The Dark Side

Brian Kelly has been named the new coach at Notre Dame, and now, with the Sugar Bowl approaching, UC Fans are left wondering what will happen next?

I can’t say I’m shock by his decision. Kelly said, years ago, that he would walk to South Bend for that job. Well as someone who’s not only made the trip to South Bend, but also walked the streets of the city doing door to door sales for AT&T, he’s not missing much by driving.

Details of the contract aren’t out yet, but you can bet Notre Dame is giving him quite a raise.

So put yourself in Kelly’s shoes. His dream job opens up with a big payday. He’s had a great thing going at Cincinnati for the past three years, but now has the opportunity to be the savior of the Irish. I don’t think you can blame the guy for taking the job.

However, this is probably the darkest and most unfair element in college football. In the professional sports, teams cannot steal coaches away while they are still under contract. But in college (basketball too), it’s almost common place. There is no respect what-so-ever for the sanctity and commitment from one contract to the next.

This doesn’t make any sense. I can understand that coaches don’t want to wait or miss out on bigger and better opportunities, but deserting the team is just wrong.

And during Bowl Season? C’mon NCAA, this is bullshit. At least in professional sports, coaches and assistants cannot finalize contracts until their current teams’ seasons are over. This allows teams to go through the playoffs, not focusing on what coaches will and will not be back and gives fans a peace of mind.

So why can’t the NCAA at least adopt that? With Kelly now coaching the Irish, the Bearcats are left to their assistants to put together a game plan against the defending national champion, Florida Gators.

And this isn’t the first time this has happened. The last school to win the Big East was West Virginia, whose coach, Rich Rodriguez, was hired by Michigan right before the Fiesta Bowl. While assistant Bill Stewart was able to win the game, and eventually the job, it was Rodriguez that got them there, and it should have been Rodriguez to coach them.

A big question people have been asking has been “Why couldn’t he have waited until after the Sugar Bowl?” Well, the answer is that big programs, like Notre Dame, have a history of getting who they want, when they want. If Kelly had even asked to wait until after the Sugar Bowl, you can bet the Irish response would have been “Thanks, but no thanks.” Kelly would have lost millions and probably the job.

Notre Dame, Brian Kelly, or even the UC Administration are not to blame for this. It’s just a broken system.

Stop It!

OK, Brett Favre, if you say you want to stay retired, then stay retired.

I am so sick of hearing a new Brett Favre report everyday on ESPN. And the worst part about that damn network is that all of their radio personalities, like Scott Van Pelt and Collin Cowherd, all say that they’re sick of it too. Here’s the problem; they say it everyday which means they’re just as bad as the station they work for!

I don’t blame them though. If it bleeds it leads, right? Well Brett Favre is bleeding all of the fun and excitement out of football news. Hell, out of all sports news.

Manny Ramirez’s positive drug test couldn’t even silence Favre. I actually have a theory that because Manny stole the spotlight for a day when Favre said he “wanted to stay retired,” that suddenly the attention whore began to change his mind again. “Oh no, they’ll forget about me!” Cry me a river.

So here’s what you should do Baby Brett, you fuck-head. Just unretired and join the Minnesota Vikings. We all know you want to. The more you deny it the dumber you look. And believe me, you look pretty dumb already.

No, this will not affect Favre’s admission into the Hall of Fame. No, when people think about Brett Favre 10 years from now they will still think of the three time MVP and Super Bowl winner, not the old grumpy guy who can’t make a decision. But did you ever hear the word “saga” after the names Marino, Elway, or Montana? I doubt we’ll hear it post Manning or Brady.

However, I know that it’s hard to imagine an NFL with no Brett Favre at all. But Favre doesn’t have to play to be involved with the sport.

Why not look at broadcasting? A lot of great football players have gone on to become analysts and commentators. John Madden retired (and unlike Favre, he will probably stay retired), so why not look into taking his job? ESPN would probably jizz their pants if you offered to work for them. Look at the quarterbacks that work for them! Trent Dilfer, Tim Hasselbeck, Sean Salisbury (did he get fired or something?), Favre is more qualified than all three of them!

