Clark Deserves His Due

Executives at NBC aren't smiling right now. On the other hand, my wife is.

You see, Tiger Woods lost in the second round of the WGC Match Play Championship to Tim Clark yesterday in Arizona. That means television ratings won't go through the roof, as NBC will carry the WGC on Saturday and Sunday. It also means that my wife gets her weekend back.

My original plan was to sit home this weekend and watch Tiger and some college hoops. That plan (outside of the college hoop) has been blown out of the water.

Maybe it was unreasonable to expect Woods to shake off eight months of inactivity and be the same golfer that has been so dominant over the course of his career. Actually, there are no maybes about it. In retrospect, it was always unreasonable to expect that Tiger would win this tournament simply because he's Tiger. He is in his thirties, and he was playing in his first tournament since June. Tiger's great, but he is also human.

Watching the round yesterday, Tiger looked somewhat erratic off the tee. When he left the driver in the bag he was fine. When the big boy came out to play (for the most part) there were problems. A couple of years ago, Tiger found that he was better off leaving the big boy in the bag. If he continues to be this erratic, then it might be time to see if that strategy would work now as it did a few years ago.

Woods' short game also left a little something to be desired. His finest moment didn't come with the putter. It came from the sand wedge. Woods' birdie on fourteen will go down as yet another of Tiger's big moments.

I'm sure there will be some who (because they are anti-Tiger) will say that he came back to soon. Those same detractors will take great delight that Woods isn't playing this weekend. But, as I pointed out yesterday, the big picture goal was not winning the WGC (something Tiger's done multiple times in the past). It was about getting his game in shape for The Masters.

It's not that Woods played badly yesterday (he was one under par). The story that most columnists and talk show hosts will tell their readers and listeners is that Woods was off his game. That would not be the story that came out of yesterday's match.

The story that did? Well, that would the Tim Clark winning.

Instead of piling on Tiger, as some will do (I have no doubt my old friend Peter Brown at Sporting News Radio will be gloating all weekend long), the right thing to do would be to give Clark all the credit in the world. No one gave him a chance. On paper, it didn't look like he should've bothered walking the same course as Mr. Woods.

But Clark, who has never won a PGA tournament (but has come in second six times and owns thirty-two top-ten finishes) applied pressure from the start. He was playing with house money. Essentially, Clark didn't have anything to lose. No one expected anything from him, and because of that he didn't appear as nervous as Tiger's first round opponent did (that would be Brendan Jones for those of you wondering), and never trailed by more than a hole.

Clark hung around, and got red hot on the back nine with five birdies. Woods had just one birdie on the back nine, and that was the difference.

Again, Tiger losing as early as he did is a huge story. But, instead of piling on, give credit to the guy that beat him.

And by the way, if these two were to somehow meet again - maybe on a beautiful April Sunday in Augusta- my money would be on Woods.

Check out today's podcast and find out why I do not believe that this off-season is make or break for Ted Thompson!

A Good Start

After eight months away, the world's best golfer was back at work. Tiger Woods, recovered from knee surgery, did what he does best yesterday. And, that of course is play golf.

Tiger took on Aussie Brendan Jones in his first round matchup at the WGC Match Play Championship, and after two holes, it looked like he would blow Jones away with a birdie-eagle start. Watching it unfold, well let's just say those first two holes could not have been scripted any better.

After two holes, even the announcers felt sorry for Jones. And from my seat at home, I did too. After all, this is a guy who had never been in this kind of spot before. Playing a one-on-one match with Tiger Woods would bring almost every golfer on the planet to their knees. And Jones seemed to be no different than many of the others who had to face Woods in a one-on-one setting.

But, a funny thing happened on the way to a Woods blowout (in case you're scoring at home he's now 32-6 in WGC match play). It wasn't a chink in the armor. It wasn't that Jones started to play at a level he had never played at before. It was rust.

No, Tiger did not play badly. Not at all. But, even the world's best golfer has to shake off the rust after eight months away from the game he has dedicated his life to. Yes, even Tiger wasn't immune. Despite all the hard work he put in during his rehab, there was rust to shake off. (Before yesterday, he had only walked a full eighteen holes one time since his knee surgery).

Instead of building on the two-hole lead he had, Tiger was unable to pull away. In fact, when Jones won the seventh hole to cut Woods' lead in half, I wondered whether Tiger would be in for a longer workday than even he had anticipated.
But, Tiger answered Jones' challenge, immediately regaining his two-hole advantage on #8 with a birdie on the par-five (he's always been dominant on those par-five's) . Tiger would double that lead after his second eagle of the day (on yet another par-five with an incredible putt) and would go on to close Jones out 3 and 2.

