Owners, Save Our Sonics

Before NBA All Star Weekend, Save Our Sonics sent the following letter to the seven NBA team owners who comprise the Board of Governors (BOG), which will vote in April on whether to allow the OKC relocation. Owners from the Miami Heat, L.A. Lakers, Golden St. Warriors, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs received copies of the letter (attached and pasted in full below this release).

Save Our Sonics released the following statement on Monday, February 25:

"We hope the Board of Governors, media and members of the national sports community read the attached information and carefully consider the ramifications of a potential SuperSonics move to Oklahoma City. The upcoming court case set for June is too important to hold a vote on this matter presently because the current ownership group will likely be forced to honor the last two years of its lease agreement with Key Arena. The BOG should vote "No" on the Sonics relocation or postpone a vote until the pending court case is resolved.

"In light of recent disheartening comments by Commissioner David Stern, the BOG is faced with an extremely important decision that not only affects millions of Seattle area residents, but stands to significantly change both the NBA and the entire professional sports landscape. Members of the Sonics ownership group must work with Seattle's city leadership to come forth with a reasonable plan for the future sustainability of Seattle Center, Key Arena and the Sonics."

Please direct any media inquiries to the contacts at the end of the letter, Adam Brown, Steven Pyeatt and Brian Robinson of Save Our Sonics.

To NBA team owners and vested interests:

Outlined herein are the five most compelling reasons why voting "Yes" on the Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City is the wrong decision for an NBA team owner. Please consider the following information and endorse a "No" vote on relocation this April.

The Sonics have represented the city of Seattle through the best of times − including a 1979 World Championship and success throughout the 1990s culminating in a 1996 Finals appearance − and also through the worst of times, which came under the last two ownership groups led by Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz and Oklahoma City mogul Clayton Bennett, respectively. As you are surely aware, Schultz sold the Sonics to Bennett's Oklahoma-based ownership group in July 2006. After only one year of attempting to secure a brand new, $500 million, state- of-the-art arena in the region, Bennett officially filed for relocation to Oklahoma City on November 1, 2007.

As an NBA team owner, you have a responsibility to make decisions that will ultimately lead to a thriving league for years to come. Unlike other leagues, the NBA's owners are closely connected through revenue streams that allow profitable markets to share the wealth. As primary decision makers in the league, your votes in this matter will have critical impact on the future economic growth of the NBA.

Fans have supported this organization for 41 years. It will be a devastating blow to both the city of Seattle and the entire NBA if we lose this prominent market for the following reasons:


1. Fan Support Determines a Sports League's Profits

Seattle has been one of the NBA's most celebrated markets since its inaugural year in 1967. By allowing this move, David Stern is disrespecting one of his most loyal fan bases and disregarding 41 years of local support for the league, opting instead to mortgage the future financial sustainability of the NBA in order to please his friend, Clay Bennett.

NBA fans in Seattle will obviously be crushed by the move, but the impact will ripple into other markets across the nation. Fans will wonder: If this can happen in an historic NBA market like Seattle, couldn't it happen to my favorite team as well?

Hoops fans across the nation will sense a widening disconnect from team ownership and become apathetic about supporting a league that could show such contempt for fans. This move would signify the beginning of the end for a fan's league. The NBA may not recover from such a massive public relations disaster, as the league has recently struggled to reconnect to fans the way it did in the late 1980s and early 1990s.


2. Seattle is the Gateway to the Surging Asian Market

One of the highest rated NBA games this season was between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets - or the matchup of Chinese superstars Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian. Commissioner Stern opened the revenue floodgates by pouring NBA marketing dollars into China, and the country responded with record interest in the league. In December 2007, more than 200 million Chinese tuned in to watch the battle of its homeland stars, as 16 of 19 Chinese television stations carried the live broadcast in mainland China. [1]

Seattle is a leading center of Asian culture in the United States, with more than 507,000 Asian citizens (14.4% of the population)[2] contributing to the area's booming business, engineering and technology industries. Why would the league choose to uproot one of its primary gateways to the blossoming Asian market?

Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners established the international sports business model by marketing its Japanese star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to national and international success, but the potential revenue ceiling in China is significantly higher if the NBA takes advantage of its cornerstone Asian market in Seattle.

The league certainly won't gain any international revenue from having a team in Oklahoma City.


3. Seattle is a Superior Market to Oklahoma City

The following statistics demonstrate the advanced revenue potential of the Seattle market compared with the Oklahoma City market:

Population:[3]
o Greater Seattle: 3,524,000
o Greater OKC: 1,240,967

Median Family Income:[4]
o Seattle: $70,133
o OKC: $48,162

Seattle is consistently named as one of the best cities in America, and Forbes recently ranked it fourth among the Fastest Growing Cities in America,[5] with a 22.7% projected GMP growth by 2012. To abandon this market would be akin to moving the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks or Los Angeles Lakers to smaller cities. The league simply wouldn't be the same, and David Stern has already stated that Seattle will not get another team if the Sonics move under Bennett.[6]

Journalists across the nation published their disapproval of losing the Seattle market, repeatedly coming to the conclusion that "there is no conceivable way the NBA would benefit from having the Sonics move from the nation's 14th-largest market to the 45th. [7]"


4. Fans in Seattle Deserve a Chance to Keep Their Team

Clay Bennett and his Oklahoma City-based ownership group purchased the Sonics with the full intention of moving the team to Oklahoma City, as stated publicly by minority owner Aubrey McLendon.[8] This contradicts numerous public statements made by Bennett stating his desire to find a solution to keep the team in Seattle.

""[Clay Bennett and I] didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle, we hoped to come here [to Oklahoma City]," McLendon told the Oklahoma City Journal Record in August 2007. "We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even we'd be thrilled."

The NBA and its team owners should not settle for "just breaking even." Commissioner Stern fined McLendon $250,000 for these comments, but even more telling are the other dealings of this ownership group since purchasing the Sonics.

While asking for $400 million from taxpayers to build an exclusive, world-class arena in Renton − a Seattle area suburb located 12 miles south of the city and its season ticketholder base − the Bennett ownership group repeatedly touted the economic and community benefits of having an NBA team in the region.

Bennett's group even conducted its own economic feasibility study to convince legislators to vote for its last-minute arena proposal.[9]

Unfortunately, the proposal did not receive a vote after Bennett refused to provide key financial details deemed necessary by the legislature. Unlike Blazers and Seahawks owner Paul Allen, Bennett's plan did not include any stated investment from the team itself, leaving a huge gap in the feasibility of the proposal. Bennett then filed for relocation with the NBA, attempting to void the final two years of the team's lease at Seattle Center's Key Arena, which runs through 2010.

The city of Seattle filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Bennett in order to hold him to the Key Arena lease, and Bennett's group contradicted itself yet again in court, stating: "There will be no net economic loss if the Sonics leave Seattle."[10] Which is it, Clay?

The NBA should not look kindly upon one of its owners stating that its teams have no benefit to local communities.

While the Sonics current home, Key Arena, is the league's smallest venue, the city has expressed interest in re-working the terms of the lease and expanding the building to become a world-class venue. The city built Key Arena for $104 million in 1994 with 80% taxpayer-appropriated funds, following guidelines specifically approved by the NBA and team officials in the Ackerley ownership group, which said "[Key Arena] is going to be as good as any building in the NBA." And it was - for a few years, while the team perennially finished at the top of the Western Conference in front of sold out home crowds. [11]

It is simply unfortunate timing that other cities began building huge, more advanced arenas such as Chicago's United Center and Denver's Pepsi Center shortly thereafter, putting Key Arena behind the curve almost immediately after its construction. These and other new world-class arenas, however, were built using private funds or as a partnership between ownership and the city - something Bennett has declined to approach.

Despite the city's numerous attempts to reach out to Sonics ownership and broker a deal that works to keep the Sonics in Seattle, Bennett refused to even meet with Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels regarding any plan besides his own.

Adding insult to injury, Bennett & Co. decimated the Sonics chances to be successful on the court by trading its two All-Star players, fan favorites Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. These moves effectively ensured the team would be terrible, driving local fans out of the arena, intentionally minimizing revenues to facilitate relocation and making a mockery of the team. In 2007, Bennett's group fired Sonics legends Lenny Wilkins, Jack Sikma and Detlef Schrempf from their positions with the team, further distancing the current organization from anything that could be considered part of the Sonics celebrated past.

"They didn't give it a chance," former Sonic and current Celtic Ray Allen told the Chicago Tribune. "You need good veterans around to be successful. But it was a decision they made." [12]

On the same day the Sonics miraculously drew the second pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and the rights to prodigal forward Kevin Durant, Bennett was in Kansas City exploring arena options to move the team. He has no respect for the city of Seattle and its thousands of loyal Sonics fans.

