Category: Rumors

Are the Rams Returning to the City of Angels?

I don’t want to get too excited about the Rams returning to Los Angeles because I really don’t like to count my proverbial chickens before they hatch and find myself with bitter disappointment.

But………Can it be? Are the Moons aligning? In the names of Merlin, Youngblood, Deacon, Crazy Legs and Roman, are the Rams beginning the process of moving back to Los Angeles?

At the moment, all signs seem to be pointing in that very direction.

Published reports from St. Louis and Los Angeles are abuzz with stories regarding the sale of the Rams and two possible sites in the greater Los Angeles area for a state-of-the-art NFL stadium.

In the “Gateway City”, writers from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch believe St. Louis losing an NFL franchise for the second time seems inevitable while Bernie Miklasz of stltoday.com and ESPN Radio refuses to suggest such a notion even though he clearly sees the writing on the wall.

Rams minority owner Stan Kroenke wants full control of the franchise and is looking to purchase it from Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez.  At issue, Kroenke owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. The NFL has rules against cross-ownership of teams in other major U.S. sports leagues. Kroenke seems to be able to clear such hurdles by signing over controlling interests of his other major sports teams to other family members.

Kroenke, also, seems to be working with L.A. sports & entertainment big-wigs to get them back where they belong, LOS ANGELES.

Earlier this week, St. Louis Globe-Democrat columnist Howard Balzer wrote:

It turns out Kroenke is a member of the league’s Los Angeles Stadium Working Group committee. Roll that one around in your mind a few minutes. Everyone I mentioned that to Thursday was silent for a few seconds, and then said, “Oh, my God.”

It means Kroenke is privy to every detail, every plan, simply everything that is related to those trying to get a stadium built there.

Then on Thursday, Los Angeles Times columnist Sam Farmer wrote that businessmen Casey Wasserman, who owned the L.A. Avengers of the defunct Arena Football League, and AEG’s Tim Leiweke are considering a plan to build a privately funded stadium behind the Staples Center where the West Hall of the Convention Center currently sits. They tried this about eight years ago, but they backed out when the Coliseum Commission tried to make its own bid that, also, failed.

In a follow-up article from Saturday’s L.A. Times, Farmer added Wasserman and Leiweke want the proposed $1 billion stadium to have a retractable roof for use year round for a number of other events.

The Coliseum Commission isn’t a factor any longer because it’s locked in with USC which has rights of first refusal because the Trojans football team is the Coliseum’s major tenant.

The stadium would complete the L.A. Live entertainment corridor that was envisioned by AEG when the Staples Center was first built. Of course, the stadium proposal would need to be approved by the City of Los Angeles because the convention center is owned by the city.

In the article, Farmer added:

What’s more, the downtown bid would put Wasserman and Leiweke in direct competition with developer Ed Roski, who already has an entitled and shovel-ready piece of land in City of Industry to build a football stadium. There is only room for one such project in the L.A. area, and the Industry group is at least a year ahead of any other because it has clearance to build.

Another problem exists with the NFL. The current collective bargaining agreement ends after next season. The league is trying to avoid a labor dispute and subsequent work-stoppage in 2011.

The sticking point, team owners want the players to help in paying off the huge stadium costs.

The new CBA will take at least a year to negotiate which means no stadium will be built or team will re-locate while the NFL takes care of its CBA. That’ll give Wasserman and Lewieke a year to catch up with Roski.

When the time comes, I think these two competing stadium teams might want to join forces and work together on one site to benefit the greater Los Angeles Area, the NFL, maybe the Rams, and, first and foremost, the long suffering Los Angeles Rams fans.

The Rams called Los Angeles home for 49 years before (gulp) Georgia Frontiere moved them to St. Louis in 1994 claiming Los Angeles wouldn’t support them because there was too much to do in Southern California other than watch football.

I said it then and I’ll say it now. HELLO! 49 YEARS! Needless to say, Georgia pulled a “Major League” getting a sweet money deal in St. Louis while still residing in Bel-Air.

The City of Angels could soon be celebrating the Rams 50th Anniversary in Los Angeles (16 years, and counting, in the making) with St. Louis losing its second NFL franchise. That doesn’t have to happen.

Here’s a thought. When the Rams move back to Los Angeles, how about moving the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars to St. Louis and re-naming them the Stallions. Wasn’t that the idea when the league expanded 16 years ago anyway?

As far as a second team in the new Los Angeles Stadium.  Do you really think Chargers owner Alex Spanos will sit put in San Diego and play in an aging Qualcomm Stadium when he can move his team into a state-of-the-art play-pen back in its original home just up Interstate 5?

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Too Much March Madness is Madness!

Did you even think this year’s winner of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament “Play-In” Game had a chance against eventual champion Duke?  Come on! Arkansas-Pine Bluff or *Winthrop? Was there any hope at all that team number 64 would make it to the round of 32. No. Arkansas P-B was quickly dispatched in the first round by the eventual champion Blue Devils, 72-44.

If that’s what happens to team number 64, why would the NCAA expand the tournament from 65 to 96 teams? Teams 65 through 96 certainly have no shot what-so-ever if 64 was no match for Duke in this year’s first round.

