Killing chances

I don't blame Bobby Petrino for wanting to get out of Dodge.

He was put in a no win situation. He was initially expected to win with (statistically) among the worst quarterbacks in the league. He was told to build his offense around Michael Vick. Weeks after taking over the team, the Falcons traded back-up and potential starting quarterback Matt Schaub to the Texans. Then the dogfighting scandal hit, and Vick was done.

Sitting on a rudderless team with petulant stars like DeAngelo Hall, all Petrino could do, if lucky, was tread water. If this team failed to win a single game, enough went wrong around the team that Petrino could have been held blameless.

Even with the limited tools at his disposal, he still managed to eke three wins out of the Falcons.

Regardless of all of the above, Petrino has just succeded in killing any chances for college coaches to move to the pro-ranks anytime in the near future.

Recent history will play big in the heads of the NFL's general managers as they search for their next head coach, and the combined 18-27 NFL records of Petrino and Nick Saban (15-17) will serve as a big warning beacon. The bigger warning beacon, however, will be how the two coaches unceremoniously left after denying interest in college coaching openings.

An interesting aside - the denial games both Petrino and Saban played with their NFL jobs are not common to NFL coaching job changes. As a matter of fact, the only instances in the NFL that I can think of in which this happened are with these two coaching changes.

Right now this is happening all over college football, where a coach signs a contract to work for a school, and leaves before even a year passes in the contract year. Sometimes it's been within weeks.

Saban and Petrino brought it to the ranks of the NFL. And the GM's aren't going to forget that anytime soon.

On the brink...

Of a Rocky Mountain winter...

The problem with Cinderella stories is that at some point the clock strikes midnight. Somewhere in Colorado a bell tower has chimed for the eleventh time, the twelfth chime is only seconds away.

The Rockies' offense showed signs of life for the first time during the World Series last night. Unfortunately, for the second time in three games Colorado's pitching didn't show. Through three games, Colorado has scored a total of seven runs to the Red Sox 25.

With Jon Lester on the mound, the Rockies have their best chance of taking a game from the Sox...but only if they get the pitching performance from their starter and bullpen that they got in game two. Otherwise, the celebrations will begin from Abington to Yarmouth.

It will be the second time this decade that the Sox will have won MLB's championship - the only team that will be able to claim multiple World Series wins since the start of the century in 2001. It gives me a warm fuzzy that the Sox will have won two titles since the last time the Yankees won one - and boy is that franchise looking dysfunctional right about now.

For Yankees fans that think next year is going to be the year, get a reality check - they are carrying an aging, prone to break-down, erratic first-baseman/DH in Jason Giambi. They have a left-fielder in Johnny Damon who's another year older and also having his share of health problems, they might have issues retaining their best catcher in Posada who had a career year heading into free-agency. The Bronx brain-trust plans on pulling Chamberlain out of an already undermanned/overworked bullpen and into the rotation - and all of this is just the tip of the ice-berg.

Get used to the following term in New York - rebuilding.

As for Colorado - there's a lot of young talent over there. If this year wasn't just the serendipitous convergence of career years, the Rockies should contend for some time to come. Like a bad horror film villain, they'll be back.

Lateral movement on the brink of defeat...

This has to be seen to be believed...Division III Trinity U. puts the nail in the coffin in the last 30 seconds for one helluva come-back.

Stern problems on the brink of irrelevance...

David Stern has officially sunk the NBA to a new level. After years of issues and accusations about games being fixed to get the best match-ups in the play-offs and finals it has come out that more than half of the NBA's 56 officials have violated the league's anti-gambling statutes.

Stern's reaction? He has decided that the rule is too out of date and needs to be changed.

Rather than remove the doubt that he could have up to 30 officials that might have been involved in fixing games, Stern has decided he wants to accommodate the officials' collective penchant for visiting casinos. Then to compound matters, Detroit Piston center Rasheed Wallace hits the press with the following rant -

"I still don't think they (Cavaliers) beat us, we beat ourselves," Wallace said. "And I think we also fell victim to that personal NBA thing where they are trying to make it a world game and get (television) ratings. They wanted to put their darling in there (the NBA Finals) and they did, and look what ended up happening.
"This game ain't basketball anymore, it's entertainment," Wallace said. "It's starting to get like the WWF. There ain't no real wrestling anymore either. It's all fake."

