Serena and women's tennis

Remember the last time we saw Serena Williams in a Grand Slam event? She was being "ousted" in the semis after saying a couple, um...shall we say, not too kind remarks directed at a line judge who had called Williams for a foot fault. It was Serena's second code violation which was a point penalty.

The problem. She was facing a break point for the match at the time the violation was called. Point. Game. Match. It was over.

Who was Serena's opponent in that match? It was then unranked Kim Clijsters from Belgium who had received a wild card entry into the tournament. Clijsters would go on to win the U.S. Open by defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the final. Clijsters was in only her third event since coming out of retirement.

Side note here. Clijsteres retired to become a mother. And she was once the top-ranked player in the world. Store that last part in your memory bank.

So there she was. Serena had a shot at redemption...of sorts. You see, if Serena could manage to capture her fifth Australian Open title, maybe that would make people forget about that match in Flushing Meadows. She would have won 4 of the last 6 Grand Slam events. Now, that's impressive. That's almost Roger Federer-like. That's a feat that would easily overshadow any lingering thoughts of her tantrum at the last Slam. And one last thing, since 1968 when the Open era began, Serena would hold the record for most titles in Australia.

From Green Bay to Arizona

Today, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner announced his retirement from the NFL. And the NFL is better for having him among their ranks for a dozen years. But the road to this point was long. Very long.

Warner was an undrafted rookie free agent in camp with the Green Bay Packers. The quarterbacks coach at the time was Steve Mariucci. He saw that Warner had potential, but Mooch also saw the Warner wasn't quite ready for the NFL. That was all Kurt needed to hear. His journey in the world of football was just beginning.

The next stop, and maybe his most famous, was Iowa and the Arena League. For two season, Warner was First-team and led the Barnstormers to the Arena Bowl in both seasons. For only two seasons of work, Warner was named as one of the Arena League's Top 20 of all time, claiming #12 on that list. Oh, and that bit about stocking groceries happened in Iowa, too.

Next stop was actually Chicago. Warner had secured a tryout for the Bears prior to his second AFL season. But it wasn't to be. An injury caused by a spider bite Warner had received while on his honeymoon prevented the tryout from occurring. It was on to St. Louis...sort of.

The Rams were the first NFL team willing to give Warner a real shot. He was allocated to NFL Europe. He led the league in TD and passing yards in his only season for the Amstersam Admirals. After one year in Europe, Warner was summoned back to St. Louis in 1998 as #3 on the Rams QB depth chart.

Two quarterbacks were released following the '98 season (Tony Banks and Steve Bono). St. Louis signed Trent Green to be #1 and Warner was to be #2. Any move up is a good one. But the movement would go even quicker.

In a preseason game, Green suffered a torn ACL and Warner was to be the #1 QB of the Rams. He'd finally made it. He was the guy.

I still hear then Rams head coach Dick Vermeil. "We will rally around Kurt Warner..."

All Warner did in his first real season was lead the Rams to a Super Bowl win and collect a Super Bowl and NFL MVP along the way. He would have another Super Bowl appearance while in St. Louis before heading to the Big Apple.

Although Warner signed a two-year deal, he would only spend one with the Giants. They had this guy named Eli Manning on the roster. Warner was to keep the seat warm until Peyton's little brother was ready. It happened sooner rather than later.

It looked over but Warner, as he always did, landed on his feet and was on his way to Arizona. But in his second season, there was yet another rookie quarterback looking to knock Warner off the #1 spot. Like the situation in New York, it looked like Warner was to serve as a mentor and groomsman. It would take Warner three seasons to totally convince the Cards that he was their guy and Matt Leinart wasn't.

Warner would lead the Cards to their only Super Bowl appearance, and if not for a Ben Roethlisberger pass to Santonio Holmes in the game's last minute, he would have had a second Super Bowl ring.

All of Warner's NFL stops have had one thing in common...he wasn't never meant to be the starter for long. Six years in St. Louis and five in Arizona shows you the grit he's made of.

Here's some things to consider. Warner has been in more Super Bowls (3) than Brett Favre (2), Dan Marino (1) and Peyton Manning (2). All three are considered to be among the best that have ever played the QB position. Wanrer has as many wins as Favre and Manning although Peyton can change that next Sunday. Marino left the game without a ring.

To me, there's is little doubt that Warner will one day grace the halls in Canton. He'll do so with his usual class and humility. That would be the end of his football journey.

A long road from Green Bay to Arizona.

Warner will set out on another trek.

Don't be surprised if he's successful at that, too.

NBA All-Star Snubs

It's time for America's favorite game show...Guess who was snubbed!!

With the announcement of the NBA's All-Star reserves last evening, there's always (and I do mean always) a wave of those that were not chosen by the coaches within their conference to be a reserve. I have found one common thread, but we'll wait a bit before that's unveiled.

First to the Eastern Conference. I'll give you the stats of three players who were "contending" for one spot.

Player A: 19.4 points a game/11.6 rebounds
Player B: 19.0 points a game/9.4 rebounds
Player C: 13.6 points a game/9.8 rebounds

Who are you selecting? To me, it's so obvious that Player A deserves the nod, right? Well, if it isn't Player A, it has to be Player B. Player B scores more then Player C and barely has less boards. So, if it's not Player A, then it's Player B, right?

(Buzzer sounds).

I'm sorry. It's Player C that the coaches selected. You've probably been able to figure out that since I do not have any assist numbers, that these players are most likely centers, and they are.

Player A is David Lee of the New York Knicks. Player B is Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets. Player C is Al Horford (right) of the Atlanta Hawks. Based on straight stats, Lee should be going, but Horford got the nod...for one reason. He's a Hawk and Atlanta has won 29 games in comparison to the Knicks 18 wins and we all know about the plight of the Nets and their 4 whole victories.

We're going to stay in the East with the second snub.

Player A: 18.7 points a game/4.8 boards/3.6 assists
Player B: 21.9 points a game/8.7 boards/1.2 assists
Player C: 18.6 points a game/11.0 boards/1.9 assists

This one's a bit tricky as two of the three made the reserve squad. I'm adding a bit of a wrinkle, too. Who, of these three should not go?

I'm thinking Player A shouldn't be going. I know he's got more assists, but he gets clobbered on the boards. Player C dominates on the boards. Player C does have the lowest acoring average, but it's a mere 0.1 points compared to Player A.

(Buzzer)

Players A and C made the team and Player B (the highest scorer) is left out in the cold. Player A is Boston's Paul Pierce. Player B is Washington's Antawn Jamison (left). Player C is Charlotte's Gerald Wallace. Yes, Jamison is clearly being snubbed because he's a Wizard, a team that only has 14 wins. The Bobcats have 22 and the C's have 29.

In the West, here's the picture at a certain position.

Player A: 23.1 points/5.0 assists/4.6 rebounds
Player B: 26.0 points/5.6 assists/4.3 rebounds
Player C: 24.8 points/4.9 assists/4.8 rebounds

One made it, two didn't. Who made it? Player B should clearly get this one, shouldn't he? He has the highest scoring average and higher assist numbers. You couldn't go wrong with Player C either. He scores more than Player A and has a couple more boards overall. He only lacks a tad in assists.

(Buzzer)

Wrong. That honor as a reserve would go to Player A despite having the lowest scoring average. Player A is Portland's Brandon Roy (right). Player B is Golden State's Monta Ellis. Player C is Sacramento's Tyreke Evans.

Again, a winning team's player get rewarded. Portland has 27 wins while Golden State has amassed only 13 and Sacramento has 16.

There's no exact way anyone can surmise how a player is placed on an All-Star team. To me, it's about stats. Reward those having good seasons. I know that others may feel a different way and would also add winning into their equation.

But the NBA already has something for winning. It's called the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

Lefty is our family guy

On Wednesday, Phil Mickleson, golf's #2 player, held center stage.

