Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if WGR's Jeremy White has a man crush on Sabre 18 year old rookie Mikhail Grigerenko, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* White's Sabres will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the F'N Arena in downtown Buffalo. Last week, Ryan Miller was outstanding at the ACC and unless the Leafs can figure out a way to solve him it could be a long night for the Blue and White.
* Interesting article this morning in the Toronto Star by Damien Cox. Cox is advocating that Leafs GM Dave Nonis move Phil Kessel at the trade deadline on April 3rd. Kessel is one of my favorite players on the Leafs. He is the best pure scorer that the Leafs have had in years. I've said many times that it's too bad Kessel wasn't around when Mats Sundin was the Leafs number one center. Not sure who replaces Kessel's goal scoring ability as evidenced by the 33 goal a season average that the 25 year old has produced since coming to the Leafs. To be honest, I'm tired of the constant lamenting of the trade that brought the kid to Toronto and I'm beginning to believe that as with Luke Schenn the best thing that can happen to Kessel is if he is moved to a place where his ability will be fully appreciated.
* Here's hoping James Reimer continues to play well so that the incessant Roberto Luongo to Toronto rumors can be put to rest.
* It's funny but after the cancellation of the 2004-2005 hockey season there was greater emphasis on speed and skill and many experts said that with rule changes there would be more of a chance for smaller, skilled players to succeed in the NHL. Funny how now there is more emphasis on big bruisers who will crowd the net. Kind of makes the lost season of 04-05 pointless. Thank you Emperor Bettman.
* The Sabres reaction to anyone who gets close to Ryan Miller borders on the ridiculous. I want to see how tough they are when they take on the Bruins or the Rangers.
* Full marks to Tim Gleason of the Carolina Hurricanes for going at it with Boston's Milan Lucic. In last night's game, Gleason went toe-to-toe with Lucic and didn't back down. Wonder who on the Sabres will do the same thing.
* Don Cherry continues to become more ridiculous as evidenced by his calling Edmonton Oiler rookie Nail Yakupov "an idiot" as a result of the 18 year old's goal celebration. Maybe one of those good old boy Canadians should have warned the young Russian before the season started that he must not show any emotion and be stoic. You can bet your bottom dollar that if this was some 18 year old from Kingston, Ontario that Cherry's reaction would be different. I wonder if Cherry has ever called P.K. Subban "an idiot".
* Kudos to Tim Graham and Jerry Sullivan for their work in Sunday's Buffalo News pertaining to Ray Lewis. If you get a chance check them out.
* NY Daily News columnist Bob Raisman this morning wonders whether or not a reporter will have the guts to press Lewis about what happened on that fateful night in Atlanta 13 years ago. My guess is the answer to that question is no.
* This Super Bowl could be tops in ridiculous statements from its participants. First, you have Joe Flacco saying that having next year's Super Bowl in New Jersey is "retarded". Then you have the bombastic 49er coach Jim Harbaugh proclaiming that Niner DE Justin Smith is one of the best all-time players in the NFL. And let's not forget Raven Terrell Suggs who is talking about Rex Ryan's tattoo. With media day today, can't wait for more pearls of wisdom.
* Knicks Coach Mike Woodson is going to have to get his team playing better defense if they are to have a good chance to play deep into the NBA playoffs.
* The Niagara-Canisius game on Sunday was reminiscent of year's gone by as it was a thriller that had people talking about it. All people except the gasbags at WGR 550. Too busy debating who is the Sabres number one center. Earth to gasbags: the Sabres don't have a legitimate number one center.
* Niagara University has something special going on at Monteagle Ridge with the Purple Eagles being first in basketball in the MAAC and the hockey team being ranked 17th in the country. Of course, you don't hear too much about this from Gasbag 550.
* And finally, the Yankees signed Juan Rivera to a minor league contract with the hope that the 34 year old could be their right handed hitting outfielder/DH. This must be the big January move that we have been waiting for from Brian Cashman. I wonder if Chad Curtis, Ricky Ledee or Shane Spencer are available.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Jeremy White will be the Grand Marshall for the Sabres Stanley Cup parade, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* Ryan Miller was in the zone last night as Buffalo defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1. The Leafs had plenty of chances but could not capitalize, particularly on the power play where they were 1 for 7.
