« November 2007 | Main | January 2008 »
The Ravens finally found something at which they could be No. 1.
Baltimore became the first NFL team to fire its head coach.
According to reports on the Sun website and ESPN, Brian Billick has been let go following the team's 5-11 finish.
What remains to be seen is whether the Ravens will go outside of the organization for a new coach or promote defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who may be a popular choice within the locker room.
Obviously, every team has to decide for itself how to approach games at the end of the season that have no bearing on their own playoff situation.
The Giants -- and that includes coach Tom Coughlin -- deserve an enormous amount of credit for slugging it out with the Patriots right up to the end of their game Saturday night. The Bears certainly didn't lay down for the Saints. And the Broncos did the same against the Vikings.
I realize Tony Dungy was trying to prime his guys for the playoffs. And if Manning had gotten hurt in a meaningless game, then the coach would be in deep trouble.
But put yourself in the place of the Browns and their fans. Cleveland simply needed Indianapolis to beat Tennessee. However, once Peyton Manning was out of the game and backup QB Jim Sorgi entered, the Browns were finished.
Consider that the Titans managed just 16 points playing their hearts out against the Indianapolis defense which had nothing at stake. Obviously, Manning and the first-string offense would have easily beaten Tennessee. As the Browns know, they have no one to blame but themselves after losing the previous week to a Cincinnati team that had already been eliminated.
At first glance, it would appear that this offseason may be a little more quiet than usual in terms of coaching changes. At this very moment, the only actively open job is in Atlanta, where Bobby Petrino left to become the coach at Arkansas.
At the top of the list to be dismissed is Miami's Cam Cameron -- even though Cameron reportedly told his players he'd be back in 2008. But with Bill Parcells hired with intentions to "restructure" the Dolphins, the likelihood of Cameron staying on are slim.
The first real move was in Buffalo (7-9), where Marv Levy reportedly will no longer be general manager. Since head coach Dick Jauron was Levy's choice, you have to wonder what that means for Jauron.
The clock on coaches expected to turn around programs is three years and the 49ers' Mike Nolan, whose third season ended at 5-11, may have run out of time. In St. Louis, Scott Linehan has had just two seasons but the Rams (3-13) haven't appeared to make any progress. At the least, changes may occur in the front office.
In Kansas City, 4-12 was a major disappointment but Herm Edwards will probably get one more year to get his quarterback situation headed in the right direction and at least be competitive. Rod Marinelli may survive Detroit's collapse but it would seem that offensive Mike Martz will take the fall.
For Ravens fans, what will happen in the weeks and months ahead is much more important than what happened yesterday.
Over the next month or so, while the posteason theater unfolds in other NFL cities, here in Baltimore, the attention will be on the search for a new offensive coordinator, free agency and the NFL draft.
Did what happened yesterday in that 27-21 win over listless Pittsburgh have any bearing on what the Ravens decide to do down the road regarding players? Probably not. It was good to see that rookie quarterback Troy Smith could perform efficiently given some reasonable circumstances, as opposed to that debacle in Seattle. But it doesn't project him as a starting quarterback, either.
Offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden's photo session with his family near the end of the game seemed to speak volumes about his intentions but remember, it seemed that way last year with Brett Favre following the Packers' last game. And look what happened there. But Ogden is a pretty introspective guy and now players are much more conscious about what prolonged NFL service can mean in terms of long-term health. Considering Ogden lives in Las Vegas, let's put the chances of his return in those terms. I'd say, don't bet on it.
You do wonder, though, whether yesterday's outcome has any bearing on Brian Billick's return. My sense of the situation is that he does come back with the obvious conditions about re-engineering the offense under the new offensive coordinator. I'm not sure anyone has a clear read on what's going through owner Steve Bisciotti's mind but I'll venture this -- if the Ravens had been embarrassed by Pittsburgh's second-stringers, it wouldn't have done Billick any good. All things considered -- the injuries, Billick's contract extension, the 13-3 record in 2006 -- as far as the coach's return is concerned, I'd say this: Don't bet against it.
A former colleague who works in Philadelphia, sports writer Frank Fitzpatrick, devoted a recent column to some cleverly mischievous renditions of holiday favorites, one of which is particularly timely considering tomorrow's game between New England and the New York Giants with the Patriots going for a 16-0 regular-season record.
Here's the first few lines of Fitzpatrick's satire of Pats coach Bill Belichick.
"Billy the Pats' Coach"
(To the tune of "Frosty the Snowman")
Billy the Pats' coach was a glum and sneaky cheat.
With a torn sweatshirt and a headphone hat and a team no one could beat.
Here's the full version, as well as send-ups on Eagles coach Andy Reid, new Miami football exec Bill Parcells and baseball, in general.
Photo credit: Winslow Townson/AP
Penn State coach Joe Paterno's age has been an issue for --- well, forever it seems.
Paterno just turned 81 and for a while now, the whispers have been hardly whispers that perhaps he should retire, that the game had passed him by, that he was holding back the Nittany Lions because he wasn't on top of his game. Penn State had four losing seasons in five years from 2000 through 2004, but the the whispers were quieted in '05 when the Nittany Lions went 11-1. The last two years, Penn State has been 17-8 and plays Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl tomorrow.
All of which brings us to an Aggie yell leader (sort of a cheerleader) during a pep rally yesterday shouting that Paterno needed a "casket" and that he was on his "death bed." The attempt at humor was ill-received and the fellow was sent home post-haste.
Paterno, meanwhile, took it with good humor.
"I think everybody has to take things with a grain of salt," the Penn State coach said. "Some young guy went up there, trying to be funny. Maybe he's accurate, I don't know."
Photo credit: Morry Gash/AP
Today's musical tribute acknowledges the obvious -- the Patriots' pursuit of perfection. This video was done when the team was 14-0, but you can fill in that cakewalk against Miami last week and it sets up tomorrow's historic game against the Giants.
The last week of the NFL regular season is pretty much a waste of time as far as picking against the line.
For one thing, so many games mean so very little. For another, it's hard to tell who will play and how much. Playoff teams will probably rest their starters and who knows how the backups will play. The teams that are going home will give some reps to the second-stringers to help with offseason evaluations. It's like trying to predict exhibition games.
The unusual circumstances make for some curious lines. For instance, the Redskins, who need their game against Dallas to make the playoffs, are 9-point favorites over the Cowboys, who have already clinched the NFC home-field advantage. If these two teams play down the road, that line will probably be reversed. So with our record at 27-21-2, here's the end of the regular-season selections.
New England at New York Giants (14) -- The Giants are 13 1/2, 14-point underdogs to the Patriots in tomorrow's historic game at the Meadowlands. I have a feeling that New York is going to make a stand, at least in the first half. But if the Patriots get up by more than two touchdowns, I think that'll take the fight out of the Giants and they'll start playing this game with their own playoffs in mind. So I'm going to approach this as if I were in Vegas and had an opportunity to pick against the first-half line. It's now at 10 at a few sports books. If I had to make a pick, that's the one. Pick: Giants, first half, getting 10.
Cowboys at Redskins (-9, 38 1/2 over-under) -- Obviously, I like the Redskins here. Who doesn't? But nine is a big number, even if the Cowboys don't play or pull Tony Romo. And, of course, Terrell Owens is hurt. I think Washington needs this one too much, though, to play it too close to the vest so I believe we'll see a reasonable amount of scoring. Pick: The over, 38 1/2.
As if Ravens followers needed any more indignity, the guy who traded on the misfortunes of the hometown team for some cheap publicity has been arrested for allegedly being a deadbeat dad.
Ron Stach, the "Goof on the Roof" who promised he would stay atop a Canton bar until either the Ravens broke their losing streak or head coach Brian Billick was fired, was arrested earlier this week for owing more than than $34,000 in child support payments. Stach (left), who started his rooftop protest on Dec. 11, had actually come down unceremoniously on Christmas Day. Apparently, he couldn't even make it through the end of the season.
Stach's current case still needs to be resolved (he has a legal history related to this issue and was sentenced to jail 11 years ago for contempt of court) but if someone did make a spectacle of themselves while owing all that the cash for failing to support a child, here are some other descriptions that may be more apt:
* The bum who owes mum.
* The jerk who should work.
* The dope who steals hope.
* The louse of the house.
* And the fool on the stool.
And more thing, STOP WEARING THAT RAVENS GEAR!
Photo credit: Kim Hairston/Sun
Say what you will about Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter -- and there's not much good we in Baltimore would generally have to say about him -- but one of Vegas' most feisty blackjack player does kind of get to the point.
When Bill Parcells showed up at Dolphins practice yesterday, Porter observed that players moved a little "faster"and coaches coached a little "louder."
In other words, everyone's job is in jeopardy in Miami.
The chances that first-year head coach Cam Cameron and general manager Randy Mueller will be retained would appear to be next to zero. At his news conference yesterday, Parcells talked about his role as one where he's there to put in place a "structure" that would allow the Dolphins to succeed.
His job isn't to coach. It isn't to be general manager, which means player personnel. It's all about "structure." I don't think that means making sure the practice fields are watered. If the idea was to keep Cameron and Mueller around, owner Wayne Huizenga wouldn't need Parcells.
This was kind of an interesting decision for Parcells. He was almost philosophical when he talked about taking this Dolphins job. He's 66 now and he discussed that he's come to terms with the fact that he "likes football very much." That is a classic understatement.
Here's what he said: "I've always liked it. I guess you could call that male menopause when you're no longer ashamed of what you are."
Here's what Parcells really meant: He needs football, like it's oxygen. The championships that Parcells won could have satisfied some people. The heart problems might have scared some guys off. And the constant pressure of coaching four teams would certainly have worn others out. But Parcells keeps coming back.
"It doesn't make any difference how many championships you've won," Parcells said. "You're not winning now, so you become some of the ones that aren't winning now. And they use other terms for you."
We pretty much know what those terms are -- "has been" would be one.
Parcells isn't about to allow that to happen, not easily. Bill Parcells is one of those guys who always has to test himself, put himself at risk, and prevail. And I'm not being judgmental about that. I'm not saying it's either good or bad. For Parcells, that's just the way it is.
But that's also why the quickened pace of practice that Porter noticed yesterday is just the first of many changes about to come to Miami.
Photo credit: Associated Press
The Ravens are down to their third quarterback, arguably their third running back and are missing key players at tight end, wide receiver, in the defensive secondary, along the defensive line and at linebacker (I think that about covers it). So, it hardly levels the playing field that the Pittsburgh Steelers won't be starting Ben Roethlisberger, but it helps a little.
Roethlisberger will miss his first game of the season as he nurses a sprained ankle and a sore throwing shoulder. Charlie Batch, who last started in the opening game of 2006 and played pretty well, will suit up against Baltimore instead. This year, Batch has thrown five passes and completed one for 14 yards. But in a season when Todd Collins can start his first game in 10 years for the Redskins and drag a team into playoff contention, who knows what to expect.
The Steelers are also probably a little concerned with the Ravens' pass rush, even though it hasn't been as effective as in the past. Big Ben has already been sacked 47 times this year and now Steelers left offensive tackle Marvel Smith (back) just had surgery. Pittsburgh may get him back for the second round of the playoffs, if they get that far. Smith will be replaced by Max Starks, who's really a right tackle. Safety Troy Polamalu (knee) isn't expected to play and, of course, starting RB Willie Parker (broken ankle) is out for the year.
When you consider how beat up teams are at this time of year -- whether they're also-rans like the Ravens or playoff-bound like the Steelers -- it makes guys like Brett Fravre, Peyton Maning and Tom Brady seem all the more amazing, and fortunate.