Was Tiger good yesterday? Yes he was. Was it vintage Tiger? Nope. Was he dominant? No he was not. But he wasn't going for dominant. Not in his first competitive round back since gutting out that win at Torrey Pines over Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open. He is looking to work his way back into top form by the time The Master's comes around.

Yes, The Masters. You see, as much as Tiger likes to win tournaments, he LOVES to win Majors. There's a big difference between winning a WGC Match Play tournament and The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship. Tiger would like nothing better than to win another Green Jacket when he comes to Augusta in April. That would - in his mind - put the exclamation point on his comeback.

You see, for Tiger, it's all about history now, nothing else. He's got fourteen career majors, four behind the great Jack Nicklaus. It's a record he wants very badly. Would any of us be shocked if he won more than one major this year? I wouldn't be.

I found it funny that it only took one hole for the announcers on The Golf Channel were saying stuff like 'he's back' or 'it's like he never left.' I doubt Tiger would have agreed with that assessment. I think he would probably say he's not 'back' until he wins another major.

It is important to remember that Woods only won his first round match yesterday. Even though it isn't likely, there's a chance that Tiger could lose to Tim Clark when those two play their second round match.

And if he does beat Clark, there will still be work left to do.

What I'm saying is let's not get too crazy over what we saw yesterday. Let's be honest about what we watched. It was a good start. It wasn't an incredible round of golf. It doesn't approach the kind of golf Tiger played when he won the U.S. and British Opens in 2000 by lapping the field.

But, it was a good start. A good finish would be putting on another Green Jacket in Augusta, or winning another U.S. Open, or having his name engraved on the Claret Jug yet again, or winning another PGA Championship.
Because, for Woods, like Jack Nicklaus, or Arnold Palmer, or any of the other legends, while they like winning any tournament, winning at a major has a whole different feeling. Tiger didn't get that feeling yesterday.

But, it was a good start.

Check out today's podcast for a look back at last night's Marquette-UCONN game!

An Open Letter To Tiger Woods

Dear Tiger,

Congrats on the comeback. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing you on the course again. I will be glued to the television today, and every day for the rest of the week, as you take to the course for real for the first time since you won the U.S. Open last year on one leg.

At the risk of sounding like I have a man-crush on you, I do have to tell you you are the reason I watch golf. Before you came along in the 1990's I could have cared less about the sport. I never saw Jack or Arnie in their prime. I could never put my arms (as a fan) around the likes of Greg Norman, Nick Price, Nick Faldo, Corey Pavin, or Fred Couples. Ernie Els was always too robotic for my taste, and Phil Mickelson hadn't won when it counted.

But then you came along, and you changed what golf was supposed to be. Your game was (and is) poetry in motion. What drew me to you though (besides your game, of course), was that you wore your emotions on your sleeve. It was something we hadn't seen before in a sport where pumping your fist after a big shot was considered unsportsmanlike. Your game got us to watch you, but it was your emotions that drew you closer to us. How many times have we, as weekend hackers, thrown a club in disgust after slicing one into the trees? How many times have we slammed a putter to the ground after missing a gimme two-footer? What you did by showing us your emotions was put yourself on our level, and we as fans appreciated that.

I'll admit, it took me a while to appreciate your greatness. When you won The Masters in 1997, I thought it was nice, but it didn't instantly convert me. It was a process that took time, but by the time you had demolished the field at the 2000 U.S. and British Opens, I was hooked.

You have also inspired me to pick the game up as well. Granted, I haven't exactly been Tiger-like on the course, but I now understand why people pick up the game as they get older. It's about hitting that little white ball, and hearing that sound. Everyone knows what 'that sound' is. If you don't, I'll spell it out for you. It's the sound that is made when the club hits the ball perfectly. It's the sound that's made when you know you've hit the hell out of the ball. It's the sound that's made every time you pull the driver out of the bag, Tiger (though recent history suggests you leave the big club in the bag).

So, I'm glad you're back. And, much to my wife's chagrin, I'll be glued to the couch if you make the weekend at the World Golf Championships (it would be foolish to just assume you'll win the whole thing, right?).

Trust me, I'm not the only one who feels this way. No golfer will have a bigger crowd following him this weekend than you will (that should tick Mr. Mickelson off). Fans around the country are just as happy as I am that you're back.

The TV networks are happy as well. Padraig Harrington was a nice story, but good old Paddy doesn't quite bring the ratings in that you do. The PGA will be happy. In these tough economic times, people don't have the money (necessarily) to go and buy tickets to a PGA event. But, the chance to see you live (as I did nine years ago at Valhalla) is once in a lifetime. It's a good bet that this weekends WGC event will be a sellout.

Even the other golfers will be happy that you're back. They must realize that you are the straw that stirs the drink. Your success has a trickle down effect. The other golfers might not like it, but they benefit from it.