* Not sure if I have heard a worse broadcast team than the duo of Kevin Sylvester and Rob Ray. How these two picked Patrick Kaleta as the "Miller Time" player of the game is unreal. Kaleta's ill-timed penalty late in the game resulted in the Leafs lone goal and provided for some scary moments for Sabre fans. How Ryan Miller wasn't selected beats the hell out of me.
* One would think that James Reimer will get a start either in Pittsburgh on Wednesday or Thursday at home against the Islanders.
* The Los Angeles Kings are in need of a defenseman. Wonder if Dave Nonis will look to make a deal since the Leafs would seem to have too many defenseman especially with Jake Gardiner due to come back later this week.
* The Super Bowl is set as San Francisco will take on Baltimore. Get ready for the over-hyped angle of the Harbaugh brothers coaching against each other. First Super Bowl in a long time that I have no rooting interest.
* Brace up for two more weeks of the inspirational Ray Lewis story. Makes me want to puke!!
* Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam needs to tell his right hand man, Joe Banner, to concentrate on the upcoming draft and keep his mouth shut. Banner went back and forth with Eagles owner Jeff Lurie and then tried to explain away his failure to bring Chip Kelly to Cleveland as head coach.
* As has been reported since November, Banner has hired Mike Lombardi to be the Browns Director of Player Personnel. I'm getting a bad feeling already of what lies ahead for the Browns. Prediction: Banner, Lombardi and Chudzinski will all be fired in 3 years. Hope I'm wrong.
* When will everyone realize that the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers are flawed teams. Both defenses are not championship material.
* Does anyone really care that the Pro Bowl will be played Sunday??
* Looks like this year's March Madness will be wide open as none of the top teams look dominant. Wouldn't it be something if a Butler won it all??
* Weren't Yankee fans being told during the Winter Meetings that Brian Cashman does his best work in January?? Well, it's January 22 and the Yanks right-handed hitting outfielder appears to be the 34 year old Matt Diaz or the 26 year old Russ Canzler. Diaz hit .222 last year for the Braves with 2 home runs in 51 games. His best season was in 2009 when he hit .313 in 125 games with 13 HRs and 58 RBIs. Canzler was claimed on waivers three times this winter. And don't forget they have Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli behind the plate. Boy, sure seems like the makings of a great summer!!
* R.I.P. Stan Musial and Earl Weaver.
* And finally, when will the Gasbags on GR550 begin the call for Jonas Enroth??
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Phil Simms has ever admitted that he is wrong, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* There were some very good NFL games over the weekend, much better than the wild card games. You just have to love the play of Russell Wilson. This kid is exciting to watch. A third round draft pick out of Wisconsin who is undersized according to all of the draft gurus. That's why you have to wonder how much is luck involved when drafting a quarterback.
* Too bad Wilson has Pete Carroll for a head coach. What was Carroll thinking with a 3rd and 1 in the red zone and you leave Marshawn Lynch on the bench?? To make matters worse, down 13-0 with five minutes left in the second quarter, Carroll decides to go for it on fourth down and runs the same play and is stopped!! If he gets the field goal, the Seahawks are up 31-27 at the end of the game and Atlanta must score a touchdown. Instead they get a field goal to win the game. A field goal after Matt Bryant missed his first try but the play was dead because Carroll was cute and called time out. Nice job, Pete. You cost your team the game twice.
* It was so evident that Matt Ryan and Mike Smith were shaking big time. Smith's reactions on the sidelines were that of a panicked head coach. What I could not understand was why he decided to go with gimmick end arounds and flanker screens when Michael Turner was having a decent day. While you need to be aggressive in these playoff games, you don't need to be stupid.
* Heard an interesting stat on Peyton Manning yesterday: he is 0-4 in cold weather playoff games.
* I have to grudgingly give credit to Joe Flacco on his performance against the Broncos but what was Rahim Moore thinking.
* Isn't it funny how members of the sports media are railing away at Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire for using illegal substances yet they idolize Ray Lewis even though he was involved in a double homicide, took a plea and paid a cash settlement to the victims' families?