How about coaching? C’mon Baby, you know football. Become a quarterbacks coach. Hell, I bet even the Packers might give you a shot at that. And if you’re as close with Aaron Rodgers as you claim, I’m sure he would love to have you mentor him.

Maybe Favre sits on these decisions because teams want him to participate in off-season workouts and training camps. We all know Favre hates these. He hasn’t participated in them in years. Ironically, those are the years where he has struggled most. And the scary part is that each year he has broken down more and more towards the end of the season. I don’t think Baby’s body can handle a full season with all the off-season programs, and I think he knows it too.

But guess what? The Vikings will still take him even if he decides after all of the programs. Why? Because they think that Baby is still an upgrade over what they have.

And because of that, it’s going to be August before we can see a Favre-free Sportscenter.

The Curse of Brooks

Note to all college basketball players and coaches: pray that I don’t put you in my Final Four.

Every damn year I suck at this. I make my bracket and, in confidence, I believe that by some miracle I just may be right and win my group challenge. Once again, I am reminded how much I suck at this.

I did do a little better this year. While Wake Forest, my upset pick, got knocked out in the first round by Cleveland State, my other three made it farther than usual. Duke made it to the Sweet 16, Oklahoma to the Elite Eight, and UConn is in the Final Four (I had Oklahoma over UConn in the championship).

People called me crazy for picking Oklahoma. I only had (and still have) two words… Blake Griffin. Dude’s a beast. Regardless of the fact that North Carolina spanked the Sooners, Griffin was still the best player in the NCAA this year. I’d take him over Tyler Hansbrough any day.

Wake Forest was iffy. After they lost the top spot in the hoops poll they limped on the rest of the season. Still, I thought that the Deacons could pull some upsets. After all, history tells us that any team in the dance has a shot.

As for Duke, I thought their division was weak. While Pitt was strong, they choked a lot. And they did again in the tournament to Big East Rival Villanova. I just thought the Blue Devils could pull through. I had them beating Pitt in the Elite Eight.

And of all of this what pisses me off the most is Michigan State. I am a life-long Spartan fan, thanks to my Dad being an alumnus. Ever since I was a kid I have loved all MSU sports. So why am I angry that they are in the Final Four? Because every year I DO pick them to get there they choke. The years that I haven’t (2005 and this year), they do. I’ll be wearing my green and white for the remainder of the tournament, I just wish that I could have picked them too.

So, in conclusion, I am just ranting. Next year I’ll have less confidence in my picks. For fuck’s sake, I suck at this.

Confliction on the Court

They lost to DePaul. How the hell did that happen?

Last week, UC lost to DePaul in the first round of the Big East Tournament. In case you didn’t know, the Blue Demons went 0-18 in conference play. Yet somehow, the Bearcats broke down.

UC head coach Mick Cronin has yet to get past the first round of the conference tourney. He has gone 0-10 in March, during his three year tenure. And the program has yet to get a bid to the NCAA Tournament, after getting there almost every year under Bob Huggins.

The fact is that UC had a winning basketball tradition. It was one of the premier programs in the country. While I do agree that Huggins deserved the axe for off-court issues, Cronin has done a horrible job filling his shoes.

Yes, taking the place of a local legend is not easy, but the name University of Cincinnati, alone, used to be able to get some of the country’s top recruits. Now, it struggles. Kids look at it and say “No.”

Maybe if the Bearcats were still in Conference USA it would be different, but the Big East is a whole other animal. It is the best and toughest conference in the country. And under Cronin, they can’t even break into the middle of the pack.

Here’s the big problem quickly arising with UC basketball: UC football. With a limited amount of money it’s kind of hazy how much money the school will be able to allocate to the two programs. While the school is traditionally known as a basketball school, their recent failures may have hampered the program for a while. On the other hand, the football program is on the rise and starting to bring new money to the school that it didn’t have before.

