Guess the Athlete!

I don't have has access to my photo sharing software today, so this week's guess the athlete will be a bit of NHL trivia.

Who had the most goals for Columbus last year?

Because, I feel bad about not giving you a picture, here's a bonus question. What's the name of the Columbus franchise?

*I don't want to see any cheating. So like most of my posts, no research allowed. Mr. Bonds, thanks for visiting my site but I really don't want to get into explaining what cheating is. You should be happy to know that there is no drug testing in Guess the Athlete! If there were, I'd have to suspend 95% of my contributors.

Am I the only one who doesn't like Kevin Garnett?

First, Kevin Garnett is an incredible player -- he's an amazing athlete and has a well rounded game. I don't like him.

Every game I see him in, he does something that annoys the hell out of me. He taunts other players, he continues a play way, way, way after a whistle just to show another player up, and he does numerous other pesky annoying things. It's never anything outlandish like a Rodmanesque act, but it's always so many little things that makes me shake my head in disgust.

Here's an example. Playing against a particular team I usually watch, Minnesota made a basket and Garnett was near the ball as it landed on the floor. In that spot most players pass the ball to the ref or quickly walk away from the ball. Garnett hovered around the ball as it slowly bounced away from the baseline, pretending he would scoop it up and pass it to the ref. As the ball bounced away he continued this little act until the ball stopped around the three point line. Pleased with his trickery he ran away from the ball.

Should he have been fined? No. Should he have been given a technical or called for delay of game? No. Should I call him annoying because of this? Yes.

Now, is it too much of a stretch to say that these little annoying things he does is connected with him never winning anything? Shaq, Kobe, Iverson, Kidd, and Duncan never do these little annoying things because they're too busy trying to win (or get phone numbers from nineteen-year-old girls in the crowd -- that's just Kobe). Garnett is as talented as anyone in the league and his surrounding cast has not been as bad as people would like to claim it is. Maybe this childish mindset of his could be why he's never won.

One last thing: I know Garnett is pretty popular, and many of you might think this post proves that I'm crazy. Some of my more sensitive critics might call me misinformed, ignorant, or disrespectful. Just remember, a few years ago everyone loved Sammy Sosa. Now in the public eye, what once were amusing quirks are now character flaws. Maybe the same will happen with Garnett.

Don Chaney suspended

I didn't see the game, but basically Chaney was upset with officials, so he sent in a goon to give some hard fouls. The goon broke someone's arm, so now everyone wants Chaney to be punished harshly. Jay Bilas, Pat Forde, Bob Ryan, Fran Fraschilla, and Mike Lupica are among the writers outraged at Chaney. But should they?

A coach thinks his opponents are getting too rough and the refs aren't doing their jobs, so he sends in a goon. Chaney is not the first person to do this. Charles Oakley has millions of dollars because most coaches do send in enforcers. Chaney was just dumb enough to admit that he did it, but the issue shouldn't really be all about Chaney.

Basketball is supposed to be a non contact game. Chuck Daly and Pat Riley in the NBA and Coach K in the NCAA changed that. Now the game is too physical where pushing, clutching, and holding are the norm. As teams get away with more and more opposing coaches will get increasingly frustrated. They figure if the refs can't do their jobs, maybe someone at the end of the bench can.

No Boston Week!!!!!!

Just to try something new, starting tomorrow,I won't be posting anything about Boston sports for an entire week. I just posted a bunch of stuff about all the major Boston teams to get it out of my system. Wish me luck.

Answer to guess the Athlete

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Sorry again for the tardiness of my answer. In high school he played for a traveling team called the Celtics. I was trying to trick all of you, but no one even guessed.

New England Revolution

They play soccer.

Boston Celtics

Reading Bill Simmons made me feel a little better about the Walker trade. I'm excited that Payton left, and I don't want him back. West and Banks need more playing time, and they both play better defense than Payton. I still don't like Walker, and I don't want him taking playing time from Jefferson and Perkins.

The main reason this trade was made is I believe it gives the Celtics a chance to do a sign and trade with Walker in the offseason. Also, I read the Rivers was pushing for this trade.

Boston Red Sox

This has been the strangest spring training I've ever seen with the Sox. Right now, there's no controversy and no unhappy athletes. The only issue with the Sox is health. I guess the early returns for Miller and Schilling are good. One possible controversy could be Arroyo or Wakefield being moved to the bullpen.

An early concern I have with the Red Sox is Kevin Millar's fielding. His personality is good for the clubhouse and he sometimes hits well, but I can't stand his fielding.

New England Patriots

It's no surprise they released Ty Law. I'm glad Ty Law left with class. Last offseason he said some ridiculous things about Belichick and the Pats. I think he was trying to get himself released last year so he could get a good signing bonus. The Pats obviously did fine without him, but I'll still miss his talent. I'll especially miss those interceptions he gets against Manning.

Releasing Law will make it possible for the Pats to sign an extension for Brady, which they're rumored to do soon. He'll make less than Manning and Vick, even though he's better than both of them. Brady knows he's in a good situation, and he wants his team to be able to sign other players.

To replace Law, my guess is the Pats will sign a good safety and move Wilson to corner. Then again, they could draft or sign a cornerback.

Boston Bruins

They don't seem to be doing too poorly this year.

