Crosby creates distance

He's two down now.

We've all seen the flashy goals, big hits and celebrations that Alex Ovechkin brings to the world of hockey. He's won the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year), Art Ross Trophy (scoring leader), Rocket Richard Trophy (goal scoring leader), Lester B. Pearson Award (NHLPA top player) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL MVP). Pretty impressive collection of personal achievements.

The flash and glitz that is the world of Alexander Ovechkin is great for the NHL, no question.

But for all of those personal accolades that Ovi possesses, he finds himself down trailing his rival Sidney Crosby by two team trophies, the Stanley Cup and now, an Olympic gold medal.

These two could not be more different. In a nutshell, it appears that Ovechkin seeks the limelight while Crosby attempts to avoid it. Ovi can be outspoken where Crosby is more soft spoken. How different can two people be.

Just to compare the personal stash of NHL awards, Crosby has all of the personal awards Ovechkin owns except the Calder. That's one he can never win as he finished second to Ovechkin for that season. But I doubt that bothers Crosby one bit. He holds the two greatest team trophies in all of hockey.

Ovi can get that Stanley Cup this season. There's no question that the Washington Capitals are viewed as a Cup favorite considering all the offensive firepower on that roster. Even if the Caps win this year, it would be almost a full four years before Ovechkin gets another shot at Olympic gold.

And who knows. By then, Sid the Kid might another a second Stanley Cup.

The rivalry will continue...

Oh, Canada

Usually when you see the Canadian national anthem, it's O, Canada. We've seen it rephrased as Woe, Canada after the Canadian men's hockey team dropped a 5-3 decision to the United States.

Now, it might be scripted as Oh, Canada. You might want to throw a parenthetical expression after it, like (What was going through your heads?).

If you're not aware of my reference here, although I'm sure many of you are, I'm referring to the celebration conducted by the members of the Canadian women's hockey team that transpired after the medal ceremony in which they received the gold. A celebration that started in their locker room spilled over (literally) onto the ice. As you can see from the pic to the left, there is champagne involved and there are other pics of beer being consumed and cigars being smoked.

The IOC has begun an investigation into the event. The IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli, is not pleased with the display.

"If that's the case, that is not good. It is not what we want to see," he said. "I don't think it's a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the changing room, that's one thing, but not in public.

"We will investigate what happened. We will talk to the federation and the NOC. We will first find the facts and then act accordingly," he said.

Hockey Canada has also issued an apology in light of the celebratory actions of the team.

I wanted to get the pulse on how people were reacting to this. As you can imagine, the opinions are divided depending on where your rooting interest lies. Americans are pretty much outraged and Canadians are telling people to back off. Their team won, so deal with it.

I am, however, intrigued as to what the Canadians and the rest of the world be saying if the situations were switched. The USA won the gold on their own ice and proceeded to act in a similar fashion. I guarantee the opinions would be flipped and the outrage would be even greater.

A real Rolle model

One of my favorite shows to watch is Mike and Mike in the Morning in ESPN2. The duo has had many guests on during their 10 year run, but I've never been so impressed with a single guest as I was this morning.

If anyone was digging around for a person to cheer for to achieve his dreams, it has to be former Florida State Seminole safety Myron Rolle.

Some of you may ask "Who's Myron Rolle?" Rolle will be attending the NFL Combine in the hopes of playing in the NFL. He is rated as the #10 safety for the upcoming draft. But his desire to be a professional football player is not what makes Rolle special. It's his other dream.

What's so impressive about Rolle is that he's already planning for life after football. Florida State doesn't exactly hold a stellar reputation when it comes to its student-athletes. Rolle is changing that.

Upon Rolle's arrival on the FSU campus, he was rated as the #1 athlete coming out of high school. During Rolle's time there, he obtained a degree in pre-med...in two and a half years while maintaining a 3.75 GPA. Rolle's academic story does not end there.

Not only was he an Academic All-American twice, he also received the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. He had to interview for the scholarship on a date when his Seminoles were playing. Rolle arrived late to the game due to interview. This gave Rolle a chance to go to England and study at Oxford. Only 32 people, not athletes, receive this honor. There's more.

While in Oxford, Rolle defined the role he wanted to pursue. He was taking a course on how Westernized medicine can be used in conjunction with the cultures of undeveloped areas of the world. Sometimes, our brand of "medicine" is frowned upon in other parts of the big marble we call Earth. Rolle wants to take his studies, become a neurosurgeon and go to these places to help others while also observing the local customs and culture.

Rolle even set aside the NFL for a season to attend Oxford and that has not been lost on NFL teams. He's already been asked about his level commitment to the NFL. He said he wants to play about 10 years and return to his other love, helping others that need help.

Myron, you have a new fan here. I wish you all the best...both in the NFL and in your future.

Iverson out in Philly?

We once again are seeing the possibility of Allen Iverson spending his last days with an NBA team.

First, it was the Memphis Grizzlies. Now, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Sixers head coach Eddie Jordan kept his team in the loop by alerting his guys about the chance A.I. may not be back. Applause for Jordan. Keeping the team in the dark would create more drama and raise more questions. Sounds like he learned something from PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem.

