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February 29, 2008

Quarterbacks finding homes quickly

The free agent market for quarterbacks is shrinking as I type and you read.

Todd Collins has re-signed with the Redskins. Chris Redman has re-signed with the Falcons. As we already mentioned, Cleo Lemon is moving to Jacksonville. Of course, the Browns worked out a three-year deal with Derek Anderson. Rex Grossman re-upped with the Bears last weekend. Josh McCown is visiting in Miami.

For anyone thinking that Donovan McNabb may be available in a trade, he said on the Mike & Mike show that he fully expects to be back in Philly next season.

So unless someone pulls a rabbit out of hat, the Ravens will not be getting any substantial veteran help at quarterback for next season. Not that that was much of a likelihood all along. There's still Daunte Culpepper and Byron Leftwich, I suppose. Billy Volek, anyone?

Ravens not buying any Lemons

The notion that the Baltimore Ravens may pursue former Miami quarterback Cleo Lemon because of the Cam Cameron connection was dashed when Lemon, a free agent, signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars today according to FOXSports.com's Alex Marvez. Lemon will be a backup in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars appear to be undera full head of steam. They picked up wide receiver Troy Williamson in a trade and have appraently landed ex-Raider WR Jerry Porter.

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Former Terps hits big payday in NFL free agency

A former Maryland Terrapin was one of the first players to cash in on NFL free agency that opened today. Former Cincinnati Bengal-new Minnesota Viking Madieu Williams, a safety, reportedly landed a $33 million, six-year deal with the Vikes. An estimated $17 million of the contract is reportedly guaranteed. While Williams, 26, is certainly a solid football player, the contract that puts him near the top of heap at his position just illustrates that if a player is better-than-average and the timing is just right, the rewards can be enormous.

Williams is considered a sure tackler but not a big hitter. When healthy, he was among the most productive defenders for Marvin Lewis' Bengals. A thigh injury ended his 2007 season a few weeks early. He finished '07 with two interceptions and seven passes defensed. He has eight career interceptions since being drafted in the second round in 2004.

Williams, who was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa, moved to Maryland as a child and attended Towson before transferring to Maryland where he made the team as a walk-on but soon earned a scholarship.

Video rant: Michigan women's coach bonkers but clean

A video is making the rounds on the Internet of Michigan women's baseketball coach Kevin Borseth venting after his team lost a Big Ten game to Wisconsin last night. During the 3 1/2 minutes, I'm sure that you'll get the point that Borseth is upset over his team's (lack of) offensive rebounds and strongly implies that the refs didn't help any in that regard. But in all the yelling and screaming, here's the really remarkable part... although it appears that Borseth's head might explode at any moment, he doesn't use any Geroge Carlin bad words. Not one syllable had to be bleeped. I counted four "damns" and two "doggones." And he said "peeved" once. This is an entirely over-the-the-top rant that's PG-rated. Very impressive. I'm sure it's on a lot of Web sites, but we saw it on the Big Lead first.

Like old man river, Bruschi keeps rolling along

Among all the early offseason NFL moves so far, the one that gets my vote so far for most surprising is Tedy Bruschi signing up for another tour of duty in New England. Under normal circumstances, a guy with 12 NFL seasons under his belt is pretty much on his way to the golf course unless he's a quarterback or a long snapper. And Bruschi's medical history represents anything but normal circumstances.

Reportedly, Bruschi, who will turn 35 by training camp, is signing a MULTI-year deal with the Pats today. We all know not to put too much stock in so-called long-term contracts in the NFL since the base salaries are not guaranteed but it still has to make even the most cynical among Patriot detractors smile to see the gutsy Bruschi exhibit that kind of optimism.

Lest we not forget, this is a guy who had a stroke after the Super Bowl in 2005, had surgery to fix a hole in his heart and came back to play the last half of the 2005 season and make 63 tackles. He broke a wrist in training camp in 2006 and missed one game. Last year, his stats were 92 tackles, which led the team, and a couple of sacks while helping form a geriatric linebacking corp that contributed to one of the greatest seasons in NFL history.

