Bucs hold the fate of two coaches

In a bit of irony, the fate of two coaches could be determined Sunday when the Buccaneers play the Carolina Panthers. If favored Carolina wins, they could salvaged something from a disappointing year by breaking even with a victory next week over hapless Buffalo. With a loss to the Panthers, Tampa Bay could go winless since they won't be favored in any of their remaining games. Although Panthers coach, John Fox, has guided Carolina to a Super Bowl, the team usually follows winning seasons with losing spells; and this year is no different. Following last season's 12-4 record, Carolina is 1-3. To make matters worse, there is turmoil in the Panthers' front office with owner, Jerry Richardson's, two sons leaving after fighting over a successor. The founder is recovering from a heart transplant; meanwhile rumors persist his daughter may take over the club, or the Panthers could be sold. None of this helps Fox as Panther fans continue to blame him for this season's collapse. A lost to the rival Bucs would probably determine Fox destiny in Carolina. Bucs coach, Raheem Morris, on the other hand, would be hard pressed to keep his job if Tampa Bay goes 0-16. Consider this: during training camp, Morris pointed to the Panthers as a model franchise replete with the kind of players the Bucs should emulate. Perhaps, Morris was listening to the same guy who convinced the Indians to sell their land for 0.10 cents an acre. Of course, not all of this falls on Morris: Discontent is simmering over general manager, Mark Dominick's, decision to hire defensive coordinator, Jim Bates, whose Denver Broncos defense ranked 29Th in the league; and true to form, the Buccaneers are 29Th. Bates came under more criticism when former Buccaneer, Steve White, questioned why a coach would have former defensive end, Gaines Adams, line up on the left side for two plays, and then switch him over to right side on third down. According to White, a defensive end spends his first two plays setting up the offensive tackle for an unexpected move on third down. Clearly like so many others including Jeff Jagodinski, Bates was not thoroughly vetted during the hiring process. For all intents and purposes, the owners of the Buccaneers, the Glazers, should not get a free pass either. The family is deeply in debt after using mostly junk bonds to finance their acquisition of soccer power, Manchester United. The Glazers, moreover, have refused to sign free agents and cut payroll during the off season by releasing Derrick Brooks, Ike Hillard, as well as Cato June. More than likely, the Panthers win 24-14, and Fox lives on to fight another day. Morris, though, should spend some of his free time updating his resume.

Bettors note

I like the Giants to win in New Orleans, and Atlanta over the Chicago Bears.

Top 5
New York Giants
New Orleans Saints
Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings
Denver Broncos

The Bucs; Raheem Morris; and Stepin Fecthit?

For those of you too young to remember, old school actor,Stepin Fecthit, was the lazy character portrayed by Lincoln Perry in the 1929 film, "Show Boat." Although Fecthit's role as a listless African-American humming"Ole Man River" still haunts black men, Fecthit laughed all the way to the bank. While no one is indirectly lampooning coach, Raheem Morris, he is, in a round about way, turning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a parody. The organization is by all standards a joke. Let's begin with the abrupt firing of former coach, John Gruden. One of the owners, Joel Glazer, insists he fired Gruden because he listens to the fans; it turns out, however, the Glazers terminated their feisty coach when he berated them for asking him to change the offense. The Glazers, furthermore, say its not about the money; so why did they release Cato June, Derrick Brooks, and several more holdovers just before they were due million dollar signing bonuses? But this gets better still, the Tampa Bay media joined in the feeding frenzy by demanding Gruden's head: naturally, they assumed the Bucs would hire former Steeler coach, Bill Cowher or Mike Shananhan. The Glazers, though, doubled crossed everyone by renting Raheem. Consequently, Morris tries to explain away this winless state affairs by insisting his team has to grow up. Gruden, for all his drawbacks, was able to work around the penny-pinching Glazers by employing troubled free agents like Antonio Bryant also Jeff Garcia. These guys became quick fixes by allowing the Bucs to stay competitive while other teams were busy retooling. Similar to Stepin Fecthit, Raheem minces words and stutters while trying to describe a team constantly being spoofed in the local press. To be honest, things don't get any better this week when
Tampa Bay plays the Philadelphia Eagles; only a hoodlum would allow his children to witness this iminent bloodletting. In the end, the sad thing about Stepin Fecthit: despite making millions, he went bankrupt; but unfortunately for Raheem Morris, time isn't money.

In Miami, The Numbers Don't Add Up.

