On Wednesday, the Indianapolis Colts released quarterback Peyton Manning, who sat out all of the 2011 season due to neck issues in what would've been his 14th season with the team. Naturally, the media speculation on which team will take a chance on him for 2012 has begun, but in all honesty, you can rule out a vast majority of teams because of the simple fact that they are already set up at QB and don't need any pre-season drama, especially with the draft next month.
To the surprise of no one, the New York Post splashed on the back page today that the Jets were already in contact with Manning's agent about a deal. Didn't they learn anything from signing Brett Favre 4 years ago? Didn't the Post and their media brethren learn anything from openly courting LeBron James on behalf of the Knicks two years ago? Apparently not.
To Manning's credit, he doesn't believe it's in his best interest to be playing in the same market as younger brother Eli, who now has 2 Super Bowl rings with the Giants. Local sportscaster Rodger Wyland, writing in the Albany Times-Union today, doesn't believe Manning will go to the Jets, either, and realistically, what would be the best place for Manning, anyway?
The only reason the Jets would take a serious risk on Manning is the fact that they may be giving up on Mark Sanchez after 3 seasons. However, the excessive, obsessive-compulsive media scrutiny in New York may be more of a detriment. Too many know-nothing gasbags on either side of the sports talk phone lines, most with uninformed opinions. You can cross off the Jets as a contender for Manning.
Recognizing that most teams already have stability at QB, there are very few options, some obvious, others not so. Let's consider:
AFC East:
Miami: Ownership doesn't want to take a backseat to the hyped-to-the-max Heat & Marlins too much longer. The downside is that the over-hype already hurt the Heat in the playoffs last year, and they could wilt again this summer. Manning would only be a short-term fix when a long-term answer is more likely.
Buffalo: The Bills could use a tourist attraction for their home-away-from-home game in Toronto. Enough said.
AFC South:
Tennessee: Manning played his college ball at Tennessee, so they're already beating the drums for a "homecoming". What would that make Matt Hasselbeck, signed as a free agent last year? Chopped liver? I don't think so. You also have a 2nd year QB in Jake Locker who's playing sponge, learning on the job.
Jacksonville: Blaine Gabbert was thrust into the starting job last year after the Jags foolishly let David Garrard walk. The Jags have new ownership and a new coach, but do they want to go all the way with a clean slate?
NFC West:
San Francisco: Alex Smith finally came of age in his 7th season, leading the Niners to a division title, but they were KOd in the playoffs by the Giants. Jim Harbaugh, remember, was the veteran QB that was phased out in Indy for Manning many moons ago.
Seattle: Tavaris Jackson & Charlie Whitehurst weren't exactly the answers last year, even though the Seahawks did beat the Giants at the Meadowlands. The 'Hawks would gain instant cred if they can lure Manning out west.
NFC North:
Minnesota: Christian Ponder & Joe Webb could use a mentor after Donovan McNabb was future endeavored before the end of last season.
Personally, I don't think Manning should take a chance on playing. What if he injures his neck again so soon upon returning? Look, I get that he wants one more ring, but no matter where he goes, there are going to be some hard feelings somewhere. I say, take another year off, make sure the neck is 100%, as well as the nerves that go with it, then start shopping for a comeback. The last thing that needs to happen is another Hall of Fame-bound QB ending his career in disgrace, like Favre. Of course, if they're casting for a remake of Gomer Pyle, USMC, Manning would be a perfect fit.......
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Weasel of the Week: Joseph Cordes
I have not forgotten how a Philadelphia Phillies fan took it upon himself to use a laser pointer to distract some St. Louis Cardinals players in a nationally-televised game in 2009. The fan escaped, thanks to his fellow fans refusing to hand him up. If this dweeb was in Massachusetts, however, he probably would be in jail within seconds.
I bring it up because there was another laser pointer incident recently, this time in a high school girls hockey game between Medway-Ashford and Winthrop. According to Yahoo!'s Prep Rally blog, Joseph Cordes, 42, an estranged father of one of the Winthrop players, began using the laser pointer to distract some of the opposing players, including their goaltender, who complained of headaches the next day. Winthrop won, 3-1, but despite the protests of Medway-Ashford parents, the result is being allowed to stand. Cordes, however, was arrested Wednesday and charged with disturbing the peace. He was caught at the game and ejected, but why it took so long for them to haul him off to jail after the game is beyond me.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, oh, by the way, should also be considered for Weasel status for refusing to do the right thing and replay the game. Cordes' actions affected the outcome of the game, soiling the efforts of the players on both sides. Granted, these ladies tried to play through the distraction, and that's the argument the Association is using, suggesting that Cordes, trying to make good to his daughter for being an absentee parent, was acting as an independent party.
