I mulled avoiding last night's game as far as the teams were concerned and considered just taking the over. I figured at least one of the two injured Packer defenders who were game-time decisions would play and went with Green Bay taking the seven points. Neither Charles Woodson nor Kabeer Gbaja-Bialmila played and a Cowboy field goal in the last minute-and-change covered. Ugh. And, of course, the 37-27 final easily took care of the over.

I'm not wild about too many games this weekend, especially the Monday night game where the Ravens are getting 20 points against New England. The over-under there is 49, 50. If I could be convinced the Ravens could get at least 20, I'd go there. That would take a lot of convincing, though. The season record here is 22-17-2.

Cleveland at Arizona (-1). The Cardinals are a mystery and that's a good reason to stay away from them. But Cleveland has been pretty consistent. They have a surprisingly efficient offense and Jamal Lewis is beginning to have big days for them. The Browns' defense, though, has been giving up yards in bunches and the Cardinals have the potential of putting up big numbers in the passing game. The Browns have been undervalued all season, which is why they're 9-2 against the spread. Pick: Browns, getting 1.

New York Giants at Chicago (1 1/2). The Giants lead the Bears in every statistical category and are only 1 1/2-point favorites. That's the Eli factor at work, folks. Look, I figure Manning is bad about half the time but Rex Grossman is bad about 80 percent of the time. If Tom Coughlin can learn from Mike Shanahan's mistake and just not kick the ball to Devin Hester, the Giants' defense should be able to win this one with minimal help from the offense. Pick: Giants, giving 1 1/2 points.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

If criticism can be a motivator, the Ravens better be braced for New England's Randy Moss on Monday night.

In a telephone press conference on Wednesday, Monday Nigh Football analyst Ron Jaworksi ripped Moss for taking off plays during New England's 31-28 close call with Philadelphia Sunday night.

From the transcript of the press conference, Jaworski said, "When I went through the tape, it was the first time that I was personally disappointed in a Randy Moss performance. I did not see the same energy on every single play that I had seen so far this season. When he was the No. 1 go-to guy on a route, he gave great effort and hustle. There were some plays on the back side, when he wasn't the primary receiver, I did not see the great effort. Knowing how the Patriots handle things internally, I'm sure there have been some discussions on Randy, 'Every snap, we need 100 percent out of you.' I thought a few times Tom (Brady) tried to get him involved in the game and tried to force some balls in to him."

Jaws went on to say that he expected that when the Patriots went through their tape review of the Eagles game that Moss would be asked what he might have been thinking on some particular plays. Jaworski also said that with effort being the difference between Moss and Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens, at the moment he would take Owens over Moss as a teammate.

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe reports in his blog that New England quarterback Tom Brady came to Moss' defense. Among the things Brady had to say were: "I have never, ever felt he has taken plays off. Are you kidding me? There is nothing there about Randy's game that I'm not 100 percent positive on.

"Randy is an extremely mentally tough person and people have criticized him since the day he got here. People have pre-judged him and stereotyped him. He's been nothing but a positive influence on this team, on this locker room, and his performance speaks for itself. He's probably the most feared offensive player in the game, so what somebody says outside of this locker room means nothing."

The Ravens have played against Moss before in a Monday night game. It was the Ravens' second-ever MNF game, a 19-3 Baltimore win on Jan. 7, 2002. Moss was involved in a trick play on Minnesota's only scoring drive but not as the guy making the catch. Moss threw the ball, a 29-yarder to Chris Carter, that helped set up a field goal.

Photo credit:  Winslow Townson/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

Someone should keep an eye on John Madden. There is some possibility, however infinitesimal, that Brett Favre's consecutive games streak might be in jeopardy.

OK, the good news is that Favre says he's had similar injuries in the past and played, and he does have and extra four days to recuperate before the Packers play the Oakland Raiders in nine days. The bad news is that he did get banged up pretty good when he was sacked by Cowboys DB Nathan Jones on a blitz in the second quarter. Jones came unimpeded from Favre's front side. But Favre was focused downfield and double-loaded, giving Jones a chance to deliver a big blow. 

Favre suffered two injuries. One that the TV audience was aware of was a shot to the so-called funny bone on his throwing arm elbow that left his fingers numb and unable to grip the ball. The other was a separated left shoulder, naturally his non-throwing arm, that was revealed after the game.

Meanwhile, the grizzled gunslinger was doing his best John Wayne, saying that he's had worse and played. But, well, you never know.  His NFL-record consecutive start streak is at 249 regular-season games and 269 counting playoffs.

Those who love to watch Favre play, and no one is more vocal about it than Madden, are hoping he's right.

Photo credit: Morry Gash/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

It's too bad that last night's Packers-Cowboys game wasn't available in more homes because it was quite the melodrama.

If you didn't see the game, you still probably already know that Dallas won, 37-27, and that Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre was knocked out in the second quarter. And you may have also heard that Packers backup QB Aaron Rodgers (18-for-26, 201 yards, 1 TD) acquitted himself well in the relief role.

But what you missed, in all likelihood, was a lot more. For instance, it was obvious throughout the game that the Packers missed their two injured defensive stars, CB Charles Woodson and DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, even more than Favre. And that penalties, Green Bay had 142 yards' worth, played a huge factor because a couple of long pass interference calls that went against Green Bay set up two Dallas TDs. And that Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens (7 catches, 156 yards, 1 TD) looked stupendous for two quarters and then allowed a sure touchdown bounce off his hands into the arms of Packers CB Al Harris. But that overall Harris had a dreadful game along with the rest of the Green Bay secondary. And Tony Romo (above with Owens) was the beneficiary of that shaky secondary and a lack of Green Bay pass pressure, throwing for four (should have been five) touchdown passes. And that a relatively unknown Cowboy, the speedy Miles Austin, had a huge impact with his kickoff returns and by drawing two long pass interference penalties. And that Packers coach Mike McCarthy essentially sealed his team's fate when he decided not to go for it on fourth-and-inches at the Dallas 35-yard line and kicked a long field goal instead with about five minutes left in the game.

If that all sounds a little breathless, well, it was that kind of game with one turning point after another, and subplots layered on top of subplots as Dallas moved to 11-1 and into position for home-field advantage through the playoffs, and the Packers dropped to 10-2 and fret over Favre's throwing arm.

But unless you had access to the NFL Network via satellite TV or upgraded cable or went to a sports bar (my choice) or you lived in Dallas-Fort Worth or Green Bay-Milwaukee, you were out of luck because the NFL and its network and the biggies in the cable industry can't share the same sandbox. And that's too bad.

* In the NBA, apparently there's a new rule. When the New York Knicks are on offense, they have to use 16-pound Brunswicks. That's the only way to explain their 30 percent shooting and 45-point loss against the Celtics last night. It took a 37-foot three-pointer by New York to avoid setting a franchise record for fewest points scored. But it may not be enough top save Knicks coach Isiah Thomas' job.  He described his team's play as "extremely selfish,"  according to news stories.

*  Louisville's football team was down by 18 points three times against Rutgers last night and still won, 41-38, on a late field goal. When I left the Rutgers game after the first period to catch the NFL game, the Cardinals looked dead, dead, dead.  But Louisville used a balanced attack to rally for 24 second-half points.

Photo credit: Chuck Burton/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

So you thought you knew a little something about how expensive it is to attend live sports events.

Friend, you have no idea.

The Dallas Cowboys just introduced their fans to some of the prices for PSLs -- personal seat licenses -- for the team's new $1 billion stadium in Arlington, Texas. In short, a PSL gives you the privilege of buying season tickets, which you have to pay for separately.

The highest PSL price for a single seat -- $150,000. Next highest -- $100,000. As far as I can figure from a story in the Dallas Morning News and an accompanying chart, the cheapest PSL in the stadium's so-called lower bowl, from end zone to end zone, is $16,000. The PSL prices move in steps to $35,000 and then $50,000. And, of course, to $100,000 and $150,000. I'll say it again -- that's for each seat. The way I read it, the price of the tickets is locked in for the first five years but those prices are $340 per seat per game (including the two exhibition contests).

Are your eyes watering yet?

The Cowboys make the point that the most expensive PSL seats come with free food and beverage but c'mon, if you can afford 150-large for the PSL, do you really care about free nachos and longnecks? Gimme a break.

Prices for PSLs in the upper bowl have not been released, but the Cowboys say they'll be less expensive. And one more thing, the privilege to purchase a ticket is not in perpetuity, it's just for 30 years.

Image credit:  Dallas Cowboys via AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

It is becoming clear that it is almost virtually impossible to go anywhere and do anything in a public place where there won't be video of whatever it is that happened.

If you haven't heard by now, Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight or someone he was with reportedly managed to spray some folks down in Texas or their property with shotgun pellets while hunting. There were two separate incidents and no one got hurt.  One involved a woman who accepted Knight's apology and the other involved a man who had words with Knight.

The incident involving the man appears on video taken by the angry homeowner. The Dallas Morning News edited and posted the video on its Web site. 

Photo credit: Associated Press 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

When the baseball season ended, the best guess was that it was the New York Yankees who would have the most significant changes in the offseason.

Well, with the Winter Meetings in Nashville looming next week, it's the Minnesota Twins who have had their fortunes most rearranged with defections,  trades or trades-yet-to-be.

As baseball fans may know, the Twins have been dangling Johan Santana, with a career 93-44 record and a 3.22 ERA. Last season was a diappointment by Santana standards as his ERA moved above 3-point-oh for the first time in four years.

But while the Sanatana thing is playing out, the Twins lost centerfield Torii Hunter as a free agent to the Los Angeles Angels (another team that's been dealing) and now they've traded for Tampa Bay's occasionally fiery-tempered OF Delmon Young.  In Young (left), the Twins get the bat, speed and some of the defense they'll miss with Hunter (and Young is, in fact, 10 years younger).  However, to get Young in what was a six-player trade, Minnesota had to give up starting shortstop Jason Barrett but more importantly, a good young arm in Matt Garza.  Garza, who came up to the Twins about midway through the season, had the second-lowest ERA among Minnesota starters.  Also in the deal is Brendan Harris, a decent hitting IF for Tampa Bay who went to Minnesota. 

It would seem with Garza out the door, if the Twins do trade Santana, a  two-time Cy Young winner, they're going to need to get some pitching in return.  The Santana deal is, in part, driven by the fact that Santana can become a free agent after next season and will be arriving at negotiations with an armored truck.

Photo credit: Al Behrman/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The service academies tee it up for their 108st meeting on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium but for just the fourth time in Baltimore. The Midshipmen have won the last five and are two-touchdown favorites again this year. Navy is 7-4 and headed for the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego against an opponent yet to be decided. Army is 3-8 but, of course, it will be a successful season if the Black Knights win Saturday.