It's the circumstances that surround Iverson's "departure". It has been reported that Iverson sought a leave due to a family health concern. Sixers president Ed Stefanski felt this move was in the best interest of both the Sixers and Iverson.

Iverson will miss the next three games (at least) while attending to the matter.

If this is the end of Iverson in Philly, the next question must be asked: Where will Iverson go?

Not an easy question to answer. Iverson was choked up during his presser upon his return to Philly. I thought this was a win-win situation for the Sixers. They get a legend returning and Iverson gets to appropriately thank the Sixers faithful with another run in the City of Brotherly Love. I was glad to see him once again don the Sixers jersey.

Where, though? Only Iverson can really answer (no pun intended) that. I feel if Iverson wants a return to any NBA team, he must accept a diminished role. Like the role Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins wanted him to take. Okay, that situation wasn't handled properly, but in the end, that might be exactly what Iverson must accept.

Any team that desires a backup scorer would love to add A.I. on their roster. Iverson would obviously want a team that can get to the finals so he has another chance at a ring. Although 16 teams make the NBA's postseason on a yearly basis, the pickings are actually a little slim. We observed before the beginning of this season that the list of teams wanting Iverson was very, very short. But if he decides to swallow his pride and take that diminished role approach, that list would expand.

If this is truly A.I's swansong in the NBA, it's been a good ride. I've never witnessed a player, despite his size, so willing to take on the "big boys". No one could question his desire or heart.

And Iverson displayed all of that.

And I selfishly don't want it to end.

Great day for international hockey

How could it have been any better for hockey fans?

With all the usual complaining about judges to the debate over the Whistler sliding track, everyone must agree that yesterday presented us with possibly the greatest day ever for international hockey. The last three gold medals games were "replayed".

First was the rematch of the 1998 Nagano final between Russia and the Czech Republic. That was followed by host Canada against the United States in a rematch from the 2002 final in Salt Lake City. The last game, which I thought would actually be the best because of the fierce rivalry, was Sweden and Finland. That was the final at the last Olympics in Turin.

I would say to thank the schedule maker of these games, but the schedule was partially determined well in advance and based on the participating countries overall world ranking by the IIHF's 2008 World Ranking. The top 9 from that ranking were automatically included (Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Unites States, Switzerland, Slovakia and Belarus). You could somewhat view yesterday's games as being the luck of the draw.

But one thing that should not be missed was the large number of NHL players that were on the rosters of the six teams that competed on Sunday. It would be an extreme shame if this inclusion of NHL players ceased. The "use" of NHL players in the Olympics help promote the NHL just as much as having regular season games played in Europe.

Sure, the Olympics are only held every four years, but the impact of those games reverberate for extended periods of time. Some of those "memories" still do. No player should be deprived of adorning the sweater of his native country, yet the possibility exists. The IOC, IIHF, NHL and NHLPA have to all agree to allow these athletes to participate. As of these Olympics, that is in jeopardy for 2014.

Without NHL players, the days of amateurs playing would, in some form, be back in play. That's how it used to be. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, IOC President Jacques Rogge and IIHF President Rene Fasel are critical in the process of continuing to use NHL players in the Olympic Games.

Even if an "agreement" cannot be reached, we will never witness another "Miracle on Ice", which occurred 30 years ago today.

What we would witness is a decline in the quality of play.

Hockey fans all around the world would suffer.

Track still scares participants

It's a problem that appears to have no answer.

I'm referring to the controversy that continues to swirl about the sliding track for luge, skeleton and bobsled at Whistler for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Everyone is well aware of the death of a Georgian luger, but it seems that death has left virtually no impression of the IOC or track officials.

Some say it so fast that safety is almost an afterthought. Speed dominates and that's all that matters...until another potentially horrifying moment happens.

Point here. A "barrier" was erected near the location where Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia was basically ejected from the track and crashed into unpadded poles located at that section of track. A wooden barrier. A lip on the top edge of that curve was also built to in some way ensure that specific event would not occur there again. I guess that's the lesser of two evils. Most, if not all, people would rather get splinters than metal shavings.

It should also be noted that driver error has been cited as the cause for the crash that resulted in Kumaritashvili's death. But one thing still reverberates in my mind. He told his father the night previous to his horrific crash that he would either win or die. Almost like he was having a premonition...

The crashes for the skeleton competition were not near as numerous. The opposite can be said about the bobsled. At least three more yesterday. With every run that's taken, there is always the potential of a crash regardless of which track you're on or where you're at on that track. But this track seems to bite back more than others. This track has taken on a life of its own.

So, when is it mandatory for either the body that oversees bobsledding and/or the IOC to step in and say, "Look. The danger has to be alleviated. Either slow the sleds or slow the track."?

It went past that point long ago. Before the Olympics even started, concerns were raised about the speed. American pilot Shauna Rohbock (right) was one of the earliest to voice that concern. I don't think her words were taken seriously. I'll let federation president Bob Storey tell you of Rohbock.

"She always has something to say."

Russian Olympic performance issues

In thought I'd give the whole Tiger Woods thing a rest. There's another international issue.

It seems that the poor showing thus far from the Russian Olympians has raised many an eyebrow in Moscow. In fact, some members of the Russian parliament are calling on the head of the Russian Olympic Committee to step down. Kind of harsh, isn't it?

