Rex Ryan and the New York Jets took trash-talking to another level before their matchup against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Most people thought he was crazy for all of the trash-talking against a team that was 14-2. The Patriots also beat the Jets 45-3 a month before, so many couldn't understand them. It took a lot for the Jets to back up their talk, and they certainly did so with an outstanding defensive performance that was completely different from their last matchup against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The way the coach and the players are talking, one could definitely figure out that the players are buying in 100 percent into Ryan.
Giants S Antrel Rolle and S Kenny Phillips were on radio earlier in the week talking about Ryan and the Jets. They both proceeded to state that they would love to have a coach like Ryan, while also saying current Giants' coach Tom Coughlin needs to lighten up a little bit and let the players have fun on the field as opposed to treating it like a business. This probably didn't sit well with the Giants camp, as Coughlin received a vote of confidence from the owners and is probably expected to receive a contract extension. Rolle was signed last offseason to a five-year deal and it didn't take long for him to open his mouth. After the second game of the season, a 38-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Rolle expressed frustration with Coughlin and how he's running the team.
C'Mon Man! We are talking about Rolle and Phillips, who at best are slightly overrated, and Coughlin, who is a Super Bowl champion. Coughlin was very successful in his first NFL coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coughlin led the Jaguars to two AFC title games, the first one being in their second season of existence. Coughlin has a track record to prove that he can run the ship however he wants to because he's been successful. Rolle came from an Arizona Cardinals team who, outside their Super Bowl appearance in the 2008 season, are nothing but losers. Rolle comes from a losing culture, so who in the world is he to be expressing how a coach should run the team? Rolle thinks the players need to have fun while doing their jobs. Absolutely. However, if he thinks the Jets will forever be successful with Ryan, think again. When the Jets aren't winning and everything is going wrong, they'll quit on Ryan. The Cowboys did it with Wade Phillips, after they continuously praised him after he took over for Bill Parcells.
ESPN's First Take is certainly a good watch for sports fan looking for a sports show that combines a little bit of everything. Skip Bayless, a regular on the show's 1st and 10 segment, is known to make statements and predictions where the average person wouldn't necessarily agree. This week in football, there's a lot to talk about going into the conference championship matchups. Naturally, it was certainly going to be interesting to see what Bayless had to say about the Jets and the NFC Championship game between rivals Packers and Bears. However, Bayless seems content with how he feels about particulars in sports, and it clouds his mind from reality.
In the week leading up to the Jets-Patriots matchup, Bayless constantly ripped Rex Ryan for trash-talking a team that demolished them a month before. He also tried to make the argument that many players wouldn't want to play for a coach like that. Terry Bradshaw made that point also about Ryan on the FOX Pregame Show on Sunday. Bayless was steadfast in his belief that Ryan would lose the battle to Belichick because of his stubborn talk all week. The Jets won that matchup and proved Bayless wrong. This week, Bayless is also maintaining his argument that QB Jay Cutler is better than QB Aaron Rodgers. He said that 50 percent of sports fan love Rodgers because of what QB Brett Favre did to the Packers. He also says the Packers were idiotic for letting Favre go when he wanted to come back from retirement and letting Rodgers take the reins a season after they made an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
C'Mon Man! Bayless seems to be the stubborn one. No one can convince him that his thoughts and beliefs are wrong. There is no way Cutler is anywhere close to the level of Rodgers. Rodgers is in another class than Cutler. Bayless made the argument that he would trust Cutler in a two-minute situation more than Rodgers. While the numbers suggest Rodgers hasn't even been in that situation that much, anyone would clearly take the better quarterback in a two-minute situation, which is Rodgers. Cutler doesn't have good numbers in those situations either, and I can't figure out why Bayless is fascinated with Cutler. I believed Cutler was going to be a good quarterback also, when he was with the Broncos. However, his late season fold in his final season with them proved to me that he isn't better than decent. Bayless needs to pay more attention. He is clearly wrong with some of his beliefs.
