The agent for Pedro Martinez must figure that this is the time to get some money for his client too. He is suggesting that the Red Sox might want to talk contract extension with Pedro now. This is a smart man because at the end of next year when there is a lockout/strike, it will be a less advantageous time for him to talk astronomical numbers for his client. For the Red Sox, it might be a smart move too since the possible institution of a salary cap would have to offer some "grandfathering" formula for existing monster contracts and so they might as well sew up Pedro for a while.

After a disastrous year, David Cone's career looked like it might be coming to an end. Now it seems that the Texas Rangers want him to be in their starting rotation and the KC Royals want to make him their closer. Given the Rangers offensive line-up, I think the over/under for any game that Cone started would be 12.5.

Donovan Bailey read too many of the press clippings that his management firm supplied to newspapers too lazy to go and do some background work for stories. Now the firm has dropped Bailey because he is yesterday's news. After being eliminated in the heats in the 100 meter competition at the Olympics and after the Canadian team won no medal in the relays, it became more and more difficult for the firm to explain Bailey's prima donna behaviors. He never practiced with the Canadian team and he missed some scheduled appearance claiming the flu only to show up at a night spot and boogeying until dawn. I wonder how well Donovan can sell cars or insurance; I think that is part of his future.

Talk about not getting it, Washington Wizards' overpaid forward Juwan Howard was quoted as saying, "Bad luck seems to be following us." For the record, there is no bad luck involved here; the team stinks; and Juwan is the single most overpaid player based on his output in the history of the NBA. Read on for what constitutes "bad luck".

Allen Iverson is injured and out for somewhere between a week and a month. Eric Snow has a broken ankle - stress fracture variety. The Sixers cut Vernon Maxwell and put Pepe Sanchez on the injured list. To play guard for them, they have signed Kevin Ollie and Rodney Buford. Unless Iverson and Snow get well quickly, that is "bad luck".

Dan Turk died over the weekend from testicular cancer. Dan Turk was the Redskins' long snapper for a long time until he was cut after last year's playoff loss to Tampa where a muffed snap did not allow the Redskins to get off a very long field goal try that would have won the game for them. Danny Boy still believes that was the deciding factor in the game even though it was a longer field goal than the kicker had made all year, but what the hell; he owns the team and he can fantasize whatever he wants to. Turk was cut as was the kicker and that led to this year's fiasco wherein five different kickers tried - and made - field goals for the Redskins.

Much of the weekend's NFL action was potentially about who gets into the playoffs and who gets seeded where. But the dimmest performance had to be the Detroit Lions who only needed to win a game at home against the Chicago Bears who were 4-11 going into the game. This was a set-up for a good team to come out and dominate a bad team and go to the playoffs where they would have gotten themselves eliminated in the first round but would have been part of the "playoff elite". Instead, the Lions turned in a stinker. They led 10-0 in the first quarter and the rout could have been on then; trailing by 3 with about 3 minutes to play, they recovered a fumble at the Bears 10. All they got was the tying field goal. They got the ball back and were driving to set up for another field goal and lost a fumble in Bears' territory and then allowed Cade McNown to complete two passes - with no timeouts - to set up for the Bears' winning field goal. That team - and that coaching staff - should return their paychecks for that dismal performance!

Another team that turned in a stinker - albeit in a game that did not matter much to them - was the Vikings. Just as the Packers did last week, the Colts moved the ball almost at will against a Vikings' defense that seems pre-occupied with two things: don't give up a big play and don't tackle anyone unless you have a chance to make a spectacular big hit that will be on the ESPN highlight segment. The Colts had over 400 yards of offense yesterday; that is the 3rd straight game that the Vikes have given up that much yardage.

The whole business surrounding the Dolphins/Patriots game starting up 40 minutes after the teams left the field and making the players re-dress to run one more play because the replay officials overruled a call on the field with 3 seconds to play points out why instant replay is still not implemented properly. Yes, the idea is to get the play called right; no, the idea is not to drag players out of the showers and back onto the field after all the fans are in their cars and heading home to complete a game.

