Categories
College Basketball

Appreciate Best of Big East Now

Thanks mostly to football, conference expansion is impacting much of the college athletic world.  Even from baseball to women sports, the movement of teams from one conference to another is causing the competition level to increase across the NCAA.  Still it is the Big East’s calling card where the best storyline is being played out.  For a head basketball coach, preparing for a week in the Big East is akin to a deer preparing for a walk during hunting season.  There is no time to relax.  That is why fans should not wait until March to enjoy this conference.  Because no matter what happens then, the action taking place now is not likely to be duplicated elsewhere.  

Categories
Indianapolis Colts

Chasing History Cost Colts This Season- Shortcomings Gives Them Agenda for Next

Even the best criminals can stay one step ahead of the law for so long.  Likewise the Indianapolis Colts could stay one step ahead of the NFL’s defensive coordinators for so long.  Their prolific offense led by the notorious gunslinger Peyton Manning managed to strike fear in the hearts of opposing players and fans.  Their daring attacks saw Manning set a new single season record for passing touchdowns a season ago and helped them get off to a 13-0 start this season.  That is though when their fortunes would change.  Similar to the outlaws that came before them, the date of their demise had unknowingly been set.  Also similar to those outlaws was that their demise was totally preventable.  The invincible Colts fell victim not to the rough and tough Pittsburgh Steelers, but to a meaningless game in December and a record just as insignificant.  

Categories
Seattle Seahawks

No Pass for the Seahawks- Seattle’s The Team to Beat

Examining the AFC playoff picture it becomes apparent that cases can be made for each of the four remaining teams to represent the conference in the Super Bowl.  However, when looking at the NFC side there is no reason to look beyond the obvious choice.  The top-seeded Seattle Seahawks have all the necessary ingredients to reach Detroit.  If they fail to do so their season should be looked at as a disappointment.

Categories
NFL General

Edwards’ Situation Not a Good Message For Minority Coaches

Thanks to a drive in the NFL to leave no stone unturned in its search for qualified head coaching candidates, minority coaches are becoming increasingly prevalent.  Specifically the Rooney Rule, which mandates diversity in the pool of candidates for a head coaching vacancy, has led to a record number of African-American head coaches in the league.  With Chicago Bear headman Lovie Smith winning NFL Coach of the Year, minority coaches are showing they are as deserving and can be as successful as any other qualified coach.  In fact, Smith and Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy remain in the hunt for a Super Bowl ring.

The scope of the NFL’s search for competent coaches can be seen in the Tennessee Titans hire of offensive coordinator Norm Chow.  Chow, a career college coach, moved up from collegiate offensive coordinator, becoming the league’s first Asian-American coordinator.  All of that said, the Kansas City Chiefs courtship of Herman Edwards was particularly bad for minority coaches.  Though in this case, the term minority more accurately represents those who do not have a personal relationship with Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson.  

Categories
College Football

Bowls Biggest Indictment on Current System

The present structure of Division I-A college football is no stranger to criticism.  Even Congress joined the parade of those questioning why big time college football can not have a playoff to determine its champion.  Now anything that Congress questions has a pretty good chance of being restructured in the future, but the best ammunition for adopting some sort of playoff system still can be found by examining the bowls.

Categories
MLB General

Yankee Acquisition Brings Back Christmas of Yesterday

As another year draws to an end, the holiday season is grasping people from all over.  The rush to give gifts and the wait to receive them is foremost on the mind of many.  The fact that a person may not deserve a gift or there maybe little love between giver and recipient is of little consequence.  If potential giver is likely to be recipient of another giver, then potential giver becomes giver.  Across the country neighbors and co-workers who are very low on gift giving lists will receive gifts anyway.  This passage of presents mixed with a pinch of “love” often smells worse than old eggnog.  It is for this very reason that Johnny Damon’s decision to sign with the New York Yankees instead of the Boston Red Sox represents a simpler spirit of Christmas.  

Categories
New Orleans Saints

Benson’s Move the Humane Thing to Do

Months after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina much of New Orleans is still in rubble.  This will be the case for the foreseeable future as the mammoth task of reconstructing the Big Easy begins.  With that said it is hard to imagine how anyone can believe constant discussion of and attention to the New Orleans Saints is beneficial to anyone.  Let them move!

Categories
NFL General

NFL Offers No Guarantee of Tomorrow

The National Football League, despite all of its excitement and popularity, is often cruel to its fans. This cruelty is extremely harsh to the league’s most optimistic fans.  Fans of the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles know all about this brutality.  

Categories
General Sports

Gold Divided by Silver Equals Black Plus White

With proponents and opponents continuing to argue back and forth, the NBA dress code debate refuses to go away.  Recently more gas was poured on the firestorm as news of the NBA players’ union filing a grievance objecting to 13 players being fined for wearing their shorts too long went public.  Enough is enough.  It is time for honesty to reign.  David Stern is a smart man.  Being a smart man, he surely knows the only way to fix the NBA’s “image” crisis is to give the fans he seeks what they want.  Everything else is akin to placing a band-aid over a broken bone.

Categories
Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Must Pull In Reins and Ground Colts

Sport, unlike other occupations, is designed to produce only one winner.  With the exception of Division I-A college football (another story for another day), only one team celebrates after the final game is played.  No matter the number of impressive performances each year in a given sport, only one winner is crowned.  That being said, the Indianapolis Colts must keep their focus on the end prize.  Their leader Peyton Manning must act as the catalyst for them doing so.