Not really considering Russia will be hosting the next Winter Olympiad in 2014. A strong Vancouver showing would lend a bit more credibility for the host nation. It also brings up a valid point that since the "dismantling" of the former Soviet Union, Russia has had its struggles in the sports arena.

As of now, Russia has claimed five total medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze). Contrast that with the overall medal leader, the United States which has amassed 20 (6 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze). It has been reported that anything less than a fourth place finish in the overall medal count will be deemed a failure.

You know it really hits home with the Russian Federation that the U.S. is the overall medal leader. And let's not even get started on the whole Evan Lysacek/Evgeni Plushenko debate, but I will add this. This typically happens when you have multiple people judging an event. Even though judges are "taught" one way, they can (and will) always add their own personal preferences into their overall impression of how a performance goes.

But the Russian Federation isn't lagging too far behind in the overall medal count and there are some events that can propel them to that desired fourth place finish. They currently sit three medals behind host nation Canada for that coveted fourth place in the medal standings. Canada has a total of eight (4 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze).

Tiger tells his tale

I've been one that's been a bit critical of Tiger Woods. I'll admit, I was antsy to hear what he had to say.

I wanted to see Tiger, physically. Not in a picture, but live. I wanted to hear him speak. Not on a voicemail, but live. I wanted see his facial expressions.

First, I'll take you back to my thoughts before we heard Tiger's statement.

In his statement, which some of the contents were leaked, Tiger was to talk about his past issues. He would apologize for his actions, talk of his future and speak of his return to rehab.

But something struck my as extremely consistent, the control. Tiger was once again attempting to control the situation, going so far as to not have a Q and A session, inviting only select individuals and even having some form of security on the grounds. As it always is with Woods, he and his camp went more than out of their way to control the environment.

Most were being denied access to the "event". They weren't given the secret password or handshake in order to be permitted into the club. This issue alone sparked the Golf Writers Association of America to boycott attending. Part of the very fabric that's made Tiger who he is, refusing inclusion. That should resonate loudly.

The more things change, the more they are the same, I guess.

Now, after watching Tiger's statement, a few of his words struck a chord with me. Before I get too deep here, I want to voice a couple of things.

Big names deliver gold

Team USA had three of its big names out yesterday...and all delivered gold.

Speed skater Shani Davis defended his gold in the 1,000 meters.

Quickly, go back to Torino in '06. Davis and USA teammate Chad Hedrick were not being viewed as teammates. They were looked at as bitter rivals, almost enemies. After yesterday's medal ceremony, Hedrick, who took the bronze medal, joined Davis, and they actually acted like teammates...for a while.

But this moment was clearly Davis' to cherish. Ask him. He'll tell you.

"It's my moment, it's my party. Like the girl who says she can cry if she wants to, I can party if I want to. It's my party, I can celebrate, I can dance, I can do whatever I want. I earned it."

Yes, Shani, you did. This is your event. Dropping out of the 500m to concentrate on your specialty looks like a brilliant move.

But the shoulder still appears a bit cold.

Unlike Davis and Hedrick, it appears that alpine skier Lindsey Vonn has no clear rival.

After days of poor weather and the talk of an injured shin, Vonn captured the gold in the women's downhill.

It was clear while watching that Vonn was favoring the right shin, but it didn't deter her from accomplishing step #1 in her quest for a possible five medals. Vonn is expected to compete in that many events. I do think there's a chance we may see her pull out of at least one due to the skiing schedule being backloaded because of the reshuffling of events.

Vonn's USA teammate, Julia Mancuso, joined her on the podium by winning silver. Mancuso had struggled recently due to back issues. Winning the silver just may be the signal to the world that she has recovered.

Two events, four medals...so far. The best was yet to come for the American delegation.

In the nightcap, snowboarder Shaun White delivered a run that will be remembered for quite a while.

Knowing he already had defended the gold he'd won in Torino, White was merely doing a "victory lap". White had scored a 46.8 on his first run and the closest score was 45.0. Go for it and have fun. So, White does what White always does, he delivered.

As it turns out, he delivered the run of his life, ending it with the most insane trick ever witnessed, the Double McTwist 1260. What makes White's completion of the trick even more amazing is the total lack of speed he had going into his last trick.

To watch both of White's runs, go here.

This is stuff legends are made of, and White is developing that tag. Rightfully so. He's won multiple X-Games gold, both winter and summer. Now, add the two golds around his neck. White can be mentioned, if you weren't doing it already, in the same breath as Tony Hawk.

Joining White on the podium was Scott Lago who secured the bronze medal for the United States.

Not a bad haul for three events. Three golds, a silver and two bronze.

It's part of acquiring the legend

We're seeing the most famous aspect of taking the legend.

The Clash is ringing in my head. "Should I stay or should I go...".

We've seen the Sears and Hyaundai commercials where Brett Favre takes a jab at himself for him "indecisions". It's a bit refreshing to see him take that approach.

To the Minnesota Vikings faithful, you are now observing the back end of wanting Brett Favre as your quarterback. Favre has been a Viking for one season, helped get the Vikes to the NFC Championship game, and now the real portion of Favre's season commences. Should Brett retire or return?

