Random sports thoughts
I've got a bunch of things on my mind about sports, then I promise to get back to the CMB's primary focus - politics. And boy, is there a lot to write about these days. Anyway...
• Is Brett Favre unreal or is the man unreal? What an amazing end to tonight's game vs. Denver. It was bittersweet for me, because we are, after all, a Denver household, since that's Vandra's favorite team, but I needed Favre to do well so I could win my fantasy match-up in one of my leagues. (I have Romo, but the Cowboys were off this week.) I used to be a Green Bay hater, and by extension, Favre.
But, the older I get, the more mature I get about things like sports. And I just flat-out love watching Favre play. Of course, that excludes any game against the Cowboys. When I watch the salt-and-pepper-haired great #4, I realize that I'm watching history. IT won't be much longer, and Favre will go the way of Marino, Elway, Young, Montana and Aikman. So, as a football fan, I try to appreciate him while there's still time.
Tonight was vintage Favre - overtime, on Monday Night Football, game tied. One play, one throw, one score. Game, set, match - Green Bay. Vandra woke up just in time to see it, and I said to her, "I know it's tough to watch, but really - it's Favre." She just winced, and nodded in agreement. I can just about guarantee I would not have been as happy had it happened against the Cowboys. Who knows? It might - Dallas faces the Packers later on this season, which could very well be a preview of the NFC Championship Game. It's bound to be a great game - at least it's at Texas Stadium.
• The Cowboys have finally got their man - Tony Romo has inked a six-year deal worth just this side of $70 million. The only word I can say - "Phew!" The NFL has such a dearth of quarterbacks right now, and Romo would have surely made millions more. But, the Cowboys are a good fit for Romo, and vice versa. If #9 delivers a Super Bowl win to Jerry Jones, you can bet the deal will be reworked. When Troy Aikman was under center in Dallas, he reworked his deal seemingly every year.
• Alex Rodriguez, now a former New York Yankee, is the biggest rube in baseball. Okay, second biggest, as long as Barry Bonds is still playing. I can't blame any player for getting as much money as possible while he's still playing, but A-Rod takes his selfishness to a whole new level. I'll never forget it - late in Game 4, all of a sudden I hear Joe Buck say, "We have breaking news..." and they throw it down to a reporter near one of the dugouts, who dutifully report that "A-Rod has opted out of his contract."
Yes, it's news, but just once, ONCE, I'd like to see one of the networks put the game or sport above a selfish clown like A-Rod and ignore something like this. But, of course that will never happen.
Baseball officials were reportedly livid at the timing of A-Rod's announcement.
"There was no reason to make an announcement last night other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, on Monday in an e-mail to AP. "Last night and today belong to the Boston Red Sox, who should be celebrated for their achievement, and to the Colorado Rockies, who made such an unbelievable run to the World Series."
Of course, A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras, regurgitated the predictable player agent garbage today when confronted about the timing of his decision.
"I apologize to the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies and their players, Major League Baseball and its players, and baseball fans everywhere for that interference," his statement said, according to ESPN. "The teams and players involved deserved to be the focus of the evening and honored with the utmost respect. The unfortunate result was not my intent, but is solely my fault. I could have handled this situation better, and for that I am truly sorry."
When I read that, I was reminded of the saying, "Go ahead and do it, because it's easier to say I'm sorry than it is to get permission."
A-Rod is a soulless money grabber who cares little about winning a World Series - he just wanted every dollar he can grab. Quite frankly, I don't think he wanted to stay in New York because of all the pressure involved in winning the World Series. I just pray he doesn't end up with the Red Sox. The last thing I want to see is the scene above, where A-Rod is joking around with David Ortiz. The Sox have the money to get him, I just hope they don't have the stupidity.
Another upside to A-Rod's departure from New York is that the Yankees will have to replace all of the offensive production, and that will be easier said than done. But, it also frees up plenty of salary, so the Yanks will no doubt be where they always are when free agency begins - standing outside Yankee Stadium with their checkbooks, willing to sign anyone who can hit a homer or pitch six shutout innings.
• New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick is having one crazy season. First, the cheating scandal, and now another mini-controversy. And yes, it should be a controversy. I didn't watch too much of the Patriots man-handling of the Redskins on Sunday. Quite frankly, the game was an incredible bore and was over by about 10 minutes into the first quarter. But, as I was flipping through NFL Sunday Ticket, I did stop a few times to watch the mug on Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs, and that was fun to watch.
However, and it pains me to do this, but I had to feel for the 'Skins a little bit yesterday. My big question - Were those last two touchdowns by New England really necessary? The answer would be an emphatic NO. And going for it on 4th and 1 late in the game during a blowout?
It's almost as if Belichick is flipping off the rest of the league because of getting caught cheating. So, your team is going to pound the living daylights out of everyone. Fair enough. But, can I get a side order of class?
Bad karma always comes back to bite you in the butt. It might not even be this season, but people will remember what Belichick did on Sunday.
• It was good to see my Oilers pull out a victory against the hated Anaheim Ducks over the weekend. Kevin Lowe, Edmonton's GM, and Brian Burke, Ahaheim's GM, engaged in a war of words over the summer when the Oilers signed away Dustin Penner, a restricted free agent.
Burke, as he is wont to do, whined and cried like the baby he is, accusing Lowe of everything from wrecking the National Hockey League to the Kennedy assassination. The bottom line is that what Edmonton did was within the rules.
Not only that, but Burke really had ought to keep his mouth shut for another reason - his Stanley Cup ring, something Burke no doubt loves to look at, is on his finger due in no small part to Lowe in the first place. But, memories in sports tend to be short, unless it's a grudge against a conference foe.
