Author: Eric Geller

Freelance sports broadcast journalist and club D.J.

Frankly Tiger, I Don’t Give A Rat’s &$%!! Now, Get Back On The Links!

Watching that Tiger Woods press conference Friday morning, I became just a bit disturbed and disgusted by the fiasco. Not because Tiger was reading a 13 minute, prepared, apologetic statement directed towards his family, employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans and me/us. But because he had to read one at all.

The Tiger Woods we know, “The Tiger Brand”, the Tiger Woods Money-Making Corporation, is the one that hits golf balls far and well, creating scholarships for the under-privileged, other philanthropic ventures to help others, is the one who makes money for his sponsors………and a lot of it. None of that would happen if Tiger weren’t able to hit a tiny ball off a tee better than anyone else in the history of golf. That won’t change, at least until he leaves the PGA Tour a couple of decades from now. Tiger off the course, off the public stage, in his home, or someone else’s, the private man, is his, and only his, and his family’s  business.

The only thing Tiger has to explain to employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans, me/us is why he isn’t doing his thing (sorry) on a golf course (he probably has…but that‘s his business) and when he’ll be back to doing that “voodoo he do so well“………that would be PLAYING GOLF.

All he had to say to employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans and me/us is something like this;

I’m not right at the moment. I’m taking care of serious issues that completely affect my private family life forcing me to take a break from my professional one. Please understand I have to work on my private family life before getting back to the professional one. I’ll be back to entertain you with my driver and putter striking my balls (uh……sorry) as soon as my private family business is worked out. Thank you.

I read that out loud. It took me 19 seconds. That would’ve saved him 12 minutes, 41 seconds of prepared rhetoric and my/our time.

Don’t get me wrong. I certainly don’t condone the inappropriate behavior, infidelities, indiscretions Tiger, the man, is guilty of doing in private. Honestly, I don’t care. It’s his and his immediate family’s business.

Tiger’s let employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans and me/us down by not being on the golf course. THAT’S IT. That’s the level of intimacy we have with him…………a professional one based on what he does for a living and how his expertise on the links makes us happy and helps others off it.

Tiger didn’t cheat on us. He’s, absolutely, let his wife, Elin, his two young children and immediate family down with his inappropriate behavior, infidelities and indiscretions. That would be true if Tiger were a janitor at Sawgrass instead of one of its more revered members (again……sorry).

Who are we to judge what he did behind closed doors especially since what he did hasn’t killed anyone, affected our economy or national security? I’m pretty sure some janitor somewhere, an attorney, a doctor, a fireman any “regular Joe” has behaved inappropriately cheating on a wife/husband, significant other and family. They just aren’t doing their professional thing under the public microscope. What goes on behind closed doors…………

This isn’t something new. Athletes, entertainers and politicians, with very public lives, have been engaging in forms of inappropriate behavior, in their private lives, since man/woman began recording history on cave walls. Same with “regular Joe’s”.

Friday, Tiger spoke for ALL PUPLIC FIGURES who’ve behaved inappropriately stating;

I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that NORMAL RULES DIDN‘T APPLY.

Quoting Mel Brooks, portraying France’s King Louie the 16th, in the comedy, The History of the World Part I;

It’s good to be the King!

Until you get caught with your pants down that is. Right, Tiger?

I’m not judging, but, off the top of my head, here’s a short list, among others, of public figures in the last, oh, half century, we know could’ve uttered Tiger’s, or Louie’s line:

They all live/lived by the creedo, NORMAL RULES DON’T APPLY TO ME because of who they are and what their place in the grand scheme of things is. Tiger continued by saying,

I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy the temptations around me. I felt I was ENTITLED. Thanks to MONEY and FAME, I didn’t have to go far to find them.

I’m not alerting anyone to anything new when I say these public figures live in a completely different culture than you and I. You and I saying, “I have to make every penny count” is to these public figures saying, ”I have to make this thousand dollar bill count.”

A few years back, former NBA player and millionaire Latrell Sprewell, during negotiations of another certain multi-million dollar contract, was insulted by an offer a team looking for his services presented him. He said, and remember negotiations are in the millions of dollars;

How am I supposed to put food on my table and feed my kids with this?

Most of us are offended by a millionaire spouting off like that when unemployment is in double-figures. But, that’s the nature of his culture, that of the pro athlete/entertainer, and we can’t relate to it.

All these famous and rich people do work hard to make all that money. There’s no question. That doesn’t entitle them to make their own rules. But the wealth and public notoriety they’ve achieved doesn’t entitle us “regular Joe’s” to meddle in their private lives behind closed doors…………only their public ones.

So, shame on Tiger for his inappropriate behavior, infidelities and indiscretions behind his closed doors. But shame on all of us who, I’m sure, have made regrettable mistakes, and “can’t cast that first stone” at Tiger.

El Tigre, take care of your “addiction” and get your private life right so you can get back to hitting that golf ball a mile, winning some more majors and contribute to society helping under-privileged kids and teaching them the merits of hard work. That’s all we should be caring about.