So, welcome back, Tiger. And do us all a favor.

Don't leave us for half a season again!

Cordially,

Cliff Saunders

Check out my podcast for thoughts on Jim Calhoun's Meltdown, Money, and Athletes!

How Can You Not Like These Guys?

There's something strange going on in the city. Strange and wonderful, actually. And it's emanating from the Bradley Center.

The Milwaukee Bucks are 28-31 (heading into the game against Dallas tomorrow night). Most NBA teams wouldn't be satisfied with that kind of record, but then again these are the Bucks. Let's rewind to a year ago at this time. The Bucks were in the middle of a 26-56 season in which players didn't care, didn't like each other, and just wanted to go home. The few fans that bothered coming to the games decided to let Senator Herb Kohl know how they felt by wearing paper bags on their heads and surrounding him during a loss to the Boston Celtics (the night has since been named 'The Paper Bag Revolt'). It was a bad scene.

If you'd like to go back further, we can oblige. Two years ago at this time, the coaching tenure of Terry Stotts was circling the drain. Defense was a foreign concept. Injuries were starting to pile up and there was no one able to step up and fill the void. Players like Jared Reiner were getting minutes on a nightly basis for goodness sakes!

It's a completely different story now. At 28-31, the Bucks are eighth in the Eastern Conference. And if you look closely at the standings, it's not that hard to imagine them moving up a spot or two. Detroit hasn't set the world on fire as some thought they would since the Allen Iverson trade. Philadelphia is an interesting team that has played better since the injury to Elton Brand, but they don't scare me like Cleveland or Boston do.

Yes, these are good times to be a Bucks fan.

If I had told you the Bucks would be this Close to being .500 without Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut in November, you would have told me I was crazy. If I had told you the Bucks, without Redd and Bogut (their leading scorer and rebounder) would be in the thick of a playoff race, you would have told me I had lost my mind. But they are this close to .500 and they are in the thick of a playoff race.

They are doing it with Richard Jefferson, who (according to reports and speculation) wasn't thrilled with the trade that brought him here last June. He has been everything that he was cracked up to be and then some. He may not score like Redd. He may not rebound like Bogut. But he has been there before. He's been on teams that have won. He's been on teams that have made playoff runs. He has been a good leader for the younger guys who haven't gone through the NBA grind before.

And speaking of the young guys, let's talk about them for a second. When Ramon Sessions was promoted from the D-League a year ago and played the way he did in a late season audition, I was one of those skeptics that wasn't sure what I saw was real. I had arguments with people who said he could be a quality player in this league. I wasn't sure about that a year ago. I am happy to say I was wrong. Is he a true point guard? Maybe not. Is he an full time off-guard? Maybe not. But guess what, it doesn't matter. Sessions is playing and playing well. He has erased any doubt that he could perform at this level. He is the kind of player you'd like to see the Bucks be able to keep when he hits the market as a restricted free agent this summer.

And then there is Charlie Villanueva. He was frustrating to watch in his first couple of years in Milwaukee. There were the injuries that limited him to just thirty-nine games a couple of years ago. There was the inconsistency he displayed last year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe more than anyone, he has stepped his game up since the injuries to Redd and Bogut. He has scored twenty-five or more points eight times in the last month. He hasn't been held to single digits since January seventeenth when he scored just eight points against the Clippers. He scored a season high thirty-six in Sunday night's win over the Nuggets. He's even showing life on the defensive side of the floor, notching double digits in rebounds twice in his last three games and twelve times total this season. Like Sessions, he's the kind of player you'd like to see the Bucks hang on to when he hits the market as a restricted free agent this summer as well.

The Bucks are also hanging in there despite the cloud that is the NBA luxury tax hanging over them. The thinking is that Senator Kohl wants no part of paying that tax. That holding on to Sessions and Villanueva isn't going to be easy unless they move Jefferson and his salary. That is why the Bucks (according to the reports) were aggressively shopping Jefferson near the trade deadline. That's why there was so much talk about Jefferson going to Portland for a package including Raef LaFrentz and his expiring contract.

But the Bucks didn't bite on Portland's offer. They also didn't bite when Cleveland tried to pry RJ away at the last second. The Senator and GM John Hammond decided to go 'all in' with what they had. They decided they could wait until June to move Jefferson, which you'll have to think they will consider their desire to hold on to Sessions and/or Villanueva.

The organization decided that wins now are more important than financial security next season. The organization decided they owed it to their long suffering fans to give them the best chance at making the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-2006 season as opposed to tearing it down and 'waiting till next year' once again.

Now, there's no guarantee that the Bucks will make the playoffs. There are still twenty-three games left in the regular season and anything is possible. But they were in the thick of things before the deadline last week. They are in the thick of things now. And, of course, this is the Eastern Conference, where a below .500 record could very well get you into the post-season.

