A Few Thoughts

As I was watching the Rose Bowl, a few thoughts popped into my head (most non-USC/Texas related)...

-It appears that Herm Edwards will be heading to Kansas City to take over for Dick Vermeil. I hate it when a coach says that he wants to remain in a particular city but then leaves anyway. Hey Herm, just a few days ago you told everyone in New York to stop asking you about Kansas City because as you said in your own words, “I'm happy to be the coach here and I’m going to be the coach here, like I said before…” Then why are you going to KC, Coach? In this day and age, fans simply expect players to be disloyal; it comes with the territory. But coaches? Guys who spend countless hours motivating with images of team unity? I hate it when coaches flake out like that.

-Matt Leinert looks terrible tonight. Obviously the Texas D is one of the best in the country but something about him makes me feel like he's been overrated. His throws are soft and wobbly. He's quicker than I remember him being but he's not even making plays with his legs. He and the Saints might be a match made in underachieving heaven.

-Mark Prior opted out of his contract and will now get a big fat raise thanks to arbitration. This is both a blessing and a curse for the Cubs. My personal opinion is that Mark Prior will become overpaid in 2006 but the upside for the Cubs is that Prior will be under intense pressure to justify his raise and will either: a) pitch great for them or b) choke on the pressure and chip away at his value for 2007, making his next contract a bit more reasonable for Chicago. For the record, I hate it when players opt out of their contracts.

-I'm curious what the Bills will do with Marv Levy. I don't want to discriminate based on age here but the man is 80 years old. He knows a lot about football but I'm sure he knows very little about the salary cap. In what capacity will be serve the Buffalo Bills? How useful could be possibly be to that team?

-I think the NFL needs to intervene in Detroit and quietly, politely but firmly force William Clay Ford to fire Matt Millen. This needs to happen behind closed doors, for obvious reasons, but it needs to happen. The Super Bowl will be in Detroit in exactly one month from tomorrow and the host franchise is an utter disgrace to the game. Home games at Ford Field were toxic, what with the "Fire Millen" chants and the hometown fans wearing visiting colors in protest. Considering the NFL threw Ford a major bone by giving Super Bowl XL to the Lions, the NFL has all the leverage they need to force a change. And by the way, if anyone thinks that the NFL doesn't involve itself in team affairs, who do you think fired Mike Tice? Paul Tagliabue pulled the string on that one. Why? Public financing of a football stadium in St. Paul is why. The NFL wants new stadiums built with public dollars and Tice was the sacrificial lamb.

-I wish the World Baseball Classic would go away. It's such a half-baked idea. Honestly, is it a good idea for hamstrings, rotator cuffs and rib cages to be put in harm's way? This is an event that should take place in the offseason, if it should take place at all. Considering Major League Baseball has a lot invested in this, I am surprised that they don't see the potential disasters in having it during Spring Training. What if Pujols, Abreu, Ortiz and Vlad all get hurt? What if the All-Star Game sucks because their subs will be Burnitz, Mientkiewicz, LeCroy and Torrealba? I'll bet my left one that ratings for the "Classic" are mediocre.