You're seeing the full glory of the Brett Favre package. You're seeing the uncertainty that looms for the Vikings concerning next season. Immediately following the loss in the NFC Championship game, Favre said it was "highly unlikely" that he would return. It's now just "unlikely".

Remember Vikings fans, it was your head coach that practically stalked Favre. You should all know from Favre's time in both Green Bay and New York, this was inevitable. And now we're hearing reports of Vikings players and other associated with the franchise that want Favre to return for what would be his 20th NFL season.

Do you miss Tiger?

Update: We will finally hear from Mr. Woods. According to the AP, Woods will be holding a press conference on Friday at 11:00 AM.
It's not a rhetorical question. It's an honest one.

Many tightly associated with the world of golf would say "yes".

I am in the minority here. I really don't. His absence is a calling card for others to step up and win a trophy or two. Dustin Johnson is an excellent example. He stepped up and defended his title at Pebble Beach this past weekend.

But I have other reasons why I'm not missing the world's #1 player.

Through all of his ordeal, we're constantly hearing that Tiger is a private person. That's the squeeze here. He's so private that we've never really seen or met him. He rarely, if ever, interacts with the gallery. Sure, he'll talk to the guy holding the mic after he's played a round so he can self-diagnose his performance. The only other time anybody should view Tiger as being somewhat "chatty" is during a press conference.

He's a machine on many levels. Until that fateful evening last November, he was a money machine. He was a walking endorsement. He was a golfing machine. He was a business. Nike and EA are still in his corner despite the obvious lag in his popularity. Why? He makes all of them bucks...still.

I do get it. In sports there's something called self-promotion, and to Tiger's credit, he almost refuses to go overboard. Athletes have to find other avenues for income. There's nothing wrong with that. Commercialization and advertising go along way to create a different persona, and Woods is the king of that. Or at least, he was.

The one area that has come under fire the most is Tiger's antics on the course. We've all seen the slamming and throwing of clubs. We've heard the expletives deleted from his tirades. His body language is a map into his soul. He's not alone in lacking with his course etiquette, but with his exposure, you would think he could conduct himself a little better.

While it may sound like I'm bashing Tiger, I'm not. I would just like to see other golfers get half of the attention he does. The field is still obviously slanted in his direction. For the last two weeks we've been hearing of his return. One rumor was at Pebble. One was at this week's WGC Match Play. Both were unfounded and untrue. Now, the rumblings of Augusta and The Masters being the week.

Seriously, why all the fuss over someone we've not heard a thing from in over two and a half months?

It's a given that Tiger, as always, will do things only on his terms. There are no other terms to consider.

McMurray overcomes many obstacles to win Daytona 500

Jamie McMurray overcame many things to capture the Daytona 500 yesterday.

He overcame being the odd man out at Roush-Fenway Racing. NASCAR mandated that starting this season that each team owner could only put four cars in their stable. With the like of proven winners Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and the young talent of David Regan, McMurray was the driver steaming the glass of Jack Roush's shop.

McMurray sought the familiar face of Chip Ganassi and the Earnhardt-Ganassi team which was created last year out of necessity between Chip Ganassi Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. McMurray had previously driven for Ganassi a few years earlier. Another familiar face, Felix Sabates, drew McMurray back to the stable. His old ride(#42) is currently in the hands of Juan Pablo Montoya. Not a bad ride.

He overcame two red flag stoppages totalling almost two and a half hours to repair a pothole. This is something that no one expected to happen. Between turns 1 and 2, a pothole developed during the race. A piece from Clint Bowyer's splitter was a broken away and it was also believed that the same pothole led the Jimmie Johnson incurring a flat tire. It was caused due to the large amounts of rain dumped on the area and the moisture began working on breaking up the asphalt.

Much is being said about how this pothole virtually ruined the race. Not so. NASCAR deserves major props on two fronts. One, they made sure the track was safe. Two, the race went the entire length. During the stoppages, I did not hear one person affiliated with NASCAR or any of the drivers hollering for the race to be stopped. And there's the measure of all the fans in attendance, too.

Slam Dunk Contest not what it used to be

So Nate Robinson is the first three-time winner of the Slam Dunk Contest. Seeing as he's listed at 5'9", it's not only amazing that he can leap so high, but that he can perform some of the dunks he does. Nate can't palm the ball.

As I watched last night, I caught myself flashing back to the days of Dominique and Air Jordan when they battled one another for the title. I wondered if this exhibition could ever return to those days. Simply, no. But the reasons are not as simple.

Even with Robinson's historic feat (and I'm not downplaying his accomplishment), the Slam Dunk contest isn't close to what it used to be. I'm not saying that because there's no LeBron and no Kobe. I'm saying that because of a few factors.

I'm saying that because the "wow" factor isn't there anymore. One of reasons to watch it was to see if anything innovative was being done with the dunks. You really can only go so far with dunking a basketball, right? But these boundries are being pushed all the time.

I'll trace back a bit about the "names" not being there. That used to be a draw. Those "names" no longer perform at the contest and the NBA and its fans are at a loss because of it. Who would you rather see in a Slam Dunk final: Nate Robinson v. DeMar DeRozan or LeBron v. Kobe? Silly question, I know.