If Roger Clemens really did do all the things he's accused of in the Mitchell Report, the seven-time Cy Young winner is running the most audacious bluff since Chris Moneymaker snowed his way to poker immortality at the 2003 World Series of Poker with king-high zip in head-to-head play.
Since the report was issued saying that he received PED injections, Clemens has come out swinging, first with an Internet video denying all the allegations made by personal trainer Brian McNamee, who said he helped with the injections.
Clemens also agreed to be interviewed by Mike Wallace for 60 Minutes. Granted, Wallace is an admitted friend of Clemens but still, it is Mike Wallace.
And now Clemens is hiring private investigators to delve into the Mitchell Report itself.
At this juncture, I'd like to point out something rather important. McNamee said what he did for the Mitchell Report as part of a plea agreement with the federal government to avoid prosecution for drug distribution. McNamee was warned on each of three occasions that he talked to the Mitchell folks that he faced criminal charges if he failed to tell the truth.
If Clemens' investigators are about to embark on an investigation that's meant to impugn McNamee's version of events, the star pitcher is placing himself between a cooperating witness and the government. Wow, that's deep, folks.
I'll admit that I'm not much of an expert on such things but the recent rush by Giants season-ticket holders to dump their tickets for Saturday's Patriots-Giants game seems to be keeping the resale prices down a little.
There's been a lot written about how New York fans are more than willing to pass up the opportunity to watch their team be the patsies in the historic game.
I was just checking StubHub and the vast majority of tickets I saw for the game were priced between $200 and $500. There were some sky-high prices, over $1,000, but not many. Maybe $250 seems a but pricey for any football game bit I've seen plenty of plain old regular-season games for the real popular teams, Steelers, Packers, Eagles, go for similar amounts (taking into account the location of the seats).
Obviously, this changes minute-by-minute, but you can take a look for yourself.
Anyway, if you have any disposable cash left over from the holidays and want to see history made (or not), that little miracle we all know as the Internet will help get you there.
As you move along, naturally more and more folks pass away that raise an eyebrow.
For fans of the Rocky movies, the sports announcer who gave the blow-by-blow between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed has died. Stu Nahan was 81.
Being possessed of a certain memory often afflicting newspaper reporters, when I saw Nahan -- who worked for most of his career in Southern California -- pop up on the big screen in the first Rocky movie, I thought, "Hey, I know that guy!" I recalled Nahan as "Captain Philadelphia," the host of a kids' program in the city where I grew up. He also did announcing for a couple of pro teams in town, the Flyers and Eagles.
But mostly, Nahan was a California guy. That's where he was born and he's been there for the last 40 years or so as a TV sports anchor, also doing radio. He worked in a few films other than the Rocky movies -- Brian's Song and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. And in the way that few will be, he'll be long memorialized. In Nahan's case, he'll always be the voice describing filmdom's most epic prize fights.
Photo credit: From Los Angeles Times Web article
Here's an interesting twist to the NFL playoffs. The team that would most likely suffer a disadvantage in a game played in cold weather is -- Green Bay.
The Packers were demolished by the Bears last weekend, 35-7, at frigid Soldier Field and Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre says that his team was adversely affected by the harsh weather. Worse than even the cold, strong wind worked against Green Bay.
The problem is that the Packers have become a pass-oriented offense. Green Bay has the second-most pass attempts in the NFL behind only New Orleans. Conversely, the Pack is No. 26 in rushing with 1,380 yards. In bad weather, this puts an extra burden on the Packers' offense to avoid turnovers and puts them in a bad spot if they fall behind by more than a touchdown.
Here's what Favre had to say about the loss to the Bears: "I'm sure there were some guys on our team who thought, 'What did I get myself into?' I don't think anyone knew what we were up against from a weather standpoint. And I think being a real young team, it probably was a little bit of a shock to them."
So, for the first time ever, a home playoff game might be to the Packers' disadvantage and as the second seed in the NFC, they do have to play at least one game at Lambeau Field. There are any number of potential opponents who, on paper, could have an advantage against the Packers playing on the frozen tundra, rushing rankings are in parenthesis -- the Giants (no. 4), the Vikings (No. 1), the Redskins (No. 13), even warm-weather Tampa Bay (No. 11).
Lombardi would be spinning.
Photo credit: (Game played in Seattle) Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
For sports fans, in general, the most significant thing that happened yesterday wasn't on the field, court or ice. It happened in an announcement that the Patriots-Giants game on Saturday will be available on network television.
Previously scheduled to be shown exclusively on NFL Network, what has become an historic sports event as New England goes for a perfect regular season will be simulcast on two familiar networks, CBS and NBC.
As you probably know, under normal circumstances, the game would have been broadcast only to those who have access to NFL Network, either through cable or satellite, and to select stations in the two "home" markets in New England and New York. A majority of households do not receive NFL Network because some major cable carriers either don't carry it at all or have it positioned at a tier that requires additional payment by the subscribers.
Access to NFL Network through large cable outlets has become a bigger issue and received more discussion since last year when the NFL Network started broadcasting a limited number of games itself, eight this season. And this year, two of those games -- a big one between Dallas and Green Bay several weeks ago on a Thursday night and now the Patriots-Giants epic -- were in the spotlight because they were of a magnitude that fans all over the country wanted to see them.
The NFL has wanted to put this on the shoulders of the cable industry but when Congress got involved, namely Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., it was the league who was in the crosshairs. Leahy and Spector co-authored a letter to the league encouraging it to make the game available more broadly. The hammer was that the NFL enjoys an anti-trust exemption that has allowed it to flourish and Congress can always revisit that exemption.
So, in the words of the sometimes endearing, frequently infuriating Terrell Owens, "Getcha popcorn ready."
And finally, from Rasheed Wallace and his Detroit Pistons teammates, this bright Christmas wish. We ran this one a while back but thought it was worth an encore.
First of all, if you really, really dislike the Dallas Cowboys, just skip this one. I don't want to upset you today. But if you can appreciate a little holiday tribute to America's Team as it runs roughshod over the opposition (especially the Eagles, even though Philadelphia recently beat the 'Pokes), have a listen and enjoy.
It's going to be an abbreviated version of the blog today due to the holidays. After this item, we will post a couple of sports Christmas carols, so look for those later today. The blog will be back with new posts on Thursday. But we wanted to leave you with some good news from the sports world.
Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills tight end who suffered that frightening spinal cord injury in the first game of the season against Denver, was back at Ralph Wilson Stadium yesterday where he walked into the Bills’ locker room.
Remember, Everett’s chances to ever walk again appeared to be almost zero in the first hours after his injury. He had been hurt making a tackle on a kickoff against the Broncos’ Domenik Hixon during a game in Buffalo. In fact, for a while, there was concern that Everett might not even survive and the doctor who performed the surgery to repair the damage to his spine told the 25-year-old his prospects for a full recovery were bleak.
That the injured player was able to travel from Houston where he has been rehabilitating, and meet and talk with his teammates, and have a pre-game meal with them as he did yesterday, is truly a miracle worthy of the season.
Of course, this miracle began almost the moment Everett was injured as the medical personnel on hand started employing a state-of-the-art technique to lower Everett's body temperature and slow down the damage being done to his system. That was followed by a skillful surgery to reconstruct a portion of Everett’s spine that required a bone graft, a plate, a couple of rods and screws to hold it all in place. And then there has been the hard rehab work that it has obviously taken for Everett to get to this point.
As Everett watched the game from owner Ralph Wilson's suite, the Bills got off to a quick start against the New York Giants and led 14-0 after the first quarter. But the Giants, fighting for a playoff spot, rallied to win, 38-21.
While a Buffalo triumph would have been a nice Christmas present for Everett, his own victory -- being able to walk into the locker room -- looms larger than any numbers on a scoreboard.
And regardless of who lifts the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February, I think it's fair to say that Kevin Everett can be considered the biggest winner of this NFL season.
Happiest holidays to all and our, ahem, carolers will be along momentarily.
Photo credit: David Duprey/AP
We lost both picks against the line this week. Our choices, Cleveland and Tampa Bay, were outright losers after having been favored. It puts our season record at 27-21-2.
In the Browns-Bengals game, Cleveland QB Derek Anderson had his worst performance of the season and the Browns squandered chances to go ahead 14-0 in the first quarter. Given a reprieve, Cincinnati started counter-punching. With a win, Cleveland could have clinched a playoff spot but by losing to the Bengals, the Browns have themselves in a tough spot.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden crossed me up in the Bucs' game against San Francisco by sitting his regulars, including starting QB Jeff Garcia. By doing so, Gruden all but conceded the No. 3 seed to Seattle. The Seahawks took advantage of the favor by beating Baltimore. Granted, the higher seed probably won't mean much but I wasn't counting on Gruden essentially tossing the game away. Seattle's Mike Holmgren sure didn't.
Following Ravens games these days, we're into pointing out silver linings. So, this is the best we can come up with after that beauty in Seattle yesterday -- the 49ers won.
That means that the Ravens move up a spot in the NFL draft. According to the draft order lists that I've seen, that currently puts the Ravens at No. 5 behind Miami, St. Louis, the New York Jets and Atlanta. The San Francisco victory really affects the Patriots since they have the 49ers' pick. I'm sure the rest of the league sympathizes with poor New England.
You know, while the Ravens (now 4-11) were losing to the playoff-bound Seahawks, 27-6, in a game that really wasn't that close, four other teams that were in the same spot as Baltimore -- meaning that their seasons were over and they were playing against playoff teams who had something meaningful on the line -- went out and won. They were -- Cincinnati, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
The Bengals and the Eagles put the Browns and Saints respectively on the ropes, as far as the playoffs are concerned. The Bears smashed any slim hopes the Packers had for gaining the home field edge against Dallas should those two teams meet for the NFC championship. And the 49ers took advantage of Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden sitting his regulars and settling for the No. 4 seed in the NFC.
The Ravens weren't able to put up anywhere near that much fight. Of course, Baltimore was playing rookie QB Troy Smith, who did what he could under the circumstances -- which included starting running back Willis McGahee (ribs) getting hurt early in the game.
It would be unfair to draw any conclusions about Smith based on yesterday's performance. Smith finished 16-for-33 for 199 yards and one touchdown. He had no interceptions but lost two fumbles. His receivers dropped several balls and the Seattle pass rush had him scrambling for his life. The Ravens have been depleted by injuries and it shows.
So now we can start debating -- keep the pick or trade down.
Want your Andy Warhol 15 minutes (or at least get it for your Web site)? Come up with a nifty idea like RuinRomo.com.
This thing is racing across the Internet like a YouTube video of President Bush streaking across the White House lawn (no, one DOES NOT exist ... if was just an example).
But back to Tony Romeo. There's a Web site that suggests putting the Cowboys' quarterback into a funk by cutting out a mask of Jessica Simpson (conveniently, they provide one), mounting it on a Popsicle stick, going to the next Cowboys game ... and voilà, Romo meltdown.
This, of course, all goes back to Simpson being prominently on display for the Cowboys' 10-6 loss to Philadelphia last Sunday and the implied effect it had on good pal Romo, who struggled all day with a passer rating of 22.2 -- his first such rating under 100 in eight games.
We want to make clear that there's no truth to the rumor that there is a similar Web site in Baltimore called RuinAnyQuarterback.com that uses cut-out masks of Brian Billick.
Finding your spots in the line is tough this time of year. Mainly, because some teams have tanked mentally even though they're talking a good game (and we'll see if the Ravens are in that category when they play in Seattle after that embarrassment last week in Miami).