While Cordes was caught and ultimately will be brought before the court, the MIAA's refusal to act leaves the door open for copycats who figure that if they can pull a similar stunt to help their teams, nothing will ever be done to change the outcome. It's not underhanded if it's out in the open where hundreds or thousands of witnesses can see what's happening. The right thing to do is replay the game, and erase the record of last week's contest. In the 21st century, you're going to have more of these goofy little Weasels with access to the latest technology who can affect the outcome of a game for any reason, and it doesn't even have to involve gambling.
The time to act is now. The question is whether or not the Association has the collective cajones to try.
I bring it up because there was another laser pointer incident recently, this time in a high school girls hockey game between Medway-Ashford and Winthrop. According to Yahoo!'s Prep Rally blog, Joseph Cordes, 42, an estranged father of one of the Winthrop players, began using the laser pointer to distract some of the opposing players, including their goaltender, who complained of headaches the next day. Winthrop won, 3-1, but despite the protests of Medway-Ashford parents, the result is being allowed to stand. Cordes, however, was arrested Wednesday and charged with disturbing the peace. He was caught at the game and ejected, but why it took so long for them to haul him off to jail after the game is beyond me.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, oh, by the way, should also be considered for Weasel status for refusing to do the right thing and replay the game. Cordes' actions affected the outcome of the game, soiling the efforts of the players on both sides. Granted, these ladies tried to play through the distraction, and that's the argument the Association is using, suggesting that Cordes, trying to make good to his daughter for being an absentee parent, was acting as an independent party.
While Cordes was caught and ultimately will be brought before the court, the MIAA's refusal to act leaves the door open for copycats who figure that if they can pull a similar stunt to help their teams, nothing will ever be done to change the outcome. It's not underhanded if it's out in the open where hundreds or thousands of witnesses can see what's happening. The right thing to do is replay the game, and erase the record of last week's contest. In the 21st century, you're going to have more of these goofy little Weasels with access to the latest technology who can affect the outcome of a game for any reason, and it doesn't even have to involve gambling.
The time to act is now. The question is whether or not the Association has the collective cajones to try.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Musical Interlude: Vehicle (1970)
History tells us that Julius Caesar was warned about the Ides of March, but in that case it had to do with an assassination attempt on him.
Music history tells of another kind of Ides of March, a 1-hit wonder who broke through in 1970 with "Vehicle". Jim Peterik would later spin off from the band and hook up with Survivor, who had a string of hits in the 80's, beginning with the theme from "Rocky III", "Eye of the Tiger". Cattman2 uploaded this clip, taken from the little seen 1970 series, Something Else, hosted by actor-comedian John Byner.
Music history tells of another kind of Ides of March, a 1-hit wonder who broke through in 1970 with "Vehicle". Jim Peterik would later spin off from the band and hook up with Survivor, who had a string of hits in the 80's, beginning with the theme from "Rocky III", "Eye of the Tiger". Cattman2 uploaded this clip, taken from the little seen 1970 series, Something Else, hosted by actor-comedian John Byner.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
It was a great game, but..........!
Normally on Mondays, I stay home and watch WWE Monday Night Raw, and I'm used to seeing the bad guys take shortcuts to win, and only occasionally do they get caught.
Pro wrestling's theatre of the absurd, however, took a backseat to a real-life screwjob last night in Albany.
Troy High & Christian Brothers Academy, meeting for the third time in the 2011-12 season, played at Times Union Center, and for a while, it seemed as though Troy was out to prove that their upset at CBA in January was anything but a fluke. They led, 18-6, after the first quarter, but CBA chipped away at the lead, bit by bit. Troy saw their lead shrink to 8 points, at 28-20, at the break, and down to three after three quarters.
What really rankled me, and virtually every Troy fan that was at the game, was what happened at the end of regulation in the 4th quarter. CBA's Chaz Lott, one of their stars, was called for a foul with what appeared to be about a tenth of a second left. That would've sent Troy's Dyare Holt to the line with a chance to win the game and the Section 2 Class AA title. The referees conferred and suddenly decided, no, there was no foul, and time expired.
Troy coach Richard Hurley was irate, and had every right to be. However, Troy was accessed a technical foul, and CBA's Joe Krong sank two free throws before the start of overtime. CBA then used that to start a 11-0 run in the extra session. Troy fought back and got within four, but that was as close as it would get before CBA won, 62-57.
