EL HOMBRE KNOWS SPORTS
To the young and largely uninitiated, or the people who believe that objectivity is “hate,” this El Hombre masterpiece is an anti-LeBron James screed. Those who think cheerleading is journalism and encouragement is analysis can’t stand reading the truth about their heroes. That’s why teams are devoting so many resources to their web sites – the better to provide positive propaganda to the willing masses – and content providers like SBNation are taking off. They feed the demand for fans’ “voices” to be heard.
So, after a big swig of “Haterade,” it’s time to get rolling on James and his Heat, who are on the precipice of a second-place NBA finish that won’t lead to another celebration like the ridiculous spectacle we endured (and espn gleefully broadcast) last summer. It’s entirely possible Miami could win games six and seven and capture the championship. Until the Mavericks took game two, the Heat was 8-0 in front of its front-running fans and should be favored in both remaining games. All is not lost, by any stretch.
The bigger issue is whether James can lay claim to the best player on the planet any longer. (Since the NBA is all about its personalities, team glory is secondary.) His performance in the Finals has proven that he absolutely cannot. On the biggest stage of his career, far bigger than his championship round appearance with Cleveland back in ’07, James has been anything but the best. His play has been so far from the top strata that it is left to his network cheerleaders to dredge the boxscore for positives, the better to avoid having to confront the truth: James isn’t made for the Alpha role.
James has managed a mere 11 points during the five fourth quarters of the series, and Thursday night’s two points came on a meaningless layup with less than a minute left. Compounding his weak offensive efforts in the final 12 minutes of Finals’ games has been shoddy defensive work, as evidenced by the eight points his man – 6-foot, 2-inch (maybe) Jason Terry – has scored in the fourth quarters of each of the last two games. James finished Game Five with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, a very Scottie Pippen-like performance, which is fitting, since the former Michael Jordan lieutenant has said James is better than Pippen’s meal ticket. (It could be time to check whether that Central Arkansas degree he received is worth anything.) Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said afterward James “impacted the game.” That’s nice.
But it isn’t what the best player does. He doesn’t “impact” the game with a strong stat line in a loss. The best dominates. He wills a team to victory. He takes over. He doesn’t defer, clank jumpers or get toasted by a man six inches shorter than him during money time. He doesn’t tweet “Now or never” before the game and then choose “never” during it. James has done that throughout the Finals, and though espn and other NBA propagandists are hoping he rises to greatness in the last two games, it won’t matter. He isn’t the best. And he never will be.
You can’t deny his physical tools. He’s 6-8, 270, for crying out loud. He’d be big for a tight end. Or a defensive end. James can move like someone a foot smaller, is strong enough to overpower just about anybody in the league and has the ability to translate those generic physical tools into basketball production. When people talk about him as the best player in the game, they do so in terms of his skills.
The problem is that being the best requires more than just physical excellence. You must have the ability to dominate and the mentality to do so at the most crucial moments. From the moment James decided to join Dwyane Wade and the Heat, it has been obvious he is not made to handle the toughest assignments. There is nothing wrong with that – unless you want to lay claim to topping the list. Then it becomes a problem.
Everybody knows the story of how Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He responded by working harder and improving his game but also by conjuring a string of perceived slights and grudges that served him throughout his career. He fueled his competitive fire with anything he could find or manufacture. It didn’t matter how real it was; to Jordan, it was enough to make him want to rip out opponents’ organs and stomp them. The bigger the game, the bigger the challenge. And Jordan responded.
James, on the other hand, was anointed king practically from the moment he picked up a ball. It wasn’t necessary for him to create hurdles to clear, because he had no real competition. He was “King James” before he entered the NBA, despite winning nothing but a high school state championship. Even with the Cavaliers, he had little to overcome, because his hometown fans and media were so enthralled with his presence that they couldn’t bring themselves to criticize. His decision to play in Miami allowed him to join Wade, a proven winner, and avoid the hard work of lifting a team on his own. Since there cannot be two leaders on a team, James has slid comfortably into the number-two chair. His play during the finals, particularly during the fourth quarter, proves he belongs there.
