I suspect that I will be recovered from the jet lag and will have dug out from under most of the mountain of snail-mail that will have accumulated by the 12th or 13th of March.

Please check back then…

Stay well, all.

Jim Tressel is going to the University of Akron – - not to take over the football coaching job there after the team won only 1 game last season – - but to take an administrative job. Tressel will be Akron’s Vice President for Strategic Engagement starting in May 2012. I realize some of you may be asking yourselves what a Vice President for Strategic Engagement might do during a strenuous 40-hour workweek; so, to save you the trouble of searching, here is the university’s description of what they expect him to do:

He will work with alumni, community organizations and friends of the school to develop strategies and efforts to help students succeed.

Let me channel the late Howard Cosell here for just a moment and tell it like it is:

This is a concocted position with no duties and responsibilities that are critical to the university mission.

How am I so sure that is the case? Well, the University of Akron has been around for 141 years and has managed to muddle through its existence for all of that time sans the efforts of a Vice President for Strategic Engagement.

Oh, did I mention that the salary for that position will be $200K? Here are some obvious credentials that VP Tressel brings to the table as he works to “develop strategies and efforts to help students succeed”:

He can tell them what not to do if they decide to open a tattoo parlor.

He can advise them on how to resell sports memorabilia.

He can point them toward jobs where they get paid but do little actual work. [Come to think about it, that sounds like the environment for the VP for Strategic Engagement…]

The university administration will surely try to maintain a façade that this is a serious and important position they have created and filled. I am certain they will do a full blitz with their PR folks on the matter. But before they drink too much of that Kool-Aid, let me offer one piece of advice to the President of the University of Akron:

Should it ever happen that one of your professors or your staff members stands accused of some kind of ethical violation, do not be tempted to put VP Tressel in charge of the university’s investigation. Astronauts on the International Space Station would be able to hear the laughter clearly once you made that announcement.

Here is an item from Brad Rock in the Deseret News:

“A bill in the Florida senate is proposing that all stadiums constructed with public money be used as homeless shelters when they’re not booked for events.

“Ah, so that’s who’s been sitting in the box seats at the Marlins games.”

I do not know for sure, but perhaps the legislator who came up with that gem of an idea got it from attending games at Shea Stadium, The Vet and/or RFK Stadium. Actually, the ambience at any one of those three stadiums would have been enhanced had it been used as a homeless shelter…

It is not a secret that I do not enjoy Jon Gruden as a color commentator for NFL games. A friend told me recently that he has become annoyed by one of Gruden’s far too frequent catch phrases. Gruden loves to say that Joe Flabeetz does such-and-such “as well as anyone in the NFL”. As my friend pointed out, if everyone did something as well as anyone in the NFL, they would all do it to the same degree of proficiency. And of course, that would be nonsense. And of course, that would be Jon Gruden’s commentary.

Mike Bianchi had this semi-political/semi-sports observation in the Orlando Sentinel recently:

“… every time I turn on the TV there is a Republican debate on. These things are sort of like Big Sky Conference basketball games: Always on but nobody’s watching.”

Baseball wants to add two teams to the playoffs so that in each league there will be a “play-in game” between two wild-card teams. Basically, they would skip the first six games of an extended series here and start off the playoffs with two “seventh games”; it’s one-and-done baby. That is not the greatest idea ever, but it is not awful either. Here is what I do not understand:

Baseball has been toying with this idea for a while now and the mavens say that the hang-up is the scheduling.

Excuse me, they need to insert one more day into the baseball schedule between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the current-day playoffs. And that is a difficult problem – - – how?

The regular season will end this year on 3 October. “Play-in games” on 5 October; “Current-day playoffs” on 7 October. Why is this difficult?

Finally, here is an item from Dwight Perry in the Seattle Times:

“Donald Trump wants to build a 1.5-acre cemetery for himself and club members near the fifth fairway at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.

“Well, that’s one surefire way to finish 6-under.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

I liked the Pats – 7 over the Ravens. The Pats won by only 3. Yuck!

I liked the Giants +2.5 over the Niners. The Giants won outright. Yummy!

That 1-1 split for the week brings the cumulative record for the season to 148-130-13. Given that I will make two selections below for the Super Bowl this weekend, that means that I will actually have a mythically profitable season picking all the games. That has only happened once before that I can recall; I surely do not expect it to happen on a regular basis.

