The Return

Well...almost a year away. Over that time, I've enjoyed some opportunities. Some of which I continue, others that I have chosen to no longer pursue. I even tried my hand at re-branding...of sorts. But this was the first "home" and it beckoned me on almost a daily basis. I have a slew of items to cover. Let's not put them off any longer...

NHL

Be serious now. Prior to last evening, has anyone heard of Sam Gagner? If you hadn't, I'm sure you have by now. Anytime someone ties a record with Wayne Gretzky, you're accomplished something very special...


The Edmonton Oilers scored eight goals...and Gagner had a point for each goal. Kinda spectacular huh? For the record, another former Oiler scored eight points in a game, Paul Coffey.

MLB

Just finished watching the news conference in regards to Josh Hamilton and his relapse. If anyone is truly upset at this, think about it some more, please.

I have heard and read where people were blaming the bartender for serving Hamilton. It's one thing to be what's known as an enabler. The bartender wasn't. Has anyone considered if the bartender even knew who Hamilton was? Sure there could have been patrons that were aware of who he was serving, but to come down hard on this individual is a little harsh.

Also, Hamilton holding a press conference even though he didn't take questions was brilliant. I loved that. In this day anf age, athletes, celebrities, etc., believe that issuing a statement through personal websites and/or Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, all other forms of social media is beyond refreshing.

PGA

I present the long hitting Gary Woodland...



Missed it by that much...

NFL

Isn't this week supposed to be about the Super Bowl? If you ask me, it's been more about Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts. This game of "oh, yeah, well..." is edging toward the sophomoric side. Remember when we heard this kind of crap was going to stay in-house? So much for that idea.

So, Manning's surgeon, Dr. Robert Watkins to you, issues a statement that alerts us that one of Indy's prized possessions is "medically cleared to play professional football". Colts owner Jim Irsay, as he tends to do, took to Twitter. His version? Manning hasn't been cleared by the Colts medical staff.

Irsay was preparing a statement to be released today. Honestly, I'm tired of all this stuff. If he doesn't want to pay Manning that huge roster bonus, don't. If you want Peyton in Indy, then you do. We don't need to hear anymore statements...until the Super Bowl is over. Then my ears will perk up.

College Football

Remember Gunner Kiel? That name should be fresh in your memory especially if you follow college football. Might wanna watch this video courtesy of The Daily Reveille. Go to the 1:40 mark...

I don't think I need to add to this, but I believe you suspect that Kiel was the "quarterback from Indiana".

Only "The Hat"...

Colts Contract Issues Hinge on New CBA, Manning

As NFL team's continue their mandatory weekend minicamps, there is a little discontent that has reared its ugly head at minicamp for the defending AFC Champs.

Wide receiver Reggie Wayne and defensive end Robert Mathis have elected to stay away from the activities due to their unhappiness over their current contract situation. Both have two years remaining on their deals. Wayne is currently on a six-year, $39 million while Mathis' six-year deal was worth a total of $30 million. Both want new deals, but with the uncertainty of a CBA, there's has been little, if any, movement in negotiations. Colts GM Bill Polian spoke regarding the situations involving Wayne and Mathis.

Polian

"We're not in a regular environment, that's the problem. I've spoken to both their agents, and I certainly respect both men and they make a good case. But the problem is we don't have a system, and without a system, you don't know where contracts might or might not fit in.

"It's a jigsaw puzzle, and as one piece fits in then another falls in place and another falls in place."

But there is one member of the Colts that needs a new deal even more than Wayne and Mathis combined, Peyton Manning. That compounds the issues surrounding Wayne and Mathis even more due to Colts owner Jim Irsay saying intends to make Manning the league's highest paid player. Manning is in the final year of his deal and re-signing him, even at 34, is of far more importance than renegotiating the contracts of Wayne and Mathis. The order in Indy begins with the four-time MVP. Although, Irsay's comments about Manning's potential contract amount cannot be extremely soothing to other Colts awaiting for a new deal.

No, I'm not writing off the importance of Wayne and Mathis to the Colts fortunes, but I'm also not ignorant enough to hide the fact that the Indianapolis Colts are not the same team without #18 under center. Wayne did step in as a team leader when Marvin Harrison was injured a couple of seasons ago and then not brought back after the '08 season. Wayne is a Pro-Bowler and Indy's best receiver, no question. But who gets Wayne the ball? No Manning, not as many catches.

Mathis is as integral to the Indy defense as Dwight Freeney. They are arguably the best pair of defensive ends in the NFL. When teams worry too much about Freeney, Mathis is always the beneficiary. He's that talented.