Since this is Lefty's first tournament of the season, he was asked a myriad of questions. When asked about the status of Tiger Woods, Phil declined any type of remark stating that he and Woods are friends and that he didn't want to cross any line or compromise their friendship. There was one thing he did say about Woods.

“The game of golf needs him to come back,” Mickelson said of Woods. “But right now he’s got a lot more important things going on in his life.”

Phil's right. Golf needs Tiger, and Tiger needs golf, but Tiger also has issues to take care of first. Mickelson recognizes that. It's about family.

The biggest surprise of Mickelson's presser was when he announced that he would not be a participant in the Accenture Match Play Championships this year. He would most liklely be the #1 seed, unless there's a Tiger sighting between now and the beginning of the event.

So #1 and #2 won't be there. Why wouldn't Lefty be playing at the Match Play? We know of Tiger's dilemma.

“The Match Play is a week that my kids are out of school and that’s why I’m skipping this year, not because I want to,” Mickelson said. “It was the best week for us to have a family vacation that we had to reschedule because of our procedures.”

That family vacation had to be scrapped last year. It was around the time of that family vacation that the Mickelson's received the news of Phil's wife Amy being diagnosed with breast cancer. The time was taken for the family to get things in order.

And later on in the year, the same diagnosis was given to his mother. Lefty proved how close his family really is. And the golf world embraced every bit of it. From pink shirts at Colonial to the outpouring from well-wishers at Bethpage, last year was one the Mickelson's can't forget.

There's two reasons Phil won't forget 2009.

One was that he was 2-for-2 against Tiger at the end of the season. The other was the Phil has never forgotten what the late Payne Stewart told him.

"You're going to be a father."

Family is everything to him, and that's why Lefty is special.

It's about family.

Tebow's troubles at Senior Bowl practice

There's only a couple of football names that can steal the headline from Super Bowl XLIV.

One is Brett Favre, naturally. The immense speculation of yet another possible Favre retirement has most on "Favre Watch". On that front. Vikes head coach Brad Childress has said there's no timetable for a Favre decision. Here we go again!

The other, is Mr. NCAA Football, Tim Tebow (left). There are reports of his demise and they are not exaggerated.

I'll cut him a bit of a break. He has only had two days with the Miami Dolphins staff, but the news isn't good for the one that many perceive as college football's greatest player ever.

I'll put football aside here for just a bit. Tebow was asked of his upcoming ad that will air during the Super Bowl. It is reportedly an anti-abortion ad that has attracted much attention. To Tebow's credit, he finds a ground and/or cause and firmly stands behind it. He provides no excuses for his beliefs. He shouldn't. We all may not all agree with his stances, but he nevers wavers from them. That is an admirable quality that NFL scouts won't lose sight of.

I thought the question was insightful only because it further revealed the one thing scouts in Mobile (site of the Senior Bowl) always rave about, the intangibles. Tebow is loaded with them. Leadership, heart, intensity, tenacity. He does lack in this area one bit. He's off the charts here.

Now, on to the football side of things, I knew this week would be tough. Tebow has been adamant that he wants to play quarterback in the NFL. It's his dream. And he wants to pursue that. He needs to clean up a few things.

1. It's a new scheme. It's nothing like the zone read concept he was in at Florida. He needs to key on more than one player. He has the whole field to read now. The most recent QB I can think of that had problems adapting and has had some NFL success is Titans QB Vince Young. Young ran a similar offense at Texas, but Young had to account for only half of the field. It proved very successful in college, but when VY made the jump, he struggled. Young didn't have a Senior Bowl in order to speed his maturity as he came out after his junior year. Young is still developing, too.

2. Tebow is now under center. Again, it goes into the scheme, but when was the last time he took a snap under center? He botched some snaps yesterday and ball security is heavily emphisized in the NFL. Just ask the Minnesota Vikings about that.

3. He has an elongated throwing motion. This influences so many things, but more paticularly Tebow's accuracy and release time.



As I watch video, I see Tebow taking the ball below his waist line and winding up just like some baseball pitchers do. Think of another baseball analogy of swinging at the ball. If you decide to take a big hack at a pitch, the odds are that you will miss. Batters are told to shorten their swings in order to make contact especailly when they have two strikes on them. They have a better chance of making contact.

Shortening his motion should increase his accuracy and decrease his release time. Decreasing the release time will also increase his ability to read defenses. The issue from there would be the velocity and if Tebow could maintain that witrh a shorter motion.

4. Tebow's footwork is not ideal. He must take those 3, 5, 7-step drops and show the skill to firmly plant his back foot, stick it into the turf and make a throw. Reps, reps and more reps are all he needs here.

5. Can Tebow develop a sense of timing and rhythm in the passing game? This is the most critcal. Once Tebow has adjusted his mechanics (and they need to be), how much time will pass before that timing and tempo begin to show? He was a bit better with this on the second day of practice.

Any team that drafts Tim Tebow will know that he is a project as far as being an NFL quarterback. A good quarterbacks coach will be crucial to Tebow's development. Or you could have a Hall of fame quarterback that advocates your selection such as Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly and be willing to help.

I think Jim Kelly knows what it takes to play in the NFL.

New Orleans and Indy in Super Bowl XLIV

No more Rex Ryan. No more Brett Favre. Won't Media Day be boring during the festivities that surround Super Bowl XLIV.

The Indianapolis Colts trailed the New York Jets, 17-6, with 2:11 remaining in the first half. Indy scored 24 unanswerd points and proceded to shatter ESPN's Mike Greenberg's dreams of the Jets going to the Super Bowl.

The New Orleans Saints survived two 10-play, first quarter TD drives by Minnesota and forced five Minnesota turnovers to crush the thoughts of Brett Favre playing in another Super Bowl. New Orleans is used to survival. It's become part of the city's culture.

Many storylines surrounding Super Bowl XLIV will be presented and shared over the next two weeks.

For the Colts QB Peyton Manning, it will be a return to home, sort of. Peyton faces the franchise he grew up cheering. At one time, his father, Archie, was the franchise. Peyton knows all too well how that feels.

In the process of yesterday's 30-17 win, the Colts avenged a loss to a Jets franchise that was a long time coming. A 16-7 loss to the hands of the Jets in Super Bowl III on the heels of a guarantee by Joe Namath. Namath had stated of the similiarities between his Jets and this edition of the Jets. Manning viewed one big similiarity between his Colts and the big prize, another Super Bowl in Miami.

For the Saints QB Drew Brees, it the continuation of one of the greatest modern day sagas. A saga that began almost four years ago. A saga that will be told for generations in Louisiana.

One of the first things the newly hired Saints head coach Sean Payton did was call Brees when Brees was a free agent. Brees chose the Saints after the Miami Dolphins showed concerns about his shoulder, another ironic twist. Brees' selection of New Orleans delivered a two-fold deal. The most obvious was to present the city a Super Bowl. The second, and actually most impressive, was to give aid for the city in the post Katrina era.

Sports discovers a way to meld itself into everyday culture. Just a couple of examples, if I may.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic mens hockey team. Many view this team accomplishing the greatest upset of all-time by winning the gold and defeating the USSR along the way. A bunch of college kids had no chance against the Soviet machine, let alone attempting to win a gold medal. Tell me how that works out.

The sight of President George W. Bush throwing out the first pitch for Game 3 in Yankee Stadium of the 2001 World Series. With emotions still running high after the events of 9/11, the Prez strode to the pitcher's mound and delivered a strike. Many events after 9/11 are still in my memory bank. The sight of all the pro leagues showing their patriotism, escpecially in the NFL, by taking the field and carrying the American flag. This one of the President stands out the most to me.

And we now have the NFC Champions, the New Orleans Saints. A city still in rebuilding mode after Katrina. Brees has openly told everyone that the Saints thrive off the fans and it works the other way, too. It's a unique situation as the Saints players have immersed themselves into the city and its efforts. There's another process still going here, too. Healing.

Maybe it's about something called destiny. If you didn't believe in it before, you have to now.