Here's a look back on the storied rivalry with the musical theme of "If I could be like that." It's definitely pro-Navy with the Joe Bellino and Roger Staubach clips, but both sides can take pride in the sentiment.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

On the offensive side, ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski didn't see much hope that the Ravens could copy the Eagles' so-called "blueprint" for attacking the Patriots in Monday night's game. Employing a quick-release passing game that stretched the Patriot coverage and utilized the middle of the field, the Eagles scored 28 points against New England last Sunday night and, in the process, controlled the ball effectively enough to contain the Patriots' own awesome offense. (Even at that, Jaworski pointed out, the Patriots did score 31 points, held the ball for at least 70 plays and and gained 410 yards). 

Yet, Philadelphia did have a fourth-quarter lead and a chance to win it at the end and did so mostly by attacking aggressively on offense.

"The Eagles may not have that No. 1, go-to wide receiver but they do have a pretty good receiving corps where they can bring in three, four receivers," Jaworski said. "But what you really have to factor in there is (running back) Brian Westbrook, who is a big-play difference maker. I don't see where the Ravens have that kind of player who is going to give a defense that kind of matchup problem.

"Plus, (Eagles quarterback) A.J. Feeley did a very good of making the read, quickly processing information and then getting the ball out of his hand right away. And I don't think that Kyle Boller, at this point in his career, can necessarily do that."

Finally, Jaworski said, the Eagles' offensive line played an exceptionally strong game, keeping the Patriots off Feeley's back (he was sacked just twice in 42 pass attempts) while the Ravens' offensive line has struggled for most of the season.

Other than that, Baltimore should be just fine.

Photo credit:  Ken Hively/L.A. Times  

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Looking ahead to Monday night's game between the Ravens and Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium, ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski said that the difference in the Ravens' defense this year as opposed to last season when Baltimore terrorized quarterbacks has more to do with the back end of the operation than the front end.

Last year, defensive coordinator Rex Ryan's (right) defense had 60 sacks and limited opponents to a quarterback rating of an incredibly low 63.4. In 2007, the Ravens have just 22 sacks (projected to 32 for 16 games) and opposing quarterbacks have an 84.8 rating.

"Rex Ryan does a tremendous job of designing blitzes and getting home with those blitzes," Jaworski said. 

"But this year, even when those blitzes are getting home," Jaws continued, "the quarterback is getting the ball out of his hand."

So, here's the damage. According to Jaworski's analysis, the Ravens have blitzed 184 times in passing situations this year (second most in the NFL to Pittsburgh) and the results have been 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions, just 15 sacks and an opposing QB rating of 98.2. 

The fault, Jaworski concludes, lies with the coverage, where regular starting cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle have been out of the lineup. The defensive secondary can't hold coverage for the two seconds or so it takes for the blitz to "get home."

"You need cornerbacks you can have confidence in," Jaworski said.

Photo credit: Gene Sweeney Jr

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

I'm going to select this one because I feel obligated to take a position on an important game like this one, although I'm not as certain about it as I normally like to be about a game.

Green Bay at Dallas (-7). First of all, that's a fair amount of points for a game involving two 10-1 teams. It started at 6 and shifted a point as the Dallas public money outpolled the Green Bay public money. And that's a solid seven, too, across the board both online and in Vegas. Dallas does have an edge in just about every statistical category you want to look at it. The only stat that shows Cowboy vulnerability is on pass defense, where they're No. 21 in the league. I think that number is deceiving but a more meaningful stat as you match Packer offense against Dallas defense is the number of sacks that Green Bay has given up -- just 14 with Brett Favre slinging on 425 attempts. Now, that's a key, so I do think the Packers will score their points. I'm a lot more concerned about the injury status of the Packers' defense with both cornerback Charles Woodson (toe) and defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (ankle, at right) game-time decisions. And did you know that KBG's name translates to "Big Man Come and Save Me" -- just a little tidbit you can toss out there to impress your friends tonight. Packer DT Johnny Jolly is supposed to be definitely out so that will hurt Green Bay's inside rush defense rotation. As Xs-and-Os go, it just makes sense that the Cowboys run early, force the Packers into eight in the box and then turn T.O. and TE Jason Whitten loose. I'm actually tempted to just not pick a team and take a shot at the over-under, which is 52. If I had to make a choice there, it would be over. All right, time to make a decision. I think the Cowboys win but the Packers cover. Pick:  Packers, getting 7.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

There are still no arrests in the killing of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor. Taylor's father visited the Redskins yesterday and what the players took away from that meeting was to try to win out and make the playoffs in their teammate's memory.

In this ESPN account, there is a video attached that includes an interview with Richard Sharpstein titled "Family friend gives details of Sean Taylor shooting" that provides some specifics about the event itself. Police have expressed the belief that that shooting was random, Sharpstein reinforced that belief, contending that a targeted assassination would have resulted in a different type of shooting. 

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle has a contrary opinion. Rolle is a lifelong friend of Taylor. They had played together as 6-year-olds in Homestead and at the University of Miami. Rolle believes that someone connected with Taylor's past, a past from which Taylor had distanced himself, is likely responsible.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

Maryland's basketball team finally put away a major opponent last night in holding off Illinois at the Comcast Center, 69-60. Last week at a tournament in Kansas City, the Terps were bounced by UCLA and Missouri and were miserable from three-point range (a combined 2-for-26).  Against the 4-2 Illini, Maryland (5-2), shot a much more respectable 6-for-19 from three-point range and better than 44 percent overall. It was the sort of game that should build some confidence for a young Maryland team.

* NBA Commissioner David Stern saw his league's life flash before his eyes as Cleveland's LeBron James injured his index finger in a game against Detroit. So far, examination of the NBA's golden meal ticket has revealed a sprain and not a break. Undoubtedly distracted by James' injury, the Cavaliers -- who played as if they had only two guys on the court for the third period while the rest of the team paced nervously in the waiting room -- were waxed by the revenge-seeking Pistons by 35 points.

Photo credit: Duane Burleson/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

As the Green Bay-Dallas game nears and more people realize that they're not going to be able to see the game on their home TV because it's being broadcast on NFL Network, ire is rising.  In the local areas, meaning Dallas-Fort Worth and Green Bay-Milwaukee, the games must be carried on over-the-air channels. But there are many regions of Texas and Wisconsin that certainly consider the Cowboys and Packers the home team that are being shut out -- unless, of course, they have satellite or some upgraded cable.

Here's of the saddest tales so far.  According to a story written by Rachel Cohen of the Associated Press, a guy named Mike Martel who owns nursing homes in San Antonio said that the old folks, who normally congregate in the common rooms to watch the Cowboys every Sunday, won't get to see the big  game because the nursing homes only gets basic cable.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones (left) has been pretty smug about the Cowboys' role in all this because he apparently believes that fan consternation over popular games will eventually work to the NFL's favor its feud with some of the nation's biggest cable companies over how they offer NFL Network (and, as a result, how the cable companies bill customers).

And there's another storm cloud on the horizon.  The final regular-season game of the season for the New England Patriots against the New York Giants is also an NFL Network game -- Saturday, Dec. 29, 8:15 p.m. If the Pats are undefeated going into that one,  many viewers will be left scrambling if they want to watch the historic game.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
                    

It goes without saying that this is an emotional time in the sports world. Much is being being expressed about Washington safety Sean Taylor's untimely and tragic death and there's not a great deal we can say here that would add to the reflection. Some of our Sun colleagues, as well as other voices, are doing a much better job than we could.

But this event comes at a sadly coincidental moment, just as Jimmy V Week begins. As many of you know, Jimmy V Week is an ESPN push to assist with fundraising for cancer research and treatment on behalf of the late Jim Valvano, the coach of the North Carolina State basketball team that won the national championship. There'll be programming and basketball games on ESPN's TV channels and tons written on ESPN.com, and I'm not here to advertise on behalf of the sports network.

But I did want to bring the spirit of Valvano's message to your attention, particularly at this moment. It was a message to appreciate life and, as much as possible, make every moment count. Obviously, Jimmy V said it better. And so here he does at the 1993 ESPY Awards. It's nearly 10 minutes but worth the time.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

When the Packers play at Dallas tomorrow in Big D (both are 10-1), the outcome could also decide the NFC title in a couple of months. A Green Bay win puts the conference title game, in all probability, at Lambeau Field -- obviously, a huge advantage for the Packers. A Cowboys win means essentially the converse -- the NFC road to the Supe would go through Texas Stadium.

So how does this one look?

Well, for starters, the Cowboys are 7-point favorites.  The Packers are 9-1-1 against the spread this season but the Cowboys have been no slouches; they're 8-3. The over-under is 51 1/2. Actually, we'll make our pick on this tomorrow but just wanted to set it up.

Weather forecast is good. Highs in the mid-60s, lows in the mid-40s and clear. So figure a starry Texas night in at least the mid-50s at kickoff. In other words, a fast track.

Brett Favre and Tony Romo are both having great years. Imagine an Al Michaels voiceover: Romo is the Wisconsin kid who grew up with Favre as his hero. Favre is making a curtain call as the leading man in a Super Bowl run.

Now, the Xs-and-Os. Some seem to think the chink in the Dallas armor may be its pass defense. I'm not so sure. The Cowboys are ranked 21st in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. BUT that ranking is deceptive because an average of only six yards separates about 10 teams. More importantly, I think, are that they're plus-1 in interceptions-to-TD passes and have 30 sacks. Plus, they're allowing just 82 rushing yards a game. Of course, against Green Bay, they're looking at what amounts to a run-and-shoot offense with four and five receivers. That's been a difficult adjustment for a lot of Packers' opponents this season.

Offensively, the Cowboys are getting a great season out of Marion Barber -- apparently teammate Terrell Owens calls him Marion the Barbarian. Barber has 715 yards with an impressive 4.9-yard average. On the surface, Green Bay is so-so against the run, giving up 100 yards a game but, again, that's deceptive. Green Bay has given up only four rushing TDs. So, the Packers have been a lot easier to bend than to break. They're giving up just 16 points a game.

My initial take on this game is that despite the hype surrounding the quarterbacks, it will be  more of a defensive struggle than what would appear to be the case. We'll examine it more tomorrow.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The Patriots just added Troy Brown and Chad Brown to their roster -- wide receiver-former defensive back T. Brown from the physically unable to perform list and one-time Steeler and Seahawk star C. Brown as a free agent.

What's interesting about this is how many birthday candles these guys blow out. Troy Brown, who was responsible for getting New England into the AFC championship game last year by forcing a fumble at a key point in the playoff game with San Diego, is 36. Chad Brown is 37.

Now think about this. If the Patriots field a linebacker lineup of Mike Vrabel (32), Tedy Bruschi (34), Junior Seau (38) and Chad Brown (37), the average age of the linebackers is over 35. Even with Adalius Thomas (30) playing, it's 33 1/2. And backup LB Larry Izzo is 33.