BC Basketball

I usually don't like BC, but I'm starting to like them. Here's why:

• Al Skinner seems to be a classy guy, and I'm impressed with his coaching
• BC actually moves without the ball, and they pass! Before Skinner, they just stood around and shot threes.
• Williams is an incredible shot blocker and only a freshman.
• Dudley and Smith are college stars. Neither will do anything in the NBA, but they are great college players with well rounded games. They remind me of Lou Roe of UMASS.
• The Big East hates them. BC leaving the Big East to go to the ACC was not a pretty break up. There were games with horrendous officiating (conspiracy?!?!) and the Big East prevented BC from having many nationally televised games.
• They have a player with an afro.
• Role players seem to come up with big plays.
• They hit their free throws.
• All their games are close.
  

A tip of the cap to one Yankee fan

I guess they're auctioning off the name of the former Boston Garden/Shawmut Center/Fleet Center and a Yankee fan won an ebay bidding, so he tried to name the building the Derek Jeter Center. Here's the link

Even a Red Sox fan can admit that's pretty funny.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Antoine Walker's a Celtic again. I haven't heard or read any analysis yet, so I might be a little misinformed, but what else is new. This trade was absolutely horrible. I don't mind losing Payton. He can't play defense, and he was leaving anyway. I also think West and Banks need a chance to play more.

But why Antoine Walker! Picture me yelling "Why! Why Me!" like Nancy Kerrigan. The two brightest players for the Celtics' future is power forward Al Jefferson and swing man Tony Allen. They both need to play a lot. When Walker plays, he'll take away minutes from players who need them and deserve them.

Here's the other thing about Walker. He sucks. He's a ball hog and takes way too many shots, but he can't shoot. He's also a poor athlete and he can't play defense. Wonderful! I sure am glad the Celtics threw in a first round draft pick to get him.

I don't know enough about the salary cap to understand how losing Walker's big contract at the end of the season could help the Celtics. Maybe a sign and trade deal is possible.

I thought the nightmare of seeing Walker in green was over. I need a drink.

Webber traded

This reminds me of the Barkley trade. The Sixers gave away a superstar for three average players. It was a great trade for the Suns, and it killed the Sixers.

Now it looks like the Sixers are the beneficiary. Iverson and Webber make a great duo, and most Eastern teams can't defend Webber. Maybe Sacramento wanted to lose Webber's contract and was concerned about his health, but they should have gotten much more for him. The three players they're getting also have long term contracts.

The Kings' run is over.

Here I go again

First half free throw attempts: Denver 29, Celtics 9. Doc Rivers, who was upset for some strange reason gets thrown out before halftime. In the beginning of the 2nd half the refs call several quick fouls on Denver in an obvious attempt to even things out.

Then there was this little bit of comedy. A Denver player tries to save the ball, but he's clearly out of bounds before releasing the ball to his teammate. The ball is passed around and a shot's taken. As the shot is taken, the ref blows the whistle. Apparently, the ref's brain caught up with his eyes as he claims that the Denver player was out of bounds five seconds ago. So, because Denver was out of bounds, the shot doesn't count and, you guessed it, Denver gets the ball.

Why do I keep watching the NBA?

Breaking News!

Barry Bonds is a jerk.

Highlights from last night's Lakers/Celtics game. 

Moss traded to Raiders

Good trade for the Vikings. They're getting rid of a distraction who caused many headaches. This year the Vikings proved their offense can be good without Moss. I don't believe you build a team around a receiver. The resources the Vikings used on Moss can be put to much better use. The Vikings also got a high draft pick and a good linebacker, which was one of their weaknesses last year.

Average trade for the Raiders. I was about to criticize them for signing Porter to a big contract. He has not been able to become a number one receiver as Rice and Brown's skills deteriorated. As a number two Porter will be fine, and he and Moss will make a good tandem. Also, Kerry Collins is a good quarterback for Moss. The Raiders offense will be better next year.

Here's my problem with the Raiders making the deal: I don't believe teams should be built around receivers. Sure you need good receivers to be successful, but how many Super Bowl teams were built around a superstar receiver? Jerry Rice was the best receiver in the world, but he was also surrounded by Hall of Fame quarterbacks and All Pros. When a team commits to an enormous contract for a wide receiver it makes it much tougher for them to build a well balanced team.

Finally, good trade for the NFL. Moss was born to be a Raider

Drewey Does Dallas

How will Bledsoe do in Dallas?

First some positives:

• He leaves the AFC East. The Eagles have the only defense in the NFC that even comes close to the defenses of the Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots.
• Parcells will motivate Drew and keep him focused. In this week's MMQB, Peter King writes about Drew ignoring his coaches. Parcells won't let that happen.
• Parcells will probably create an offense that plays to Drew's strengths. They will run the ball a ton, and when they throw there will be a lot of tight ends and backs helping to block.
• He has a good running back.
• As bad as he is, he's much better than anything the Cowboys have had since Aikman. Drew doesn't have big shoes to fill, and Dallas fans will appreciate the improvement.

Now some negatives:

• Belichick taught the NFL how to beat Bledsoe. His gameplans will be replicated.
• The Eagles with their blitzing will kill him, the Redskins defense should improve under Gibbs, and Coughlin has a connection with Belichick so he might have some tricks up his sleeve too.
• Bledsoe was at his best when Parcells was coaching. Was his success because of Parcells or because of some good assistants including Charlie Weis? We'll find out.
• Bad receivers
• Jerry Jones supposedly didn't want Bledsoe. Could this cause tension, especially when Drew throws three interceptions and his sacked five times by the Eagles?