Of course, no one with the IQ of a turnip would consider using any information here as the basis for making a real wager on the Super Bowl game. Anyone that stupid would also likely think that the best way to have a square meal at breakfast time is to make waffles.

General Comments:

The people who show up at “Media Day” for the Super Bowl must spend several weeks trying to come up with the dumbest questions possible just so they – - as the askers – - can get a measure of reflected fame from the player to whom they put the question. Otherwise, why would anyone think it worth asking Vince Wilfork what he likes to grill? Take a look at the man; what is it that might be cooked on a grill that he would not like? Filet of wombat?

How many variations can there be to a question put to Rob Gronkowski that asks him if his ankle will have him ready to play on Sunday? I loved his answer to all of them; he is taking it “day to day”.

Memo to Rob Gronkowski: Aren’t we all – - taking things “day to day”…

Notwithstanding anything that came up earlier this week, the dumbest Super Bowl Media Day question I can recall came from someone not in the sports media who asked Emmitt Smith what he planned to wear in the upcoming game. As if there might be options…

Sunday’s game will be on NBC. Consider that a gift to you from the football gods because it means you get to hear Al Michaels and Cris Colinsworth do the game. That means Jon Gruden will not be doing the game. And that, folks, is a blessing.

Dan Daly of the Washington Times tweeted a couple of different ideas for things to look for as the Super Bowl approaches:

“You know what would be a great Super Bowl Week story? If Gisele dumped Tom Brady for The Most Interesting Man in the World. #Pats #NFL”

“My favorite Super Bowl subplot this year might be the Battle of the Hyphens: Jason Pierre-Paul vs. BenJarvus Green-Ellis. #Pats #Giants #NFL”

All the talk this week about legacies for coaches and for QBs and how that might affect their chances to get into the Hall of Fame seems to have missed a point. Tom Brady has three Super Bowl wins; that puts him on the same level as Troy Aikman and puts him one behind Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. The last time I checked, Aikman, Bradshaw and Montana are all in the Hall of Fame; Brady will join them there once he is retired for the prescribed period of time.

By the way, there are only two QBs who have won the Super Bowl twice who are not in the Hall of Fame. One is Ben Roethlisberger; he is still playing and so is not eligible. However, the other two-time winner not in the Hall is Jim Plunkett. If Bob Greise, Bart Starr and Roger Staubach are in, why is Plunkett not in?

Interestingly, the two teams feature diminutive WRs who were ignored in the draft the year they came out of college. The Giants’ Victor Cruz went undrafted out of UMass. The Pats’ Wes Welker went undrafted out of Texas Tech and Julian Edleman lasted until the 7th round in 2009.

Back in September, Greg Cote had this comment in the Miami Herald regarding the sale of Super Bowl advertising slots:

“Ads for this season’s Super Bowl have almost sold out already. I like my chances in the office pool. I have that one of the commercials will feature a talking animal in a hat dancing with Betty White.”

Fans in Indy have gotten into Super Bowl week up to their armpits. Seven thousand folks bought tickets at $25 a pop to sit in the stands and watch Media Day. Not only that, but there was an “aftermarket” for tickets at several times the face price. Note, these tickets did not confer media credentials on the buyers; these tickets allowed the buyer to sit in the stands and watch a bunch of players go through the silly interview processes.

It might be a very bad thing for the Washington Redskins if the Giants win on Sunday. The Redskins swept the Giants this year. That fact could lead to thinking along the lines of:

Well, we beat the Super Bowl champs twice so we cannot be that far away from glory ourselves. We are just one free agent signing away from playing in Super Bowl XLVII…

It is a fact that the Redskins beat the Giants twice this year. It is also a fact that the Redskins only won 5 games all season long. The Redskins are not “one player away from glory…”

A story broke this week that a Detroit Lions fan called in a bomb scare to the Superdome right after the Saints took a 21-14 lead over the Lions in the wild card game three weeks ago. Later in the game, after the Lions had scored and tried an onside kick to score again – - but failed to recover the onside kick – - the same Lions’ fan made a second call to the Superdome threatening “severe consequences” if the Saints won that game. Yes, they were able to find out who made the calls and he is going to have some ‘splainin to do to a judge regarding things like terroristic threats and that kind of stuff. Even better, the Lions’ fan name is:

Shawn Payton.

No, seriously…

Dan Daly dug up these stats in the Washington Times.

“Bill Belichick’s record in New England before Camera-gate: 87-39 (.690 winning percentage, best in the NFL from 2000-06).