Bruschi did catch a couple of breaks roster-wise lately. The Patriots missed out on free agent LB Zach Thomas, who was cut by Miami and signed with Dallas.  And New England waived linebacker Roosevelt Colvin, whose season ended with a foot injury in November.

Photo credit: Steven Senne, AP

Maryland showed heart in keeping season alive

There's no figuring how the basketball season will work out for Maryland. Largely, that's because there's no figuring Maryland.

The Terrapins have proven that when they're focused, they can beat anyone -- North Carolina on the road, for instance. When they're not, they can lose to anyone. We'll spare you the examples.

But regardless of whether the Terps put together a record good enough for the NCAA tournament selection  committee -- they're now 18-11 overall and 8-6 in the ACC with two regular-season games remaining -- they showed they have some grit in last night's 74-70 win at Wake Forest (16-10, 6-7).

Actually, it was something of a sports anatomy lesson:  Maryland's back was against the wall and it showed a lot of heart.

If you haven't been paying attention to the home stretch of the season, Maryland was pretty much in the driver's seat for a Big Dance invite when it lost its last two putting its tournament chances in jeopardy. So last night's effort, especially on the road against an opponent that was every bit as desperate as the Terrapins, showed character.

Particularly encouraging was senior forward James Gist coming up with 31 points and 11 rebounds to finally give sophomore guard Greivis Vasquez some substantial support. Make no mistake, it wasn't easy. Maryland appears to be allergic to double-digit leads and let Wake make a game of it. 

Maryland's final two are against Clemson at home and Virginia on the road. The Clemson game is considered the key because for the moment, the Tigers are 8-5 and in third place in the conference.  Virginia is just 3-9. As we said at the top of this, you just can't figure what you'll get on any given night with this group.  But last night, it had to be encouraging for Terps fans to see that these guys will not go quietly.

February 28, 2008

In Vegas, Orioles get no respect

So is the late Rodney Dangerfield on the Orioles roster? Did they get him as a prospect in one of those trades for Miguel Tejada or Erik Bedard? I just got the over-under numbers for total wins for the upcoming MLB season from the Las Vegas Hilton and although I knew the Orioles would be lowly regarded, I had no idea how lowly. The Orioles not only have the lowest win total for the over-under in the majors -- IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE.

The Orioles have an O-U of 64 1/2 wins. The only other team that's even in the 60s is Florida with 69. You might be able to argue that playing in the tough AL East is an extenuating circumstance but even the D-Rays are listed at 75. Can you imagine what this season is going to be like if the Orioles really finish 10 games behind Tampa Bay?

On a more encouraging note, the over-under on Nick Markakis' hit total is 188 1/2.

Here are the Over-Under odds for 2008 wins, as listed at the Las Vegas Hilton:

Arizona Diamondbacks ... 87.5
Atlanta Braves ................84.5
Baltimore Orioles ............64.5
Boston Red Sox .............94
Chicago Cubs ................87
Chicago White Sox ........80.5
Cincinnati Reds .............78
Cleveland Indians .......... 90
Colorado Rockies .......... 83
Detroit Tigers ............... 93.5
Florida Marlins .............. 69
Houston Astros .............75.5
Kansas City Royals ......73.5
Los Angeles Angles .......92
Los Angeles Dodgers .....86.5
Milwaukee Brewers .......84.5
Minnesota Twins ...........75.5
New York Mets ............93.5
New York Yankees .......93.5
Oakland Athletic ..........73
Philadelphia Phillies .....87.5
Pittsburgh Pirates .........70.5
San Diego Padres .......84.5
San Francisco Giants ...73
Seattle Mariners ...........85.5
St. Louis Cardinals ......76.5
Tampa Bay Devil Rays . 75
Texas Rangers .............77
Toronto Blue Jays ........85.5
Washington Nationals ..72.5

Video: Lost embarrassing Dodgers number resurfaces

A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser about playing in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship that begins tomorrow. But I'm disappointed I hadn't seen this video before talking to the former NL Cy Young Award winner because he would have had some explaining to do. This is a vestige of that 1980s phenomena -- the sports music video. This one is called Baseball Boogie and features the 1986 Los Angeles Dodgers. You'll recognize the likes of Jerry Reuss and Hershiser, with the latter in a Dodger-blue satin jacket and busting some moves that probably didn't look cool even 20 years ago.