Overall, I think it's a smart move by the Cowboys and Bledsoe. Bledsoe going to a coach he's been successful with before. The Cowboys already invested a lot in Drew Henson, so they wouldn't draft another QB, and Bledsoe is a good two year bridge to Henson.

Bledsoe being replaced by a Michigan QB. Sound familiar?

Tuesday Night!

Remember when these games actually meant something?

Step one to fixing tennis

There's way too much time between the Australian Open and the French Open. Therefore, there is absolutely no excitement or momentum leading into to the French Open. If the tournaments were closer together, people would be excited to see if Serena and Sharapova would meet up again. People would be wondering if Safin is finally turning into a legitimate contender or if the Australian was a fluke. People would be hoping to see Federer rebound. By the time the tennis world is in Paris no one will care about these issues.

My solution: move the Australian Open to the first two weeks of February. As you could tell from this site, after the Super Bowl, the sports world is dead. Hell, this weekend I think I was watching people snowboarding on a luge track. Moving the tournament works on two levels. It brings the Australian closer to the French and it gives Americans something to watch after the Super Bowl.

I don't know about Australian weather or other possible obstacles. If we can't move the Australian, then we'll need to create a fifth major: the Bartcop Open. More on that later.

All Star Weekend!

I missed the All Star game so I can't comment on that too much. I can comment on Desperate Housewives which was great last night. There aren't too many great NBA All Star moments I can remember. There's Bird celebrating his three point victory before the ball going in, Jordan versus Dominique in the dunk contest, and Spud Webb. The only game moment I can think of is Isaiah Thomas's showdown with Magic Johnson after Johnson retired because of his HIV diagnosis.

One last All Star note. I actually heard radio highlights of the dunk contest. Imagine listening to a dunk contest. That would be like listening to Baywatch.

Guess the Athlete!

Answer on Friday

Sox/Yankees

The Red Sox are the only team that could turn a ring ceremony into a controversy. Some Sox front office people don't want to offend the Yankees by having a ceremony when the Yanks are in town. Red Sox fans obviosly want to gloat as much as possible. For a good perspective on the ring thing and other Red Sox issues go to BostonDirtDogs.com.

I'm not in midseason form yet for the Sox, but there are some things I need to go over.

• Boston fans need to develop a good general chant to replace the 1918 chant. I wrote about this in November if you want to check my archives.
  
• From now on, A-Rod should now be called Slappy Rodriguez.
• If it looks like the Sox are about to lose, Fenway should just play footage of the 2004 playoffs. The fans will instantly cheer up and if the Yankees are in town Jeter will start to cry.
• Fans should be tougher on Sheffield rather than Giambi because at least Giambi is honest under oath.
  

If anyone else is interested in the NBA

Here's two good sites that compile a bunch of NBA trade rumors. HoopsHype.com
and RealGm.com.

NBA rookies

Another bad sports weekend. The Rookie Sophomore All Star Game reminds me of Saved by the Bell. As I'm watching I keep telling myself how terrible this is, but I keep watching. I bet Kelly Kapowski has a good chest pass.

Despite how bad the game was, there were some players I haven't seen much of, and there seems to be pretty good talent coming into the league. We all know about LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, and Darko Milicic (kidding), but there are more players we need to pay attention to. Chris Bosh deserves to be getting the same attention Wade and LeBron are getting. Kyle Korver has a beautiful shot and if Ashton Kutcher ever does a basketball movie, Korver would be a great body double.

As for the rookies. I went two paragraphs in an NBA post without mentioning the Celtics, so I'm getting the shakes. Tony Allen and Al Jefferson will both be All Stars. The only issue with Allen is his shot. Atlanta's Josh Smith is an amazing athlete -- I can't wait to see what he does in the dunk contest (did I just write that?). Whether he knows how to play basketball is still a question. The Bulls' rookies look like they know what they're doing, so Bryan should be happy.

And finally, there's Orlando's Dwight Howard. Before, I didn't understand why the Magic drafted him instead of Okafur. Now I understand. He reminds me of Shawn Kemp when Kemp was good. I could see him in winning an MVP in about five years or so.

Answer to guess the Athlete

It's Mark McGwire. His reputation might be taking a beating, but, based on that picture, life's not too bad for Mark.

Schilling with fellow "athlete," David Wells. Looks like he's expecting twins. 

Scary news

I found this through the bostonsportsmedia.com message board.

STATEMENT OFFERED THROUGH PATRIOTS SPOKESPERSON STACEY JAMES
After speaking to the Bruschi family this evening, we are providing the
following update on Tedy Bruschi's status and condition.

"On Wednesday morning, Tedy Bruschi suffered from headaches, blurred
vision and some temporary numbness while at his home. He was taken to
Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was admitted and held for evaluations. It has been determined that these symptoms were the results of a mild stroke.
Tedy is in good condition and, as always, his spirits are high. He is
walking and talking normally and stressed that he would like to thank everyone for
keeping him and his family in their thoughts and prayers. The outpouring of
support has been overwhelming and the Bruschi family is very appreciative."