Can we blame Cronin for this? No. But the students and fans are quickly turning against him. Calling out cross-town rival Xavier (who he has yet to beat) doesn’t help you out, buddy. And when Huggins was here, he was the most beloved coach at the school. With the success on the gridiron, the fans won’t hesitate to turn on Cronin as they’ve fallen in love with Brian Kelly.

Basically, my opinion is that UC should give Cronin one more year, but they have the keep close tabs on him. No more stupid sound bites. Maybe one win in March. The guy needs a lot of help if he wants to keep coaching after 2010.

Give the Dawg a Bone

In just a few months, ex-Falcons’ quarterback and dog whisperer extraordinaire Michael Vick will be back in the free world.

The fact that Vick could potentially be back in the NFL leads to some issues. And you have to break it down into two questions: Should he be allowed back into the NFL and would any team want him?

From what I gather, most people don’t want him back in the NFL. I don’t blame them either. The dog fighting circus that Vick funded and served as ring-master not only shamed his own name but that of his team and the league.

However, players have done worse things and still been allowed to stay in the league. Ray Lewis was accused of murder, Pacman Jones of hiring someone to shoot someone, Jamal Lewis was involved in a drug bust, and Chris Henry is just a burden to society. All of these players have been punished by both the law and the league. All of these players are still in the league.

And when Vick gets out of prison, he will have served his full 23-month sentence. He hasn’t gotten into trouble while in the slammer and has been relatively quiet since. They say that prison is supposed to punish people so that they don’t make the same mistakes again. Let’s hope it has.

I know this isn’t the easiest thing to believe, but Vick should be allowed back in the league. The fact is that he not only has been behind bars and will have served the sentence that he was given as a result of his crime, but he also has been suspended indefinitely since. By all means, Vick deserves to be back in the league.

If Roger Goodell decides to suspend him for another year, that is up to his own discretion. But banning him for life? I know I want to see that, but it shouldn’t happen.

Now, who would want Vick? That’s a whole other animal.

Vick wasn’t that good of a quarterback to begin with. He has never thrown more than 55% of his passes accurately in a year. No other “run first” quarterback since him has had any success. If Vick wants to come back into the league, he can’t be a quarterback. On the other hand, there will be a team out there that might give him a chance to be under center.

Right now NFL general managers have the luxury of sitting back and saying that they have no interest in pursuing Vick. He is still serving his sentence for a few more months, free agency has just begun, the draft is coming up, and Goodell hasn’t even made his decision on him. Plus, the Falcons want a trade for Vick, and other teams know that when he comes back there will be no place on their roster for him, making a cut imminent. Every GM can wait on that call.

And who doesn’t love a great story of redemption? Before he went to prison, Vick apologized for his crimes. Many, including myself, were skeptic. I mean, had he not gotten caught would he have apologized? But now he’s lost all of his money, his houses, his friends, his team, and his job. If anything, he has definitely paid the price for his crime.

I say let him back into the NFL. The unemployment rate in this country is high enough as is and someone as athletically talented as Vick doesn’t need to be on that list. Let him play, but keep him on a short leash (pun intended).

Numb to the Needle

So Alex Rodriguez admitted to using steroids… why am I not surprised?

No, it’s not because Jose Canseco wrote about it in his second book. But seriously, how great does he look now?

I think I have become numb to baseball players using steroids. At this point, it’s almost a surprise to find out that someone didn’t juice.

My feelings are kind of unique though. I understand why these guys used performance enhancing drugs. Look at it this way, there were no rules against steroids in baseball until 2005. They didn’t even test until 2003. Now put yourself in their shoes. There’s something that will make you better and there are no penalties for doing it. I’ll admit it, I would have done it too. It’s the same thing as the teacher giving you the answers for an exam; yes it’s cheating, but there’s no chance you’ll get in trouble at the moment.

From what people have told me though, the feelings are mixed. Some people say that any and all records of roiders should be erased. Some say that should ban you from Cooperstown. Some even told me they want a lifetime ban.