I first saw mention of the video on another Web site and I have to admit I can't recall where so apologies in advance to the Big Lead or With Leather or SportsByBrooks or Fark or whoever linked to this lately. No slight intended. Enjoy.

Cardinals' Spiezio self-destructs

The recent turn of events with former Cardinals utility player Scott Spiezio is just one more illustration as to how dependence on addictive substances can cause folks to make decisions that simply defy all reason.

Spiezio (right) was already on thin ice with the Cardinals after finishing a turn in treatment last year for substance abuse. And remember, this is an organization that has had plenty of problems with booze and driving -- with the death of relief pitcher Josh Hancock, who was killed when he drove into a truck while under the influence and manager Tony LaRussa in that awkward traffic stop a year ago in Florida where police found him asleep at the wheel at a traffic light.

Earlier this week, a warrant was issued for Spiezio's arrest as a result of an auto accident that may have involved alcohol in late December where he is also accused of fleeing the scene and then  assaulting a neighbor.

So yesterday, the Cardinals essentially said enough is enough and cut him loose.  He still may get the $2.5 million the Cards owe him for 2008 and another $100,000 for an option they could have exercised next year.  And it's not as if Spiezio is a youngster; he's 35.  If he were using his head, he'd be milking every season for all it was worth.  But that's the point. When you're in the grip of booze or drugs, logic isn't part of the equation.

Photo credit: Elaine Thompson/AP taken for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Preserving Wrigley's name is not our job, mon

If you haven't heard, the new caretaker of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field, a fellow named Sam Zell, has ruffled the feathers of baseball fans, especially those in the Cubs Cult, by suggesting he'd sell the naming rights to the hallowed brick pile on the North Side.

Full disclosure -- I work for the Tribune Company that Zell runs and is actually newly owned by an employee stock option program that's too complicated to be explained here. And more full disclosure -- I freely admit that the circumstances regarding the new ownership and all its implications has a fair amount to do with how I feel about this so if you have any complaints about how my opinion is influenced by self-interest, you can save the keystrokes.  It's already admitted.

Zell, who made a fortune in real estate and is a Chicago guy himself, makes the point that the gum people have been getting a free ride on the ballpark's name for years and perhaps it's time that they pony up the cash like every other corporation that gets to have its name on a sports building.

In addition, right from the get-go when Zell put together this deal to buy the then publicly-held Tribune Company, it was a business in distress and he made it clear that to help pay back all the loans taken out to make the deal happen that the Cubs and the ballpark had to go.  That was a good idea for a ton of reasons, not the least of which is that the Chicago Tribune can stop being viewed with suspicion for having a conflict of interest regarding its coverage of the Cubs -- but I digress.

More to MY point, which is that Zell's main responsibility here is to the Tribune company as a whole, its employees and customers, in making a tough business deal work.  Like newspapers all over the country, Tribune properties have been downsizing -- and not just reporters and editors but advertising, circulation and business-side people. White-collar jobs, blue-collar jobs, in big cities, medium-sized cities and small towns, are on the line.

The responsibility is not Zell's or that of Tribune employees across the country to preserve Chicago baseball tradition. The Wrigley company, which is based in Chicago,  has been getting that free ride for a long time. When I checked this morning, the gum company's stock seemed to be up about 40 percent over the last five years and it has a market cap of more than $16.7 billion.  And if the gum guys don't feel having their name on the building is worth it to them, then perhaps a public-interest consortium in the Windy City can be the civic hero (there's certainly enough celebrities who are happy to put on their blue caps and profess to be true-believers).  And finally,  if the Cubs Cult feels so strong about the ballpark's name, they can pass the hat and buy the naming rights themselves.

February 27, 2008

Myron Cope, father of Terrible Towel, dies

I wouldn't expect anyone in Ravens land to normally be very sympathetic regarding much having to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  But I know that Baltimore fans along with NFL followers everywhere will be saddened by the news today of the passing of former Steelers announcer Myron Cope. Cope was truly an NFL treasure.