Let’s Talk Basketball, and one football thought for free

By Guest Writer Bryan

• I do not like Karl Malone. Being from Chicago, I am conditioned to hate certain people. Karl Malone makes that list along with Bartman, Favre, and Frank Brikowski. But you cannot downplay how good of a player Malone was. He honestly was the best power forward to play the game, and probably the greatest player never to win an NBA title.
• McHale is before my time, so that may show you my age a little. But McHale’s greatness is not without Bird. Without Bird, I do not think McHale ever holds up a trophy. The only thing that stopped Malone was Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
• Back to me being from Chicago…the Bulls are a top 3 team in the East right now. If you give them a 4-5 record to start off the season, as opposed to a 0-9, they are in the fourth spot of the playoffs, and go ahead and tell me how good the Northeast Division is.
• Scott Skiles should be coach of the year. Eddy Curry should be comeback player of the year. Ben Gordon can arguably be the Sixth man of the year. Luol Deng or Gordon should be ROY.
• It is time to talk NCAA tournament. I have my final four. Please keep in my mind; I can not predict Cinderella’s. Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Kentucky.
• Illinois is really not that great. I refuse to be a homer about them. They play in a weak conference, never really been tested, and have a thin bench for front court players. The key to their tournament life is James Augustine. If he goes down with foul trouble, I think Illini Nation is in for some trouble.
• Let’s please not refer to the tournament as, ‘the Big Dance,’ really until we get to the Final Four.
• Maryland fans are dopes. Did any of you see that piece on Sportscenter on what they said to JJ Reddick? Referring to his 14 year old sister. What a bunch of pukes, but I guess that is what you get with a school that burned cars after winning a basketball game.
• Here is my football thought….I’d be worried to be a Pats fan next year. I really think you’ll be seeing Buffalo winning that division. Getting rid of a sore like Bledsoe is a great move. He had a great running back, a great line, talented receivers, and a defense and could do nothing. Getting rid of Bledsoe, and possibly moving Travis Henry will free up a lot of cap room, plus they have drafted well the past couple of years.

NHL Season officially cancelled

I'm not going to embarrass myself trying to analyze something I know little about. I'll keep it simple and say I have no sympathy towards the players nor the owners. The fans are the innocent victims. By the way, has anyone ever seen guilty victims?

A thought to ponder: are the NHL's problems unique to hockey or is this a precursor to more problems with other mainstream sports? Other leagues are guilty of over-expansion and alienated fans. Will the X-Games soon take over?

Bono, Pope among Nobel Peace Prize nominees

Here's the story

Can someone please tell me why Curt Schilling or Bill Belichick were not nominated?

Remember Mike Greenwell?

He wants the 1988 MVP because he came in second to a steroid user. Greenwell had some good seasons, but here's the first two things I think of whenever I hear his name.

1. He collided into Ellis Burks so many times that poor Ellis had to constantly look to his right during every fly ball. Some say Burks would have had a better career if he didn't have to play next to Greenwell in his early years.
2. Greenwell was a late call up in the 1986 season. During a locker room celebration, Greenwell was in the background completely naked for all of Boston to see. When will they start doing interviews in the locker room for Women's Tennis? Maybe that will be one of my ideas for fixing the game of tennis. Sorry I'm making everyone wait so long for this revolutionary essay on tennis.

Drew Bledsoe will be released next Tuesday. There's a lot of good pictures of him out there so you'll probably see more of Drew on this site. If he's smart he'll go to the JV NFC. The rumor mill has him reuniting with Parcells. 

Reggie Miller to retire

I have mixed feelings about Miller. I loved that he beat up the Knicks, and I respected his ability to come up with so many big shots. Also, a lost art in the NBA is moving without the ball and Miller is very good at this, especially the way he runs off picks. Finally, he is also more than a shooter -- he can get points driving to the basket despite his size, and he can draw fouls.

Drawing fouls is what drove me crazy about Miller. Almost no one flopped as much as Miller, and he'd go out of his way to politic for a call. It's one thing to draw a foul in the flow of a legitimate move to the basket. It's another thing to throw your body into a defender with no real intention of scoring (the sole intention being to get a whistle). Then again, NBA refs were dumb enough to fall for Miller's tricks.

Karl Malone looking stylish in his draft day suit.  

Thanks Karl

Karl Malone decided to retire rather than join the Spurs to "earn" a ring. This is a relief because I like watching the Spurs and I usually root for them. With Malone in San Antonio I wouldn't know what to do. He's one of the many NBA players I don't like.

Speaking of Karl Malone, why doesn't anyone talk about steroids in the NBA? Sure, some of these players are naturally strong, but some guys got stronger a little too quickly. Come to think of it, compare Michael Jordan's rookie body to his Wizards' body. His growth was almost Bondsesque.

One last thing about Malone: McHale was better.

For Jets Fans

This is from Peter King's mailbag:

INTERESTING QUESTION RE: THE JETS. From Dan Cichalski of Edgewater, N.J.: "Think back to that day Bill Parcells resigned as Jets coach, leaving the job to Bill Belichick, who then abandoned the Jets to go to New England. Had Belichick stayed in New Jersey, could he have done the same thing with the Jets that he's done with the Patriots, or is New England's front office as much a part of the team's success as its head coach?"

King's answer: Remember something: If Belichick stayed, Scott Pioli would have stayed. And I believe Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel would have been in place. And with the four first-round picks in 2000, why wouldn't the Jets have won at least one Super Bowl? Now, New York wouldn't have had Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest or a few others. But so much of New England's talent base was cultivated after Belichick and Pioli took over. If they stayed with the Jets, I believe they would have won big.

My answer: No, the Jets would have found a way to screw it up. More seriously, King is ignoring the impact Parcells would have had. He would have the final say on personnel: not Belichick and Pioli. I don't think Parcells has ever proven himself as a GM and since he's impatient, he's made many decision that slightly help the present and greatly hurt the future of a team. One last thought: with Parcells upstairs, every time Belichick would have a 2 game losing streak, rumors would start about Parcell taking over as coach. Knowing Parcells, he'd probably do it too.