It is now abundantly clear that Bennett only wanted to rob Sonics fans from the start, with no regard for the team's history and 41 years of support. A great NBA owner builds ties with the community; he doesn't sever them and then pour salt on the wounds.

When Mark Cuban purchased the struggling Dallas Mavericks in 2000, he invested heavily in the team and the city, building the franchise into a dominant force and a pillar of the community. Other NBA owners have also made sizable investments in their host communities, strategically developing political and business relationships to help secure public funding for arenas. Prior to filing for relocation, Bennett spent only a few months actively attempting to secure a local arena. During this period, he failed to evaluate the political landscape or engage the fan base, refusing to hold a single meeting with the Seattle mayor's office to discuss options within the Seattle city limits. Bennett never employed a local advertising agency, and he never took reasonable steps to convey a hopeful message to the general public and fans. The Sonics have not made even a pretense of looking for local options since May of 2007.

As business partners, it is appropriate for NBA owners to expect a somewhat equitable effort on the part of all parties. Owners in markets such as New Jersey, Sacramento and Orlando worked hard in recent attempts to secure venues, but Sonics ownership is attempting to shortcut the process and put its own interests above that of the league as a whole by engaging in a high publicized legal battle to void the final years of its lease. As part of this process, the Bennett ownership group has risked the goodwill of the fans and publicly stated that NBA teams bring no value to this community.

A legitimate local ownership group would be willing to work with the city and find a constructive solution to keep the Sonics in Seattle.


5. The New Orleans Hornets are Struggling to Survive

In the wake of the tragedy Hurricane Katrina inflicted upon the city of New Orleans, the Hornets were transplanted to Oklahoma City, where fans embraced the team for two seasons. As New Orleans rebuilds, the Hornets moved back to play at New Orleans Arena at the start of the 2007-08 season.

(Save Our Sonics would never want to deny New Orleans fans their team or encourage a Hornets move to save our own team. We do, however, see the need to present the following facts so NBA interests can make the most informed decision possible on this matter.)

At the time this letter was pressed, the Hornets held a record of 33-15, good for second best in the tough Western Conference. Yet the team is second to last in the league in attendance, drawing a meager 12,453 fans per game on average,[13] a number that is further inflated by free tickets given away within a business model that relies heavily on subsidies. This is a young, exciting team with an MVP candidate in Chris Paul, but the city cannot seem to rally behind them as it has for the NFL's Saints before and after Katrina.

The Hornets recently signed a lease that allows them to relocate after the 2009-2010 season if they fail to reach an average attendance benchmark of 14,735 through that portion of the contract.[14] At this rate, there is no doubt that attendance will be lower than this figure, and the Hornets will be looking for a new home in 2010, conveniently also when the Sonics lease at Key Arena officially expires.

The Sonics, by contrast, are the third worst team in the NBA at 13-36, yet they are only fifth-worst in attendance figures, averaging 13,476 fans despite widespread doubt that the team will even play in Seattle past 2008. This Sonics team, without its two recognizable All-Stars − and with out-of-town ownership insulting the community while publicly facilitating the OKC move ¬− still outdraws the Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Hornets on a nightly basis. More importantly, Key Arena is filled to 79.3% capacity each night versus 65.8% in New Orleans − this figure also puts the Sonics ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats (74.7%), Minnesota Timberwolves (77.8%), and New Jersey Nets (76.1%) in attendance.

Make no mistake about it: Seattle is a basketball city and Washington is a basketball state, with such NBA stars as Brandon Roy, Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Marvin Williams, Martell Webster, Luke Ridnour, Spencer Hawes, John Stockton, Detlef Schrempf, Michael Dickerson, Aaron Brooks and Doug Christie having grown up in the area. By voting to allow Seattle's longest running professional team to move, owners are denying themselves a city full of talent and potential billions in financial support. This is the city that set NBA attendance records by drawing more than 39,000 fans to a 1979 game in the Kingdome.[15] This is the city that rocked for the Sonics throughout the 1990s, as teams led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp dominated for much of the decade.

Recent NBA team moves and expansions to smaller markets have unequivocally failed financially (Vancouver to Memphis, Charlotte to New Orleans). If Oklahoma City has truly earned an NBA franchise, however, it makes sense to either grant it an expansion team (SOS's preferred solution) or move the Hornets, only since the latter is likely to move and already won the adoration of OKC fans.

The battle for the Sonics is still in U.S. District Court, which set a date of June 16, 2008 to hear the case - right in the middle of the NBA Finals. In light of recent scandals (Tim Donaghy and Malice at the Palace), the NBA cannot afford this bitter fight causing another public relations disaster, which would only soil its credibility and evoke outrage from disrespected fans around the nation. The NBA is a business, but this business can only be run with the full trust and support of its paying customers - the fans.

Please carefully consider the above arguments when casting your vote on the Seattle SuperSonics relocation issue. The facts are clear: Seattle has earned its team through decades of loyal support, and fans deserve more than Bennett has given them. If the involved parties swallow their pride and sit down at the negotiation table, a reasonable agreement to keep the team in Seattle can surely be reached. Key Arena is a beautiful venue for fans to watch basketball, and an efficient remodel can implement the proper revenue streams for ownership to profit financially in this top quality market.

Feel free to contact our organization with any questions on this matter. Vote "No" on a Sonics to Oklahoma City move this April. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincere regards,

Adam Brown - Brian Robinson - Steven Pyeatt
Media Advisor Co-Founder Co-Founder
(206) 919.3778 (206) 349.6447 (206) 276.6708

Ow, Yao

The Houston Rockets were the hottest team in the NBA, on a 12-game winning streak, on pace to make some noise in the amazingly competitive Western Conference while making my preseason predictions look good.

Then news breaks that Yao Ming has broken his foot again and is out for the season.

America's Unfaithful Faithful

Leave it to Time Magazine to come up with a catchy title.

CNN.com also covered the same story here.

Amongst the notable tidbits:

More than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all, the survey found. Factoring in moves from one stream or denomination of Protestantism to another, the number rises to 44 percent.

One in four adults ages 18 to 29 claim no affiliation with a religious institution.

The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey estimates the United States is 78 percent Christian and about to lose its status as a majority Protestant nation, at 51 percent and slipping.

Not surprisingly, the "nondenominational" churches are seeing the sharpest increases.

Quotable Shaq

Flexibility

Seattle's Sam Presti was the most active general manager before the NBA's trade deadline, shipping away Kurt Thomas, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West. The key to the Sonics trades were not the players they recieved in return, but rather the fact that they will be at least $26 million under the projected salary cap in 2009 and armed with six first-round picks and seven second-round choices in the next three drafts, as well as two trade exceptions totaling $5.1 million. This allows the Sonics to draft a series of players, some of which have to pan out, and throw some money at free agents in the offseason. They will probably parlay some of those picks and exemptions into acquiring a proven player or higher draft pick. While the arena situation in Seattle looks dire, at least it appears management knows what it is doing in regards to positioning themselves to build a good roster soon.

The Spurs received Kurt Thomas, who will be key in defending the tough big men in the west, keeping Duncan fresh. The Cavaliers received Ben Wallace and Delonte West, providing Lebron some help which may be enough for them to play with the Pistons and Celtics in the East. I am not a big fan of the Kidd deal, because Dallas gave up Devon Harris, a good young point guard who has a longer future than the aging Kidd, and DeSagna Diop, a much needed big man in the growing West. This season has seen all the western contenders bulk up with big centers and power forwards. While the rest of the conference got bigger and better, the Mavs went smaller, trading away a big body needed to bang with the likes of Shaq, Stoudemire, Boozer, Yao, Camby, Gasol, Bynum, Duncan.

The past ten days have been the craziest the NBA has ever seen in terms of big names being traded, all loading up for playoff runs for what has to be the most wide open race with the greatest number of legitimate championship contenders ever. Now the fun begins.

Andy

War and politics are two different things. That is why every now and then it is good to read something like this. Written by a soldier in the event of his death in Iraq, this will force you to count your blessings today.

Super Bowl of Print

In just one single issue, this magazine generates $40 million in advertising revenue, reaching 70 million "readers"



What is in this magazine, you ask? Sports and Sex. Duh.

When I grow up, I want to be Dwight Howard

Just Another Guy

For most guys, today is a day they dread, either in fear of disappointing or, well, disappointment. You are not going to understand why I post this on Valentine's Day until you get to the final punchline. The following is written by ESPN's Bill Simmons, hanging out at a previous NBA All-Star weekend:

Best Random Celebrity Moment Ever

So I'm leaving Jam Session on Saturday afternoon when Sully gives me the "Come to the Four Seasons, we're hanging out in the hotel bar drinking Bloody Marys" phone call. Well, I can't turn down that offer. Not ever. Within 10 minutes, I'm sitting right there with them. And we're hanging out and talking hoops, debating whether to stay for a second drink, when none other than Charles Oakley saunters into the bar with three lady friends, eventually settling at the table right next to us. As soon as Oakley orders a round of shots for his table, as well as a martini for himself, we decide to order a second round of drinks for ourselves. I mean, where else can you drink 5 feet away from the real-life Shaft?