James will get a ring. Maybe he’ll win two or three. But right now, he’s not the best player on his team, much less in the NBA. Until he proves he can consistently shine in big situations, James will be known for his substantial physical abilities alone. That’s not bad at all.
But it’s not best.
* * *
EL HOMBRE SEZ: Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops says his school won’t be “claiming any championships,” now that USC’s 2004-05 national title has been stripped by the BCS, and that’s a good thing. Usually, teams have to show up at least to get championship consideration. A look at the record book reveals the Trojans administered a 55-19 beatdown to the Sooners, a decision that would render any claim hysterical…Now that he has left THE Reprobate University, Terrell Pryor can get on with his life’s goal of becoming a third-string NFL quarterback. Nice job by Sen. Coverup and his staff teaching Pryor the position. At least he learned how to sign an autograph…Now that NASCAR has decided to merge auto racing with roller derby and pro wrestling, it’s time to do the right thing and name Jerry Springer as the commissioner. That way, throwdowns in the pits will get the treatment they deserve…After winning the first two games by the narrowest of margins, the Canucks have been outscored 12-1 in the last two. Worse, still, thanks to Alex Burrows mastication of Patrice Bergeron’s hand in Game One, the NHL has mandated that chicken fingers be removed from Vancouver’s post-game food spread…Sepp Blatter was reelected head of FIFA, ensuring another term of honest, high-integrity dealings in the soccer world. Congratulations, FIFA, you have just passed cycling as the planet’s grimiest sport. Some reports had Blatter celebrating by bathing in a tub filled with money left over from the Qatar World Cup bid…Hats off to the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros for selecting outfielder Johnathan Taylor and reliever Buddy Lamothe in the recent MLB Draft. Both were paralyzed in accidents during the past few months but had demonstrated talent before their injuries. Guess things really are bigger in Texas – including the hearts.
* * *
YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? Sixers fans had better hold off on their celebrations if the franchise is sold to a group headed by Wharton grads Joshua Harris and David Blitzer. Yes, it will be a relief to have the franchise released from the clutches of Ed Snider, whose love of hockey and relative disdain for the NBA created the illusion that the Sixers were a second priority in relation to the Flyers. But Harris and Blitzer aren’t necessarily riding to the team’s rescue. At their core, these guys specialize in acquiring distressed assets, stripping them down and flipping them for a quick profit. They will likely pay close to $40 million below market value (as established by Forbes Magazine) for the club and might be more interested in propping it up for sale than in building a champion. We’ll learn pretty quickly whether the new owners are interested in investing for a winning future or just cutting costs. The Sixers have good basketball people in place and made progress this season. Now, they have to make the moves necessary to become contenders, not just first-round playoff losers. That requires commitment from the top. It’s encouraging the Sixers will be freed from Snider’s influence, but prosperity is hardly guaranteed in the hands of Harris and Blitzer. Let’s see if they know what to do with the ball, or if they just care about the bottom line.
* * *
AND ANOTHER THING: Bryce Harper should have a giant welt on his right biceps right now. It should include the imprint of a baseball’s seams and remind him of his arrogance every time he lifts the arm to reach for a bag of money from his closet or wrap his arm around a young lovely on the road. He should have one on his right thigh, too, one that affects him when he tries to climb into his expensive car. Harper, the high-priced rookie outfielder in the Nationals’ system, decided to admire a homer he hit Monday off of Greensboro pitcher Zachary Neal, rather than circle the bases in a timely manner. When Neal expressed his displeasure at Harper’s behavior, Harper blew a kiss at Neal. The next time up, Harper was brushed back. He should have been drilled. Harper has plenty of talent. He could well be a big leaguer by next season. (Washington GM Mike Rizzo has said he won’t bring Harper to the big club in 2011.) But his attitude on that play was decidedly little league. If you don’t know about Harper, he was the kid who left high school a year early, in order to get to professional baseball ahead of schedule. It’s his prerogative to speed up the process, but you can see his maturity doesn’t quite match his skills. Harper has time to grow up, but if he continues to act like a buffoon after a class A homer in June, he could have a rough road in the majors, where behavior like he displayed earlier this week isn’t received too well and could lead to some hurt feelings – and body parts.
