -- the Giants and Titans -- coming up with HUGE wins over their leading conference rivals.
More:
*God, won't someone please stop the Celtics?
*Southern Miss WR injury: Yeesh.
*Manny to the Yankees today or tomorrow?
Sorry for the short post this morning. More later.
-- D.S.
*AFC West: Denver's chokery sets up a Week 17 playoff game.
*AFC East: Schadenfavre AND the Pats don't control their own destiny!
*NFC East: The Eagles totally ruined a perfectly good Cowboys disaster scene.
And that doesn't even consider the top two teams in each conference -- the Giants and Titans -- coming up with HUGE wins over their leading conference rivals.
More:
*God, won't someone please stop the Celtics?
*Southern Miss WR injury: Yeesh.
*Manny to the Yankees today or tomorrow?
Sorry for the short post this morning. More later.
-- D.S.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday 12/21 (Very) Quickie
I could complain about the weather in the Northeast ruining my travel plans today, but then I think about Cowboys fans and I realize things could be so much worse.
Dallas fans have no one to blame but their own team -- they controlled their own destiny, then let the Ravens come in and close down their stadium, literally running them over.
The Cowboys' D -- so good a week ago -- was porous when it counted most. Romo TD pass? McGahee TD for 77 on the very next play. Another Romo TD pass? McClain TD for 82 on the very next play. The Ravens wanted it more -- a tough indictment, as Dallas was playing for its playoff life.
Now, Dallas has to go to Philly and beat the Eagles in the season finale, when the Eagles are playing as well or better than any other team in the NFC -- with their own playoff fate on the line. Even then, both the Cowboys and the Eagles could need help.
(Meanwhile, the Ravens control their own destiny -- all they have to do is beat the Jaguars in Baltimore next week and they are in. That makes the AFC East race that much more insane, because it looks like only the division champ will make the playoffs from that group of three.)
College Hoops Amazingness: Of the great batch of games on the slate, who would have guessed that the most intriguing result would come when Minnesota -- still unbeaten -- beat No. 9 Louisville?
UConn-Gonzaga lived up to its billing: An OT thriller with the Huskies coming back from 11 down with 12 to play to beat Gonzaga in Seattle. Locally, I was stuck watching Purdue stifle Stephen Curry to the point that I'm not even sure he can be considered one of the Top 5 players in the country anymore -- 5/26 FG, 2/12 3-pt, 13 pts. Purdue put on a defensive clinic.
Meanwhile, was I saying that Xavier-Duke would be a great one? Hardly. Duke won handily, and even though I'm a hater, I'm ready to call it a Statement Game for Duke. Instead, at 2, it was that Michigan St-Texas game that was the thriller. And another "statement" win, this time for MSU... Finally, Player of the Day honors weren't even won until the evening, when Jonny Flynn scored 24 with 6 assists and Syracuse (without Devendorf) went down to Memphis and beat the Tigers.
CFB Bowl Mania Studs: Colorado State RB Gartrell Johnson, who had 285 yards rushing (2nd-most ever in a bowl game) and 375 yards combined rushing and receiving (which WAS an FBS bowl record). And South Florida QB Matt Grothe, who had 236 yards passing (with 3 TDs) and 83 yards rushing, to become -- temporarily -- the Big East career total offense leader. (At least until Pat White takes it back later this week.)
NBA: Is LeBron leaning toward re-signing with the Cavs early, based on this amazing start? More likely, he is playing Cavs fans -- teasing them with the prospects, knowing that he doesn't want them eyeing the team's amazing start with the cynical view that he could be gone in 2010. I'm sure LeBron is simply manipulating the p.r. here, just as sure as I am that he is still as good as gone in 2010.
(Meanwhile, yes, the Celtics are sick, but my pick of the Magic as East champs isn't that far off, based on the way they beat back the Lakers -- Kobe had a season-high 41 -- in Orlando. Yes, LA was playing a back-to-back after that fight in Miami on Friday night. Still, a big win for the O.)
Stay warm and/or dry and/or out of the nasty weather today, folks.