The problem with that, once again, is that it wasn’t illegal in baseball at the time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

That’s right. Don’t punish the players for using steroids. For their entire lives, athletes are taught to be the best and do anything to reach that. How are steroids any different? MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and MLBPA President Donald Fehr are the two that should be punished.

While Selig has no real power over Fehr, an entire drug ring happened under his watch. And Fehr was no different than a drug lord. He let it all happen and even fought for a player’s right to use drugs. Both of these men should be in jail.

Whenever I say this to people the typical response I get is “But Brooks, players were doing illegal things!” Well peons, it’s not illegal until you get caught. And of those of you who responded to my questions, how many of you can honestly say that you’ve never done something illegal and gotten away with it before? Underage drinking? Smoking weed? Urinating in public? Hell, even speeding on the road! ALL OF THEM ARE ILLEGAL, TOO!

Now, I do think it was at least a little admirable that A-Rod admitted he used steroids. He could have gone down the same road Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds have and denied it repeatedly, even after they have been proved wrong. And yes, he did lie about it before, but at the same time he did at least admit it and while he is still playing.

And he probably will get into the Hall of Fame. Look at Pete Rose, for example. When he got caught betting on baseball there was an outcry for him to be banned and never let into the Hall. But now, decades later, people want the all-time hits leader enshrined as a player.

Just remember, Rodriguez probably has five to 10 years left in his career. That’s enough time to play “clean” and put juicing behind him. Hopefully by then, we will be moving out of the steroid era and start the forgive and forget process.

Not Too Shabby

Okay, so I really hate to sound like a local guy (because I'm really not), but the Cincinnati Reds could make a run this year at the NL Central.

Ask anyone that knows me; I'm a diehard Indians' fan, but I'm sitting at my internship right now, looking up news stories and I see a post that Homer Bailey is fighting for the fifth spot in the Reds' roation. While Bailey has gone from promising prospect to bud of many jokes among vendors, the rest of the rotation looks pretty strong.

Edinson Volquez was a 17 game winner last year and the starter for the NL in the All-Star Game. Johnny Cueto may have finished the season with 14 losses and an ERA over 4.80 but early in the season she showed a lot of promise. If he can stay consistent he can be dangerous at the back end.

Then there's the older guys, starting with Bronson Arroyo. His hair makes him look like the goofiest dude in the world (thank god he still doesn't have the cornrows like in 04). But Arroyo has been a solid starter before. I remember going to games at the beginning of the season and yelling to remind him that no sponsor likes a loser. I mean he looked absolutely horrible. Maybe Time-Warner Cable called and threatened to cancel his contract, but he finished the season with 15 wins and 200 innings pitched.

The real question is can Aaron Harang bounce back? In 06' and 07' he had well over 200 strikeouts and 16 wins. I have no idea what the hell was wrong with him last year but if he can put that nightmare of a 6-17 record behind him, the ace could keep this team in contention.

Of course, all of this is based on some big "ifs." IF Cueto can play to his potential. IF Arroyo can be consistent. IF Harang has a short memory. IF Volquez isn't a one year wonder. And don't forget... IF the young hitters can give the team enough offense.

Then again, these are the Reds. If/then is usually the same story every year.

The Saga Continues...

Brett Favre retired, again.

Okay, the title isn’t flashy but why is it hard to believe? Maybe it’s because we’ve seen this before. Maybe it’s because he told Peter King that he thinks he’ll have the urge to play again.

Last March, when Favre announced his retirement, I believed him. To get so close to play in another Super Bowl and then throw the final interception which ultimately cost your team the game cannot be a good feeling. Like Michael Strahan, John Elway, and Jerome Bettis, I’m sure Favre wanted to retire with another Super Bowl win. Who wouldn’t?

The fact is that it probably wasn’t going to happen anyway. The only reason that the Giants beat the Patriots was because of a freak catch by David Tyree. Yeah, I know that we don’t know what the outcome would have been if the Packers were there, but I think Favre wanted to be the hero to stop the juggernaut.