Hurley said all the right things after the game, even offering some game films of CBA's next opponent, but also hinted that this was business as usual for CBA, that they get all the key calls. I had a fellow sitting behind me who said both game officials were alumni from----wait for it----CBA. Another CBA alumnus was honored with a lifetime achievement award at halftime. The bottom line is that Troy got screwed. They allowed that 11-0 run because they were still reeling from the non-call at the end of regulation, and didn't realign their defense fast enough.
CBA has long been regarded as one of the elite teams in Section 2 basketball, and you'd think they do things the honest, honorable way. The fan I talked to said that the non-call was one of the reasons why people hate CBA. It's all about protecting their reputation, which means it's no different than it is for a pristine college program, such as Duke, for example.
It's never a good idea to mix politics in sports. We see the same teams get favorable calls over and over in pro & college football & basketball. The same thing happens at the high school level, as it turns out, and it shouldn't.
Where Section 2 fails in this case has to do with the video screens on the overhead scoreboard. They're always in use when Siena plays and when the Albany Devils play hockey, but not for a high school game? Say what? Video replay would've verified the exact amount of time left in the game when Lott fouled Holt, and we wouldn't have had to see a good game ruined by a political snow job.
When Troy & CBA meet next season at Troy, you know the Brothers will now be booed out of the building for soiling what should've been the game of the year in local high school basketball by playing politics. What Section 2 must do is assign game officials with no ties to CBA for all of their games, especially at home. CBA returns to Troy to play a regional game at Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday against a team from Utica. You can bank on this. The Troy partisans at the game will have a rooting interest, but it may not be the one you'd think.
Pro wrestling's theatre of the absurd, however, took a backseat to a real-life screwjob last night in Albany.
Troy High & Christian Brothers Academy, meeting for the third time in the 2011-12 season, played at Times Union Center, and for a while, it seemed as though Troy was out to prove that their upset at CBA in January was anything but a fluke. They led, 18-6, after the first quarter, but CBA chipped away at the lead, bit by bit. Troy saw their lead shrink to 8 points, at 28-20, at the break, and down to three after three quarters.
What really rankled me, and virtually every Troy fan that was at the game, was what happened at the end of regulation in the 4th quarter. CBA's Chaz Lott, one of their stars, was called for a foul with what appeared to be about a tenth of a second left. That would've sent Troy's Dyare Holt to the line with a chance to win the game and the Section 2 Class AA title. The referees conferred and suddenly decided, no, there was no foul, and time expired.
Troy coach Richard Hurley was irate, and had every right to be. However, Troy was accessed a technical foul, and CBA's Joe Krong sank two free throws before the start of overtime. CBA then used that to start a 11-0 run in the extra session. Troy fought back and got within four, but that was as close as it would get before CBA won, 62-57.
Hurley said all the right things after the game, even offering some game films of CBA's next opponent, but also hinted that this was business as usual for CBA, that they get all the key calls. I had a fellow sitting behind me who said both game officials were alumni from----wait for it----CBA. Another CBA alumnus was honored with a lifetime achievement award at halftime. The bottom line is that Troy got screwed. They allowed that 11-0 run because they were still reeling from the non-call at the end of regulation, and didn't realign their defense fast enough.
CBA has long been regarded as one of the elite teams in Section 2 basketball, and you'd think they do things the honest, honorable way. The fan I talked to said that the non-call was one of the reasons why people hate CBA. It's all about protecting their reputation, which means it's no different than it is for a pristine college program, such as Duke, for example.
It's never a good idea to mix politics in sports. We see the same teams get favorable calls over and over in pro & college football & basketball. The same thing happens at the high school level, as it turns out, and it shouldn't.
Where Section 2 fails in this case has to do with the video screens on the overhead scoreboard. They're always in use when Siena plays and when the Albany Devils play hockey, but not for a high school game? Say what? Video replay would've verified the exact amount of time left in the game when Lott fouled Holt, and we wouldn't have had to see a good game ruined by a political snow job.
When Troy & CBA meet next season at Troy, you know the Brothers will now be booed out of the building for soiling what should've been the game of the year in local high school basketball by playing politics. What Section 2 must do is assign game officials with no ties to CBA for all of their games, especially at home. CBA returns to Troy to play a regional game at Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday against a team from Utica. You can bank on this. The Troy partisans at the game will have a rooting interest, but it may not be the one you'd think.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
On The Air: WWE Download (2012)
WWE has set up their own YouTube channel, filled with a roster of new series, mostly because their much-hyped WWE Network won't be ready for its intended April 1 launch (now delayed until at least the fall). Over the next few days, we're going to take a look at the shows.