Twenty minutes later? MJ shows up with two friends and stops the room cold. (That's right, two brushes with MJ in 36 hours.) At first, it seems like he's just saying hello, but then we realize he's sitting down. Eventually, they move him into the inside booth, then block him with chairs on both sides so nobody can bother him. (I like to call this the Chair Armada, since it's the exact same strategy that guys use in strip joints when they don't want to be continually approached by below-average strippers trying to pull the "Maybe if I sit right on his lap, he'll feel bad for me and get a lap dance" routine. The Chair Armada never fails.) When Oakley ordered more drinks, we ended up ordering food and drinks for our table. For all we knew, we were staying all afternoon.

(And we did: Our bar bill ended up being like $400. Back to the story.)

Things kept rolling along. People kept walking over to say hello to MJ, pay tribute to him, kiss his ring ... it's almost like he's the real-life Michael Corleone (with Oakley as his Luca Brasi). At one point, his longtime agent David Falk sat about 30 feet away, waiting for an invite, finally giving up and coming over to say hello. (Falk asked MJ, "How late did you stay out last night?" followed by MJ casually saying "7:30," as we nodded admiringly.) And the drinks kept coming and coming and, occasionally, Oakley would get up and saunter around just to stretch his legs and look cool as I made comments like, "I wish you could rent Oak for parties." At one point, he was thinking about ordering food, stood up, looked over at all of us eating, noticed Rich's cheeseburger, asked if it was a cheeseburger, asked if it was good, kept glancing at it, kept glancing at it ... and I swear, we were all waiting for Oak to say the words, "Oak wants your cheeseburger, and he wants it now." But he didn't. He ended up ordering one himself. Too bad.

Well, two hours pass. Everyone finishes eating. The cigars come out. And I'm sitting there saying, "There's no way that the cards aren't coming out soon. It's impossible. MJ has never sat this long in one place without the cards coming out."

While we were waiting for that moment, just to make a strange afternoon stranger, I walked over to Elgin Baylor's table and talked about the Clips with him for 10 minutes (we're getting along these days -- that's a whole other story). And when I returned, the cards emerged, just as I predicted -- they started playing a game called "Bid Wist," a form of spades that's popular among NBA players, with Oakley and MJ teaming up against two of their friends. We got to see MJ's legendary competitive streak in action. He was trash-talking nonstop, snickering sarcastically, cackling with every good card, badgering his opponents to the point that I actually thought one of them would start crying. This wasn't Corporate MJ, the one you and I know. This was Urban MJ, the one that comes out for the black Super Bowl. We never get to see this one.

And I'm sitting there dying. For one thing, I love cards and have a gambling problem. Also, what would be a greater story than Sully and me getting winners against Oak and MJ? Sure, there wasn't a chance in hell, but it was fun to imagine. Meanwhile, the day kept getting stranger and stranger. Around 6, Shaquille O'Neal showed up with his posse, wearing a four-piece suit that caused MJ to joke, "I'm glad you're living up to the responsibility of the dress code." A little bit later, Bucks assistant Lester Conner showed up wearing a red sweatshirt with a giant Jordan logo on it .... when do you run into someone when you're randomly wearing their clothes? And MJ kept getting louder and louder, and he and Oakley were cleaning up, and we're all watching them while pretending not to watch, and then suddenly ...

MJ's wife shows up.

Uh-oh.

Everyone makes room for her. She sneaks in and sits down right next to him. And poor MJ looks like somebody who took a no-hitter into the ninth, then gave up a triple off the left-field wall. The trash-talking stops. He slumps in his seat like a little kid. The cigar goes out. No more hangin' with the boys. Time to be a husband again. Watching the whole thing unfold, I lean over to Sully just to say, "Look at that, he's just like us."

And he was. Just your average guy getting derailed by his wife. For once in my life, I didn't want to be like Mike.

1950s

Wow, how times have changed...

The following is from a 1950's home economics textbook intended for high school girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life:

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

• Be happy to see him.

• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

• Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

• A good wife always knows her place.

The Leno Monologue

Those who thought the writers’ strike would bring down Leno misunderstood the power of his limitations:

One night, Bill Maher called Leno “virtually the only person I know … who could write an entire monologue by himself”—which sounded ridiculously overblown at the time, but on further reflection might actually be true.

By all accounts, Leno works on monologues obsessively—seven days a week, in the middle of the night, in comedy clubs, and on his days off. More than any other comic, he has devoted his life to that opening blitz of rapid-fire topical groaners. It’s his signature achievement. The Leno monologue is always impressively long and covers lots of ground. On a recent night, before he sat down at his desk, he told jokes about 24 different subjects, from botany to Britney to the production of Japanese electricity. Letterman covered only five.

Pundits who thought the strike would cripple Leno misunderstood something fundamental about his art: His act is already essentially crippled. Real stand-up comedy is famously time-intensive; it converts months of solid work into minutes of material, and its tiniest successes depend on superhumanly precise calibrations of tone, pace, and gesture—a discipline antithetical to the relentless, workaday schedule of a talk show. A monologue is, by definition, wounded comedy. We should assess late-night hosts, then, not by their rare bursts of excellence but by how they cope with mediocrity. Leno and Letterman both, at this point, deal mainly in terrible jokes. The question for viewers is what attitude—what existential garnish—do you want on top of them?

Volleyball

I found myself at a UC Irvine - USC college volleyball game on Friday night. For a sport very few of us have truly appreciate, I have to say it was quite entertaining.

UCI raised their national championship banner before the match, in a ceremony featuring the mayor and chacellor making speeches. In what I found to be a very classless act, Trojan head coach Bill Ferguson went over to the refs and said, "we want to play" motioning for them to rush the ceremony. While I understand that his players, were getting antsy standing around doing nothing after stetching and warming up for the past two hours, that is not something he should have done. Sure, the ceremony was of little interest to a visiting team. But coming from a school with such a rich tradition and appreciation of championship level sports, you would think the opposing team would show some respect for the home team's celebration of what they rightfully earned.

By the way, UC Irvine went on to sweep USC, 3-0.

Berkeley protesting Marines

Berkeley's liberal weiners are at it again, this time protesting against American Marines recruiting in their city. This brings up a very interesting philosophical debate within America:

• One side: "The Marine Corps is here to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, which does guarantee the freedom of speech...In terms of the situation in Berkeley, the City Council and the protesters are exercising their right to do so."

• In retaliation, a group of Republican lawmakers have introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008 -- named after the Marine motto -- to rescind more than $2 million of funds for Berkeley and transfer it to the Marine Corps.
  "Like most Americans, I really get disturbed when taxpayer money goes to institutions which proceed to take votes, make policy or make statements that really denigrate the military," said Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, a co-sponsor of the bill.

shq to phx

The Miami Heat have traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns for Shaun Marion and Marcus Banks. As always, the commentary on this is endless so I will avoid adding to it. Of course, no one knows for sure how well this trade will work out, but I am leaning towards Scoop Jackson's side.

Super Tuesday

Enough about the presidential primaries, yesterday was all about the NBA. Pau Gasol made an impressive debut in his new Laker uniform, dropping 24 and 12 in New Jersey. Random thoughts on the suddenly relevant Lakers:

• This is a championship contending team. Enough said. Every now and then Stu Lantz will actually say something I do not already know, and last night he pointed out how the Lakers had four starters scoring in double figures in their 15 point win, and Kobe Bryant was not even one of them.

• Pau showed off his post skills very well, but more impressively showed his passing skills. He connected with Radmanovic, Kobe, and Walton several times, amazing considering it was only their first game together.

• Of course, getting Andrew Bynum back will only make the Lakers more dangerous. The twin towers are going to be a force inside, but look for Gasol to play more high post and Bynum more low post. I also think Phil should start and finish the games with them together, but not so much thoughout the game. That is, rest one seven footer while always keeping the other one in the game.

• On offense, having the twin towers drawing so much attention is going to open up so many opportunities for the perimeter players: Kobe of course, but more specifically shooters and slashers Jordan Farmar, Vladimir Radmanovic, Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton and company.

• On defense, having the twin towers is going to limit what opposing offenses can do. We have already seen how effective Bynum was alone; imagine having two seven footers anchoring the basket. Gone are the days of the Tony Parkers, Steve Nashs, Chris Pauls, Deron Williams, penetrating to the hoop for easy baskets. They may still drive in the paint, but will have to deal with two towers contesting their shots.