The conclusion of the college football season came with Auburn winning the national championship over Oregon. However, TCU's performance in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin has people thinking they definitely should've been in the championship game also. How can you justify putting TCU over Oregon or Auburn, the way both of those teams have been playing all season? This brings up the argument that a playoff system is definitely needed. How will that playoff system be constructed and when will it be ready? We can all agree that the past several bowl seasons have been nothing but a joke. The only bowl game that actually matters is the national championship game.
So is there anyone who believes we should continue with the bowl system forever? If you were watching ESPN's College Football Live on Thursday, you got that answer. College football analyst Todd Blackledge stated that the NCAA should continue with the bowl system because it brings fun for the players. He said the experience the players get in the week leading up to the bowl game in the respective cities are invaluable and provide a great time for the coaches and players to bond. Blackledge certainly isn't just looking at a true postseason as validation to change the system. He believes the experience for college players is validation enough to keep the bowl system.
C'Mon Man! The experience? Really? Get real. We need a true postseason system where a national champion is determined the right way. Blackledge probably doesn't believe in a true playoff system because he was a failure and a draft bust in Kansas City. College football needs some sort of playoff system. The tricky part is how that would be put in place. Will there be only the top 25 teams admitted into the postseason? Will there be just the top 12? Sitting down and figuring it out shouldn't be that hard because there are many people out there with brilliant ideas to go about this. Most schools are off for a four-week period between the fall and spring semesters. That should be an adequate amount of time in running a playoff system. The long layoff for these teams from their last regular season game to the bowl game is ridiculous anyway.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
What Are You Thinking?
Week 17 of the NFL season, all divisional matchups, concluded with very few games that meant something to both teams. The Rams and Seahawks battled on Sunday night for the NFC West division title. That was about the only game that actually mattered. With that being said, the playoffs are here. With the exception of the Patriots' dominance throughout the regular season en route to a 14-2 record, this playoffs look wide open. In the NFC, the Falcons and the Bears have first-round bye weeks, but not many seems convinced that either one of those squads are capable of making a Super Bowl run. The Eagles, Packers, or Saints seem to be people's favorites in the NFC, with the Eagles playing the Packers on Sunday.
That Sunday night game that determined the winner of the NFC West title was the most important matchup of the day, which was why the NFL, under its flex-schedule rules, pushed that game to prime-time. The winner of the game won the division crown, while the loser was eliminated from playoff contention. Sounds like a pretty good game, doesn't it? Most people thought the Rams would win, simply because they have looked better this season and the Seahawks were without starting QB Matt Hasselbeck. This game was as dreadful as all of the other games with no playoff implications turned out to be. The Seahawks won the game, and the division, finishing out with a 7-9 record. They're guaranteed a home playoff game because they are division winners.
C'Mon Man! I can't even blame the NFL for this occurrence, because it's been that way for a long time but we have not seen such dreadful play from an entire division in a long time, probably not ever. When occurrences like this happen, this should catch the eye of the higher-ups in the league to come to the table and change the playoff format. Two seasons ago, the Chargers were 4-8. They won their final four games, including a romp of the Broncos in the final game for the AFC West division title. They ended up getting a home playoff game against the 12-4 Colts, and beat them in overtime. A lot of people have the Saints crushing the Seahawks in this opening round wild card game. However, it shouldn't be so that the Saints have to be inconvenienced to travel all the way to Seattle for a playoff game when they had the 11-5 record.
The NFL playoffs bring up a lot of questions and answers, and there is another question that needs an answer. Last year's playoffs provided a lot of excitement and entertainment, which culminated with the Saints finally bringing a championship to the city of New Orleans, still reeling from the devastating Hurricane Katrina, which ruined much of the city five years before. The Jets, who entered as a #5 seed at 9-7, advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game and had an excellent first half in that championship game against the Colts before it all fell apart in the second half. The Cardinals and Packers battled in the NFC Wild Card round in a thriller that ended in a 51-45 overtime win for the Cardinals.