The rules are different, too. Remember when players performed a dunk, got their score and watched the others to see if they advanced to the next round? There were no time limits involved or multiple attempts. Take one shot and see how you do.

And when it got to the final two, the scores determined the winner not voting done online or via text messaging? Me, too. It's almost evolved into a popularity contest. I'm guessing since the fans vote on who should play in the game, the NBA figures the fans should determine the winner.

There were multiple rounds. If you had 8 competitors, they cut down to 4, then 2. You would see if a player was really mentally ready for this. Not now. Two rounds. That's not so bad. The players don't get as tired that way and that's almost (I said, almost) a plus.

The Slam Dunk Contest can never be what it once was, the jewel of All-Star weekend.

Vince Carter, where have you gone?

Bengals willing to help

Update: According to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, receiver Matt Jones has signed a 1-year/$700,000 deal with the Bengals.

Are the Cincinnati Bengals in the process of changing their image? Or are they in the process of helping players change theirs. Actually, both.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Bengals worked out Adam "Pacman" Jones. That same report has Cincy offering a contract to former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Matt Jones.

Interesting. Both "Pacman" and Matt Jones have had their fair share of off-field issues. Pacman because he can't stay off the police blotter and Matt because of substance abuse. Character issues? You bet.

But therein lies the issue.

Would you want your team even giving these guys a look? Most would say no. Look at the landscape of the Bengals past versus the Bngals present, and it's almost a given why the Jones' are getting that "look-see".

The Bengals players at one time had a knack for getting into trouble with local law enforcement (10 times in a 14 month period). We saw it recently with the Rey Maualuga incident, but it had been a while since that last happened.

The Bengals are now getting into the business of helping players get their lives going back in the right direction. We heard that from every Bengals player when the unfortunate and sad news of Chris Henry's passing. All said he was in the process of getting it all together.

Henry was by far the only Bengal earning "stripes" in life. There are others on the Bengals roster that have had questionable pasts. Tank Johnson, Cedric Benson (right), Frostee Rucker, Larry Johnson. We know about Benson's transformation, and the others contributed significantly to the Bengals success in '09. LJ's departure from Kansas City was on every website last year because of comments he made. In Rucker's case, it was an incident during his playing days at USC.

Don't forget that the Bengals were also one of the teams after the services of Michael Vick.

Tempering my enthusiasm

I should be calling my brother today. I should be gloating. I'm not.

Rivalries run deep in all sports. You see, my brother is a North Carolina fan. I'm for Duke. We all know Duke took down the Tar Heels last night, 64-54. North Carolina stayed with the Blue Devils for the majority of the game, but in the end, Duke prevailed.

While I should be elated with the victory, that elation is a bit tempered. It should be. This season's version of North Carolina we're witnessing is not even close to last year's National Champs. This '09-'10 team is barely a shadow compared to last season's team.

The Tar Heels are the defending champs and they are wearing that dreaded target for more reasons that that. They are, after all, North Carolina. It's cliche' to say they'll get every team's best shot, but they do.

I'll admit, I was taken aback when the preseason rankings came out and North Carolina was deemed a top 10 team, top 5 in a few polls. But we all need to be realistic. All you have to do is look at this year's roster and compare it to last year's. Sure, all college teams undergo a roster flip due to varying reasons, but UNC's roster was devastated. The current "free fall" of the Tar Heels is so easily understandable.

Gone is the heart and soul of the Tar Heels for the past four years, Tyler Hansbrough. He was undoubtedly the team leader. That void is extremely tough to fill, and UNC head coach Roy Williams does not have any player currently playing that can halfway fill that void. Hansbrough was there last night at the Dean Dome as his #50 was retired.

The Big 11

If you look carefully at the logo for the Big Ten Conference, you can see an "11" integrated.

I'm not suggesting the conference change its name although it would make sense because there are 11 teams that are members.

No. I'm actually referring to the number of Indianapolis Colts fans that greeted the team at the Indianapolis airport after their Super Bowl defeat.

My son-in-law is a Colts fan, and it was a bit sad to see them lose. Even sadder that Colts fans showed their utter lack of interest and support for the team.

We're talking about added security, roads blocked to divert traffic. We've all seen the drill when a big event happens.

I know that the city had some inclement weather on Tuesday. Snow and wind chills in the upper 20's can subdue a mass. There are other issues to worry about besides the Colts arrival back in town, right? It was in the middle of the day on a Tuesday, too. People are at work. Maybe getting the kids from the babysitter or daycare as they make their way home.

This article on indystar.com sums up how those in Indianapolis (and other cities) feel about this whole issue.

But to me, it's a bit lame. Actually, really lame. If you want a lesson on how to treat a losing team, this is it. Reading the comments will give you more of an insight than I ever could. Despite all the "circumstances", I wonder how many people would have been at that airport had Indy won. It would have been attended by a lot more than 11.

I have no question that those brave 11 fans were not embarrassed by their showing. Some fans were happy to be there in support of their Colts.

The city of Indianapolis and other so-called Colts fans, you should.