Extremely partisan to be sure, he was also the  father of a football icon, the Terrible Towel. If you used to bristle at the way Cope occasionally called the Ravens the Bal-ti-more Black Birdies, take consolation in that he gave a pretty good razzing to the "Cleve Brownies" and the Cincinnati "Bungles" too. And I can't think of anyone else who could have gotten away with calling the aloof Chuck Noll -- "Emperor Chaz." 

Cope announced Steelers games for 35 years before retiring after the 2004 season. Rather than try to describe Cope's unique voice, we'll just offer his recollection of his own offspring, the Terrible Towel.

Congress sends notice to Justice about Clemens

The Waxman-Davis House committee has requested that the Department of Justice look into whether Roger Clemens fibbed to congressional staffers and the committee itself earlier this month.

First, understand that it's a request and not an order from the committee. And second, understand that the Justice Department could have pursued this without the urging of Congress.

Having said that, it's certainly not good news for Clemens to have the feds possibly breathing down his neck. It's also not good news for the Yankees because now Andy Pettitte knows for sure that his involvement in this thing is far from over.

Orioles stars appear on wine labels

For Orioles fans for whom memories of a glorious baseball past are like sips of wine on a balmy day, they'll be able to have both this season -- meaning their memories and the wine.

Two Orioles Hall of Famers, Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray, will have their own wine labels.  Robinson will be on a Chardonnay and Murray on a 504 Cabernet Sauvignon (Murray hit 504 home runs during his career).  In both instances, proceeds from wine sales will go to charity, the Baltimore Community Foundation. 

The wines are being produced by Eos Estate Winery out of Paso Robles, Calif.  The wines are expected to retail for $17 and be on the market locally sometime in May. This year, 500 Home Run Club wines are being issued in two other markets, an Ernie Banks in Chicago, and a Mike Schmidt in Philadelphia. An organization called Charity Wines said it plans to launch more than 30 wines this year in association with professional baseball, football and hockey players.

 

 

Yao, we didn't mean to do it

On Monday, we wrote the name Yao Ming for the first time since ... I can’t remember when. 

But we noted how the Houston Rockets had won 12 in a row and were back in the thick of the NBA Western Conference playoff hunt because for the first time in three years, their 7-foot-6 center had stayed healthy.  In fact, the only game Houston has lost in the last 18 was one that Yao missed.

We noted that Yao had played in 55 games (just two short of his high over the last three seasons) and lauded his impressive, steady stats, an average of 22 points and nearly 11 rebounds a game. And then yesterday, the Rockets called a news conference to announce that for the third straight year, Ming will miss considerable time -- considerable meaning the rest of the regular season and the playoffs -- with a stress fracture in his left foot.

Without Yao in the lineup last night, the Rockets' hot streak continued as they trounced the Washington Wizards by 25 points. The venerable Dikembe Mutombo will be filling in for Yao and while he'll help with the rebounding and the defense, he's not going to come close to making up those 22 points a game.

Yao's main concern now is getting ready for the Beijing Olympics where he would be playing for his country.

One instance does not an SI or Madden video game jinx make -- but we’re going to be careful about who we feature for a while and refrain from praising any key Orioles.

February 26, 2008

Billick's media strategy shows the shape of things to come

If you're a Ravens fan, by now you know that Brian Billick told his side of the story yesterday after being fired nearly two months ago and discussed his dismissal in true Billick fashion.  He was articulate, politic and generally said as little as possible while sounding darn good saying it.

He gave two radio interviews and if you missed them or the stories about them, essentially his message was that he still hasn't received a specific reason for why he was fired but that owner Steve Bisciotti had a right to make the move and Billick respects that.  He also talked about some future plans: there's a book planned; he's looking into radio and TV work, and in 2009, he'd like to coach again if the right opportunity comes up.  He's hardly strapped for cash, reportedly the Ravens still owe him at least $15 million.