• The biggest winner in the trade: Lamar Odom. LO gets to play more of the small forward position when the twin towers are in together, which is a matchup nightmare for many opposing teams. He is relieved of the pressure of being the Lakers second best player. With the emergence of Bynum and acquisition of Gasol, he becomes the Lakers fourth option. Lamar Odom was consistently given space last night, and took advantage attacking the rim and getting to the line 13 times. He had 14, 15, and 5 only on four field goal attempts. That is efficiency folks.

• Is Kobe a genius or an idiot?
• He may be a genius, because after all the trade demand hoopla and parking lot video nonsense, at the end of the day, he got what he wanted: the acquisition of an all-star. Kobe now has Gasol and Bynum thanks to Kupchak and Buss. Management listened to his whining and delivered. Now it is on him to win a playoff series.
• He may be an idiot. Remember, Kobe wanted Bynum to be traded. Then he wanted to be traded away. Then Bynum emerged as a 20/10 stud and Kobe is on one of the league's top teams, on a roster he wanted no part of just a few short months ago.

• Pau needs a haircut and a shave. That caveman look may get by in Tennessee, but this is Hollywood, baby. Just ask Radmanovic and Vujacic.

XLII

Best Super Bowl Ever.

The once undefeated New England Patriots were stunned by the New York Giants in a thrilling game that was only decided in the final minute of a crazy fourth quarter that featured three lead changes, erasing any doubt to the fact that cheaters never prosper.

The commentary and analysis on this game and its fallout are endless, so I will avoid repeating the same stuff you can get elsewhere and just try to point out a few quirky things:

• Cheaters never prosper. The Patriots cheating and still losing is like if you cheat on your huge midterm exam, ace it, but then fail the final exam at the end of the term and consequently fail the class. The Patriots cheated, aced the regular season, but then ultimately failed their final exam, in the Super Bowl.


• Peyton Manning was shown quite a few times during FOX's telecast, sitting alone in the corner of a suite. Where was the rest of the Manning family?


• The curse of the hot girlfriend. Jessica Simpson shows up, Tony Romo plays poorly and loses. Giselle shows up, Tom Brady plays poorly and loses.


• A buddy of mine brilliantly compared these 2006 Patriots choking to the 2004 Lakers. Those Lakers also were crowned in the offseason after signing Gary Payton and Karl Malone, and also stormed through the regular season and playoffs. After they defeated the Spurs thanks to Derek Fisher's infamous 0.4 shot, everyone thought it was a given that they would win the Finals. Instead, the Detroit Pistons stunned the Lakers, who with four future hall of famers players had to be one of the most disappointing NBA teams of all time.


• I do not understand how Randy Moss can score 23 touchdowns during the regular season, and only ONE during the entire playoffs. Moss was burning double and triple coverage all year long, so whatever head coach Tom Coughlin and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo came up with worked brilliantly, and they will be rewarded.


• This game further proves that the regular season practically means nothing, and that sports is all about confidence and momentum. Whoever gots hot and rolling when it counts ends up being champions.

More Patriot Cheating

An unnamed source has claimed a New England Patriots employee secretly videotaped the St. Louis Rams' pregame walk-through the day before Super Bowl XXXVI, the Boston Herald reported Saturday.

The next day, the Patriots upset the favored Rams 20-17 for their first Super Bowl championship. New England will play the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday in a bid to become the first NFL team to finish a season 19-0.

Spygate Tapes

In amidst of all the Super Bowl hype this weekend, have you noticed it seems that everyone has forgotten that the almighty Patriots were caught cheating this season?

The tapes turned into the NFL were mysteriously destroyed, and while there was plenty of controversy at the time, watching ESPN and reading sports columns all day I rarely hear or see any mentions about the fact that the Patriots cheated. When Spygate is mentioned, it is simply done so to emphasize how Bill Bilichick and the Patriots used it as motivation.

As the Patriots solidify their status as the best team in the history of football on Super Sunday, Congress is stepping in to challenge the NFL's destruction of the tapes that proved the Patriots were cheaters. Because the tapes were destroyed, we do not know how much those tapes helped the Patriots gain an advantage over their opposition. That is, we do not know the extent of the cheating. But we do know that the NFL did not want anyone to know. Hmm.

Now, I am glad to see someone remember Spygate and challenge it. But Congress? I thought we have a war going on, the threat of terrorism, chaos in the Middle East, an economy in recession, a devaluing dollar, a rapidly growing trade deficit, severe lack of healthcare and social security, housing and energy crises, and a tight presidential race that could be decided by something shady again. Kudos to Congress for finding the time to challenge some long gone football tapes.

Pumped up by a Piano

Sonics top Spurs

Yes, that headline is correct. It is no mistake. The Seattle Sonics snapped their 14 game losing streak against the defending champions, the San Antonio Spurs. I felt the way the Sonics celebrated only their 10th win of the season was as if they had just won a championship. I know this because rookie phenom Kevin Durant said, "It felt like we won a championship." Jokes aside, although the Spurs were without Tony Parker, rumor had it that their head coach Greg Popovich may have simply felt bad for his former assistant and current Sonics head coach P.J. Carlisemo and threw his buddy a badly needed win.

More importantly though, what does this say about the San Antonio Spurs? The champs are in cruise control, bouncing about in the bottom half of the western conference standings, and in third place in their own division. While the Spurs may just simply flip the switch and turn it on come playoff time, they definitely need to have their big three completely healthy to compete in the wildly competitive West.

Nail Brady

You know you want to.

The Smarter Sex

Newsweek has a very interesting read on a series of studies of IQ tests between males and females. Nothing overwhelming or groundbreaking is said here, but it does confirm my belief that the dumbest and smartest people on both end of the spectrum are men. The article goes on to say that women underestimate themselves while men have large egos. But you already knew that.

Mo Manning, Mo Money

Check out this article that made the front page of CNN Money.

According to Sports Illustrated, Peyton Manning pulled down a cool $11 million from sponsors thanks to his Super Bowl appearance last year. This article says that little brother Eli Manning has an opportunity to top that in the behemoth that is New York City, even though he is unlikely to win the game.

With the large markets of New England and New York competing in the big game, a 30-second commercial on FOX on Super Sunday is going for an average rate of $2.7 million, or $90,000 per second.

Remember the Seahawks

From ESPN's Hashmarks by Matt Mosley:

The Patriots have made it to town, but the Giants decided to spend an extra day in New York. They'll be arriving this afternoon. In case you haven't heard, Giants coach Tom Coughlin made a big production the other day about how no one remembers who loses the Super Bowl.

"Who lost the Super Bowl two years ago?" he asked his players.

It apparently took them a few minutes to come up with the Seahawks. His point is obvious: Let's not be satisfied with qualifying for the Super Bowl.

Coughlin's feeling a lot better since regaining most of the feeling in his face following the NFC Championshp Game. And yes, doctors were able to save his nose.

where amazing happens.

So I woke up today with absolutely nothing to do. This is a very awkward Sunday, the first Sunday without football in six months. Of course, the geniuses of the NBA decided to unleash a great doubleheader on this weekend in between Championship Sunday and the Super Bowl next week.

So I watched as the Boston Celtics visited the Orlando Magic in a matchup of two division leaders in the Eastern conference, as Rajon Rondo impressed me with his annoyingly good defense and quick plays, Dwight Howard dominated the paint, Rashard Lewis and Brian Cook (!) lead the Magic on a third quarter run, Ray Allen breaks out of his cold slump in time to hit three huge three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to lead a comeback, and Hedo Turkolu chucks up a prayer at the buzzer to break the tie and win the game.

I watched as the Cleveland Lebr-er, Cavaliers visited the Los Angeles Kob-er, Lakers. How great is the NBA's marketing in that they pit the top two basketball players in the world against each other on a perfect day to do so? Again, we saw another wild back and forth matchup that came down to the final possession.

The NBA is uncharateristically wide open, with Boston, Detroit, Orlando, and Cleveland each having realistic chances to represent the East, while the West is even more wide open with the top ten teams within seven games of each other. With the NFL practically in offseason mode already with one game to play, the NBA is about to hit their peak with the all-star game and the playoff race. Throw in a couple great games, and today I remember why I love this game.

One Second

It has sure been a while, and there have been a ton of thoughts and links I have wanted to share but never quite got around to it. But speaking of getting caught up in the things that are not as important in life, this article will touch you to the point where you should reprioritize everything. Remember to spend time with your family, folks. Everything else comes and goes, but we stick with our family forever.

Christmas for Sports Geeks

Championship Sunday!

The Patriots 21-12 victory over the Chargers came despite a three interception day from a banged up Tom Brady, while the even more banged up Chargers settled for four field goals without their top two redzone performers in LT and Gates fully healthy.