Belichick’s record since: 67-19 (.779 winning percentage, best in the league from 2007 through ‘11).”

Cue Arte Johnson: “Verrrrry eenteresting…”

The Game:

Giants vs. New England – 3 (55): The opening spread for this game was 3.5 points but it seems to have settled at 3 points at most sportsbooks – - although you can find it at 2.5 points at a couple Internet sportsbooks. The total line opened at 56 and moved down to 55. At many sportsbooks, if you want to play Under 55, your odds are worse than the normal -110 indicating there is a uncovered “Under” money on the books at the moment.

The Giants opened at +145 on the money line. Now, the highest line I can find on the money line is +126 and most are between +115 and +120.

Frankly, I am not sure why this game is not “pick ‘em”. The Giants’ defense showed that it could hold its own against an explosive offense with its win over the Packers. I suspect those guys will not forget how to play pass defense just because they are in Indiana instead of in Wisconsin for this game. The Giants have gotten their share of breaks and fortunate bounces in these playoff games, but those good fortunes should lead anyone to believe that the Giants’ defense is a bad one; it is not.

The Patriots have won 10 games in a row – - the last team to beat them was the Giants a few months ago. In that 10-game win streak, the Pats’ defense has steadily improved and the Pats’ offense has been either “excellent” or “satisfactory” in every outing. Call me a Pollyanna if you want, but I see this as an even game. I’ll take the Giants plus the points here and I like the game to go Over.

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

While the press release sounds as upbeat as is possible under the circumstances – - given the announcement contained therein – -, there are two serious issues that seem to be “hanging fire” there:

1. The reason for the suspension of operations is to allow the league to “focus on the resolution of certain pending legal issues and the challenges that now face the League as a result of its ongoing dispute with a former owner.” Wow! If the resolution/settlement of a dispute with a single “former owner” is sufficient to shut down the league, then the financial underpinnings would seem to be far less than robust.

2. This is an Olympic year. The US Women’s National Team will play in international competition prior to the Olympics to “tune up” for the Olympic Games and then will be on TV all during their time in the Olympics. That television exposure is important to WPS – - so it would seem to be the last year for WPS “to go dark.” If you believe in omens, this one has to be a dire one.

Lurking in the background here is the shadowy figure of a previous women’s pro soccer league in the US, which came into existence in the wake of the US Women’s Team winning the World Cup when Brandi Chastain flashed the most famous sports bra in history. As I recall, it lasted three years before going “paws up”; reports at the time said the league may have lost as much as $100M in those three years. Since there were only 8 teams in that league, I don’t know how they could have lost that much money in only 3 seasons, but that is what reports back there said.

I am aware that there is another women’s professional soccer organization out there – - the Women’s Premier Soccer League and that it has a couple dozen teams arranged in divisions and conferences. My understanding is that this league is below WPS in terms of the skill level and prestige within the world of pro soccer so even if it were to continue to survive, it would be like MLB suspending its operations for a year but baseball would live on with the likes of the Eastern League and the Pacific Coast League.

Whatever legal issue(s) confront WPS now, I think it would behoove them to resolve them quickly so that women’s soccer can get some positive energy from the upcoming Olympics.

You may have noticed that I have written nothing about the Super Bowl for the past week or so. The reason is simple; the story lines for the game are obvious and they are being bludgeoned to death by ESPN and NFLN. I will have a pick in Mythical Picks later this week and some comments there; but today, I just want to touch on a few of the proposition bets that are available for the game.

If you think the game will be a blowout, you can get odds on either team where you have to lay 14.5 points. That is a long-way off the basic spread, but the prop bet is out there for the taking. At the moment, here are the lines:

Giants – 14.5 + 800
Pats – 14.5 + 550

You can get the standard -110 odds on these propositions:

Which team will be penalized the most yards?

Which team will make the first challenge of an official’s call?

As usual, there are prop bets available that have nothing to do with the game and cannot be “handicapped” any better than a wager on how the coin toss will come up. Consider:

Will Madonna wear an NFL jersey/shirt during her halftime show?

Yes +250
No - 400

How long will it take Kelly Clarkson to sing the National Anthem?

Over 1 minute 37 seconds: -110
Under 1 minute 37 seconds: -110

[Aside: I am surprised that Kelly Clarkson is sufficiently famous to get this gig in the first place; so will they tell her to sing the song and move on or will she milk this for all the camera time she can get…?]