* Kudos for the USA Today for having a story in their weekend edition on how the families of the two victims feel when they here all of the praise given to Lewis.
* I wonder if Hal Steinbrenner has any clue as to the strength of his team's farm system?? In an interview last week, Hal said that the system's young talent will have to step up to ensure that the team will remain at the top while getting the payroll to $189 million. He further went on to say that the team will continue to vie for a championship. Really Hal??? And I fell off a turnip truck.
* Maybe Hal needs to read Bill Madden's column that was in Saturday's NY Daily News (below). It's the first time I've seen someone in print question the Yankees player development program.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/columnists?columnist=2.1058
* Is Andy Pettitte kidding me or what? The 40 year old lefty pitcher is playing for Team USA in the ridiculous World Baseball Classic. While I understand the desire to represent your country, Pettitte is 40 years old and any type of injury will throw the Yankee rotation in a downward spiral. The rotation needs to be relatively healthy all year in order for the Yanks to have a shot at making the playoffs, let alone winning the AL East.
* Just loved Brian Burke's press conference on Saturday. Burke was as forth right as always and didn't back down from anything. I agree with him that if James Reimer had not been injured with a concussion in October 2011, last season would have turned out differently. Loved when he told Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, " Steve, the best thing about today is that I won't have to speak to you anymore." Classic Burke.
* While the media continues to speculate what the reasons were for Burke's dismissal, my question is: why don't they get someone from Bell and/or Rogers to answer that question?? Probably the reason for that is that Bell and Rogers employ most of the media.
* Dave Nonis is in a no-win situation when it comes to trading for Roberto Luongo. Some will say he gave up to much and others will say he threw away the season. The best case scenario is that Reimer bounces back from the concussion and plays like he did in 2010-11 and in the four games prior to the concussion.
* David Stern should have his head examined for scheduling a game in London, England. He obviously took a page from Emperor Bettman and Roger Goodell. All three of them are morons.
* Can't wait to see Iman Shumpert back in the lineup for the Knicks.
* Niagara University's hockey team has climbed to 15th in the national rankings. Wonder if the gasbags at GR550 will notice.
* King Gasbag Howard Simon was admonishing fans for complaining about the hiring of Doug Marrone. The funny thing is that he and the rest of the gasbags at GR550 will be the first ones to jump on the new coach's back when the team loses its first game.
* And finally, best of luck to ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott in his battle with cancer.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering what happened to Notre Dame last night, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* I still can't believe how bad Notre Dame looked last night. Alabama completely dominated the game. I guess I was thinking with my heart as opposed to my head.
* In spite of the whipping they took last night, Notre Dame seems to be on the right track to remain a top team in college football.
* Isn't it amazing that the two home teams in the AFC Playoff Games (Denver & New England) are both favored by 10 points.
* Hopefully, we will only have one more week of the idolization of Ray Lewis.
* The Cleveland Browns coaching search has turned into a media circus. Not sure who was responsible for the news last Friday that Chip Kelly was going to be the Browns next head coach but when Kelly headed back to Oregon, whoever the Browns hire will be viewed as being chopped liver. The Dynamic Duo of Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner have built up expectations that they may not be able to meet.
* Let me be clear, I was never sold on Chip Kelly. His style of offense would have resulted in a major upheaval of the Browns offensive roster. If Jon Gruden is not interested, there are only two names I would be interested in: Ken Whisenhunt or Lovie Smith.
* The NHL is back and the drumbeat for Brian Burke's head has already started in some quarters in Toronto. I will say it again: Burke has built this team's farm system up, made it younger and has it positioned very well for next season and the lower salary cap.
* Any Leaf fan who doesn't think the Leafs shouldn't get Roberto Luongo are out of their minds. Luongo could be the difference between making the playoffs or not.
* Last night's Knicks-Celtics game turned nasty and can only lead one to wonder what a playoff series between these two teams would be like.