I was recently touched by a radio commentator bragging about the number of pro football players coming out of Miami Dade county: I ponder, on the other hand, why he failed to mention a more telling statistic: the amount of young African American males from Miami Dade county going to prison: about one out of three. The sum just doesn't add up. For every black male making it to the National Football League, there are hundreds more being shackled. On the flip side,there are no men in the NFL from New York's heavily Jewish Westchester county, yet they have plenty of guys in law school, Med School, and Ivy League graduate schools. So you tell me, what's wrong with this picture? Perhaps one explanation comes from the U.S. Census Department showing 40% of African American males are unemployed; well I can see why when the leading employer is the NFL and NBA; sure, they're just begging for job applicants. The trouble is some black fathers excoriate their sons when they fumble a football or miss a layup, but they could care less when the kid doesn't turn in his homework, or cusses out his teacher. At least these dads, nevertheless, are showing up for something beyond a prison work detail. Still, this disparity may explain why New York's graduation rate for blacks is a paltry 26%. You know what else is the pits; according to a recent study, the financial plight of African Americans is nothing short of abysmal; consider this: 1/200,000 have a chance of playing in the NBA. 1/3,000 will earn a Ph.D 1/400 will become a doctor, while 1/20 will be incarcerated. So what is the NFL doing to turn these numbers around, absolutely nothing. Oh occassionaly, a player may visit an inner city school while reading to a few kids during a swank photo shoot, but that's extent of it. While we look on with pride at all the players from football producing states like Florida, California, also Texas, Rome is burning, and one day, we may all end up choking on the smoke.

Is Quarterback, Mark Sanchez, all hype?

Before the NFL draft, ESPN analyst and former Raven, Trent Dilfer, was touting USC signal caller, Mark Sanchez, as the second coming of Joe Namath; according to Dilfer, Sanchez was the only can't miss hope in the draft. All these revelations from a former player who couldn't throw a pea into the ocean...much less a football. If this is all true, nevertheless, why is Sanchez struggling to beat out unheralded, Kellen Clemons? Following reports out of Jets training camp, Sanchez struggles with reads while throwing untimely interceptions; hardly sounds like John Unitas to me. Making matters worse though, even if Clemons out performs Sanchez in preseason, the Jets are obligated to start him since he inked a five year sixty million dollar deal; but this kind of quandary just highlights why the NFL needs to institute a rookie salary cap during the next collective bargaining session. Sanchez's stock rose during involuntary workouts at USC where he wasn't facing the likes of Jared Allen, Joey Porter, or Demarcus Ware. Now, Its becoming very clear many agents are colluding with these so called forecasters to drive up the price of untested prospects. Consider this, of the 28 players who made the NFL All Rookie team, 12 were drafted in the first round. The remaining athletes were taken in the later rounds including the Chiefs, Brandon Carr: the 140th pick. Fullback, Payton Hillis was 227th overall selection while Defensive end, Jason Jones was 54th, and Desean Jackson 49th. Drafting, therefore, is an inexact science; clearly, the best gems are discovered in the later rounds. Of course, this isn't to say Mark Sanchez will not develop into an outstanding professional football player; however committing 60-million dollars to an athlete who struggled to beat out several also rans at USC begs the question: are the blind leading the blind.

When Confronting McNair, What's A Girl to Do?

Looking back on the McNair tragedy, it's easy to argue that men are genetically predisposed to mate with as many females as possible; but, "This night out on the town backfired." Focus on her frame of mind for a minute. When a 36-year old athlete hands a youngster the keys to his Bentley, what's a girl to do? When a man co-signs for your brand new Cadillac Escalade, what's a girl to do? When a man takes you to his small hometown and parades you around in front of his family, what's a girl to do? When a rich man gives you the keys to his luxury condominium, what's a girl to do? When a man promises you he's divorcing his wife while leaving behind four young sons, what's a girl to do? In order to entice this kid, McNair allegedly did all these things. Of course, no one expected 20-year Sahel Kazemi to take her life, let alone, McNair's, but she did. Suicide, unfortunately, is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 20-24. Taking one's life, moreover, isn't something old people normally do since they have the life experiences to know tough times don't last forever. By the time you become an adult, most men realize women give sex in exchange for love, and males give love in exchange for sex. Any man risks a woman's fury when he shortchanges her by making promises he can't keep. Regardless of how you feel about this young lady, suicide prevention experts say particularly for young people: relationship breakups are one of the leading causes of suicides, followed by social struggles, and drug addiction. Sahel was toiling with all three. Sure, the young lady made a poor choice, but McNair - a man with a loving wife plus four young sons - didn't help the situation. In Sahel's defense, portraying her as a rebuffed gold digger misses the point on the importance of mentoring our youth. A womanizer like McNair should not have been trying to take advantage of naivete. With all her problems, Sahel never asked anyone to push her over the cliff, instead she really needed a helping hand to pull her back into reality. Perhaps in death, Sahel may have taught us a lesson: Sometimes life does follow the script.