-EH-
Showing posts with label Bob Stoops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bob Stoops. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Gene, Gene The Firing Machine
EL HOMBRE KNOWS SPORTS
When Gene DeFilippo was athletic director at Villanova, he decided the school’s sporting image needed some updating. Granted, ‘Nova’s staid blue-and-white color scheme had been pretty bland, and its wildcat mascot was of the ratty, grade-school-prop-room variety. Within a year, red and “copper” had been added to the team’s uniforms, and the cat looked as if it had been shopping for some J.C. Romero’s special vitamins at GNC.
DeFilippo was well pleased. Standing on the Palestra floor a few minutes before one basketball game, he said, “I love our new mascot.” The consensus opinion of those around him did not echo that sentiment. DeFilippo was undaunted. He had taken a few first steps toward making Villanova athletics more marketable, even if that Barry Bonds-headed mascot did look ridiculous, and the school’s hoops uniforms looked like a Jackson Pollock painting.
Wednesday afternoon, DeFilippo took a big step toward burnishing Boston College’s reputation, or at least that’s how he looked at it. By firing head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski for the sin of interviewing with the New York Jets to replace deposed boss Eric Mangini, DeFilippo was trying to establish BC as a long-term destination, as opposed to a way station en route to Bigger Things. It is an admirable pursuit, no matter how counter it runs to the reality of the school’s athletic history or how much it stands out in today’s climate of broken contracts – on both sides of the ledger.
DeFilippo’s anger was born out of plain deception and the desire for continuity in a program that has been one of the most successful in the nation over the past decade. When he asked Jagodzinski if the coach was entertaining the idea of moving on, Jagodzinski assured DeFilippo that was not the case. Not long after, DeFilippo was floored when a reporter asked for his reaction to news that the coach would be interviewing with the Jets and perhaps watching Cowboy Quarterback toss another series of spirit-breaking interceptions next season.
At first, there were reports Jagodzinski was in violation of his contract, which supposedly included a clause preventing him from looking elsewhere, presumably for the first three years of his five-season term. It soon became clear DeFilippo’s ire was not due to a legal violation but rather a more nebulous spurning of the deal’s spirit and the relationship between coach, AD and school. DeFilippo said Jagodzinski had promised not to attempt a career upgrade until after the ’09 campaign, if at all. He was also fuming over Jagodzinski’s alleged lie about contact with the Jets. Finally, after working so hard to re-cast BC’s image by bringing it into the ACC and establishing it as top shelf across the board – or so he thought – DeFilippo couldn’t stomach a two-year coach using his program as a launching pad. Forget that football coaches (Frank Leahy, Tom Coughlin, Tom O’Brien) have done that for decades in Chestnut Hill; DeFilippo didn’t want it on his watch, especially after O’Brien’s exit to ACC rival NC State after the ’06 campaign.
So, DeFilippo issued the ultimatum: Interview with the Jets and lose your job. Jagodzinski interviewed and lost his job.
As it should be.
While DeFilippo’s view of BC may be a bit grandiose, given the school’s facilities deficit within the ACC and the nation, he is well within his rights as an employer to demand honesty and commitment from the person he hired. Jagodzinski might have received the same take-it-or-leave-it answer from DeFilippo had he been forthright from the start, or he could have been given permission to try for the Jets’ top job, clearly a step forward from his current position. And even though there is no clause in the contract prohibiting Jagodzinski from interviewing, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he and DeFilippo had spoken of a three-year commitment, with an eye on a much longer relationship. For those two reasons, DeFilippo is completely justified in firing Jagodzinski, who doesn’t seem like he is too unhappy to be leaving Boston College, especially since he’s being rumored for other jobs so quickly after his dismissal. Could he have been speaking to others all along? That seems pretty likely.