* Western New York will have an alternative to the gasbags at WGR 550 with the new sports station 1270 The Fan, which was formerly WHLD. The Fan is affiliated with CBS Sports and will have one local show between 12noon and 3pm. Won't it be fun to have a sports talk station that will talk about baseball, basketball, and top sports stories as opposed to food drafts.
* The GR boys are already proclaiming that the Sabres are Stanley Cup bound. These guys are at it again. Build up the expectations and when there is no Cup, they will criticize Louie Lackawanna and Chester Cheektowaga for calling in and whining.
* And finally, good luck to new Bills coach Doug Marrone. You'll need it.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering how long it takes to clean up Times Square, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* Seven coaches and five general managers were fired in the National Football League which is evidence that there were plenty of bad teams. There could be more firings coming as Mike Mularkey could be gone as coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buddy Nix could be removed as GM of the Buffalo Bills.
* Watched Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner at yesterday's press conference and it appears that they are looking to make a big splash with their head coaching hire. It would appear that they are going to make a big push for Nick Saban. Not sure how happy I am about that.
* Was not surprised with the firing of Lovie Smith in Chicago. Smith is a good coach but the fact that the Bears have not been able to get their offense right in the last six years is what has kept them from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Smith won't stay unemployed for too long but the Bears needed a change.
* It is rumored that the Bills are interested in Smith and it would be a good hire for their defense but not sure what it would mean for their offense though I'm sure he would better utilize C.J. Spiller than Chan Gailey did.
* I also think Ken Whisenhunt won't be unemployed for that long either. Just remember he had the Arizona Cardinals a James Harrison pick six away from winning the Super Bowl.
* It appears that the NHL & the NHLPA are inching closer to a deal that could end the lockout. Here's hoping egos are kept in check so that hockey will start this month.
* If the NHL season does begin, I wonder how long it will take for the Toronto news media to begin bashing Leafs GM Brian Burke.
* ESPN Analyst Pierre LeBrun had some ideas as to how the NHL could make up with their fans for this ridiculous lockout. One of his suggestions was for the NHL Center Ice package to be free for this season. Now I can buy into that!!!
* And finally, here's hoping that you all have a Happy and Healthy 2013!!
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While trying to recover from my Christmas dinner induced food coma, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* As we enter into the final week of the NFL season, the AFC playoff picture is set with only the seedings to be determined, while the NFC is up for grabs. The Dallas-Washington game Sunday night should be a good one.
* The one thing that really hit me was the number of bad teams in the NFL as evidenced by the fact that there is likely to be 8 coaching vacancies.
* As the off season approaches, I am really down on the prospects for the Cleveland Browns. While I had high hopes when Jimmy Haslam bought the team, the hiring of Joe Banner as football guru has me extremely concerned.
* Why is it that certain NFL teams can never get it right??? (Browns & Bills)
* Whoever came up with the uniforms worn by NBA teams Christmas Day should be fired. Flat out Terrible!!
* As the New Year approaches it seems to be more and more likely that the NHL will not be in action this season. Gary Bettman should be extremely proud.
* Rumor has it that Bettman will be up for an audition of a Broadway rendition of "How the Grinch Stole The NHL."
* It's depressing that while other NFL fans are getting psyched up about the playoffs or trying to get into the playoffs, I'm stuck looking at mock drafts in late December.
* I'm amazed at how some Yankee fans believe that Brian Cashman has some rabbit he is going to pull out of his hat to deal with the team's age issues. I just don't see it and I think at best we can expect a playoff appearance and a first round knockout.
* Heard the authoritative Jeremy White on Christmas Eve. The WGR 550 know-it-all posed this question to his listeners: "What would you think if the Bills came out and said we want to lose Sunday against the Jets." When his co-host and callers brought up that they don't want their team to play to lose, White nearly tore their heads off. While I understand that losing would guarantee a better draft pick, White's authoritative browbeating stupidity forced me to change the station. This guy is brutal. A dumb question from a dumb guy.
* Once the Bills season is over and Emperor Bettman cancels the NHL season, what will White and the rest of the gasbags at GR550 talk about?? Probably food drafts and who the next coach of the Bills will be.
* And finally, whatever happened to the Coach, Chuck Dickerson?