The playoff game that would affect this playoffs and possibly future playoffs to come occurred in the NFC Championship Game between the Saints and Vikings. It was a thriller, which ended in overtime when Saints' K Garrett Hartley kicked a game-winning field goal. The Vikings had a chance to win it in overtime tied at 28, but his interception on the border of field goal range ended the Vikings chances of attempting a game-winning field goal. The issue of this game was the fact the Vikings never received the ball in overtime. NFL overtime rules has the first team to score as the victor. After that game, some people felt that should change for the future. The NFL decided to change it for this year's playoffs. If a team who receives the ball first kicks a field goal, the opposing team has a chance to get the ball and match it or possibly win it. If the team who receives the ball first score a touchdown, they win the game.
C'Mon Man! For many football fans, they forgot this rule was even instituted for this year's playoffs. Why wasn't this rule put in permanently, even in the regular season? The game should not be changed from the regular season to the playoffs, even if it's a slight change. The players know how to play the game one way, so would you change something just for the playoffs even if it meant unfamiliarity for the players? This change for the playoffs may not necessarily affect the way the game is played. It certainly helps teams once in overtime. However, could it have helped some teams in the regular season also who slightly missed the playoffs?
Most New Yorkers were looking forward to the Tuesday matchup between the NBA's best San Antonio Spurs and the upstart New York Knicks. The Knicks came in the game with a 19-14 record, good for the sixth best record in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks, led by their prized free agent acquisition F Amar'e Stoudemire, have turned it up after their 3-8 start. The Spurs have been dominant coming into the game, with a league-best 29-4 record. Like earlier matchups for the Knicks against the Celtics and the Heat, this was a game where the Knicks get an indication of where they are and where they need to be at this point in the season. The Knicks ended up winning the game 128-115, as the Spurs could not contain the fast pace the Knicks were trying to maintain with their offense. The bizarre occurrences in this game is what lands this game in particular in this week's edition.
For New Yorkers watching the MSG telecast of the game, there was a bizarre sighting when commentator Mike Breen and analyst Walt "Clyde" Frazier were introducing the game. What caught people's eyes was the suit Frazier was wearing. To simply describe it, it looked like a suit only someone in the 70s would wear. It looked like Frazier wore a suit that resembled a dog's skin. After viewers were treated with the actual game instead of that horrible suit, more bizarre things happened. In the second quarter, F Dejuan Blair dunked the ball on C Ronny Turiaf, and it appeared as if he was just trying to get back on defense while admiring his dunk. Turiaf took exception to Blair and proceeded to throw his shoulder into Blair, drawing a technical foul. The Knicks tried to argue that Blair started it, but it was clear Turiaf was responsible for the occurrence. Then, with three minutes to go with the Spurs down 10, coach Gregg Popovich took out all of his starters and put it in his seldom-used bench players, handing the game to the Knicks. The Spurs had a game the next night against the Celtics, which was given as an explanation for his actions.
C'Mon Man! This game was very entertaining, but it was certainly strange as well. I wonder if Frazier knew the game would be televised nationally on NBATV as well. I think that's why he wore that ugly suit. Knicks fans know the kind of swag Frazier has. I guess he wanted to show the rest of the country. As for Turiaf, he has to tone down his behavior a little bit. He has certainly been a help to the Knicks defensively, but he has shown to be hot-headed and puts the team in the wrong position. If the Knicks lost by one, that technical free throw is the difference. As for Popovich, for those who don't know the Spurs, Popovich does this all the time. He usually pulls his guys as early as the third quarter if they're down 20. However, with the Knicks playing poorly defensively, a ten-point deficit probably isn't hard to overcome. Three minutes of rest is not going to help F Tim Duncan, G Tony Parker, G Manu Ginobili and F Richard Jefferson.
That Sunday night game that determined the winner of the NFC West title was the most important matchup of the day, which was why the NFL, under its flex-schedule rules, pushed that game to prime-time. The winner of the game won the division crown, while the loser was eliminated from playoff contention. Sounds like a pretty good game, doesn't it? Most people thought the Rams would win, simply because they have looked better this season and the Seahawks were without starting QB Matt Hasselbeck. This game was as dreadful as all of the other games with no playoff implications turned out to be. The Seahawks won the game, and the division, finishing out with a 7-9 record. They're guaranteed a home playoff game because they are division winners.