Do not buy Canseco's book

I just heard Canseco get interviewed, and I can now say he is the biggest jerk in the history of sports. I'm not even thinking of whether or not it's okay to "rat out" your former teammates (or even friends). His perspective on the game of baseball, the media, and fans is absolutely disrespectful and warped. I know I'm not giving too many details, so maybe I'll look for a transcript or an audio link.

Just don't buy the book. I hate the thought that he could be making money out of this ordeal. If you want to read it, borrow it from the library. Really, when was the last time you went to the library? Libraries are good for you and America.

People are playing hockey

In Boston, the Beanpot's a big deal. Last night, BU won the annual hockey tournament involving them, BC, Northeastern, and Harvard. Some interesting things about the Beanpot.

• Chris Bourque, son of Ray, won the tournament with an overtime goal
• BU has dominated this tourny historically and recently. What makes this interesting is that BC has had the better team recently (they won a national championship a few years ago, yet BU has won nine of the last eleven Beanpots.
• Boston college students use this tournament as an excuse to get absolutely trashed.
• Must have been strange to have hockey in the Fleet Center/Boston Garden/Name for Sale Building.
• Harvard has had good teams - I believe they won a national championship in the 80's. Anyway, I have a funny feeling Harvard students needed to revert to the cheer, "it's alright, it's okay, you'll be working for us one day."
  

Jeff Garcia released

The Browns released Jeff Garcia. Last year they decided to sign him rather than draft Rothlisberger. Oops.

Guess the Athlete!

Answer on Friday.

Poor Canada

First the Expos leave, now no NHL. Looks like the season will be officially cancelled on Wednesday.

Freddie Speaks

I have to post everything he said. This is from King's MMQB. I'd love to see the Eagles release him and have the Jets sign him, so the Pats can play against him twice a year in their most physical games.

Mitchell first.

I phoned him after the heat of the moment had died down to find out what he thought of the Patriots and what it was like in the huddle in those last, ill-fated six minutes. He got himself well-hated by the Patriots for saying he didn't know the New England cornerbacks, and that he would "have something'' for safety Rodney Harrison during Super Bowl XXXIX. He had something all right: one catch for 11 yards. But that didn't stop him from opining harshly about the victors.

"If you played this Patriot team 10 times, how many times do you figure the Eagles would win?'' I asked.

"Eight times,'' he said. "To me, the Patriots are not that good. We turn it over four times, and still they only beat us by three. We're the better team. But we turned it over too much. A good team crushes that Patriot team. I'm telling you, they're not that good. T.O. was hurt, and he still scorched them for over 100 yards.''

He called the Patriots a "well, well-coached team. But we'll see how good a coach Bill Belichick is after he loses those two coordinators. That Charlie Weis is a friggin' mastermind."

Speaking of Belichick, I told him Sports Illustrated had quoted Belichick this week as calling Mitchell "terrible ... We loved when he was in the game."

"Oh,'' Mitchell said. You could feel the steam over the phone. "I see. It takes a big man to talk after the game. Why didn't he say anything before the game? That shows what kind of guy he is.''

I asked him his opinion about Tom Brady.

"He's like Ben Roethlisberger to me,'' Mitchell said. "They don't put him in position to make mistakes. They limit his ability to make mistakes. He's sort of like a robot.''

Ben Roethlisberger has quarterbacked 15 NFL games. Tom Brady is 57-14 in his five seasons. I could think of a lot of comparisons for Brady, but Roethlisberger wouldn't be atop the list. Troy Aikman might. Joe Montana might.

Now for the final six minutes. Mitchell said he didn't think there was much difference between the McNabb in that huddle and the McNabb he'd seen during other games. "Dry-heaving is pretty normal for Donovan,'' Mitchell said. "He's pretty much done it all four years I've been with him.'' On two or three plays, Mitchell said, McNabb was struggling to speak because of the dry-heaves and exhaustion, so he gave hand-signals, and Mitchell would call the formation that went along with the play. "I just filled in the gaps,'' Mitchell said.

"The way we approached that long drive,'' he said, "the sense of urgency wasn't there. Maybe, if anything, Donovan should have run off and let [backup quarterback] Koy Detmer come in.''

Those comments won't make McNabb very happy. But you get the feeling Mitchell might not be around the Eagles next year anyway. He's not happy with his limited pass-catching role, and Andy Reid's not a very big fan of anyone speaking his mind the way Mitchell does -- especially when he's not producing on the field enough to justify all the opinions.

If you ask me, Freddie Mitchell is this year's John Welbourn -- the guy who talked his way out of Philly. Welbourn, too opinionated for Reid, was dealt to Kansas City.

Maybe 10 minutes after I hung up the phone, FredEx called back. "What exactly did Belichick say? I mean, exactly.'' I repeated the quote, the best I could remember from SI. "I'd really like to get in touch with him,'' he said. "That really pisses me off."

Well, a lot of Patriots fans, and Patriots, will feel the same way after reading those few paragraphs, Freddie.

Schilling donates bloody sock to HOF

Schilling donated his bloody sock from last year's playoffs to the Baseball Hall of Fame. No word yet on whether or not A-Rod will be donating his bloody tampon to the Hall of Fame.