I got an e-mail from a former colleague with this information in it:

“In 2009, eleven NFL teams hired a new head coach. Of those new hires in 2009, only Rex Ryan and Jim Schwartz are still on the job.”

Keep that information in mind the next time someone tries to convince you that the NFL has not become a “What Have You Done For Me Lately” League.

Finally, here is a thought – - and a frightening one at that – - from Scott Ostler in the SF Chronicle:

“DeSean Jackson as a possible 49ers’ free-agent signing? Sure, then sign Terrell Owens as the wide-receiver and life coach.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

“There was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes, that I think if we had addressed it [at] the time being, then everything would have been cool, we could have moved on. But obviously we didn’t and the season kind of spiraled late.”

“After the season we talked, and basically he didn’t know a lot of things that were going on behind the scenes. There was just so much stuff, and I’m not going to get into it because some of the stuff is really deep.”

“When we come in there for OTAs, [we need to] have a player meeting. The leaders need to step up, talk to everybody in the building, and just say, ‘Hey, man, look. This is our goal this year, this is what we need to accomplish, let’s not get into the bickering or the frustration because it brings a team down.’ “

Looking at those three quotations from one of the key veterans of the team – - I believe Revis has been there four years now – - one has to conclude that coaching oversight of the Jets’ team was not very strong. Notice he says the players need to have a meeting with team leaders speaking up and not that the team leaders need to engage the coaches in getting to the bottom of “some of the stuff [that] is really deep.”

Rex Ryan needs to take those remarks and post them over his desk at home and in his office so that he sees them every day as a reminder that bombast and press conferences that get his team on the back page of the NY tabloids are insufficient as leadership tools.

The Tampa Bay Bucs hired Greg Schiano from Rutgers to take over the ship in Tampa. Schiano did a fine job at Rutgers; he turned a football program that was one step above a laughing-stock into a program that would get itself invited to one of the myriad minor bowl games every year. Rutgers is not a football factory by any means so the fact that he achieved that level of success there says he must know something about coaching football.

There were more than a few rumors going around in the past several years that Schiano hoped to be at or near the head of the line to replace Joe Paterno once JoePa retired from Penn State. However, the circumstances surrounding the recent Penn State search for a new coach virtually assured that no one who had ties to the “old Penn State program” was going to get the job. Particularly, no one who had coached on the defense with or under Jerry Sandusky was going to get the job. And Schiano had been one of the defensive assistants there from 1991 to 1995. Even though there has been not a word regarding any wrongdoing on his part, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time to get that job. Interestingly, once that became very clear, he found a way to “move up” from the Rutgers job…

There are two other factors that could well have factored into Schiano’s thinking here:

The Big East Conference – - with regard to football – - is hardly a model of stability and could find itself significantly less relevant in future seasons.

Reports in the Newark Star-Ledger say that Rutgers’ football program ran a deficit of $25M or more and that university applied monies from student fees and the “general fund” to balance the books. If those reports are even close to correct, consider that Rutgers is a state school and the state of New Jersey is in a “belt-tightening environment” at the moment.

Here is a comment from Bob Molinaro of the Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot regarding Schiano’s change of employer:

“Wakeup call: Rutgers football players, recruits and their parents, angry that Greg Schiano has forsaken them to coach the NFL Bucs, are expressing dismay that big-time college football is nothing more than a business. Really, they’re just learning that now?”

With Schiano in place in Tampa, all of the head coaching jobs in the NFL are filled at the moment. Nevertheless, one level down on the coaching level, two interesting hires showed up this week:

Brad Childress will be Offensive Coordinator for the Browns. The bar for “improvement” here is set very low. Last year, the Browns scored only 218 points in 16 games – - less than 14 points per game. Childress has been a successful offensive coordinator before.

Jack Del Rio will be Defensive Coordinator for the Broncos. The Jags were not very good last year but it was not their defense that put them in that condition. Del Rio has been a successful defensive coordinator before. Oh, and pairing him with John Fox as the head coach should point to the Broncos’ defense being pretty good for the next several seasons.

Finally, regarding the swirling stories about Peyton Manning retiring or perhaps being released and signing with some other team, here are two comments to consider:

“Manning and Irsay want to “dispel any misperception” they might be at odds. So they met Friday and held a dispelling bee. #Colts #NFL” [Dan Daly, Washington Times]

“Futurewatch: If (or when) Peyton Manning is shipped out of Indy, the Baltimorean in me hopes it’s late on a snowy night in the back of a Mayflower moving van.” [Bob Molinaro, Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot]

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

What he did was to interview folks in the sports world on the subject of cheating – - and how it is done. This is not a morality play; this is more of homage to reality. People cheat at sports to gain an edge; here are some of the ways they do that cheating.