Oh. By the way, thanks for, also, teaching kids that look up to you how not to disrespect and treat immediate family members and loved ones behind closed doors. That lesson was priceless.

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USA’s Biggest Winter Stars Put On Olympics Show

Now, that’s what I call a triple-treat attention grabber!! USA! USA! USA! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! Forget Figure Skating, and Curling. These events ARE the Winter Games.

Pin-Up Girl/Alpine Downhill Skier Lindsey Vonn, Speed Skating Pioneer Shani Davis and Snowboarding’s most recognizable star, Shaun White, all took Gold Medals for the USA in their respective events on Day 6 of the 21st Winter Olympic Games Wednesday in Vancouver.

Vonn began the gold rush flying 65 miles an hour down Whistler Mountain in one minute, 44.19 seconds, a half second faster than her opponents, winning the Women’s Downhill…the Winter Games signature event. Vonn struck gold just a few days after her participation in the event was questionable because of a badly bruised right shin she suffered during a practice run a few weeks ago. She, reportedly, could barely walk. Well, I’m pretty sure Lidocaine Creme stock is Golden as well today after Vonn numbed her swollen and aching shin before racing to Olympic glory.

The USA went one-two in the Women’s Olympic Downhill for the first time since the 1984 Games. Julia Mancuso grabbed the silver medal with Austria’s Elisabeth Gorgel taking the bronze.

After becoming the first African-American athlete to win an individual gold medal taking the 1,000 meter speed skating gold at Torino in 2006, Pioneer and 1,000 meter world record holder Shani Davis became the first man in Olympic history Wednesday to win consecutive 1,000 meter speed skating gold medals taking top honors over at the Richmond Olympic Oval. How about that! The only color that matters is that of his gold medal.

Davis wasn’t the lone American on the podium. Texan Chad Hedrick, who won three medals in Torino, grabbed the bronze. South Korea’s Mo Tae-bum, Monday’s 500 meter gold medalist, took home the silver. Next up, the 1,500 meter event later this week.

How about Californian Shaun White, maybe the Winter Games’ marquee athlete. The Halfpipe Gold Medalist in Torino is the World’s greatest snowboarding star and gave spectators a “totally rad show” Wednesday. The $10 million a year man toyed with his competitors at the Halfpipe event. With his Gold Medal defended, White worked some “showtime” doing, what he calls, the Double McTwist 1260 (McDonald‘s has to, as the slogan goes, be lovin’ it! A huge endorsement deal can‘t be too far behind), twisting and turning his body in some big air during his victory lap. DUDE!!

Two Americans on the podium at the Halfpipe as well. Joining White, Scotty Lago taking the bronze while Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen took silver.

Six medals in three events for Team USA, the biggest single-day winter games medal haul the U.S. has ever had.  It vaulted Team USA past  Germany into the medal count lead with a 14-10 advantage, five of them gold.

Thursday’s Day 7, more Women’s Alpine Skiing featuring Vonn and, woo hoo!!,  Figure Skating and Curling. Might be movie night after the skiing. Oh wait! The Lakers host the Celtics Thursday at Staples Center. Movie night will have to wait.

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Winter Olympic Games: Sports or Event, or Sports Event? It’s All Good Cheer!

Like all Olympic Games, the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver is an event featuring a collection of athletic competitions. But are all the events sports competitions, or are some just events unto themselves? Maybe some are just games? Maybe disciplines?

It’s like that age-old question regarding cheerleading. Is it a sport or a discipline?   I did a two-part feature to find the answer to the question while working at KIDK (CBS) in Idaho Falls a few years back. Let’s just say, I’m still searching for the answer.

Most parents told me cheerleading is more of a support group for athletic teams to escalate the crowds spirits. The cheerleaders told me the cheerleading team is, just that, a team just like the football or basketball teams they cheer on.  They went on to say they, physically and mentally, work just as hard as any athlete at their school. They required practice to fine-tune their routines just like a basketball or football team requires practice to be successful on the field of play.

Many of you parents have a child that’s on a cheerleading team spending thousands of dollars per year so your child can be out-fitted properly and make all the cheerleading competitions around your area. A competition? Then cheerleading is a sport!  My research indicated it’s become a billion dollar industry with some athletic gear companies dropping the “usual sports”, like football and basketball, to focus solely on cheerleading. Imagine that.

Here’s what I think. Cheerleading was an athletic support group that became an athletic discipline requiring excellent physical skills….like any other sport.

So, back to my Olympics question. The reason I asked….what, in humanity, is the winter sport known as Curling?!?! In an athletic sort of way, I thought curling involved a bar with two weights at each end to, when used properly, curling the bar up using your hands to strengthen biceps. The winter sport version involves slowly gliding a huge stone across ice while somebody sweeps the ice in front of it. If you’ve ever witnessed Curling, the participants look like they practice with pitchers of beer near by. A beer-belly seems to be a pre-requisite to be a Curler. And where’s the actual “curling” anyways? If this is an Olympic event you can medal in, why isn’t “janitorial sweeping & mopping“? For that matter, why isn’t Shuffleboard an Olympic discipline? That would enable senior citizens and/or ocean cruise vacationers to become Olympic Champions.