Championship Sunday

Here it is, Championship Sunday. Both the AFC and NFC will pronounce their representatives for the Super Bowl.

Some things are rattling in my head about today's games. Loose screws? Maybe.

Vikings v. Saints

1. Will Vikings RB Adrian Peterson be able to be, well, Adrian Peterson?

We haven't seen AD go for over 100 yards since week 10 against the Detroit Lions (133 yards on only 18 carries). He's flirted with 100 on two other occassions (week 14 v. Cincinnati and week 16 v. Chicago). Fact: Peterson's highest yards/carry since then is 6.0 in the last game of the regular season against the New York Giants. He only had 9 carries that game. Outside of that, that number is 3.9 in that week 16 against the Chicago Bears. AD had 24 carries.

2. The status of Vikes Mr. Everything, Percy Harvin.

Harvin travelled to New Orleans, but he's having problems with migraine headaches again.

“Man, I’ve tried everything, and nothing works,” said Harvin, who’s listed as questionable to play against the Saints. “I give up.”

The quote was from a video teammate Bryant McKinnie posted on his Twitter account. The migraines have kept Harvin from practicing, but at this point of the season, it's not as much of an issue. Harvin has missed a game this season due to the headaches, and I imagine this could be a gametime decision if he goes or not.

If there's one person that can empathize with Harvin, it's Denver Broncos great Terrell Davis. He was known to have a migraine or two in his day.

3. With all the talk about Brett Favre, how much pressure will the Vikings offensive line be feeling?

Um, a lot. The O line stepped up last week against Dallas, and that line must duplicate that effort. After all, it's a Lombardi Trophy or bust. If the Vikes lose, this season and the Favre Experiment will be deemed as utter failures. That's a ton of pressure. The offensive front has suffered from breakdowns at different times this season. It's a weakness worthy of notice. I know Saints DC Gregg Williams has.

Jets v. Colts

NFC Championship Peek

Yesterday I looked at the AFC Championship game. If you didn't catch it, you can find it here. Today, let's view some keys for the battle for the NFC crown between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.

1. QB matchup- Vikes Brett Favre and Saints Drew Brees.

Every time I'm watching any type of sports channel, I see Brett. Kind of hard to ignore, but Favre is playing at a level we're all unaccumstomed to seeing. But who would you rather have? The 40 year old with a ring or the commander of the most explosive passing offense over the past few years? There's no wrong answer here. You might want to ponder on who's more trustworthy with the ball. I'm anxious to see if Favre will retreat to his gunslinger mentality if the Vikings get behind by more than a TD.

2. Vikings defensive line v. Saints offensive line.

If you scan the injury report, three of the four Vikings starters are on it. Ray Edwards (knee), Kevin Williams (knee) and Pat Williams (elbow) are listed as questionable. Even backup DT Jimmy Kennedy (thumb) is listed, but he is probable. If you believe that Edwards and the Williams' aren't going to play, you're sadly mistaken. And there's always DE Jared Allen. The Saints O line must keep Brees upright and that's priority #1.

3. Vikings DBs v. Saints WRs.

AFC Championship Peek

This Sunday's AFC Championship game has been hashed and rehashed umpteen times by now on every sports show. We've been blitzed with all the matchups and who's injured and who's got to play above their head. I'm surprised we haven't found out the name of the people that are reponsible for keeping the Gatorade full.

Here's my 5 keys to the Jets/Colts AFC Championship game.

1. Peyton Manning v. the Jets 3-4 Defense.

We've observed Manning having a tad of difficulty with this particular scheme. For the second consecutive week, Manning will see a 3-4 that's basically the same. Rex Ryan's influence is weighs heavily (pardon the pun) in Baltimore. Sure, Rex will tweak it a bit, but the familiarity will assist Manning in presnap reads. Jets safety Kerry Rhodes said it best, "We can't give him the answers to the test."

2. Jets power running game v. Colts speedy defense.

Most experts have extolled the superlatives of the Jets offensive line. I've done the same. Four of the five were selected in the first round and center Nick Mangold, guard Alan Faneca and tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson are Pro-Bowl bound. How will this group contend with a Colts defense that's so quick off the ball? If you watched the week 16 game, you saw onat least a couple of occassions where Colts end Dwight Freeney had clean shots at he Jets backfield. If they concentrate too much on Freeney, there's Robert Mathis on the other side. If you worry too much about Freeney and Mathis, there's a group of linebackers that are even quicker, and underrated.

Colts and Saints: overlooked?

Is it just me, or does it look like that the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are being a bit overlooked?

I mean, most of the talk we're hearing seems to center around Rex Ryan and the New York Jets and their improbable playoff run and the Minnesota Vikings and that guy at quarterback, Brett Favre.

I doubt that the Jets and Vikings are overlooking their opponents this weekend, but things seem extremely subdued from the Saints and Colts camps. But that shouldn't surprise anyone at all. In the words of our 26th President Theodore Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". That's what the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are doing.

We've heard the constant chatter from Jets head coach Rex Ryan with the most recent being this from an article on NYPost.com.:

"We're on the big stage every day in New York," he said. "This will be as loose a team as you'll ever see going into an AFC Championship game. We're not afraid to compete against the Colts, we're excited to."

We've heard the constant praises thrown at Vikings QB Brett Favre for the wonderful season he's having. We've heard Vikes head honcho Brad Childress refer to Dallas as the "Tasmanian devils". Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is saying that he's going to score "ten times" this Sunday.

So why are these #1 seeds being thrusted into the backgroud? How can the teams with their conferences best records seem so out of the picture? How is it that their opponents are shoved into the limelight?

That's because New Orleans and Indy are choosing taht approach. They are opting to do their talking on the field, and their opponents this weekend should severly take note of this. It's almost a scary quiet in those camps right now. A quiet confidence.

We all saw what happened in week 16 when the Jets and Colts played. Manning was pulled with about 6:00 left in the third quarter with Indy holding a 15-10 lead. The Jets won 29-15 with Curtis Painter playing QB for the Colts. The talk of the Jets "backing in" the playoffs began to emerge as a headline. The thought that the Colts passed on a possible perfect season began to take shape with Colts fans and players being angered by the move.

That move by the Colts hierarchy has actually galvanized the team. The Colts know their real purpose, win a Super Bowl.

And the Saints?

We're talking trash...

One of the things I do every day is not only check out what's making big news, but I also look for interesting pieces, articles, etc.

I came across a poll that was very interesting. SI.com recently conducted a poll of about 173 NBA players and asked them this. Who's the biggest trash talker in the league? Some answers won't be too hard to figure out, but a couple did raise an eyebrow. And some were very deserved. I'm not huge on trash talk, but these guys obviously are.

The top trash talker didn't really surprise me. It was the amount of top votes he "garnered". That was a bit of a hint. It's none other than Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics. Garnett for all his talking received, get this, an astounding 62%! Sure, the Big Ticket can get a bit animated on the court, but there's obviously more to it than what we see. I guess going from Minnesota to Boston forced KG out of his shell.

Second place goes to the always charming Kobe Bryant. Kobe does have the hardware to backup his mouth, though. Four rings, an MVP and 11 All-Star nods earns you that right, if you view it that way. But with KG dominating the vote, Bryant only received 7%, and still managed the #2 slot.

Third goes to a Celtic teammate of Garnett's, Rasheed Wallace. This may be looked at as spillover of his days in Detroit, but Wallace deserves every right to make this "elite" list. Watch a Celtics game. You'll quickly see what I mean. And I'm not even referring to his interaction with the refs. He does it to opponents, too. I don't think his jaw ever stops moving.

Number 4 caught me a bit offguard. It's yet another Celtic, Paul Pierce. Three of the top for are from Boston. I hate to see what happens in a game of fish with these guys. I know Pierce can talk, but I didn't realize he talked this much. Apparently, the rest of the league has noticed this a lot more. Maybe it's because when I watch the Celtics, Garnett and Wallace chatter so much that my attention rarely goes to Pierce and his chatter.