And you can’t be angry at Packers’ GM Ted Thompson for not wanting Favre back. Not because he has been more of a liability in the clutch over the last few years and not because he didn’t want to deal with his contract. It’s because he had a young quarterback in waiting who’s contract with the team was quickly coming to an end. Thompson knew that if he didn’t hand the reigns over to Aaron Rodgers this year, he never would. And if Rodgers numbers are any indication, he ultimately made the right move for the team.

So why does Favre still want to play? Maybe it’s the same reason that Joe Paterno keeps coaching; he doesn’t want to be forgotten. Well Brett, after all the drama you’ve caused I don’t think we can anymore. We all remember that one kid in preschool who cried about everything (a little easier for me, I was that kid). Having the word “saga” asphyxiated to your name is not always a good thing.

Maybe he fears that his records will be gone in a few years if Payton Manning stays on pace. People don’t always remember number two or three on a list. Records are meant to be broken. Maybe he should have played baseball instead, where every record has become tainted.

Retirement is like marriage. You’re still going to see beautiful women and want to chase them, but you know you can’t and you shouldn’t. We all know Favre still wants to play, but the question is can he resist the urge and do what his body, his fans, and his numbers are telling him? RETIRE!

If he came back to the Jets, the team was saying that he would fully have to participate in training camp. Favre hasn’t done that in years. He hasn’t been criticized publicly by teammates like he was by Thomas Jones. Favre has always had his own, giant island in Green Bay and it looks like staying in New York would force him to swim to the mainland.

And one more thing. We know an NFL team is going to have an opening at some point this year. There’s always a major quarterback injury that will open the door for Favre. And when this happens you can bet that Favre will have a decision to make. Can the fat kid guard the cupcake? Let’s hope he can.

Greed and the Citi

We are paying $400 million for the new Mets stadium. Shit, I don’t even live in New York.

Here’s how I got to this conclusion. Last week, Representatives Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Ted Poe (R-Tex) called for Citigroup to withdraw its name from the new Mets stadium. Citi is paying $400 million to have their name on the stadium for 20 years. The government gave Citigroup $45 billion in federal bailout money. Ergo, I am paying for the Mets new stadium.

It’s no surprise Citigroup refuses to break their contract and ditch their deal. They’re a bank. They like money. They follow the moronic belief that having your name on a baseball stadium makes people want to support you. I’m from Cleveland, and when Progressive renamed the Jake I was more turned off by them than willing to switch my insurance.

I’m not mad at Citigroup. Not only are they under contract with the Mets but if you expected them to dip out you are stupid. I’ll say it again, they’re a bank. If I had my own language, bank would be another word for greed. That would be like standing in front of a bear and expecting it not to rip your arms off.

I’m pissed at the Mets.

Yes, $400 million is a lot of money to give up. But you’re the fucking Mets. You’re one of the most popular teams in the biggest market in the country. I’m sure you can find another sponsor. Maybe not for $400 million, but you’ll still make money.

I’m not a Mets fan. I have no interest in paying Francisco Rodriguez or Carlos Beltran. It makes no difference to me if they win they crumble at the end of the season again or win the World Series (unless they're playing the Indians).

I keep saying $400 million because it’s a shit-ton of money.

$400,000,000.00

Anyway, I am officially protesting the Mets. That really doesn’t entitle much considering I have never paid to watch them in any form.

Lock Him In

When the Arizona Cardinals got to their first Super Bowl the questions started swirling around Kurt Warner and whether he will be in Canton.

The guy has to be a Hall of Famer. There are more than a few reasons to let him in.

First off, he was the best in the league, for a period of time. One of the arguments to let someone into the Hall is that they are the best player at their position for a few seasons. Well, from 1999 until 2001, Warner was the gold standard of NFL quarterbacks. He was seen like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning are today. He even won the MVP in ’99 and ’01. That’s proof on paper.