Yeah, this has been a good off-season for the NBA (note the sarcasm). After managing the league to unprecedented popularity in the 1990's Stern is now managing basketball into the ground - above and beyond the image problems caused by players like Allen Iverson, the infamous Portland "Jailblazers," and the thugs involved in the incident in Detroit a few years ago (author Jeff Benedict, writer of the book Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence & Crime, said in 2004 that 40 percent of NBA players have criminal records - that's two players out of every starting five in the league, not including the bench). This is who the NBA is trying to market to people who have to pay on average $51.00 to get a seat to a game.

Not exactly a great group to market to the people that can afford half-a-C-note to go see a game (and that doesn't even include parking, so think more like $70.00, $75.00 per game).

What do you suppose the over-under is on when the NBA starts to feel like the NHL?

Feet of Clay

Breaking with tradition during September call-ups...

Traditionally, this is the time when teams that are no longer in a race - whether so far ahead that the team has run away with the division, or so far behind that only the die-hards are still watching - showcase next year's rookies. Normally, teams like the Red Sox who have a lead that can still go away will only be playing those September call-ups in blow-outs.

Seldom will those rookies get field time on a first place team still looking to put the division away...after all - the veterans got them this far, and front offices don't want to crush the sometimes fragile psyche of their potential stars of tomorrow (see Craig Hansen).

The Red Sox in particular have a habit of protecting their rookie call-ups - particularly the pitchers. Under Theo, they have traditionally brought their future starters out of the pen, easing them into their transition to the bigs.

Never made sense to me, but that's what they did.

This year they threw Brandon Moss, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Clay Buchholz into the heat of a pennant race. They've been rewarded with sterling defense, a home-run that provided the team with its margin of victory in a close game, and a no-hitter.

Not bad, considering the veteran leaders let the team down in a three game set against New York.

Other thoughts...

One -

Rodney...after two straight seasons with catastrophic injuries, I understand what you were thinking. I'm not happy about the four game suspension, nor your use of HGh that got you that suspension.

I respect that you manned up and admitted to it. I respect that you didn't try to hide behind the concept that your name was on a list, but you didn't do anything...who was the player who claimed to have ordered human growth hormone, but claimed to have never used it? I respect that you didn't try to hide behind excuses, or the union.

I know how hard it is to come back from injuries having screwed up the tendons in both my ankles after the age of thirty.

I understand it. I really do.

I also have no words for how disappointed I am in you.

Two -

I'm not a big college football guy. I'll watch Penn State and Boston College football games, but not a whole lot else.

However - how great was it to see Michigan's "easy" early season opponent, Division 1 AA's Appalachian State out play Michigan in every facet of the game, and seal the deal on a block of a short field goal attempt that would have given Michigan the win?

Chalk one up for the underdog.

Three -

How is it the Yanks can play the Sox so tough in a three game set, holding the Sox to an average of two runs per game, and then play the lowly Devil Rays, dropping two of three while giving up an average of just under eight runs per game? As I write this, they are losing to the Mariners by a score of 6-1.

Four -

I know this hasn't been a good year for JD Drew. He's been a catastrophe and a rally killer at the plate - but I have to give him props for the way he gunned down the Baltimore player at the plate to help get Lester out of the first inning. It was nice seeing the Sox right fielder channeling Dwight Evans.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K

For the last week or so the Mariners have been the best team in baseball. Yesterday, manager Mike Hargrove didn't just resign. When you read his words, as reported by the AP, it appears he has retired -

"I have never had to work at getting that level myself -- ever -- until recently. I've found that I've had to work harder in making that same commitment to my bosses, to my players and to my coaches. And that's not right," Hargrove said, turning away and choking back tears.

"They deserve better. They are good people. There is a good thing going on here. And it's time for me to leave."

Hargrove's voice often cracked. His eyes were moist and red, remnants of a meeting he called with stunned players moments earlier. He said he initially made his decision June 20, just after a six-game losing streak.

General manager Bill Bavasi said that on a scale of one to 10 on being caught off-guard, Hargrove's departure was "an 11." Hargrove agreed with Bavasi to delay leaving until the All-Star break, and Bavasi and McLaren tried to talk Hargrove into reversing his decision.

"We've won seven in a row and the feeling hasn't changed. I never thought it would end like this. And I am grateful that it has," he said, adding this is probably his last job.