As DeFilippo trolls for a replacement (outstanding defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani is the interim boss), he would be wise to remember the value of finding someone who fits the position. Jagodzinski was primarily a pro coach who probably would be looking to get back to the NFL at some point. Reports are also that he wasn’t the best recruiter around, no surprise since pro coaches don’t have to engage in that part of the football business. DeFilippo might not be able to get a big name, but he should be able to find a capable man interested in staying at Boston College for an extended period. That way, he can help the AD establish the school as a destination and perhaps live to see a couple more uniform changes and mascot updates.
While DeFilippo worries about his next football boss, Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer have a game to coach. Each may well be moving on down the road – Stoops to the Broncos, although he denies interest, and Meyer to Notre Dame, whenever Heavy C is deposed – but tonight, each will try to collect his second “national title.” Stoops is at the helm of the most fearsome offense in college football history, even if its recent victims put up less resistance than Germany faced in the Sudetenland. Meyer directs a glorified sprint relay team masquerading as a football outfit and an offense that harkens back to the days of wishbone football and tear-away jerseys. Thanks to their appeal to computer models and clueless voters (see Poll, Harris), they have ascended to the top of the asinine BCS hierarchy and get to take the field in between commercials tonight. While propagandists and Fox hypesters try to convince us of the game’s mammoth importance, even if both schools could well be worse than USC, Texas (which beat Oklahoma) and even Utah, here are some clues to the game’s winner.
* Florida QB Tim Tebow received the most first-place Heisman votes, but because a group of astrophysicists in the southwest chose to leave him off their ballots completely, he lost his bid for a second Mr. Stiff-Arm to OU’s Sam Bradford and his exponential statistics. Forget about that as motivation for Tebow, although he may well be worked into a greater froth than usual. He’s the nation’s best football player and has the capacity to make huge plays that win games.
* The Gators’ special teams are superior to OU’s, a big deal in a game that could be decided by less than a touchdown. Expect to see Florida unearth some of that “hidden yardage” (the latest overused buzzword) with its exceptional coverage and return units.
* The loss of running back DeMarco Murray will hurt the Sooners. Chris Brown can gain a lot of yards, but he lacks Murray’s giddy-up and big-play ability. Bradford passed for nine million yards this year, but it was Oklahoma’s balance that keyed the late-season scoring orgy. Without Murray, the Sooners won’t be able to run the ball as well and should be less eruptive.
* The Oklahoma defense has been used to playing second halves of games in basic schemes, the better to keep things under control as the Sooner offense crackled. Faced with an opponent that likely won’t be down by 40 at halftime, it will be interesting to see if that outfit is capable of hunkering down in a key situation or if it will crumble, as it did late in the loss to Texas.
The Verdict: If you don’t know which way El Hombre is leaning, don’t take the SAT, because you’ll get killed on the reading comprehension section. Florida 30, Oklahoma 24.
* * *
EL HOMBRE SEZ: After all the self-congratulating and chest-thumping was over, espn was left with an interesting story about former Cowboys corner Space Invader Jones. If he indeed ordered an accused murderer to fire at someone with whom he had been in a dispute, he needs to be banned for life from the NFL. That’s life, as in no parole, no second (or 12th) chance, no nothing. He’s a huge distraction that hurts the league’s credibility. Good riddance…The Celtics have lost six of eight and appear old and mortal. What a shame. The good news is that they’re discussing the perfect tonic for their problems: Adding Stephon Me-bury. Let’s get this straight: the Celtics could be losing and fighting among each other at the same time? Sign him now!…It seems Brett Favre is upset some of his Jets teammates felt he was aloof and weren’t too thrilled with his propensity for stinking at key times of games, especially down the stretch of the season. Get used to it, Brett. Few other than fawning media sycophants have the stomach for your will-I/won’t-I retirement act and your save-the-day persona – especially when you don’t deliver. Here’s some advice: Hang ‘em up. And do so with a one-line press release that reads, “I’m done.”…The NHL is considering playing some games on Christmas Day, the better to capitalize on the success of its “Winter Classic” outdoor games. Classic move by commissioner Gary Bettman, who thought it a great idea to expand into hockey hotbeds Nashville, Atlanta and Miami, instead of focusing on core league cities. The New Year’s thing works because it’s unique. No one is going to put down the wassail to catch a Blackhawks-Bruins game, unless Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr are playing.