He’s also won a Super Bowl. In ’99 he filled in for the injured Trent Green and led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl win. It was the beginning of what coach Mike Martz coined as “the Greatest Show on Turf.” Rings are what can hold people out of the Hall, and Warner’s got one. Don’t forget that he won the Super Bowl MVP and has been to two more, where he has played pretty well.

Warner has some critiques on his resume though.

Some say he isn’t a shoe in because there were years when he struggled. In 2002, Warner only played in seven games while throwing three TDs and 11 picks. He sat most of the year because of a broken pinky on his throwing hand. The next year he only played in two games before being benched for Marc Bulger.

The next year he played for the Giants. He got benched in the middle of the year, but he was 5-4 as a starter and it was mainly because the fans wanted to see Eli Manning play. They only won one game the rest of the season.

When Warner struggled again in 2005 in Arizona, the Cards drafted Matt Leinart. However, when Leinart got hurt last year and Warner was named the full time starter, he has returned to play the way he did almost 10 years ago. The fact is that Warner didn’t have protection from the line for years. No quarterback can succeed with that. And he played hurt for a few years.

People also say that his numbers are ballooned because he has only succeeded in pass-first offenses. While he did have run support from Marshal Faulk in St. Louis, Edgerrin James hasn’t exactly been a solid back for him. Anyone who can win without a running game deserves some credit. The Cards had the lowest ranked ground attack coming into the playoffs, yet Warner still led them to the Super Bowl. Most teams today win using a balanced run-pass, but a guy who isn’t afraid to throw the ball 50 times a game should get some props.

Maybe he’s not a first ballot guy, but Warner has to get in at some point. He started his NFL career late because scouts didn’t notice him. It’s a shame they didn’t, because if he had played a full career we probably wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

God Hates Cleveland

What the hell does Cleveland have to do to win a championship?

At this point, it’s not even the fact that the city hasn’t won a professional sports championship since 1964. It’s not the fact that the teams underachieve. Right now, it’s the fact that out damn rivals win championships while we wallow and suffer that really pisses me off.

True, I’m writing this the night after the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII. And for anyone who is saying the 27-23 win over the Cardinals the greatest Super Bowl in history, I say shut the hell up. It can’t be the best game if the Steelers win. Period.

Being a Cleveland fan is pretty hard and last night was just another reminder of that. It’s like every few years some divine being/s is/are reminding the fans that we are not in his/her/their favor.

Football is the worst of them all too. First off, the Steelers have won two Super Bowls in the past four years. I pray that’s not the foundation for a dynasty. To add insult to injury, they now have the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history. They’re probably the rival that Cleveland fans hate most. Not to mention the Browns haven’t beat them since 2003.

And if I’m talking about football, I can’t forget mentioning the Ravens. The worst thing about the Ravens is that they won a Super Bowl three years after relocating. They should have been the Browns. That could have been us.

You can’t talk about rivals winning without talking about the Chicago White Sox. In 2005, the Indians lost the division in the last three games to them. Then, they beat the Angels in the ALCS on one of the dumbest calls I have ever seen. If you signal strike, it’s a damn strike. If that’s not proof that someone hates us, I don’t know what is.

And of course, there’s the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls. Now I know that the Bulls haven’t had much success since Michael left, but their dominance in the 90’s always got to Cavs fans. I remember early in that decade when the Cavs had Mark Price, Larry Nance, and Brad Daugherty. All great players. Yet they still could never get past the Bulls.

I’m honestly not as fired up about the Pistons. Don’t get me wrong, I hate them. I was not really happy that they won the NBA Championship in 2004, even though they were playing the Lakers. It’s probably because they play in the same city as the Lions that puts a small smile on my face.

I’m not a religious person. Miracles and testaments do nothing for me. Oddly enough, it seems that every time I see a team I despise celebrate a championship that I start to think that someone is looking down at me, and every other Cleveland fan, reminding us that we aren’t supposed to win anything.