Hmmmmmm. I know! CHA-CHING! $$$$$$$$$! An extra two days worth for the TV Network and the NCAA.

Whether you like it or not, the inevitability of expanding the men’s basketball tournament to 96 teams could become a reality as soon as next season. That’s fine because the number of division one schools has increased to 300+. So, post-season expansion in the tournament makes sense.

This will virtually end the “other” post-season men’s college basketball tournament, the NIT. The National Invitational Tournament was once thee post-season tournament. That changed in the 1960’s when the NCAA put the hammer down. Since then, the NIT attracts those NCAA Tournament “Bubble Teams” who just miss out on making the NCAA’s field of 65.

This year’s field of 32 NIT participants included Arizona State, Connecticut and tournament finalists North Carolina and eventual champion Dayton. So, it’s safe to say, this years NIT field of 32 would have been in this year’s NCAA’s had the tournament been made up of the proposed field of 96.

The NCAA’s plan is to keep March Madness a three week event. The top 32 teams will get a bye in the first round. That means the remaining 64 will begin play on Tuesday and Wednesday with Tuesday’s winners advancing to play that week’s Thursday regional games while the Wednesday winners advance to play in Friday’s regional games. So, you just add two days of games. Instead of one “Play-In” game, it’s a round of 32 “Play-In” games. Sure, it’s a diluted field. But, that’s the nature of the beast that is modern sports and television revenue from said sports. More = More.

I have a suggestion to keep the NIT afloat. How about the 32 losing teams from the Tuesday/Wednesday first round games advancing to the “Consolation NIT”.

Now, as far as the NCAA’s. If you’re going to give 32 teams a bye in that first round, give the bye’s to the Regular Season Conference and Conference Tournament Winners regardless of National Rankings. Those Champs earned a bye for winning their respective conference titles. If the regular season and conference tournament winner happens to be the same team, then you give that bye spot to an “at-large team” based on national rankings that didn’t win its regular season or conference tournament title.

But, aren’t those post-season Conference Tournaments already the expansion of the NCAA Tournament? It’s a process of elimination to get to the two best teams to fight it out for the National Championship. Don’t the Conference Tournaments begin that process of weeding out the posers to get to the two elite teams?

Anyway, by expanding the field to 96 teams, the NCAA’s essentially working a “do over” to change the results of those Conference Tournaments. It ends up being a third or fourth chance for some teams. Enough is enough.

Logistically speaking, with this expanded field, the NCAA should consider adding two regions. How about a North and North West Region and seeding every region with teams actually from those respective regions.  No more Syracuse University (Upstate New York) being the top-seed in the West Region. Makes no sense except to send teams in different directions so the best possible match-ups occur later rather than too early in the tournament for the television perspective.

If you seed each region with teams from their specific region, you’ll weed out those teams that are in the tournament thanks to the 32-team expansion in the opening round and assure yourself of some great later round match-ups barring early round upsets of course. Even if some of the top teams are upset early, that’ll generate even more viewer curiosity to see if one of these “Cinderella’s” can continue to advance.

March Madness expansion’s going to happen folks. If I were one of those NCAA suits, I’d talk about putting together a 16-team football playoff before expanding March Madness. But, that’s just me folks. If you can make student athletes play an extra round of college basketball, you can certainly work out some sort of football playoff incorporating bowl games.

Honestly, the “BCS” is just plain “BS” isn’t it? Enjoy the extra hoops folks!

*Every time I type in Winthrop played Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the “Play-In” game, all I can picture is my childhood friend Anne Winthrop being guarded by five guys over 6’10” while she dribbles a ball amongst the trees. Is that wrong of me?

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NCAA Men’s Hoops Final: A Celebration of “Hoosiers”

Truly a classic men’s college championship basketball game in Indianapolis Monday night with top-seed Duke hanging on to beat five-seed Butler, 61-59. Came down to the final second as Butler’s Gordon Hayward’s half-court heave for the win bounced off the rim. Oh, so close!

Ratings for this Final Four, and the entire tournament in general, were the highest in five years easily topping last year’s Final Four which saw North Carolina beat Michigan State in Detroit for the championship. Why? Plenty of upsets by underdogs over favorites like Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse making the tournament wide open.

According to the blog Sports Media Watch, Monday’s game was up 31% in ratings and 36% in viewership (24 million to last year’s 18 million)from last year. SMW goes on to say Butler/Duke drew a higher rating than every Major League Baseball game since ‘04 and every NBA game since ‘02. Excluding the NFL and the Olympics mind you, the game ranks as the third-most viewed sports telecast of 2010, behind only the BCS National Championship Game between Alabama and Texas and the Rose Bowl game between Ohio State and Oregon.

The game interest obviously had plenty to do with Mid-Major Butler. Certainly not a Cinderella when you consider entering the title game, the Horizon League Champion Bulldogs were riding a 25-game winning streak and had resided in the national top 25 for most of the year. Butler was certainly the underdog against mighty ACC Champion Duke and justifiably so considering the tradition of Blue Devils Basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

What the ratings and viewership numbers for this game tell me is, to be cliché, America always roots for the underdog. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It helps that Butler’s campus is less than eight miles away from this year’s Final Four site, Lucas Oil Stadium. You can’t script this but, also, the Bulldogs home-gym is Hinkle Fieldhouse, the gym where the state high school championship game in the move “Hoosiers” was filmed. OH, COME ON! How fun is that!