* * *
YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? On the one hand, you have to love J.C. Romero’s unwillingness to accept a plea bargain in his banned-substance imbroglio, because it would have prohibited him from playing in last fall’s World Series. Way to take one for the team, J.C. But his decision to use the stuff in the first place was silly, because it had already been red-flagged, and several players who had taken the time to call the Players Association hotline had learned that 6-OXO Extreme contained androstenedione, one of Mark McGwire’s favorites. It’s tough to tell what’s right and wrong in the world of supplements, since not all ingredients are listed on the container, but Romero could have been sure in this case. Instead, he chose to forge ahead blindly and will pay a 50-game (and $1.25 million) price. Let’s hope he’s a cautionary tale for others and that new addition Chan Ho Park doesn’t mind a couple months in the bullpen.
* * *
AND ANOTHER THING: Since El Hombre was off for a couple weeks celebrating the holidays in the Maldives, he wasn’t able to give you the gift of his wild-card NFL picks. Had he done it, you would have been thrilled, since EH was 3-1 (who knew the Cardinals could play well?). Well, get your pencils sharpened, because this week’s choices should be equally successful. Take Baltimore and the points against Tennessee, and don’t be surprised if the Ravens win outright. Pittsburgh is more than a touchdown better than the Chargers, who might get tiny Darren Sproles killed if they use him too much against the avaricious Steeler defense. Look for ‘Zona to fold up nicely in Carolina, where the Panthers roll to a comfortable double-digit win. And give the points up in Hoffaland, where the Giants’ pass rush and ground game stops the Philadelphia party and sends Andy Reid (mercifully) in search of a razor.
-EH-
When Gene DeFilippo was athletic director at Villanova, he decided the school’s sporting image needed some updating. Granted, ‘Nova’s staid blue-and-white color scheme had been pretty bland, and its wildcat mascot was of the ratty, grade-school-prop-room variety. Within a year, red and “copper” had been added to the team’s uniforms, and the cat looked as if it had been shopping for some J.C. Romero’s special vitamins at GNC.
DeFilippo was well pleased. Standing on the Palestra floor a few minutes before one basketball game, he said, “I love our new mascot.” The consensus opinion of those around him did not echo that sentiment. DeFilippo was undaunted. He had taken a few first steps toward making Villanova athletics more marketable, even if that Barry Bonds-headed mascot did look ridiculous, and the school’s hoops uniforms looked like a Jackson Pollock painting.
Wednesday afternoon, DeFilippo took a big step toward burnishing Boston College’s reputation, or at least that’s how he looked at it. By firing head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski for the sin of interviewing with the New York Jets to replace deposed boss Eric Mangini, DeFilippo was trying to establish BC as a long-term destination, as opposed to a way station en route to Bigger Things. It is an admirable pursuit, no matter how counter it runs to the reality of the school’s athletic history or how much it stands out in today’s climate of broken contracts – on both sides of the ledger.
DeFilippo’s anger was born out of plain deception and the desire for continuity in a program that has been one of the most successful in the nation over the past decade. When he asked Jagodzinski if the coach was entertaining the idea of moving on, Jagodzinski assured DeFilippo that was not the case. Not long after, DeFilippo was floored when a reporter asked for his reaction to news that the coach would be interviewing with the Jets and perhaps watching Cowboy Quarterback toss another series of spirit-breaking interceptions next season.