First up: WWE Download, hosted in character (unfortunately) by Dolph Ziggler. On the plus side, this 5-6 minute weekly show is exhibit A proving that Ziggler no longer needs to have a heat parasite like Vickie Guerrero managing him. The man can talk, and is telegenic enough such that he can graduate from this tribute to David Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks" and take over ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos if they ever decide to give Tom Bergeron (Dancing With The Stars) his walking papers. Of course, that would have to require Ziggler either moonlighting from WWE, a la Chris Jericho, or leaving the wrestling business altogether. On Download, Ziggler comes across as equal parts Dennis Miller and former Home Videos host Bob Saget. We can do without his being in character on this show, which is one huge flaw with this program.
The following was uploaded by WWEFanNation:
Once the WWE Network launches----if it ever does---you can bet this show will be a vital part of its programming, albeit in a much longer format.
Rating: A.
First up: WWE Download, hosted in character (unfortunately) by Dolph Ziggler. On the plus side, this 5-6 minute weekly show is exhibit A proving that Ziggler no longer needs to have a heat parasite like Vickie Guerrero managing him. The man can talk, and is telegenic enough such that he can graduate from this tribute to David Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks" and take over ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos if they ever decide to give Tom Bergeron (Dancing With The Stars) his walking papers. Of course, that would have to require Ziggler either moonlighting from WWE, a la Chris Jericho, or leaving the wrestling business altogether. On Download, Ziggler comes across as equal parts Dennis Miller and former Home Videos host Bob Saget. We can do without his being in character on this show, which is one huge flaw with this program.
The following was uploaded by WWEFanNation:
Once the WWE Network launches----if it ever does---you can bet this show will be a vital part of its programming, albeit in a much longer format.
Rating: A.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Weasel of the Week: Rush Limbaugh
Fellow blogger Sam Wilson over at The Think 3 Institute nominated radio gasbag Rush Limbaugh as an "Idiot of the Week". I'll go one step further and hand out the dreaded Weasel of the Week award to Limbaugh for doing what he does best. Being an unrepentant jackass.
Oh, I'm sure you've all read or heard by now that Limbaugh went off on Georgetown student Sandra Fluke because she took a stand on contraception, and defamed the young woman by calling her a "prostitute", among other thngs. As usual, this kind of vitriol has gotten Limbaugh in very hot water, and not just with the usual women's rights groups. President Obama, it's been reported, reached out to Ms. Fluke before she was to be interviewed by Andrea Mitchell of NBC. The usual spin doctoring has already started. Limbaugh hasn't backed down, but insists that he doesn't hate women in general.
Let's face facts. Limbaugh peaked 20 years ago. His TV show tanked, but his radio show rolls on, despite the fact that his act went stale around the time he used the William Kennedy Smith case as an excuse to use music from Jeopardy! on his show. Remember the "Kennedys in Jeopardy" sketches? That got old real fast. What Limbaugh should be doing now is stepping back and taking another look at the landscape. Fellow gasbag Don Imus got himself in trouble a while back for making some ill-timed racist remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. While Imus has counter-balanced some of his negative antics with charity work, what has Limbaugh done to counter his penchant for foot-in-the-mouth disease? Not much. Sam Wilson used a word more closely associated with actor Alec Baldwin to describe Limbaugh. A bloviator. It seems so appropriate, doesn't it? Much of Limbaugh's stock in trade is blowing hot air like he was making balloons. Sooner or later, the balloon of popularity of his radio show will deflate, and we'll be lucky if he fades into obscurity. For now, Limbaugh gets the weasel ears, and should take the hint and go into sensitivity training, like, yesterday.
Oh, I'm sure you've all read or heard by now that Limbaugh went off on Georgetown student Sandra Fluke because she took a stand on contraception, and defamed the young woman by calling her a "prostitute", among other thngs. As usual, this kind of vitriol has gotten Limbaugh in very hot water, and not just with the usual women's rights groups. President Obama, it's been reported, reached out to Ms. Fluke before she was to be interviewed by Andrea Mitchell of NBC. The usual spin doctoring has already started. Limbaugh hasn't backed down, but insists that he doesn't hate women in general.