For NRA: McNair was Target Practice

In wake of Steve McNair's murder, the National Rifle Association is apt to say, "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." Of course they never add that "People kill people with guns." Once again, another individual is executed by a weapon they probably kept in their home. In case you've been living on Mars, former quarterback, Steve McNair along with his 20-year girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, were found dead in a condominium jointly owned by McNair also sporting goods magnet, Wayne Neely. In a bit of irony, a friend of Sahel was planning on taking her to a shooting gallery since she was afraid to be alone at night. Kazemi declined the invitation, however, because she said McNair had plenty of guns lying around. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, guns are rarely used against an intruder; in most cases, the bullets find their way into the flesh of an acquaintance. One man, for example, was so trigger happy, he shot his wife while mistaking her for a late night prowler...at least that's what he told police. Even experienced marksmen, moreover, will tell you they have to practice weekly to hit a moving target. Yet, people in this country prolong the arms race by buying assault rifles, revolvers, as well as semi automatic weapons. Aware of the carnage in Chicago's city streets, President Obama promised to confront the gun lobby in Washington, but like most of his rhetoric, it's all talk with very little action. The NRA, meanwhile, continues to promote the notion there is a big dangerous black man lurking around the corner, so shoot first. The concept is so prevalent- according to the New York Times - even black undercover police officers are mistakenly gunned down by their peers. In conclusion, I don't know who Sahel Kazemi saw in her final moments with McNair: after all, he is a big black guy; yet in the eyes of society, Steve McNair may as well had a bulls eye on his forehead.

Rays Attendance: It's the announcer, stupid.

The Rays attendance woes can be traced to several factors: the excuses vary from the team being perennial losers; to people hanging out at Florida's pristine beaches; to other entertainment options vying for a sparse dollar; To a degree, all of the aforementioned is true, but one rarely mentioned point is the momentous role a radio/television announcer plays in creating fan interest; on this principle, the Rays have failed miserably. The exciting pace of football, basketball, and hockey, allow fans to interpret the action for themselves. In those sports, broadcasters are a luxury, rather than a necessity. Baseball, however, is slow; and like a good book, the announcer reads it to the fan the same way a mother narrates a bedtime story. Consider the pleasant sounding voice of the Dodgers, Vince Scully: he became a legendary broadcaster by blending play by play with anecdotal information about players. In between pitches, he could tell what a manager can, or cannot say to an umpire that results in an ejection; in addition, he may inform you Babe Ruth's mother was a fourth generation slave. Over time, legions of new fans on the West Coast became Dodger enthusiast. On the other hand, who will ever forget the St. Louis Cardinals, Jack Buck, describing Kurt Gibson theatrical home run with the memorable phrase, "Folks, I don't believe what I just saw!" Buck like Scully, created legions of Cardinal fans throughout the Midwest with his episodic play by play; baseball became our national past time since it closely mirrors our collective evolution as a nation. No teacher can discuss segregation without mentioning Jackie Robinson in the same breath as Rosa Parks. Film maker, Ken Burns's, epic documentary reveals how much baseball is elaborately woven into the fabric of sporting Americana. An announcer's ability, therefore, to express this sport in the context of our culture conveys our heritage. So regarding Rays attendance, what's all the fuss about? Currently, Tampa Bay is ranked 23rd in attendance averaging 22,000 a game. On some nights, the figures are less than 13,000. The season began with high expectations because the club won the pennant last year. So who's the blame? Initially, former announcer, Paul Olden, was so lame, he's currently the public address announcer for the Washington Nationals. The current broadcaster, Wayne Statts, needs a good color commentator as Statts does little more than tell corny jokes. Baseball, meanwhile, becomes dreary when the announcer does not understand the subtle intricacies of the game. Of course not everyone is a Vince Scully, Red Barber, Jack Buck, or Bob Costas, but if they're not in this category, they must substitute background information with an astute analysis of the game. No one likes second guessing a baseball manager more than aficionados; the presenter, meanwhile, must be able to motivate a baseball enthusiast by calling into question a coach's strategy. If the Rays are to stay in Tampa Bay while building fan interest, they must look for an anchor who incorporates all these qualities. Otherwise, Floridians will remain content watching leggy bikini clad blonds prance around Clearwater beach.

NBA: Is this where Amazing Happens?