C'Mon Man! I can't even blame the NFL for this occurrence, because it's been that way for a long time but we have not seen such dreadful play from an entire division in a long time, probably not ever. When occurrences like this happen, this should catch the eye of the higher-ups in the league to come to the table and change the playoff format. Two seasons ago, the Chargers were 4-8. They won their final four games, including a romp of the Broncos in the final game for the AFC West division title. They ended up getting a home playoff game against the 12-4 Colts, and beat them in overtime. A lot of people have the Saints crushing the Seahawks in this opening round wild card game. However, it shouldn't be so that the Saints have to be inconvenienced to travel all the way to Seattle for a playoff game when they had the 11-5 record.
The NFL playoffs bring up a lot of questions and answers, and there is another question that needs an answer. Last year's playoffs provided a lot of excitement and entertainment, which culminated with the Saints finally bringing a championship to the city of New Orleans, still reeling from the devastating Hurricane Katrina, which ruined much of the city five years before. The Jets, who entered as a #5 seed at 9-7, advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game and had an excellent first half in that championship game against the Colts before it all fell apart in the second half. The Cardinals and Packers battled in the NFC Wild Card round in a thriller that ended in a 51-45 overtime win for the Cardinals.
The playoff game that would affect this playoffs and possibly future playoffs to come occurred in the NFC Championship Game between the Saints and Vikings. It was a thriller, which ended in overtime when Saints' K Garrett Hartley kicked a game-winning field goal. The Vikings had a chance to win it in overtime tied at 28, but his interception on the border of field goal range ended the Vikings chances of attempting a game-winning field goal. The issue of this game was the fact the Vikings never received the ball in overtime. NFL overtime rules has the first team to score as the victor. After that game, some people felt that should change for the future. The NFL decided to change it for this year's playoffs. If a team who receives the ball first kicks a field goal, the opposing team has a chance to get the ball and match it or possibly win it. If the team who receives the ball first score a touchdown, they win the game.
C'Mon Man! For many football fans, they forgot this rule was even instituted for this year's playoffs. Why wasn't this rule put in permanently, even in the regular season? The game should not be changed from the regular season to the playoffs, even if it's a slight change. The players know how to play the game one way, so would you change something just for the playoffs even if it meant unfamiliarity for the players? This change for the playoffs may not necessarily affect the way the game is played. It certainly helps teams once in overtime. However, could it have helped some teams in the regular season also who slightly missed the playoffs?
Most New Yorkers were looking forward to the Tuesday matchup between the NBA's best San Antonio Spurs and the upstart New York Knicks. The Knicks came in the game with a 19-14 record, good for the sixth best record in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks, led by their prized free agent acquisition F Amar'e Stoudemire, have turned it up after their 3-8 start. The Spurs have been dominant coming into the game, with a league-best 29-4 record. Like earlier matchups for the Knicks against the Celtics and the Heat, this was a game where the Knicks get an indication of where they are and where they need to be at this point in the season. The Knicks ended up winning the game 128-115, as the Spurs could not contain the fast pace the Knicks were trying to maintain with their offense. The bizarre occurrences in this game is what lands this game in particular in this week's edition.
For New Yorkers watching the MSG telecast of the game, there was a bizarre sighting when commentator Mike Breen and analyst Walt "Clyde" Frazier were introducing the game. What caught people's eyes was the suit Frazier was wearing. To simply describe it, it looked like a suit only someone in the 70s would wear. It looked like Frazier wore a suit that resembled a dog's skin. After viewers were treated with the actual game instead of that horrible suit, more bizarre things happened. In the second quarter, F Dejuan Blair dunked the ball on C Ronny Turiaf, and it appeared as if he was just trying to get back on defense while admiring his dunk. Turiaf took exception to Blair and proceeded to throw his shoulder into Blair, drawing a technical foul. The Knicks tried to argue that Blair started it, but it was clear Turiaf was responsible for the occurrence. Then, with three minutes to go with the Spurs down 10, coach Gregg Popovich took out all of his starters and put it in his seldom-used bench players, handing the game to the Knicks. The Spurs had a game the next night against the Celtics, which was given as an explanation for his actions.