Grave Digger

It is only a few weeks before spring training begins for Major League Baseball and one of the greatest hitters in history still can’t find a home.

Manny Ramirez has effectively dug his own grave. For the past few years, he had an annual off-season tantrum where he requested to be traded from the Boston Red Sox. Every time he did this, it was no surprise that the organization wouldn’t submit to his demands. It was just “Manny being Manny.”

During last season, it erupted.

First there were reports that Ramirez refused to play for the Sox. Then there were reports that several of his teammates refused to play with him on the team. It finally led to him being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline.

Once he got to LA, Ramirez said he was happy, even though manager Joe Torre made him “trim” his hair. He had one of the greatest second halves of a season anyone has ever had, hitting over .390 with 17 homeruns and 53 RBIs in 53 games.

But for all of his talent, can we be surprised that nobody wants to sign this guy? Let’s take a look at his potential suitors and what has/hasn’t happened.

The Yankees have spent a ridiculous amount of money so far on pitchers C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and first baseman Mark Tiexeira. So why wouldn’t a team that can out-spend everyone else want the slugger? Wouldn’t they love to stick it to their rival? Simple, he is too costly for them. Manny wants at least a four year deal worth at least $25 million a year. For a 36 year old with temper tantrums? Even Brian Cashman won’t go there.

Then there are the cross-town Mets. It might have been the biggest insult to Manny when last week the team said no thank you to him. This is a team that has melted down at the end of the year for two years straight. Last year, Manny carried the Dodgers on his back to the playoffs. That has to sting when a team that NEEDS you, doesn’t WANT you.

For a while, the San Francisco Giants were flirting with Ramirez and his agent, Scott Boras. But after dumping a truckload of money on the greatest bust in the history of the world and history, Barry Zito, I think the Giants purse may be a little too tight for his wants.

Back to the Red Sox? That’s laughable. He burned every bridge in Cleveland when he left for Boston. The Angels are “satisfied” with their outfield. And neither Chicago teams will even take a look at him.

So where will Manny end up? By the looks of it, back with the Dodgers. A few months ago they offered him a two-year deal worth around $45 million. By the looks of it, that’s the best deal he’s going to get.

Ramirez’s options are either lower his demands or retire. In this economy, take what you get.

Surprise, No Surprise

The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl and everyone is SO surprised.

Should we be surprised? Not really. OK, well maybe, but that’s just because it’s the Cardinals. But for the past four years now there has been the one team that has fought on the road and gotten to the Super Bowl. Unless you have some form of Alzheimer’s or have suffered a head injury, these are things you should remember.

In 2006, the same Pittsburgh Steelers that are in this year’s game were the “Cinderella” story. They first beat a Carson Palmer-less Cincinnati Bengals. That didn’t take much. But next on the list were the “unstoppable” Colts. That was the year they began the season 13-0, before losing to San Diego (as I predicted). It was the year Peyton Manning broke Dan Marino’s single season touchdown record. The Colts had everything going for them, except a kicker that could make a fourth quarter field goal. Following that they beat the Broncos, which really didn’t look too difficult either. And then they played Seattle in the Super Bowl. These were the Seahawks that locked up the number one seed in the NFC and were favored to win with MVP Shawn Alexander. Still, the Steelers won and as a Browns fan, I wanted to puke.

In 2007, it was the Colts’ year for redemption. After finally predicting that they would win the Super Bowl the year before, I swore I would never pick them again. Now, this year they started as the three seed, so winning the Super Bowl shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, except for the fact that their defense was notoriously horrible at stopping the run (sound familiar?). They got passed the run-happy Chiefs in the first round and then the suddenly redeemed Jamal Lewis and the Ravens. It was like their defense suddenly remembered how to tackle or something. The biggest shocker was that in the AFC championship they finally beat the New England Patriots, who they had lost to two straight times in the playoffs. Their road block so to speak. When the Super Bowl came, they were up against a number one seed Chicago Bears that was known for its menacing defense and inconsistent offense. It was no surprise that they were able to stop Rex Grossman and help Tony Dungy become the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl.