So you have to look for those special situations. For instance, the Giants-Bills game has a tempting over-under, 32 1/2, 33 points. You'd think this would be an over pick. Of course, the concern in Buffalo at this time of year is always the weather, but the over has beaten the line 12 of the 16 December games in western New York. So, the weather can be overrated. It's supposed to be warm at Ralph Wilson Sunday, mid-50s, but rain is almost certain. The real problem is wind, forecast for 20 to 25 mph. Better lay off. So far, the season record is 27-19-2.
Tampa Bay at San Francisco (6). Typical game for this time of year. One team, the Bucs, has clinched its division, while the other is playing out the string. Playoff-bound Tampa Bay still has a chance to improve its playoff position and will play the starters. The 49ers are down to their third quarterback. This is as much a pick against the 'Niners as it is for the Bucs. Pick: Buccaneers, giving 6.
Cleveland at Cincinnati (2 1/2). The Browns are fighting for the AFC North and need a win to keep pace with Pittsburgh. Actually, Cleveland clinches at least a wild-card berth with a victory. The Bengals are finished. The Browns' Jamal Lewis is running better than he has in years, averaging more than 110 yards a game in the last five games. I like the over-under here, too, over the 43 1/2, but I'll just stick with the game. Pick: Cleveland, giving 2 1/2.
We have become used to the idea that all crime stories involving athletes will feature the sports figure cast as perpetrator. Not always so, as these three stories illustrate.
* In North Carolina, three North Carolina football players were assaulted last weekend, at least two of them sexually by two women and a man.
* In England, a West African soccer player is desperately trying to avid deportation because he believes that if he's sent back home, he will fall victim to a mutilating witchcraft-voodoo cult.
* And one more piece of the Sean Taylor homicide might be falling into play as a lawyer says the alleged murder weapon was tossed into the Everglades.
So, this Sunday, opposites collide in the NFL. Unbeaten New England vs. beaten-like-a-scrambled egg Miami.
But the contrast doesn't stop there. In baseball, the Red Sox were world champions and the Marlins finished in last place in the NL East, 20 games under .500. During the current NBA season, the Celtics lead their division at 20-3 and the Heat is in the cellar of its division at 7-19. In college football, Boston College was 10-3 and the University of Miami, 5-7. Only in the NHL is it even close, with the Bruins at 18-12 and the Panthers at 17-16.
But, you know, I looked at the today's weather. In Boston, it was 24 degrees and snowing. In Miami, it was 80 with some showers but expected to be sunny and in the mid-70s for the weekend.
On the whole ...
Photo credit: South Beach, Wilfredo Lee/AP
Boston, Chitose Suzuki / AP
We were remiss yesterday in failing to mention the knee injury suffered by the Miami Heat's Alonzo Mourning on Wednesday night in a game against Atlanta that represents the end of his career.
Mourning was expected to retire at the end of this season, his 15th in the NBA, but the injury hastens that. Although Mourning has not had the kind of stats during the latter part of his career that he did when he broke into the league, he was part of the Heat's championship team a couple of years ago and his time in the NBA has been marked by both a kidney transplant he received four years ago and his charitable work on behalf of children and transplantation.
Mourning has received several awards for his efforts off the court and he has raised $2 million to fight the kidney ailment, which necessitated his own transplant, an organ donated by a cousin.
Photo credit: Luis Martinez/AP
I caught a little of the first half of the Navy-Utah Poinsettia Bowl and almost all of the second half but really needed to see only the last eight minutes.
It was a weird game for Navy, which lost 35-32. The Mids' defense, which has given up points as quickly the offense scores them, held Utah to just a touchdown in the first half but after Navy scored the first TD of the second half, Utah broke out for 21 unanswered. By the middle of the final period, Navy trailed, 28-25.
Toward the end of the game, a strange back-and-forth-and-back in the Navy red zone ended with Utah scoring what appeared to be the going-away touchdown to make it a 10-point game. But the Mids scored one last time with about a minute left and recovered an onside kick to make it interesting.
* Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin sounded like Gunny Highway in Heartbreak Ridge after the Steelers beat St. Louis, 41-24. The win helped the Steelers' playoff chances but they lost star running back Willie Parker with a broken leg. Said Tomlin doing his best Clint Eastwood: "As a team, we're not going to throw a pity party. It's part of the game, people get hurt, we'll adapt and improvise and move forward." The famous line from the movie was, in part: "You're Marines now. You adapt. You overcome. You improvise. Let's move."
* And Duke Hater Nation can delight in the Blue Devils losing their first game of the year. Undefeated Pitt beat Duke, 65-64, in overtime at Madison Square Garden.
College bowl season starts tonight with Navy-Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl, and there are just so many of these things -- 32 at last count -- that we're just going to pass along the highlights as they come along.
BCS Championship (might as well start at the top) -- Ohio State has two cornerbacks reportedly suspended for the game (one a starter) for violating "team rules." That's the sports version of the RICO Act; it can mean almost anything. The Buckeyes play LSU for the national title. Just a note: The starter is NOT projected draft first-rounder Malcolm Jenkins.
Music City Bowl -- Florida State is expected to have at least 20 players suspended in an academic cheating scandal. The names haven't been released so it's impossible to know if star players are involved. But you can be sure there are Seminoles who thought they'd just stand around on the sideline being pressed into duty against Kentucky.
Bowls in general -- A few sports blogs have already noticed a list reported by Sports Business Journal of gifts players receive from bowls. Some of the gifts are pretty innocuous -- shirts, hats, sports video games (that they probably already have), but a few of these trinkets aren't exactly trinkets -- iPods, Fossil watches and, in a couple of cases, $400 gift cards to Best Buy. Since it's hardly a secret, one supposes this passes muster with the schools and the NCAA.
Hmmm.
Dolphins-Patriots. What would you have expected this point spread to be?
Well, we don't have a new record. Vegas and online oddsmakers put it at about 22. Back when the Patriots were smashing everyone in sight, the Eagles-Patriots line approached 24, which happens to be the record in this somewhat hazy area (it's not as if it's listed in the NFL Record and Fact Book).
A few weeks ago, most folks who look at these things figured that the Patriots and Dolphins would set a new benchmark. And if the 14-0 Patriots were playing a Dolphins team that was still winless, I think it may have worked out that way. So, I think the Ravens are the reason we're here. They managed to make Miami actually look like an NFL team last week.
Of course, Bill Belichick doesn't want the 1-13 Dolphins thinking that they can really make history here so he's already brought out the cat-o'-nine-tails for his guys and gave 'em a taste yesterday, according to the Boston media.
Cornerback Asante Samuel: "We got about 45 minutes of humble pie ... Nobody expected it. I mean, he was just giving it to us, showing us what we need to do better, and everybody pops up on the tape."
Of course, Belichick could find fault with the way those guys put on their shoulder pads if it served his purposes. But when you're 14-0, you can do no wrong, so here's a sampling of the comments from the Patriot fans on the Boston.com blog, Reiss's Pieces.
NO Mercy Coach!! Way to go, we expect perfection!!!!!!
and
I love this. As a business leader, I've learned so much from Bill. Give rewards, but keep the pressure on.
An interesting contrast is brewing between arguably the best team in the AFC and the best team in the NFC that will make a great storyline should the two of them make it to the Super Bowl.
So, of course, the Patriots are the best team in the AFC.
With apologies to Green Bay, for the sake of this comparison, let's assume the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC (after all, they do have the tie-breaker at the moment for playoff home-field advantage).
In New England, we have the Stepford Franchise. No question who's in charge. Even Randy Moss is talking like everybody else in the Patriot Borg. Tom Brady, I swear, is beginning to sound more like Bill Belichick every week and after some recent night games, the normally affable quarterback had that Belichick curtness about him. But even under the best of circumstances, what you get from that Patriots crowd is that one-game-at-a-time, this-week-is-no-different-than-last week, keep-your-eye-on-the-prize stuff. Hey, they're 14-0. It works for them.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, poor Wade Phillips is just along for the ride with that zany, madcap crew with the fun starting right at the top, where owner Jerry Jones was implicated in Bobby Petrino's see-ya-gotta-go exit from Atlanta for Jones' alma mater Arkansas. Then we have Jessica Simpson front and center at the recent Cowboys game, where her pal, Tony Romo, goes into a funk and the Cowboys lose to the Eagles (you don't see that happening with Brady and the super model, do you?). In the same game, Cowboys safety Roy Williams puts his signature horse-collar clutch on Donovan McNabb (suspension). Then Terrell Owens (I hope he plays forever 'cause I'm going to miss him when he's gone) opines that Ms. Simpson "is not a fan favorite in this locker room or in Texas Stadium."
Let me get this straight: T.O. suggests that someone else is a distraction to a football team right on the heels of a verbal sparring match with ESPN's Keyshawn Johnson over the coaching merits of Bill Parcells vis-a-vis Phillips.
Of course, Owens has apologized -- for the Simpson thing, I mean -- and now he wants Tony to call Jessica to say that T.O. is sorry. Like this is high school lunch period or something.
"She doesn't really know me and that I can be funny," Owens explained.
Honest and true -- I hope he plays another 10 years.
Photo credit: LM Otero/AP
In today's Sun, on ESPN, just about everywhere you turn for sports news, you're going to hear about Curt Schilling calling for Roger Clemens to lose the four Cy Young Awards he won post-1997 if Clemens doesn't come forward and clear his name regarding the performance-enhancing drug allegations in the Mitchell Report.
Understandably, that challenge will get headlines.
But Schilling's take on Clemens and many other players that is on Schilling's Web site, 38pitches, goes on for about 3,600 words if my word processing software is accurate. That's a heap of words, folks. To give you some perspective, that many words would fill about four, five full columns in a newspaper, top to bottom, no headlines.
That's a lot of stuff to get off your chest. And you know, while some folks think Schilling can be a blowhard, some of it raises legitimate questions. Schilling talks about the nature of offering information to investigators and motivations. He's talking specifically about the people that the Mitchell Report relied on for its key information, including information about Clemens.
Schilling writes:
"Now I, like every other Yankee, Clemens fan am faced with a dilemma. The two men that fingered multiple players, from my understanding, both testified with immunity, but only if they told the truth. So these guys had every reason in the world to NOT lie. That doesn’t mean they didn’t, but there is an immense amount of incentive for them to NOT lie when they gave their depositions because lying would have seen them open to legal actions beyond what they are already facing."
Viewed through that prism, Schilling is obviously taking the reader to a place where Clemens is cast in a poor light. Barry Bonds, as well.
On his Web site, Schilling goes through a lot of players -- Bonds, Jose Canseco, Andy Pettitte. Schilling offers personal recollections, opinion and conjecture.
He even mentions Brian Roberts, who Schilling thanks for his candor in admitting steroid use several years ago. Of Roberts, Schilling writes:
"Brian Roberts worked as hard as anyone I’ve ever been around. Not to mention he’s about as kind and giving as anyone you’ll ever meet. I know how regretful he is and I know that this mistake is not indicative of his choice-making in life. He screwed up, knows he screwed up and admitted it."
So, beyond Schilling's rather pointed point of view of Clemens, if you get a chance, take a look at the full text of what the Red Sox pitcher has to say. Interesting stuff.
Photo credit: Associated Press
We normally don't let politics seep in around here, but Sun baseball writer Dan Connolly reported in today's paper that Baltimore Congressman Rep. Elijah E. Cummings is inviting the Orioles' Brian Roberts to become part of Powered by ME! It's a local organization that educates youth on the dangers of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Cummings said his invitation was like offering Roberts a "home run pitch." Sure makes sense. There's no better way to get yourself out of a sticky problem than to become part of the solution. And in Roberts' case, there wouldn't be anything phony about it because it really is consistent with the way he's interacted with fans throughout his career. It's one of the reasons he has been Baltimore's most popular Oriole.