Tuesday’s Thoughts (on Wednesday)
While wondering why someone would need to own an assault rifle, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* There was a report in the NY Daily News that the Yankees have inquired about Vernon Wells. Getting Wells would require a trade with the Angels. The Yankees would be looking for the Angels to pay a substantial amount of the outfielder's salary. My question is: what prospect would the Yankees have to give up?
* I am probably one of the biggest hockey fans around and I really could careless if the lockout is ended.
* The two best things that could happen as a result of the lockout are Bettman being replaced as Commissioner and the Florida, Carolina, Nashville, Anaheim, and Phoenix franchises folding. Neither will probably happen.
* The Knicks were slammed by the Houston Rockets for the second time Monday night. It's more and more evident that they need Carmelo Anthony to come back as soon as possible. It will be interesting to see if he plays Thursday against Brooklyn.
* The Browns loss to the Redskins Sunday has probably sealed the fate of Head Coach Pat Shurmur. I have never been sold on Shurmur and I'm not a big Brad Childress fan either. It was evident that Shurmur was out coached by Mike Shanahan.
* I'm also not convinced that Brandon Weeden is the answer at quarterback. I think former Brown wide receiver Reggie Langhorne said it best on Bruce Drennan's "All Bets Are Off" when he said that Weeden doesn't have that WOW factor. I know what he means. I have seen nothing this year to give you the hope that this kid can make plays to win a game for you.
* I wonder how Colt McCoy would fare with better receivers and better running backs around him than he had last year.
* Check out Tony Grossi's post on ESPN Cleveland's website about a possible Joe Banner-Mike Lombardi-Josh McDaniel team in Cleveland.
http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=17&post_id=9761
* Joe Namath was criticized this year for speaking out about the state of his former team, the New York Jets. Well, Broadway Joe was right. The Jets are a joke. I was never sold on Mark Sanchez. People fail to remember that Sanchez only started one year at USC before going into the NFL draft. His confidence is shot and the Jets are stuck with him because of his contract.
* Like him or not, the Jets treatment of Tim Tebow is a disgrace. Here's hoping the kid can go somewhere and be a productive player.
* I always find it amazing when Bills fans and media types go off on the fan response at the Rogers Centre when their team plays there. Quite frankly, if it wasn't for the Toronto games old Ralph probably would have been moving the team a few years ago. The other thing is that from purely an entertainment standpoint, would you get excited watching Ryan Fitzpatrick??
* Chan Gailey should be fired. It is clear that he is clueless as a head coach. The problem is who will come here with any credibility when you have to deal with Buddy "Foghorn Leghorn" Nix and good ole' Ralph.
* When the Bills season mercifully ends, what will the gasbags at WGR 550 have to talk about??
* And finally, whatever happened to the "Tiny Tot of the Kilowatt" Art Wander
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering whether the LAPD was involved in the shooting of the Notorious B.I.G, here's what is on my mind this morning:
* The NHL and NHLPA are reportedly scheduled to meet tomorrow. I find it amazing how many Canadian media people have taken the side of the league. As far as I'm concerned, the league's attempt to discredit Donald Fehr is a joke. It shows the mentality of a league which continually shoots itself in the foot.
* Whatever happened to league commissioners who worked for the betterment of the game and not the betterment of the billionaires who run the respective leagues.
* The Yankees have made an offer to Kevin Youkilis and appear to be closing in on Ichiro. Hopefully, both players take the offers so we can move on to get ready for the 2013 season.
* The trade between the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays is the type of trade that makes sense for both teams. Kansas City get 2 pitchers who are not that old and will boost their rotation and Tampa gets some young prospects, one in Wil Myers who could very well start this year and replace BJ Upton.
* It's a strange off season when the Royals, Rays and Jays make more news than the Yankees and Red Sox.
* What are the odds that Joe Girardi is the manager of the Yankees in 2014.
* This past weekend showed what frauds the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans are. Both teams have the best record in their respective conferences but they are flawed.
* Wouldn't it be something if the NFL Conference Finals had Denver vs New England in the AFC and the Giants vs San Francisco in the NFC.