There is a thing called civic pride or does that not apply since your team lost?

Can a guy please relax and enjoy?

Late this afternoon, the city of New Orleans will participate in their Super Bowl victory celebration as the Lombardi Trophy makes its way to the Superdome.

It's a shame teams, not matter which sport, don't get an adequate time to enjoy their treasure. So many things derail the partying.

Barely a moment after the clock hit 0:00, odds were posted on who would win next year. It's become a yearly event now, almost a tradition. Some bookmaker quickly determines what are the odds of teams winning the next Super Bowl.

Then, you have all the media requests to sort through. I'm sure we'll be seeing a ton of Drew Brees over the next couple of weeks, if not months. Already on Letterman and the Disney World commercial. He could see endorsements out the posterior just from this game. And that adds the element of yet another distraction to a championship team.

And next month, preseason workouts are to begin. Remember when there was actually an offseason? Doesn't seem like it. Well, one of the myriad of reasons is people wanting to quench their thirst for information about their favorite team.

Also next month, free agency will begin.I heard that the average amount of roster turnover that happens is 25%. 25%! That's a staggering number. That means out of a 53-man roster, 13 of those players will most likely not return. All teams will have to deal with restricted and unrestricted free agents as well as placing the "franchise" tag on a player.

Shortly after that, we have the second most widely watched event for the NFL, the draft. Not only do teams have to decide which free agents to keep, they must now steer their efforts for determining which rookie best fits their team's needs.

Then, rookie camps and on to preseason and the regular season.

The time goes so fast. It will go even quicker of the schedule is expanded to 18 games.

Whew!

When will Sean Payton get to relax?

Perseverance

Over the past couple of weeks, we heard the word "redemption" openly applied to the New Orleans Saints franchise. If the Saints were to win the Super Bowl, redemption would be delivered to a team that endured days in which their own fans dubbed then the Aints.

Paper bags over the faces. Finding a way to not let the world know they attended a Saints game. Those days...gone.

But as some call it a tale of redemption, I, for one, do not. I call it more of a saga of perseverance. Not only does this apply to the Saints, but the city of New Orleans, also.

Really. Think about it. A city, actually, an entire region, ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The New Orleans Hornets had a chance to leave. They played two seasons in Oklahoma City. The crowds were favorable to the displaced team. But the NBA and the Hornets were determined to return to New Orleans.

The Saints were in the same place. Their home, the Superdome, was used as a shelter and sustained heavy damage from the catastrophic event.

They played part of the 2005 season shuttling between San Antonio and Baton Rouge. Almost like vagabonds. Saints owner Tom Benson was presented an opportunity to relocate his team to San Antonio. The thought did cross his mind. What if the city of New Orleans could not recover and rebuild? This drew the ire of the New Orleans faithful and civic leaders. After all, the city was faithful to the Saints and the Benson family.

The Saints decided to begin the process of returning to New Orleans. The players saw this as a greater "calling" as Drew Brees put it. The Saints were going to be the driving force for the city of New Orleans to embark on that arduous journey of reconstructing a proud city.

Super Bowl positional analysis

Update: Dwight Freeney is active for the game.

Just when you've had enough coverage from this year's Super Bowl...here I am.

For the big game today, I'll be looking at the positions and telling who has the advantage.

Quarterback:
This is a lot closer than people might think. All Brees has done since his arrival in New Orleans is become the conductor of one the NFL's most potent offenses. The only difference between Brees and Manning is simple. Peyton has a ring.
Advantage: Colts

Running backs:
I don't think this is close. The Saints have three guys (Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, Reggie Bush) that can attack you in three different ways. Joseph Addai did manage 100+ yards against the Jets a couple of weeks ago, so New Orleans had better not sleep on him.
Advantage: Saints

Wide receivers:
Very close here. If you take the top three, it's a push. Colston, Henderson, Meacham v. Wayne, Garcon, Collie. The difference is the #4. New Orleans has Lance Moore. Granted, he was hurt most of the season, but he led the Saints in receiving last year. Something good to fall back on if you need to.
Advantage: Saints

Tight end:
Both Jeremy Shockey and Dallas Clark are Pro-Bowl ends. The main difference between the two is I feel Clark cannot be covered by the Saints linebackers. Clark is essentially a receiver in an end's body. Shockey's got a bum knee, too.
Advantage: Colts

Offensive line:
The Saints line is strong on one side and weak on the other. The same cannot be said for Indy. Jeff Saturday will one day be in Canton.
Advantage: Colts

In viewing the offense:
Colts: 3
Saints: 2

On to the defense:

Dale Jr. under more pressure this season

Update: Patrick finished sixth in the ARCA race. She will give it a go for Saturday's Nationwide event.

It's a lot of pressure having the last name Earnhardt in NASCAR.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has felt the pressure to perform from day one. This season will be the most he's ever felt, but it's more than just to getting back into a winner's circle on a consistent basis. He's also the owner for one Danica Patrick.

Junior has been voted NASCAR's most popular driver for many years running, but will his fans jump if he can't find that winning formula again? Doubt it. Earnhardt fans are as loyal as they come.

And he has that legacy...