For an older guy, that Bill Parcells has pretty good change of direction.
When last we addressed this topic, the 66-year-old Parcells was on his way to Atlanta to straighten out the Falcons as the grand poobah in charge of football operation. Well, Parcells is headed in that general direction -- southward -- but a little east. Now, it appears that the Big Tuna will be joining the Fishes in Miami (and that's about the thousandth time already that reference has been used).
Wow, Atlanta owner Arthur Blank has been jilted so many times, they're going to have to change the name of those goodbye letters from Dear Johns to Dear Arts. But we'll wait until Parcells is absolutely, positively sure whose front office he'll wind up running before sorting through what it means for that team.
* The Pistons beat the Celtics, 87-85, in Boston last night, the Celts' first home loss of the season and only their third all year, but it was like driving a stake through the heart of a vampire. Boston refused to die. Detroit had the lead for most of the fourth quarter and was ahead by six points with about a minute left. But Boston tied it at 85 with 18 seconds left on a three-pointer by Ray Allen. After Boston missed a chance to go ahead, Chauncey Billups dropped in a couple of free throws with a micro second left to finish off the Celtics.
USA Today counted them up -- 60 different quarterbacks have started this season for NFL teams. That's the most ever since the league went to 32 teams and 10 more than last season. Seven teams have used three or more. The huge churn at the position has been due to both injury and performance.
Not so coincidentally, the four teams with the best records in the NFL -- New England (14-0), Indianapolis, Dallas and Greeen Bay (all 12-2) have had rock-solid stability at the position with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Tony Romo. In fact, among the current nine teams that lead their respective divisions (there's a tie in the AFC North), only one has a starting quarterback that missed any significant time, Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia. Footnote: Cleveland's Derek Anderson has been the starter since replacing Charlie Frye in the first half of the season opener.
I was just checking the weather in Green Bay. Two years ago almost to the day, I was there doing a story on how that charming little football hamlet, all decked out for the holidays, was taking the prospect of the Packers finishing out of the playoffs for the first time in umpteen years.
I'll tell you I've been in some cold places, but the combination of arctic chill and wind in Green was unbelievable. It hurt to walk to your car.
So I was reminded of that as Dallas lost to Philadelphia Sunday. The Cowboys and Packers are both 12-2 and Dallas still has the tie-breaker edge for the home field in the NFC playoffs, but Tony Romo's throwing thumb was hurt against the Eagles (it's getting better), Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode limped off, DE Chris Canty got a scare on a knee injury that appears OK and safety Roy Williams (right) is suspended for Saturday's game against Carolina for breaking his namesake rule, the horse-collar tackle, for the third time this season. Dallas finishes the season in Washington against the Redskins, who may still have a shot at the playoffs by then.
One slip in these last two games and the NFC championship could go through Lambeau Field. Hello, Ice Bowl II.
So, getting back to the weather. Right now, it's in the low 30s in Green Bay, which is seasonally balmy. The temperatures in January range from an average high of 24 to an average low of 7. Now, it's no longer the case that the Packers and Brett Favre are invincible at home in January. That spell was broken in January 2003 when the Atlanta Falcons beat Green Bay at Lambeau, 27-7, on a 31-degree day. It was the Packers' first playoff loss ever at their legendary home field.
And we don't want to ignore the fact that this is a different type of Packers team. Offensively, it's built on the pass and bad weather doesn't help that one bit. Still, that Lambeau mystique is powerful mojo and that definitely puts pressure on the Cowboys going into the home stretch.
Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
Earlier today, we had a little fun at the Oriole Bird's expense -- with considerable help from the folks at the Bugs & Cranks Web site -- so we wanted to make sure that we got back on the right side of the city's favorite mascot.
It's been pretty grim around here lately, what with eight-game losing streaks by the Ravens and the constant cloud of steroids, so here's the Oriole Bird doing what he does best -- making us smile.
Bill Parcells is being a little more forthcoming with his ESPN colleagues. He's now telling them that he and Falcons owner Arthur Blank are closing in on a deal that will make Parcells the team's new vice president in charge of football operations.
The weird thing about it is that Parcells indicates he would hire a general manager as well as a coach, which seems to add a layer of administration in the Atlanta organization. I mean, if Parcells is the VP of football operations and there's a GM, who makes the call on the draft picks, on free agents, on the trades? Or will the GM just mind the cap stuff and the contract negotiations?
In addition, there's a possibility -- although it's tough to say how great -- that the former head football guy in the Atlanta front office, Rich McKay, could stay on as president and do non-operational stuff.
It's kind of funny that Parcells would endorse such a multi-layered football organization because when he was coach of the Giants, he and GM George Young famously butted heads over the personnel issue. For instance, it's Parcells -- in arguing that it was the coach who should make the calls on personnel -- who is credited with saying (loosely paraphrased), "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for the groceries."
Putting a satirical spin on the sad steroids issue, we have this post by the blog Bugs & Cranks, which tells of one more disappointing revelation by a Baltimore baseball icon.
The Oriole Bird 'fesses up.
All that late-inning rally encouragement, the tireless dancing on top of the dugout, the record-setting tosses of souvenirs into the stands -- we all thought the Bird was drawing on a bottomless reserve of good ol' fashioned Oriole spirit. Alas, we find out now that it was something else.
Just to set the record straight -- this is a lampoon. Props to author Patrick Smith for the original post.
Photo credit: Kenneth K. Lam/Sun
Boy, you could see this one coming.
Rich McKay is taking the fall in Atlanta. And, frankly, it was inevitable. Someone had to be responsible for setting the offseason course of trading away quarterback Matt Schaub, thus making the team even more reliant on Michael Vick, and hiring Bobby Petrino to coach. Did anyone think owner Arthur Blank was going to fire himself.
But interestingly, Blank isn't firing team president McKay -- who is actually a pretty influential guy at the league level and, for a while, was considered a strong candidate to succeed Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner. Blank wants McKay around to handle non-operational stuff, such as new stadium plans.
But to right the ship in Atlanta, there are reports that Bill Parcells is Blank's choice as a general manager type -- not a coach. Parcells (left) has had a belly-full of that coaching stuff. Apparently, Blank whiffed on Bill Cowher as a coaching replacement for Petrino. Sort of funny was this line in a story by ESPN's Chris Mortensen, who writes of Parcells, now a colleague at ESPN:
"I've got nothing to say," said Parcells before he hung up the phone Tuesday.
Now, I'll bet if Peter Angelos was negotiating with Sun colleague Peter Schmuck to run the Orioles (an intriguing thought there, eh) and I called Schmuck for comment, he'd be a whole lot nicer on the phone. And I'd start investigating what happened to the real Peter Angelos.
Photo credit: Matt Slocum / AP
Let's see, the Ravens didn't lose a football game. No Orioles were implicated in using performance-enhancing drugs. Whew! Been a good day around here, huh?
Well, Ravens defensive tackle Kelly Gregg did get shafted in the Pro Bowl voting. He wasn't even listed as an alternate. You'd think with players and coaches having substantial input into that voting (one-third fans, one-third players, one-third coaches) that deserving players such as Gregg would not be overlooked.
Apparently not.
One of three AFC Pro Bowl defensive tackles (the backup) is Jamal Williams from San Diego. His stat line is 32 solo tackles, 7 assists, 3 stuffs, no sacks.
Gregg's line is 50 solos, 24 assists, 4 stuffs, 3 sacks.
The Ravens who were voted onto the team are Ed Reed, the starter at free safety, and, as backups, inside linebacker Ray Lewis and offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden. Alternates included Terrell Suggs at linebacker and Willis McGahee at running back.
Now, we all know that Big Jon is going to the Hall of Fame, but he missed five games this year and when he did play, it took him some time to get up to speed. At his best, Ogden is still one of the best. It's just that he wasn't at his best for a lot of this season. Jonathan was gracious and said all the right things about his selection but from the little I know about Ogden from a handful of conversations, he's a fair-minded, honest guy and he'd probably even tell you that he got this one purely on rep.
I counted 32 college football games beginning with Thursday's Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego between Navy and Utah and the BCS Championship on Jan. 7 in New Orleans. In between, there are a lot of bland matchups, such as the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., with 6-6 Alabama playing 6-6 Colorado. Excited about that one?
But there are a few that, although they'll have little consequence in the grand scheme of the college football world, are intriguing. My favorite will be the Sugar Bowl between undefeated Hawaii and SEC powerhouse Georgia. And, of course there are the local teams -- Navy in the first bowl game of the holiday season and Maryland against Oregon State in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 28.
But here's a curious game. On Friday, the New Orleans Bowl has 7-5 Florida Atlantic against 7-5 Memphis. Florida Atlantic is coached by Howard Schnellenberger, now 73, who we recall in these parts as a coach of the Baltimore Colts back in the 1970s. Schnellenberger (left) revived two college football programs, at Miami and Louisville, and didn't do so hot in a short stay at Oklahoma. But in what figures to be the last stop on a lifetime coaching tour, he actually created something out of nothing.
Florida Atlantic, whose largest of several campuses is in Boca Raton, didn't even have football until seven years ago when Schnellenberger started the program. After moving from Division I-AA a few years ago, Florida Atlantic tied for first place in the Sun Belt Conference this season and became the youngest program ever to land in a bowl game. The Owls have gotten clobbered a few times this year by the likes of Oklahoma State, Kentucky and Florida but have beaten a Big 10 school, Minnesota. And regardless of what happens in the game against Memphis, the trip for the old coach and the young football program is already darn remarkable.
Photo credit: Garry Jones/AP
Love him or not, Dick Vitale is certainly one of the most recognizable voices and faces in sports broadcasting.
Vitale announced he will be out of action for the next few months for throat surgery. In a public letter, Vitale says that the problem is something that can be corrected and that he expects to be back in action by February.
Photo credit: Associated Press
A week or so ago when the news broke that LSU football coach Les Miles had telephone chats with the Michigan people after Miles had just signed a contract extension at LSU and made a public declaration about staying in Louisiana, I was one of the folks who was quick to point out that too often coaches' rhetoric doesn't always match their actions.
Yesterday, Rich Rodriguez announced that he was leaving West Virgina and bringing his spread offense to the Big House. He had signed his own contract extension at West Virgina with a big buyout clause and presumably, the Mountaineers will be seeing some dough as a result of his job switch.
Miles, meanwhile, will remain at LSU. A self-proclaimed "Michigan Man," Miles joked that "I know it is disappointing to some of you who don't like me, who really wished I had taken the Michigan job, though it was not offered. I couldn't get them interested in me, so you're stuck with me."
I was like a lot of folks when word leaked that Miles had been on the phone with Michigan after Miles had given a strong statement about LSU being "home." I was skeptical. There were more prominent voices and certainly much closer to LSU that were wondering and through it all, Miles never lashed out. He just kept saying what he had been saying all along, earnestly, and as it turned out, truthfully. The skeptics, myself included, were wrong.
And yesterday, as he continued to prepare for the national championship game against Ohio State, the Tigers' coach passed on the opportunity to say, "I told you so," and addressed the hiring of Rodriguez at Miles' alma mater with good humor and dignity.
So, here's a holiday toast to Les Miles for reminding us that there are still some people on the sports stage who are worthy of our trust.
Photo credit: Rob Carr AP
I have a short take on the Orioles' Brian Roberts (below) admitting that he took steroids just once. Of course, we heard Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte say something similar right after the Mitchell Report came out. Basically, they both said they tried something bad in a narrow time frame and extremely sparingly. That they were not habitual users, they haven't done it in a long time and they're sorry.