And then there’s last year and the tale of Eli and the Giants. The biggest shock wasn’t that they got into the playoffs, after their annual late season meltdown. It wasn’t that they defeated their division winner and number one seed in the Cowboys (honestly, Romo is the world’s biggest choke artist, pretty boy) who beat them twice in the regular season. And it wasn't that they beat Brett Favre in the playoffs in Lambeau (he has been more of a liability in the clutch for the past few years). The shocker came when they beat the unbeaten New England Patriots. A team that had broken almost every single season offensive record. The Pats were favored in the spread by 13.5. But a fourth quarter, fourth down pass from Eli Manning to David Tyree eventually led to a touchdown and a win.

So without getting into the details, should we really be shocked that the Cards are now in the Super Bowl? I know they got smashed by the Pats 47-7 only two weeks before the playoffs and that they got murdered by the Eagles by 28 points only a few weeks prior to that. I know they were winless on the east coast. But if there’s a constant theme here it’s that these teams have gotten hot at the right times and that anyone in the playoffs has a chance to win any game.

The Arizona Cardinals are no different. Don’t be surprised if they win because they came into the playoffs 9-7 as the four seed. Only be surprised because… they’re the Arizona Cardinals.

The Amazing Mr. Tebow

Arguably the greatest college football player ever as a second day draft pick? I don’t think so.

According to many NFL scouts, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, Florida QB Tim Tebow would not be drafted until the third or fourth round in the draft. Now, while I am not a professional draft analyst, I really have to disagree with the whole notion that Tebow could not be a successful passer in the NFL.

However, I do see where they are coming from.

The first argument against the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner is that he comes from a certain college system. Alex Smith, the first overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL draft, played under Florida coach Urban Meyer while he was at Utah. By the looks of it, Smith is now out of a job. He did not play at all this past season due to a shoulder injury and will probably be released by the 49ers. His career QB rating is 63.5, with 19 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. In his defense though, he has had a different offensive coordinator with a different system every year.

But there is a huge difference between the two quarterbacks. First off, Tebow is far more physically talented than Smith. He is bigger, stronger, faster and more accurate. He also plays in much more talented and difficult conference. The Mountain West Conference doesn’t even compare to the excessive speed and skill of the SEC. Smith played against the defenses of New Mexico, BYU, and TCU in his route to a BCS Bowl berth. Tebow, on the other hand, had to get passed Georgia, LSU, and Alabama on his route to two National Championships.

The other knock on Tebow is his similarities to two other “run-first” quarterbacks who were not successful in the NFL; Michael Vick and Vince Young. While Vick may never play in the league again because of actions off of the field, it is unfair to make comparisons to Young. Mainly, because Young just completed his third year in the NFL, and wasn’t even given the chance to start after getting injured and benched in week two.

But Tebow has qualities that Young doesn’t. First off, he is a far better leader. Many great college quarterbacks, like Young and Smith, don’t make it in the NFL simply because they are not strong leaders. Tebow is. He takes responsibilities for his actions and carries the team on his back when he needs to. Those are qualities that are rare among quarterbacks at any level. It is one of the qualities that separates the elite quarterbacks from the rest of the bunch.

And Tebow is not a true “run-first” quarterback. A real "run-first" guy is someone who chooses to run the ball when the play still calls for him to throw it. Can you blame the guy for having skill with his legs?

He has also defied every criticism that people have thrown at him. When he was a freshman, and Chris Leak was the starter, Tebow was only used to pound the ball for a few short yards.

After his freshman year, critics and analysts doubted that he could be the full time starter. Not only did he answer that question, he broke the NCAA record for touchdowns scored by one player in a season and won the Heisman. Coming into this year they doubted that Tebow could win by passing more than running. Well, his numbers say it all as he threw 30 touchdowns and only four picks as the Gators won another national championship.

So, when people doubt his ability to be a successful quarterback in the NFL, what do you think Mr. Tebow will do?