And speaking of officiating, if the crew that did the Giants' game on Saturday does more games for the Giants and allows the interior to the Giants' OL to hold on every play like the did on Saturday, the Giants will march through the playoffs like prunes through a goose. The Giants were penalized once for 10 yards and did everything but rope and hogtie the Jaguars linebackers on every pass rushing situation.

The Rams beat the Saints in New Orleans to get into the playoffs and will go back to New Orleans to play the Saints next week in the first round of the playoffs. Because it was not a pro-forma game, the Rams had to open up the offense and not try to "hide" things for next week. The Rams gained 474 yards of offense and held the Saints to less than 275. Still, the margin of victory was only 5 points.

To show you the dominance of the Redskins in their 20-3 meaningless win over the putrid Arizona Cardinals, here is a status report from the second quarter with about 4 minutes left to play. Total offense for Michael Pittman was 45 yards; total offense for the rest of the Cardinals' team was 0 yards; total yards gained on an interception return by Anneas Williams was 47 yards; total yards penalized for the Cardinals was 30 yards. Brad Johnson started and won the game. The Redskins are 8-8 for the year and Johnson is 7-4 as the starter. And it looks like he will be leaving town now. Jeff "Boy" George will take over at QB next year after a 1-4 record as the starter. I guess I don't understand what Danny Boy means when he says that the only thing that matters to him is winning.

Finally, I'll look at my pre-season analysis/predictions so you won't have to go find it in your saved memory and send me a note telling me what a dolt I am. In the AFC West, I had Denver edging out Oakland. OK, I was wrong, but if I reversed my exacta bet, I would have still cashed a ticket. I thought Seattle would be close; they weren't. I said San Diego could not match last season's record of 8-8; they didn't. I said the Chiefs would struggle; boy did they ever.

In the AFC Central, I said Tennessee was the one really good team and I had Baltimore making the playoffs - and exiting in one round. The Ravens' may go on a bit further! I said Jax would struggle with injuries this year but I still thought they could be a wild-card team; they missed. I said Pittsburgh would have QB difficulties and they did. I said Cincy stunk and that the Browns might get a BCS bid for a major Bowl game this year. And I said that if Tim Couch got hurt, the Browns might lose some games by 5 TDs. He did and they did.

I had the AFC East entirely wrong. I took the Colts to waltz through the season and they had to make a mad dash in December just to get into the playoffs. I took Buffalo to finish second and obviously did not have any idea just how doltishly Wade Phillips would handle this team. I wrote off the Jets and had Miami finishing last in the division. At least I was correct in saying that the Pats would not be a factor in the race this year.

My NFC West predictions were not great. I had the Rams walking away with the division title with the Falcons on their heels. Well, at least the Falcons finished behind the Rams. I said the Panthers would be third in the division and I got that exactly right. I said the Saints were awful and all they did was win the division. I thought the 49ers were really terrible and they were merely bad. In fact, they finished two full games ahead of the Falcons that I had finishing second in the division.

In the NFC Central, I had the Bucs winning and the Vikes finishing second and both going to the playoffs. I thought the Bears and the Lions had playoff possibilities. The Lions actually did until yesterday; the Bears just stunk. I did say that Bobby Ross would not have to have that look on his face like he just got a hot coffee enema; well he no longer does. And I said that the Packers were the only team that would not have a shot at the playoffs this year; but they did.

In the NFC East, I had the Redskins waltzing to the division title because they seemed to have improved their team while everyone else in the division had stood still. As they say in Brooklyn, "Fuhgeddaboudit." Behind the Skins, I had the Giants and Eagles finishing 2nd and 3rd so once the Skins tanked, that became the exacta. I said the Cowboys would be bad and they were and I said that if the Cardinals were less than 4-5 after having a nice scheduling break early in the season that the wheels would come off the wagon. The Cardinals only won 3 games all year and the wheels were clearly off that wagon. I also predicted the firings of Norv Turner and Vince Tobin.

And so the bottom line is that my crystal ball was make of smoked glass. What can I say.

But don't get me wrong, I love sports...