Childress and the 'play'

I can somewhat understand the temptation.

I'm referring to the last TD Minnesota scored on Sunday. 2:00 remaining. Ball on the Dallas 11. Vikings are ahead 27-3. It's also 4th and 3. What are you going to do?

I'm revisiting this because we had a bit of a similar situation in the BCS Championship game. From my post, I wrote this:

It wasn't. Texas got the ensuing kickoff and on the second play of the drive, Gilbert threw his third of four interceptions, giving Bama the ball on the Texas 27. The game clock showed 1:48 remaining. I ask,. You're the head coach, what do you do? I instruct my team to take a knee. Sure, Mack Brown had time outs in his pocket. If Brown uses one, then proceed to run real plays. If not, continue to take a knee and show a bit of class.

Not Saban. He showed that there were to be no classy win this evening by running the ball for yet another Tide score with 0:47 remaining. Are you kidding me? 47 seconds left. You have the game in hand and you call yet another running play. It was obvious that Texas was not going to call any of their remaining timeouts. Okay, the drive did take another 1:01 off the clock, Scoring that touchdown meant a lock. No, how about the previous TD meant that.

We see that Brad Childress must have gotten his copy of the Nick Saban Coaching for Classless series.

So, back to the situation. While it would have been too easy to just try to get four yards and take a knee or two, Childress calls a pass play...for a TD to Visanthe Shiancoe. And after the score, there was more jubilation on the Vikings sidelines. And one very hacked off Cowboys linebacker, Keith Brooking.

I know what was probably going throught Brooking's mind. "They're just running up the score." Or maybe "They're just rubbing it in." I get the emotional side, but for Brooking to actually go over to the Vikings sideline and start the verbal sparring is unnececesary. Let it go for now, but file it away.

Maybe that's what I should do, but I can't. It's not that I have a hatred toward Brett Favre or any of the other Vikings players, I can't for the life of me see the purpose of that play call.

Jets deserve our admiration

So another weekend of playoff football has passed.

I sat down Saturday and Sunday thinking to myself that the games this weekend had to be better than last weekend. I was so wrong. Again, we has to wait until the last game between the Jets and the Chargers to watch any game that had any type of intensity. Speaking of the Jets...

If you didn't have any type of admiration of the team, you should now. Head coach Rex Ryan proclaimed his team the favorite, and I'm starting to buy into it, too. How can you not? Ryan's team has consistantly backed up his words.

A lot was made about the Jets "backing in". They have proven that they belong. We'll have to see if they can carry on their trek to Miami as they visit Lucas Oil Field to clash with the Indianapolis Colts. Ironic that New York is getting another game with the Colts. The last time these teams met, the roar of fanbases wanting their team (Pittsburgh and Houston just to name a couple) to make the postseason began to scream "foul". We all know what transpired that game, so I'm not going to revisit it.

Ryan and his staff have built a team around a potent running game and relentless defense. Run the ball to keep your oppoennt's offense off the field. When the other team got the ball, stuff 'em, blitz 'em, disrupt their flow. And the Jets have worked it to perfection thus far. The defense gets all the praise, but there are a few on offense that have performed well.

Many experts state the Jets have the best offensive line in the NFL. I can't disagree. Two Pro-Bowl starters (C Nick Mangold and G Alan Faneca) provide the best anchors any O line could have. First round picks Ts Damien Woody and D'Brickashaw Ferguson keep the edges safe. And we don't hear a whole lot about undrafted G Brandon Moore. Make no mistake, Moore has more than earned his position.

Doesn't it seem that the rookie QB has been lost in the shuffle? Mark Sanchez is supposed to be an afterthought in the Jets grand scheme of things. We've seen this plan work by teams in the past. Baltimore (Trent Dilfer), Tampa Bay (Brad Johnson) and Pittsburgh (Ben Roethlisberger) have used the same template for winning the Super Bowl over the last decade. We've also heard of the wristband that's color coded to remind Sanchez of how aggresive he can be with his play.

That running game? Thomas Jones had yet another 1,000 yard season, but he's been nicked up in the playoffs. Enter, yet another rookie, Shonn Greene. Greene has picked up in the postseason where Jones left off during the regular season. Two games, two 100+ yard efforts, 2 TD. Greene's contribution has been more incredible that Sanchez'.

Leon Washington, a multiple threat out of the backfield and in the return game, went on IR after the week 7 game against the Oakland Raiders. Greene was thrust to #2 on the depth chart. And he has yet to disappoint the Jets faithful especially in the playoffs. Greene's 2 TD matches his season output, and New York has needed both of those scampers. Both of Greene's long TD runs have pretty much sealed the Jets' opponents fate.

Remember last season when this rookie TE from Purdue came to be Brett Favre's favorite receiver? That would be Dustin Keller. With Ryan determining that the Jets would be a running team, it appeared that Keller would get lost in the shuffle. During the regular season, Keller only scored twice. He's matched that in the postseason. His 2 TD in the playoffs are the only TD receptions on the Jets roster. Keller's 118 receiving yards also leads the Jets. Just yet another stat that shows how much confidence that Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has in the running game.

And Schottenheimer deserves some pats on the back here, too. His whole staff does. They are rarely in a situation where they have to put Sanchez "at risk" due to the inexperience. They also trust in the running game and it's obvious that eveyone in a Jets uniform has bought into this.

It's worked so far and there's no reason to change. Just one more step to reach Miami.

After all, didn't Rex say that was the goal?

The retirement watch: Warner, Reed

With the ending of the seasons of the Baltimore Ravens and the Arizona Cardinals, their are rumors and specualtions that both Ravens safety Ed Reed and Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner may or may not retire. If both decide to go that route, we have been blessed to watch both play.

Reed, 31, was oft-injured this season. He had issues with a hip, groin and neck. It's the neck injury that has him contemplating the move. Over the last two season, nerve damage in Reed's neck has caused most of his discomfort. It's a "50-50" move for Reed. Some still think Reed is the best safety in the NFL.

Reed was a first round selection (24th overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft out of Miami (Fla.), or as those that played at Miami say, "The U". Reed has played his entire career as a Raven.

Reed's career has been stellar. Six Pro-Bowls, 2004 Defensive Player of the Year, a Super Bowl ring. Reed still holds the distinction of being the only player in NFL history to score a TD by blocking a punt, returning a punt, returning an interception and returning a fumble. Add the 46 career interceptions and 13 total TD to Reed's highlights, too.

Reed will be forever linked to teammate Ray Lewis, who also played at Miami. Their combined influence in the Ravens locker room will be forever felt regardless of Reed's decision.

The question some may have is if Reed is a Hall of Famer. At this point, I'm a little undecided. I do wish Reed the best of health as I thoroughly enjoy his prowess on the football field. All safties should play as he does. His influence on the position may have him in the halls in Canton.

Warner took a much more publicized route to the NFL. Undrafted out of Nothern Iowa, Warner would spend time in the Arena League and NFL Europe before securing a roster spot as a third-string QB for the St. Louis Rams. Prior to the 1999 regular season, Warner would get his shot due to Trent Green suffering torn ACL during a preseason game.

Rams head coach Dick Vermeil made a stunning proclamation after that game.

"We will rally around Kurt Waner.." And a career was born.

We all saw what Warner had to offer as he quickly became the maestro of the "Greatest Show on Turf". Warner was named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in 1999. He came out of nowhere to snag these honors...in his first season no less.

2000 and 2001 were decent seasons for him, but '02 and '03 were forgettable. Turnovers began to plague Warner and he was released after the 2003 season. The New York Giants picked him up to groom a rookie by the name of Eli Manning. But New York was even less kind as Warner was released (again) after spening only one year in a Gaints uniform.

The trek to another Super Bowl appearance started by Warner signing a one-year, $4 million deal prior to the 2005 season with the Arizona Cardinals. For the '07 and '08 seasons, Warner was not listed as the starter due to the job being given to Matt Leinart. But in both years, Warner would end up as the starter due to ineffectiveness from Leinart in '07 and won the starting job in traning camp prior to '08.