To me, participating in sports involves using muscles and physical skills you really don’t use in your everyday life. Hence, the endless hours of practice and working out. Skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, bobsledding, luging, speed skating…….and figure skating fit the bill. Wait a minute. Figure Skating? That’s dancing on blades on ice. Why isn’t “Ballroom Dancing” a Summer Olympic medal sport?  Didn’t Olympic Figure Skating Champion Kristi Yamaguchi win “Dancing With The Stars“? So, did Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Champion Apolo Anton Ohno. Why isn’t Bowling an Olympic sport?  You can have a beer-belly and pitcher near by, just like Curling, when you bowl. The Professional Bowlers Association is bigger than the Professional Curlers  Association. Does the PCA even exist? There is a CCA and USCA.

How about No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Poker?!? That’s a physically and emotionally demanding discipline, especially when you have to sit at a table for hours, even days, on end. That’s become a billion dollar sports event broadcast on ESPN, the Entertainment & Sports Programming Network. Yup, that’s what ESPN stands for.  What about chess?

If it involves big money, any game can become an Olympic sport or discipline. The issue is, most of these Winter Olympic disciplines, as well as some of the Summer ones, take seconds to complete. It’s not like basketball or hockey games which take many minutes to complete. Snow boarding and skiing are other examples of disciplines that take little time to complete. But, anyone can play those games for recreation. That’s why everyone watches every four years. Shaun White, Bode Miller, Apolo Anton Ohno, Lindsey Vonn. Couldn’t recognize them in a crowd. I can recognize Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. All of these names are those of Olympians.

Don’t get me wrong. I love watching, among others, the long and short track speed-skating, the snow-boarding, luging and the Winter Games signature event, the Downhill Skiing.  Thank goodness the Olympic Games, Winter or Summer, are only every four years. That’s the novelty.

Can’t wait for the “Cheerleading Disipline” to become a medal sport….at least at the Summer Games. Can we just forget the Curling thing? By the way, I’m on my way to do some “curling”. That would be the one involving the bar and two weights on each end. Go figure.

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Los Angeles Can Get Back in the NFL Game, Now!!

Am I the only “Native Los Angeleno” that’s irritated the National Football League has an annual regular season game overseas in London, England….in a foreign country? I remember hearing the NFL made this happen to expose the “NFL Product” to untapped markets. Didn’t know London was in the running or even wanted an NFL Franchise. If I’m not mistaken, didn’t WLAF aka NFL Europe FAIL. Wasn’t “We LAF” a financial blunder by the NFL. Weren’t the London Monarchs in “We LAF”.

Quite honestly, Los Angeles is the untapped market the NFL should be investing its time, effort and “product” to BEGINNING WITH THE UPCOMING 2010 SEASON.  The Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, along with L.A. County & City Officials, should be on the phone EVERY DAY pestering NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the 32 league owners, until all are tired of hearing it and get the message. BRING THE NFL BACK TO LOS ANGELES, NOW!

Local lobbyists need to drive this point home. An L.A. NFL Team will help boost the currently sagging local economy and expose the game to kids who have missed out on seeing NFL stars, some who played collegiate football at USC and UCLA, live and in person. Oh, and the league will make $$$ too. That’s the name of the game, isn’t it?

Los Angeles needs to make the “NFL Suits” understand LOS ANGELES is the place to have the annual regular season football game, with the short-term goal of having a financially strong NFL franchise with a solid fan base in the greater Los Angeles area.  Not in a foreign country located across the Atlantic Ocean.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL IS OUR GAME. Keep the “NFL dollar” flowing at home. I could care less about the British Pound and Wembley Stadium. If the league wants to have ONE annual regular season game in an old, dumpy, past its prime stadium….have it right here at the Coliseum until L.A.’s new, state-of-the-art stadium is built. Los Angelenos deserve that much. As a matter of fact, instead of heading overseas during the pre-season as well, the NFL should, also, consider having a pre-season game or two right here in Los Angeles or Pasadena.

The NFL is the most popular Sports & Entertainment ticket in the country. With it comes people spending dollars. That stimulates local economic growth for employment opportunities, small & large businesses, the city and the state. People like to be “where the action is”. They’ll spend their hard-earned money where that action is.  The “NFL Action” needs to be right here in Los Angeles.

“Bloop Singles”

*Did you know the NFL NETWORK, owned an operated by THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, has its MAIN STUDIOS in CULVER CITY…..in LOS ANGELES COUNTY. Yet, it hasn’t had an NFL franchise in Los Angeles since the 1994 season when the Rams and Raiders called L.A. home?

*Did you know the FOX NETWORK’S NFL PRE-GAME & POST-GAME SHOWS are broadcast out of a STUDIO right here in LOS ANGELES. Yet, there hasn’t been an NFL franchise in Los Angles since the 1994 season when the Rams and Raiders called L.A. home?