What I found interesting was how Billick went public yesterday.  It was on radio after refusing  interview requests by The Sun.  His reason was that he didn't get a fair shake from the paper.  Here's the quote: "[The Sun] took a very clear-cut approach - which is their right, and I understand that - that we're going to make that uncomfortable for him, and my picture was on the front of that sports page just about every day. That was what they chose to pursue, and that's their right. Why I would interact with them now, I don't know why I would do that."

And it's Billick's right to talk with whomever he chooses but his reason is off-base.  If his picture was on the front page of the sports section every day, it's because the Ravens just happen to be the most important story in the region. Right or wrong, that's a fact.  There's no political story line, no social issue, no financial development that can even compete, certainly not consistently.  That's why we have ticker tape parades when the football team wins a Super Bowl and not when important pieces of legislation are passed.  That's why Billick was making $5 million a year. If that says something unfortunate about us collectively as a society, well, to use a favorite Billick-ism, it is what it is.

And as far as whether or not Billick got a fair shake in The Sun,  Billick is well aware of how journalism works -- more than any sports coach I've ever been around.  He has a degree in communications from Brigham Young; he has endowed a communications scholarship at BYU; he worked in public relations, he's written two books.   He knows the difference between columnists and beat writers and understands their different roles.  And if the former coach doesn't think he got a square deal from the people who wrote news stories about him, well, I just don't believe he thinks that.  He knows he did.

Just as an example, take a look at Jamison Hensley's news story about Billick today. Hensley, The Sun's Ravens beat writer, points out as he frequently did that Billick remains the franchise's all-time winning coach, that the guy brought a Super Bowl to this town and, through Billick's words, reminds readers that the team went 13-3 just two years ago.  And yes, Hensley points out the fistful of reasons that Billick may have been fired (but that no one, not even Billick, knows for sure).

So, does Billick have a beef with some columnists at the The Sun who weren't in his corner and either implied or were explicit that he be fired?  Okay, that he does.  So let him do what Bisciotti didn't do and be specific.  Call them out on what he thought were misguided points of view.

But actually, I don't believe that Billick's choice of going the radio route rather than being interviewed by the newspaper had anything to do with the stated reason.  As I said above, Billick understands media better than any coach I've ever been around.  I didn't have many long discussions with the coach when he was here but one that we did have was about media in general, and the NFL Network in particular.

My take (hardly an original one by this point) is that eventually the NFL through NFL.com, team websites and its TV and radio networks will control access to, package and distribute its content to its best financial advantage.  Obviously, that process is well underway.  The net result is that the usual media outlets that the public has been used to getting its information from for decades will be marginalized.

Billick gets it.

Yesterday was his way of doing exactly that with his message, controlling it.  Not for financial advantage in this case but to distribute his message in as unfiltered a fashion as possible.  In that way he avoided the questions from the news outlet that best understands the Ravens' situation, or at least expends considerable resources trying to understand it and keeping the public informed.  Does that mean that the folks who did have an opportunity to speak with Billick didn't ask all the appropriate questions?  Not at all. They're pros, too.  But Billick understands that the medium does indeed help shape the message -- particularly in the hands of a master like himself.

Photo credit: David Hobby/Sun

 

Clemens may have more trouble on the way

There was always a danger when Roger Clemens pressed his case that he was innocent of the accusations in the Mitchell Report that the whole thing could blow up in his face. Now there's word that the congressional committee that heard testimony from Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNamee may send a letter to the Justice Department recommending it look into Clemens' testimony.

It was one thing to go on 60 Minutes and make his argument to the American public. But when he started answering questions for congressional staffers in preparation for his House committee appearance earlier this month and, of course, appeared in front of Rep. Henry Waxman's and Rep. Tom Davis' committee in his faceoff with Brian McNamee, the ante was raised significantly.

Without being privy to what his lawyers told him, one can only speculate that Clemens' attorneys advised him to keep his mouth shut about the allegations in the Mitchell Report other than maybe that first statement he issued right after the report came out. Maybe they didn't even want him to do that much. That's a lawyer's default position in most cases -- keep quiet.