For many people, hating on the NBA has become habitual; for example, some common grumbles: the league is too black, too thuggish, and too hip hop. On top of that, Commissioner, David Stern's, alleged insistence on promoting only Kobe, LeBron, and Dwayne Wade, have led to accusations of games being fixed; the new National Basketball Association is a far cry from days of white standouts like Boston's, John Havelichek, Philly's, Billy Cunningham, as well as, New York's Dave DeBusschere. Nowadays, the league is 80% African American; the players flaunt their tattoos; and trash talking is the norm. To counter that perception, the NBA shows lots of public service commercials of players helping low income children, and plenty of cameo shots of white girls holding signs asking Paul Pierce to marry them. Of course, this is a far cry from the not too long ago days of guard, Ron Artest, provoking a fan riot in Detroit, or a fuming Rasheed Wallace brandishing his 9.millimeter in the face of a teammate. To say the league has come a long way baby, is a bit presumptive; but some measure of redemption is occurring. The new slogan, "Where amazing happens," was clearly palpable when LeBron James nailed a last second unbelievable three pointer against Orlando. The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, refuse to lay down for the star studded Lakers. With games this exciting, the NBA could be making a comeback on national television where ratings have been
leaky. If its stars can stay out of trouble - Uh, Kobe Bryant's "Last Tango" in Eagle, CO - there is no reason the NBA can't make a run at the NFL's television dominance. People forget, the Lakers and Sacramento Kings garnered a 21.0 rating for their game 7 in 2000. That's comparable to the numbers the NFL gets for the NFC championship; but first, people have to stop hating on the league while giving these amazing athletes a chance...is that asking too much?

Can this be Danica Patrick's Day?

It used to be every Memorial Day, you listened to the radio to see if Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500; today, however, you eavesdrop to see if Danica Patrick has the mettle to finish first. The nexus of man and machine has made this an event chockful of testosterone; but all that changed in 2005 when Danica became the first woman to lead this historic race. As a rookie, she was only six laps short of the finish line when St. Petersburg's, Dan Wheldon, roared past her: Low on fuel, she had to slow down. Yet, Danica still finished fourth; Today, her task is even more daunting as she starts four rows behind the favorite, Helio Castroneves. He drives for Roger Penske who has prevailed in this race a record setting 14 times. Castroneves won the pole position by accelerating around the oval at 224 mph. When Danica, however, raced for the Rahal/Letterman team, she posted a similar time; yet Danica didn't win the race. Patrick knows the Indy 500 is based on endurance rather than speed. Although she is starting in the middle of the pack, Danica has to resist the nervous jockeying occurring in the middle of the horde. If she can emerge unscathed from all the early yellow flags, this can be her day. There will be millions of little girls listening to the radio to see if she can hoist the Borg Warner trophy and proclaim, " Hey guys, anything you can do, I can do better!"

March of the Penguins, Not?

While the NBA playoffs troll along with catatonic blowouts and flagrant fouls, the quest for the Stanley Cup is nothing short of fantastic. Since its existence, the crusade for Lord Stanley's Cup has always pushed athletes to the edge of human endurance; but this year's hunt is matchless. In the past, anticipation was tempered because many of hockey's best players were on the same team; for example, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Yari Kuri, and Grant Fuhr were all teammates on the vaunted Edmonton Oilers. The Montreal Canadians featured the flower, Guy Lafluer, and Larry Robinson. The Boston Bruins had the great, Bobby Orr plus perennial goal scorer, Phil Esposito. The Pittsburgh Penguins, furthermore, paired Jamir Jagr alongside Mario Lemieux. All of those squads won multiple Stanley Cups. For the first time in many years, however, the best hockey players are spread out among different teams. The memorable series between Washington and Pittsburgh has been dominated by Alexander Ovechkin also Sidney Crosby. The surprising Carolina Hurricanes, meanwhile, are being pushed by speedy, Eric Stall, and cat quick net minder, Cam Ward. The Red Wings have a talent laden squad of Russian All Stars as well as the dependable, Nicholas Lindstrom. Although the Penguins were Stanley Cup finalist last year, their goal tending appears to be too shaky for them to beat Carolina or Boston. The Capitals, on the other hand, don't know how to handle the puck in their own end, so it's doubtful they'll advance beyond the conference final. The Red Wings are the most balanced team remaining in the playoffs; but they must rid themselves of the Ducks before inscribing their names on the cup; in the past, you always knew the Boston Bruins would win the fights, but the Montreal Canadians would parade around with the cup; now thanks to an infusion of new players, nothing rivals the intensity and expectations of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"To Live and Die in L.A."