*So, let me get this straight. LOS ANGELES, THE COUNTRY’S SECOND LARGEST TV MARKET, THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, is a worthy enough place to produce and broadcast studio shows licensed by the National Football League. However, L.A. isn’t good enough to have an NFL Franchise? HYPOCRITE$!!

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Los Angeles NEEDS the NFL

Here’s a commentary I wrote to the Downtown News “fish rap” in Los Angeles, California.

Los Angele$ NEED$ the NFL

During the NFL season, all the way through the playoffs and Super Bowl, I write predictions for each game on my blog, onanygivensportsday.com, and end each weeks picks with this line:

BYE WEEK OR MISSED PLAYOFFS: LOS ANGELES*
*15 seasons, 22 weeks and counting……….

The “15 seasons, 22 weeks” reflects the time passed since the last game the Rams and Raiders played locally, to the just completed Super Bowl XLIV (44).

Look at those numbers again. That’s 15 SEASONS and 22 WEEKS since the NUMBER TWO MARKET in the country, in terms of population, has reaped the financial benefits of having a National Football League franchise to call its own. Considering the greater Los Angeles area is known as “THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD”, going 15 seasons and 22 weeks without the NFL is a COMPLETE DISGRACE.

From the 1973 season at the Coliseum as a kid to the final home game of the Los Angeles Rams at Anaheim Stadium on Christmas Eve 1994 as an adult, I had season tickets to Rams games. It’s absolutely pathetic to think that now two generations of L.A. kids have never been able to see an NFL game in person. Los Angeles kids have missed out on seeing the greatness of players like Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Tom Brady and the like because L.A. isn’t part of the NFL. Driving to San Diego isn’t the same thing.

A huge THANK YOU to L.A. Sports & Entertainment Commission President Kathryn S. Schloessman for reminding us, in the February 8th edition of the DownTown News, what Los Angeles has been missing since two NFL franchises bolted the area at the end of the 1994 season; The added, huge, financial pay-out to the local economy for hosting the Super Bowl and the festivities during “Super Bowl Week” leading up to the championship game.

After calculating the numbers L.A.‘s missing out on without a National Football League franchise, President Schloessman wrote:

To be sure, we don’t need the NFL to be a world-class city. We don’t need an NFL team here for community identity. Los Angeles hasn’t and won’t suffer without an NFL team.

Schloessman’s right. Los Angeles doesn’t need the NFL to be a world-class city. Los Angeles doesn’t need the NFL for community identity. However, IT IS APPARENT THAT LOS ANGELES HAS SUFFERED, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, WITHOUT AN NFL TEAM, OR TWO. The financial calculations in her article connected with having a Super Bowl in L.A. are proof of that.

Let’s consider the current economic climate Los Angelenos find themselves in:

  • Unemployment in double-digits.
  • Vacant stores and lofts Downtown.
  • How about Los Angeles City Officials trying to find money to pay bills the only way they know how, by cutting jobs.

Wouldn’t building or renovating a stadium, surrounding it with an entertainment center including theatres, shops and restaurants a la “Staples Center & L.A. Live” and a Los Angeles NFL franchise create jobs and stimulate the local economy? YES! Not to mention what a secure spot in the Super Bowl rotation would mean financially as well.

A decade ago, Houston was awarded the NFL franchise that should’ve gone to the City of Angels. L.A. lost out because several local groups couldn’t work together, instead, competing to lure the NFL.  The huge thorn was the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, which argued its old venue was the only viable site because it represented the home of NFL franchises in L.A. for half a century. Legal action was threatened against other suitors and the NFL if another site were picked to house L.A.’s team. The last thing the NFL wanted were legal hassles requiring time and money in court. Buh-Bye Los Angeles Stars…..Hello Houston Texans.

So, the Archaic Coliseum stands empty and adding cracks on Sundays. Meanwhile, Houston’s had pro football since 2002 in state-of-the-art Reliant Stadium which hosted Super Bowl 38 garnering Houston, what Schloessman estimated, $400 million to its local economy.

After all this, last May, Governor Schwarzeneggar, among other state properties, proposed selling the Coliseum to raise cash to help alleviate California’s growing fiscal issues.  COME ON! That idea comes a decade too late. Majestic Realty’s Ed Roski, who was then and is now, looking to build a stadium in the City of Industry…on his own dime….should have been offered the Coliseum to renovate back then and, by now, Los Angeles would have been back in the NFL game and having hosted not one but, most likely, two Super Bowls. Wouldn’t that have helped the local and state economy if it had happened. Maybe the governor can borrow money from Houston.

Within a 50 mile radius, the Los Angeles-Orange County metropolitan area houses two NBA franchises, two MLB franchises, two NHL franchises, even two MLS franchises in a brand new 35 thousand seat stadium in Carson. That begs the question, “why didn’t they build a second deck on the Home Depot Center doubling its capacity for the NFL?” Bottom line is this, based on these figures Los Angeles NEEDS to be home to TWO NFL FRANCHISES.