A true fan

Welsh rugby fan cuts off testicles after side wins

LONDON (Reuters) - A Welsh rugby fan cut off his own testicles to celebrate Wales beating England at rugby, the Daily Mirror has reported.
Geoff Huish, 26, was so convinced England would win Saturday's match he told fellow drinkers at a social club, "If Wales win I'll cut my balls off", the paper said on Tuesday.
Friends at the club in Caerphilly, south Wales, thought he was joking.
But after the game Huish went home, severed his testicles with a knife, and walked 200 metres back to the bar with the testicles to show the shocked drinkers what he had done.
Huish was taken to hospital where he remained in a seriously ill condition, the paper said. Police told the paper he had a history of mental problems.
Wales's 11-9 victory over England at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was their first home win over England in 12 years.

Post something

I know I haven't written any non-Super Bowl posts in awhile. I could say I'm busy, but the truth is I don't care about anything that's going on in sports right now. I need a big trade to happen or need to see someone get arrested.

Anyway, reply to this post to start a new discussion. Talk about steroids, the NHL lockout, college basketball, or golf. Make fun of soccer or predict a team will never win again. It's up to you.

McNabb choking?

From sportspickle.com: Campbell's releases consumer alert that Donovan McNabb-endorsed Chunky Soup may pose choking hazard

Sick, overwhelmed, exhausted, over-excited, or hungover (see below). These excuses are being thrown around in the context of whether McNabb choked. I don't think he did.

If you look at his other games, his Super Bowl performance was similar to his usual games. He makes some big exciting plays, but he's hampered by inaccurate throws. McNabb and the Eagles are fortunate to play in the NFC where his bad throws don't usually cause him to lose. However, when he's matched up against a good team, his weakness is exposed, and the world sees him as an average quarterback.

I might be getting carried away posting Patriot pictures, but just a few years ago Boston had a rally for Ray Bourque when he won the cup with the Avalanche. Boston sports have improved! 

. 

. 

In Bill We Trust 

How often do you get to write "Gay" across your chest? 

No 

Who's gonna tell this guy that Milloy's not on the team anymore? 

Nice day for a parade 

McNabb sick or hungover?

Here's a link claiming that McNabb was sick. Let the excuses begin. Tom Brady was sick against the Steelers and he was fine.

This may relate to something I heard on the radio. Pinkston and Kearse struggled with cramps despite the weather being cool. Cramps are caused by dehydration which is usually caused by hot weather. Since it wasn't hot, what caused the dehydration? A week of heavy drinking! The Eagles were bragging about how they were enjoying Super Bowl week to the fullest, and they were spotted at many parties, clubs, and strip clubs (Pinkston at the Blue Oyster). So maybe the Eagles were hungover.

Back to McNabb. I'm having a tough time believing Andy Reid is this stupid. I think he knew the Eagles should have hurried it up, but he was protecting McNabb who incapable of doing this (sickness, hungover, tired, whatever reasons). Unlike Mike Martz, Reid will protect his player and keep quiet about why he didn't hurry up the offense.

Remember the days when Grogan was playing with a neck brace? 

Next year

I should probably wait before posting this, but I want to write this stuff down before I forget it. Besides, I'll soon have to write about the NHL, Nascar, and Europeon Soccer soon.

What the Pats will definitely and possibly lose:

• They will miss Crennel, Weis, and maybe some other assistants who go with Crennel or join Saban in Miami.
• Some free agents they might lose: David Givens (all he does is catch playoff touchdowns), Stephen Neal (who turning into a very good lineman), and Adam Vinatieri (oh God, please no).
• Veterans who could retire or be released for cap space. Ty Law, Troy Brown, Ted Johnson, David Patten,Roman Phifer, Rodney Harrison (I heard a rumor he's thought about retiring).

Enough with the negative.

• During preseason, people were excited about the Pats first round tight end, Ben Watson, and third round safety Gus Scott. Injured this year, but with them coming back it will be like adding top draft choices to their team. Defensive Marquis Hill was a second round pick who didn't play much because he's so young, but he could help next year.
• The Pats also had high hopes for defensive lineman Rodney Bailey. Injured this year, but he'll be back.
• The above players contributed nothing this year. It's unrealistic to say they'll all be good next year, but I'm sure at least 2 players from that group will play a significant role in next years team.
• Also returning will be DT/MLB/FB Dan Klecko and starting right tackle Tom Ashworth
  
• Randall Gay and Asante Samuel were trusted in man to man coverage in the Super Bowl against the best receiver in the league. Think they'll be confident next year when they face those Jets receivers?
• Wilfork, Warren, Jarvis Green, Asante Samuel, Randal Gay, Eugene Wilson, Deion Branch, Bethel Johnson, Daniel Graham, Dan Koppen, and Dexter Reid are all young players who should be better next year.
• By the way, most quarterbacks don''t reach their prime until their late twenties/early thirties. Brady's 27-years-old
  
• Colvin looks like he'll be better next year.
• For some reason, I trust Belichick and Pioli to draft well and sign some free agents that will help
  

Some more thoughts

• What a great moment seeing Crennel, Weis, and Belichick group hug. They were together with the Giants, Cleveland, Pats, Jets, and Pats again. I think I'll have to route for Notre Dame and Cleveland next year.
• Tom Brady is the quarterback in the NFL. He is also the best player in the NFL. I can understand why people were hesitant to praise him too much at first; he did mostly throw short passes. The last two years, however, he's been throwing the ball all over the field with precision I've never seen.
• In all the playoff games Brady has played in, he's thrown three interceptions. McNabb did that last night.
• Speaking of McNabb, after watching highlights, he had a much worse game than I thought at first. Penalties and dropped balls saved him from a few interceptions. Also, his receivers made some spectacular catches to throw his poorly aimed passes. If his passes weren't behind his receivers or at their toes, some of those small completions would have been much bigger plays.
• Rodney Harrison caught more passes from McNabb than Freddie Mitchell.
• How many NFL receivers wish they could have two career touchdown catches? They should have played linebacker for the Pats.
• Eagles defense started the game strongly, but those two false start penalties helped them a lot.
• How will Eagle fans now treat Freddie Mitchell? Crampy Todd Pinkston? Andy Reid? They'll treat Owens like a god.
• Has there ever been a Super Bowl Champion that played the 2nd half with there three opening day defensive backs out?
• I'm too lazy to look it up, but I believe Rodney Harrison has 6 interceptions in 6 playoff games with the Pats. Have I mentioned that he didn't make the Pro Bowl?
  