At first, there were reports Jagodzinski was in violation of his contract, which supposedly included a clause preventing him from looking elsewhere, presumably for the first three years of his five-season term. It soon became clear DeFilippo’s ire was not due to a legal violation but rather a more nebulous spurning of the deal’s spirit and the relationship between coach, AD and school. DeFilippo said Jagodzinski had promised not to attempt a career upgrade until after the ’09 campaign, if at all. He was also fuming over Jagodzinski’s alleged lie about contact with the Jets. Finally, after working so hard to re-cast BC’s image by bringing it into the ACC and establishing it as top shelf across the board – or so he thought – DeFilippo couldn’t stomach a two-year coach using his program as a launching pad. Forget that football coaches (Frank Leahy, Tom Coughlin, Tom O’Brien) have done that for decades in Chestnut Hill; DeFilippo didn’t want it on his watch, especially after O’Brien’s exit to ACC rival NC State after the ’06 campaign.
So, DeFilippo issued the ultimatum: Interview with the Jets and lose your job. Jagodzinski interviewed and lost his job.
As it should be.
While DeFilippo’s view of BC may be a bit grandiose, given the school’s facilities deficit within the ACC and the nation, he is well within his rights as an employer to demand honesty and commitment from the person he hired. Jagodzinski might have received the same take-it-or-leave-it answer from DeFilippo had he been forthright from the start, or he could have been given permission to try for the Jets’ top job, clearly a step forward from his current position. And even though there is no clause in the contract prohibiting Jagodzinski from interviewing, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he and DeFilippo had spoken of a three-year commitment, with an eye on a much longer relationship. For those two reasons, DeFilippo is completely justified in firing Jagodzinski, who doesn’t seem like he is too unhappy to be leaving Boston College, especially since he’s being rumored for other jobs so quickly after his dismissal. Could he have been speaking to others all along? That seems pretty likely.
As DeFilippo trolls for a replacement (outstanding defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani is the interim boss), he would be wise to remember the value of finding someone who fits the position. Jagodzinski was primarily a pro coach who probably would be looking to get back to the NFL at some point. Reports are also that he wasn’t the best recruiter around, no surprise since pro coaches don’t have to engage in that part of the football business. DeFilippo might not be able to get a big name, but he should be able to find a capable man interested in staying at Boston College for an extended period. That way, he can help the AD establish the school as a destination and perhaps live to see a couple more uniform changes and mascot updates.
While DeFilippo worries about his next football boss, Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer have a game to coach. Each may well be moving on down the road – Stoops to the Broncos, although he denies interest, and Meyer to Notre Dame, whenever Heavy C is deposed – but tonight, each will try to collect his second “national title.” Stoops is at the helm of the most fearsome offense in college football history, even if its recent victims put up less resistance than Germany faced in the Sudetenland. Meyer directs a glorified sprint relay team masquerading as a football outfit and an offense that harkens back to the days of wishbone football and tear-away jerseys. Thanks to their appeal to computer models and clueless voters (see Poll, Harris), they have ascended to the top of the asinine BCS hierarchy and get to take the field in between commercials tonight. While propagandists and Fox hypesters try to convince us of the game’s mammoth importance, even if both schools could well be worse than USC, Texas (which beat Oklahoma) and even Utah, here are some clues to the game’s winner.
* Florida QB Tim Tebow received the most first-place Heisman votes, but because a group of astrophysicists in the southwest chose to leave him off their ballots completely, he lost his bid for a second Mr. Stiff-Arm to OU’s Sam Bradford and his exponential statistics. Forget about that as motivation for Tebow, although he may well be worked into a greater froth than usual. He’s the nation’s best football player and has the capacity to make huge plays that win games.
* The Gators’ special teams are superior to OU’s, a big deal in a game that could be decided by less than a touchdown. Expect to see Florida unearth some of that “hidden yardage” (the latest overused buzzword) with its exceptional coverage and return units.