Say what you will about Bill Belichick, but he clearly weighs smarts and experience as heavily as sheer athleticism in putting together a team. And who can argue with that formula?  

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Hmmm, there's not much of an appreciation for satire at Tulsa, it seems.

The University of Tulsa is filing a complaint with Conference USA against those smarmy elitists at Rice over a football halftime show.

It appears the Rice marching band did a halftime show that lampooned Tulsa coach Todd Graham, who coached for one year at Rice before leaving for Tulsa. The skit was based on Dante's Inferno (that's Mr. Dante to the left)  and depicted a search through the circles of hell for the missing coach.

The skit ends with Graham being called a vulgar term by the announcer narrating the skit but some of it was pretty funny, such as this passage taken from a transcript of the program that appears on the Rice website:

Announcer: We thought we might find Todd Graham in the fourth circle with the greedy and the avaricious, but he was nowhere to be found. However, we did find his shredded Rice contract -- leading like breadcrumbs into the inferno -- and there, gathering the pieces, was Dennis Franchione.

(Note: Franchione recently resigned as the Texas A&M coach where he was singed earlier this year for selling an online newsletter with insider information to boosters, but that's another story.)

In the transcript (warning, Will Robinson, indelicate language in that link), you'll see references to the MOB.  That would be Rice's Marching Owls Band.

The Rice band director apologized but he didn't sound all that contrite.

"Tulsa won the football game and still has their coach," the band guy said. "This was his first time back since he left, and we gave him a rhetorical public flogging. Everyone expected it. It was as mild as we could make it with it still being funny."

So, who says they don't have a highbrow sense of humor in Texas.

Image credit: Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

We've been experiencing some technical hiccups here in The Sun's blog world. We apologize and hope to minimize them.

Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams is out for the year after six carries and 15 yards.

If you saw that dreadful Monday night game against Pittsburgh -- I did -- Williams fell to the ground, fumbling in the process and in the scramble for the ball, a Steeler stepped squarely on the back of his right shoulder. The camera caught it clearly and the slo-mo replay made you wince. He has a torn chest muscle -- one would assume as a result of that play. He came back for another carry but left, obviously favoring that side of his body. 

Everyone knows about Williams' career and the fact that he was playing so soon after coming back from a 1 1/2-year suspension was surprising. On his first carry, he muscled his way to a first down. After that, he found the going tough. And that was no shock given the horrible condition of a saturated, soft field. And that Williams fumbled was also no surprise. Before the game, Emmitt Smith predicted it, talking about Williams' unfamiliarity with carrying the ball, roughly in Smith's words, in traffic.

Hopefully, this will somehow work out to Williams' advantage. He's shown his commitment to resuming an athletic career and he can continue to work on his return, now with the support of an NFL organization.

*  In the NBA, Cleveland slowed down the Celtic express, 109-104, in OT. It was just the second loss for Boston in 13 games. LeBron James had 38 points for the Cavs.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Ravens coach Brian Billick was asked by a host of FOX GameDay Monday whether he was surprised that the five-game losing streak hasn't resulted in more demonstrative expressions of an "anger factor" by the team.

Billick: If it's anger that you mean we're going to go and start ...  breaking up locker rooms, and smashing up cars into walls, or I'm going to be standing up in a news conference after a game, going "Playoffs!" ...that ain't going to happen. There is a lot of ways to show your frustration and your anger...no, these guys are fighting hard. I'll defy anybody to look at our games and say that the players aren't fighting hard. There is plenty of frustration and anger. Yeah, they're fed up with it, they work hard during the week and try to take it on the field and turn it around.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The seemingly endless saga of Michael Vick's legal problems turned another page as Vick was ordered to stand trial on dogfighting-related charges in Virginia in April.

Vick is still awaiting sentencing on Dec. 10 as a result of his guilty plea in federal court on charges also related to his involvement with the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation at his Surry County, Va., home.

The Falcons quarterback has already surrendered to begin serving his federal sentence and is being held in a Warsaw, Va., jail. The two state charges that Vick faces could carry additional sentences of as much as five years each. His lawyer is likely to argue that he cannot be convicted twice for the same crime.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

A short list of sports figures cut down by violence. This is not a comprehensive list but here are some that occurred to me.

Sept. 1972, Munich. Eleven members of the Israeli Olympic delegation -- athletes, coaches and officials -- were killed in an attack and hostage-taking by Palestinian terrorists. Many were killed during a rescue operation by German authorities. Five terrorists and one German police officer were also killed. Three terrorists were captured.

Sept., 1978, Gary, Ind.  Baseball outfielder Lyman Bostock, who played with Minnesota and the California Angels was shot while sitting in car by a man who did not even know him. According to some reports, the intended target was the killer's estranged wife. Using an insanity defense, the killer spent just 21 months in prison.

July, 1994, Medellin, Colombia. Colombian soccer player Andres Escobar was shot outside a bar in Medellin in what was believed  to be a violent reaction to an own goal that Escobar scored in a World Cup match against the United States that Colombia lost, 2-1. The killer spent 11 years in prison.

Jan., 1996, Newtown Square, Pa.  Olympic gold medal wrestler David Schultz was shot and killed by his multimillionaire friend John du Pont. Schultz was planning a comeback for the Olympics later that year in Atlanta. John du Pont was convicted of third-degree murder and remains in prison.

June, 2003, Waco, Texas.  Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy was found murdered in a Texas gravel pit. He had been shot in the head. A teammate, Carlton Dotson, was convicted of the murder. 

Nov., 2006, Miami. University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed at an apartment complex. The case remains unsolved. 

Jan. 2007, Denver.  Broncos defensive back Darrent Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting.  Williams was in a limousine and the shooting followed an argument in a nightclub.

Sept. 2007, Memphis.  University of Memphis defensive lineman Taylor Bradford was shot and killed on campus in a botched robbery attempt.  Reportedly, he had won several thousands dollars in a casino.  At least four men were arrested.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards is offering an inexpensive holiday outing on Saturday, Dec. 8 with a $1 admission charge as part of Baltimore's "Downtown Dollar or Less Day."

Perhaps, just as attractive is the holiday sale the museum will hold on merchandise, including vintage baseball jerseys, college apparel, Civil War memorabilia, artwork and even select graphics from exhibits at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Sports Legends Museum. Orioles merchandise will also be 30 to 40 percent off. 

The museum and store will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Dec. 8  and museum members can get in early at 9 a.m. Parking will be available in the north warehouse lot for $5.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

What appears to be a valuable trove of original documents related to the Black Sox scandal and the fixing of the 1919 World Series between Chicago and Cincinnati has been discovered and will be auctioned, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Until now, most accounts of the scandal that led to several White Sox players being banned, including "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (left), and nearly ruined baseball have been based on newspaper stories and interviews. The new cache of documents, however, may shed some additional light on what happened based on more primary documentation. It appears the documents are related to a civil suit filed by some of the players seeking back pay from the White Sox.

The Chicago Tribune has this page of images of document copies.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

If you made it through the entirety of the Dolphins-Steelers game, you showed almost as much fortitude as the players themselves. A downpour turned Heinz Field into a unnavigable porridge of grass and mud and neither team was able to able to do much offensively.

In the end, Pittsburgh kicker Jeff Reed booted a 24-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining for a 3-0 Steelers decision. The win kept Pittsburgh atop the AFC North at 8-3, a game ahead of Cleveland. The loss left Miami at 0-11. The teams combined for 375 yards of offense and just 22 first downs. 

The Dolphins played Ricky Williams early in the game but he managed just 15 yards on six carries and had to leave with an injury after his shoulder was stepped on following a fumble.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died overnight in a Miami hospital as a result of a gunshot wound suffered early Monday morning. If you were watching the Monday Night Football game between Miami and Pittsburgh, you may have heard the encouraging news that Taylor, 24, (right) had been responsive to doctors and was able to squeeze a hand. The shooting happened during an apparent break-in at Taylor's Miami-area home about 2 a.m. Monday. Reportedly, he was struck in an artery in his upper leg.

Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Some readers wondered about radio for the Packers-Cowboys game on Thursday night. I checked with WBAL (1090 AM), and it will carry the game. I believe it's a Westwood One broadcast. Game time is listed at 8:15 p.m. on NFL.com, and the broadcast begins at 7:30.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio has recently written a book on the NFL's most overrated players and coaches, and he has a list of the five QBs whose reputations are larger than their talents or statistics. Among that group is Brett Favre.

Of course, if Favre leads the Packers to the Big Dance at age 38, Sal is going to have a lot of erasing to do. In full disclosure, Sal and I are former colleagues and I'm sure he'll appreciate the book plug even with the smart-aleck comment. The five overrated QBs are, in order:

1. Joe Namath

2. Brett Favre

3. Terry Bradshaw

4. Ken Stabler

5. Tony Romo.

Here are the comments on the five.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Say what you will about the Ravens kicking to Cleveland's Josh Cribbs, whose returns set up the tying and winning field goals a couple of weeks ago. How do you figure Denver coach Mike Shanahan kicking to the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester yesterday? On track to shatter NFL return scoring records, Hester brought back both a punt and a kickoff for TDs in the Bears' OT win over the Broncos.

Here's a look at Hester at work. The first 20 seconds or so are still photos and then you get Hester on the move.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The spate of movement in college coaching continued today with former Packers head coach Mike Sherman taking the job at Texas A&M that opened up when Dennis Franchione resigned. And Chan Gailey, the former Dallas Cowboys head coach, was fired after six seasons at Georgia Tech.  Reportedly, Gailey has four years left on a contract that would pay him $1 million a year.

As expected, former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan was fired at Nebraska after a 5-7 season that saw the Cornhuskers give up points in bunches in losses to to Kansas (76), Colorado (65), USC (49),  Oklahoma State (45), Missouri (41) and Texas A&M (36).

Earlier, Lloyd Carr announced his resignation at Michigan.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

When last we visited with LeBron James, the kingly multi-talented star of Nike commercials was getting his royal tail booted by the San Antonio Spurs in a lackluster NBA Finals that was soon to upstaged by the Tim Donaghy scandal.

Well, we have another NBA season under way. In a town without an NBA franchise, that's a little akin to the sound of a tree falling in a forest without anyone around to hear it -- especially when the marquee team in these parts is enduring its longest losing streak ever.

However, young Mr. James is proving his worth again to the NBA. Yesterday, he had his fourth triple-double of the season and 14th of his career. James had 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as Cleveland dusted Indiana. He leads the NBA in scoring with 31.3 points per game and the Cavaliers are 8-6 and in third place in the Eastern Conference Central. As if Boston needed any more tidings of good cheer, the Celtics are 11-1 in the Eastern Atlantic. San Antonio and Phoenix lead their respective divisions in the Western Conference.