So, for the life of me, I don’t understand why some sports radio hosts believed if Butler were to win the national championship, it would set the game back 50 years and that having a mid-major like Butler just playing in the title game would sound the death knell for CBS and its ratings.

I take it back. I know why these guys would publicize this. For exactly that. Publicity. So, here you go guys.

ESPN radio’s Colin Cowherd, host of the show The Herd, and, also, co-host of ESPN TV’s Sports Nation, said Butler winning the national title was bad for men’s college basketball and would set it back 50 years.

Meanwhile, FOX Sports Radio host and FOX Sports Nets Rumors Reporter, Ben Maller, said if Butler made it to the title game, ratings would be at an all time low for CBS. Now, I’m not bashing Big Ben because he’s my boy. We both have worked together on radio and TV and we’re pals. But, COME ON, BEN! Turns out my buddy was, obviously, wrong.

For Cowherd, it’s inconceivable to believe Butler winning the national title would be bad for college basketball. Of course, the Bulldogs came up just short in their quest. But, they proved they belonged with the big boys extending Duke to the final second.

For Cowherd to say Butler winning the national title would be bad for college basketball is similar to saying Texas-Western beating Kentucky for the 1966 national Championship with TW coach Don Haskins starting five African-American players, for the first time in the history of the game, against Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats was bad for the game. Haskins’ starting those five African-American players was exactly what the game needed at that particular time in our history.

Butler’s performance the other night against Duke is exactly what the game needed at this particular time in the sports history. It says those mid-major programs belong with the so-called “Big Six” programs. That alone peaks the interest of the vast majority of American Society who want to see the underdog have his day against the big boy.

Hence the big television numbers, Big Ben!

Congratulations to the Butler Bulldogs for showing the mid-majors belong and playing a terrific game. Much congratulations to Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils for another national title and playing a terrific game. Thanks to both schools for putting on a tremendous show for us to enjoy.

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NFL Playoff Games Are Sudden Death No Longer.

FINALLY!! The NFL was the only league of any kind that had an overtime rule where it was not only possible, but probable, one of the two teams battling for the win in sudden death might not even see the ball on offense. The stat was true 60%  of the time since 1994.  Six out of 10 teams that won the overtime coin-toss, either, returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to end the game, marched down the field to score a touchdown to end the game, or marched about 40 yards down the field to kick the game-winning field goal.

THAT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN………at least during the playoffs.

The sudden death rule was ridiculous, especially when you consider both teams battled hard to the stale-mate and one team would be denied to match, or beat, the coin-toss winning teams score.

Here’s the new overtime playoff rule agreed to by 28 of the 32 owners Tuesday:

  1. Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner.
  2. If the team that possesses the ball first scores a field goal on its initial possession, the other team shall have the opportunity to possess the ball. If [that team] scores a touchdown on its possession, it is the winner. If the score is tied after [both teams have a] possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the winner.
  3. If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if [the overtime period’s] initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue until a score is made, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.

That works for me. Consider last year’s NFC Championship Game. Tied at 28 after regulation, the eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints won the coin toss and marched about 40 yards. Saints kicker Garrett Hartley sent New Orleans to the Super Bowl connecting on a 44 yard field goal dropping the Minnesota Vikings, 31-28. Brett Favre and the Vikings offense, who had double the yardage of the Saints in regulation, never saw the ball again. Had this new rule been in effect, Favre would’ve had the opportunity to tie or win the game. A shot the Vikings earned.

I’ve got to agree with ESPN NFL analyst Mike Golic. He says this is quite an improvement over the old sudden death rule. But, according to Golic, not good enough. Golic suggested  a complete 15 minute quarter should be played until the final gun. The score at the end of the overtime period is the final…..unless both teams are still tied. In which case, you continue playing overtime periods removing three minutes for each extra quarter played until a winner is decided. In other words, after the initial 15 minute overtime is still dead-locked at its conclusion, the following O.T. quarter is cut to 12 minutes….and so on until a winner is clearly decided. If after five O.T. periods both are still dead-locked, then you go to sudden death. I like it.

Talk about “edge of your seat playoff excitement”. That sounds like the ultimate. Maybe, down the line that’ll be the O.T. rule. Now, at least both teams will have a shot.

Only thing I don’t like about the rule change is that it isn’t part of the regular season. Games tied after regulation will still be decided by the old “sudden death” format. That’s going to be a huge flaw if a teams playoff chances hinge on the one game decided in “sudden death”. That is, essentially, a playoff game.

Modify the new rule for the regular season. Have a complete, 15 minute overtime period. If both teams remain tied after the O.T. quarter, then go to the “sudden death” format with the first team scoring, be it a field goal or touchdown, winning the game. Maybe, down the line. We’ll see.

By the way, one of the four teams to vote against the new playoff overtime rule, the Minnesota Vikings. Go figure.

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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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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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