-- D.S.
Dallas fans have no one to blame but their own team -- they controlled their own destiny, then let the Ravens come in and close down their stadium, literally running them over.
The Cowboys' D -- so good a week ago -- was porous when it counted most. Romo TD pass? McGahee TD for 77 on the very next play. Another Romo TD pass? McClain TD for 82 on the very next play. The Ravens wanted it more -- a tough indictment, as Dallas was playing for its playoff life.
Now, Dallas has to go to Philly and beat the Eagles in the season finale, when the Eagles are playing as well or better than any other team in the NFC -- with their own playoff fate on the line. Even then, both the Cowboys and the Eagles could need help.
(Meanwhile, the Ravens control their own destiny -- all they have to do is beat the Jaguars in Baltimore next week and they are in. That makes the AFC East race that much more insane, because it looks like only the division champ will make the playoffs from that group of three.)
College Hoops Amazingness: Of the great batch of games on the slate, who would have guessed that the most intriguing result would come when Minnesota -- still unbeaten -- beat No. 9 Louisville?
UConn-Gonzaga lived up to its billing: An OT thriller with the Huskies coming back from 11 down with 12 to play to beat Gonzaga in Seattle. Locally, I was stuck watching Purdue stifle Stephen Curry to the point that I'm not even sure he can be considered one of the Top 5 players in the country anymore -- 5/26 FG, 2/12 3-pt, 13 pts. Purdue put on a defensive clinic.
Meanwhile, was I saying that Xavier-Duke would be a great one? Hardly. Duke won handily, and even though I'm a hater, I'm ready to call it a Statement Game for Duke. Instead, at 2, it was that Michigan St-Texas game that was the thriller. And another "statement" win, this time for MSU... Finally, Player of the Day honors weren't even won until the evening, when Jonny Flynn scored 24 with 6 assists and Syracuse (without Devendorf) went down to Memphis and beat the Tigers.
CFB Bowl Mania Studs: Colorado State RB Gartrell Johnson, who had 285 yards rushing (2nd-most ever in a bowl game) and 375 yards combined rushing and receiving (which WAS an FBS bowl record). And South Florida QB Matt Grothe, who had 236 yards passing (with 3 TDs) and 83 yards rushing, to become -- temporarily -- the Big East career total offense leader. (At least until Pat White takes it back later this week.)
NBA: Is LeBron leaning toward re-signing with the Cavs early, based on this amazing start? More likely, he is playing Cavs fans -- teasing them with the prospects, knowing that he doesn't want them eyeing the team's amazing start with the cynical view that he could be gone in 2010. I'm sure LeBron is simply manipulating the p.r. here, just as sure as I am that he is still as good as gone in 2010.
(Meanwhile, yes, the Celtics are sick, but my pick of the Magic as East champs isn't that far off, based on the way they beat back the Lakers -- Kobe had a season-high 41 -- in Orlando. Yes, LA was playing a back-to-back after that fight in Miami on Friday night. Still, a big win for the O.)
Stay warm and/or dry and/or out of the nasty weather today, folks.
-- D.S.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Saturday 12/20 (Very) Quickie
I can't believe Lou Holtz and I were in Gainesville at the same time and I didn't spot him around campus yesterday, let alone hear him give a patented "Dr. Lou" pep talk to the football team...
Bowl season starts today with a quadruple-header -- did you enter the Bowl Pick 'Em group? You missed the cut-off for Wake-Navy, but you can still get in.
UPDATE: Wake rolls, as expected.
Meanwhile, what a four-game group of hoops today, headlined by Xavier-Duke -- a must-see. But all four are pretty must-see, especially to store away for picks in March.
UPDATE: Wow, Duke is just kicking Xavier's ass all over the place. Did NOT expect that. Hey, at least Texas-Michigan St. is competitive. Gonzaga-UConn and Davidson-Purdue -- both Sweet 16 or Elite Eight quality matchups -- run at 4.