OK, you're up to date on the NBA.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

One of my favorite college football teams is the University of Hawaii. No special attachments but, hey, what's there not to like about anything that comes from the place that sends us Aloha Wear and macadamia nuts. And I loved the old nickname, Rainbow Warriors, which was, well, more colorful, and I still have a rainbow vintage T-shirt from a family trip there years ago.

Now just the plain-old Warriors, they play that wild run-and-shoot and as many of you know, they're 11-0 after beating WAC rival Boise State in a shootout Friday night. Only a win over Washington stands between Hawaii, ranked No. 12 at the moment, and a BCS bowl bid. Now, we won't get into which bowl they may wind up in. That's way too complicated. But we can offer this look at the football's team haka, a group chant popular among Pacific Rim sports teams. We have both the Hawaii football version and, as a special treat, the holiday version after that.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

There are not a lot of details available yet, but Redskins safety Sean Taylor has been shot and is in critical condition in a Florida hospital. Taylor has missed the last two games because of a knee injury and was staying with his family at a home he owns in the Miami suburbs. We'll update as more is learned.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Last week, we gave you a heads-up on the Green Bay at Dallas game on Thursday night, sounding the alarm that you might have to make special arrangements to see it. Because it's being broadcast by NFL Network, it won't be carried on over-the-air or on standard cable TV in many areas (we won't bore you with the details of the battle between the league and the major cable players).

That's all still true but some folks thought we should have mentioned that viewers with enhanced cable packages will be able to receive the game at home -- and that is certainly true. Also, folks with satellite TV can get the game and apparently those with Verizon's TV service, although it's not available where I live.

But the original point remains the same. We've gotten used to the practice that these off-Sunday NFL games -- Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays -- are usually on the old legacy networks or ESPN that you can get with a standard cable package, which will not be the case with the important  showdown between the NFC's two 10-1 teams. So, again, be aware of that. Just a public service we're trying to provide. One more thing -- someone asked if it's on radio. We don't know, but we're going to check. If someone does have that info, feel free to let us know.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

For the long weekend of football, we were 2-1 against the point spread. Green Bay easily covered for us on Thanksgiving and yesterday we split. Tennessee never showed up against Cincinnati and we had the 38 1/2-point over in the Ravens-Chargers game, which San Diego nearly covered single-handedly. The season record is 22-16-2.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It seems as if an anti-Elway influence is casting a dark shadow across the NFL.

Instead of finding ways to rally their teams from dire situations, NFL quarterbacks are more likely to commit some faux pas that throttles almost certain victories. 

At least three quarterbacks spoiled their respective team's opportunities to win, or at least tie, games yesterday on the last meaningful possession.

The most egregious was Rams QB Gus Frerotte, who had St. Louis at the Seattle 1-yard line with 27 seconds left and down by five points. On fourth down, Frerrote mishandled the snap from center and fell on the ball at the five. Two plays earlier, he missed an open Issac Bruce at the goal line.

Washington's Jason Campbell threw not one but two interceptions late in the game in Tampa Bay territory to let the Buccaneers escape with a six-point win. The second of those interceptions was in the end zone with 17 seconds left. Earlier in the final period, Campbell, who threw for 301 yards, moved Washington to the Bucs' 32 and tossed the ball to Tampa Bay's Ronde Barber.

And Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley missed an opportunity to become part of NFL history as the backup who beat the mighty New England Patriots when he threw an ill-advised pass with less than four minutes left when his team seemingly was marching for the go-ahead touchdown or at least the tying field goal. Feeley and the Eagles were driving down the field, gaining five to 10 yards per snap, when Feeley got greedy and went for the end zone from the Patriots' 29-yard line. His overthrown ball was intercepted for a touchback.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

As team efforts go, the Ravens 18-point loss to San Diego yesterday, was a classic example.  Every phase of Baltimore's play was a contributor.

The offense managed just two touchdowns. The defense, at times, allowed Chargers receivers to play catch with QB Philip Rivers as if it were a pregame passing drill. Special teams stepped up with an out-of-bounds kickoff after a touchdown and a lost kickoff return just before halftime.

Silver linings. When given the time to throw, Ravens QB Kyle Boller delivered the ball with authority, and he had four passes dropped. But that he committed just one turnover, a fumble, was pure luck. It could have been four, another fumble and two interceptions. The defense, protecting a short field far too often, held the Chargers to field goals when it could have been touchdowns. But it's also clear that they have matchup problems. No Ravens LB could stay with TE Antonio Gates.

Well, that's it for silver linings.

After New England and Indianapolis, there is winless Miami and the only thing that could make this season worse for Baltimore is losing to the Dolphins.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

So, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Joe Horn says the reason the Patriots are going crazy blowing teams out is because of the cheating business earlier in the year. Horn doesn't blame the players but in the famous words of the locker room these day (all together now) ... it ... is ... what ... it ... is.

Here's a transcript of on FOX GameTime Live Wednesday.

I’m not trying to downgrade Tom Brady, he’s a cool dude. Randy, cool brother, that’s my dog. Since they were caught cheating and everybody said that’s what they needed and the Super Bowl should have been taken back because it was tainted, and they were found cheating, and their coach should have gotten suspended, like everyone else gets suspended, but he wasn’t, they’re pissed off.

They’re upset and they’re saying, hey, we didn’t need the videotapes to kick ya'll's butt, to kick everybody’s butt and blow them out. And we’re going to show you that now. We’re going to kill teams and, we’re going to beat them by 50 or 60 points just to show you that we could have did that regardless whether we got caught cheating or not. It’s not Randy’s fault. It's not Tom Brady’s fault…I’m not blaming none of the players. You were caught cheating, so that’s what you’re going to retire with. That’s what you’re going to be known for in the Super Bowls that you won. Regardless, you were cheating, and you won those Super Bowls.

Don’t get mad now and try to score 70 or 80 points on teams when you could have did it when you weren’t cheating. So, I’m not trying to dog anybody but, it is what it is. They’ve got a great football team and I think personally they could go 19-0. But the fact is, at the end of the day, when you hang your retirement up, all you’re going to be left with, besides your name, yeah, those three Super Bowls were great, but you were kind of cheating in knowing what the defenses were calling over there. They’re a little upset right now so it’s a way of them feeling better about themselves showing people they don’t have to cheat and they still can beat people by 70 now. 

To hear it yourself, click on Horn's picture and then the Open button.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Transcript and Audio: Courtesy of FOX GameTime 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
                    

With apologies to John Facenda, we bring you this take on Thanksgiving Day football. Happy bargain hunting today.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Just perusing the lines for the week and a game that jumped out at me was San Francisco-Arizona. I've seen the Cardinals as an 11 1/2-point favorite, 10 to 11 in the Vegas sports books. When's the last time you saw the Cardinals favored like that? The 49ers are a mess.

Yesterday's Green Bay win gave us a season record of 21-15-2. And now on to Sunday.

Tennessee at Cincinnati (1). The Titans, at 6-4 and on a two-game losing streak, are desperate to stay in the playoff hunt. Cincinnati, 3-7 and a loser to Arizona last week, has lost its way. Injury concerns have been Titans DT Albert Haynesworth (hamstring) and Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (hip). A little more worrisome is that Haynesworth was hanging out with Pacman Jones. A factor swaying me here is that Tennessee is pretty good on the road ATS and the Jungle hasn't been that much of an advantage for the Bengals. Pick: Titans, giving 1.

Baltimore at San Diego (9-10, 38 1/2 O/U). The bettors sure don't think much of the Ravens, and why should they? Baltimore is 1-9 against the line. The game started out with the Chargers as 7 1/2-point favorites and moved to as many as 10. That's not my interest in this game, though.  I realize that the Browns don't have much of a pass defense and that Ray Lewis accounted for a touchdown, but I'm encouraged by the Ravens' second-half offense. And San Diego still has LaDanian Tomlinson. Pick: Over, 38 1/2 points.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

This is a game even the most jaded fan can get excited about. Hugely entertaining but less-than-mega football programs playing for high stakes.

Tonight, Boise State plays Hawaii in the Aloha State. Both teams are Cinderellas in their own way. The slightly underdog visiting Broncos raced through their WAC schedule a year ago and stunned Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. And they're 10-1 again this year. The Warriors, an offensive high-flier in recent years that hasn't been able to get past WAC-rival Boise State, are 10-0 and trying to put themselves in line for a BCS bowl game with a win tonight and a victory over Washington at the end of the schedule. Polls vary, but Hawaii is No. 15 and Boise State No. 19 in the BCS standings. 

You've got Colt Brennan (right), the Hawaii quarterback with the astronomical numbers, back from a concussion. Boise State has the nearly equally impressive Taylor Tharp. Both quarterbacks, amazingly, have 69.1 completion percentages. You have an over-under of 74 1/2 points, with Hawaii favored by a field goal.  And the 9 p.m. game should be on standard cable in most areas -- it's listed for ESPN2.

Photo credit: Ronen Zilberman/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Here's some advice from your friends here at O, by the Way. If you want to watch next Thursday's game between Green Bay and Dallas, both 10-1, at Texas Stadium, you may want to think about getting yourself to your favorite sports bar.

Even though it's a prime-time game at 8:15, and the second most hyped game of the season -- after New England-Indianapolis a few weeks back -- it won't be carried over-the-air or on standard cable TV channels in many areas. The Packer-Cowboys game is one of the NFL Network's games and, as many fans know, the league and the heavyweights in the cable TV industry have been in a shootin' war over how the NFL Network will be carried. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones makes his case again here.

Those with satellite TV and the NFL season ticket package will be able to see the game and the local TV markets --  meaning Dallas and Green Bay -- will receive the game on over-the-air broadcast channels. But folks with standard cable or over-the-air in out-of-town markets will mostly be out of luck unless, as we mentioned above, you camp out at a sports bar that has TV service, such as satellite, that gets the full schedule of games.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

First of all, congratulations to Loyola for the Dons' 33-10 win over Calvert Hall in the 88th Turkey Bowl yesterday at M&T Bank Stadium before an announced crowd of 12,818. 

* Both Green Bay and Dallas improved to 10-1 with wins over the Lions and Jets respectively, setting up an NFC showdown between the Packers and Cowboys next Thursday. Brett Favre's legacy continues to grow as he completed 20 passes in a row at one point to set a Green Bay record. After two seasons that had fans wondering if Favre was staying too long, the 38-year old is showing that even in the NFL, 40 is the new 30 -- or something like that. Afterward, Lions quarterback Jon Kitna called him the best ever.

And in a case of trying to cram one more piece of pie down the gullet of sated fans, in the NFL Network's scheduled-for-Turkey Day game, Indianapolis beat Atlanta.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Green Bay at Detroit (3). If you were deciding the Green Bay-Detroit game tomorrow based on historical trends and even on this season, the pick probably would be the Lions. In this series over the last 10 years or so, the home team -- that's Detroit tomorrow -- has covered the spread 75 percent of the time. On top of that, the Lions, while a tepid 5-4-1 ATS overall this year, are 4-1 at Ford Field.