Full support by State and Local Government should be given to Mr. Roski and Majestic Realty to build that proposed $800 million stadium and entertainment center in the City of Industry returning the NFL to Los Angeles. That would instantly create construction jobs and, later, revenue for local business owners, the city and the state. The blue-print’s downtown in the form of L.A. Live. This needs to happen NOW.

One last issue. For those who don’t want a team, would rather watch football on television or go to the beach on a Sunday afternoon in Fall, more power to you. I’m sure there are 70 to 80 thousand fans who would love to watch the game in person for eight, or maybe even 16, of those Autumn Sundays…..and a Super Bowl every four years.

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Saints Ice SB XLIV on Tracey Porter Pick, Beat Colts, 31-17

Under five minutes left in Super Bowl 44. Saints up 24-17. “St. Peyton Manning” and the Colts driving for the tying score. That’s when New Orleans defensive back Tracey Porter reads Manning’s eyes and steps in front of Indy receiver Reggie Wayne and intercepts the pill going the other way 74 yards for the winning touchdown.

Below is an excerpt from my Super Bowl 44 prediction posted Saturday:

“It’s hard to go against Peyton Manning and the Colts because Manning is a surgeon on the field cutting up the league’s best defense for 377 passing yards and three TD’s in the AFC Championship. But Brees and the Saints can light it up as well. So, it’s about the defenses. Because Freeney, the Colts monster pass-rusher, will be much less than 100%, I think the Saints’ opportunistic defense might have the edge and will come at a third straight future hall-of-fame QB with a bull-rush causing turnovers which, ultimately, will be the difference in the game. That plays right into New Orleans’ hands.”

Thank You! Those hands belonged to Tracey Porter of the Opportunistic Saints Defense working their eighth turnover of the post-season. It iced the Saints first Super Bowl championship. The Saints are a deserving team who played the best during the playoff run. Think about it.

The Saints defense stopped three sure hall-of-fame quarterbacks in consecutive games, driving one to retire…..maybe two. Arizona’s Kurt Warner, who decided to hang it up after a vicious hit delivered by the Saints defense. Minnesota’s Brett Favre, who may retire….again…then unretire….again, and Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning.

Got to give it up to Saints quarterback and Super Bowl 44 MVP Drew Brees who completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The moment with his son after the game was priceless. How about head coach Sean Payton. Going for the win TWICE. Unsuccessful towards the end of the first half going for it on fourth and goal. Then, after The Who’s halftime extravaganza, opens the second half with a successful on-side kick that gave the Saints momentum. You might say it was “very Boise St. of coach Payton” to go for broke. The Saints out-played the Colts from the second quarter on out-scoring Indianapolis 31-7 after falling behind 10-0 in the first.

Congratulations to the World Champion New Orleans Saints, the people of the “Big Easy” and the entire state of Louisiana. Never though I’d ever see the Saints win a Super Bowl. WHO DAT!

“Bloop Single”

*Let’s try it again. Super Bowl XLV (45) at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.  Minnesota over San Diego.

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Super Bowl XLIV (44)

Sun Life Stadium – Miami, Florida

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (NFC 15-3) +5 vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (AFC 16-2) OVER/UNDER 56.5pts

Plenty of story lines in this one. New Orleans’ “First Family of Football”, the Manning’s, will be pulling for Indianapolis and the Colts second Super Bowl Title in four seasons because, of course, quarterback Peyton Manning is Archie’s son. Archie, of course, is the former Saints quarterback who’s been with the Saints organization for 39 years, now as a broadcaster. In case you were wondering, he won’t be in the radio booth Sunday.

The Saints will be making their first Super Bowl appearance in the 43 year history of the franchise. Just five years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the “Big Easy”, quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints are carrying, not just a team, the entire city of New Orleans and surrounding areas that were devastated by the storm.

OK. Let’s look at the numbers because this game could be like a “pinball machine” going crazy with bells ringing and points flying. The Saints have the league’s top offense averaging just under 32 points per game. Brees was the league’s top rated passer throwing for 4,388 yards and 34 touchdowns. The Colts ranked seventh overall in offense scoring 26 points per game. Manning was right behind Brees throwing for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns. The advantage could go to the Saints because their running game ranked sixth in the league while the Colts’ ranked dead last. The Saints averaging about 131 yards a game using a trio of backs featuring former USC Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush. The Colts only averaged about 80 yards a game on the ground featuring LSU product Joseph Addai who was effective in the “Red Zone” scoring 10 TD’s off the run putting him sixth in the league. So far this post-season, Indy hasn’t scored on the ground relying on Manning’s golden arm while the Saints have totaled three TD’s from land in the playoffs.

Defensively, both teams are classic “bend, but don’t break” teams allowing yardage between the 20’s and tightening up when opponents get in that red zone.  The Colts have been impressive during the playoffs after ranking eighth in scoring defense during the regular season giving up an average of 19 points per game. They’ve pretty much shut down both the Baltimore Ravens and, after allowing yardage and two touchdowns in the first half, dominated the New York Jets in the AFC Championship shutting them out in the second half.  But, all-pro defensive end Dwight Freeney is going to be hampered because of a severely sprained right ankle that occurred against the Jets.