Wade trumps Kobe. Celtics win 17th in a row. St. Thomas Aquinas will be the national champ of high school football. Richmond wins the 1-AA football national title. More later.
UPDATE: What is it about the Auburn-Iowa State connection? First Chizik is hired from ISU to Auburn; now, former Auburn DC Rhoads is hired to coach Iowa State.
-- D.S.
Bowl season starts today with a quadruple-header -- did you enter the Bowl Pick 'Em group? You missed the cut-off for Wake-Navy, but you can still get in.
UPDATE: Wake rolls, as expected.
Meanwhile, what a four-game group of hoops today, headlined by Xavier-Duke -- a must-see. But all four are pretty must-see, especially to store away for picks in March.
UPDATE: Wow, Duke is just kicking Xavier's ass all over the place. Did NOT expect that. Hey, at least Texas-Michigan St. is competitive. Gonzaga-UConn and Davidson-Purdue -- both Sweet 16 or Elite Eight quality matchups -- run at 4.
Wade trumps Kobe. Celtics win 17th in a row. St. Thomas Aquinas will be the national champ of high school football. Richmond wins the 1-AA football national title. More later.
UPDATE: What is it about the Auburn-Iowa State connection? First Chizik is hired from ISU to Auburn; now, former Auburn DC Rhoads is hired to coach Iowa State.
-- D.S.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Friday 12/19 A.M. Quickie:
Bowls, Peyton, Hansbrough, Roy, More
I'm not complaining, but I just need to recount my travel this week:
I spent the weekend in Atlanta (missed both LeBron playing the Hawks and the Falcons beating the Bucs in OT, though I did get an up-close look inside the Georgia Dome), then caught a 6 a.m. flight Tuesday to Denver.
Three days of Mountain Time Zone goodness (though missing LeBron at the Pepsi Center tonight), then I flew out of Denver last night in the snow to Orlando, where I battled delayed flights and car rental fun to my brother's house for about 4 hours' sleep (missing the Magic hosting the Spurs last night AND the Florida 5A high school football title game tonight at the Gator Bowl, which could be a de facto national-championship game).
Then today's SN column filed early this a.m. from his office, then into the car for a drive up to Gainesville 'til Sunday (alas, no Gator hoops games scheduled while I'm in town, although I'm holding out hope that if I wander over to The Swamp, I'll have a TT sighting.)
Again, I'm not complaining. But it's been a crazy week. Though I will say this: Greeting my kids for the first time since Monday -- it was the longest I had been away from them in a while, certainly the longest I had been away from No. 2, who seemed to grow in 3 days -- was amazing.
Anyway:
Is Peyton Manning this season's NFL MVP?
Is Tyler Hansbrough the best player in UNC history?
Is there a better day of college hoops this regular season than tomorrow?
Is any NBA player going to have a better game this week than Brandon Roy had last night?
Is there any more fun to be had than trying my Bowl Quiz?
Is it worse for NASCAR to have the publicity from that lawsuit or to have drivers test positive for PEDs?
(Longtime readers know the old match-sponsor-with-bowl-name format; this year, I mixed it up a bit, inspired by some of the more ludicrous names and sponsorship situations. For example, is GMAC asking for taxpayer dollars while sponsoring an eponymous bowl? Really?)
Complete SN column here. More later, hopefully. Probably some Twitter activity from around Gainesville, if I can manage it.
-- D.S.
I spent the weekend in Atlanta (missed both LeBron playing the Hawks and the Falcons beating the Bucs in OT, though I did get an up-close look inside the Georgia Dome), then caught a 6 a.m. flight Tuesday to Denver.
Three days of Mountain Time Zone goodness (though missing LeBron at the Pepsi Center tonight), then I flew out of Denver last night in the snow to Orlando, where I battled delayed flights and car rental fun to my brother's house for about 4 hours' sleep (missing the Magic hosting the Spurs last night AND the Florida 5A high school football title game tonight at the Gator Bowl, which could be a de facto national-championship game).