C'Mon Man! This game was very entertaining, but it was certainly strange as well. I wonder if Frazier knew the game would be televised nationally on NBATV as well. I think that's why he wore that ugly suit. Knicks fans know the kind of swag Frazier has. I guess he wanted to show the rest of the country. As for Turiaf, he has to tone down his behavior a little bit. He has certainly been a help to the Knicks defensively, but he has shown to be hot-headed and puts the team in the wrong position. If the Knicks lost by one, that technical free throw is the difference. As for Popovich, for those who don't know the Spurs, Popovich does this all the time. He usually pulls his guys as early as the third quarter if they're down 20. However, with the Knicks playing poorly defensively, a ten-point deficit probably isn't hard to overcome. Three minutes of rest is not going to help F Tim Duncan, G Tony Parker, G Manu Ginobili and F Richard Jefferson.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
What Are You Thinking?
The San Francisco 49ers came into this season with many predicting they'll easily win the NFC West division. The winner of the division the past two years, the Arizona Cardinals, lost their starting QB Kurt Warner to retirement. Then they released backup QB Matt Leinart and had to roll with QB Derek Anderson, who other than his 2007 Pro Bowl season, has been awful. The St. Louis Rams drafted #1 after going 1-15 last season and the Seattle Seahawks had an infusion of young talent through the draft. In this easy division, it was almost certain if the 49ers somehow didn't win the division, coach Mike Singletary would be fired.
What do you know? The 49ers jumped off to a horrible 0-5 start, and they now stand at 5-10, eliminated from playoff contention. Last week, at 5-9 against the Rams, they had a chance to keep their playoff hopes alive by beating them. The Rams surprisingly are in position to win the division now, a year after going 1-15. After QB Alex Smith struggled, Singletary went with QB Troy Smith, a favorite with the Baltimore Ravens during his time there. QB Troy Smith got the start for this game, and it got ugly. He didn't play well in their 25-17 loss, and at one point during the game, QB Troy Smith got into a heated argument with Singletary, prompting Singletary to replace him with QB Alex Smith. A day later, Singletary was fired.
C'Mon Man! QB Troy Smith should know to respect his coaches. His sideline tirade against his coach was disrespectful and uncalled for. The more troubling aspect of the argument is the fact that you can clearly see QB Troy Smith is telling his coach, "I'm not perfect!" Everyone knows no one is perfect. However, if you don't have any confidence to the point where you have to yell at your coach those words, maybe you shouldn't be in the National Football League. This is a league where you have to be confident you can get the job done. Singletary is completely tired of this team underachieving. For Smith to come back with that response is troubling. I liked him with the Ravens. At one point, I thought he should've been starting over QB Joe Flacco when he was a rookie. Now, I don't think he's fit to lead any team at this point.
F Lebron James is one dynamic athlete, and the Miami Heat and their fans are finally starting to see the damage he and G Dwyane Wade can do together. James, Wade, and F Chris Bosh all signed $100 million deals in the offseason to join forces in hopes of winning championships. Halfway through the season, Miami is looking like an opponent not to be reckoned with. They blasted the defending champions in their building on Christmas day, something I expected. However, the Heat aren't done proving themselves. They haven't played the league's best team in the San Antonio Spurs, and they have already lost twice to the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks win in Miami was very impressive, considering the fact it halted a 12-game winning streak for the scorching Heat.
In the offseason, after James, Wade and Bosh joined forces, there was plenty of talk about G Chris Paul and F Carmelo Anthony joining F Amar'e Stoudemire in New York to form another big three. The Celtics already have their big three with F Paul Pierce, G Ray Allen and F Kevin Garnett. So that topic was brought up again last week to James, and James said he's certainly for "contraction." James also explained if the league took good players off of specific teams and got rid of them, it would make it like the 80s again, to the dislike of some people. However, a couple of days later, after a lot of negative attention for those statements, James admitted he had no idea what contraction meant, believe it or not. James clarifies that's not what he meant when he was talking about contraction.