The Giants 23, Packers 20 game at Lambaeu was just something else. A temperature of NEGATIVE TWO degrees with a wind chill of NEGATIVE TWENTY FOUR. My freezer is a temperature of -10. That is, the players would have been better off playing in gigantic freezer. It was warmer in the North Pole, which was well into positive temperature. Of course, there was a helluva game played, which ended in overtime after a Brett Favre interception led to a 47-yard field goal after the Giants missed their previous two potential game winners.

The analysis on this great day in sports is endless, so I am not even going to bother adding to it. Rather, just know that if you could only choose one day out of the year to watch football, today was it.

Bolts Shock Colts

With Philip Rivers and LT going down with injuries, Billy Volek and Darren Sproles led the way as the San Deigo Super Chargers stunned the defending champions in Indianapolis, 28-24.

I thought the Seahawks could win...

Twins Marry

This would make a great Bollywood flick.

Oh Matt, you so funny 7

From the Seattle Times' Jerry Brewer:

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck plans to have some fun with Holmgren's return. Earlier this week, when asked if he knew Holmgren had his own street, Hasselbeck said, "Holmgren Way? I think there's a Hooters there, isn't there? I'm trying to get a T-shirt that says 'Hooters on Holmgren.' That'd be awesome."

On Thursday, I visited the Hooters for lunch and to see if any of those T-shirts existed. While I was eating, Hasselbeck called the restaurant and asked if someone could get 40 "Hooters on Holmgren" shirts printed. A manager said he'd make the order right away.

Well, that's one way of preserving a legacy.

Pull of FNL

Exactly one year ago I declared NBC's Friday Night Lights the best show on television. It has been a pleasant surprise that the show is surviving, and considering that it keeps on getting better, people are starting to take notice.

Esquire's Chuck Klosterman writes:

Friday Night Lights is such a brilliant, effective TV show that -- sometimes -- I don’t enjoy watching it. Very often, I will feel on the verge of tears throughout an entire episode; it is the most emotionally manipulative show ever made. Part of it has to do with its brilliant use of music; if you play Explosions in the Sky loud enough, the process of hanging drywall can be a life-altering experience. But the larger reason Friday Night Lights is so moving is the way it taps into all the conservative impulses most mediacentric intellectuals try to ignore. The show’s moral code is so traditional and pure that it borders on cliché. It’s reactionary in the best possible way.

LSU

The Louisiana State University finally got the opportunity to win the BCS national championship, and did so decisively in its own back yard, handily defeating Ohio State 38-24. Unfortunately, the BCS title game has yet to ever live up to the hype, leaving everyone to complain about how the college football championship system remains severely flawed.

Seahawks 35, Redskins 14

I never really knew why they called it Wild Card weekend. I think I now know.

• All eight teams played this past weekend led at some point in their single elimination playoff showdowns. The Seahawks and Jaguars had to come from behind in the fourth quarter Saturday while the Giants and Chargers gave up early scores before taking control and advancing.
• The Seahawks were up 13-0 after three quarters of utter dominance. While the banged up Matt Hasselbeck was not his best, the defense was pressuring Todd Collins to the point where he was completely ineffective.
• In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks defense decided to ease back on the blitzes that were so effective, allowing Collins to execute a touchdown drive. Hasselbeck started to press and forced a couple throws, and an interception resulted in another Collins touchdown pass. 14-13, just like that.
• The ensuing kickoff featured the ball getting caught in the wind. Nate Burleson and Josh Wilson both misjudged the kickoff, and the ball sailed over both their heads, where the Redskins recovered and appeared to be well on their way to scoring an unbelievable 21 consecutive points in a mere five minutes. Thankfully, by rule, the ball is dead at the point of recovery. The Seahawks defense made yet another stand, and the Redskins missed the field goal.
• The missed chip shot turned out to be a big swing in momentum, as Hasselbeck stormed down the field and hit DeAndre James Hackett on a play that they had never run before for the go-ahead touchdown. Marcus Pollard catcheds the two-point conversion. 21-14, Seattle.
• Now that he is down with time running out, Collins starts to force passes. Marcus Trufant picks off a pass that sails in the air. Santana Moss could have made the tackle and kept their hopes alive but he gave up on the play and Trufant makes a couple cool jukes and returns it 78 yards for the score to seal the win. Jordan Babineaux adds another pick-six to make it a 21-point victory. Yes, I know the irony is incredible.
• Much of the story before and after the game was the Redskins rallying together after the death of stud starting safety Sean Taylor, number 21.
• But now the story becomes Mike Holgren, Matt Hasselbeck, and the Seattle Seahawks traveling to Lambeau Field in Green Bay to take on Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.
• The first thing Matt Hasselbeck said when he came to the podium at the post game press conference was, "I'll just say it right now. We want the ball, and we're gonna score," cracking a smile. The room burst into laughter.

Puncher's Chance

Let's say the Seahawks beat the Skins, and then, in Round 2, somebody shocks the Cowboys and Favre completely self-destructs. Seattle can't win consecutive road games against 13-3 teams, but a home-road-home run isn't impossible, right? By the way, this feels like the 27th straight year that the poor Seattle fans have talked themselves into the whole, "I know we're not that good, but if X happens, and Y happens, and Z happens, we might be able to sneak into the Super Bowl!" It's becoming a January tradition right up there with Vince Carter getting hurt and Fox kicking off a new season of "American Idol."

- ESPN's Bill Simmons

2007 Year in Review

Time indeed flies by. Check out the 2006 review here.

January

• Florida upsets Ohio State to win the BCS Championship Game.
• Where were you when Tony Romo dropped the ball?
• In what may have been the most overhyped story, David Beckham signs with the LA Galaxy for a supposed $250 million.
• Allen Iverson is traded to the Denver Nuggets.
• The Chargers hand a playoff game to the Patriots, then say that they will retain Marty as head coach before later firing him and replacing him with Norv Turner. We are still waiting to see how this plays out.
• 24 debuts its worst season by nuking Santa Clarita.
• Championship Sunday never fails to dissappoint. Colts 38, Pats 34 in a instant classic.

February

• Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17
• The NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas turns out to be a disaster.

March

• The most lucrative NFL free agency signing period kicks off, with most teams having tens of millions of dollars to throw at players under the new collective bargaining agreement and high salary cap.

April

• The Florida Gators defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes for the national championship...again. This time in basketball, of course.
• Looking back on the NFL Draft, the biggest move had nothing to do with any rookie as it was the Patriots trading a fourth round pick for Randy Moss in the steal of the century.

May

• The Golden State Warriors stun the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, as a number 8 seed upsets a number one seed in the NBA Playoffs for the first time in a seven game series.
• The Chicago Bulls sweep the Miami Heat in the first round.
• Portland and Seattle win the top two picks (Greg Oden and Kevin Durant) in the NBA Draft lottery.
• Steve Nash's bloody nose became the perfect image to represent an intense playoff series between the Suns and Spurs. In a later game, Robert Horry's hard foul on Nash caused Stoudemire and Diaw to run off the bench, resulting in costly suspensions that may have cost them the series and championship.
• Kobe Bryant goes on ESPN radio and demands a trade from the Lakers.

June

• LeBron James singlehandedly beats the Detroit Pistons in another stunning playoff series upset, bringing his Cavs to the NBA Finals.
• The San Antonio Spurs sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in route to their fourth NBA championship.
• The Anaheim Ducks win the Stanley Cup. I live in Orange County, and no one seemed to really notice, let alone care.
• The NBA Draft is also highlighted by a couple of superstar trades, as the Boston Celtics acquire Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in the same week.

July

• Tim Donaghy betting scandal.
• Michael Vick dogfighting scandal.
• Steroids in baseball scandal.

August

• Harry Potter lives!
• Barry Bonds sets the home run record with number 756

September

• Spygate: The Patriots are exposed and punished as cheaters as they begin to route opponents every week.

October

• The Boston Red Sox sweep the Colorado Rockies to win the World Series.

November

• Super Bowl 41.5: Patriots 41, Colts 31. The talk of the Pats going undefeated suddenly gets serious.

December

• The New England Patriots become the first to finish the NFL season 16-0.

Are the Lakers for real?

J.A. Adande says so.

Orlando

It has been a while, and there is a ton of newsworthy topics I could address on my return home.

I choose to focus on a particular portion of my trip to Orlando, Florida at Epcot Center in Disney World. It was while walking by a Mickey Christmas show in which I heard the lyric "a savior is born" in concert. I must admit that I was quite surprised to hear these great words that are synonymous with the upcoming Christmas holiday. It has become a old cliche, but the true meaning of Christmas has gotten lost in the midst of the commercialism, materialism, and overall business of the holiday season. And yet I was to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas at Disney World, of all places. Well now, that is really something.

On a side note, if you have not been to Disney World, you need to go. Everyone, no matter what their age, must someday shell out and experience it.

