Sunday Night Back Seat Driver

Well the week from hell officially has ended and so I'm back in the saddle doing something I love….back seat driving about sports. Special thanks to Publius for the fill in cheers and jeers. Alright time for commenting and to do so…I'm whipping out it out old school style. Texas Holdem Style

The Flop

1. While baseball might have the most talked about election process to a hall of fame, football's acceptance ceremony to the Hall of Fame stands heads and shoulders above the other professional sports. Whether it is because the NFL hype machine is enough to allow the warriors a spotlight on the way to Valhalla or the opening exhibition game is what gives it some extra juice the Hall of Fame speeches seem to stick out more so than other sports. I really can't recall any baseball induction speech with any clarity but can easily remember the ceremony surrounding Sweetness or choking back tears at Jim Kelley's speech. This year's ceremony was no different. I have a confession to make. I like the Raiders' mystique. I like the bad boy image. The idea that a team will take on the persona (or actually be) convicts parading as football players. I like how once a week Oakland has all the crazy people as opposed to San Francisco. John Madden was an integral part of building the Raider Nation. Apparently he has the second highest winning percentage of any coach with 100 games save the Super Bowl Trophy namesake. Madden deserved the Hall of Fame for his announcing work (can anyone really name a better well known or influential color commentator?) or being an ambassador of the game via his video game. Heck being a spokesman for Outback would have been enough for my vote. However there was something special for Madden to finally be recognized as a coach that helped create an image.

2. An interesting question generated related to the Hall of Fame induction….is Troy Aikman under rated? Brett Favre is typically lauded as the best QB of the mid to late1990s. Well I shouldn't go that far. It's not like there's some definitive publication on who is or is not the best, but the question remains: how high should Aikman be on the list. It's not as easy as a question as it would seem.

3. Here’s a list of some coaches that I'll be watching this season. Add as you see fit.

1) Mike Martz- What does the mad chemist come up with now that he's back in an assistant role?

2) Al Saunders - Former Chiefs offensive coordinator now has the reigns of the Redskins. Fairly fascinating to see Joe Gibbs being reduced to a figure head and Saunders enter the lion's mouth (Daniel Snyder).

3) Brian Billick - If Billick does not make the playoffs I'm fairly certain he will be fired. What happens when a raging narcissist meets his own limitations and failures? I can only hope its video taped.

3) Jeff Fisher - The Titans have been trapped in salary cap hell for seemingly forever. This is the last year on Fisher's contract. Will Fisher rush Young along if the S.S. Titan starts taking on water?

4) Bill Parcells - If Parcells fails again to make the playoffs, we can safely conclude he will either quit or eat the hearts of those that have failed him

5. Lloyd Carr/Larry Coker - College coaches for sure but both sit at two of the bigger programs in the land. Both redid the coordinator positions to bolster their offenses and get back to the BCS. Can it be done?

The Turn: Rankings

One thing that really bothers me about college football are pre-season rankings. The Coaches Poll came out and OSU is ranked number. Sure we can sit around and debate if OSU is truly worthy of that slot (are 9 lost defensive players equal to a lost QB and defensive captain; are the back up players on OSU better than the chum that existed last year on Notre Dame's defense?). I think a better question is why they have polls before a few games have been played. With any games played poll voters are basing their opinion on hype or weird some sort of weird astrology. I'm not sure who that’s good for except talk radio. By having polls before the games it also provides a psychological (if not physical anchor) in that teams ranked higher at the beginning have a built in advantage. (If OSU wins 8 games by 1 point in fluke fashion are they truly more deserving than if Florida dominates the SEC by 40 points every game?). I say start the polls after week 2 or 3. Not before

The River: Firings

Last week longtime Cleveland Cavs TV play by play man, Michael Reghi, was fired. While the team gave no official reason, it has since been fairly clear that the team wanted an announcer that would be more "positive" (read sycophantic). For one thing to fire a tv personality this late in the year, especially one that has given has called games for years, is classless. Secondly, it's always a shame to lose a quality announcer. Reghi called the action from a fan's perspective. He called the game as it was played: high excitement during good days and a critical eye when the team did not play. I certainly understand that organizations and institutions want to control the message to get a more favorable spin on things. Certainly at least as far back as Gramsci an understanding has existed that people's perspectives can be shaped by the right message. However something is lost….credibility. Positive spin can only hold back the dike of truth for so long. When teams go badly, a Pravda style commentator will keep interest and hope alive for only so long. When that is lost, fans interest will die. At least with Reghi and his his kind you could tune in to hear your views hammered out on television. The battle for my interest might be bettered in the short run by yes-men tv personalities but on the long run, I (and I hope) other fans want truth.