Skip to main content

This week

A few things.

• If I had to pick a Super Bowl matchup now, before the playoffs start, I’d go with San Diego over New Orleans. The Saints are a total default pick-it’s more that I just don’t trust Chicago or anyone else in the NFC. (Yes, I put the Bears at No. 1 in the NFC a week or two ago. That was before I realized how badly the fans wanted Brian Griese to take the field. I do think, though, that Lovie Smith is doing a better job this year than he did last year, when he won Coach of the Year.)

• It was smart for Alabama to guarantee Nick Saban all that money, because it might motivate him to stick around in the future. That guy’s about as loyal to his employers as Rick Majerus is to the Food Guide Pyramid. Yes, I more or less supported T.O.’s holdout, but I think it’s different for coaches, since being a coach is a lot more like having a regular job than being an athlete is. And I think most people would leave their job for more money, so it’s not like Saban’s a bad human being. But I wouldn’t really want to hire him, either.

• Speaking of coaches, Bill Cowher is supposed to retire today. It’s funny how much his legacy has changed. Before last year, I’d always thought of the Steelers as underachieving, though that probably had a lot to do with their inability to find a steady quarterback. Now Cowher’s considered one of the absolute best coaches in the game. And considering how well he did with guys like Neil O’Donnell and Kordell Stewart behind center, I almost have to agree at this point. Weird.

• Game-by-game playoff previews for this weekend will be coming later today.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

National Basketball Association Finals Preview Blowout!

If you're looking for a stereotypical matchup breakdown for the NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, (Game One is tonight, 7 o'clock Mountain, ABC), you've come to the right place! Center: Ben Wallace, Pistons vs. Nazr Mohammed, Spurs Wallace might be the league's top defender, winning his third Defensive Player of the Year award this season and leading the Pistons in both blocks and steals. It's said he's an improved offensive player, but he still scores primarily on tips and wide-open dunks. "Big Ben" is horrific from the foul line, connecting on 42.8% this season. Also, his brother has taken on NBA players and can probably beat up Mohammed's brother. Mohammed has been a good fit for the Spurs since being traded from the Knicks. It appears Isiah Thomas may have finally made his first mistake as general manager in New York, as Mohammed has started every Spurs' playoff game, averaging 8.1 points to go with a solid seven...

Forget Brett Favre (*)

From my 2007 NFL season preview : Favre's not as good as he once was-who is?-but he's not the disgrace people make him out to be...I don't think he "deserves" to go out with another Lombardi or anything, but I hope he gets to leave on a good note. Oops. What a mistake. And I even knew this day was coming. Let me say that Brett Favre deserves to go down in history with whatever records he earns, so long as a giant asterisk is placed by each and every one of them. As you may have heard, Sunday's victory over the New York Giants made Favre the winningest quarterback in NFL history. I don't know what ESPN did on TV, but this record practically went unnoticed in the places I follow sports. But it's of crucial importance to me. Why? "Maybe someday down the road it will mean a lot," a typically humble Favre said after the 149th win of his career, moving past Hall of Famer [and indisputable greatest quarterback of all time] John Elway. Humble...

Orange Julius

All right, class, what kind of things do we look for in an NBA draftee? A player who's proven, or one with oodles of upside? A guy coming off a spectacular college career, or one coming off the bench for his Serbian club team? A player who's shown constant improvement, or one who mysteriously fared worse as a senior than a junior? No, Kiki, put your hand down, it's the first answer to each of these questions, not the second. Yesterday the Nuggets picked 20th in the first round, selecting Julius Hodge, shooting guard/small forward, out of North Carolina State. College fans will immediately recognize his name, as Hodge was the ACC Player of the Year as a junior. Unfortunately, he just finished his senior year, which was marked mostly by a dip in his scoring numbers (he developed a sudden inability to hit free throws or threes) and a punch to the groin by Wake Forest guard Chris Paul. Hodge is mostly a mid-range and slashing-type scorer, kind of like the more-than-sufficient s...