The Saints ranked 20th in the league during the season allowing 21 points per contest.  The Saints like to gamble on defense and are opportunistic having forced 39 turnovers during the regular season and seven during the playoffs. New Orleans Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams likes to go after the quarterback. They knocked a couple of future hall-of-famers out forcing Arizona QB Kurt Warner out of the divisional playoff game and into retirement, then ganging up on Minnesota’s Brett Favre. The Vikings amassed double the yardage the Saints totaled in the NFC Championship. Five turnovers were the difference.

It’s hard to go against Peyton Manning and the Colts because Manning is a surgeon on the field cutting up the league’s best defense for 377 passing yards and three TD’s in the AFC Championship. But Brees and the Saints can light it up as well. So, it’s about the defenses. Because Freeney, the Colts monster pass-rusher, will be much less than 100%, I think the Saints’ opportunistic defense might have the edge and will come at a third straight future hall-of-fame QB with a bull-rush causing turnovers which, ultimately, will be the difference in the game. That plays right into New Orleans’ hands. This game will be something like, 43-38. A Colts turnover or two will be the difference. SAINTS, 43-38.

MISSED PLAYOFFS: LOS ANGELES*
*15 years, 22 weeks and counting.  Expect a big announcement in the next week or two about Los Angeles returning to the NFL as early as next season.

Remember, use my picks to wager $$$ at your own risk. If you lose, I had nothing to do with it. If you win beaucoup $$$, a 10% tip would be cool.  But, I’m realistic. This is just for your entertainment…or not, and for me to keep my sports “mojo” going until “I’m back in the saddle”. Remember the league’s unofficial motto…“ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, MONDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY OR SATURDAY“…………

“Bloop Singles”

What an incredible Hall-of-Fame class that will be inducted in Canton, Ohio in the Summer. The “Magnificent Seven” features two of  the greatest who ever played the game.  San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, who also played for Oakland, Denver and Seattle in his 20 year journey to three Super Bowl Titles and becoming the all-time leading  receiver in history. Dallas Cowboys running back Emmett Smith, who finished his career in Arizona, won three Super Bowls as well and is the all-time leading rusher in league history.

Joining them for induction August 7th at the Hall, former New Orleans Saints linebacker Ricky Jackson, former Washington Redskins offensive lineman Russ Grimm, Denver Broncos running back Floyd Little, Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman John Randle and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

Two glaring names didn’t make this year’s cut. Wide receivers Tim Brown of the LA/Oakland Raiders and Chris Carter who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. Sure shots for the class of 2011.

No Kobe. No Bynum. No problem. Remember. Lakers coach Phil Jackson calls the 82 game regular season the “marathon” that prepares you for the “sprint” that is the playoffs. No worries.

I don’t know about you. But, to me, Super Bowl Sunday is the TRUE end to the Holiday Season. ENJOY!!

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Dunleavy “Clips” Himself

So Mike Dunleavy’s the winningest coach in franchise history with a record of 215 wins against 325 losses in seven years as the Los Angeles Clippers head coach. Looks more like he’s the losingest.

Dunleavy stepped down earlier today as the Clippers head coach after a promising eight game road-trip crashed and burned. Hoping to win enough of the eight to give the Clips a shot at reaching the .500 mark by this month’s All-Star Game in Dallas, Los Angeles’ other team finds themselves seven games under .500 falling to 12th in the Western Conference.

Dunleavy’s resignation had to happen after the Clippers lost to the two worst teams in the league during the just completed road-trip, at New Jersey and at Minnesota, in back-to-back games by a combined 30 points. There’s no excuse for that with a team that has playoff talent even without number one overall draft pick Blake Griffin who’s out for the season with a broken knee-cap. You’ve got one of the four best centers in the league in Chris Kaman, one of the league’s best defensive players in forward Marcus Camby and the starting guard tandem is truly one of the better ones barring injury with second year guard Eric Gordon (who’s had problems keeping clear of those lately) and Baron Davis. Throw in Al Thorton or Rasual Butler at the other forward and that’s a playoff starting five.

Assistant Kim Hughes will take over as interim head coach for the remaining 32 regular season games while Dunleavy retains his position as the teams general manager.

Although highly unlikely, making the playoffs still isn’t out of reach for the Clippers. They’ll need to string some wins together for a shot at it. However, it looks more like another trip to the draft lottery. They have plenty of cap space to go after a marquee free agent next year with some believing even Cleveland’s LeBron James might make his way to the Clippers. For that to happen, they’ll need to dump more salaries for more space to entice LeBron to make the leap. So, look for GM Dunleavy to trade Marcus Camby, who’s in high demand by other teams, to a contender by the February 18th trade deadline.

As far as possible head coaching candidates for the Clips, how about Byron Scott. He’s available after being canned by New Orleans earlier in the season. Makes plenty of sense to get the former NBA coach of the year. He played in L.A. with the Lakers during the Showtime Era of the 1980’s. Many think he’s the successor to Phil Jackson on the Lakers bench. I think the Lakers will promote from within, naming either assistant Jim Cleamons or Brian Shaw head coach, to keep that “Triangle Offense” going after the Zen Master rides off into the Montana Sunset for good.