Waner led the Cards to their only Super Bowl appearance. Currently, Warner owns the three single highest passing yards games in Super Bowl history. He also joins a list of QBs that have TD passes in three Super Bowls. That list also includes Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, John Elway and Tom Brady. Those four are all in the Hall of Fame.

Warner was selceted to five Pro-Bowls, received two NFL MVP awards, and what might be his most important accomplishment, Warner won the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2008.

No doubt that Warner will gain entry into the Hall of Fame. He could use the postseason alone on his resume'. 31 TD, 100+ QB rating and the aforementioned company with his Super Bowl play.

If both Reed and Warner decide to hang up the cleats, the NFL will be losing two of its greatest players on the field today.

One last thing, My thoughts go out to the family of Chicago Bears DL Gaines Adams. Adams unexpectedly passed away earlier today. He was only 26.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!! Two More Divisional Playoff Games!!

What would a Sunday be without football, and the NFL will present two more battles on the road to the Lombardi Trophy.

If you missed the peeks at Saturday's games, you can view them here.

NFC: Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings; FOX 1 ET PM (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver, Chris Myers)

Most will watch: Cowboys QB Tony Romo and Vikings QB Brett Favre.
Yet another river to cross for Romo. He's never gotten past the first round before, so this is unchartered waters for Romo. His confidence has never been higher during his short career.

Favre will be looking to exercise his Cowboys playoff demons, as in 0-3 against Dallas in playoff game. But the MVP candidate does have a flair for the dramatic. That might be something for him to put in his hip pocket.

You should watch: the trenches.
Wonder why the Vikings struggled toward the end of the season? They were not winning the battle at the line of scimmage. The O-line really struggled against Carolina and some teams picked up on that. Don't think for a minute that slipped by Wade Phillips either.

Can the O-line protect Favre? You have an All-Pro at guard (Steve Hutchison). Can the D-line get to Romo? You have an All-Pro end (Jared Allen) and tackle (Kevin Williams). Minnesota did lead the NFL in sacks, but seem to possibly tire down the stretch. That excludes the Giants game. The answers to my aforemantioned questions must be "yes" and "yes" for the Vikes to get the win.

But don't forget: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson.
On some level, Peterson seems almost like an afterthought for this game. I know he's a threat on every play. Make no mistake, AD will need to get the workload we're used to seeing out of him. If the Vikes become too dependent on the pass, it will be a long day. One last thing on Peterson, secure the ball. Some habits die hard.

One last thing: Vikings CB Antoine Winfield's health.
He's been nursing a bum foot for most of the season. Minnesota doesn't have anyone else that can stay with the speed of Miles Austin. If Winfield isn't 100%, or even 90%, the passing game for Dallas becomes even more lethal.

Bottom line: All the home teams are favored, but the Vikings are only a slight fave ( 2.5 to -3). It used to be that home field gave you 3 points on a spread. So, if I use my primary math skills, I arrive at the fact that Minnesota is really being considered a very slight dog to even at best. I feel Dallas has so much momentum going into this game. The main thing Dallas needs to be aware of is being overconfident.

Cowboys 24, Vikings 21...Dallas is doing everything right at this point.

AFC: New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers; CBS 4:40 PM ET (Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)

Most will watch: Jets CB Darrelle Revis v. Chargers WR Vincent Jackson.
Jets head coach Rex Ryan says Revis is the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Outside of those that voted for the award and Packers fans, it's hard to disagree. It's not Revis' domination of other #1 WR that has me intrigued. I'm wondering how Revis will cope with Jackson's size and strength.

You should watch: Chargers TE Antonio Gates.
Exactly who can cover him? Will Ryan have to tweak his defense to account for Gates? S Jim Leonhard (5'8", 186) cannot be singled up on Gates (6'4", 260). Will we see Kerry Rhodes (6'3', 214) on him? Do you use a linebacker? Any way you cut it, Gates presents so many mismatches for the Jets.

Don't forget: Jets RB Shonn Greene.
With the health of Thomas Jones a concern, Greene will have to have even more of an impact than he had last week in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. I'm not sayong he has to have more yards. He has to have more impact, and that includes helping protect that rookie QB Mark Sanchez.

Bottom line: The Chargers are heavily favored, but did they lose some steam having a week off? They had won 11 in a row after starting 2-3. Talk about being on a roll. Hard to imagine Chargers QB Philip Rivers had the season he did without C Nick Hardwick who missed 13 games. The Jets defense, as we all know, is the #1 overall unit, but it's also the best pass defense. The Chargers don't run too well (31st for the regular season). If the Bolts are to win, LT and Darren Sproles must assert themselves and command a presence. Cincinnati's Cedric Benson did bust 100+ yards on them last week.

Bolts 27, Jets 14...unless Mark Sanchez somehow channels his inner Joe Namath.

And now a different side of Ochocinco

For all who think that Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is nothing but a self promotion, this may change your view.

We all know of the devistation that has gripped Haiti due to a 7.0 earthquake. There are many (and I mean many) that are willing to donote money to the relief effort that is being undertaken. Chad is no exception.

I am checking out my Twitter account when I see a tweet that shows a side of Ocho that usually doesn't get as much press as his "other" side.

A race for game checks, huh? I got Johnson in this one, but I don't think Ochocinco cares one bit if he loses. As of this post, Johnson has yet to answer the challenge.

Ochocinco was selected to replace injured New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker.

In the words of PTI's Tony Kornheiser, "who ya got?"

More NFL Playoff Football!

Only the Packers/Cardinals game provided any form of excitement during the NFL's Wild Card Weekend. Maybe we'll be treated to bit more this coming weekend with the Divisional Round. Here's a quick look at the games being played on Saturday.

NFC: Arizona @ New Orleans; 4:30 PM ET, FOX (Kenny Albert, Darryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa)

Most will watch: Cards QB Kurt Warner and Saints QB Drew Brees.
How could you not want to watch these two? Warner absolutely lit up the Packers last week. Warner had more TD (5) than incompletions (4). There's no sign of him slowing down one bit. Warner has excellent postseason numbers. There is the rumor that Warner will retire after this season. I look for the Cards to do all they can to postpone that. If you have any doubt that this guy will end up in Canton, you're simply crazy.

But Saints fans believe they have the league MVP as their QB in Brees. Brees was second in the MVP voting and that vote has many in Louisiana up in arms. There's no question that when Brees gets it going, there's not any QB that's better. He has many so weapons at his disposal. That may have been why he didn't win the MVP.

You should also watch: New Orleans at the beginning of the game.
It's been almost a month since the Saints have played a real game. This is not the time for rust to set in. A quick start is paramount even though we know the Saints have the offensive firepower to come from behind, but so does Arizona.

If New Orleans wins the coin toss, you might see them take the ball first. Get that offense on the field early and see how they react. That side of the ball has not actually performed too well as of late.

But don't forget: the Saints ground attack.
The newest three-headed monster of Pierre Thomas, Mike Ball and Reggie Bush has given New Orleans even more cause to be optomistic. The lack of a running game was viewed as a significant weakness with the Saints offense. Not anymore. Establishing the run would open the passing game even more for Brees. A big benefit for the Saints.

One last thing: the crowd.
We know balls will fill the "air" of the Superdome. The indoors atmosphere, in itself, does not favor either team. It will be how much the crowd stays behind their Saints. If the Cardinals can score early and often, the life of the crowd would immensely diminish. Playoff games don't come around New Orleans too much. The crowd must holdfast and make a difference.

Bottom line: Despite being favored, it almost feels like people are doubting the Saints. With all that's been made of their late season swoon, it's hard to believe that the switch can flipped on. But what can we make of a Cards defense that blew a 21-point lead to the Packers? When Aaron Rodgers had to throw, he did so and he did at will. Brees operates the same way. Neither defense can stop the run and neither defense can stop the pass. The Saints can run while The Cardinals struggle with their running game.