Then today's SN column filed early this a.m. from his office, then into the car for a drive up to Gainesville 'til Sunday (alas, no Gator hoops games scheduled while I'm in town, although I'm holding out hope that if I wander over to The Swamp, I'll have a TT sighting.)
Again, I'm not complaining. But it's been a crazy week. Though I will say this: Greeting my kids for the first time since Monday -- it was the longest I had been away from them in a while, certainly the longest I had been away from No. 2, who seemed to grow in 3 days -- was amazing.
Anyway:
Is Peyton Manning this season's NFL MVP?
Is Tyler Hansbrough the best player in UNC history?
Is there a better day of college hoops this regular season than tomorrow?
Is any NBA player going to have a better game this week than Brandon Roy had last night?
Is there any more fun to be had than trying my Bowl Quiz?
Is it worse for NASCAR to have the publicity from that lawsuit or to have drivers test positive for PEDs?
(Longtime readers know the old match-sponsor-with-bowl-name format; this year, I mixed it up a bit, inspired by some of the more ludicrous names and sponsorship situations. For example, is GMAC asking for taxpayer dollars while sponsoring an eponymous bowl? Really?)
Complete SN column here. More later, hopefully. Probably some Twitter activity from around Gainesville, if I can manage it.
-- D.S.
CFB Bowl Mania -- Last Chance!
Last chance to sign up for the CFB Bowl Pick 'Em -- groupname: Daily Quickie Readers.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday 12/18 A.M. Quickie:
Celtics, Favre, Tebow, Baugh, CP3, More
Now that they have that pesky first title behind them, the Celtics can focus on making history -- I would hope that is what is motivating them at this point, tying the NBA record for best start after 26 games. And they have ripped off the last 16 (straight) wins so effortlessly (though the Hawks gave them a hell of a game -- as usual!) that numbers like "72" don't seem unreasonable.
Celtics and Sharks (who ruined a perfectly good storyline by losing last night in OT) lead today's SN column.
There's also some stuff in the column about a weariness with Brett Favre (go figure!) and Tim Tebow's NFL draft prospects (actually relevant this time!), but both are eclipsed when you take a deep dive into the career of Sammy Baugh.
Instant History demands that we not look too closely at players like Baugh -- hell, I can barely remember what happened last month -- but when you read the obits, the guy was about as revolutionary a player (certainly as revolutionary a QB) as ever played the game.
All these historical rankings that put Brady and/or Peyton and/or Montana and/or Elway ahead of Baugh (even the ones that put Unitas ahead of Baugh -- usually at the top of the list, actually), they all need an asterisk that those QBs wouldn't exist without Baugh's influence on the game.
What baffles me is that we're talking about a player for whom if you aren't at least 70 years old (and if you're over 70 and reading this blog PLEASE email me), you have no active memory of the guy. You may have seen clips. You may have heard his name. But it's not the same.
It's easy to put Tom Brady in a pantheon -- the era in which he played is remarkable for nothing as much as the 24/7 hyper-access we had to following him, which inflates his value -- but let's tip our caps and have a moment of thought for Slingin' Sammy.
Travel day today, so posting might be light until tonight. Complete SN column here.
-- D.S.
Celtics and Sharks (who ruined a perfectly good storyline by losing last night in OT) lead today's SN column.
There's also some stuff in the column about a weariness with Brett Favre (go figure!) and Tim Tebow's NFL draft prospects (actually relevant this time!), but both are eclipsed when you take a deep dive into the career of Sammy Baugh.
Instant History demands that we not look too closely at players like Baugh -- hell, I can barely remember what happened last month -- but when you read the obits, the guy was about as revolutionary a player (certainly as revolutionary a QB) as ever played the game.
All these historical rankings that put Brady and/or Peyton and/or Montana and/or Elway ahead of Baugh (even the ones that put Unitas ahead of Baugh -- usually at the top of the list, actually), they all need an asterisk that those QBs wouldn't exist without Baugh's influence on the game.
What baffles me is that we're talking about a player for whom if you aren't at least 70 years old (and if you're over 70 and reading this blog PLEASE email me), you have no active memory of the guy. You may have seen clips. You may have heard his name. But it's not the same.