How about former Clippers guard Sam Cassell, who has openly campaigned to be the Clippers head coach. I think that could be a good move. He’s a former player a few of the current Clips have played with, including the 2006 team that came within a win of the Western Conference Finals. Yeah, the Clippers were just five wins from making the NBA Finals just four seasons ago.

Interesting to see who GM Dunleavy and owner Donald Sterling tab as the new coach to guide the Clippers, with the healthy Blake Griffin, beginning next season. In the meantime, Donald. You really ought to think about what KNBC 4 Sports Director Fred Roggin suggested a few weeks back. Change the name of the team, the colors and uniforms and start over. The “Clippers Curse” thing just won’t go away.

“Bloop Single”

-ESPN.com’s Shelley Smith is reporting that 13 year-old quarterback David Sills accepted a scholarship offer from USC football coach Lane Kiffin.

-YES! I said 13 year-old!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

-Sills plays for Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Delaware. RLCA was in Los Angeles this past November for a couple of games and, obviously, caught the eye of some college scouts. WHAT??

-Get ready for a big announcement regarding Los Angeles and the NFL the week after Super Bowl  44.  Let’s just say, L.A.’s ready for some pro football AGAIN….FINALLY!!

Answer to trivia question:  Before Miami last week, which main-land city was the last to host a Pro Bowl Game?   Los Angeles, 1979. The NFC won 13-7 at the Memorial Coliseum.

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“Bloop Singles”

A new feature of mine with quick thoughts or jabs on stories that don’t really need a thousand words. ENJOY!!

-Strange twist of positive irony. Kobe Bryant set the new Lakers all-time scoring mark by scoring 44 points in Monday’s 95-93 loss at Memphis. Jerry West, the Lakers guard he replaced atop the list,  of course, wore number 44.

-My five greatest all-time Laker Players I, actually, saw play: 1)Jerry West. 2)Magic Johnson 3)Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 4)Kobe Bryant 5) James Worthy……………………I, unfortunately, never saw Elgin Baylor.

-My five greatest Lakers on and off the court: 1)Jerry West 2) Magic Johnson 3) Chick Hearn 4)Dr. Jerry Buss 5) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

-As for the Clippers. How do you justify losing to the two worst teams in the league, the Nets and Timberwolves, on consecutive nights?!?!? COME ON, MAN!!!!!!!!!

-Are New York/New Jersey REALLY still in the NBA??

-Does the Pac-10 conference still play men’s college hoops???

-January 20th marked the 30th anniversary of Super Bowl XIV(14) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Los Angeles Rams held a 19-17 fourth quarter lead on the defending and three-time champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth, and Franco Harris ended that. The Steelers won 31-19.

-What most people don’t remember is that after the Rams took the 19-17 lead in the third quarter, Rams safety Nolan Cromwell dropped a sure interception with nothing but green between he and the end zone that would’ve put the Rams up 26-17. Alas, he started running before he caught the ball and it fell, innocently, to the Rose Bowl turf.

-One of the great NFL stories. Quarterback Kurt Warner’s rise from un-regarded free agent quarterback, to Arena League and NFL Europe star, to grocery store clerk, to two-time league MVP and Super Bowl Champion with the (gulp) St. Louis Rams.

-Get this. Warner would’ve been one of Brett Favre’s under-study’s in Green Bay had the Packers not cut the then free-agent in 1994.

-Wonder how things would’ve played out had Rams starting QB Trent Green not gotten injured, tearing up a knee, against the San Diego Chargers in the final pre-season game of 1999. Then Chargers safety Rodney Harrison set Warners destiny (or is it density) in motion when he tackled Green.

-Warner was graced with one of the quickest releases ever. He says he learned to get rid of the football as the signal-caller for the defunct Arena League’s Iowa Barnstormers.

-Warner’s style reminded me so much of Colts legendary QB Johnny Unitas. Incredible game-smarts. Not very mobile at all. Able to take a hit, not flinch and still rifle the ball to a receiver in stride. Peyton Manning’s a Unitas clone too.

-Pretty sure Warner will stay retired and will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

-While working at the Orange County Newschannel some 12 years ago, I was given an old L.A. Rams offensive lineman’s helmet that was going to be tossed by the late and former Rams Equipment Manager, Don Hewitt. I’ve had some former L.A. Rams greats sign the thing after working with them on talk shows. The ONLY (gulp) St. Louis Ram I would EVER consider signing that helmet………Kurt Warner.

-From an L.A. perspective, not adding Lakers’ center Andrew Bynum and/or Clippers’ center Chris Kaman to the West All-Star Team as reserves is just wrong.

-Bynum, who’s healthy and playing well, was the second-leading vote-getter among western conference centers. Kaman, whose play is stellar as well, is statistically one of the top four centers in the entire league.