* The loss of running back DeMarco Murray will hurt the Sooners. Chris Brown can gain a lot of yards, but he lacks Murray’s giddy-up and big-play ability. Bradford passed for nine million yards this year, but it was Oklahoma’s balance that keyed the late-season scoring orgy. Without Murray, the Sooners won’t be able to run the ball as well and should be less eruptive.
* The Oklahoma defense has been used to playing second halves of games in basic schemes, the better to keep things under control as the Sooner offense crackled. Faced with an opponent that likely won’t be down by 40 at halftime, it will be interesting to see if that outfit is capable of hunkering down in a key situation or if it will crumble, as it did late in the loss to Texas.
The Verdict: If you don’t know which way El Hombre is leaning, don’t take the SAT, because you’ll get killed on the reading comprehension section. Florida 30, Oklahoma 24.
* * *
EL HOMBRE SEZ: After all the self-congratulating and chest-thumping was over, espn was left with an interesting story about former Cowboys corner Space Invader Jones. If he indeed ordered an accused murderer to fire at someone with whom he had been in a dispute, he needs to be banned for life from the NFL. That’s life, as in no parole, no second (or 12th) chance, no nothing. He’s a huge distraction that hurts the league’s credibility. Good riddance…The Celtics have lost six of eight and appear old and mortal. What a shame. The good news is that they’re discussing the perfect tonic for their problems: Adding Stephon Me-bury. Let’s get this straight: the Celtics could be losing and fighting among each other at the same time? Sign him now!…It seems Brett Favre is upset some of his Jets teammates felt he was aloof and weren’t too thrilled with his propensity for stinking at key times of games, especially down the stretch of the season. Get used to it, Brett. Few other than fawning media sycophants have the stomach for your will-I/won’t-I retirement act and your save-the-day persona – especially when you don’t deliver. Here’s some advice: Hang ‘em up. And do so with a one-line press release that reads, “I’m done.”…The NHL is considering playing some games on Christmas Day, the better to capitalize on the success of its “Winter Classic” outdoor games. Classic move by commissioner Gary Bettman, who thought it a great idea to expand into hockey hotbeds Nashville, Atlanta and Miami, instead of focusing on core league cities. The New Year’s thing works because it’s unique. No one is going to put down the wassail to catch a Blackhawks-Bruins game, unless Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr are playing.
* * *
YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? On the one hand, you have to love J.C. Romero’s unwillingness to accept a plea bargain in his banned-substance imbroglio, because it would have prohibited him from playing in last fall’s World Series. Way to take one for the team, J.C. But his decision to use the stuff in the first place was silly, because it had already been red-flagged, and several players who had taken the time to call the Players Association hotline had learned that 6-OXO Extreme contained androstenedione, one of Mark McGwire’s favorites. It’s tough to tell what’s right and wrong in the world of supplements, since not all ingredients are listed on the container, but Romero could have been sure in this case. Instead, he chose to forge ahead blindly and will pay a 50-game (and $1.25 million) price. Let’s hope he’s a cautionary tale for others and that new addition Chan Ho Park doesn’t mind a couple months in the bullpen.
* * *
AND ANOTHER THING: Since El Hombre was off for a couple weeks celebrating the holidays in the Maldives, he wasn’t able to give you the gift of his wild-card NFL picks. Had he done it, you would have been thrilled, since EH was 3-1 (who knew the Cardinals could play well?). Well, get your pencils sharpened, because this week’s choices should be equally successful. Take Baltimore and the points against Tennessee, and don’t be surprised if the Ravens win outright. Pittsburgh is more than a touchdown better than the Chargers, who might get tiny Darren Sproles killed if they use him too much against the avaricious Steeler defense. Look for ‘Zona to fold up nicely in Carolina, where the Panthers roll to a comfortable double-digit win. And give the points up in Hoffaland, where the Giants’ pass rush and ground game stops the Philadelphia party and sends Andy Reid (mercifully) in search of a razor.
-EH-
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