It's easy to put Tom Brady in a pantheon -- the era in which he played is remarkable for nothing as much as the 24/7 hyper-access we had to following him, which inflates his value -- but let's tip our caps and have a moment of thought for Slingin' Sammy.
Travel day today, so posting might be light until tonight. Complete SN column here.
-- D.S.
2008 Sports Blogger of the Year Tourney:
And the DanShanoff.com Seeding Is...
Not seeded! It's mid-December, and nothing delivers link-bait like the navel-gazing of a Sports Blogger of the Year tournament. Kudos, Busted Coverage fellas.
(No, I'm not bitter that this year I didn't make the Ballhype-generated cut into the Top 64 -- wait: you mean a blog obsessed with Tebow and Obama isn't one of the 64 most linked-to? Get out!)
-- D.S.
(No, I'm not bitter that this year I didn't make the Ballhype-generated cut into the Top 64 -- wait: you mean a blog obsessed with Tebow and Obama isn't one of the 64 most linked-to? Get out!)
-- D.S.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
More Obamaball: Time Person of the Year
(Time Can't Help But Copy Me, Obviously)
So Barack Obama isn't just the DanShanoff.com Sportsman of the Year, but he is Time Person of the Year (shocker!).
Great sidebar article by Obama brother-in-law Craig Robinson, specifically about basketball with Barack.
Obama's love of hoops is one of his most defining characteristics -- all the more reason to tap him as Sportsman of the Year, right?
-- D.S.
Great sidebar article by Obama brother-in-law Craig Robinson, specifically about basketball with Barack.
Obama's love of hoops is one of his most defining characteristics -- all the more reason to tap him as Sportsman of the Year, right?
-- D.S.
Obamaball: Arne Duncan, Sec'y of Hoops?
Arne Duncan isn't just our newest Secretary of Education -- he might be the best basketball player in the history of high-level federal government. Certainly among Cabinet-level appointees.
Henry linked to this must-read about Duncan's hoops past. And H.A. coined an amazing little line: "Basketball is the new golf."
As a bonus, Duncan is a huge proponent -- like Obama -- of infusing billions of dollars into early-early-childhood education, which could radically improve our country's future.
-- D.S.
Henry linked to this must-read about Duncan's hoops past. And H.A. coined an amazing little line: "Basketball is the new golf."
As a bonus, Duncan is a huge proponent -- like Obama -- of infusing billions of dollars into early-early-childhood education, which could radically improve our country's future.
-- D.S.
Wednesday 12/17 A.M. Quickie:
JoePa, All-Americans, Pro Bowlers, More
Penn State is sort of like the banking industry a few years ago -- there's an upheaval coming, but they keep wanting to push it off. JoePa is the lead of today's SN column.
Sure: Give the 82-year-old (on Sunday!) a 3-year contract extension. Maybe it's all a facade to let him go on his terms, because I cannot imagine him coaching at age 85.
I don't want to get into a debate about whether he is an able coach -- obviously, he did something right this season (likely, letting his assistants do everything).
But at what point will Penn State let him go and begin a new era? "Coach-in-Waiting" doesn't seem to be an option -- but Penn State is the optimal place for it to happen, isn't it?
Really, what I should have led with was a comparison of college football's "All-American" team and the NFL's "Pro Bowl" accolade.
Frankly, I like the NFL's system better -- a combination of fan vote, player vote and media vote. The AP (or SN) All-Americans are media-only -- as if fans couldn't pick an A-A team?
College A-As feel like splitting hairs -- if you're only picking 2 WRs or 2 RBs or one "all-purpose" player, can you really decide between the 2 guys on the first team and the 2 guys on the 2nd team (or even 3rd team)?
College hoops long ago dropped the mandatory G-G-F-F-C construct; it was the best five players. I recognize that football can't do that, but I'd certainly like to see 4 WRs on the first team, rather than 2 -- most teams run that many WRs. Or both a "drop-back" QB and a "dual-threat" QB.