-On the other hand, there’s always going to be some deserving players left off the roster because the fans vote and there are only 12 active roster spots on each team……………the same amount for regular season active rosters.

-All 30 teams also have three “inactive” players on their rosters.

-30 NBA teams. Should be 15 players on each all-star roster. But not, necessarily, one from each team.

Pro Bowl Trivia.
-For the first time in three decades, Aloha Stadium in Honolulu wasn’t host to the NFL’s annual post-season all-star game. Miami is the first main-land city to host the Pro Bowl since 1979. What main-land city and stadium last hosted the Pro Bowl? (answer in next edition of “Bloop Singles”)

-BTW, this year’s Pro Bowl, played the week after the conference championships and before the Super Bowl, apparently, had an 80% increase in viewership over last years. Hmmmm. How about play it the week after the conference championships before the Super Bowl…IN HAWAI’I!!!

-Super Bowl XLIV(44) between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts is, of course, Sunday in Miami at whatever they’re calling that stadium today. My prediction, Friday.

The “Not Considered Sports Bunt of the Day”
-So, let me get this straight. The Oscar’s increase the Best Picture category from five to 10 films so movies, like comedies that get snubbed most years, have a chance. Then, they snub Golden Globe Best Picture THE HANGOVER?!?!? COME ON, MAN!!!!!!

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Unfinished Business. Don’t Go Anywhere, Brett!

I don’t know about you, but I had a blast watching 19-year veteran Brett Favre play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings this year. I was really hoping the Vikings would get by the Saints and into the Super Bowl because I’d pay the $1000 ticket price to see Favre and Peyton Manning duel for a  championship. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be…………….this year.

Brings me to this. The 40 year-old future hall-of-fame “gun-slinger” needs to come back for his 20th season, the one year left on his two-year contract, and finish the job getting the Minnesota Vikings to Super Bowl XLV….win or lose.  One more run, Brett.

The Vikings were the better team in their 31-28 NFC Championship Game over-time loss to New Orleans.  The Norsemen out-gained the Saints almost two to one. Problem is, you really can’t expect to win with five turn-overs and a “12-man on the field penalty” that takes you out of  game-winning field goal range. Don’t get me wrong, the Saints are worthy champions. They were the more “opportunistic” team taking advantage of those Viking miscues. That’s part of a run to a championship.

Back to Favre. I understand most fans are tired of his “un-retiring act” the past two summers and don‘t want to go through that again. So, Favre should just stay un-retired. Let’s be honest here. The Green Bay Packers wanted him to retire because Aaron Rogers’ time is now.  That’s quite evident. But, back then, at 38 years of age, and now at 40, it’s clear Favre’s not done at all.  Even last year with the New York Jets, until that shoulder injury undermined what looked like a Jets playoff run. Statistically, he had his best season as a pro this year guiding the Vikes to the NFC Title Game. He threw a career-best four touchdowns in Minnesota’s 34-3 pasting of the Dallas Cowboys in the division playoff game. Favre, virtually, had the Vikings on South Beach until that “CFL moment” and subsequent interception crashed and burned the Vikings Super Bowl plans. You know what, he was smiling all the way having fun.

If you ask me, if Favre’s having fun and, considering the inevitable bumps and bruises a quarterback takes, stays relatively healthy, why shouldn’t he come back. Like he said in his press conference after the title game loss, he’s got nothing to prove. No matter what happens from now on, Favre’s proved all us sports pundits wrong.  He’s finishing on top. Favre’s an entertainer and we should all expect nothing but the best in entertainment if we’re going to plop in our easy chairs on Sunday afternoons.  Favre’s fun to watch.

Fact is, Farve is still one of the best at his position.  32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL.  The best right now….. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers. Only one I’d take over Favre…… Peyton. Same goes with Arizona’s Kurt Warner. If healthy, he should come back too.  If Favre doesn’t come back, who will the Vikings have at quarterback….Tarvaris Jackson? That didn’t work. Sage Rosenfels? Maybe back to  John David Booty. I don‘t think so..

Anyway, didn’t hall-of-fame QB/K George Blanda play until he was 45 years old. I remember watching him take apart Tom Landry’s Cowboys after Ken Stabler couldn’t go for the Oakland Raiders……love handle’s, pot-belly, wrinkles, gray hair and all!! Come on, it was the 1970’s. Athlete’s didn’t take care of their bodies back then like they do now. Favre’s still in top-shape.

ESPN NFL blogger Adam Glazer hit the nail on the head earlier this week when he said Vikings head coach Brad Childress should get Favre a personal trainer and let him enjoy summer vacation with his family. Then, show up at training camp for the final pre-season game and be ready to rock and roll. Favre doesn’t need six weeks of training camp anymore. Come on, look at what he did showing up last summer with about two weeks left .

It’s not as if he‘s playing like an aging Johnny Unitas, the Colts legend looking like a has-been his final season with the Chargers. As long as Favre’s healthy, and barring crucial turn-overs and penalties, he‘s the Minnesota Vikings shot at the Super Bowl. But please, Brett……no un-retiring this time!

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