I was not going to pass up a chance to see the up and coming Orlando Magic while there, so a couple of notes on their game against Utah:

• The most overheard statement in the NBA is "Dwight Howard is a beast!" The thing is that he really is one, and you appreciate that a lot more in person up close. The guy can literally go up and grab the ball 13 feet in the air without breaking a sweat.
• Carlos Boozer is also a beast. I mean, he is one strong man who you do not want to bump into in a dark alley. He just has that look, like "you do not want to mess with me, or even give me the wrong look or else I am going to kick your ass." The guy who I wisely picked No.1 in my fantasy league has not disappointed, and impressed me with his aggressiveness and strength in bullying defenders on his way to the basket, leading the Utah Jazz to a big road victory.
• Carlos BOOZEr and Ronnie BREWER are on the same team. And they live and play in Salt Lake City, Utah. You cannot make this stuff up.
• Reason #620 why NBA games are so much better in person: Dwight Howard did the Soldier Boy dance during pregame warmups.
• J.J. Redick got a loud ovation from the crowd when he finally entered the game in the fourth quarter. Then you could sense the anticipation as he made a sweet play for a layup and spotted up for a three. The rookie is such a fan favorite, it is a wonder why he does not get more playing time.
• The Magic are a good team, and will likely remain at the top of the East. This is not just because they are so good, but rather because there is no one else. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkulo are good scorers, but they should not be anyone's primary playmakers like they are currently in Orlando. They both were ineffective in the fourth quarter, and until the Magic develop some type of go-to playmaker guy who can take over in pressure situations in crunch times, they will fall in the intense playoffs.
• For $118 million, Rashard Lewis cannot play defense and should not disappear in the fourth quarter.
• No one can stop Dwight Howard, just like no one could stop Shaq in his prime. Howard has yet to learn how to pass out of double and triple teams, and his jump shot is still developing. But he is on pace to become a future hall of famer and finish as one of the greatest big men of all time.

This is the point in which I am supposed to crack some corny/hilarious (depending on your mood/) jokes regarding the whole Jessica Simpson with Tony Romo and Terrell Owens (!?) love debacle before launching into a classic tirade about the sadness of Jamie Lynn Spears' teenage pregnancy and how it is representative of the overall decline in America's moral standards. But you already knew that.

So I was sorting through my batch of e-mails over the past week, and decided that these few great links sent from a couple even greater friends were too hilarious to pass up.

The 10 Funniest Charles Barkley Moments From Inside The NBA

Paul Brogan Video Log #2 - Suggestions for President

Paul Brogan Video Log #3 - Holiday Hos

Scandalous Sonics

Sam Smith writes a column for MSNBC blasting Seattle Sonics management. Essentially, the new ownership group blew up the franchise, trading away its top two star players in the hopes of cutting costs and investing for a better team in the years to come, when the team will probably be in Oklahoma by then. Mean, but brilliant.

Hopefully, someone will try to Save Our Sonics, like Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Balmer.

Everett Walks

This is such a great story to hear:

Kevin Everett is walking on his own at a Houston rehab center, the latest significant progress by the Buffalo Bills tight end in his remarkable recovery from a serious spinal cord injury.

Read more...

Oh Matt, you so funny 6

The NFL is doing commercials of 240 players, and they have recorded interviews asking players when they knew they arrived in the NFL. Matt Hasselbeck does not quite answer the exact question, but he sure is funny.

MNF: Patriots 27, Ravens 24

There was a lot I wanted to write about last night's MNF classic, but ESPN.com's Page 2 writer Greg Easterbrook did it all on his weekly Tuesday Morning Quarterback column:

What was Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan trying to do, ice the snapper? Baltimore led New England 24-20 with 1:48 remaining, and the Patriots were facing fourth-and-1; New England rushed up to the line to quick-snap, as the Patriots often do on fourth-and-1; the Ravens' defense expected a quick snap, was in position, and stopped the runner for a loss. Game over, Baltimore wins! But seemingly one second before the snap, Ryan called a timeout, so the play didn't count. Why did Ryan call a timeout? Beats me, the Ravens were in perfect position. New England ran another fourth-and-1 play and again lost yardage -- again it appeared as though Baltimore had won the game. But the zebras called a false start, a penalty that cannot be declined. (The whistle sounds on a false start, and the whistle ends the play.) New England converted on fourth-and-6. Then, four snaps later, Tom Brady threw incomplete on fourth down, and for the third time it appeared Baltimore had won! But the zebras called defensive holding, and you know what happened after that.

After the game, several Ravens complained that the officials -- who called 13 penalties against Baltimore, four against New England -- favored the Patriots. Losing teams often claim that the officials favored the winners; was there favoritism here? The defensive holding on fourth down with 55 seconds remaining was inarguable; the officials had to flag it. Ravens nickelback Jamaine Winborne theatrically removed his helmet after the call, and the officials could have flagged him for that, but they did not. But after Jabar Gaffney caught the touchdown pass that put the Flying Elvii in the lead with 44 seconds left, the zebras flagged Ravens linebacker Bart Scott twice for unsportsmanlike conduct -- once when he said something to an official and a second time when he picked up the flag and hurled it into the crowd. This was a stupid, stupid move. The very rare double-unsportsmanlike conduct penalty essentially awarded the game to New England; adding the encroachment penalty on the PAT, the Patriots kicked off from the Baltimore 35, drilling an easy touchback and preventing Baltimore's strong return game from creating good field position for the Ravens' final drive. The officials are not unaware of New England's record, and the widespread belief -- regardless whether this belief is grounded in fact -- is that the league wants the Patriots to finish undefeated. Excessively penalizing Baltimore in the final minute, in a manner that strongly aided New England, was at best a lapse by the officiating crew and at worst strange.

Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle said after the game that head linesman Phil McKinnely repeatedly called him "boy" in the game's closing minutes, a racial insult when spoken by a white person to an African-American. From the sound of things, Rolle was jawing with McKinnely, which even a veteran player such as Rolle should not do. But officials should never jaw with or insult players, either. If McKinnely did use a racial insult against Rolle, during the same game-deciding moments when the officials were favoring New England (so far, McKinnely has not commented on this), that would have been highly unprofessional and would call into question whether the officiating crew was neutral.

These things said, Baltimore has itself to blame for the loss -- or perhaps, New England has its superior line play to credit for the win.

Plus, add in that Baltimore was outcoached in this game, which has happened a lot this season. In the high-pressure final two minutes, three Ravens (Scott, Rolle and Winborne) lost their cool, while no Patriot lost his cool; that's good coaching by New England and bad coaching by Baltimore. Not only did Baltimore defensive coordinator Ryan call the strange timeout that erased what would have been the game-winning down, but New England moved 73 yards in 15 plays on its final drive, and on 12 of those 15 plays, Baltimore rushed only three. Three-man rushes can work if they are a change-up tactic; if you rush three for down after down, a good quarterback like Brady will eat your defense for lunch. In effect, the Ravens went into the prevent defense at the 3:30 mark, and it's well-established that the only thing the prevent defense prevents is punts. This bad tactical decision by Ryan was doubly vexing because New England's touchdown to tie the score at 17 in the third quarter also came against a three-man rush, so it's not as though the look was working.

Week 13: Lofa Tatupu!

Seattle Seahawks 28, Philadelphia 24 - Lofa Tatupu intercepted A.J. Feely THREE times, including one to end the Eagles potentially game winning drive to finish the game in the final seconds. The USC alum has been the best defensive player for the Hawks, who have quietly won four consecutive games.

UPDATE: Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was asked what did he say to Tatupu after the game saving interception:

“I said I think you are our leading receiver today. He asked if he could take another week off, because he did not practice this week because of an injury. I said 'No, I love you and thank you for the win but you are practicing next week.'”

Paul Allen

Sports Illustrated has a great feature of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. We often read about Bill Gates and his wealth, so it is quite a nice change to see how fellow billionaire Paul Allen handles his cash, most notably with the purchases of the NBA's Portland TrailBlazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

Leno Writers Fired?

Everyone who knows anything about me knows about my love for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, with its comedic approach in updating its viewers about what is going on in the mainstream world of politics and pop culture. We finally found out what is going on with Leno and the writers' strike here, but as usual be advised that as with most news now a days, the actual truth is skewed and unknown. The way I interpret the details of the strike, it seems the writers are justified in going after a bigger piece of the pie that they are so heavily involved in producing anyway. Whatever the case, the bottom line is that the writers strike is eventually going to start hurting everyone, from those without jobs to the corporations losing ratings, down to the viewers as we lose our shows in the next month or so. Late night television was the first to go, and soon big time shows such as 24 are going to have to be postponed or canceled all together.

