tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering how long Kris Kardashian and Kris Humphries will remain married here's what else is on my mind this morning:

* I know its only preseason but I'm really excited about Colt McCoy. McCoy was banged around by the Lions on Friday but managed to throw 3 TDs and had is team up at halftime. It seems like McCoy and Head Coach Pat Shurmur have something going so far as they seem to be on the same page. And Shurmur is calling the plays. Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up in Believeland.

* Speaking of Shurmur, kudos for him in immediately addressing Greg Little's actions after he caught a touchdown pass in Friday's game. Little decided to drop kick the football into the end zone. I don't have a problem with TD celebrations, but that is over the top and Shurmur felt the same way and he let the rookie know it. Hopefully Little gets the message as he has plenty of talent and doesn't need to be Braylon Edwards Part II.

* The Yankees defense of AJ Burnett is getting roasted in the New York dailies. Check out Bill Madden's article in today's Daily News. Madden hits the nail on the head: Burnett needs to be the odd man out of the Yankee rotation.

* Isn't it amazing that despite being 2-10 against Boston, the Yankees are 1 game ahead of the Red Sox and 2 games up in the loss column. The Yankees could have a comfortable lead right now if they had split the season series. That's why next week's 3 game series at Fenway is a big one.

* Plenty of talk about Curtis Granderson's chances of being named AL MVP. I would love to see it happen as I don't think there's a better guy than Granderson in all of professional sports. That being said, I don't think he will get it because I believe there is an anti-Yankee bias as evidenced by Derek Jeter not getting the award several years ago.

* The local media is already fed up with the Buffalo Bills. In a column yesterday in the Buffalo News, Mike Harrington ripped the Bills for not addressing needs and being flat out sloppy. At the very end Harrington says that three words will soon take over the town: "drop the puck".

* Speaking of the local media, its really sad how sportscasters have denigrated themselves by buying into the Entercom philosophy that their "sports talk" station needs to be more than sports. Chris "the Bulldog" Parker used to do sports talk on week night evenings on WBEN. It was a pretty good show and The Bulldog talked all sports. He was quite knowledgeable. Howard Simon had moved all around local radio and was a quality sports guy. On WNSA, Simon was really good and when they simulcasted with the old Empire network I used to make it a point of catching a part of his show. Both of these guys are now a shadow of themselves. While they both have the ability to be all-around sports talkers, in order to keep getting the Entercom green they need to talk about how much pizza Simon ate the night before, be movie critics and do nonsense polls on things that have nothing to do with sports. Oh well, I guess they have to earn a living, too bad they had to sell out.

* Another member of the WGR lineup is Mike Schopp. Schopp also was a very knowledgeable sports guy when he was on WNSA. He was someone else who I made a point of listening too. He also had an audition with ESPN Radio. For awhile he was on the national ESPN Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts. But obviously that went nowhere. I wonder if that had anything to do with the fact that Schopp is now viewed as one of the most arrogant and obnoxious hosts on WGR. It's really too bad since the kid could have been a contender. Instead he decided to be a big fish in a small pond.

* Reports of the violence that took place at the 49ers-Raiders game the other night is truly a disgrace and a sad commentary on today's society. This is the second incident in California where there were serious injuries between fans of different teams at a sporting event. I'm all about rivalries. I think they are great. Being a Yankee fan I hate the Red Sox. Being a Browns fan I hate the Steelers. Being a Leafs fan I hate the Canadiens. But would I fight or shoot a fan of those teams: NO!!! In fact, as long as they don't get in my face I'm good with them sitting right next to me at a game. I know how it feels to be at a game and feel like you are goiing to get into a fight. That's why I don't go to Buffalo when the Browns or Leafs are in town.

* The hypocrisy of the adults surrounding the NCAA and specifically NCAA Football rivals that of members of the Republican Party. The guy who laid the hammer down on USC is Paul Dee. Dee was the former AD at Miami. He had harsh words for USC when the penalty was handed down all the while his own football program was a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. The football players are not to blame here. The blame is with those in charge. There hypocrites!!!