Things are not looking up for the Los Angeles Angels: on opening day, a fan, Brian Powers, was beat to death; meanwhile this morning, promising 22-year old pitcher, Nick Adenhart, along with two others, was killed by a suspected drunk driver. "To Live and Die in L.A." is more than just a cult movie; it's a stark reality. Recently, Cal State Northridge basketball coach, Bobby Braswell, barely survived an auto collision; meanwhile in an unrelated pile up, one of his players, Josh Jenkins, was injured while his traveling companion was killed. My nephew, Ryan Mcelrath, was slaughtered by a motorist. The war on the streets in Los Angeles, however, is not only pandemic gang violence, but stressed out commuters navigating gridlocked streets. As the Angels mourn Adenhart, the anarchy on the avenues will continue unabated until traffic engineers and politicians devise tougher laws for drunks plus unlicensed drivers. A native of Baltimore MD, Adenhart was too good to die young; and in the "City of the Angels," no one should be allowed to drive like a bat out of hell!

Regarding Gruden, What Would Troy Aikman Say?

Why should we listen to Troy Aikman? Well a month ago, he said the Philadelphia Eagles would be playing the Arizona Cardinals Sunday for the NFC championship. Aikman also said, "NFL stands for no logic." Looking back on the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's decision to fire coach, John Gruden, Aikman's apprasial makes sense. Some fans in Tampa were demanding Gruden's head on a silver platter. That was based primarily on the vitriol spewing from the mouth of a popular sports talk show host who invested two years berating Gruden. The personality was convinced his good friend, Mike Alstott, would not make the Hall of Fame due to a lack of sufficient playing time. The swarm turned on Gruden; several mediocre Bucs, meanwhile, began leaking their disappointment to the owners. If the Glazers listened to their players, Aikman had this to say, "In cold weather games, I could look at guys coming out of the locker room and tell you who was going to play hard, and who would quit on us." You don't realize, nevertheless, how good a coach Gruden is until you have to play him; and for the Bucs, that could be soon especially if Gruden lands a job with the Jets. Consider this, his complicated ball control offense often limits opponents to fewer than 9 possessions a game. His ability to sign problematic free agents like Michael Pittman, Thomas Jones, Joe Jurevicious, and Antonio Bryant can turn a losing franchise into a contender. Conversely, John Gruden can be his own worst enemy by neglecting the draft while cozying up to veterans at the expense of rookies. In a league valuing experience, the Bucs are turning the franchise over to a former position coach, Raheem Morris. In the no logic league, it makes sense to the Glazers who are preoccupied with their new mistress, Manchester United. The Glazers get another excuse not to spend salary cap money while allowing the franchise to build through the draft. So what would Aikman say, "Well, you really won't know until you look back on this 4-5 years from now." In that time, Gruden, with the right team, may win another Super Bowl." 'The Bucs, meanwhile, could build through the draft and become a legitimate contender." Morris, on the other hand, could be getting a pink slip." In the "No Logic League," it makes sense; but you know what, only time will tell.

"SEC, SEC!" Say What?

As long as college football is content crowning a mythical national champion, you'll always have an SEC team vying for the title. Why? Because talk is cheap, and all the they do is chant, "SEC, SEC." In reality, the best football and football players come out of California. More players on NFL rosters are from the Los Angeles/ Long Beach area then any other locale. Most of the athletes on Utah - who creamed Alabama -are from L.A. Adding insult to injury, The Pac 10 is undefeated in bowl games. So what does that say about the SEC? Well, Stanford, a purely academic institution, has won more National championships than the entire South Eastern conference. USC, for example, earned their reputation by marketing leggy cheerleaders and burying Auburn, Arkansas, as well as Alabama. On national television, no less, USC shut out Auburn in Jordan Hare Stadium; the Trojans scored 70 points against the Razorbacks; meanwhile John Mckay's Trojans had to hammer the Crimson Tide before the late Bear Bryant would recruit black players. The Florida Gators must be taking notes. When USC coach, Pete Caroll, for example, issued his famous mantra, "Hey, we'll play you anytime, your place or mine." The Gators stressed a need to schedule the Citadel rationalizing the SEC conference games were too tough. Well with the exception of Ole Miss, the SEC seems to be vastly overrated. Alabama laid an egg last night, and Oklahoma can't wait to taste some gator meat. I might add the beef might be too tough for the Sooners; SC, however, has a man size appetite. How about a playoff? So, the old Confederacy can finally put up, or shut up.