The Packers, though, have been torrid. They're not only a surprising 9-1 in the standings but 8-1-1 against the spread.

The Lions have been a pretty good bounce-back team this season. There were two times earlier this year when they were creamed and failed to cover and then came back to win outright and cover. But they failed to bounce back from a previous loss when they scored just 10 points against the New York Giants last week. The Lions (6-4) might be running out of steam.

In terms of Xs-and-Os, a key matchup will be on the Detroit right offensive side where Jonathan Scott will have to play tackle with a protected injured thumb against Green Bay LDE Aaron Kampmann, who has nine sacks. Pick: Packers, giving 3.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

At least against the point spread. All season we've marveled at the New England Patriots demolishing the point spread week after week. The Pats are 9-1 against the line.

Well, sports gambling expert R.J. Bell just pointed out to us that Kansas is 10-0 against the spread. In real life, Kansas is 11-0, but its early-season game against Southeastern Louisiana wasn't on the board. Kansas won, 62-0.

The Jayhawks, ranked No. 2, play No. 4 Missouri Saturday with the obvious implication for a shot at the national championship game. I've seen Kansas listed as a 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-point favorite.

In running up its perfect mark ATS, Kansas has been the favorite in every game except one and covered double-digit spreads of 19, 26, 27, 27 and 35 points.

Bell reported in an e-mail that since 1980, no team has gone undefeated for the season against the Vegas line.

Getting back to the Patriots, a couple of Las Vegas sports books still have them as 23 1/2-point favorites over the Eagles Sunday, which would make the game the second-highest NFL line ever, according to MGM Mirage race and sports book director Robert Walker. Many books still aren't posting a line because of the questionable status of Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

As expected, the Ravens placed defensive end Trevor Pryce on injured reserve, which means he is out for the year. Pryce suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

His place on the roster is being taken by DT Zarnell Fitch, who was on the practice squad. Fitch (6-3, 320) played at TCU and his pro resume includes a stint on the Jets practice squad and with the Frankfurt Galaxy of now-defunct NFL Europa. 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

A marketing research firm called Turnkey Sports and Entertainment has gone to a lot of effort to measure the “brand” strength of all 122 professional sports teams in the four major leagues (yes, that included the NHL).

The market research folks quizzed 12,000 fans in 47 markets – from 200 to 500 fans in each market. The firm asked questions that were in two broad categories, measuring popularity and loyalty. The surveying was done in May and June. Street & Smth's Sports Business Journal reported the results of the survey and the No. 1 brand belonged to the Pittsburgh Steelers followed by the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. The strongest non-NFL team brand was the Buffalo Sabres, followed by the Boston Red Sox and San Antonio Spurs.

Considering this was done after a down season for the Steelers, those results were pretty impressive because when you look at the rankings, they pretty much reflect recent team performance. For instance, the Ravens, after a 13-3 season, were No. 12 overall (out of 122 franchises) and the sixth-ranked NFL team.

The Orioles were No. 84.

Turnkey also measured fan impressions of owners.

Hmm.  Bet you can see where this is going.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos ranked as the “worst owner in baseball,” in the words of the Sports Business Journal. And he was fourth from the bottom among all owners. The cellar-dweller was Detroit Lions owners William Clay Ford. After this season with the Lions doing considerably better, Ford’s rating probably will go up, meaning Angelos has a real shot at No. 122.

And the top owner was (drumroll) … again, remember that recent results seemed to be a key ...  Colts owner Jim Irsay. Patriots owner Bob Kraft was No. 2.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
                    

When Michael Vick's problems related to dogfighting began, some NFL players seemed to take the charges cavalierly, suggesting that the practice was a relatively common regional phenomenon. Well, if any players are still taking dogfighting lightly, they better think again.

Federal prosecutors now want nearly $930,000 of Vick's assets put away to ensure the care of the surviving animals from the dogfighting operation. With the Atlanta Falcons looking to recover $20 million of the money they paid Vick and several banks clamoring for a total of $6 million in various loans, the government wants to make sure that there's enough money to fund Vick's obligations to the more than 50 dogs. Vick agreed to pay for the animals' care and find them new homes as part of his agreement with prosecutors.

Vick has already started serving the sentence on his guilty plea but will formally find out exactly how long he'll spend in prison when he's sentenced on Dec. 10.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

ESPN is reporting that Kansas City running back Priest Holmes, a former Raven, may retire as soon as today because of a neck injury suffered Sunday in the Chiefs' loss to Indianapolis. Earlier in the year, another veteran Pro Bowl back, Seattle fullback Mack Strong, abruptly retired because of a neck injury.

Holmes, who seemingly battled back from injuries throughout his career, spent two years trying to come back from head and neck trauma suffered in October 2005. Holmes, 34, finally made it back into uniform, surprising even his coaches, and has been filling in for injured starter Larry Johnson. He has 46 carries for 137 yards and five receptions this season. In 2003, Holmes set what was then a record for touchdowns in a season with 27. 

Holmes broke into the league in 1997 as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens and rushed for 1,008 yards his second season, his best year in Baltimore. In 2000, he was replaced by Jamal Lewis as the starter. In 2001, he signed as a free agent in Kansas City, where he blossomed into one of the league's premier backs. During his first three years with the Chiefs, Holmes carried the ball more than 300 times each season and gained a total of nearly 4,600 yards. A knee injury cut short what promised to be another productive season in 2004, and since then he has played in just 11 games.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Maryland's young  basketball doesn't appear ready for prime time. Playing against a more experienced Missouri team in the consolation game of the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo., last night, the Terps lost, 84-70.

Three-point shooting continues to be a problem. Maryland (3-2) was 1-for-15 from three-point range last night, making their total 2-for-25 in the last two games. Turnovers hurt as well.  Maryland committed 23 -- 13 more than Missouri. The previous day, in the tournament semifinals, Maryland lost to UCLA, now tied for the No. 1 ranking with North Carolina.

* Morgan State continued its fast start with a 62-54 win over American at home. The Bears are 3-1 for the first time in 20 years. Defense was the key as Morgan State blocked 12 shots and held American to a shooting percentage of 32.1.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

This transcript comes right from FOX GameTime Live Monday. Ravens coach Brian Billick discusses the game officials' handling of Phil Dawson's game-tying field goal at the end of regulation of the Ravens-Browns game with Andrew Siciliano and Krystal Fernandez.

Does it add to the the debate? You decide, but it's interesting to hear Billick being expansive about his point of view.

Billick:  I'm not the best head coach in the league at understanding the rules. There are others that understand the rules very, very well, and I'll admit that I'm not one of the better ones. I know you can't review a field goal, OK.  It's a little confusing, a little disconcerting, that an official has to go to go to a phone to be told a field goal is non-reviewable. 
 
Siciliano: Especially considering you tried to review a Tim Carter catch (a Cleveland reception) and the system didn't work?

Billick:  Yeah, if I weren't at home, I'd really be paranoid that something was going on.
 
Andrew told him he thought so far he'd done a good job of not criticizing the officials or the league over the call...
 
Billick:  Well, I've paid my share of fines already. If I thought it would make a difference, rant and rave, I don't mind paying the money. But I know it won't. It will be handled in the appropriate channels. It's not worth killing yourself over, and it's not worth the fine. If I thought going after it and (cursing) and getting fined would help, gosh, I get paid pretty good, I'd be happy to pay that fine.
 
Siciliano:  Did you feel regardless of procedure, they got the call right?
 
Billick:  Yeah, I guess. I don't know. I've yet to see that film...that definitively it was this way or that. That is a unique call, in terms of the breaking of this and hitting the back armature or whatever it may be. I'm a very big advocate, and we've had this discussion many times, about replay and its value and what it says.  Obviously, replay is a non-issue here. I'm a little concerned in the way that it was communicated and thought of as one way, and then they say not changed.  Fine...but that's procedural and if that indeed was the right call, then, yeah, that's probably the way it should have been. 

Andrew went on to ask him if they could see where the kick landed on the team video...
 
Billick:  Yeah, I can't see it. I looked at (our team video) the video today. Even if you could have used replay, which you can't, I don't know how you would have. The debatable question was, did you call it good or not? The discrepancy between what was executed on the field and afterwards said what was done, was the disconcerting part.

Just a note from O, by the Way to avoid any confusion. If you are a close follower of the Ravens and Brian Billick, you may note that he has expressed varying opinions in the past on the merits of instant replay. This Q&A would indicate that he currently endorses replay.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

As I've been saying since early this year -- it is IMPOSSIBLE to make a point spread high enough for the undefeated New England Patriots. The Pats are 9-1 against the spread, failing to cover only against Indianapolis by a single point. The Patriots have covered lines of 15 or more points five times, including a 16-point spread against Buffalo, 56-10, in their last game.

And now we're getting into record-setting territory. A couple of weeks ago, Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman was wondering about the highest point spread ever for an NFL game. Robert Walker, the director  of MGM Mirage Race and Sports Book (Mirage, Bellagio, MGM Grand, and others), came up with a 1976 game between the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers and the expansion Tampa Bay Bucs. The spread was 24 points and the Steelers covered, 42-0.

In Vegas, this week's point spread for Philadelphia at New England is 23 1/2 at the Las Vegas Hilton and the Station casinos. A bunch of places don't even have a line yet but that could be because of thumb and ankle injuries to Donovan McNabb. In a few days, we could bust that 24-point mark.

Meanwhile, the MGM Mirage has put up Super Bowl lines for potential Patriot matchups. Naturally, New England is the favorite in all of these.

Cowboys 16

Packers 18

Giants 21

Seahawks 22

Field (any other NFC team) 23

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

A few readers have asked about Rhys Lloyd, the strong-legged kicker who has been bouncing around the Ravens roster. The reason for their curiosity  is obvious -- if he had been active for Sunday's game against Cleveland, he would have been an alternative as a kickoff guy at the end when Baltimore was having problems covering kicks against Browns return guy Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs' returns helped set up Cleveland's field goals at the end of regulation and in overtime.

Deepening the mystery was that Lloyd wasn't listed on the active roster or on practice squad on the Ravens' Web site yesterday or earlier today, although his picture was in the program on Sunday. And close followers of the team didn't recall him being cut recently.

I just checked, and Lloyd is on the practice squad. He was on the practice squad for Sunday's game and, as a result, was not eligible to participate. The team's Web site is being updated to reflect his status.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
                    

If you didn't watch much of the Monday night game between the Titans and Broncos, which Denver won, 34-20, I don't blame you. But there was one delicious moment even if you had no rooting interest.