The two most marketable drivers in motorsports have merged for this season. Needless to say, the merchandise sales will go through the roof despite the economy. But the pressure to put together a successful season for Patrick and Junior will be high.

Patrick rolls off 12th in today ARCA race. If she does well, there's an outside chance she'll make a go of the Nationwide race later this week. If not, she will make her Nationwide debut in California.

Back to the travails of Junior.

Some time back Junior's Cup team owner Rick Hendrick charged Mark Martin and his crew to fix the #88 team. I shuttered when I read this. I know Martin and Junior are in the same garage at Hendrick Motorsports, but pressure has now been added to Martin and his #5 team, too. But Martin is as professional as they come in any sport. Other drivers can't say enough good things about him, and that includes Junior.

Too soon?

I heard of this story last night, and it absolutely shocked me.

New USC head coach Lane Kiffin has received a verbal commitment from a quarterback. Not a big deal...until you consider the kid is only 13 years old and is in the 7th grade.

This whole story is wrong on so many levels, but I'll limit myself to only four fingers to point.

First, the NCAA. They actually classify 7th graders as "recruitable" now. Kids that may not have even reached puberty yet can be recruited by colleges for athletic scholarships. There's nothing wrong with 13 year old children thinking about college if it's for an education that they're seeking, but to be recruited for athletics? Insane!

Second and third go hand-in-hand. Kiffin and Steve Clarkson, the personal coach of this 13 year old. Kiffin was reportedly alerted of this wunderkid by Clarkson and directed him to a video on YouTube. Kiffin watched the video and liked what he saw. The child's age was an issue, but it didn't deter Kiffin from offering the scholarship. Clarkson says this kid is the best he's seen. Better than Matt Barkley and Jimmy Clausen.

And here's where it all starts, the boy's father. It's one thing to have your son involved in athletics, but Clarkson was hired as a "personal coach" three years ago. This boy will no longer have the ability to grow up a "normal" boy. The bulls-eye on his son's back has increased a hundred fold at least. When opponents hear that they're playing his son's team, they will go after him more than other QB they face just because of the label and stigma attached.

"He's the kid already committed to USC. Get 'em!"

We've all been 13 and know that's what will happen.

Thanks, Dad. All I really wanted was an Xbox 360.

Fan behavior an issue in Morgantown

Remember way back when John Denver sang, "Almost heaven, West Virignia"? Not the case anymore.

I'm not totally on board with the message West Viginia Mountaineer basketball fans are trying to send.

Are you trying to build a reputation as being the rowdiest fans in the nation? Are you trying to generate an atmosphere that will strike fear into any team that visit Morgantown? Are you trying to boost your team onto victory by your antics?

The answer to all three is no, no and no. I'm adding an addendum: you're building a rep for being the worst home crowd in the nation. There's much proof for this, too. The recent activities of the crowd in Morgantown may leave officials with no choice if this type of behavior continues.

Look. I have no qualms rooting for your home team and trying to get into the heads of an opponent. It's that manner in which you're conducting your business that's getting West Virginia fans all the attention...and deservedly so. The West Virginia administration as gone so far as to send e-mails to students over the past few weeks with their behavior as the subject.

Exhibit A. During a nationally televised game against Ohio State, profanities arising from the crowd could be heard during the broadcast.

Exhibit B. During Saturday's game against Louisville, chants aimed at Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino included the name of the woman he admitted to having sex with.

Exhibit C. During last night's "Backyard Brawl" against Pitt, two instances of objects being thrown onto the court. After the first instance, Mountaineer's head coach Bob Huggins grabbed the mic and addressed the crowd. He referred to the act as "stupid" and instructed that if anyone saw another fan doing such a thing to "point 'em out" so that the responsible individual could be removed.

Should the NCAA expand the hoops tournament?

This question is being pondered, but it does bear a bit of fruit...both positive and negative.

The current structure has 65 teams. A play-in game is played to determine the "last" team to make the 64 team draw. One way to expand is to have a play-in game for each of the four regions. That would increase the total number of teams to 68.

Another reworking has the tourney expanding to 96 teams. That would also add another week of games if this expansion is approved.

First off, I have no problem with the tournament's current configuration. I actually think it's the best way to determine a basketball champ. I do like the idea of expanding the bracket, but only to 68 teams. When the idea of the "play-in" game was first introduced, I thought that's the way it should have been structured. A "play-in" game for each region was fair. You're only adding three more teams.

Plus, if this scenario were to be approved, you have three options available of how many venues would host those games. Economic impact, even though it would be short lived, is better than no impact at all.

Option 1: The current "play-in" game is held at the University of  Dayton Arena. You could hold all four games there. If you go that route, it's similar to how a typical day at a tournament site happens.That would familiarize players to the happenings. Two issues could be the length of the day and travel arrangements for winning teams. As far as the time issue, the team that wins the first game would be in the closest regional site, and so on until the winner of the last game goes to the West Regional. That would elimiate the travel issue as well. You could be taking care of two issues at once.

Option 2: You could have the four games played at two different locations. Each venue hosts two games on the same evening. Start them at 5:00 PM. You would cut down on the transportation and time issues with option, too.

Option 3: You also have the possibility of having the games played at four different locations. Each site would be close to the location of the next round for that regional. That way, the winner would have even less travel.