Let's face facts. Limbaugh peaked 20 years ago. His TV show tanked, but his radio show rolls on, despite the fact that his act went stale around the time he used the William Kennedy Smith case as an excuse to use music from Jeopardy! on his show. Remember the "Kennedys in Jeopardy" sketches? That got old real fast. What Limbaugh should be doing now is stepping back and taking another look at the landscape. Fellow gasbag Don Imus got himself in trouble a while back for making some ill-timed racist remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. While Imus has counter-balanced some of his negative antics with charity work, what has Limbaugh done to counter his penchant for foot-in-the-mouth disease? Not much. Sam Wilson used a word more closely associated with actor Alec Baldwin to describe Limbaugh. A bloviator. It seems so appropriate, doesn't it? Much of Limbaugh's stock in trade is blowing hot air like he was making balloons. Sooner or later, the balloon of popularity of his radio show will deflate, and we'll be lucky if he fades into obscurity. For now, Limbaugh gets the weasel ears, and should take the hint and go into sensitivity training, like, yesterday.
Sometimes, wishes can be fulfilled
As the high school basketball regular season drew to a close a couple of weeks ago, I wrote that it would be in the best interest of New York's Section 2 to have Troy High & Christian Brothers Academy play a 1-game playoff, if it came to that, for the Big 10 title at a neutral site. The playoff never materialized, as CBA walked right into a trap game against city rival Bishop Maginn, three days after beating Troy, and lost to the Golden Griffins. Troy won its final two games and claimed the league title.
Thursday, I had every intention of being at Times Union Center for the Section 2 Class AA semi-finals, but weather & safety concerns and time constraints prevented that from happening. I will, however, be in Albany on Monday for the finals. Wednesday's snowstorm forced Section 2 officials to reschedule some games in the lower classes, and knocked the Class AA finals out of the Glens Falls Civic Center, where the game was to be played tomorrow night. Instead, the finals will be in Albany, which makes traveling easier for students and families for both Troy & CBA. That means, in all probability, a packed house at the TU Center, equivalent, perhaps, to a Siena home game. While under normal circumstances, CBA would be the home team, since the game is in Albany, Troy is the higher seed, and thus is likely to be designated as the home team.
As we've seen in college basketball and pro football over the years, it's hard playing the same team 3 times in a season, harder still if you had won the first two meetings. CBA split their regular season meetings with both Troy & Maginn, and settled their issue with Maginn on Thursday while Troy completed a 3-game sweep of Suburban Council schools by beating Shaker in the nightcap. CBA won the last meeting vs. Troy, so now revenge may be on the minds of the Flying Horses, who will again be without one of their stars, Javion Ogunymeni, lost for the season with an ankle injury vs. Bethlehem in the quarter-finals. Both regular season meetings were thrillers that came down to the final buzzer, and this should be no different.
One thing will be certain for Troy. Come June's Flag Day parade, it will surprise no one if the basketball team marches in the parade in a spot often reserved for their football brethren, who were eliminated in the semi-finals of their sectional tournament back in the fall. With baseball season soon to start, there's every possibility that the momentum that started on the gridiron and moved to the court could carry over onto the diamond. For CBA, it would be business as usual. For Troy, a win on Monday means a complete change of the guard. You can't script this kind of drama.
Thursday, I had every intention of being at Times Union Center for the Section 2 Class AA semi-finals, but weather & safety concerns and time constraints prevented that from happening. I will, however, be in Albany on Monday for the finals. Wednesday's snowstorm forced Section 2 officials to reschedule some games in the lower classes, and knocked the Class AA finals out of the Glens Falls Civic Center, where the game was to be played tomorrow night. Instead, the finals will be in Albany, which makes traveling easier for students and families for both Troy & CBA. That means, in all probability, a packed house at the TU Center, equivalent, perhaps, to a Siena home game. While under normal circumstances, CBA would be the home team, since the game is in Albany, Troy is the higher seed, and thus is likely to be designated as the home team.
As we've seen in college basketball and pro football over the years, it's hard playing the same team 3 times in a season, harder still if you had won the first two meetings. CBA split their regular season meetings with both Troy & Maginn, and settled their issue with Maginn on Thursday while Troy completed a 3-game sweep of Suburban Council schools by beating Shaker in the nightcap. CBA won the last meeting vs. Troy, so now revenge may be on the minds of the Flying Horses, who will again be without one of their stars, Javion Ogunymeni, lost for the season with an ankle injury vs. Bethlehem in the quarter-finals. Both regular season meetings were thrillers that came down to the final buzzer, and this should be no different.
One thing will be certain for Troy. Come June's Flag Day parade, it will surprise no one if the basketball team marches in the parade in a spot often reserved for their football brethren, who were eliminated in the semi-finals of their sectional tournament back in the fall. With baseball season soon to start, there's every possibility that the momentum that started on the gridiron and moved to the court could carry over onto the diamond. For CBA, it would be business as usual. For Troy, a win on Monday means a complete change of the guard. You can't script this kind of drama.
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