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who, in the second game of the year against Oakland, got the obnoxious trend going of calling a timeout a split-second before a field goal attempt, watched the strategy backfire at the end of the first half.

Titans kicker Rob Bironas was lining up for a 56-yarder with 14 seconds left in the half when, at the last second, Shanahan called one of those quickie timeouts to ice the kicker. Well, Bironas winds up missing badly to the left, but he gets another shot courtesy of Shanahan. The get-even gods smiled down on the Titans, and Bironas knocked the second-chance field goal through to narrow the Broncos lead to 20-10. It didn't matter in the end, but it was nice to see anyway.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

OK, this takes a little explaining but if you hang in there, it's worth it.

It appears a Pittsburgh Steelers fan Web site has put together a Ben Roethlisberger video game where the object is to thwart the inexorable march of the New England Patriots. It's really vintage space shoot-'em up stuff, but the graphics are hilarious. Ben is astride a motorcycle dodging oncoming Patriots and a bobbing Tedy Bruschi. To gain more power, Ben passes through a floating head of the late Art Rooney and Ben's blasters turn into mega-cigars (the Chief was a big stogie man).

Now, when I've tried to operate the game, I've had to hit the skip button on the intro, which is pretty funny in itself, but the game shuts down on me if I stay on the intro too long. But you can always restart and hit  the skip button on both pages of the intro to go right to the game. So, I suggest watching the intro -- you have to hit continue to get to the second page -- and as soon as the intro appears to be ending, hit skip to go to the game. You'll know you've gotten to the end of the intro when Ben says, "... because I'm the only one who can." 

If the game cuts out, go back to it, hit start, hit the skip button on both pages of the intro and then you'll be able to help Ben against the Pats (or not and watch him get destroyed, depending on what team you dislike the most). Arrow keys move him up and down and the space bar fires Ben's rockets

We give props to the Big Lead for pointing it out.  And huge props to the fans who put this together, whoever they are.

Here's the game itself. Note to journalists, insider references to author Gregg Easterbrook and ESPN ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The strategy of picking bounce-back teams against the spread this past weekend worked well. We were looking for teams that had lost the previous weekend, were still in the playoff hunt and were either giving a few points or getting some themselves. The strategy gave us a 3-1 mark for 20-15-2 for the season.

The Giants, Redskins and Bucs were all winners for us. New York beat Detroit and Washington battled mightily against the Cowboys and nearly won outright (but still covered). Tampa Bay was the only team I picked that wasn't coming off a loss because it had a bye, but I figured its opponent, Atlanta, was too inconsistent to put together back-to-back wins (the Falcons had previously beaten Carolina).

The lone loss came last night when the Titans fell behind early to the Broncos and never caught up.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The overlap between the worlds of basketball and hip-hop music is obvious, but the convergence couldn't be any more pronounced than teenage rapper and actor Lil' Romeo signing a national letter of intent to play hoops at Southern Cal. 

Lil' Romeo -- full name Percy Romeo Miller -- has some bona fide credentials.  He's a a senior guard at Beverly Hills High, is ranked among the top 15 point guards in the country by recruiting services and is also the son of a hip-hop executive, Master P (son and father at right).  Dad -- Percy Robert Miller -- had tryouts in the NBA in the 1990s.

Lil' Romeo, 6 feet, 170 pounds, averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 assists as a high school junior.

Photo credit: Matthew Simmons/Getty Images.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Maryland's season started in earnest last night with a 71-59 loss to No. 2 UCLA in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City. The Terps (3-1) play Missouri tonight in a consolation game.

The Terps have a young team -- they started three sophomores and had three freshmen on the court at one point. Maryland's primary problem against UCLA (4-0) was on offense, failing to convert inside shots in the first half and shooting 1-for-11 from three-point range.

*  Denver's Jay Cutler outdueled Tennessee's Vince Young in a battle of first-round quarterbacks from the draft class of '06. Cutler was an efficient 16-of-21 for 200 yards and two TDs (41 and 48 yards) as the Broncos got ahead, 14-0, and never trailed. Young, playing from behind, accounted for 379 yards on offense, 305 passing and 75 rushing. He threw for one touchdown and ran for another, He was picked off twice. Denver is 5-5 and tied for first in the AFC West with San Diego.  The Titans are 6-4 and in third in the AFC South. 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

The Phil Dawson field goal at the end of regulation. As long as it stays up on YouTube.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The good news for the Kansas football team is that the Jayhawks find themselves in second place in the BCS standings.

The bad news for Kansas is that the Jawhawks are, indeed, second in the BCS standings.

Being second in the ranking this year has been the equivalent of being on the cover of SI or the featured player on the Madden video game. Doom follows.

Kansas is in line for a shot at the national championship game because Oregon stumbled last week, just the latest in a long string of No. 2s who slipped on a banana peel.

So if the season ended today, LSU would be No. 1 and Kansas No. 2. But it doesn't. Kansas has a particularly difficult road to travel to the title bowl game in New Orleans. The Jayhawks still have to play No. 4 Missouri and then the Big 12 championship game against either Texas or Oklahoma. If Missouri were to win out, it would seem it would leapfrog No. 3 West Virginia and play for the national title.

Waiting for some combination of wins and losses to give them a shot are West Virgina, Ohio State and Arizona State.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Due to technical difficulties with blogs all across the company, we weren’t able to post earlier.  Since we started back in April, that’s the first time that’s happened here. And speaking of the first time something has happened …

In the hundreds of years of collective experience of the assembled football literati in the press box that included ESPN’s John Clayton and USA Today’s Gordon Forbes, no one had ever seen anything resembling what happened at M&T Bank Stadium yesterday. At least, not on a football field. 

The only occasion I could think of remotely analogous to where a game appeared to be over but game officials deciding it was not, was the 1972 Olympic basketball game between the United States and the Soviet Union where the controversy was over the game clock. The U.S. thought it had won the game twice and on a third chance to inbound the ball and take a shot, the Soviets finally succeeded.

When the Ravens and Browns were called back on the field for the overtime coin flip yesterday, the stands were two-thirds empty but quickly filled up again. You can discuss until you’re blue whether the refs properly extended the game but as Cassius says in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves …”

Count among the reasons the Ravens lost -- a first-half offense that gained 38 yards and left the defense on the field for 21 ½ minutes, the ability of Cleveland to make a critical third-and-10 in overtime that put the Browns in field-goal range, and the Ravens’ inability to control Browns kick returner Joshua Cribbs.

The Cribbs issue is the one that drives me crazy. I saw Cribbs return kicks for 90 and 100 yards the previous week against the Steelers. Return guys are like streak hitters in baseball. They tend to get in a zone. In baseball, you pitch around those guys. In football, sometimes you adjust your kicking game to avoid those guys as teams have done with Chicago’s Devin Hester.

The Ravens chose not to do that with Cribbs with a three-point lead and 26 seconds left in regulation, even though they could barely contain him and he had already ripped off kick returns of 32, 35 and 50 yards and a punt return of 26 yards.

So Cribbs returned Matt Stover’s kick to the 4-yard line to the Browns’ 43, making it possible for Cleveland to get into range for Dawson’s 51-yarder. Then, after losing the coin flip, the Ravens kicked long again, this time to the goal line, and Cribbs brought that one back 41 yards. Nine plays later, Dawson was kicking the 33-yard game-winner.

“I kept kicking the ball near the end zone there at the very end in the deep right corner,” said Ravens kicker Matt Stover, who was 3-for-3 on field goals himself. “We just have got to cover better, we’ve got to make sure that we make tackles and that guy’s a good return man. But when you look at it, we’ve got to make plays.”

Stover insisted the problem was not with the plan to kick deep but with the coverage, or lack thereof. Special teams coach Frank Gansz makes the call on the kick and the coverage, Stover said, and Stover did not criticize the decision to kick deep.

“The special teams coach does (make the decision) but in regard to that, players have to make plays,” Stover said. “The play was out there to be made plenty of times and we didn’t make the plays. So you can put what you want on the special teams coach but I really don’t think that’s fair. We as players have to make plays and we just didn’t make them.”

A few minutes later, Stover said, “I’m not throwing my boys under the bus but we have to make plays.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
                    

On a day after Barry Bonds was indicted on federal perjury and obstruction charges, the sports world's other famous subject of a federal investigation, Michael Vick, is back in the news.

The infamous Surry County, Va., house that was headquarters for Vick's dogfighting operation, Bad Newz Kennels, was sold this week to a developer who plans to turn around and auction it off.

So, are you looking for new digs and don't care about bad karma? There's a public showing of the house, a 4,300-square foot two-story white brick building with a backyard basketball court, on Dec. 8-9. The auction is Dec. 15. No word on what the developer paid but reportedly, it's less than the $747,000 assessed value.

Photo credit: Steve Helber/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Few sports subjects have inspired so much musical expression as Barry Bonds -- both in tribute and as satire -- and we've presented quite a few of them during our little show over the past season. This one we just came across. So on a day when another milestone in the Bonds saga has been reached, we offer this turn on a 1959 classic. With sincere apologies to the Coasters.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

I'm designating this bounce-back week because I've decided that most of the teams I like best are ones I figure are due for a rebound from losses. They are all quality teams with winning records with some season left. So they have both talent and motivation going for them.  Our record here is 17-14-2 and we were 1-2 last week, so I can identify with the teams I'm picking.

N.Y. Giants at Detroit (2 1/2). Actually, both teams have winning records (both are 6-3) and each got whacked last week, but the one I like for the bounce-back is New York. The Lions are Jekyll-Hyde, looking great one week and awful the next. They messed up a chance to put themselves in great position for at least a wild-card berth against a very beatable Arizona team. The Giants hung in there tough against the Cowboys. The Giants, by now, are more familiar with this type of game. Pick:  Giants, giving 2 1/2.

Washington at Dallas (-11 1/2). Washington is in a free-for-all for an NFC wild-card race and got its collective nose bloodied last week against Philadelphia. But I'm relying on rivalry and the Redskins' recent penchant for driving the the NFC East-leading Cowboys crazy. Washington is 3-1 against the spread in Cowboys games the last two years. Pick:  Washington, getting 11 1/2.

Tennessee at Denver (-2). Monday night. Vince Young vs. Jay Cutler. The Titans laid an egg in an important game against Jacksonville but are still just a game behind Indianapolis in the AFC South, and tied with the Jaguars. Denver throttled Kansas City. Young (above)may not have the best stats -- in fact, some are outright awful -- but he seems to just win, baby. And Jeff Fisher doesn't allow his team to stay on the mat.  I'd like to be getting an extra point here, but you can't have everything. Pick: Tennessee, getting 2.