In any one of these situations with expanding to 68 teams, more money doesn't necessarily create more problems. All it does is gives cities that may not normally get an NCAA tourney game every year in their backyard a chance to host at least one game every year.

That also holds true if the bracket goes to 96 teams. Right?

And in this corner, Scott McCarron!

Update 2/3/2010: Mickelson has pulled the disputed wedge from his bag. Also, Scott McCarron has apologized for his comments...in person.

Much was made over the biggest issue in the golf world this past weekend. It would be the use of the Ping 2 Eye wedge and some of the quotes that have arisen out of the use of that wedge.

Why was this brought to light. It has to do with the new regulations on the grooves on club faces. The Ping wedge has grooves which are considered illegal according to the new rules. Case closed.

Not so fast. Ping, the USGA and PGA entered into an agreement some 20 years ago when a simliar controversy developed. According to the terms of that agreement, the Ping 2 Eye wedge has now been "grandfathered" under the new groove ruling.

Enter PGA vets Phil Mickelson and Scott McCarron.

Mickelson's role in this controversy is the simplest. He's using said wedge. He admitted that according to the new regulations the wedge is actually illegal, but he could use it due to it being "grandfathered".

One thing some are losing sight of is that Callaway, the clubs which Lefty uses, developed a wedge, but it was deemed not in compliance with the new groove rule. Therefore, Phil put the Ping in his bag for last weekend's event at Torrey Pines.

McCarron's role is bit more, shall I say, notable.

All Decade Team for 2000's

Last night, the NFL unveiled it's all decade team fo the 2000's. As with all of thse laindry lists, there are players that should have been considered that didn't make the list, and some that maybe shouldn't have.

The list is selected by members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

Let's look at the list.

Offense
QB: Tom Bardy - Patriots; Peyton Manning - Colts
Okay. There can't be many arguements here. The one name you could throw in is Brett Favre, but for the decade, Brady and Manning are more deserving.

RB: Shaun Alexander - Seattle (left); Edgerrin James - Colts, Cardinals; LaDainian Tomlinson - Chargers: Jamal Lewis - Ravens, Browns
The only one on this list I saw no complaints with is LT. The biggest complaint was Alexander and how he was a "one year wonder". Not true as you will see. Of all the other names I heard, the three most heard were Jerome Bettis, Tiki Barber and Brian Westbrook. Of those three the only one I think might have a legit beef is Barber. Let's look at the numbers:

Barber: 9,514 rush yds/52  rush TD/3,927 rec yds/6 rec TD
Alexander: 9,453 rush yds/ 100 rush TD/ 1,520 rec yds/12 rec TD
Lewis: 10,607 rush yds/ 58 rush TD/1,879 rec yds/4 rec TD
James: 10,693 rush yds/67 rush TD/2,778 rec yds/7 TD

I can't take Alexander off this team. Even though he has the lowest total of combined yards, he scored more TD than any RB in the decade, even LT! (Alexander 112, LT: 100) I'm not taking James off because he was as much a duel threat as Barber and had a tad more total yards plus more TD. Lewis scored more than Barber, barely. I can easily see Giants fans arguing for Barber's inclusion, and they have every right to argue.

WR: Marvin Harrison - Colts; Randy Moss - Patriots, Raiders, Vikings; Terrell Owens - Bills, Cowboys, Eagles, 49ers; Torry Holt - Rams, Jaguars (right)
Most of the talk has been about Owens and his antics rather than his numbers (11,644 rec yds/114 rec TD). Antics aside, T.O. deserves to be on this team. Some feel the same about Moss and his lack of intensity. Again, it's numbers (11,739 rec yds/120 TD). The eyebrows were raised on the selection of Torry Holt. No receiver had more yards in the decade (12,594). The next closest was Moss.

One receiver who belongs in this conversation is Hines Ward. He did have more TD than Holt (71 to 68), but it's the intangibles Ward brings. He's still the best blocking receiver in the NFL. Is there an honorable mention here?

FB: Lorenzo Neal - Chargers, Bengals, Titans, Ravens
No arguement here. It seemed like very year Neal was playing, he had a guy go over 1,000 yards rushing. That's the sign of a great fullback.

TE: Antonio Gates - Chargers; Tony Gonzalez - Chiefs, Falcons
Gates only played 7 years, but only started for 6. For his years as a starter, the leaset number of reception he's had is 60. He least number of receiving yards in a season is 704. Two years of 80+ catches and three other with 70+ will get you a legit spot. Gonzalez is a no-brainer.

C: Olin Kreutz - Bears; Kevin Mawae - Titans, Jets
If I could add another here, it would be Jeff Saturday of the Colts. I think he's a Hall of Fame center as well as the two that were selected.

G: Larry Allen - Cowboys; Alan Faneca - Jets, Steelers; Wil Shields - Chiefs; Steve Hutchison - Vikings, Seahawks
Heck, this would be an awesome offensive line with two playing tackle.

T: Walter Jones - Seahawks; Willie Roaf - Saints, Chiefs; Orlando Pace - Bears, Rams; Jonathan Ogden - Ravens
No qualms here.

Defense