* The New York Knicks decisive victory over the Miami Heat last night was impressive particularly since the Knicks were without Carmelo Anthony. At this pace, Knicks Coach Mike Woodson should be a prime candidate for Coach of the Year.
* The Buffalo Bills 15-12 loss to the St. Louis Rams have the Bills faithful screaming for Chan Gailey's head. Gailey's track record as a head coach is terrible so none of this should be a surprise. The real problem is the owner. Until Ralph Wilson relinquishes control of this team, the Bills will flounder.
* And finally the best kept secret in Western New York is the Niagara University hockey team. The Purple Eagles are ranked 16th in the country with a 10-2-3 record. The Eagles are at home tomorrow at 7pm where they face off against R.I.T. If you need a hockey fix, check them out. Go Eagles!!!
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering what it will take to knock some sense into Lindsay Lohan's head, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* By now you have all heard that ARod needs surgery on his left hip that will keep him out of the Yankee lineup until at least June. I'm not going to get into whether or not this is a result of his earlier steroid use. To me that is a waste of time. What has me fired up is what I have been harping about for many months: the Yankees lack of a plan to be ready for the eventual need to replace their aging stars particularly in light of Hal Steinbrenner's edict to get the payroll down to $189 million dollars in 2014. The only way that Boy Wonder Brian Cashman could meet Hal's request is by having young homegrown talent. The fact is that they don't have any that will be ready (if any at all) by 2014. The richest team in all of sports is not able to develop players that are major league ready. With all of their scouts throughout the world, they have not been able to develop heir apparents for: Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. Someone needs to be held accountable for this and unfortunately I don't see anything happening. Wish the Boss was still around.
* Cashman indicates that he is not going to panic as a result of the ARod news. Why should he his job is safe. But as a Yankee fan, the options for a replacement are not good as evidenced by Joel Sherman's article: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/cornering_some_options_at_yQCTU2LydW6KMTlDI6RxCL
* Not only is third base a problem, but prospects for a catcher are terrible and let's not forget they need a right fielder. Those cheers you are hearing are coming from Toronto, Tampa Bay and Baltimore as their chances of making the playoffs have dramatically increased.
* Word is that the Yankees are entertaining offers for Curtis Granderson. While moving Granderson wouldn't be a bad thing, the key would be what the Yankees would get in return.
* Yankee fans face reality: no young homegrown talent, bad contracts with aging players and a $189 million dollar payroll limit equals years of mediocrity. For someone who has endured the late 60's, early 70's and late 80's, I've seen this story before. Can't wait to see how Hal, Levine and Trost deal with the empty seats at the new Yankee Stadium.
* NBA Emperor David Stern's $250,000 fine levied against the San Antonio Spurs for not playing their stars against the Miami Heat was excessive and showed how much in bed pro sports are with television networks. The Spurs have done this before and nothing was said or done about it. But this was the feature game for TNT and I'm sure the network suits were not happy so Stern had to do something to satisfy them. What a joke.
* Great tweet last night from a Raptors fan: "It has been announced that David Stern is levying a $250,000 fine on the Toronto Raptors for playing their starting five."
* Today NHL players will meet with 6 NHL owners in an attempt to work out a framework to end this ridiculous lock out. Check out the article by Larry Brooks which illustrates the hypocrisy of the owners.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/hypocritical_owners_face_players_wfqBjGiPOpQSdoChQaykLJ
* There were some great college football games over the weekend. But I'm still scratching my head over Georgia's decision not to clock it with 15 seconds and instead call a play. Major mistake. In another bonehead move, Kent State decides to run an end around with their tight end in a 3rd and 1 situation down at the 6 yard line in overtime. What made that even more crazy was that Kent State has a 250 lb RB who Northern Illinois couldn't stop.
* Nebraska should be ashamed of themselves after their despicable performance against Wisconsin in the Big 10 title game.
* Had to laugh at the outrage by the ESPN talking heads related to Northern Illinois being in the Orange Bowl. How about being upset about a 5 loss Wisconsin team being in the Rose Bowl and a 7 loss Georgia Tech team getting a bowl bid. This is what you get with the current BCS system which no one at ESPN has had the courage to criticize over the years. I wonder if the lack of criticism has something to do with the fact that ESPN/ABC is televising 32 of the 35 bowl games.