Tampa Bay at Atlanta (3). The Buccaneers had a bye last week so they don't qualify as a bounce-back team but Atlanta somehow beat Carolina and I can't imagine these guys putting two decent games together. However, the Falcons have surprised me all year -- they're 6-3 against the spread (3-6 in the standings). I still think they're terrible and the Bucs (5-4 in the NFC South) are still in the hunt. Pick:  Tampa Bay, giving 3.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

If you ever doubt that America is the land of opportunity, look no further than Ricky Williams.

I haven't checked for sure but the guy who posed in a wedding dress with Mike Ditka is on his fourth or fifth chance at a pro football career with his recent return to the Miami Dolphins.

Ricky looks a lot different these days. He's clean-shaven, from dome to chin. And he sounds a bit different. He's not utterly the vague, navel-gazing guy we had come to know. Yesterday, he said he wanted to be a football player and that he realized it was what most fulfilled him and he was eager to get on with it. 

Example:  

''I hated being a football player before. Someone asked me a question.They said, 'Do you like playing football?' I thought about it and I thought about it and I thought about it. And the next day, I was doing this exercise and I was writing down my ideal paradise moment.

``And when I really thought about it, [paradise] was playing football. I realized that I love to play football, and I love to be on the field. But I hated being a football player.''

But he wasn't so phony rah-rah that you would think he was taken over by the body snatchers, either. When asked if he wanted his Dolphins' career to end on a high note (pretty easy question, right?), he said.

"I'm not necessarily looking for it to end on a high note. It's just going to help me get to where I want to be. I want to get on with my life. I want to go back to school and pursue a profession outside of football. Playing football is the best way for me to get there."

We'll see where this all goes.  But as Yakov Smirnoff would say, "America, whatta country."

Here's a link to the Miami Herald story and there's a Miami TV video clip of Ricky's press conference.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

With an efficacy usually displayed by the NFL, Major League Baseball is managing to dominate the sports news in the offseason, albeit in ways it would prefer not to.

Twin explosions occurred yesterday with Barry Bonds being indicted  for perjury and obstruction of justice and Alex Rodriguez close to an agreement with the Yankees on returning to the Bronx with a new 10-year, $275 million contract.

The Bonds development was inevitable. The A-Rod situation coming about as it did over the last few days was a bolt out of the blue. 

This is what I came away with from Rodriguez: A) That we are at a point where two managing directors of Goldman Sachs were the go-betweens to bring a baseball team and a player together on a playing contract; B) That the deal will in some fashion make A-Rod a partner in revenues he will generate while in pursuit of the all-time home run record; and C) No one is to be believed when this much money is at stake (e.g., the Yankees saying they would not negotiate with Rodriguez if he opted out of his previous contract).

And one more thing: I was wrong when I said I thought that A-Rod was skipping town to get away from the intense glare of East Coast media and fan scrutiny. Obviously, there's enough in this deal that makes him willing to endure that crucible.

On Bonds, there's not much I can add other than this life lesson. If the feds ask you something, be cooperative.

For your edification, here's a link to the actual Barry Bonds indictment (PDF).  What you'll see is mostly grand jury Q&A having to do with Bonds' trainer Greg Anderson.Source of the indictment: www.bizofbaseball.com

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

The annual Battle of the Midwest, Ohio State-Michigan, is this Saturday and despite the fact that both teams are coming off losses -- Michigan to Wisconsin and Ohio State to Illinois -- to the winner will go the spoils of a Rose Bowl trip.

In the past, we've brought you some humorous renditions of Michigan's famous fight song, The Victors, now we offer a Michigan version of OSU's equally familiar Fight the Team Across the Field.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

With respect to the opinions of many in Ravens Land and even some of my Sun sports colleagues, my vote is with Kyle Boller as the franchise's quarterback of the now and the future. I know that many in this football community, including some pretty knowledgeable journalists whose opinions I respect, believe otherwise.

With the exception of a few who may want to see Troy Smith play because they've despaired entirely of Boller, there is widespread acceptance -- by default -- that Boller will finish the season as the starter. Obviously, Steve McNair isn't coming back.

But the opinion on Boller is divided with a lot of folks writing him off as a caretaker until the next draft. That's a mistake for several reasons.

Putting it briefly, A) Boller has generally had to play under exceptionally adverse circumstances; B)  He sill has a big-time arm that's plenty rare; and C) Drafting quarterbacks is always an iffy proposition and now we're looking at a crop of college QBs that lacks the blue-chippers of the last few years. (Free agent wise, I give you Vinny Testaverde and Tim Rattay).

Over the last few days, a number of readers have written with their opinions on the subject. The crowd that's not-so-hot on Boller makes the point that he's in his fifth season and still struggles.  The most frequent line among the critics is that he's "not the long-term answer." The other side, which I happen to agree with, has made its arguments on behalf of Boller quite eloquently.

One reader wrote of Boller earlier this week:

He was thrown in as a rookie behind poor pass protection with only a tight end that actually caught the ball.  He had fifty different coaches re-working his mechanics and 60-70,000 fans (raining) down years of frustration upon him, even to the point where they cheered him being helped off the field injured.

Yet Boller never fired back at his critics, the reader noted, and -- I might add -- never seized on excuses.

No, I am not forgetting how poorly Boller has played at times. The game I recall in particular was against Denver in 2005 after he came back from an early-season injury. I was in an out-of-town sports bar and happened to be with some Ravens fans I had just met. Baltimore had every opportunity to win that game, but Boller was tripping over the hash marks it seemed and I remarked that he played as if he were wearing roller skates.

That has been his fundamental problem. He has lacked patience and in his rush to execute, he has looked panicked at times.

Now in his fifth year, he has played in just one full season -- his second in the NFL when the team finished 9-7 (and who wouldn't settle for that right now?). His third year was derailed by the ankle injury and by the time he got back, the team was pretty banged up. Last year, his fourth, he was a capable caddy for McNair. And we know how this season has gone -- he's been the occasional starter, fill-in, depending on McNair's fitness for duty. Through it all, he has been a team guy, shown mental toughness and displayed loyalty to the franchise and the city.

And there's one more thing.  Don't expect Boller to work miracles in these last seven games. The Ravens have the toughest stretch of games imaginable. Boller is probably going to be playing from behind in most of them with all the disadvantages that implies. And the offensive line is not playing anywhere near as well as it did last season (14 regular-season sacks in 2006 and 17 so far in '07). That means the bottom line on Boller will have to be weighted to reflect these realities.

So here's the conclusion. Unless Boller absolutely comes apart at the seams or John Elway magically appears in the draft or as a free agent (oops, bad example), a fair decision on whether he's a genuine playoff-caliber quarterback should wait until the end of 2008.

Photo credit: Christopher T. Assaf/Sun

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)
                    

We stayed away from the Aubrey Huff thing earlier this week because we were on assignment when it broke before the weekend and The Sun's baseball writers, including Orioles blogger Roch Kubatko, seemed to have it in hand.  But just when you thought that the Orioles' outfielder and designated disappointment, uh, hitter had done as much damage to what's left of his good name with his unflattering critique of Baltimore's nightlife (didn't he learn anything from Willis McGahee), the Internet showed us -- literally -- that there was more to the story.

Yesterday, the Deadspin Web site linked to a video of the Bubba aka Love Sponge satellite radio show on which Huff (right) appeared.  Since our standards here keep us pretty much within G or, at least PG, guidelines, we'll be tactful. A comely young lady also appeared on the show sans wardrobe and was slathered with paint and then transferred said paint onto paper, canvas, whatever in a display of -- for lack of a better description -- performance art. The running commentary was pretty blue.

Huff was involved in the critiquing of that as well and the Orioles are unhappy to say the least. We'll give Huff the benefit of the doubt here and assume that he was taken by surprise and perhaps was figuratively held hostage to the situation. However, if that were the case, he needed to distance himself a little more effectively from the whole thing.

Normally, we'd link to a video we're discussing and Deadspin -- perhaps the most popular of the sports blog genre -- is, for the most part, suitable for general audiences. However, this time you'll have to find it yourself.

Photo credit:  Gail Burton/AP  

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
                    

O.J. Simpson is breaking new ground on a recent pop culture phenomena, the serial celebrity defendant.

Certainly other celebs have a knack for getting into hot water repeatedly, usually for drug and alcohol use, driving issues and other inappropriate behavior. But Simpson is in a class by himself for major league felony charges. And before anyone writes to remind us, we'll say it first. Simpson hasn't been convicted in a criminal court of anything.

But if you haven't been following, after a 3 1/2-day preliminary hearing (a legal proceeding that often takes less than 30 minutes), a Las Vegas justice of the peace ordered Simpson to stand trial on a laundry list of charges, including a couple of big-timers of kidnapping and armed robbery, for that fiasco in a casino hotel room two months ago when Simpson & Co. attempted to, ahem, retrieve some of the former football star's sports and personal memorabilia from collectors.

There was yelling and swearing and maybe some guns and some of Simpson's group have already flipped and are testifying for the prosecution. It's a group that, in generations past, might be referred to kindly as Damon Runyon characters -- but, in real life, appear to lack the street-wise charm of Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson.

And in one more example of real life exceeding anything you could possibly make up, one of those items Simpson is now facing hard time for trying to recover is the suit he wore the day he was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

Photo credit: AP/Justin Sullivan, Pool

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

After perusing some of the pitching stats for the American League Cy Young Award (won by Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia), it occurred to me to look at those pitchers whose won-loss records didn't tell the whole story -- the guys who pitched well enough to be in contention for a Cy Young if they weren't playing for such lousy teams. The Orioles' Erik Bedard actually might have done it even while pitching for a loser if he hadn't been stopped by injury.

So in the interest of those isolated examples where W-L results aren't always the measure of effort and accomplishment, we're giving the 'Nice Try' Pitching Award to San Francisco Giants right-hander Matt Cain. While the Bay Area was fixated on Barry Bonds' controversial home run chase, Cain was sacrificing quality start after quality start on the altar of futility.

The 23-year-old Cain finished 7-16, the fourth highest loss total in the major leagues, and with a won-loss percentage of .303, even lower than overall loss leader, the Orioles' Daniel Cabrera (9-18).

However, while the 11 other pitchers who lost at least 15 games had ERAs well north of four-point-oh, Cain had a 3.65 ERA. He pitched 200 innings with a strikeout-to-walk ratio better than 2-to-1 (163 Ks, 79 BBs) and he had 22 quality starts -- two more than Boston's Josh Beckett and only three fewer than AL Cy Young winner Sabathia.

Cain lost seven games in which he gave up two or fewer earned runs and in his final 15 starts, the Giants scored more than four runs just once.

Photo credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Any baseball fan who saw the playoffs and the World Series won't agree with it, but Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia beat out Boston's Josh Beckett for the American League Cy Young Award. Of course, the voting takes place before the playoffs so Beckett's 4-0 record in the postseason wasn't a factor.