• Is Brett Favre unreal or is the man unreal? What an amazing end to tonight's game vs. Denver. It was bittersweet for me, because we are, after all, a Denver household, since that's Vandra's favorite team, but I needed Favre to do well so I could win my fantasy match-up in one of my leagues. (I have Romo, but the Cowboys were off this week.) I used to be a Green Bay hater, and by extension, Favre.But, the older I get, the more mature I get about things like sports. And I just flat-out love watching Favre play. Of course, that excludes any game against the Cowboys. When I watch the salt-and-pepper-haired great #4, I realize that I'm watching history. IT won't be much longer, and Favre will go the way of Marino, Elway, Young, Montana and Aikman. So, as a football fan, I try to appreciate him while there's still time.
Tonight was vintage Favre - overtime, on Monday Night Football, game tied. One play, one throw, one score. Game, set, match - Green Bay. Vandra woke up just in time to see it, and I said to her, "I know it's tough to watch, but really - it's Favre." She just winced, and nodded in agreement. I can just about guarantee I would not have been as happy had it happened against the Cowboys. Who knows? It might - Dallas faces the Packers later on this season, which could very well be a preview of the NFC Championship Game. It's bound to be a great game - at least it's at Texas Stadium.
• The Cowboys have finally got their man - Tony Romo has inked a six-year deal worth just this side of $70 million. The only word I can say - "Phew!" The NFL has such a dearth of quarterbacks right now, and Romo would have surely made millions more. But, the Cowboys are a good fit for Romo, and vice versa. If #9 delivers a Super Bowl win to Jerry Jones, you can bet the deal will be reworked. When Troy Aikman was under center in Dallas, he reworked his deal seemingly every year.
• Alex Rodriguez, now a former New York Yankee, is the biggest rube in baseball. Okay, second biggest, as long as Barry Bonds is still playing. I can't blame any player for getting as much money as possible while he's still playing, but A-Rod takes his selfishness to a whole new level. I'll never forget it - late in Game 4, all of a sudden I hear Joe Buck say, "We have breaking news..." and they throw it down to a reporter near one of the dugouts, who dutifully report that "A-Rod has opted out of his contract."Yes, it's news, but just once, ONCE, I'd like to see one of the networks put the game or sport above a selfish clown like A-Rod and ignore something like this. But, of course that will never happen.
Baseball officials were reportedly livid at the timing of A-Rod's announcement.
"There was no reason to make an announcement last night other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, on Monday in an e-mail to AP. "Last night and today belong to the Boston Red Sox, who should be celebrated for their achievement, and to the Colorado Rockies, who made such an unbelievable run to the World Series."
Of course, A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras, regurgitated the predictable player agent garbage today when confronted about the timing of his decision.
"I apologize to the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies and their players, Major League Baseball and its players, and baseball fans everywhere for that interference," his statement said, according to ESPN. "The teams and players involved deserved to be the focus of the evening and honored with the utmost respect. The unfortunate result was not my intent, but is solely my fault. I could have handled this situation better, and for that I am truly sorry."
When I read that, I was reminded of the saying, "Go ahead and do it, because it's easier to say I'm sorry than it is to get permission."
A-Rod is a soulless money grabber who cares little about winning a World Series - he just wanted every dollar he can grab. Quite frankly, I don't think he wanted to stay in New York because of all the pressure involved in winning the World Series. I just pray he doesn't end up with the Red Sox. The last thing I want to see is the scene above, where A-Rod is joking around with David Ortiz. The Sox have the money to get him, I just hope they don't have the stupidity.
Another upside to A-Rod's departure from New York is that the Yankees will have to replace all of the offensive production, and that will be easier said than done. But, it also frees up plenty of salary, so the Yanks will no doubt be where they always are when free agency begins - standing outside Yankee Stadium with their checkbooks, willing to sign anyone who can hit a homer or pitch six shutout innings.
• New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick is having one crazy season. First, the cheating scandal, and now another mini-controversy. And yes, it should be a controversy. I didn't watch too much of the Patriots man-handling of the Redskins on Sunday. Quite frankly, the game was an incredible bore and was over by about 10 minutes into the first quarter. But, as I was flipping through NFL Sunday Ticket, I did stop a few times to watch the mug on Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs, and that was fun to watch.However, and it pains me to do this, but I had to feel for the 'Skins a little bit yesterday. My big question - Were those last two touchdowns by New England really necessary? The answer would be an emphatic NO. And going for it on 4th and 1 late in the game during a blowout?
It's almost as if Belichick is flipping off the rest of the league because of getting caught cheating. So, your team is going to pound the living daylights out of everyone. Fair enough. But, can I get a side order of class?
Bad karma always comes back to bite you in the butt. It might not even be this season, but people will remember what Belichick did on Sunday.
• It was good to see my Oilers pull out a victory against the hated Anaheim Ducks over the weekend. Kevin Lowe, Edmonton's GM, and Brian Burke, Ahaheim's GM, engaged in a war of words over the summer when the Oilers signed away Dustin Penner, a restricted free agent.
Burke, as he is wont to do, whined and cried like the baby he is, accusing Lowe of everything from wrecking the National Hockey League to the Kennedy assassination. The bottom line is that what Edmonton did was within the rules.
Not only that, but Burke really had ought to keep his mouth shut for another reason - his Stanley Cup ring, something Burke no doubt loves to look at, is on his finger due in no small part to Lowe in the first place. But, memories in sports tend to be short, unless it's a grudge against a conference foe.
posted by RJ at 9:32 PM
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