This is a quick and easy book to read. It can be done in a weekend; I know this because I started it on Saturday around noon and finished it with my coffee on Monday morning.

I am not suggesting that you read the book to become a cheat. I am suggesting you read the book because it is interesting and entertaining.

Here is a link to one of the places where you can get How To Cheat In Sports…

As a general rule, NY fans tend to be “star-struck”; they love big names and big reputations to the point where they hope for acquisitions that just do not work. In a sense, those fans have a kindred spirit in Knicks’ owner, James Dolan, who seems similarly “star-struck”. Such was the case with the Carmelo Anthony trade. The Knicks gave up 4 players of “starter quality” but not necessarily “star quality” – - plus a draft pick – - to get Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Then, they “amnestied” Billups as soon as they were allowed to do that. The problem for the Knicks in that trade is that they gave up guys who might defend once in a while and do some non-glorious rebounding and screen-setting to obtain a prodigious scorer. From watching parts of several Knicks’ games this year, here is what their offense looks like on far too many possessions:

1. Someone brings the ball over half-court and passes the ball to Carmelo Anthony.

2. If the ball cannot go directly to Anthony, the pass goes to Amare Stoudamire who then passes the ball to Anthony.

3. Anthony dribbles around for a few seconds until a double team comes at him because the shot clock is winding down.

4. Anthony hoists up a shot from wherever he happens to be at that moment.

Just a tad of clarification here … that is not a winning offensive system.

By all reports, Mike D’Antoni did not favor making that trade last year and neither did the previous GM/Team President/Basketball Guru Donnie Walsh. Reports say that deal went down because James Dolan wanted Carmelo Anthony and so he went out and got him.

I am not a huge fan of Mike D’Antoni’s system because his teams play only marginal levels of defense. But that is just me… In one sense, Anthony and D’Antoni are a match made in Heaven because Anthony plays defense only by accident. However, Knicks’ fans can take heart; help is on the way. Baron Davis is working his way into shape; that will solve everything…

Meanwhile, about 200 miles south of NYC, the Washington Wizards continue to play poorly. I know that their 3-7 record in their last 10 games is an improvement over the 1-9 record in the previous 10 games; but still… Here is what Sir Charles Barkley had to say about the Wizards in his normal direct fashion:

“The worst team in the NBA, the Washington Bullets …I call ‘em the Bullets, ’cause I want to shoot ‘em … I’ll never call them the Wizards. They should be called the Generals. They already got … Flip Saunders got fired. Let me tell you something, Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, Lenny Wilkens, coaching together couldn’t make them bums winners.”

Here is a frightening thought. Imagine if Sir Charles ever made a New Year’s resolution to be more candid in the upcoming year…

The Minnesota Vikings and the politicos in Minnesota are having constructive talks about a new stadium for the Vikes. The current focus calls for the Metrodome to be torn down and for the new stadium to be on the same site. Given the location and the infrastructure in the area, that makes sense. The potential new stadium – - call it Metrodome II for the moment – - will not have a roof; it will be an outdoor stadium. However, it will contain the “modern amenities” that are lacking in Metrodome I.

[Aside #1: I am not an advocate for spending a lot of tax money to build sports facilities. At the same time, the folks making those decisions are the ones elected by the people of Minnesota - - and the Twin Cities - - so that is a matter for them to resolve.]

[Aside #2: If I were at an outdoor stadium in Minnesota in December when the wind-chill was around minus-15, the “modern amenity” I would immediately seek would be “warmth”.]

The interim plan would be for the Vikings to play their games at the new University of Minnesota stadium, TCF Bank Park. That is where the Vikes played one of their games a couple of years ago because the roof on the Metrodome collapsed under the weight of a massive snowfall. That was one game and that was an “emergency situation”; I wonder how that facility would work as a host for Vikings’ games for two or three seasons.

TCF Bank Park seats only 51,000 folks – - with standing room for 3,000. That is a minuscule capacity for an NFL facility.

Metrodome I seats about 64,000 and the Vikings played to an average attendance last year of 62,816. Some current fans will be “displaced”.

TCF Bank Park has fewer luxury suites than does Metrodome I meaning some of the “heavy hitters” in the local area will have to forego their “amenities”.