C'Mon Man! I know your highest education level of high school, but with all eyes on you, you have to be able to make statements with certainty. You have to know what you're talking about. Then to admit you don't know what you're talking about adds to your problems. He shouldn't have touched the issue again. Everyone is salivating at the next opportunity to hate James, so this gives people more ammunition. James "contraction" argument also was unfounded, as players didn't necessarily sign contracts with other superstars to join forces and win championships in the 80s. For instance, the Lakers won five titles that decade, but drafted most of their stars, with the exception of C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Celtics drafted F Larry Bird, C Kevin McHale and C Robert Parrish. They didn't join forces via free agency. This is not joining forces. This is merely going to the team who drafted you, and both franchises drafted very well en route to a combined eight titles in the 80s.
The NFL have supposedly been investigating this whole Brett Favre/Jenn Sterger incident since it became an issue back in September and October. Sterger alleged sexual harrassment at the workplace when Favre was a member of the New York Jets back in 2008. Many questions arose from the allegations. Why is she just coming out with this now? What will the NFL do with Favre? How will Favre's wife react to all of this? Commissioner Roger Goodell said Favre was subject to disciplinary actions under the conduct rules from the NFL. Guys like QB Michael Vick, QB Ben Roethlisberger, and CB Adam "Pacman" Jones have been victims of disciplinary actions from the code of conduct. Favre's situation was unique, as he was doing these things to a team employee, but there was no real crime being done here .
Sexual harrassment at the workplace is something many employers take very seriously. Others sweep it under the rug, which many thought would happen here. The employer of both Sterger and Favre in 2008, the Jets, were powerless in this situation because Favre was no longer with the Jets. Now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, the NFL is now to get involved in investigating the events. Goodell met with Favre supposedly a couple of times, most notably when Favre made a trip to the New York area for the Vikings' Monday night game against the Jets earlier this season. Earlier this week, Goodell announced his decision for the punishment for Favre: a $50,000 fine and no suspension. Goodell explained that Favre was not candid and forthcoming in his investigation, and that was the reason for the fine. He also explained there wasn't enough forensic evidence to prove Favre's guilt.
C'Mon Man! There are a couple of problems I have with Goodell on this one. First of all, if Favre was not forthcoming in his investigation, how can you determine that there isn't enough evidence to prove his guilt? Also, why did Goodell decide to hand down a light punishment, at the end of the season in which most likely is Favre's last year? As expected, Sterger and her attorney are highly upset. However, I don't believe this is the end for Sterger. She might bring this to the Courts for help, even though it isn't clear if anything will actually be done in her benefit. At the end of the day, Goodell delayed the punishment to the end of the season because Favre is iconic and didn't want to suspend him earlier and end his consecutive starts streak. But Goodell's explanation brings up another point. How does Favre's wife feel about the fact Favre wasn't forthcoming in the investigation?
Happy New Year's!
What do you know? The 49ers jumped off to a horrible 0-5 start, and they now stand at 5-10, eliminated from playoff contention. Last week, at 5-9 against the Rams, they had a chance to keep their playoff hopes alive by beating them. The Rams surprisingly are in position to win the division now, a year after going 1-15. After QB Alex Smith struggled, Singletary went with QB Troy Smith, a favorite with the Baltimore Ravens during his time there. QB Troy Smith got the start for this game, and it got ugly. He didn't play well in their 25-17 loss, and at one point during the game, QB Troy Smith got into a heated argument with Singletary, prompting Singletary to replace him with QB Alex Smith. A day later, Singletary was fired.
C'Mon Man! QB Troy Smith should know to respect his coaches. His sideline tirade against his coach was disrespectful and uncalled for. The more troubling aspect of the argument is the fact that you can clearly see QB Troy Smith is telling his coach, "I'm not perfect!" Everyone knows no one is perfect. However, if you don't have any confidence to the point where you have to yell at your coach those words, maybe you shouldn't be in the National Football League. This is a league where you have to be confident you can get the job done. Singletary is completely tired of this team underachieving. For Smith to come back with that response is troubling. I liked him with the Ravens. At one point, I thought he should've been starting over QB Joe Flacco when he was a rookie. Now, I don't think he's fit to lead any team at this point.