I think it's just possible that they are getting very good legal advice. And even if that's not the case, they're being smart. Remember what Barry Bonds is really in trouble for -- perjury.
Who knows where all this baseball steroids thing is going. Maybe there are more prosecutions lurking. Maybe some of these guys will be called as witnesses. Maybe they're worried there's independent verification out there of what they did. It would be foolish for these guys to paint themselves into a corner where they wind up telling fibs to investigators or a grand jury -- that's more trouble than actually using the stuff.
So, is what we're hearing now the absolute truth or a truth that will withstand potential legal scrutiny and still salvage a reputation.
Do you even care?
Photo credit: Associated Press
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
That was four teams' playoff hopes coming down to earth last night when Minnesota wheezed their way past Chicago, 20-13, in a wretched game.
The Vikings (8-6), winners of five straight, eliminated the Bears, Lions, Cardinals and Eagles from the NFC playoff chase with one blow, an 8-yard touchdown run by star rookie Adrian Peterson on a play that had disaster written all over it. Peterson bumped into backup quarterback Brooks Bollinger on the handoff and the Bears seemed poised to close in in the backfield before Peterson danced into the end zone.
Minnesota won the game despite committing four turnovers, but the Bears' impossibly bad offense gained just over 200 yards and 11 first downs. Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton was playing in his first game in two years and while his stats seemed OK -- 22-for-36 for 184 yards, one TD and one interception -- he really wasn't that effective. The game essentially ended when he threw an interception in the end zone, trying to hit Bernard Berrian with a long throw that actually had a chance had it been further inside.
The curse of the Super Bowl runner-up strikes again.
In an otherwise grim local sports environment, here's a cheery moment.
Last week, the Orioles had a Christmas party for kids at the ESPN Zone at the Inner Harbor and part of the festivities was Rick Dempsey as Santa doing a rousing rendition of Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Credit for the item goes to Oriole Post -- The World of Baseball and Beyond and we notice that it was uploaded by mdguy2415. Thanks to all involved and bravo to the players and team. When you get to the link, scroll down until you reach the video frame with Santa and the Oriole Bird.
You can tell how an NFL team is doing by the stories in the local newspapers. If the hometown team is firmly in the playoffs, the talk is about playing for home-field advantage and bye weeks. If it's a bubble team, then the stories try to figure out all the playoff scenarios and tie-breakers.
But if your team is like the Ravens, then the attention turns to the offseason, namely the draft and free agency.
We started looking at the draft last week and earlier today mentioned that the loss to Miami moves the Ravens up in the draft pecking order -- likely somewhere between the fifth and eighth positions.
So how about those free agents?
After perusing Web sites that track the free-agent market, as usual, there are some Pro Bowl names and among them, there are a few that will probably be re-signed by their current teams or possibly slapped with a franchise tag. Others have anti-franchise tag language in their contracts, such as Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel.
Also in New England, wide receiver Randy Moss will be an unrestricted free agent, but are the Patriots going to let him go after this season? Meanwhile, Samuel is also an unrestricted free agent, but can New England possibly keep them both, considering the salary cap ramifications? Some of this is a guessing game, but the best guess in that situation is Moss stays and Samuel goes.
Other Pro Bowl-types on the road to free agency at the moment include safety Bob Sanders and tight end Dallas Clark from Indianapolis, Kansas City DE Jared Allen, Tennessee DT Albert Haynesworth, Chicago LB Lance Briggs, Pittsburgh OG Alan Faneca and Dallas RB Julius Jones.
If you're one of those folks who think the Ravens should have a veteran quarterback on their shopping list, don't get too hopeful. The top ones who may be available are Chicago's Rex Grossman and Oakland's Daunte Culpepper. Also on the list is yesterday's winning QB, Miami's Cleo Lemon. Cleveland's Derek Anderson, a former Raven, is a restricted free agent.
For their part, the Ravens have LB Terrell Suggs coming up as an unrestricted free agent. Offensive guard Jason Brown, their most consistent and durable offensive lineman throughout the season, is a restricted free agent.
Considering that the Ravens' cornerback situation has been terribly exposed and there are concerns about Samari Rolle's return, the free agent I find intriguing is Seattle's Marcus Trufant, who has a career-high seven interceptions this season and has missed just one game in five seasons. He may have franchise tag written all over him, though.
Of course, the Ravens' own salary cap circumstances will dictate how aggressive they can be in free agency, plus Baltimore is usually cautious coming out of the gate when the free agency chase starts, preferring to let the marketplace settle down. It'll be interesting to see whether what may end as a four-win season changes past practice.
In their genius, the NFL overlords have figured out how to wring some good out of losing. It's called the NFL draft. And the Ravens' position in April's draft just got a little better as a result of yesterday's humiliating loss in Miami to the now 1-13 Dolphins.
Without trying to sort through the tie-breaking possibilities, the Ravens (4-10) now figure to have a pick in the neighborhood of fifth through eighth overall. There are four teams with fewer than four wins -- the Dolphins (1), Falcons, Jets and Rams (3). Three other teams also have four wins -- the 49ers, Raiders and Chiefs. Note: The 49ers' spot is held by the Patriots (yikes).
All of those teams are capable of running the table -- with losses -- with the exception of either the Jets or Chiefs, who play each other in the last week of the regular season.
We went 2-0 against the line for a season record of 27-19-2.
The winning picks were the under in the Jets-Patriots game and the Eagles against Dallas. In the New York-New England game, the over-under was 46. We were counting on some nasty weather in Foxboro and Mother Nature proved a better defense against Tom Brady than anything a defensive coordinator could come up with. He had his fewest completions (14) and lowest passer rating (51.5) of the season.
And we were taking Philadelphia plus 10 1/2, but the Eagles won outright, 10-6. An interesting note in the game is that Eagles star running back Brian Westbrook made one of the most unselfish gestures I've ever season. With Philadelphia leading 10-6, the clock approaching two minutes and the Cowboys out of timeouts, Westbrook (right) broke free for an easy touchdown run but stopped at the 1-yard line. That enabled the Eagles to simply take a series of kneel-downs for the win.
If Westbrook had scored, the Cowboys might have had time to overcome a two-possession deficit, as unlikely as that would have been. Apparently, Westbrook was counseled on stopping at the 1-yard line by offensive tackle Jon Runyan, but you have to be impressed with the move nonetheless. Unless, that is, you have Westbrook in your fantasy league
Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
One Raven whose performance should not be overlooked in this season of discontent is defensive tackle Kelly Gregg. In a position that is not an impact position, Gregg was an impact player yesterday. He had 11 tackles, all of them counted as unassisted, and a sack.
The performance was representative of the way he's played all season. The stats on NFL.com have him with 72 tackles -- 50 solos, 22 assists -- and three sacks. The Ravens' other defensive tackle, Haloti Ngata, is also having an outstanding year -- 39 solos, 19 assists, two sacks.
In a season during which numerous Ravens who were counted on have been sidelined, the two of them have been productive and durable, and you never hear a peep out of them. The Pro Bowl voting is announced tomorrow and if Gregg's name isn't on there, there should be a recount.
Photo credit: David Hobby/Sun
OK, let's all hold hands and sing.
The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!
So what's there to be said? I look at that last play of Baltimore's semi-historic 22-16 overtime loss to previously winless Miami and who was involved -- Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon throwing to wide receiver Greg Camarillo with Ravens defensive back Jamaine Winborne covering. Running around on defense for the Ravens for much of the game were the likes of Willie Gaston and Nick Greisen. These are the guys you'd expect to find in the second half of a preseason game. So you could say that's a mitigating factor in the significance of the outcome, but no one really cares about such distinctions. The Ravens lost to an 0-13 team and had enough front-liners playing for long enough.
Complain about Ravens coach Brian Billick not going for the win with 12 seconds left in regulation and the ball at the Dolphins' one. Complain about not throwing on third down on what proved to be Baltimore's final offensive snap -- it was third-and-12 at the Miami 27-yard line and Musa Smith gained one yard on the eighth rushing attempt of a nine-play drive.
There were just too many other things, fundamental things, that were a major concern -- among them, the offensive line. Starting QB Kyle Boller was pummeled into submission and sent to the sideline with a concussion. And although the Ravens gained 163 yards on the ground, when they needed to get into range for an easier field goal from the Miami 25-yard line in overtime, they got minus-one yard on three straight rushing attempts.
All right, let's try this again.
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A waaay.
Ed Reed is the only Raven who led at his position after the fan voting portion of the Pro Bowl balloting. The fan voting is one-third of the formula that determines the AFC and NFC squads for the Pro Bowl in Hawaii in February. The player voting and the coach voting, which is completed next week, make up the the other two-thirds.
Reed led AFC free safeties with 287,611 votes. The leader at that position in the NFC is the late Sean Taylor (Redskins) with 258,544 votes.
The most votes at any position went to Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre with more than 1.14 million. Patriots QB Tom Brady was second with nearly 1.04 million. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was third, more than 991,000. Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss was the highest non-quarterback with about 806,000 votes. And Minnesota rookie running back Adrian Peterson got about 753,000.
Photo credit: Kenneth K. Lam/Sun
Wow, talk about garbage time. There are 15 NFL games and seven have lines that are better than a touchdown -- five are double digits.
The Ravens are 3 1/2-point favorites in Miami. Going against that bunch, you would think that this would be a slam dunk, but I'm not picking it because if something goes wrong, I don't want it on my conscience. How about this -- Minnesota is a 10-point favorite at home over Chicago. Two months ago, the Bears were a 4 1/2-point favorite over the Vikings. A year ago, they were a 9-point favorite. Granted, those two games were in Chicago, but still.
New York Jets at New England (-23, O/U 46). I've been trying to come up with analogies for this game -- how about Jaws set loose on a synchronized swimming team? OK, we all know the story line here. The Patriots will be taking no prisoners when they play the Spygate whiners who tarnished their reputation despite Jets coach Eric Mangini's post facto declaration that it was a league thing. So there's no point trying to figure out whether the Patriots can outscore the Jets by four touchdowns. The best calculation to make here is about the weather forecast. There is nearly a 100 percent chance of precipitation according to every forecast I've seen, with the stuff coming down going from snow to sleet to rain. There's at least one Vegas casino with a 46-point over-under. Against the Jets, the Patriots can cover anything. But I'm going with Mother Nature here. Pick: Under, 46.
Philadelphia at Dallas (-10 1/2). This is a blood feud that should play ugly regardless of the records. Dallas has clinched the division and has the pole position for playoff home field. You can stick a fork in Philly, but this is the Eagles' last hurrah for the season. If they have one more game in them, it's Dallas. Pick: Eagles, getting 10 1/2.
When you hear the phrase that football is a game of attrition, this is what it means in real life.
Former Maryland Terrapin Shaun Hill will start for the San Francisco 49ers Sunday against Cincinnati. The franchise that has had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in relatively recent times and a No. 1 overall pick at the position will start a young man who has played -- not started -- two NFL games in six seasons.
Last week in relief of ex-Raven Trent Dilfer, Hill, who helped lead the Terps to the Orange Bowl and was an undrafted free agent originally signed by Minnesota, did pretty well against his former team -- 22-for-27 for 181 yards, one TD and no interceptions.
But this is about Dilfer, who, in the flip parlance of the old days, "had his bell rung" last week against Minnesota. In today's more unvarnished reality, Dilfer suffered a serious concussion. A pretty scary one, and the third of his career. It may sideline him for the season, making Hill the de facto No. 1 in San Francisco. The backup is the recently signed Chris Weinke. The 35-year-old Weinke had been sitting out all season after being waived by Carolina last spring.