I don't know -- it just seems kind of ludicrous.
Of course, not as ludicrous as Brett Favre being a Pro Bowler. Or 7 Jets. (7!) And, at some point, MLB's system of requiring at least one All-Star from each team begins to make sense. How can you leave Calvin Johnson out of the Pro Bowl?
The good news for the snubbed is that the biggest tradition of the Pro Bowl is NOT playing in the Pro Bowl. Maybe if/when they move the game to the week before the Super Bowl, rather than after it, fans will tune in -- and players will have interest.
Also found in today's column: Lamar Odom! Chris Paul! Padraig Harrington! Turner Gill! Urban Meyer! DeMarco Murray!
Find it all here. More later.
-- D.S.
Sure: Give the 82-year-old (on Sunday!) a 3-year contract extension. Maybe it's all a facade to let him go on his terms, because I cannot imagine him coaching at age 85.
I don't want to get into a debate about whether he is an able coach -- obviously, he did something right this season (likely, letting his assistants do everything).
But at what point will Penn State let him go and begin a new era? "Coach-in-Waiting" doesn't seem to be an option -- but Penn State is the optimal place for it to happen, isn't it?
Really, what I should have led with was a comparison of college football's "All-American" team and the NFL's "Pro Bowl" accolade.
Frankly, I like the NFL's system better -- a combination of fan vote, player vote and media vote. The AP (or SN) All-Americans are media-only -- as if fans couldn't pick an A-A team?
College A-As feel like splitting hairs -- if you're only picking 2 WRs or 2 RBs or one "all-purpose" player, can you really decide between the 2 guys on the first team and the 2 guys on the 2nd team (or even 3rd team)?
College hoops long ago dropped the mandatory G-G-F-F-C construct; it was the best five players. I recognize that football can't do that, but I'd certainly like to see 4 WRs on the first team, rather than 2 -- most teams run that many WRs. Or both a "drop-back" QB and a "dual-threat" QB.
I don't know -- it just seems kind of ludicrous.
Of course, not as ludicrous as Brett Favre being a Pro Bowler. Or 7 Jets. (7!) And, at some point, MLB's system of requiring at least one All-Star from each team begins to make sense. How can you leave Calvin Johnson out of the Pro Bowl?
The good news for the snubbed is that the biggest tradition of the Pro Bowl is NOT playing in the Pro Bowl. Maybe if/when they move the game to the week before the Super Bowl, rather than after it, fans will tune in -- and players will have interest.
Also found in today's column: Lamar Odom! Chris Paul! Padraig Harrington! Turner Gill! Urban Meyer! DeMarco Murray!
Find it all here. More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tim Tebow's NFL Potential:
Mel Kiper vs. Bill Belichick
Tim Tebow's NFL potential?
Mel Kiper isn't a fan (at least as a QB.)
Matt Hinton asks "Why not?"
MJD says "That's why."
As for me, I think, at worst, he can have an impact with a coach who is willing to go crazy with the Wildcat: Let your "game manager" QB get you to the 15; let Tebow do the rest. At the very least, how about using him innovatively; he doesn't have to take a lot of snaps to have a big impact (see Florida's 2006 national-title season).
At best, I think Tebow can be an NFL starter; don't underestimate the ability of NFL coaches to turn unpolished passers with big size and mobility into NFL starters. As always, it will totally depend on the context he is drafted into -- coach, team around him, etc.
I stand by my prediction that Bill Belichick will draft Tebow, then unleash him. (I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick made it clear through back-channels -- perhaps Beli BFF Urban Meyer -- that the Pats won't let Tebow slide past them in the 1st round.)
BTW: I find Kiper's gold standard of "pure NFL pocket passer" as Matt Stafford to be laughable. Two words: Rex Grossman. I spent all weekend in Atlanta and Stafford came up a lot. Someone tell me how Stafford isn't the next Grossman -- a strong-armed dummy.
Instead of calling Tebow "the next Eric Crouch" (or "next Frank Wycheck" -- where the "W" stands for "WTF?!"), why not call him the next Donovan McNabb?