F Lebron James is one dynamic athlete, and the Miami Heat and their fans are finally starting to see the damage he and G Dwyane Wade can do together. James, Wade, and F Chris Bosh all signed $100 million deals in the offseason to join forces in hopes of winning championships. Halfway through the season, Miami is looking like an opponent not to be reckoned with. They blasted the defending champions in their building on Christmas day, something I expected. However, the Heat aren't done proving themselves. They haven't played the league's best team in the San Antonio Spurs, and they have already lost twice to the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks win in Miami was very impressive, considering the fact it halted a 12-game winning streak for the scorching Heat.
In the offseason, after James, Wade and Bosh joined forces, there was plenty of talk about G Chris Paul and F Carmelo Anthony joining F Amar'e Stoudemire in New York to form another big three. The Celtics already have their big three with F Paul Pierce, G Ray Allen and F Kevin Garnett. So that topic was brought up again last week to James, and James said he's certainly for "contraction." James also explained if the league took good players off of specific teams and got rid of them, it would make it like the 80s again, to the dislike of some people. However, a couple of days later, after a lot of negative attention for those statements, James admitted he had no idea what contraction meant, believe it or not. James clarifies that's not what he meant when he was talking about contraction.
C'Mon Man! I know your highest education level of high school, but with all eyes on you, you have to be able to make statements with certainty. You have to know what you're talking about. Then to admit you don't know what you're talking about adds to your problems. He shouldn't have touched the issue again. Everyone is salivating at the next opportunity to hate James, so this gives people more ammunition. James "contraction" argument also was unfounded, as players didn't necessarily sign contracts with other superstars to join forces and win championships in the 80s. For instance, the Lakers won five titles that decade, but drafted most of their stars, with the exception of C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Celtics drafted F Larry Bird, C Kevin McHale and C Robert Parrish. They didn't join forces via free agency. This is not joining forces. This is merely going to the team who drafted you, and both franchises drafted very well en route to a combined eight titles in the 80s.
The NFL have supposedly been investigating this whole Brett Favre/Jenn Sterger incident since it became an issue back in September and October. Sterger alleged sexual harrassment at the workplace when Favre was a member of the New York Jets back in 2008. Many questions arose from the allegations. Why is she just coming out with this now? What will the NFL do with Favre? How will Favre's wife react to all of this? Commissioner Roger Goodell said Favre was subject to disciplinary actions under the conduct rules from the NFL. Guys like QB Michael Vick, QB Ben Roethlisberger, and CB Adam "Pacman" Jones have been victims of disciplinary actions from the code of conduct. Favre's situation was unique, as he was doing these things to a team employee, but there was no real crime being done here .
Sexual harrassment at the workplace is something many employers take very seriously. Others sweep it under the rug, which many thought would happen here. The employer of both Sterger and Favre in 2008, the Jets, were powerless in this situation because Favre was no longer with the Jets. Now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, the NFL is now to get involved in investigating the events. Goodell met with Favre supposedly a couple of times, most notably when Favre made a trip to the New York area for the Vikings' Monday night game against the Jets earlier this season. Earlier this week, Goodell announced his decision for the punishment for Favre: a $50,000 fine and no suspension. Goodell explained that Favre was not candid and forthcoming in his investigation, and that was the reason for the fine. He also explained there wasn't enough forensic evidence to prove Favre's guilt.
C'Mon Man! There are a couple of problems I have with Goodell on this one. First of all, if Favre was not forthcoming in his investigation, how can you determine that there isn't enough evidence to prove his guilt? Also, why did Goodell decide to hand down a light punishment, at the end of the season in which most likely is Favre's last year? As expected, Sterger and her attorney are highly upset. However, I don't believe this is the end for Sterger. She might bring this to the Courts for help, even though it isn't clear if anything will actually be done in her benefit. At the end of the day, Goodell delayed the punishment to the end of the season because Favre is iconic and didn't want to suspend him earlier and end his consecutive starts streak. But Goodell's explanation brings up another point. How does Favre's wife feel about the fact Favre wasn't forthcoming in the investigation?
Happy New Year's!
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