The University of Minnesota bans the sale or the possession of alcohol within their facility. My understanding is that ban extends to the parking areas too. That would definitely be a “problem”.

The final chapter in this opera is not yet complete. However, if the idea is to tear down the existing Metrodome to make way for the new facility, there are some logistical hurdles to consider…

Finally, here is a comment form Steve Simmons in the Toronto Sun regarding outdoor hockey games:

“This outdoor game craze is out of control. The NHL does it. The AHL does it. College hockey does it. Now the OHL is talking about cashing in. And I can you tell you quite honestly that I’m not paying good money to sit outside, too far away from the ice and freeze in the middle of winter to watch the Erie Otters play the Plymouth Whalers or whoever is involved.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

One of the assertions made by many of the mock draft writers is that one need not draft a running back in the first round because there are gems to be found late in the draft – - which is unarguably correct. The problem is that the conclusion they draw from the presence of those “late round gems” is that running backs at the top of the draft need to be devalued. To look at the situation in a sort of objective fashion, I want to get away from the arguments that Arian Foster was an undrafted free agent while CJ Spiller, taken in the first round, has not performed to nearly Foster’s level. I think it is more informative to look at the running backs who gained 1000 or more yards last year.

With a 16-game schedule, a back needs to gain 62.5 yards per game to reach the 1000-yard level. If I counted correctly, 15 running backs did that in 2011; here is the breakdown as to how they were drafted:

Round 1: 8
Round 2: 3
Round 3: 2
Round 5: 1
Undrafted Free Agent: 1

Looking at that distribution, I think the metaphor of finding a “gem” of a running back in the late rounds is very appropriate. You do not find them very often; but when you do, they are quite valuable. On the other hand, another way to look at it is this:

Last year, about 85% of the running backs who gained 1000 yards for the season went in the top half of the draft.

One of my favorite authors was Kurt Vonnegut. One of his works – - a series of essays – - was Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons. I am not about to do a book review here but a “Foma” by Vonnegut’s definition was an idea that was taken to be factual by people who need simplicity in their lives. It may or may not be true, but believing it to be true causes no harm to anyone. I think the idea of not taking running backs early in the NFL draft is a current-day Foma.

The Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder to a 9-year contract worth $214M. That is not just a life-changing amount of money; that is a generational life-changing amount of money. Fielder is 27 years old and – - barring injuries of course – - should be a top-shelf hitter for most if not all of that contract. The fact that the Tigers are in the league that uses the DH makes Fielder’s utility to them potentially greater in the final years of this deal.

Regarding the 2012 season, the Tigers might be one of the worst defensive teams in baseball. Prince Fielder can really only play first base; he plays hard but let me be generous and say that he does not have great range at the position. If he plays first base, that means Miguel Cabrera might show up at third base on some days. Picture in your mind a six-foot high traffic cone; that is about the range Cabrera would display as a third baseman. Moreover, while those guys anchor the infield, the Tigers might put Delmon Young somewhere in the outfield… On days when those three guys are playing the field together, the Tigers’ defense will be about as effective as was the Maginot Line in the early days of WW II.

The other thing that comes to mind when considering the Tigers’ signing of Fielder is that a bunch of AL teams seem to be loading up for a run at the AL pennant at the very least. In addition to the Tigers activities this winter:

The Angels signed Albert Pujols for $240M
The Texans signed Yu Darvish costing them more than $100M
The Yankees and Red Sox are hardly penurious.

Those five teams look to be “all in” – - to use current jargon – - while the “Moneyball” guys in Oakland have chosen to demonstrate how they have “run the numbers” better than anyone else with a signing announced in today’s Transactions in the agate section of the Washington Post:

The A’s signed Jonny Gomes to a 1-year deal.

Just in case anyone is wondering how any player might be worth more than $200M to a team, the answer is that by himself, the player is not worth that kind of money. However, if a player can make a team into a consistent winner/contender for the World Series and possibly a World Series Champion, he does bring a lot of money to the team in an indirect way.

Good teams fill the stadium regularly.

The vast majority of people who go to games these days deck themselves out in official licensed team gear.

Plenty of other people buy and wear that official gear too if the team is a winner.

If you stood back and looked at those fashion choices rationally, you might ask yourself what these chronological adults are thinking stocking their closets with a jersey or two that can cost more than $100 each where the value is contained in the name of a player on the back of the jersey. In fact, if you look at it rationally, you might want to take some of them aside and ask – - not necessarily in the politest tone of voice:

What the Hell are you thinking?