The timing of the announcement is puzzling to say the least, but when you're heart's not into something anymore, success can seldom change that feeling.

Frustration mounts in the House that Ruth Built...
According to reports, the usually even tempered Joe Torre went nose to nose with Kyle Farnsworth, and players like Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada are attacking the professionalism of their teammates.

Scouts have speculated that the lack of depth in the minors has allowed for a lack of urgency on the part of the team's veterans. People like Robinson Cano know that there is nobody threatening to take his place if he plays poorly. This has led to speculation that, for the first time in over a decade, the Yankees will be forced to be sellers before the trade deadline...most likely selling A-Rod.

The question is, after so many years at the top, can Boss Steinbrenner and the Yankees brain trust adjust the mentality that has allowed the Yankees to clear-cut their own farm system for the last seven seasons in the pursuit of championships that never manifested? Can they change gears to rebuilding, or will they be stuck in this self destructive loop?

More football sizzling on the grid-iron...
After the announcement of the United Football League coming soon, it appears that a new league, the All-American Football League will beat the UFL to the starting line. The league plans on using college rules and playing in the spring in college hotbed areas.

An interesting idea, but it's not the first time a league has tried the spring in order to avoid competition with the more established leagues. I'm not convinced playing up the college rules is a solution either, as I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the collegiate game.

However, playing the games in areas that don't have professional teams may be the smartest decision involved - it's the same thing that allowed for the development and growth of the Arena Football League. It's only been over the last decade that the AFL really made in-roads into major markets like Philadelphia and New York.

I spy with my little eye...a Vick

According to an AP report that hit early this morning, the prosecutor investigating the Michael Vick case has linked Vick to dogfighting and charges are imminent. According to prosecutor Gerald Poindexter, eyewitnesses to Vick at dogfights in Virginia have voluntarily come forward to finger Vick.

Suddenly Vick is in a lot more hot water, and things could really be on the verge of finally falling apart for the talented player who has lived on the edge for quite some time. As I watch this case quickly unfold, I can't help but think that this isn't going to end well for him.

Speaking of football...
It appears that Chad Brown might be on the verge of returning to the Patriots. If moved back outside to his natural position, Brown might provide the Patriots with decent depth.

If he does indeed come back, it would make sense for Belichick to move him to the outside for other reasons as well - he struggled when moved to the inside, and with the five linebackers in front of him, there are three, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Adalius Thomas, better suited to the inside.

A new challenger to enter the arena...
According to reports, there's a new football league on the horizon - the United Football League, tentatively scheduled to begin play in August of 2008. Even though it's looking at kicking off during the NFL season, the league is reportedly looking at a smart design for competition.

The UFL is looking at setting up teams in eight markets that currently have no NFL team such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Antonio (though nothing is written in stone...except for maybe Vegas). Games will be scheduled for Fridays so that it avoids competition with the NFL's Thursday and Sunday games as well as college football's Saturday heavy schedule.

For the real football hardcore, that means five straight days of professional or college football from Thursday through Monday. For the NFL, this means little except that they might accelerate their plans on getting a team into the L.A. market.

The league will face a lot of issues as a start-up. The last league to successfully challenge the NFL for any sort of market share did so before the big television contracts, however, it's a loophole in the laws that govern the NFL's broadcasting that the league hopes to take advantage of. According to one report:

The UFL plans to exploit the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, which prohibits the NFL from televising games on most autumn Friday nights. The United Football League the U.F.L. plans to make a smaller deal with a cable network like USA, TNT or Comcast’s versus network.

This might be a smarter move than the USFL in the 1980's or the more recently failed XFL which tried for spring league football, competing with the more established fandoms of baseball, not to mention for ratings with playoff basketball.

Their bigger problem will be competing for talent with the NFL. The only way I can see that happening is if the UFL offers guaranteed contracts with the caveat that if the league folds, then no monies are guaranteed. Otherwise what incentive will talented players have to go to a smaller league with no established stars, no established fan base, and what is likely to be a much smaller television contract?

How serious is the upstart league? Investment banker Bill Hambrecht, an owner of one of the original USFL franchises has already put up money along with his partner Tim Armstrong, a senior executive at Google, and basketball mogul Mark Cuban has already dipped his feet in as an owner.

It's certainly bound to be an interesting ride.