The status of a contract extension for Manning is what will delay any form of a new deal for Wayne and/or Mathis. And the longer there's no CBA in place, the longer Wayne and Mathis may stay away from Indy. Once a new CBA can be reached, the flood gates will open on this.

And so will the money...

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.

NFL Midseason Awards...and Others

We have (sort of) approached the halfway mark in the NFL season. And what goes along with that? The midseason awards! And a couple you might not have seen coming!

MVP - This is a tough call. The three that have my attention are all quarterbacks, Indy's Peyton Manning, New Orleans' Drew Brees, and Minnesota's Brett Favre. Yes, Favre. The Colts, Saints and Vikes are a combined 21-1, with Minnesota having the only loss. When it comes down to it, I'm opting for Manning. Unlike Brees and Favre, he does not have a running game to lean on.

Best Offensive Player - You can't go wrong with any of these guys: Titans RB Chris Johnson (just ask him), Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, or Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. The only knock on Johnson is not that he plays for a 1-6 team, but that of his league leading 824 yards, 425 of those yards have come in only two of the Titans seven games. Not totally his fault that Tennessse has given up so many points and had to abandonthe rush. Roethilsberger is interesting because we all used to view the Steelers as a run first offense. Can't anymore since the rushing game has sputtered since Jerome Bettis left. But I'm going with Rodgers. Despite being sacked a league leading 31 time, he still leads the NFL in passer rating. Better than Manning, Brees and Favre.

Best Defensive Player - I'm considering these three: New Orleans safety Darren Sharper, Minnesota's defensive end Jared Allen and Denver's "morph" Elvis Dumervil. Sharper has 7 int with 3 return TD. Allen leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks and Dumervil is right behind with 10. We all know what Allen brings to the table, massive intensity. But look at his line mates? Playing with the Williams guys and Ray Edwards will get you a better blocking matchup...and more sacks. Dumervil is more of a product of Mike Nolan's defensive system. My nod goes to Sharper whose been the biggest inluence on the Saints D.

Best Rookie - Minnesota's "do everything" Percy Harvin, Buffalo's CB Jairus Byrd and Texans linebacker Brian Cushing. Byrd is tied with Darren Sharper for the NFL lead with 7 INT, all coming in the Bills last four games. Byrd did not become a starter until week 3. Harvin does eveything for the Vikings. He catches and he returns kickoffs...to the tune of 5 TD overall. It's easy to go the way of Harvin, but I'm going with Cushing. He stands 6th in the NFL in total tackles (1st among rookies), and Cushing has been a major reason the Texans defense has improved this season.

Manning passes Unitas; Colts win with most bizarre stat ever

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning became the Colts all time leader in wins, passing Colts legend Johnny Unitas, with a 27-23 win at Land Shark Stadium last night. Manning now has 119 wins as a Colts QB. It's not the fact that Manning and the Colts got the win that's surprising, it was how they won.

I stated yesterday that if the Dolphins control time of possession and sucessfully run the ball, Miami would win. They did just that...except the winning part. The Dolphins had 239 yards rushing and had a TOP of 45:07...and lost. Huh? This is the first time since 1977 (when tracking TOP became a stat) that a team had a TOP of less than 15 minutes and won. So, history was actually witnessed twice last night. The TOP and Manning passing Johnny U.

One factor in the Colts having such a low TOP was they had two touchdown drives that totalled less than 45 seconds. The first drive of the game was 1 play and covered 80 yards and took a whole 12 seconds. The winning drive was 4 plays and consumed a massive 32 seconds. 5 plays in 44 seconds and 14 points? Scary. Really scary. The longest Colts drive of the night was barely over 4 minutes (4:07 to be exact). The Dolphins shortest drive: 2:23. All the other Dolphin scoring drives were at least 9 plays and over 6:00. They had 5 drives that resulted in scores.

So how did Miami lose? Three of their five drives ended in field goals and you can't settle for field goals and hope to beat Manning and the Colts. Think about this: Even when you keep Manning and the potent Colts offense off the field doesn't guarantee you a win if you don't put the ball in the endzone. Plain and simple.

On passing Unitas as the Colts leader in wins, Manning was his usual humble self. He even indicated he was a bit unsettled being mentioned with the likes of Unitas. You could even see him blush a bit at the comparison. But that's a side a Manning that makes him so refreshing in the "me" world of today's athlete. He receives his fair share of face time with all of his commercials, but it's in a manner which we enjoy. It's not about him. It's about the team. No trash talking tweets. No chest pounding. Just play the game and play it the best you can.

But one thing I'll tell people about Peyton Manning. Check out this video.

Sometimes you just can't help yourself. Congrats, Peyton. See you in Canton.