Finally, I started off today mentioning teams that will have high draft picks in the NFL Draft come April. Here is a Tweet from Dan Daly of the Washington Times that I found through Facebook that explains the Washington Redskins’ situation in the NFL:

“It’s not just that the #Redskins are in last place — again. It’s that pro football still doesn’t have an NIT. #NFL”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

Here are some of the salient points from that story:

T.O. has had no offers from NFL teams – - not even lowball offers – - subsequent to his knee surgery and the televised workout he and Drew Rosenhaus staged.

T.O. is “desperate for cash”. He claims that his financial advisors – - recommended by Rosenhaus – - put him into risky ventures that collapsed.

One of his financial advisors has shut down his company and is facing “drug charges in connection with the alleged rape of a female employee.”

One surviving business venture is a men’s hair salon in Miami called T.O. Cutz. Given that his normal appearance is with a shaved head, potential customers might be wary of the range of options open to them there.

T.O. is paying $44K per month to four women who are the mothers of his four children.

The closest that T.O. comes in this story to realizing that his past behaviors just might be the reason no NFL team has called to ask him to come for a workout is that he admits that he is “not a tactful person.” [Aside: That is almost as self-evident as saying that Helen Keller would not do well with a Rubik’s Cube.] At the same time, he also says:

“I think people change, but the media, they never allowed me to change. They never allowed me to be a better person.”

Memo to T.O.: Most folks do not need the media’s permission to become a better person.

This story ought to be read by young athletes in various sports – - but it will not. Young athletes can learn a lot from reading this in terms of what they need to pay attention to in addition to things like staying in shape, avoiding felonious behaviors and the like. Terrell Owens earned about $80M in his career and he is now “desperate for cash” as he is nearing the time when he will no longer be able to play football to earn money. One can learn from role models – - both positive ones and negative ones. The thing to keep straight is to know which role models are negative ones so those are the behaviors to avoid.

Meanwhile, Roger Goodell would seem to be in a situation where he will have no financial woes for the foreseeable future. The NFL owners just extended Goodell’s contract through March 2019. While I do not recall reading anything about the financial aspects of that contract, I have to assume that his yearly income has at least two commas in the number and perhaps as many as seven zeroes… Given the financial well-being of the NFL, you can say that he earned that contract.

Let me ask a rhetorical question regarding the NFL:

The NFL has a rule against taunting an opponent – - that is covered under the list of things considered to be unsportsmanlike conduct.

So, how does even the most tasteful end zone celebration avoid such a penalty flag?

As coaches are shuffling around from one NFL team to another in this off-season, I think it would be instructive to take a look at the coaching staff of the New York Giants in 1956.

Jim Lee Howell: He was the head coach. He would win the NFL Championship that year over the Chicago Bears. During his time with the Giants (7 seasons), he compiled a record of 53-27-4 and was the coach of the Giants in the “greatest game ever played” – - the overtime loss to the Baltimore Colts in the 58 NFL Championship game.

Vincent Thomas Lombardi: He was the offensive coordinator. In early 1959, he took over a Packers’ team that had gone 1-10-1 the previous year; in his second season there, the Packers were in the NFL Championship game, which they lost. After that, his Packers dominated the decade of the 1960s.

Thomas Wade Landry: He was the defensive coordinator. He took over the expansion Dallas Cowboys’ franchise in 1960 and was the head coach there until 1988. His Cowboys had a winning record in 20 consecutive seasons (1966 – 1985) and most folks credit him with the “invention” of the 4-3 defense still used by many NFL teams.

Today, people like to talk about “coaching trees”. That 1956 NY Giants coaching staff bore an awful lot of fruit…

Finally, here is an item from Dwight Perry in the Seattle Times:

“Harvey Updyke, the accused Toomer’s Corner tree-poisoner, has rejected prosecutors’ plea deal that would have sent him to prison for 13 years and banned him from Alabama sporting events.

“Or to put it in football terms, he declined the penalty.”

[Aside: A prison term of 13 years for killing a tree? The prosecutors must think Judge Isaac Parker is coming back from the grave to preside over the sentencing here. Wow!]