Saints 37, Cards 28...both Warner and Brees pass for over 300 yards but the turnover bug bites the Cards.

AFC: Baltimore @ Indianapolis; 8:15 ET, CBS (Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

Lane Kiffin leaves for USC

UPDATE: Norm Chow will not be joining Kiffin at USC. He will remain at UCLA. It's been said that he and Kiffin have a bit of a frosty relationship.

Fourteen months. Count 'em. Fourteen months was the amount of time Lane Kiffin spent as the head coach for the Tennessee Volunteer football program. Now, Kiffin leaves for the calling for the sunny skies and glitz and glamour of Southern California.

The surroundings will be all too familiar for Kiffin. He was an assistant at USC under Pete Carroll from '01-'06. Kiffin left USC to take the job as head coach of the Oakland Raiders. After being disposed by Al Davis, Kiffin landed on his feet in Knoxville in November, 2008. Now, in January, 2010, Kiffin returns to California.

They will be more familiarity at USC. Monte Kiffin, Lane's father and defensive coordinator, and Ed Orgeron, assistant head coach and recruiting director, will make the trek as well. There are also reports that current UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow could also travel across town to rejoin Kiffin and Orgeron. Chow also worked under Carroll fron '01-'04.

Kiffin was addressing his former team, and some of the players didn't bother to hang around to hear the whole "speech" Kiffin was delivering. They heard all they needed to hear first, Kiffin was leaving. And some reacted angrily. One was overheard calling the football staff "a bunch of traitors".

Sound familiar? Can you say Brian Kelly and Cincinnati? The timing of this whole cycle stinks and the NCAA seriously needs to address it. If it's all about the buck, then the NCAA itself has been delusioned like the rest of us.

Just like Pete Carroll "slithered" out of California,  Kiffin "slithered" out of Tennessee. His televised comments were on tape so that he wouldn't have to face an angry mob. A mob that set ablaze about a thousand T-shirts with his likeness.

But don't forget what lies ahead for Kiffin. Surely, USC's AD Mike Garrett (right) had to assure Kiffin that all is well with the NCAA investigation and that little, if anything, will come out of it. Surely, Kiffin wouldn't leave a nice gig in Knoxville if there are any lingering doubts about USC's status, would he? Just like Kiffin tries to sell kids on his program, you'd think that Garrett had to sell his program to Kiffin.

But this goes deeper. With National Signing Day only three weeks away, this puts the Tennessee program squarely behind in the recruiting battle. Some players have already decommitted to Tennessee and could most likely be following Kiffin and Co. to USC. Some may choose to attend other schools they were considering when they committed to Kiffin's sales job.

But what about the education of these kids? Isn't that supposed to be the primary goal of college athletics? I'm not naive enough to really think it is. It's all about the football, and college football, especially at USC, brings in major bucks. In other words, it's a business and these kids are getting dragged into the net of that business.

Judge this as you will, but Orgeron even contacted all of Tennessee's early enrollees and told them not to attend class today. That way, it would be easier for these kids to transfer, either to USC or some other school. It almost sounds like Orgeron is stating that the education of these kids is secondary to their football commitment. And to some of these kids, unfortunately, it is. The coaches know this. The kids are the ones being expoited the most and, in most cases, don't realize it because of their blind passion for the game.

The Tennessee position is an excellent post to have, and the program will survive, but it may take a year to recover. Possible candidates are former Tennessee assistant and current Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and Texas' defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. But Muschamp is the "coach-in-waiting", and will take the reigns in Austin when Mack Brown decides to leave.

Phillip Fulmer doesn't look so bad now.

Mark McGwire apologizes about steroid usage

Did Mark McGwire owe us an apology? Do we have to accept it?

To be totally honest, the answer to both is no.

The reason McGwire offered up an apology is simple in nature: he is the new hitting instructor for the St. Louis Cardinals. It's may seem almost like it was lip service. If you look at his "apology" from a business standpoint, McGwire had to bare his soul so his steroid use would not be a distraction during spring training. I'm in so far, although I really never thought an admission would ever happen.

We first heard this story, a story we all pretty much suspected, early yesterday afternoon through a press release, depending on where you live.

On the MLB Network, Bob Costas was afforded an interview with McGwire. And it was more telling than the statement.

When Costas asked why the use, McGwire responded that he "did it [for] health purposes". McGwire did spend stints on the DL from '93 to '96. In '96, McGwire contemplated retirtement until he has a conversation with his father who advised him to"stick it out".

So far, I'm buying it, Mark. I cannot condemn a man for wanting to play. Sure, the manner in which McGwire went about it is wrong, but he believes that why he started using PEDs. McGwire referred to the pressure of performing for his teammates and fans. It's logical. I'm actually repecting this a bit so far.

Then, I slammed on the brakes. I hear something that makes no sense to me and throws a bigger a shadow over the issue.

Costas asks McGwire a number of times if he (McGwire) felt that despite steroid usage, if the records he broke and the numbers he put up were legit. Wait for it.....McGwire stated that he did. He actually said "absolutely".

Absolutely? You're seriously going to stand by your "record(s)"?

McGwire took steroids in order to heal quicker to get back on the field. So, let's think logically. Go with me on this point. Even if you don't believe that steroids make you stronger, but you believe they heal you faster, you wouldn't have been able to play as many games without them. Therefore, you don't get as many at-bats. And, you don't get as many "anything" except time on the DL and games lost to injury. To say you would have the same numbers is beyond inaccurate. It's impossible. It's simple math, and McGwire fails on that part. If you're not playing, you're not adding to your numbers.

McGwire has insisted that he wanted to confess of his usage during the 2005 hearings before Congress. He was advised by his attorney(ies) not to come clean" since a deal for immunity was not reached. McGwire, instead, skirted the issue and was forever labelled a user despite not saying a thing about using. It was his non-confession, that looked more like a confession, that had the majority of us thinking even more that he had used.

The former chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, former Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, was aware of McGwire's dilemma. Davis met with McGwire for three hours the day before the hearings were to begin. McGwire admitted his usage to Davis and wanted to get this off his shoulders and out in the public. There would could have been legal issues had McGwire confessed with no immunity deal in place. McGwire's attorney asked for immunity for his client, but none was granted. So, McGwire took as what was perceived as the "low road" by, in a roundabout way, taking the Fifth.

So we now know why McGwire was willing to be played as the fool. He did it in order to avoid jail time. He did it in order to avoid hurting his family. I get that. It almost makes you wish you hadn't viewed him so harshly during those hearings. If this is true, McGwire did succeed. So, as I look at it, it's even.

Many will ask with this admission if this could open the doors to the Hall of Fame. McGwire insists that his admission is not to be associated with trying to get in. It won't change the fact that McGwire has never received more than 25% of the votes needed to enter. We may see some gravitate to his side in the next vote, but if Big Mac were to get in, I think it would be the Veteran's Committee that gives him the nod, not the voters. If you're familiar with how the Veteran's Committee works, you know the road is even longer for McGwire. While many fans still feel he should be there, the road will be extremely long for him. It may be a foregone conclusion that he will never see the halls of Cooperstown.

I could care less if McGwire gets in, in all honesty. I personally don't think he should. It's not that I'm hating on Mark McGwire either. Many will bring up current members and say "this guy did this", and "this guy did that". But that's the beauty of the Hall. It expands across generations. There will always be differences of opinion on who should and who shouldn't be in. We just have to let it run it's course on McGwire's possible inclusion.

The continued apologies may turn some more people to McGwire's side. After all, with every teary admission of wrong, the forgiving nation we live in will choose either to accept or reject that apology.

McGwire can't really be looking to restore his name, can he?

No, he can't because that benefit left long ago. No passes will be issued.

Next for the Seahawks, Carroll

With the resignation of Pete Carrol at USC and know being announced as the next head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, one has to wonder how much "power" Carroll will have in the organization.