Nasty Rumors About Gruden

Some malicious gossip is flowing after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ending collapse with four consecutive loses. The blame game starts with head coach, John Gruden, and the chit chat deserves a reality check; Gruden, for example, is being hauled over the coals for a variety of reasons ranging from a poorly assembled offense; dreadful draft picks; and an inability to sign key free agents. A reality check shows the Bucs offense has labored in the bottom half of the NFL since Gruden's arrival. The team, in fact, has scored fewer points than the "Back to Basics" approach employed by former coach, Tony Dungy. If the Bucs keep Gruden, he should be required to relinquish play calling responsibilities. A review of Gruden's draft choices reveal a litany of failures. Consider the players he personally swore by: Cadillac Williams, Michael Clayton, and finally Dexter Jackson. Throughout most of his career, Williams has been injured; however in the West Coast offense, he has struggled to be an effective receiver. Clayton, on the other hand, seems to have enormous potential, yet he rarely gets to show it. Jackson was a complete bust. Reality check: player personnel development is an inexact science, but one thing is abundantly clear, late round draft choices usually have a far greater impact on a team's success than early round picks. At best, the Bucs lack dept meaning they are not drafting well in any rounds. Now let's mull over free agent acquisitions: one of the most spiteful things being said about Gruden is other athletes do not want play for him. This is being spread by a Tampa Tribune columnist; the same con who made a fool out of himself by saying earlier that the Bucs had signed, Brett Favre. The reporter mentions Gruden's
falling out with receiver, Keyshaw Johnson, Keenan McCardell, also Mike Alstott. Reality check, all three players were nearing the end of their careers when the Bucs released them. McCardell claims he was made promises by Gruden that were not kept. Well, Keenan welcome to the NFL. Actually despite these rumors, the Bucs have done well in free agency. Center, Jeff Faine, for example, signed a long term deal. Highly sought after quarterback, Jeff Garcia, came here so did Pro Bowler, Cato June. Speaking on this point, the Glazer family has been criticized for not signing enough free agents during the off season. They don't talk much; but during these perilous times, no one can blame them for collecting interest on their money. Two of the most successful athletic associations, the NBA and NFL, are laying off people. The only question remaining is Gruden about to join them?

Smart Money Isn't on the Cowboys:

On this final week of the NFL regular season, take the Cowboys over the Eagles; handicappers should stick with the Cowboys until they meet the Giants in the NFC championship game. Take Carolina over New Orleans. I'm going out on a limb, meanwhile, by taking the Jets to beat the Dolphins in New York. In my heart, though, I'm rooting for ex-Jet quarterback, Chad Pennington, who was tossed out of the Big Apple in favor of Brett Favre. In San Diego, take Denver and the points. Of course, many handicappers are taking the Eagles over Dallas, but this should be the start of a nice run for the Cowboys who have the talent to win anywhere.

Super 5
New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys
Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
Carolina Panthers

Best of the Rest:
San Diego Super Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Atlanta Falcons
New England Patriots
New York J-E-T-S

For Buccaneers, Glass is Half Empty, Half Full

In Jacksonville, fans are demanding coach, Jack Del Rio's head on a silver platter; in New Orleans, coach, Sean Payton, is no longer a whiz kid. In Dallas, coach, Wade Phillip's, is on the chopping block, and Philadelphia's, Andy Reid, is being run out of town. Last year, on the other hand, sympathizers were literally concerned about the safety of Panther's coach, John Fox; the Giant's, Tom Coughlin, meanwhile, was about to be fired before rallying the troops and winning the Super Bowl. Fans have short memories and blame usually falls on coaches, referees, but rarely the players. In Tampa Bay, Gruden, is feeling the media's fury for losing three consecutive games that will likely cost Tampa a playoff berth. In the well balanced National Football League, however, a coach's decision can be responsible for losing or winning one game. A blown official's call may be responsible for another; the rest, however, rest solely on the players. Looking back on the Bucs season, the key lost at Atlanta may have been Gruden's fault because a nimbler Luke McCown could have preserved some vital field position. The game was decided in overtime by a field goal. Sunday's game against the Chargers was lost by the players who were clearly out manned by superior athletes. In retrospect, this may be John Gruden's best coaching season. Most prognosticators figured the Buccaneers were no better than a break even team; yet, they could finish the season 10-6. A one game improvement over last year. Firing Gruden is probably out of the question; he must, though, do better in the draft to compete with surging Carolina as well as Atlanta. Two teams with significantly better player personnel and scouting departments. Gruden must also be more open minded to evaluating all his players: for example, a competitor like all pro punt returner, Clifton Smith, shouldn't be languishing in oblivion before proving his mettle. Deep teams like the Cowboys and Giants lose many veterans through attrition, yet their replacements are equally talented. As for Gruden, he will still be here next year, and in his mind, he did not choke: his players did. Now they'll have to answer...meaning some Buccaneers will have to seek employment elsewhere; and you what? They know that better than anyone else.