Some Thoughts

• My complaints about the Pats' coaching: on defense I thought they would have been better off not blitzing. On offense, I thought they should have used Dillon more. Okay, enough complaining.
• For the first three quarters I was very impressed with the Eagles coaching. The Eagles were playing physical and they seemed to game plan well. Dungy and Cowher could learn something from Reid.
• Terrell Owens was amazing. Sure, he can be annoying, but what he did was admirable. I think it was Bill Simmons who asked if people would have reacted differently if it was Brett Favre rushing back from an injury.
• That being said, Seymour kept quiet and ended up having a good game.
• Speaking of good games, Josh Miller did a great job pinning the Eagles.
• Pinkston left the game with cramps? That's just too easy.
• Eugene Wilson needs to stop getting hurt during Super Bowls. The Pats really missed him. He'll soon be in the Pro Bowl.
• Reid's getting killed for his clock management in the 4th, but shouldn't some of the blame go to McNabb? Reid should have called for a no huddle offense, but this doesn't excuse McNabb for being so slow in the huddle getting his team ready.
• After each play in the 4th it seemed that the Pats defenders were getting into arguments with Philly players. Just a guess, but I think this might have been intentional to get time off the clock.
• Need to get to work, more later.
  
• 
  

Not in the Pro Bowl? 

Check out the girl in the pink hat. I think I'm in love. 

A team without superstars? 

We still have time guys. Huddle up. 

It looks like Ted Johnson's holding the coach up. 

Guess the e-mailer

I went through the archives and here's a quote from an e-mail I received in December.

...If you think the Patriots will ever win a Super Bowl again, you are much more naive than I thought...

They did it again!

The Celts beat the Timberwolves. Amazing. Oh yeah, the Pats won too. I think I'm spoiled because I'm actually upset about how the Pats played and how they were coached, which is stupid because I should just be happy they won. More analysis is coming tomorrow, but I need another drink now.

Answer to guess the Athlete

I forgot to post this answer yesterday! I hope I didn't ruin anyone's Friday nights by not posting it. I'm sure Patriotsy2k had Paris Hilton begging for him in his bedroom, but he couldn't leave his computer because he needed an answer.

Well here it is: Jean Carlos Chera. "a 9-year-old who is 4-foot-6, is attracting interest from Manchester United and other top European teams."

Guess I should do a preview

This two week break killed me. Any momentum I had before the Pitt game is gone. Please don't compare this preview to my Pats/Colts preview. I just don't think I'm in playoff form. Hopefully, the Patriots have more discipline than I do. On to the preview: first the matchups, then some random thoughts.

Special Teams:

I've written how this important part of the game is often overlooked, and sure enough, special teams hasn't been that important this post season. Oops, forgot about the Jets and the Chargers. The Pats kicking coverage has seemed to improve and Bethel Johnson always has the chance of running one back. We all know about Vinatieri, but if the Eagles need a field goal to win, Ackers is a good guy to go to.

Pats offense versus Eagles defense:

This is the matchup that concerns me the most. The Eagles defense has looked excellent this offseason. I also see a similarity with the Eagles defense and the Dolphins defense. I'm guessing that Jim Johnson will try to duplicate Miami's defense. The Eagles have Pro Bowl secondary and strong linebackers. A possible key is what the defense line can do against the Pats offensive line. The Dolphins were able to generate a good pass rush without blitzing much. If the Eagles can do this, they might contain the Pats offense.

With that being said, the Patriots offense has been great. They have the flexibility to beat a defense no matter what it tries to do. They can dink and dunk, pound the ball with Dillon, or throw the ball deep. Also, Brady does well against the blitz and I'd be surprised if the Eagles are able to confuse him.

I'm not expecting the Eagles to blitz as much as they usually do, and this will be pretty effective against the Patriots. However, even if their defense is effective against the Pats passing game, Corey Dillon could still run right through them.

Final thought: The Eagles could contain the Pats offense, but that won't matter because of...

Pats defense versus Eagles offense

I see this as a major advantage for the Pats. The Eagles offense just doesn't compare to the Colts and the Steelers. There is only one concern I have in this matchup: McNabb's scrambling. He could have a good run or buy himself enough time for a receiver to get open. I think this is Belichick's concern too, so he'll probably take care of it.

While McNabb's strong at scrambling, his biggest weakness is probably his accuracy. That's just a weakness you can't have against the Patriots. Even in his wins against the Falcons and Vikings, McNabb threw several passes that were off the mark. They were incompletes against NFC teams. The Patriots defense tend to catch those inaccurate passes.

Final Thoughts: If the Eagles want points, they'll need to get them through their defense or special teams.