I'm not so sure he'll have total control. Seattle has the "been there, done that" tag when the Mike Holmgren era began in 1999. That was not a good strategy for the long haul. As a Seahawks fan, I questioned the move then and I question the possibility of Carroll getting that now. To me, you have to have a seaparate GM and coach and they must find a way to work together. Mike Sando of ESPN.com has the very same take on the situation.

The house cleaning in Seattle has not gone without it's questions. Why is Carroll leaving USC? Does he know that USC is facing major penalties from the NCAA and he's taking this time to "get out of Dodge"? Was Carroll actually forced out due to those same possible sanctions? Was firing Jim Mora after only one year fair? Did Mora lose the Seahawks locker room?

We most likely will never know the answer to any of those questions. But that's for another day.

What will Carroll do with a team that has lost a step or two to the rest of their division? That's the real question that must be answered. Obviously, the Arizona Cardinals are now the class of the NFC West considering they're the back-to-back division champs.

First, get a GM that knows how to properly evaluate talent. As Sando points out, Floyd Reese (right) seems like a logical fit. As a GM for the Tennessee Titans, Reese worked along side of Jeff Fisher. Reese knows how that type of "checks and balances" works within a front office. Reese served this past season as the Senior Football Advisor for the New England Patriots. Reese had a front seat for how the Patriots run their organization and that may translate into a return as an NFL GM. He's also highly respected in NFL circles. That brings credibility if Reese were to be named as Seahawks GM.

Upon announcing that Carroll would be the next Seahawks head coach, Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke offered this as posted on seahawks.com:

“We now turn our full attention to the hiring process for a general manager. Our intended structure is for Pete and the new GM to work in a collaborative capacity on football matters.”

Almost sounds like an Reese endorsement, doesn't it?

Next, the success of an NFL head coach is highly predicated on the effectiveness of his assistants. Select good assistant coaches, Pete. Carroll is taking Jeremy Bates (left) from his USC staff to serve as offfensive coordinator. It was Bates that helped develop Bears QB Jay Cutler when they were together in Denver. Cutler had mild success in Denver and a lot of that has been attributed to Bates. With Bates going to Seattle, that means that Gregg Knapp is now out.

But there are many more positions to fill, and Carroll has to be "spot on" with his hires. Don't rule out the possiblity that the new GM may provide a bit of aid since Carroll has been out of the NFL for a while. Don't forget that Vikings DC Leslie Frazier was brought in to interview for the head coach position. While many say this was merely to satisfy the Rooney Rule (and it sure does look like it), was it an audition for bigger and better things that could head Frazier's way? I'm just asking.

Finally, Carroll must earn respect from the Seahawks roster. For some odd reason, it appeared that Jim Mora never did. If the reports are true that Mora did lose the locker room, he surely wasn't being respected. This may be the hardest step in the process. We all know Carroll has massive charisma, but well will that translate to an NFL locker room? Some are already suggesting that it won't. Getting in good with QB Matthew Hasselbeck is just a suggestion, Pete.

On the surface, it looks like Seattle made a "knee jerk" reaction in dismissing Mora, giving him only one season.

The Seahawks brass had to have their eyes on Carroll for a long time to pull such a reaction.

Wild Card Weekend...continued

The NFL supplies us with two more wild card matchups today. Here's a quick look.

Baltimore @ New England

Season stats: Baltimore - offense: 13th overall (18th pass, 5th rush), 9th in scoring - 24.4 points per game; defense: 3rd overall (8th pass, 5th rush), 3rd in scoring - 16.3 points per game

New England - offense: 3rd overall (3rd pass, 12th rush), 6th in scoring - 26.7 points per game; defense - 11th overall (12th pass, 13th rush), 5th in scoring - 17.8 points per game

In a rematch from week 4, the Ravens travel to Gillette Stadium, again. The game as marked by some roughing the passer penalties called against the Ravens. Pats QB Tom Brady was seen turning to the referee which resulted in one of those penalties. Ravens LB Ray Lewis did not take to the act too well.

"Without totally going off the wall here, it is embarrassing to the game. Brady is good enough to make his own plays, let him make the play."

Ravens: We all know the main threat on offense is RB Ray Rice, but did you catch the perfermance Willis McGahee pulled out last week? If McGahee can duplicate that effort, the Patriots could be in for a long day. It was against the Raiders (29th against the run), but McGahee displayedan effort not seen from him in a while. Rice is a dual threat and must always be accounted for. TE Todd Heap showed he's not done playing either. Heap had a good '09 racking up 53 catches and 6 TD. Not bad for a guy some had written off. WR Derrick Masin, who at one time had "retired", eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards and showed he can still make an impact on a game. Outside of Rice, Heap and Mason, QB Joe Flacco doesn't many other options. The success of the running game will dictate the Ravens fate. They did tie with Miami for the league lead in rushing TDs (22).

And when we think of the Ravens D, we think of two guys, LB Ray Lewis and S Ed Reed. Former DC Rex Ryan is in NYC, but after a few bumps in the road, the Ravens got back on track and showed they are still a formidable unit. There is still a question at corner, though. And that's where Reed and S Dawan Landry's presence must be felt. And putting pressure on Pats QB Tom Brady is of exteme importance.

Watch the return game. Chris Carr can flip a field on you with his ability.

Partiots: People have been knocking the Patriots for the lack of a running game this season. Huh? They finished 12th in what can be termed as a pass happy offense. The loss of WR Wes Welker has been all the talk since the Houston game and he will be missed. Look for the RBs (Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Sammie Morris) and WR Julian Edelman and the TEs (Benjamin Watson and Chris Baker) to help soothe Welker's absence. They all can't replace him, but they all can help keep the Ravens D from piling up on WR Randy Moss. The O line is the key. They have to keep QB Tom Brady from the feeling pressure. A nice screen game can go a long way.

Remember that infamous 4th and 2? Remember the drubbing in the Superdome a couple of weeks later? Now, remember holding the Jags Maurice Jones-Drew in check? Remember that 59-0 squashing of the Tennessee Titans? The defense has pulled a Jeckyl and Hyde all season long. This is not the time to be pulling such an act. If the "good" unit shows up, a Pats win will be in the works. If not, the Ravens win. It really is as simple as that. The Pats D hold this game in their hands.

The loss of Welker will also be noticable in the punt return game. He had a knack for finding a seam and supplying good field position.

Green Bay @ Arizona

Eagles and Cowboys - Round 3

In what many term the "ugliest rivalry in the NFL", the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys resume that this evening in a Wild Card playoff game at Jerry's Playpen.

Before we delve too deep into that game, if you wish to catch a view of the New York Jets/Cincinnati Bengals matchup, click here.

You hear said every year that it's hard to best a team three times. Not true. It has happened 19 times leading up to tonight's game. On 12 occassions, the team that won the first two games, also won the third. In this day and age of the extreme usage of stats, that's a telling one.

The game.

Philadelphia: These guys almost looked like they didn't care to really be in a gae last week. I found that surprising considering if the Eagles had won, tis game would be in Philly instead of Dallas, or the Funhouse of Jerry. Does it really matter? Not if the Eagles show up.

The major conern I have with the Philly offense is that they may be geared a bit too much for the big play. The Eagles only averaged 24 rushing attempts per game during the regular season while they averaged 34.6 pass attempts a game. That translated into a time of possession of 28:14, 28th in the league. If you've watched the Eagles play this season, you know they are without a doubt a pass-first offense. And head coach Andy Reid wouldn't have it any other way. That shouldn't be a major issue tonight considering where the game is being played, but a lack of balance could present difficulties for Philly.

Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has been pointed as the "X factor" when Philly has the ball, but I'm looking to two others, WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Brent Celek (left). Maclin and Celek both have to find the creases and seams in the Cowboys defense to take pressure off Jackson and QB Donanvan McNabb. If either of them can establish a position on the field, that should enable Jackson to get open. Plus, it's not so bad to utilize Maclin's speed and/or Celek's presence. The Cowboys TE Jason Witten may be going to the Pro Bowl as a backup to Vernon Davis, but Celek should be there.