* Andrew Luck and RG III are 2 further examples of why quarterbacks matter.
* I have never seen 2 one loss teams that seem so vulnerable as the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons. I don't see either making it to the Super Bowl.
* And finally, I remember Cleveland sportswriters ripping the Browns for trading their first round pick to the NY Jets which resulted in the Jets selecting Mark Sanchez. At the time, the Browns were in their constant search for a QB and Sanchez was the guy. I have never been a Sanchez believer. The kid was only a starter for one year at USC. In my mind, he was not ready and it is bearing out now. A franchise QB elevates the players around him. It's been the other way around with Sanchez.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While basking in the glow of a Notre Dame victory over USC and a Cleveland Browns win over Pittsburgh, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Browns win over Pittsburgh wasn't pretty but it was gratifying in the sense that the Cleveland defense was more physical than the vaunted number one defense in the league. The Browns D line has been playing extremely well, particularly since the return of Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin. These two provide quite a wall in the middle. TJ Ward has been the type of strong safety the Browns have not had since Eric Turner. This kid is a punishing hitter and coupled with cornerback Joe Haden gives the Browns a great foundation for their defensive backfield. Since the Browns have been back they have not had a defense who could punish the other team. With another corner and an OLB who can rush the passer, the Browns D will be a force to be reckoned with for a number of years.
* The Browns offense is another story. No question that Trent Richardson is the real deal and the O-Line is really improved. The wide receivers have improved and the acquisition of Josh Gordon was a good move by GM Tom Heckert. However, the Browns need to strongly consider picking up a veteran receiver to provide leadership and play the slot. The big question for the Browns is at quarterback but what else is new. As with those before him, I want to believe in Brandon Weeden but I'm just not sure he is going to be "the guy."
* The NHL and the NHLPA are bringing a federal mediator in to try to save the season. This whole situation is a disgrace and I don't care what anyone says Gary Bettman is to blame. When will owners of these big market teams have the stones to tell that little weasel that enough is enough. If Bettman wants cost certainty then he needs to stop his incessant desire to expand into non-traditional hockey markets. In fact, maybe he needs the Phoenix Coyotes to either move to Quebec City or to contract. I'll even go one step further, how about contracting the Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators. Not only would there be the elimination of struggling franchises but it would improve the quality of play by reducing the number of marginal players in the NHL.
* Buster Olney is reporting this morning that Andy Petitte will be announcing that he will be coming back to the NY Yankees for the 2013 season. This will certainly solidify the rotation. Now it will be interesting to see what else Mr. Cashman has up his sleeve heading into next week's Winter Meetings.
* I'm not sure what it is about Carmelo Anthony that makes me have a difficult time warming up to him. There is no question he is a superstar but aren't superstars suppose to make the big shot at the end of a game??
* The SEC arrogance and media bias is really annoying. When bowl season begins I always root against them.
* Wouldn't it be something if Georgia knocks off Alabama. I think I would laugh my butt off.
* Does anybody really care that Fireman Ed is giving up his act at Jets games??? I certainly don't and this guy must really be in love with himself. He puts a letter in a local free paper to make his grand announcement?? Really!!! Next Louie Lackwanna will be putting a letter in the Pennysaver saying that he will be turning in his Hank Bullough autographed 1985 Buffalo Bills schedule.
* Was on Twitter during the NFL games on Sunday and was dying laughing seeing Jeremy White's whining tweets. This guy really believes the propaganda that the Bills had a chance to make the playoffs if they beat the Colts. Maybe now White can dedicate his time toward analyzing the cause of the NHL lockout.
* Twitter was also the source of more laughs when a passionate member of the Bills Mafia said that the Bills still could make the playoffs. The sad thing is that this bird brain was serious. Bills fans face reality: You have no quarterback, your coach is terrible, your GM sounds like Foghorn Leghorn and who knows where your owner is. In other words, you're done like dinner!!!
And finally, if there is no NHL season what will the boneheads at GR have to talk about for the next 6 months??
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