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.