Gruden: You've Got To Be Kidding?

Even by coach, John Gruden's, standards his quarrel was lame. He was last overheard whining about playing the Carolina Panthers on Monday night in Charlotte, NC. According to Gruden, "By virtue of winning the South division last year, the decisive divisional game should have been played in red neck Tampa." Excuse me, but what does that have to do with the price of foreclosures in China? Wasn't that the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants Sunday night playing on the road against the Dallas Cowboys...yet not a grumble out of Giants' coach, Tom Coughlin?
Why isn't Gruden more concerned about playing in the red zone where his team ranks next to last in touchdowns? Of course, Gruden supporters place all the blame on the club's lack of offensive play makers; yet, who's responsible for drafting the Dexter Jacksons' on this team?
Is it just a coincidence the best ability is on the defense where lame duck defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, resides? Is he the genius behind a club relying primarily on the defense, not only to score, but blank the opponent as well? Think about receiver, Antonio Bryant's cryptic criticism,
"Dammit! Why are we afraid to score?" He was lamenting the Bucs' refusal to challenge the Falcon's secondary Sunday when Tampa played for the tie before losing in overtime 13-10.
It appears coach, Gruden, doesn't get it. A capable, healthy, and resourceful quarterback, Luke McCown, sits because Gruden has a hunch old man Griese can win one for the gipper. Griese, however, admitted he's been less than fifty percent since injuring his arm eight weeks ago. Given that Gruden relies on instinct, my gut feeling is Monte Kiffin has had enough of this egomaniac getting all the credit. Kiffin would rather move on, rather than watching someone jeopardize an organization's playoff chances just to prove an impractical point. Since Kiffin is probably already daydreaming about lips smacking Bass in the Smokey Mountains, the San Diego Chargers should be able to hammer another nail into the Bucs casket. The club's been on a death watch since losing back to back games for the first time this season; and now that Kiffin is all but out the door, capable veteran, Derrick Brooks, can't be too far behind him. So there goes a great legacy of players and coaches who were able to win in spite of Gruden. Now let's see who he points the finger at?
Gamblers should stay away from the Carolina Panthers game against the New York Giants. The G-men need home field advantage more than the Panthers who believe they can win anywhere, anytime. The game is a crap shoot. Take the Cowboys, meanwhile, over the Ravens.
Super 5
Dallas Cowboys
Carolina Panthers
Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
New York Giants
*Best of the Rest
Pittsburgh Steelers
Atlanta Falcons
Philadelphia Eagles

Todd, we are praying for you, and your wonderful family.
God bless you.

Take the Freight Train to Charlotte, NC

Last week, the Carolina Panthers used zone blocking to knock the Tampa Bay Buccaneers silly en route to a 38-23 triumph. Carolina imported the scheme last year when they hired former Bronco offensive line coach, Jeff Davidson. Although its taken the Panthers a year to get use to the system, everything came together Monday night. Facing the renown Tampa 2, the Panther tandem of Deangelo Hall and Jonathan Stewart, resembled a runaway freight train colliding into defenseless pedestrians. If this were a boxing match, the fight would have been stopped solely on the number of knockdowns. Only Buccaneer, Ronde Barber, admitted the Panthers were younger, stronger, and more than likely headed to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for the Bucs, an encore is waiting in Atlanta. Although the Falcons do not employ zone blocking, they will still stampede past an aging yet stubborn, Derrick Brooks, and company. Bettors should take the Falcons to cover the three point spread. As for the Carolina Panthers, everyone is realizing this powerful club is young; yet they play down to the level of their competition. In games against, Chicago, Detroit, also Oakland, the Panthers struggled before putting away their adversaries. Carolina should beat Denver; they will, however, not cover the spread. The Dallas Cowboys will win outright against the Giants, and the Cowboys, not New York, will emerge as the lone team capable of derailing that freight train scorching out of Charlotte.