Clemens could have gone the Mark McGwire route. At the core of the issue, the suspicions and accusations about McGwire and Clemens are the same regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs. McGwire may have been pilloried for refusing to answer questions in front of Congress but he doesn't have the feds breathing down his neck either. What will his silence cost the home run hitter? Maybe Cooperstown. Or maybe down the road, attitudes will be different and electors will send him there; it's not as if he's barred from entrance like Pete Rose.

But Clemens decided to fight this out. Earlier this week, his son Kolby said that his father was even planning to attend the Houston Astros training camp to work with minor leaguers.

Anyone making a guess about Clemens' innocence or guilt is making just that -- a guess. You may feel that the circumstantial evidence is convincing or you may feel it amounts to little.  If Clemens is telling the truth -- as difficult a notion as that may be for some people to even consider -- then he is showing more fortitude now than at any time during his playing career.  But if this outspokenness on his part comes back to haunt him, more than being guilty of using PEDs, more than being guilty of perjury, what will really have done in Roger Clemens is being guilty of arrogance.

Photo credit:Susan Walsh/AP

February 25, 2008

Tennessee obvious No. 1 in men's college basketball polls

It's no surprise that in both the just released AP and the ESPN/USA Today polls that Tennessee went to the head of the class after beating previously undefeated Memphis on Saturday. Memphis had been No. 1 since North Carolina was knocked off that perch by Maryland over a month ago.

In the AP, Memphis went to No. 2, and in the ESPN/USA Today poll to No. 3. North Carolina, whose only two losses are to Duke and the Terrapins, reverses spots with Memphis in the two polls.

UCLA and Texas are fourth and fifth respectively in both polls. A fistful of top-ranked teams lost over the weekend, including Kansas, Butler and Connecticut, causing all of them to skid but not out of the top 20. Duke, although it suffered its second straight ACC loss last week, is still in the Top 10 in both polls and is the only ACC team other than the Tar Heels in the Top 25. Here are the polls.

Kelvin Sampson's lingering goodbye

Indiana coach, excuse me, former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson and the university parted ways just before the weekend with Sampson pocketing $750,000. College basketball followers know that Sampson was in hot water with the NCAA for alleged recruiting violations that had to do with text messaging players. Those problems were compounded when he supposedly failed to be completely forthcoming with NCAA and university officials.

Indiana conducted its own investigation and by Friday had decided to seek a settlement with Sampson to get him out its hair. The 23-4 Hoosiers responded by beating Northwestern Saturday after a mild protest by a few players who boycotted practice Friday. New coach Dan Dakich was understanding as he tries to keep the Hoosiers on course.

The goofy epilogue here is that Sampson, even after separating from the basketball program, continues to return to the scene of the crime -- or rather continues to employ the means. He has been text messaging some Indiana players. It was reported that starting guard Armon Bassett was one of the Hoosiers that Sampson text messaged.
"He told me he loved me, he was happy for me and go Red," according to Bassett. At least one other player said he was messaged by Sampson, reserve Brandon McGee.

Yao Ming's best season paying off for Rockets

Among NBA watchers, there's been a lot of recent attention in the West on Phoenix because of the Shaquille O'Neal trade, Dallas because of Jason Kidd going back to the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers because they've finally assembled some talent around Kobe Bryant to become one of the favorites for the NBA title. And in the East, the Celtics still have the league's best record, followed closely by Detroit and Cleveland just made an interesting trade for Ben Wallace.

But while all that has been going on, the Houston Rockets have put together a torrid mid-season run with a 12-game winning streak and 16 victories in their last 17 games. That's taken Houston from barely .500 (20-19) to 36-20.  In the competitive Western Conference, though, Houston still has a long way to go. Even with that impressive run, they're a bubble team and could still be overtaken by Denver for a playoff spot.

A major difference for the Rockets has been the emergence of 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming as a game-in, game-out presence. In his sixth season, Ming is having the best year of his NBA career. With 55 games under his belt, he's on a pace to play in far more games than the previous two seasons,  when injuries limited him to 57 games in 2005-06 and 48 last season. And his average so far of 22 points and nearly 11 rebounds will easily surpass his best season totals. If Ming can avoid the injuries that have dogged him and Tracy McGrady continues his steady play, Houston could be a Cinderella team in the spring.

 

Photo credit:  Associated Press