Random Thoughts:

• Terrell Owens. The Patriots held their own against Marvin Harrison and Hines Ward, so is it really a big deal if Owens plays?
• Have I mentioned that the NFC is weaker than the AFC? This could mean that I'm over rating the Eagles defense. On the other hand, the Pistons beat the Lakers last year, so being in a weak conference doesn't automatically make you a weak team.
• I believe I read this from Peter King. During the playoffs, Bruschi has been dropping back on some plays, playing like an extra safety. This is the same guy who often stuffs the run right at the line of scrimmage. At least I can't complain about him not being in the Pro Bowl.
• Remember the clip of Vrabel absolutely decleating Dallas Clark in the 5 yard bump zone? Is it wrong of me to pray for that to happen to Owens and Mitchell... repeatedly?
• From the Brushback: Guy with crappy Eagles blog miffed that he wasn't granted a media Super Bowl credential. That's it! I've got a crappy blog, I'm going for that credential next year. Wait, next year is in Detroit. Maybe the following year.
• How much effort do you think the Eagles receivers put into choreographing their touchdown dances?
• The Eagles have seemed loose and relaxed this week. This relaxed attitude could mean that they feel they have nothing to lose, so they have a good game. It could also mean that they're just happy to be there.
• I don't like that Rodney Harrison responded to Mitchell's comments. The Patriots always wait for after the game to talk back.
• Wouldn't it be nice to see Troy Brown return a punt for a touchdown, return an interception for a touchdown, and catch a touchdown? While we're at it, maybe he can run a reverse for a touchdown, throw a touchdown, kick a field goal, get a safety, and diagram a play that results in a touchdown.

Final thoughts and a prediction

On paper the Patriots look better, and the Patriots always seem to win the big game. However, I still have the Boston cynicism, and some day the Patriots will lose a big game and Kris from Key West will finally be able to say, "I told you so." That day just won't be tomorrow. I hope.

Prediction: Patriots 20, Eagles 3

Winning at all costs

By Guest Writer Bryan

Should anyone be surprised about what happened to the Iowa basketball team? In case you don't know, Pierre Pierce, their leading scorer, was dismissed from the team after a second off the court incident. Steve Alford, Head Coach of Iowa basketball had this to say....

"I regret this step has become necessary, but Pierre betrayed the trust we placed in him when he was giving a chance two years ago."

Yeah, as if people who plead guilty to sexual assault should be given a second chance. The fact of the matter Steve, is that you enabled him to commit this crime. It was you Steve, as well as your Athletic Director, the boosters, and the University President who allowed Pierre to come back and play after sexually assaulting a women's basketball player.

After sexually assaulting a woman, you through the guise of campus Christian groups muscled that girl through "prayer groups" to have the District Attorney lessen the charges. The result..well I'm not sure where the victim was, but Pierre was still allowed to play basketball.

<>Awhile ago, I posted another article about Pierre Pierce that I hoped would spark some discussion. I am not at all surprised that Pierce assaulted another woman. What I am surprised is that a university would ever allow someone to represent their school after being charged with that crime. Exactly how are father's of daughters who attend Iowa supposed to think about that university when they allow a criminal to play basketball?

When Steve Alford looks in the mirror, what do you think he sees? Do you think he sees the great Indiana basketball player who now teaches the game to the next generation, or do you think he sees the enabler of a criminal to play basketball, just because he is talented enough to put a ball through a ten foot high basket? My guess is the former.

This is what college sports have come to. Remember back when Sport's Illustrated ran the front page article about why Miami should scrap their football team? Sure, they might have improved, but what exactly is a winning team in college sports? Is it the Illini who may go undefeated this season? Was it USC this year in football?

The only time I am ever surprised in college sports is when I see a great team without scumbags for coaches and criminals for players. Exactly what is the price of winning? I'm not sure, but for Steve Alford and all of Iowa basketball fans, it seems to be their integrity.

What's Andy thinking?

A: Shut up Freddie Mitchell!
B: Is Charlie Weis stealing my nachos?
C: Enough about Belichick. Let's see this "genius" grow a mustache as sweet as this.
D: Other (post your write-in votes in comments)

Donovan trying to show off his biceps. Reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite's uncle. 

Lots of God news

• According to Terrell Owens, God healed his broken foot and wants him to play on Sunday (but isn't that the day of the Sabbath?)
• According to a girl on MTV's The Real World, God wants her to, "play the field."
• There's rumors Brett Favre plans on retiring. Joe Buck and the ESPN crew are hoping he resurrects.

She moves in mysterious ways.

After the Super Bowl

I'm worried I won't have much to write about after the Super Bowl. There's only so much of the NBA I can watch without going insane, and I don't really watch college basketball until March. Therefore, I decided that after Sunday I'll be writing about how to make tennis more popular. I know, I know, I'm really sorry I'm making everyone wait for this, but you'll manage. So, after my boasts or laments regarding the Super Bowl, these will be some of the tennis issues I'll discuss: clay courts, doubles, mixed doubles, John McEnroe, xenophobia, Racket Technology, and I'll be introducing the BartCop Open.

This is gonna be good! Maybe I'll make these articles only available to the subscribers of Bartcop Sports Insider.

Steroid News

• Barry Bonds had knee surgery and will miss spring training. His body has to break down sooner or later. Is now the time?
• Sammy Sosa traded to the Orioles. Sosa's pretty much done so this trade doesn't mean much, especially since the O's have no pitching. I'm sure Yankee and Red Sox fans won't have anything nasty to chant to Sosa.