During the regular season, Sabathia was 19-7 with 3.21 ERA and 207 strikeouts. Just as impressive, he had the most innings pitched in the majors, 241. Beckett was 20-7 -- the first 20-win season in the majors since 2005 -- with a 3.27 ERA.  The Angels' John Lackey finished third in the voting. He was 19-9, had a 3.01 ERA and threw 224 innings.

For a while, the Orioles' Erik Bedard was in Cy Young contention but an injury shut him down for the season in late August. He finished 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and was fourth in strikeouts with 221.  He likely would have been the strikeout leader if he had gotten his starts in September. He was just 19 behind the pitcher who finished first in that category, the Padres' Jake Peavy, despite six fewer starts.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

We knew it was going to happen, we just didn't know how.

Ravens coach Brian Billick disclosed that Steve McNair suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder against the Bengals Sunday and that the injury will keep him out at least two to three weeks. Obviously, Kyle Boller becomes that starting quarterback.

What I didn't hear during Billick's Q&A show last night or read was whether the injury had anything to do with McNair being replaced Sunday. Billick said that its severity became more apparent overnight. We can dwell on how delicately the Ravens feel they have to go about making this change. But let's put it in the best light and say it's in deference to a veteran player who deserves to go out with some dignity. But this much should be clear -- the Steve McNair era in Baltimore is over.

And the Ravens are in a similar position to 2005. Think back to that 6-10 season. Boller was hurt for the first half of the year. When he returned with the team 2-6, his first five starts were uneven and the home stretch was considered pivotal to how the Ravens would approach the offseason at that critical position. Boller had two great games and then a stinker in the finale against Cleveland.

Enter Steve McNair.

Now, two years later, the Ravens are 4-5. And Boller is being handed the ball again. Unless the Ravens think Troy Smith can be a starter in the NFL, the team and its fans are where they were two years ago. The next two months will decide the franchise's offseason priorities and perhaps, the long-term direction of the team.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
                    

OK, so the Ravens couldn't handle the Bills when Buffalo was 1-4 or the Bengals, who were 2-6 and had one of the worst defenses in the NFL going into Sunday's game in Baltimore.

So, exactly who could the Ravens beat? Or what teams have dimmer prospects than the Purple-and-Black? We tried, we really did, but we were able to come up with just seven teams who should inspire more pessimism in their fans' hearts than the Ravens.

So, here they are. Seven pro football teams who are in worse shape than the Ravens at the moment. Make you feel better? Didn't think so.

1.  Atlanta  (3-6). I don't care if the Falcons did just upset Carolina. Holy smokes, Vinny Testaverde nearly beat 'em. The Michael Vick Effect will doom the Falcons for at least two more seasons.

2.  Miami (0-9). Cleo Lemon and Cam Cameron -- what a one-two punch. While the '07 Patriots have a chance to match the '72 Dolphins, the winless '07 Dolphins have a terrific opportunity to catch those '76 Buccaneers. 

3.  San Francisco (2-7). The Niners have lost seven in a row and Alex Smith is beginning to smell a little bit like a No. 1 overall draft pick bust. That'll set a franchise back a few seasons.

4. N.Y. Jets (1-8). Did Eric "Mangenius" have a lobotomy or something?

5. St. Louis (1-8). These guys may have marquee names on the roster but they're a little old and a lot beat up. And it's hard to imagine the coaching staff will be back unless there's an improbable turnaround.

6. Oakland (2-7).  The Raiders get points for having JaMarcus Russell on the roster. Maybe he's the answer next year.

7.  Minnesota (3-6) -- The Adrian Peterson knee injury is scary. Without him, the Vikings have zilch. The coach could get fired after the season and that'll set them back again.

And these teams will just have to try harder if they want to be worse than the Ravens.

Chicago (4-5), in the same boat as the Ravens (OK defense, no offense); Philadelphia (4-5), flat-out lucky to beat Washington; Cincinnati (3-6),  thanking heaven that the Ravens were on the schedule twice; Kansas City (4-5), making a QB switch never a good sign; Carolina (4-5), Panthers  recruited Testaverde from a long-term engagement with a Barcalounger; Denver (4-5), Jay Cutler still has time; New Orleans (4-5), has better players than the record suggests; Houston (4-5), actually has a QB in Matt Schaub.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
                    

Had lunch yet? You may not want to after this.

Here's a send-up on NASCAR with all your favorites represented, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. The No. 20 Stewart is my personal favorite -- I think I even heard him crabbing about something or other. The title above comes from the You Tube video. Frankly, we couldn't think of anything better or more appropriate.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Here's the bottom line on Tennessee Titans cornerback, Adam "Pacman" Jones.

He got off light in the case where he allegedly incited a ruckus when he sprinkled money over strippers at a Las Vegas gentleman's club back in February. Later, after Jones and his group left the club, gunfire erupted, injuring three people.

The defense and the prosecution have worked out a deal that allows Jones to plead no contest to an obscure charge that's a gross misdemeanor. The charge is conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct.  Jones also promises to testify to whatever he knows about the triple-shooting outside the club that left one man paralyzed and wounded two others. In exchange, Jones gets a suspended sentence of one year.

It would also appear that, in general, the investigation into that shooting is not going all that well. Nine months after it all happened, no one is in custody facing charges for the shooting. The only three people that police have put their hands on so far are Jones, one of Jones' bodyguards and a woman who police have said hit a bouncer with a bottle. The bodyguard and the woman are also getting reduced charges in exchange for their testimony. Before there's testimony, though, there has to be an arrest.

Meanwhile, the three shooting victims have filed lawsuits against Jones. The most seriously injured, Tommy Urbanski, a bouncer at the club, is paralyzed from the waist down. Jones is suspended from the NFL for the 2007 season.

Photo credit:  Mark Humphrey/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Perhaps it's just me, but it seems that the NFL body count gets critical earlier and earlier every year.

Among the more noteworthy injuries Sunday was Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (torn knee ligament).  In a normal season when Tom Brady wasn't having the best year of any quarterback since the touchdown was invented, Peterson (right) would have been an MVP candidate. Other marquee players to go down last week were Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (foot/ankle), Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor (ankle), Redskins safety Sean Taylor (sprained knee) and another rookie running back who was having a good year, the Bills' Marshawn Lynch, who suffered an ankle injury but may be able to play Sunday against New England.

The team reaction to Peterson's injury was stunning. In one breath, the Vikings announced that Peterson has a torn lateral collateral ligament but then head coach Brad Childress implied that Peterson might play again this season.

We're not going to play doctor here but let's go on what we know.  The injury apparently won't require surgery and it's not the more problematic anterior cruciate ligament. But it's still a knee ligament, and it's torn. The Vikings are 3-6 and Peterson is a running back on which you build a franchise.  There's also a backup in place named Chester Taylor, whom Ravens fans are familiar with and could easily carry the load down the stretch for Minnesota. Where's the decision here? Doesn't Peterson have to sit out for the season? I'm not the only one who's wondering.

Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
                    

A lower level English soccer team has new owners.  That's not news.

But the new owners are 20,000 fans.

The BBC reports -- we haven't had the opportunity to write that lately -- that a "fan community" Web site called MyFootballClub has taken over  the Blue Square Premiere side, Ebbsfleet United.  Apparently, 20,000 members each paid about 35 pounds (a little over $70), so the total purchase price was about $1.45 million. Obviously, it's not Manchester United were talking about here.

According to the BBC, the new owner-fans will have a major say in team personnel decisions. As a sports management model, this appears to be taking fantasy sports to its obvious conclusion.

But before you get any idea about rounding up 20,000 of your closest friends because you think running the Ravens by voice vote might be a hoot, consider that the sale price of Ebbsfleet United would get you maybe a backup tight end in the NFL. We recognize Fark.com for pointing this out.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The only thing surprising about Ravens coach Brian Billick's press conference yesterday was that he didn't immediately announce that Kyle Boller would replace Steve McNair at quarterback for Sunday's game against Cleveland. And given that the Ravens are now reporting that McNair has a shoulder injury, it's even a little more mystifying that Billick didn't seize the chance to announce the change. Of course, he could have already made up his mind and is simply being prudently polite.

Polite is not what Ravens fans are inclined to be at the moment. They've seen the Ravens struggle all season. And since a loss in Buffalo a month ago, the offense's performance has gotten steadily worse.

Sun Ravens' beat writer Jamison Hensley got it right when he wrote today that Billick is being mindful of McNair's status in the locker room. When I suggested a week ago that would be a factor in the coach's decision to pull the veteran QB, some fans understandably screamed that the locker room sentiment shouldn't be an issue.

Well, Billick can't allow it to be any longer. However the coach wants to handle this, the decision is obvious. He has to make the transfer from McNair to Boller and it has to be for the rest of the season. The Ravens can't put this off any longer. They need to know whether they have a quarterback in the locker room so they then know what their priorities are in the offseason.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

One problem for NASCAR is that it winds up crowning its champion in the middle of the NFL season. A lesson that we should all have learned by now is that it's not a good idea to do ANYTHING important in the middle of NFL season. For instance, did you know that the NBA season started? Yep. NHL too.

So with your attention understandably riveted on the scramble for NFL wild-card spots, we want to pause and give props to Jimmie Johnson in the Lowe's No. 48 Chevrolet for winning his 10th race of the year Sunday in Phoenix. In the process, he closed in on the Chase championship and should win it in the absence of a breakdown in South Florida next weekend. So in anticipation of JJ's second straight NASCAR championship, we offer this salute. There's no joy at Home Depot today.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

If the Colts' Adam Vinatieri had made that 29-yard field goal at the end of Indianapolis' 23-21 loss to San Diego last night, the Chargers would be one of three teams tied for the lead in the AFC West with 4-5 records.

San Diego is in first at 5-4 and Denver and Kansas City are 4-5.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Adam Vinatieri folded under pressure and Rex Grossman came through in crunch time.  It's that kind of improbability that makes the NFL America's favorite reality TV show.

 However, you could sense the Vinatieri thing coming. In case you missed it, the Patriots kicker (left) shanked a 29-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining in Indianapolis' 23-21 loss to the Chargers last night.

He had already missed a makeable field goal in a fire drill at the end of the first half.  Then, late in the game, he changed shoes to help cope with the slick field in San Diego but soon after sent a short kickoff to about the San Diego 15-yard line.  And then there was that ominous sign when the Colts tried to be cute on fourth-and-inches from about the Chargers' 6-yard line just before the game-deciding attempt and they drew a five-yard penalty in one of their fancy shifts.

In Chicago, there was no such precursor to an unlikely finish. Grossman, filling in for injured Brian Griese, was having so-so success trying to move the Bears in a miserable game with Oakland -- that the Raiders were leading, 6-3 -- when he hit Bernard Berrian with a 59-yard strike with a little over three minutes left that rekindled now distant memories of Chicago's Super Bowl run last season.

Redemptions and falls from grace -- just a Sunday away. 

Photo credit:  Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)