I know I'm going to be sorry for opening this can of worms again, but I just can't resist.
About that Miguel Tejada trade. When I first wrote about this, some readers were upset that I was dismissive of some of the players coming to Oriole-land. I referred to some of them as not being household names. Well, for a much better rundown of the haul Baltimore may have made, I refer you to Sun colleague Dan Connolly's excellent scouting report.
But I was taken by some readers being particularly keen on the notion that two of the players, pitcher Troy Patton and third baseman Mike Costanzo, were the No. 3- and No. 6-rated prospects in the Astros' organization, according to Baseball America.
So I was curious about this: What has that meant historically, to be either the No. 3 or the No. 6 prospect in the Astros' organization. Now, this is not meant to be predictive about Patton and Costanzo. They may go to Cooperstown for all anyone knows, especially me. But again, over a reasonable period of time, what has it meant to be Houston's No. 3 and No. 6 prospect?
Going back to the year 2000 and continuing through 2007, my best efforts have produced the following list of Houston's No. 3-rated prospects: Wade Miller, Tim Redding, Chris Burke, Jason Lane, John Buck, Willy Taveras, Fernando Nieve and Matt Albers. Of course, looking ahead was Patton.
For the No. 6 prospect, it was: Julio Lugo, Adam Everett, Anthony Pluta, Tommy Whiteman, Hector Gimenez, Matt Albers, Hunter Pence and J.R. Towles. And, of course, looking forward it was Costanzo, who was really mostly in the Phillies' farm system.
So in those groups, there are some interesting names, even from the most recent World Series -- Lugo of the Red Sox, Taveras of the Rockies. There some star/solid major leaguers current and past -- the 24-year-old Pence hit .322 with 17 homers for the Astros last year, the 31-year-old Miller was a career 62-46 for three teams. A handful have been so-so major leaguers (note that Everett was a shortstop in Houston -- hurt in '07 -- until he signed with Minnesota). Four or five have been real clinkers. And a couple may still pan out.
So, does that tell us anything about the No. 3 and the No. 6 prospects in some other team's organization now that they're Orioles? In the words of that cinematic philosopher, Forrest Gump, it's like that proverbial box of chocolates. Ya just never know what you're going to get.
I'm placing a self-imposed embargo on myself on Mitchell Report posts in the absence of any real additional news on the subject. At least for today.
Much of what was said or revealed there in terms of specific players had already been reported in news accounts. The Clemens business was certainly interesting in terms of details, but it lacks the fortification of independent verification. And that's probably the major disappointment in all of this for me. Maybe I've spent too much time in courtrooms as a reporter, but a great deal of the implied guilt aimed at players fails to pass the "reasonable doubt" test. Or even a preponderance of the evidence. And remember, these were lawyers who were rooting around here.
But, of course, that's not what we're talking about -- beyond reasonable doubt based on direct or super-convincing circumstantial evidence -- so you can hold your notes about how this isn't a court of law or why would so-and-so lie or what about those canceled checks. And I've heard some pundits contend that Mitchell must have had other good reasons for including certain names that just aren't in the report. What??? Does anyone think that any substantial bolstering of the report's conclusions was actually left out? I guess I just expected more solid proof than we got as a result of 20 months of investigation and millions of dollars in billable hours and even some assistance by law enforcement.
The NFL game last night, where Houston surprisingly pulled away from Denver, 31-13, illustrated the folly of trying to figure out the value of draft picks too soon.
Mario Williams, the defensive end the Texans took ahead of Reggie Bush last year, had 3 1/2 sacks as Houston held the Broncos to one touchdown. Williams, after just five sacks in a rookie year that had folks pretty much convinced that Houston made a bad decision on Draft Day, has 13 this season and a five-game streak.
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, another first-rounder last year, remarked that Houston and its fans were getting their money's worth out of Williams. Meanwhile, New Orleans had to shut down Bush for the season earlier this month because of a knee injury. Bush was trying to shoulder the offensive load because Deuce McAllister was already out for the year. Bush had 581 rushing yards and 417 receiving yards when his season ended.
Last night's victory gives Houston a 7-7 record, tying the franchise record for most wins and keeping its playoff hopes alive. Denver, 6-8, was pushed to the brink of playoff elimination.
It was significant that in his news conference today, former U.S. senator George Mitchell struck the tone not of an investigative prosecutor – he once served as the U.S. Attorney for Maine – but that of a peace-making diplomat, the role he assumed as the special envoy who helped broker the Belfast Peace Agreement in 1998.
In fact, he pointedly referenced his work in Northern Ireland as he laid out what he believed should be the next step for baseball.
Usually after investigations, the important discussion points are crime and punishment – with a small dollop of deterrence.
However, after his 20-month investigation, the overriding theme struck by Mitchell today was that baseball should put behind it the recriminations associated with the use of performance-enhancing substances; mostly abandon the notion of punishment, and look ahead to ensuring fairness for the players and restoring the confidence of fans.
Underscoring that suggestion is the fact that so many of the players whose names were associated with the report are, in fact, out of the game. And it should be considered good advice, in part, because the due process required to mete out discipline would be a considerable undertaking. Keep in mind that a New York Mets clubhouse attendant, who pleaded guilty to federal steroid-dealing charges, is the Mitchell Report’s star witness. The ex-Met employee, Kirk Radomski, cooperated as part of his plea deal.
And Mitchell also did baseball commissioner Bud Selig a giant favor, as well. Mitchell’s general recommendation to not go on a binge of suspensions – instead, employing discipline only in rare situations where the integrity of the game is at issue – gives Selig an opportunity to avoid what would promise to be a morass of further investigations, hearings, appeals and unpleasant suspension announcements.
But to follow all of Mitchell’s recommendations – especially that drug testing be conducted by an outside authority – will require Selig and team owners to essentially relinquish some control over their own enterprise and put it in someone else’s hands. The players' union is also a stakeholder in such a decision. That’s scary business for powerful people.
In moving toward peace in Northern Ireland, Mitchell had to be artful in persuading divergent groups to make leaps of faith. We’ll see if his report and rhetoric is equally influential in moving baseball in a similar fashion.
The ESPN news that Roger Clemens' name will appear in some context in the Mitchell Report prompts this take: Is that what this will be, some catalog of players who are implicated in some fashion but have already been mentioned in previous reporting? Clemens is not all that new. He's already had to deny similar rumors. What would be new is if Mitchell provides a real smoking gun in the case of Clemens.
Let's not prejudge, but if you want to compare what the Mitchell Report has to say that is brand new after 20 months and heaven knows how many millions of dollars (dollars that could have gone to some deserving left-hander with an ERA of 4.50, I might add), here's a decent compendium of names that have pretty much been in the public domain.
We'll see soon how many of them are merely repeated in the Mitchell Report and how much fresh information the report generates.
To give credit where it's due, the Web site, Baseball's Steroids Era, does an impressive job of tracking this stuff and while it's a resource we've read before, we acknowledge the Big Lead for reminding us of it.
The NFL's ally in its epic struggle with the cable TV industry -- the satellite TV guys -- are using air power in the battle for the eyeballs and wallets of America.
DirectTV will have a blimp traveling over the Tampa-St. Pete area tonight and over Orlando next week with a giant TV screen on it televising the NFL Network games you can see if you're a subscriber to that service. Many standard cable subscribers don't get NFL Network -- you have to upgrade to another tier -- and that has been a point of contention, to put it mildly, between the league and the cable big guys because it obviously reduces the football network's reach. And, oh yeah, limits revenue, too.
The first game-in-the-sky will be tonight, Denver-Houston, with the blimp hovering over Florida's west coast. Those lucky folks in Tampa-St. Pete will get to watch Saturday's game as well. Then the blimp floats on over to Orlando. The TV screen is 70 feet-by-30 feet. No sound, though. Which is a real shame. ave you heard Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth?
Bobby Petrino's hurried exit from Atlanta is absolutely one of the most astounding things a coach has ever done in my recollection. I've seen coaches and managers go on tirades at reporters, have immature outbursts directed at officials, fight with their own players. We know of at least one who bet on games. Some have even quit in the middle of a season before, mainly to save the owner the trouble of firing them.
But that wasn't the case with Petrino. Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted him to stay.
But this was Petrino's way:
Pledging allegiance to the franchise hours before he quit and, in the process, making the team owner look like an idiot on national TV. Leaving notes for the players in their lockers rather than telling them personally. And hanging his assistant coaches out to dry.
The comments from the players provide of a litany of hurt and betrayal. It's kind of revealing when you see how the Falcons have reacted. It's evident that even though they make big money, pro football players do buy into this business of brothers-in-arms. When a coach talks about "family," many of them really, really believe it. They stake their careers and their well-being on the concept.
Here's Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy: "One thing I'm really [mad] at was while he was having a half-hearted approach to games, he was putting us all at risk. His mind wasn't in it. That explains why he threw a challenge flag a play after he was allowed to. Why we went for it on fourth-and-9 and punted on fourth-and-1. Maybe he was on the phone at Arkansas to the AD at that point.
"The cancer was diagnosed. Never would you want it to be your head coach, your general, to be that cancer, but in our case, it was."
Only former Raven Chris Redman, the quarterback that Petrino plucked from civilian life for another shot at the NFL, had kind words for the new Arkansas coach.
From the mess that Petrino has left behind, you really wind up rooting for Emmitt Thomas, the defensive assistant who has to lead that team over at least the final three games of the season. And you also have to wonder whether GM Rich McKay, who obviously helped bring Petrino to Atlanta, still has the confidence of the owner. When you miss as badly as the Falcons did on Petrino, do you want the same guy picking the next coach?
With baseball's Mitchell Report about to dominate the sports news today and a bunch of tomorrows, it's refreshing to bring you some bona fide game results from, of all places, the NBA.
* How about those Boston Celtics! It's a crowded sports stage up there in New England, but the Celts are doing all they can to grab their share of the spotlight. Last night, they mowed down Sacramento by 12 points to raise their record to 18-2. They're also keeping the fans happy with an 11-0 mark at home. The Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett combined for 51 of Boston's 90 points and life is grand.
* The Suns' Steve Nash -- good Canadian that he is -- got part of a tooth knocked out last night but, like his hockey brethren, he soldiered on with 29 points and 11 assists as Phoenix slid by Utah, 103-98. After the game, Nash said it was actually a cap that came out, but I think it still counts. Nash took an accidental shot in the chops from Carlos Boozer (forearm). In chatting about how he got the cap in the first place, he credited Karl Malone.
Well, we told you if we came up with anything else about any of the new Orioles, we'd let you know.
Luke Scott was featured in a January 2007 story about athletes who carry firearms.
A Scott quote: "An athlete gets paid a lot of money and someone who is after that, a thief, a mugger or someone who steals from people, they are taking a chance with the law that if they get caught, they are going to jail or face some other problem."
Scott added, "In my case, you are going to get shot."
Considering the tragic circumstances of Redskins safety Sean Taylor's death -- Taylor was shot and killed during a break-in at his Florida home by people who apparently targeted his house -- the issue of player vulnerability is certainly a serious and sobering one.
Photo credit: Pat Sullivan/AP
The Orioles sent Miguel Tejada to Houston, and for all those who thought the four-time All Star shortstop would be tasty trade bait, well, think again.
There are five guys coming here -- outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate and third baseman Michael Costanzo.
If there's a household name in there, it's Luke Scott. And if it is a household name for you, you must live in Scott's neighborhood. Last year, he hit .255 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs. He turns 30 next season. Albers was 4-11 with a 5.86 ERA. The other two pitchers have 18 major league games between them. And if I have the right Costanzo, he hit .270 in Reading last year and has three at-bats in spring training a couple of years ago. No, he's not related to George -- that was Costanza with an A at the end.