This has to happen at an Indian Wedding

Week 12: Thankful for Botched Snaps

Seattle 24, St. Louis 19 - I am very thankful for friends, family, food, and football. But I this holiday weekend, I was especially thankful for the above botched snap. Eleven months after Tony Romo's fumble cost the Cowboys a playoff win and sent the Seahawks to the next round, the Blue Man Group was about to lose again before yet another botched snap, this time on 4th and goal in St. Louis. It was yet another crazy divisional game between the Seahawks and Rams, filled with interceptions, fumbles, returns, injuries, and huge plays. Somehow these two rivals always give us a great game that goes down to the final minute.

New England 31, Philadelphia 28 - After New England survived what could have been the NFL’s upset of the century last Sunday Night against A.J. Feely and the Philadelphia Eagles, there are two completely different ways this could turn out. One, as John Madden pointed out, is that suddenly the blueprint to beat the suddenly mortal Patriots is out. Perhaps the Patriots have been exposed and are indeed beatable. On the other hand, Bill Billichick will definitely use this to add to the enormous pile of motivation that the Pats already have been burning off of, and they can resume torching teams on their way to the perfect season.

Thanksgiving weekend was filled with great sports, highlighted by the NFL of course. The Monday Night game in Pittsburgh was ruined by the rain and a terrible field, and what could have been a scoreless tie was broken late in the fourth as the Steelers snuck away with a disgusting yet entertaining 3-0 win. Elsewhere, Peyton finally got to watch Eli in person, but the Vikings picked him off four times, including three picksixes in a 41-17 beatdown. Denver decided to kick to Devin Hester, who scored two touchdowns after fumbling his first return as the Bears topped the Bronocs in overtime, 37-34. San Diego finally got the passing game going, 32-14 over Baltimore. Finally, Kurt Warner threw for a career high 484 yards in a wacky game against the lowly 49ers. The Cardinals made the game-winner in overtime, but a delay of game penalty forced a retry that missed. Then Warner got sacked and fumbled in his own endzone, and San Francisco recovered to end the game, 37-31.

How to Beat (up) Brady

What in the (bleep) did I tell y'all

Kevin Durant hit his first ever game winning shot at the buzzer in Atlanta last night to give the Sonics their second win of the season in a 126-123 double overtime thriller. While Damien Wilkens also shined in his homecoming, dropping a career high 41 points as his father and uncle watched, it was Durant who has now proved himself worthy of the hype. While the Sonics are going nowhere this season (except for maybe Oklahoma) they have gotten their first winning streak going. Most importantly, last night showed that KD is coming on fast as the NBA's next superstar.

Adande: Save our Sonics

My man J.A. Adande checks in with an informative piece about what the NBA should do regarding the arena situation in Seattle, pointing to the Hornets' lack of attendence in New Orleans. While the Sonics are seemingly destined to move to Oklahoma at some point, Adande points out that the economics of the situation are not necessarily in agreement. I love learning about the business of sports, and this is a good read.

Oh Phil, you so funny

The Spurs made 13 3-pointers in their 107-92 victory, and Jackson was asked if too much penetration was leading to open outside shooters.

"We call this a 'Brokeback Mountain' game, because there's so much penetration and kickouts," Jackson said. "It was one of those games."

Suspended...with Henrys

This is an absolutely hilarious link for those who have been following these three Henrys, all of whom are great talents in the NFL.

A little background information before you click:

• Runnin' Chris Henry is the Titans’ running back who is in trouble for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
• Catchin' Chris Henry is the Bengals receiver who has been busted for: speeding without a license nor insurance (but with marijuana); aggravated assault with a firearm...while wearing his own jersey; "sex crimes" (enough said there); two DUIs; assault of a 16-year old boy; providing alcohol to minors; When he finally got back from his eight game suspension last week, he got hit with a lawsuit after assaulting valet parking attendant after he refused to pay while shouting "Do you know who I am!?"
• Travis Henry is the Denver Broncos running back who has shattered records by fathering NINE children with NINE different women and is in the process of contesting a possible suspension after testing positive for marijuana.

MNF: Seattle 24, San Francisco 0

What is it about Seattle and being on national television? Either they get destroyed or they do the destroying. Two years ago, they ran the Texans out of town 42-10 on Sunday Night Football and walked into Philadelphia and shut out the Eagles in the snow 42-0 on Monday Night Football. Last year they were embarrassed by eventual the eventual NFC champions in Chicago, 37-6 on SNF, then shut out the woeful Raiders with Seneca Wallace running the show on MNF. Last night, they shut out the San Francisco 49ers, 24-0 on Monday Night Football.

• During the telecast Tony asked Jaws if the score was more a result of the Seahawks being that good or the 49ers being that bad. Jaws quickly answered, it was the 49ers. I have to admit I agree. The 49ers are simply terrible, as the banged up Alex Smith cannot throw an accurate pass and Frank Gore is no longer the threat he was last year. SF handed the Seahawks multiple opportunities to trounce them. However, Seattle had two turnovers and a couple of costly penalties that took points off the board. If they were hosting a good team, the Seahawks could have easily lost.
• Mike Holmgren unveiled a new look Seattle offense that featured the pass far more than the run. Matt Hasselbeck opened up the game in the shotgun and quickly stormed down the field. Matt is quietly having a great year, and it should only get better when Deion Branch returns. However, it remains to be seen how this different offense fares against better teams.
• Mo Morris filled in for Shaun Alexander and did a decent job. What happens when Shaun returns?
• The Seahawks are going to win a lousy NFC West, host a first round playoff game. They will be favored at home, and should they win, will likely have to travel to a Green Bay or Dallas. My prediction is similar to last year's end result: A thrilling first round close win followed by a heart-breaking close road loss.

Week 10: Bolts Shock Colts

With the Patriots on a bye (something tells me Brady was still scoring plenty...off the field), our attention finally turns to a great slate of good games in the NFL.

• Philadelphia 33, Washington 25 - McNabb and Reid got a much needed win in Washington thanks to Westbrook.
• Jacksonville 28, Tennessee 13 - I give some credit to these two physical teams for beating up on their divisional rival Colts so bad that they did not have all their starters the past two weeks.
• St. Louis 37, New Orleans 29 - Just when we thought the Saints were marching again, the ghost of Jim Haslett returns. They are still dangerous though, and will find a way to win their lousy division and host a playoff game though.
• Buffalo 13, Miami 0 - The Heat and Dolphins have lost a combined 25 games in a row. Meanwhile, the Bills are hot, winners of four in a row and five of the last six. Yes, the Bills folks. Can they hang with the Pats next week on SNF?
• Denver 27, Kansas City 11 - CSI: Mile High: Travis Henry is taking lie detector tests and turning over hair samples.
• Green Bay 34, Minnesota 0 - Did you see that last Favre touchdown pass? Only his throws somehow make it there. Adrain Peterson went down early; what the hell is an LCL anyway?
• Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 28 - Ah, now this was a game. I like to shy away from moral victories, but the Browns have come a long way and have shown that they are capable of beating the Steelers. On the other side, Big Ben's comeback was phenomenal. You have to put him up there with the best quarterbacks in the league. Everyone hop on the bandwagon now, the Steelers are the prime candidate to upset the Patriots run at perfection in a few weeks.
• Atlanta 20, Carolina 13 - Remember when this would have normally been a divisional showdown between a Super Bowl contender that had Michael Vick's number?
• Cincinnati 21, Baltimore 7 - Seven field goals. Disgusting.
• Chicago 17, Oakland 6 - Did Rex Grossman just win a game for the Bears!?
• Arizona 31, Detroit 21 - Did Tim Rattay just win a game for the Cardinals!?
• San Diego 23, Indianapolis 21 - Now THIS was the best game of the week. Peyton Manning threw SIX interceptions, Adam Vinitieri missed TWO field goals, and the Chargers offense was terrible. In a completely unrelated story, hell froze over.
• Neither team deserved to win this game. The Chargers should have blown open the game in the first half with all the picks and good field position; instead they got two scores off special teams. The Chargers are supposed to have a powerhouse offense, but it was unable to put the game away. If the Colts won this game, we would all be talking about how great Manning is, managing to win despite missing so many starters, including two offensive linemen and two wide receivers and their stud tight end. Of course, he struggled without so many key elements of his team, and still was in a position to win the game at the end. Shame on you, Chargers.

Oh Matt, you so funny 5

From the Seattle Times:

Defensive end Patrick Kerney strained an oblique muscle in Sunday's game against Cleveland, the second Seahawk with that injury in the past two games.

"That's two obliques in two weeks," Holmgren said incredulously. "After 21 years I've had two in two weeks."

Kerney's injury gave Hasselbeck the chance to do what he does well, crack a joke about having the same injury as a teammate. Hasselbeck hurt his oblique against St. Louis on Oct. 21.

"Yeah, I think Patrick and I have been doing too many sit-ups," Hasselbeck said. "We're both big weight-room guys. It happens to guys like us, me and Patrick. People confuse us on the street as well. They have to kick us out of the weight room, turn the lights off on us."