There's been something missing with the Eagles defense more than just Jim Johnson and Brian Dawkins. The Eagles have been ravished with injuries to the linebacking unit the whole season, but new DC Sean McDermott has done a very good job with all the adversity. The one thing that can be hard to defend is a truly balanced offense, and Dallas has just that.

For Philly, the defensive line must produce pressure on Cowboys QB Tony Romo. They must rattle his confidence because Romo's cofidence has to be at a career high. If McDermott can dial up a scheme that shatter Romo's confidence, Romo jusy may revert to his past December and playoff self we're used to seeing. Eagles DE Trent Cole will be the guy to watch.

One last bit of info. The Eagles finished 2nd in turnover ratio with a +15. Romo, playoffs, turnovers. Get the picture.

And on the Dallas side...

Tide rolls Texas for BCS Championship

Congrats to the Alabama Crimson Tide and coach Nick Saban in claiming the BCS Championship with a 37-21 victory over the Texas Longhorns last night. The win marks Saban's second BCS title and he becomes the first to win titles with different programs (LSU).

One fact that cannot escape is that Texas QB Coly McCoy was knocked out of the game early in the first quarter. It was speculated that a shoulder injury had occurred when McCoy was tackled by Alabama's Marcell Dareus. It was only the game's fifth play. Mack Brown would now have to rely on  highly touted true freshman Garrett Gilbert to run the Longhorn offense. It took the kid a while, but he showed some fight in the second half. Some are saying losing McCoy cost the Longhorns another title, but I repectfully disagree.

I say that because didn't Texas come into this affair with the nation's best rushing defense? Both Mark Ingram (116) and Trent Richardson (109) had over 100 yards rushing. That helped lead Alabama to winning the time of possession battle, too (33:39 to 26:21). Which offers another question. Was Texas ranked as the nation's top rush defense because people can't run on them or is it a product of playing in the Big 12 with a fair amount of teams that run a variable of the spread offense? In all honesty, the world will never know on that. All it shows is that stats are just that, stats.

Because Texas could not hold the Bama running game in check, QB Greg McElroy only threw 11 passes. McElroy was seen by many as the one weak link in Alabama's offense. The running game was so successful that McElroy was merely an afterthought. Let the record show that McElroy only completed six passes for 58 yards. The thing is, this guy wins no matter how you look at it. He hasn't lost a start in over half a decade.

I only have one thing that Texas should have done differently and we can all agree on it. What in the world was your staff thinking by calling for a shovel pass? Seriously, why? Wouldn't have taking a knee or calling a running play been better? Sure, hindsight is always 20-20, but I said that before the play. You have a true frosh in at QB. Bama is showing the willingness to take an 11 point lead into the locker room. But, alas, a pick six and the lead goes from 17-6 to 24-6.

Nick Saban. I actually see that you can smile. Just like the Cheshire cat.

Texas had fought all the way back from a 24-6 deficit to only trailing 24-21 with 3:14 left and the Longhorns had to ball at their own 7. A great Bama defensive call for blitzing on the edge, sacking Gilbert, creating a fumble, and taking the ball in the endzone three plays later for a 31-21 lead with 2:01 left. Game over. Right?

It wasn't. Texas got the ensuing kickoff and on the second play of the drive, Gilbert threw his third of four interceptions, giving Bama the ball on the Texas 27. The game clock showed 1:48 remaining. I ask,. You're the head coach, what do you do? I instruct my team to take a knee. Sure, Mack Brown had time outs in his pocket. If Brown uses one, then proceed to run real plays. If not, continue to take a knee and show a bit of class.

Not Saban. He showed that there were to be no classy win this evening by running the ball for yet another Tide score with 0:47 remaining. Are you kidding me? 47 seconds left. You have the game in hand and you call yet another running play. It was obvious that Texas was not going to call any of their remaining timeouts. Okay, the drive did take another 1:01 off the clock, Scoring that touchdown meant a lock. No, how about the previous TD meant that.

I can hear it now. The Texas defense should have stopped them from scoring that last touchdown. Stop it. Just simply stop it. That argument simply doesn't wash here. The game was clearly over at that point. There's no need to pour salt in the wound. Simply a lack of class.

As I said above, no classy win. I say congrats to the Bama players that won that game. Not the head coach.

It was once in a song one that I wanted to forget until now: "I see your true colors shining through."

Yep, we see them.

PGA kicks off year without Tiger

All is still quiet with golf's #1, Tiger Woods.

As the PGA commences another season at Kapalua in Hawaii with the SBS Championships, many may wonder how the PGA tour will hold up with out Tiger's presence. I, and I may be in the minority, think it will be fine despite what past numbers have shown.

In the past, there's no question that Tiger's absence has had ramifications on the numbers of viewers. If you watch golf just for Tiger, then you're missing out. I can give you (easily) another ten players worth watching in 2010.

1. Phil Mickleson (left). Lefty is currently #2 in the world rankings. He has a knack for being extremely creative on a golf course. Want to improve your short game? Watch Phil. Want to see a player interact with the galley? Watch Phil. He's probably the most popular player. The story of both his wife and mother dealing with breast cancer helped bring even more awareness in '09. Phil is the guy until we see Eldrick again.
2. Sergio Garcia. Is this the year Sergio breaks through and wins a major? He had a down year in '09 both in the U.S. and Europe. He's won at Sawgrass in Tiger's absence in '08 (and promptly thanked him for that). Want charisma? Watch Sergio. It oozes from his pores.

3. Jim Furyk. He didn't win an "official" tournamnet in '09 but won Tiger's tourney at Sherwood. That might be just the boost Furyk needs going into 2010. There's not many that play a more steady game than Furyk. The only knock, don't even try to emulate his swing. Just emulate his steady play.

4. Steve Stricker. You can group Strick with Furyk. He's steady and for some reason, nothing seems to get to him. He's the Tour's best putter, so watch him on the greens.

5. Boo Weekley (right). There's no player that is more down to earth than Boo. You might be able to call Boo the PGA's version of Yogi Berra due to his quotes that have to rattle aound in your head a bit before they can even come close to making sense. That's what a "Booism" is. Weekley's known as the player from the '08 Ryder Cup playing "giddy up" on a club. No better personality on Tour.

6. Bubba Watson. Watson doesn't exactly strike you as a golfer, but nobody lauches a drive like Bubba. He may not be very accurate (53.05% in '09), but he hits the ball a mile (311 yds. on average in '09, 2nd on Tour). The rest of his game is starting to take shape.

7. Rickie Fowler (left). He's going to get a lot a press as one of the Tour's future stars. He might be one of the guys that can make us temporarily forget Woods, especailly if he's got the game he showed at Q-School. This kid can play. He has all the shots.

8. Padraig Harrington. He's as gritty and gutsy as they come, and Harrington pushed Tiger in a few events last year.

9. Kenny Perry. Is there anyone out there that doesn;t like this guy? Perry will turn 50 in August of this year, but by no means let his age fool you. He has no thoughts of playing on the Champions Tour just yet and he can still "hang with the big boys". Could this be the year Perry gets his first major after coming so close at the Masters in '09? Hard not to root for Kenny.

10. Geoff Ogilvy. In my opinion, I can't remember watching a sweeter swing since Fred Couples, and Couples still has a spectacular swing. I know Ernie Els has a beautiful, easy swing, but Ogilvy's swing is as elegant as they come. It just doesn't seem that such an easy looking swing can launch a ball so far. And he's won a major.

See, I told you there's a lot more to watch than just Tiger.

I saw an interview on ESPN with Jerry Kelly. Kelly made a comment to the effect that the game of golf will be here with or without Woods. Kelly's been on the Tour since 1989, so he's been around before the "Tiger Era" began.

PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem hopes Kelly is right. I think Kelly is.