If we get more encouraging news, we'll let you know.
Some people think the once proud Dolphins began to lose their luster when Don Shula was replaced by Jimmy Johnson. Others think it was when Dan Marino retired. I know better. It's cosmic retribution. The road to NFL purgatory began with the making of this music video -- and deservedly so. You will notice that Marino is conspicuously absent from this early 1990s effort. I believe that left-handed quarterback at the end is Scott Mitchell. And we all know what happened to him.
Along with the eggnog and decorations, Major League Baseball has a little gift for you.
Former U.S. senator George Mitchell has announced a news conference for tomorrow afternoon in New York to announce the results of a 20-month investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Reportedly, there will be 60 to 80 names of former and current players included. After which there will be weeks and months of endless reporting, writing and broadcasting about who knew what and when they knew it among various major league franchises. I can hardly wait.
But let me get this question out because it's one of the few that I'm really interested in hearing the answer to. If, by the players using drugs to produce aberrant individual performances and, by logical extension, tainted game results -- all of which defrauded the public -- are the owners going to give the money back?
Just wondering.
What I see here is a new reality TV show -- something on the order of Taxicab Confessions meets SportsCenter.
So first Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun gets reeled in by the cops for an altercation with a Denver cab driver and subsequently gets tossed in the drunk tank. The reaction from coach Mike Shanahan is to allow due process to play out, which is actually a departure for Shanahan, who occasionally likes to settle these matters with a lie detector test.
An now comes word that ex-Formula One whiz Michael Schumacher politely commandeered a German taxi because he and his family were late getting to the airport and performed a little dash we're probably all familiar with but ne'er so well-equipped to handle. Said the cabbie, one Tuncer Yilmaz: "He drove at full throttle around the corners and overtook in some unbelievable places." Unlike the Denver cabbie, Yilmaz got a nice tip and the story of a lifetime. Thanks to the Fark website for pointing out the Schumacher tale.
And just because it's one of my favorite TV theme songs.
Maybe we should just limit NFL teams to sketch artists to diagram the plays.
As we all know, the only loss that Patriots coach Bill Belichick has suffered this year was in his wallet as a result of the sideline recording episode involving the Jets earlier this season. Now comes word that the offended party in Spygate had some explaining to do itself for something similar last season.
A Jets employee was stopped from recording from a mezzanine location at Gillette Stadium during a game against the Patriots during the 2006 season. It is murky whether it was a regular-season or postseason game. The Jets played in Foxboro twice.
The Jets are admitting the incident occurred but that they had permission from the Patriots to record from that location. In any event, the league was not informed. And probably wishes it hadn't heard about it now.
It's a good thing Bobby Petrino wasn't the captain of the Starship Enterprise, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy would have been trampled as Petrino made his way to an escape pod the first time the Klingons attacked.
Granted, the Falcons were fresh out of photon torpedoes and the deflector shields were just about gone but isn't this rush for the door just a little embarrassing. And spare me the defense that he's taking a cut in pay in leaving the pros for the college job at Arkansas if, in fact, that's the case.
Not that Petrino is any great loss to the Falcons. Dealt a lousy hand, he never managed to figure out how to play the cards he was holding. The Falcons, meanwhile, were just set back at least another season in their rebuilding. I predicted earlier this season that the Vick fiasco meant that the Falcons won't even finish .500 until 2009. Move that back to 2010.
* How's this sound -- LeBron James, Supersub. King James reacted like he just took a swig of over-ripe milk to his unfamiliar role after coming off the bench last night. But it helped the Cleveland Cavaliers end a six-game losing streak with a win over Indiana. A finger injury has sidelined James and last night was the first time ever he has played as a non-starter. He had a streak of 332 games, always as the starter. Actually, James handled the role gracefully and effectively, scoring 17 points in 22 minutes wearing protection on his injured hand. It's just that he doesn't anticipate it becoming a habit, saying, "that was one and done for me."
The lines on the Jets-Patriots game in Foxboro Sunday are pushing the unofficial all-time mark for an NFL game. The popularly recognized benchmark for the widest point spread had been 24 points for a 1976 game between the Super Bowl champion Steelers and the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Steelers covered, 42-0.
Then, with the Patriots consistently covering double-digit point spreads this year, the line for the Eagles-Patriots game a few weeks ago finished in a narrow range of 23 1/2, 24 points, and Philadelphia obviously covered when it nearly won the game outright. After the Patriots' scare against the Ravens on a Monday night, the wagering public cooled a little on New England and bet down an opening 13-point line against Pittsburgh to 10 1/2. Then somebody named Smith on the Steelers said the secret word, "guarantee," and won the booby prize as goat of the game.
So, with the Steelers left as road kill in the Patriots' rearview mirror, this week the oddsmakers in Las Vegas and online have New England as a consistent 24-point favorite over the Jets. And if the line doesn't set a new record this week, there's always the following Sunday when the Patriots play the Dolphins in Foxboro.
So far, New England is 10-3 against the spread and the over has covered 10 times as well.
As miserable as things are in Baltimore this NFL season, they are four times worse in Miami ... four times as in the 0-13 Dolphins have four fewer wins. The percentage comparison may not be exactly mathematically sound but you get my drift.
So let's look in on the Dolphins -- a team that the 4-9 Ravens desperately need to beat to get out of this season with at least a shred of respectability.
Miami has a rookie quarterback, who -- after the team fell to 0-9 -- was pressed into service as the starter. The fans clamored for it and they got what they wanted. After all, things couldn't get worse.
Well, they did -- at least for John Beck, who hasn't led the team to a touchdown yet and got yanked in a debacle in Buffalo on Sunday after just eight snaps. The second-round draft pick's four starts as the latest heir to Dan Marino has been like the rest of the Dolphins' season -- a disaster. In a pummeling administered by the Bills, Miami coach Cam Cameron dragged Beck (left) from the wreckage and sent in Cleo Lemon. Cameron hasn't committed yet on who will start against the Ravens, but I'd put my money on Lemon.
Now, the sports literati in South Florida wonders whether Beck has been shattered by it all because his play clearly regressed.
So, as the Troy Smith debate continues in these parts perhaps there's something instructional to be learned from experiences elsewhere.
Photo credit: Wilfredo Lee/AP
The little soap opera playing out in Baton Rouge has little to do with our sports issues here in Baltimore, whether your concern is the wounded Ravens or the chronically ill Orioles or, for that matter, you're a Terrapins loyalist.
But if things break a certain way at LSU regarding football coach Les Miles, it'll be a another small tear in the social fabric of sport. Coaches and managers often remind their athletes, whether peewees or pros, about the character issues. That sports builds or reveals it. That there is reward in exhibiting it and ignominy is showing a lack thereof.
Which brings us to LSU football coach Les Miles, a hot property these days in the college coaching ranks. He is reputedly and reportedly the favored candidate by his alma mater, Michigan, to replace Lloyd Carr. But his adopted home in Louisiana has given him a generous contract extension that includes lots of cash and a fair measure of job security. Miles then went public and said he was staying at LSU. I heard the speech. It was unambiguous.
Now comes word that Miles has been talking with Michigan again. When Nick Saban -- interestingly, a former LSU coach -- pulled this stunt last year, no one should have been shocked. First of all, he was jerking around a pro team, the Dolphins, as he flirted with and accepted the job at Alabama. And secondly, well, it was Nick Saban.
But Miles just made this impassioned speech about being a Michigan man but that LSU was home. That he wished the Wolverines well and would do whatever he could but LSU was home. That he regretted he couldn't be in two places at once but LSU was home.
Nice speech. I hope he meant it. But if Miles doesn't honor his own words, the words that every coach preaches to every athlete about character, loyalty, sacrifice -- all those locker-room buzzwords -- will ring that much more hollow.
The word from Ravens coach Brian Billick is that you're going to get more of him but less of Troy Smith, at least for now.
Billick said yesterday he was returning next year as head coach. Considering the team gave him a four-year extension after the '06 season at something like 5 mil a year, that seems to make some sense. But it was all a little odd since Billick seemed to be implying he was given this assurance by someone who has that authority -- oh say, like the owner -- but Steve Bisciotti is honoring his usual in-season vow of silence and no one empowered to speak on behalf of the club could confirm that the owner had explicitly given the coach such an assurance.
Meanwhile, the coach did say that Kyle Boller would remain the starter and Smith would remain nice and safe on the sideline, which may be a move endorsed by others in Ravens management as well.
The New Orleans continued to show that they're made of pretty stern stuff by winning for the sixth time in nine games after starting out 0-4 and recently learning that Reggie Bush is out for the season with a knee injury. Of course, they did it against a team that had long ago lost its way.
If you stayed up to watch the Saints trounce the Falcons, 34-14 -- or at least through the beginning of the third quarter when the game was decided --- you would have seen a couple of Atlanta players supporting Michael Vick. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall had MV7 in his eye black and wide receiver Roddy White showed off a "Free Mike Vick" T-shirt (left) after scoring a touchdown.
But for the most part, on the day Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison, the Falcons showed how his troubles had affected the franchise by exhibiting how inept they are. Atlanta (3-10) had former Raven Chris Redman at quarterback. It was his first start since 2002 when he was here in Baltimore. Redman, who was out of football for three years, did OK considering the circumstances, 23-for-40, two TDs and one interception.
The Saints, meanwhile, went on drives of 99 and 94 yards in the first half, and Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns. New Orleans still has a slim shot at the playoffs, but the Saints need some breaks.
Photo credit: John Amis/AP
If you were in New York today, you may be hearing some squawking about Jets coach Eric Mangini kicking a field goal with 32 seconds left rather than going for a touchdown. The 35-yard field goal made the score, 24-18, and Mangini then went for a onside kick that failed. It was probably the sound football decision, or at least arguably so. But if the Jets had gone for and made the TD and then went for the onside, they would have at least covered the point spread (they were getting three points).
Another point-spread issue that's been brought up elsewhere, at the Pro Football Talk Web site, for instance, was Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden not saying that he had no intention of playing QB Jeff Garcia for the past two weeks. PFT makes the legitimate point that that is just the type of insider information that can be traded for dough. And that's why the NFL has rules for accurately reporting injuries. Earlier in the year, I criticized Oakland coach Lane Kiffin for withholding information on his starting QB (that did not involve injury, however) and the same goes for Gruden. Especially, Gruden because of the injury business. This kind of gamesmanship is the kind of stuff that sets the stage for scandal.
OK, the record here for the weekend was 2-0. We benefited from Mangini's field goal decision because we selected the Browns. San Diego was our other winner and we were lucky to get it.The season record is 25-19-2.
We like the New Orleans Saints, giving four tonight over the Falcons, especially with Michael Vick being sentenced today, but we're not going to be greedy.
If you have not heard by now, Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison and three years' probation.
This is a longer sentence than many thought he would get, with guesses running in the year- to year-and-half range. The judge could have given him as much as five years.
The sentence makes him eligible for release in October 2009, considering the time he has already served. My understanding of the federal system is that all the time is must-do, no parole. Whether Vick has a future as a pro football player is a matter of conjecture. No one becomes a better athlete in prison, just older.
As the plummeting Ravens meet the beached Dolphins next weekend, the question was posed, "Have two teams with a combined 20 consecutive losses ever played before?" The Ravens have lost seven straight and Miami, of course, is 0-13.