-- D.S.
UPDATE: WSJ's Allen Barra on Tebow's bonafides -- if not as an NFL player than as arguably the greatest college football player of all time. BTW, for the commenter who said Tebow didn't stack up to Donovan McNabb statistically, you were right: Tebow is actually superior in all the stats you cited -- yards per attempt, passer rating... let's not even count TDs, TD/INT ratio, yards-per-carry, rushing TDs, etc. As good as McNabb was in college, Tebow is -- statistically -- much better.
Mel Kiper isn't a fan (at least as a QB.)
Matt Hinton asks "Why not?"
MJD says "That's why."
As for me, I think, at worst, he can have an impact with a coach who is willing to go crazy with the Wildcat: Let your "game manager" QB get you to the 15; let Tebow do the rest. At the very least, how about using him innovatively; he doesn't have to take a lot of snaps to have a big impact (see Florida's 2006 national-title season).
At best, I think Tebow can be an NFL starter; don't underestimate the ability of NFL coaches to turn unpolished passers with big size and mobility into NFL starters. As always, it will totally depend on the context he is drafted into -- coach, team around him, etc.
I stand by my prediction that Bill Belichick will draft Tebow, then unleash him. (I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick made it clear through back-channels -- perhaps Beli BFF Urban Meyer -- that the Pats won't let Tebow slide past them in the 1st round.)
BTW: I find Kiper's gold standard of "pure NFL pocket passer" as Matt Stafford to be laughable. Two words: Rex Grossman. I spent all weekend in Atlanta and Stafford came up a lot. Someone tell me how Stafford isn't the next Grossman -- a strong-armed dummy.
Instead of calling Tebow "the next Eric Crouch" (or "next Frank Wycheck" -- where the "W" stands for "WTF?!"), why not call him the next Donovan McNabb?
-- D.S.
UPDATE: WSJ's Allen Barra on Tebow's bonafides -- if not as an NFL player than as arguably the greatest college football player of all time. BTW, for the commenter who said Tebow didn't stack up to Donovan McNabb statistically, you were right: Tebow is actually superior in all the stats you cited -- yards per attempt, passer rating... let's not even count TDs, TD/INT ratio, yards-per-carry, rushing TDs, etc. As good as McNabb was in college, Tebow is -- statistically -- much better.
Early-Morning Travel Sucks
Didn't file an SN column this morning AND didn't get a chance to update the blog. Very very very quickly:
*The rest of the NFC better hope the Eagles don't make the playoffs...
*That shot by Cleveland State was incredible. "Buzzer-beater" doesn't do it justice...
*Barkley on Auburn/Chizik: I don't disagree with him...
Gotta jump. More tonight. Back as usual in the a.m.
-- D.S.
*The rest of the NFC better hope the Eagles don't make the playoffs...
*That shot by Cleveland State was incredible. "Buzzer-beater" doesn't do it justice...
*Barkley on Auburn/Chizik: I don't disagree with him...
Gotta jump. More tonight. Back as usual in the a.m.
-- D.S.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday 12/15 A.M. Quickie:
Cowboys, Steelers, AFC East, Tarvaris, More
Ahh: All is right in Cowboysville -- at least for this week. That's what a decisive win over the Giants will do for a drama-intensive Dallas squad and that makes for my SN column lead today. Of course, there are still 2 weeks -- with the toughest final pair of opponents of any NFC Wild Card contender -- left in the season.
Still on the road in Atlanta -- had my first-ever Chik-fil-A on Saturday, in fact -- so it's a light post this morning. The column is loaded with everything you'd expect about yesterday's NFL: Cowboys, Steelers (Ravens were robbed!), Tarvaris! and more.
-- D.S.
Still on the road in Atlanta -- had my first-ever Chik-fil-A on Saturday, in fact -- so it's a light post this morning. The column is loaded with everything you'd expect about yesterday's NFL: Cowboys, Steelers (Ravens were robbed!), Tarvaris! and more.
-- D.S.
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