Yanks at Sox...
I was going to preview this weekend, talk about match-ups, best-case/worst-case scenarios and all, then it occurred to me...there's no reason to talk about how far ahead of the Yankees the Sox could be at the end of the weekend. Really.

Until the Yankees show that they can string more than two games together without immediately losing three, there's not point in talking about them in relation to any sort of run at first place.

Yes, they are that bad right now (in spite of their win last night). They are at a point where they merit far less consideration from the press than they are currently receiving - do the Texas Rangers or the Kansas City Royals get this sort of press? No? Until the Yankees pull ahead of Baltimore and Toronto, I think (unless something else goes monumentally wrong for them) I will begin to focus more on the Orioles and the Jays in the AL East.

The Non-Story of the Sporting Year so Far...

Much ado about nothing...

Evidently Tom Brady has been spotted lately wandering around Manhattan wearing a Yankees cap. The various national sports media outlets are making a big deal out of the signal caller for the New England Patriots wearing something other than the hometown Red Sox cap.

Let's note a couple of things here - first, he grew up in the Giants and Athletics territory, not Massachusetts. Second, this isn't the first time he has been seen wearing a Yankees cap. Third, who cares? Everyone that's a sports fan develops their own tastes and preferences and I don't expect that to change just because the individual ends up playing in the territory of the team that is the rival of whom they root for.

I played football in high school, and had I been large enough and good enough to play in college and get drafted, let me tell you how I would have signed that big fat contract with the teams that I hated growing up. If I ended up on the Jets, yes you would have seen me wearing my Sox cap and jersey at Yankee Stadium.

Now, if he were to go and sign a contract to play for the Dolphins or the Colts...well then, all bets are off.

"The real record I have set for over 50 years is the fact that I have had one job and one wife."

The above quote came from the now deceased former Grambling football coach Eddie Robinson. It is all you really need to know about the man to know what was truly important to him. If you need to know more, read on. A fair amount of the following was ganked from today's AP report...

Repeat visitors to theangryfan will be familiar with the fact that I had issues with the media gushing over the importance of a black coach winning this past year's Super Bowl. It's people like Robinson that were the true trailblazers for black America in the coaching realm. While Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in professional baseball, Robinson, according to the AP report on his passing, "'elevated a small town program to national prominence and tore down barriers to achieve an equal playing field for athletes of all races,' Gov. Kathleen Blanco said in a statement. 'Generations of Louisianans will forever benefit from coach Robinson's fight for equality.'

"...Jerry Izenberg, the sports columnist emeritus at the Star-Ledger of Newark and a close friend of Robinson since 1963, said the coach was an inspiration in the deep South.

"'People look at black pride in America and sports' impact on it,' Izenberg said. 'In the major cities it took off the first time Jackie Robinson stole home. In the deep South, it started with Eddie Robinson, who took a small college in northern Louisiana with little or no funds and sent the first black to the pros and made everyone look at him and Grambling.'"

Robinson's impact on equal rights started with his attitude. It was not unrealistic, but at the same time he didn't acknowledge being a second hand citizen, "'The best way to enjoy life in America is to first be an American, and I don't think you have to be white to do so,' Robinson said. 'Blacks have had a hard time, but not many Americans haven't.'" While Robinson saw himself as an American first, he was practical enough to know what limitations were imposed on him and his players by the society he was in, making lunches for his players when they went on the road because he knew that they would be unable to dine in restaurants in the South.

He was the first in his family to finish high school, let alone college, and his achievements at Grambling are college football legend - his "career spanned 11 presidents, several wars and the civil rights movement. His overall record of excellence is what will be remembered: In 57 years, Robinson compiled a 408-165-15 record. Until John Gagliardi of St. John's, Minn., topped the victory mark four years ago, Robinson was the winningest coach in all of college football. "

For my money, Robinson was (arguably) one of the five or ten greatest college coaches to ever walk the sidelines. Only a handful of other names come to mind when I try to think of comparable coaches...Bear Bryant and Joe Paterno are some of the company he keeps.

Robinson died at the age of 88 while suffering from Alzheimer's and leaves behind his wife, two children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. I will forever remember the man as he is in the AP photo above - looking tough as nails, a little hunched over in a baseball cap and trench coat. May he find the peace in his passing that must have eluded him for the last couple of years as he combated the Alzheimer's.