That's an Elias Sports Bureau kind of question, but I was prompted to look up the last game of the Baltimore Colts' miserable 1981 season (a Bob Irsay, left, production) and sure enough, at least one Baltimore team has already been involved in such a game. When the Colts met the New England Patriots on Dec. 20, 1981, Baltimore was on a 14-game losing streak and the Patriots had dropped eight in a row -- a combined 22-game losing streak.
The Colts were 1-13 at the time (their only win having come against the Pats on Opening Day) and New England was 2-11. To the winner would go the spoils of the No. 1 pick in the draft. If victorious, the Colts would finish higher as a result of the tie-breaker.
The Colts did win that game, 23-21, in front of about 17,000 fans at Memorial Stadium. According to this account of the '81 season and the comments section, a Boston newspaper story described the jubilant Colts running onto the field celebrating, "We're No. 27!"
True or not, neither team did much with their pick on draft day. The Patriots selected defensive end Kenneth Sims with the No. 1 overall pick and the Colts took linebacker Johnie Cooks next. Even worse was Baltimore's next pick, the fourth overall -- quarterback Art Schlichter -- leaving on the board Hall of Famers Marcus Allen and Mike Munchak and other great players, such as Luis Sharpe, Jim McMahon and Mike Quick.
photo credit: Bill Smith/AP Photo
The Michael Vick saga unfolded so dramatically and so decisively that today's sentencing seems almost anticlimactic. We should know in an hour or so how long he'll spend in prison.
What is sort of interesting, I think, is how quickly this happened. It's been only about eight months since the investigation opened with a search of the Surry County, Va., property by law enforcement. For a short time, it appeared plausible that Vick was simply the absentee landlord of a property that others were using for illegal activities.
But such notions unraveled quickly and when federal investigators got involved, the handwriting was on the wall. Vick also faces a state prosecution in Virginia. His attorneys are fighting that on grounds that he can't be prosecuted twice for the same crimes
Vick's fall from pop culture grace is the most sudden of any active sports figure I can think of when you consider how much Vick has forfeited in his enormous contract with the Falcons, his endorsement deals and the total loss of his good name. Mike Tyson's career also fell apart fairly quickly but with the boxer it happened incrementally. Even "Shoeless" Joe Jackson played one more full season after the 1919 World Series fix (actually, one of his best ever) before he was drummed out of baseball.
In the Vick case, today's sentencing is certainly closure of some sort. For many folks, it will be justice served, end of story. But for Vick himself, the best he can hope for is that today is the bottom of the deep hole he created for himself and that tomorrow represents the first step to the redemption he promised his fans.
Let’s do a little forward looking here.
Let’s assume the Ravens beat the Dolphins next week. You can figure for yourself whether they can beat either Seattle or Pittsburgh in Games 15 and 16. The track record says they finish 5-11.
So, where does that put them in the draft for the first round. Short answer, somewhere between seventh and 12th, depending on about a bazillion variables. I figure the following teams will finish with fewer than five wins: Dolphins, 49ers, Rams, Falcons, Jets, Raiders. Teams that I figure could finish with five wins (either because I think they’ll win one more or are capable of losing their last three): Eagles, Bears, Panthers, Bengals, Chiefs and, of course, the Ravens. The Saints have only five wins but they play the Falcons tonight.
And when you start ruminating about the draft, if you want to get ill, consider that New England has San Francisco’s pick, which could be the No. 2 player overall.
But moving right along …
I’ve seen some mock drafts that have the Ravens taking a quarterback in the range where they’ll be picking (Kentucky’s Andre Woodson is the name that keeps popping up), but the best cornerback should be on the board.
Considering how much trouble the Ravens have had on defense when their top corners were hurt this season, taking the top guy at that position is definitely the way they could go. Or they might select a linebacker since the top guy could be there, too (unpopular as that might be among fans).
I’ll wager we’ll be hearing about South Florida corner Mike Jenkins, Ohio State corner Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and Penn State linebacker Dan Connor in the weeks and months ahead. Note: The two Buckeyes are juniors.
Having said that, let’s make sure we all understand this kind of talk is waaay premature.
But can you blame me after last night?
It was only because it was Tony Dungy on the other sideline, probably the most charitable head coach in the NFL, that the Ravens didn’t give up 60 points last night. Dungy called off the hounds midway through the third period, figuring a 37-point was safe, and gave Peyton Manning the rest of the night off, as he did with a number of other starters as the night wore on.
If you watched the first quarter of the game, you pretty much got the picture.
The Ravens were dreadful in every way. Not having their two starting cornerbacks was obviously going to be a problem against the Colts, but Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle weren’t a four-touchdown difference. Quarterback Kyle Boller was like a guy trying to swim the English Channel wearing a weighted vest. It wasn’t Boller’s fault that the Ravens were behind, 14-0, after just four offensive snaps, but he didn’t help matters with four turnovers (three interceptions and a lost fumble). And the Troy Smith fans got to see the rookie complete 3 of 5 passes for 33 yards and run for a touchdown.
We were all wondering how Baltimore would respond after the heartbreaker to New England last Monday. Well, we can be certain they "left it all on the field" against the Patriots because they sure didn’t show they had anything left last night.
Now, there’s really only one realistic goal left this season. Don’t be the team that loses to Miami.
That’s what it has come down to.
Well, the NFL looked into the overall officiating situation at last Monday's Patriots-Ravens game and took swift action.
The league fined four Ravens: Bart Scott ($25,000), Samari Rolle ($15,000), Chris McAlister ($15,000) and Derrick Mason ($15,000).
Scott was fined for throwing the official's flag after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after New England's winning touchdown with 44 seconds left in the game. The other Ravens were fined for questioning the integrity of the officiating, presumably in public comments made after the game.
“This is about the importance of sportsmanship and respecting the integrity of our game,” NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson said in a statement. “We do not tolerate inappropriate conduct between teams and game officials. This includes reminding game officials that they are to conduct themselves at all times as professionals in their dealings with players, coaches, and other club personnel.”
No word on what, if any, action was taken regrading game official Phil McKinnely, whom Rolle said addressed him as boy, although the line from the league that, "This includes reminding game officials that they are to conduct themselves at all times as professionals in their dealings with players, coaches, and other club personnel” is interesting.
Some people have flashbacks from bad acid trips. I have them from traumatic football experiences.
I had one Monday night when the Ravens lost to the Patriots. And I'll bet an old acquaintance of mine, James David "Buddy" Ryan, who was at the game, did as well.
The flashback came on fourth-and-1 after Buddy's son, Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan (that's Buddy and Rex at left), had called the timeout that negated a successful stand by the Baltimore defense. As you may recall, on the next play, the Ravens stuffed the run again, this one by the Pats' Heath Evans. But the Patriots got still another break when their own false start penalty wiped out that play and gave New England another shot on fourth-and-6. You know the rest.
I was immediately taken back to another Ryan-coached team. I was covering Buddy's Eagles. Instead of frigid Baltimore, we were in balmy San Diego. The 1989 Eagles were trying to hold on to a 17-17 tie and take the game into overtime as San Diego's Chris Bahr lined up for a 44-yard field goal. Wide left. But wait. San Diego false start. Dead ball penalty. No choice for the defense. Move it back and try again. You can figure what happened. Kick good -- game over.
Today, I got a note from a reader, Spence Lieske in Timonium, whose insides are still churning from Monday night. His belief is the same as mine. A team should not profit from a penalty if the rules can be adjusted to prevent it. Forget it was the Ravens. That's just common sense.
The reader's suggestion was essentially this: false start and illegal motion penalties should not stop play unless there is pre-snap contact. The play should continue and the flag should be tossed after the snap. Then, the defense has the option -- play or penalty. I would go one more step and argue play should be stopped immediately, both with contact or if a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage pre-snap, as a safety precaution.
But if an offensive player moves and the defense stays put, why shouldn't the defense have the option of letting the play continue and declining the penalty? That's what happens on some defensive scrimmage line penalties and the offense gets what the TV announcers call a "free play."
Sure, there are other considerations, such as a pre-snap offensive penalty followed by a post-snap defensive penalty (example, defensive holding). I would say in that case, the defensive penalty is treated as if it did not occur because it arguably was precipitated by an illegal advantage gained pre-snap by the offense. If the defensive penalty were a personal foul, though, the personal foul (because it carries the potential for injury) would override the pre-snap offensive penalty. I'm sure there are other possible tweaks.
But returning to the '07 Ravens game and '89 Eagles game, it makes no sense that a team should get a game-changing break when that team broke the rules. Last Monday, Baltimore was the victim. Many moons ago, it was Philadelphia. Both times it happened to Ryans.
Let us stop this cycle of madness!
Photo credit: Doug Kapustin/Sun
A while back we told you that Michael Vick's Surry County, Va., property that was the site of the infamous Bad Newz Kennels was going up for auction after an open house. Well, that open house is tomorrow. The auction is in another week.
The property is interesting, even bizarre. Prospective buyers and plain old tire kickers won't just be looking at a 4,600-square foot mansion that comes with its own basketball court, they'll also be viewing a grisly crime scene. Remember, this is a place where animals were trained to kill each other, systematically abused and executed in fiendish ways.
Reportedly, the new owner, who only recently bought the house from Vick, paid about $450,000 and, according to this video report, he's asking for $1 million. Here's a preview of the open house.
This is the toughest time of year to handicap NFL games for a couple of reasons.
First, you have too many teams that are, for practical purposes, out of the playoff hunt or just about out of the chase and so their motivation is not what it was two or three weeks ago. Worse, it can happen during a game. A 5-7 team that's a point-spread underdog starts off snarling but it falls behind by 10, 14 points and sometime in the fourth quarter, the guys realize that the season is all over and they sag. The result is that they fail to close on a point spread that they should cover.
The second reason is injuries. The injuries are piling up this time of year and what you thought you knew about a team is no longer valid because you're guessing about the backups. Houston is a good example. At the beginning of the season, I liked the Texans as a sleeper team, especially against the spread, because of their new quarterback, Matt Schaub. So, they start off 3-0 ATS, as I expected. Then the oddsmakers catch up, Schaub starts getting nicked, he misses snaps, he misses games and now the Texans have missed the spread seven times in the last nine games.
Well, we're 23-19-2, we're always in the hunt and we're handicapping our little hearts out.
San Diego at Tennessee (even). You can't ask for much more than this. Two teams battling for the playoffs in a game in which you're just looking for a winner, no points. After a disappointing start, the Chargers are 6-2 -- both in wins-losses and ATS. The Titans have been just the opposite lately. With Vince Young running hot and cold, the Titans are 1-3 over the last month -- both in actual outcomes and ATS. The feeling is that Tennessee DL Albert Haynesworth, out with a hammy, has been the difference. He comes back this week and the Titans do play better at home. Chargers QB Philip Rivers doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence, either, but there's too much talent on the San Diego roster to let an important game like this get away. Pick: Chargers (even).
Cleveland at New York Jets (3). Cleveland let me down last week. The Jets surprised even themselves, I think. After six straights Ws against the spread, the Browns laid an egg in Arizona, losing to the Cardinals and the line. I know all about that late-game call that went against the Browns ... it shouldn't have come down to that. The Jets, apparently insulted that they were an underdog against winless Miami, demolished the Dolphins by nearly four touchdowns. But this week, we have a classic situation. The Browns are 7-5 and fighting for their playoff lives. The Jets are 3-9 and are marking the days until training camp. As long as Browns QB Derek Anderson doesn't have a meltdown and fails to protect the ball, this is Cleveland's game. One more thing. Losing games like this are the type of thing that, in the end, get coaches fired. Fired coaches mean roster changes. I'm talking the Browns here. So there's a ton of motivation on that Cleveland sideline. Pick: Browns, giving 3.