Matt Hasselbeck is second in Seahawks history with 20,245 passing yards, trailing Dave Krieg by almost 6,000 yards. It's a milestone Hasselbeck wasn't aware of until Monday, the day after his 318 passing yards vaulted him past his quarterbacks coach, Jim Zorn.

"There are some records that you break that are kind of cool," Hasselbeck said. "Then others, they're a product of being fortunate enough to be with one team and getting to start and getting to play a bunch of games."

And surpassing Zorn?

"That explains all the draw calls he was calling for in the two-minute drill to try to keep the numbers low," Hasselbeck joked. "No, it's cool. Obviously there's a relationship there with myself and Jim Zorn because he is my position coach, but he's also one of the guys that you looked up to as a kid."

Week 9: Is it over?

• The Patriots defeated the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday, 24-20, immediately placing them in the running to go 19-0 to go along with many other historic records they are on pace for. The commentary and analysis on this instance classic game and its repercussions on the rest of the season are endless, but just remember that the season is only halfway over.
• The other game that made headlines was San Diego's letdown at Minnesota, 35-17. Adrian Peterson ran all over the supposedly great Chargers run defense, setting an NFL record with 296 rushing yards. San Diego's Antonio Cromartie returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a score at the end of the first half, setting the NFL record for longest play ever.
• The Green Bay Packers are winning games. The defense is dominant, and Brett Favre is doing it all, grey hair and everything. I am not the only one who would love to see him get to the Super Bowl and hang with Brady or Manning in a shootout.
• Pittsburgh destroyed Baltimore on Monday Night Football 38-7, and although it was more of the Ravens' mistakes that led to the rout, I have to put the Steelers right up there with Indy and New England. Everyone has the Pats and Colts penciled in for the AFC title game on January 20, but do not be surprised if another division winner (San Diego and Pittsburgh) comes in on a roll with momentum, and stuns one of those teams coming off their bye.
• Contrary to popular belief, the season is not over folks. Not by a longshot.

Super Bowl 41.5

Patriots fans aside, I think everyone is on the Colts bandwagon this week. No one wants to see the Pats go undefeated, as great as they are. Peyton “funny guy” Manning is America’s darling while Tom “man whore” Brady is terrible role model, knocking up supermodels left and right. Tony Dungy vs Bill Billicheat is a matchup of a good family guy and man of God against a classless bore who runs up the score, shows poor sportsmanship, and is annoyingly mean to everyone. Oh, and he CHEATS. Not only in the NFL, but on his wife(s) too! Folks, this weekend is a battle of good versus evil. And shame on any of you for rooting for those evil Patriots. That being said, New England 41, Colts 31.

Durant Debuts

The beginning of a new era was highlighted on national television this week, and the phenomenal phenom Kevin Durant made his debuts. While the war over keeping the franchise in Seattle continues to rage on, Durant has quickly emerged as everything Sonics fans had hoped for.

• Although the Sonics lost both games, they were to legitimate title contenders in the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns, neither of which was bound to lose their season openers.
• In both games, Seattle was not only hanging with the best of the west, but was actually leading for most of the game. That is, until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Without a respected leader and superstar, say a Ray Allen or Rashard Lewis, to make some clutch plays, the young and inexperienced Sonics are vulnerable at the end of games. In the home opener, Durant had 27 points midway through the fourth until the Suns' harassing double teams on him pretty much killed any Sonics offense.
• My new main main "KD" struggled at times, but showed flashes of brilliance scoring against the likes of good defenders in Carmelo Anthony, Raja Bell, and Shawn Marion.
• For such a skinny and supposedly weak player, KD was able to get to the basket a lot more than I expected, and will be an even greater threat once he develops the strength to go alongside the likes of the Kobes and Lebrons.
• Durant has an amazingly smooth shot, and can consistently get it as a 6'9" guard with freakishly long arms.
• What impressed me the most, however, was Durant's willingness to handle the ball, and his ability to make good passes. Durant is already drawing double teams coming off screens, slashing to the lane, or pushing the fast break, and has made some nice passes. Considering young guys normally take years to learn when and how to effectively pass the ball in the NBA (has Kobe learnt yet?), KD is already well ahead of the game.

other random thoughts...

• It is November, and yet sports fans in Los Angeles are hyping the Dodgers' hiring of Joe Torre. Since when does a manager or coach carry that much weight that the team suddenly becomes a contender?
• Oh right, the year Phil Jackson came to town, he immediately started a mini-dynasty.
• My Houston Rockets are 2-0, and it is an impressive 2-0 considering they are breaking in a new offensive scheme under a completely different coaching style under Rick Adelman. Furthermore, the two wins were convincing ones on the road against western playoff teams.
• T-Mac went off for 47 points at Utah last night, and Yao Ming is slowly embracing playing a faster game. The guys on Inside the NBA pointed out how Yao was getting the ball in transition and making a quick move in the post, preventing the defense from getting set and sending down double teams.
• That style is exactly how the Lakers won those three championships, with a quick and agile Shaq running the floor and making quick moves in the post before the double teams could arrive.
• All eyes on the Boston Celtics. Stay healthy Ray, and you may win a boatload of games (70?) and a ring.

Sox Sweep

• Okay, so the above picture was from Boston's improbable and memorable 2004 World Series Championship, but just know that they have gone on to win it all again this year, after sweeping the Colorado Rockies.
• While the Rockies were not all that great of a team to begin with, but rather the bearers of a hot streak throughout much of October, this series may have proved that the American League's superiority over the National League in baseball is greater than the AFC over NFC in football and the West over East in basketball.
• Alex Rodriguez informed the New York Yankees that he will opt out of his contract this year. What nice timing. I am a man of numbers, but these blow my mind: A-Rod will opt out of a $252 million contract originally signed with the Texas Rangers for ten years. He is walking away from the last three years of that deal, worth $91 million. I repeat, he is walking away from $91 million, in the hopes of earning more.
• I found it interesting how the NFL did not schedule any marquee Sunday Night Football game as to not conflict with the World Series, but came close to holding Monday Night Football a mile away from where Game 5 would have been played in Denver. So much for that.
• Oh, of course, there was a lot of football played today. The San Diego Super/Flaming Chargers burned the Texans, and are suddenly clicking and dangerous.
• The Patriots head to Indianapolis next week. These two have been the best two teams for years now, and everytime they get together it is a shootout, thriller, and instant classic. Each team is undefeated at 7-0, and each are coming off of a series of impressive blowouts. The Patriots have been far more dominant though, setting up a rarity in sports: An undefeated defending champion will be the underdog playing at home. Think about that for a moment. The Colts are at home. The Colts are undefeated, they have not lost since 2006. The Colts are the defending champions. And yet, the Patriots will be the favorites Sunday, and they should be. Go figure.
• Thank goodness the NBA tips off this week, otherwise the hype of this NFL showdown on ESPN and the likes would drive us all nuts.

Random Rocktober Thoughts

Random thoughts from an ash covered desert...

• The Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies World Series has once again proved that success in sports is based on confidence and momentum. The rusty Rockies are no longer as red hot after a nine day layoff while the Sox are playing at their peak.
• I had a chance to finally watch HBO's Inside the NFL, and Bob Costas and company made the excellent point that, a week from the showdown of the year in Pats at Colts, it seems that the other 30 teams are simply playing for naught. It is odd to every see promotors of a major sport essentially dub an entire weekend of sports insignificant.
• ESPN's Page 2 columns are brilliant. We already know the greatness of Bill Simmons, (that top 8 potential biggest sports stories is laugh out loud stuff) but a new favorite of mine is Greg Easterbook's Tuesday Morning Quarterback, where this week he kicked off the hyping of the Pats-Colts showdown.
• Ironically enough, while the NFL may seem all about two teams, college football has adopted the parity that the pros once held, as pretty much everyone in the top 10-15 has reasonable national title hopes. Should be fun.
• The reason why I picked Houston and Boston to meet in the NBA Finals is not because I am really that confident in them. Rather, I just wanted to be refreshing and bold. It is boring to pick San Antonio and Chicago, and for the sake of basketball, I hope we get some pleasant surprises this season.
• Speaking of bold predictions, back to football: The Chargers, who were already gaining some steem before the fires, are going to rally behind the situation and make a strong run. Do not be surprised if they catch fire and knock off the Colts or Pats in the playoffs.
• One more you ask!? Everyone looking ahead to Colts next week, the Pats finally show some weakness and stumble against the great secondary of the Washington Redskins.
• Finally, by now everyone has heard J.K. Rowling's stunning revelation that the brilliant godlike figure of the Harry Potter series, Albus Dumbledore, is gay. While I am sure this rocked the worlds of many, in my household we have used this news item to institute a new trend: Instead of saying the common phrase, "that's so gayyy!" we now say "that's so Albusss!" Brings a whole new meaning to the term, "Dumbledore's Army", no?