Obama, Title IX, and College Football

University Presidents are finally squirming over President, Barack Obama's, remarks about his preference for a college football playoff. Obama was calmly discussing the matter during a recent interview on "Sixty Minutes." In an effort to reward mediocrity, college leaders adamantly oppose a playoff'; they understand Obama is probably the only one who can eradicate the mythical BCS Bowl Championship: a complicated design whereby geographically pressured writers, coaches, and several computers select the finalist for the so called National Championship game. Unlike everyone else, the colleges are wise enough to realize Obama knows the Bowl Alliance violates prong 3 of Title IX. A clause in the revolutionary ruling mandating equal rights for women in athletics has been modified for men also. For example, one paragraph says universities must demonstrate a continual expansion of athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex. Since males are virtually outnumbered two to one on most collegiate campuses, they are the minority. For the first time, women teams outnumber male squads. If the NCAA, therefore, offers women finals in soccer, equestrian events, golf, or any other sport, they are violating title IX by not offering the same opportunities for football players. College presidents have been skirting this element of Title IX for years and now they fear Obama will call them on it. If the Democratic elected President gets Congress to study the issue, public universities could lose millions of dollars in Federal loans by ignoring this new point in Title IX. For the good of the country, a silly tool used to crown a mythical champion could be replaced by a real playoff. In the meantime, the Texas Longhorns, USC Trojans, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders will sit by idly as two handpicked teams contend for a mythical national title. Let's hope for -Obama's sake- that this becomes a change we all can believe in.

My Picks for this key weekend of college football:
Take Bama and the points against Florida. The Tide's defense is vastly underrated, and Percy Harvin's injury will have major impact on this game.
In the NFL, I think the Dallas Cowboys are a lock to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Carolina Panthers, meanwhile, will avenge their earlier lost to the offensively ham-fisted Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Panthers played the first game minus center, Ryan Kalil as well as 6'6 320 lb, tackle, Jeff Otah. Wide receiver, Steve Smith, meanwhile, has returned to his all pro form. The Panthers will cover the spread.

Barack Obama

Perhaps Tina Davis said it best, "Who do you want, the stodgy old white guy, or the young smart black one." Nothing against old white guys; but Mrs. Davis is from Bristol Township, PA an area voting overwhelmingly for Senator, Hillary Clinton, during the Democratic Primary. It was also a small town that Barack Obama was making reference to when he said, "Working class Americans cling too much to their guns and religion." Obama was mystified why his message of an egalitarian society wasn't resonating with poor whites in the rural sectors of Pennsylvania plus Ohio. Just the fact they would vote against a candidate representing their economic interest was baffling to him. Obama, nevertheless, ignored the conscious-stricken history of a region where William Levitt built a series of small towns where he refused to sell homes to African Americans. Senator, John McCain, anticipated many of these townships would not vote for a black man; he was wrong. Obama's margin of victory in rural PA was 2-1. I've always believed America has never really received credit for it's racial tolerance. Fortunately growing up as African American, I realized capitalism couldn't afford to discriminate. If a person can get to work on time and remain drug free, it doesn't matter if she's black or white, that individual will more than likely be promoted. Of course there are exceptions to any generality, yet this is the only solid premise a young person can hope for. America now has moved on and in the future there will be female, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian presidents.For the meantime, Barack Obama has proved all things are possible.

Can Rays Win one for the GIpper?

In today's New York Times, columnist, George Vescey, compared Rays' manager, Joe Maddon, to one of baseball's most pitiful figures: The late Gene Mauch. With only a week remaining in the season, he was the un-lucky skipper of the Phillies who lost a division lead to the Cardinals. In 1986 against the Red Sox, Mauch came under more condemnation for changing pitchers when the Angels were only one out away from winning the pennant. Mauch went to his closer, Donnie Moore, who gave up a game tying home run to Dave Henderson. The Sox rallied to win the series in seven games. Meanwhile, Mauch's managerial history of injecting himself into games, rather than trusting his players was one of several reasons Mauch's talented clubs never won a World Series. In a bit of irony in 1986, Maddon was sitting in the stands at Anaheim Stadium when the Red Sox mounted their first of three historic rallies against 3-1 deficits. Maddon, furthermore, admits to emulating Mauch's debatable strategy of imposing his will on the players.For example in the costly game 6, he removed pitcher, Scott Kazmir, despite the fact he retired nine consecutive hitters. The move backfired and the Rays lost. The defeat proved critical considering Tampa Bay was only seven outs from winning the pennant. If fans are questioning Maddon's untimely moves, what are the Rays thinking? Conversely all these years, Maddon has had their backs. When the Rays were horrible, Maddon protected them by pointing out the positives, rather than negatives. Tonight, the Rays can save Maddon from being mentioned in the same breath as scattered brained Mauch. A win, and everything is forgotten. A lost, and Maddon goes down in infamy. Unfortunately for Maddon, forminable Boston Red Sox pitcher, Jon Lester, will write the final chapter to this suspenseful narrative.