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

Sports Fan Coalition seeks to end the blackout rule which for the NFL says that if a game in a local market is not sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff, the local channels in that local market may not telecast the game. It may be seen in the market of the visiting team but not in the local market. That sounds like a simple rule – - and since the rule came into being sometime in the 1970s, it was very precise with regard to what was covered. The problem now is that in 2012, NFL games are carried on satellite and cable networks in addition to over-the-air-television stations and the blackout rule now allows the league to prevent fans from seeing the local team even if they have purchased a satellite TV package that supposedly gives them access to all games.

As I understand it, the FCC is asking for comment about modifying the blackout rules as they apply to cable TV and satellite TV packages. If that understanding is correct, I am of two minds with regard to the outcome.

On the side of the blackouts, I refuse to believe that free and unfettered access to telecasts of NFL games is one of the rights guaranteed to citizens. Professional football games are staged by the NFL and therefore are the property of the NFL. If the NFL chooses not to present its product in a local market, that is not significantly different from a peanut butter manufacturer who chooses not to put his product on supermarket shelves in Buttbreath, Montana. That hypothetical peanut butter manufacturer is limiting his sales potential by that decision, but as comedian, Ron White has said:

“You can’t cure stupid…”

Having said that, games on cable TV are nationally televised events and when one purchases a satellite TV package to get access to all games the relationship between the NFL as the stager of the games and the fan as the consumer of the games is a different one. In addition, the NFL receives “benefits” from taxpayers in virtually every market in which the team operates and a subset of those taxpayers are the folks who might want to watch the local heroes when they play. I really do not know what the ultimate outcome here ought to be; I need more information.

While on the subject of the NFL and business decisions, I also read in the St Louis Post-Dispatch that the St. Louis Rams are going to play in the “London Game” in each of the next three years. Since the owner of the Rams is also the owner of the Arsenal Football Club in the English Premier League, his presence within the English sporting scene is obvious. Therefore, I guess this decision makes sense on some personal/business level. However, the opponent for the Rams in London in 2012 will be the Patriots. Now that surprises me…

If there were a game that ought to draw well in St. Louis next year, it would likely be a team like the Patriots – - a team in this year’s Super Bowl and a team that Rams’ fans do not get to see in person on a frequent basis. So, why put that game in London? Why not put a game against the Jags or the Vikings or the Texans in London to assure a good crowd for that pairing and save the Pats game as a home game? [Aside: I picked those teams out of thin air; I do not know if they are on the Rams’ schedule next season.] The “London opponents” for the Rams in 2013 and 2014 are still TBD.

In announcing the Rams’ participation in the “London Game”, Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke issued a statement, which said in part:

“This is a tremendous honor for our franchise, the city of St. Louis and our fans throughout the world. We are excited about the opportunity to reach new audiences globally. This is a great platform to showcase the city of St. Louis to London and the UK.”

I wonder if he would have said anything nearly that glowing had the Rams been able to sell out their last 100 games or so. Hmmm…

A second NBA coach has been relieved of his duties. The Washington Woefuls – - they prefer to call themselves the Wizards but all you have to do is to watch them for about five minutes to realize that “Woefuls” is more in compliance with truth-in-labeling laws – - fired Flip Saunders and named Randy Wittman as the interim coach. The Woefuls’ record as of this morning is 2-15. When Flip Saunders arrived in Washington, he had the seventh-best winning percentage of all NBA coaches; Flip Saunders ought never to be confused with Red Auerbach or Phil Jackson, but he is not a stumblebum either. The problem with the Woefuls is not the coach – - Wittman is the fourth one in just over three seasons – - the problem is the roster. The Woefuls do not share the ball; do not shoot well; do not play defense and rebound only when the ball bounces off the rim and into their hands. Other than those minor issues, the team is very good…

Tonight, the Woefuls play a home game against the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats bring with them a record of 3-15. The import of this Titanic struggle is simple:

The loser will have the worst record in the NBA Southeast Division tomorrow morning.

You know, that is a game that I would not mind having blacked out in the local TV market.

Every NBA team has a bad night occasionally. Earlier this week the Orlando Magic played the Boston Celtics; here were the Magic “accomplishments” that night:

Scored a total of 56 points – - a franchise low.
Made only 16 field goals – - a franchise low.
Shot 24.6% from the floor – - recreation league teams can do that.

Finally, here is a cogent observation from Scott Ostler in the SF Chronicle:

“Trying to incorporate Keys to Victory is like the old golfer joke: I just bought a great new instruction book, ‘The 73 Most Important Things to Remember During Your Backswing.’ ”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………