And, as the Atlanta Hawks showed everyone last season, making the playoffs is better than not sitting at home. The Hawks won just thirty-seven games a year ago and barely made the playoffs, where they were matched against the mighty Celtics. On paper it was supposed to be a rout. But, the Hawks somehow managed to push Boston and The Big Three to seven games. Once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen. The Hawks sure don't regret making the party the way they did last year.

For better or worse, these Bucks, undermanned, and seemingly not as talented as the NBA's elite, are doing everything they can to give their fan base something to look forward to. The playoffs.

How can you not like these guys?

Check out my podcast today and find out why I won't give Buzz Williams my stamp of approval just yet!

The Weekend Wrap

College Basketball took center stage this weekend. The mighty North Carolina Tar Heels were brought to their knees by Maryland. Texas took care of the Blake Griffin-less Oklahoma Sooners, and ESPN (along with the 'family of networks') gave us the completely made for television 'Bracketbuster' weekend. After a full weekend of watching college hoops, there is one very legitimate question that's begging to be asked.

Who's #1?: No, not in the rankings. I'm talking about Number one seeds. Sure I know that Selection Sunday is still a few weeks away (March 15th - I have the date circled on my calendar), but it's no longer too early to debate who the #1's might be.

The only locks right now (in my view) are UCONN and Pittsburgh. Sure the Huskies just lost to Pitt a week ago, and Jerome Dyson is out for the year, but they still have Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien. Even though the Big East is the toughest conference in the country, they should get to the finals of the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. At which point, they'll probably face the Panthers again, who have Blair and one of the most underrated coaches in the country in Jamie Dixon. And, no matter what happens in that game, both teams should be #1 seeds.

As far as the other #1 seeds go, you'd have to think that Carolina is in line for one of them, but they have to beat Duke on March 8th, and then win either a third game against the Blue Devils or a matchup against Wake Forest in in the ACC tournament. If they do, they are a no-brainer pick to be a #1.

Which leaves the final top seed up for grabs. Oklahoma is a much different team without Blake Griffin. We all saw that in the loss to Texas on Saturday night. If he's healthy and the Sooners win the Big 12, then the Sooners have a leg up on getting that remaining top seed. But if they don't, the door is open for Louisville, Wake Forest, and Duke.

Crabtree Takes a Tumble: The news from the NFL combine over the weekend wasn't good for Michael Crabtree, the Texas Tech WR who most people believed was going to go #4 overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Crabtree has a stress fracture in his left foot, and measures two inches shorter than Tech listed him in their media guide. As a result, some expect Crabtree to fall out of the top ten.

That would be a mistake. Whoever gets Crabtree is going to get a special player. Yes you could say he has to prove he's not a product of Mike Leach's offense. But, I believe Wes Welker has turned into a pretty nice player (a Tech alum). Teams shouldn't be scared off by the injury to Crabtree. He's a special player. Anyone who watched him over the last two seasons, and especially in that win over Texas, knows what they saw.

Crabtree is the best wideout in the draft. From what I understand, the injury is similar to what Jonathan Stewart had a year ago at this time. I don't think the Carolina Panthers regret drafting Stewart. Whoever drafts Crabtree won't regret it either. But, any team that passes on Crabtree in favor of either Jeremy Maclin or Percy Harvin will be kicking themselves. Just like teams did for passing on some guy named Rice nearly 25 years ago. Crabtree is that good.

Two Days To Tiger's Return: After missing half of last season and the start of this season because of his knee problems, Tiger Woods is coming back. The world's best golfer (and still ranked #1 in the world despite his being on the shelf) is going to tee it up on Wednesday at the World Golf Championships. And, as far as the PGA is concerned, it's not a moment too soon.

No offense to Padraig Harrington, who won two majors in Tiger's absence, but Tiger is the face of golf. The television ratings are proof of that. They plummeted while Tiger was out. Now that he's back, it's a sure bet they will be through the roof this coming weekend (especially if Woods makes it all the way to the finals).

Before Woods came along, golf wasn't among the 'major' sports in the country (NFL, MLB, NBA). Woods made it a major sport. Without him, golf was like it was between Jack Nicklaus' heyday and Woods' debut. A nice sport, but not must see TV. With him, it'll be the top story on Sports Center once again. With Woods, the buzz returns to a sport that needs it.

And, it doesn't matter if he wins the match play tournament this coming week. All that matters is that he is back.

Check out my podcast for thoughts on Marquette, Wisconsin, and King James!

Why Junior Part Deaux May Not Work

There's a lot of sentimentality in sports. Fans cringe when players like Brett Favre wind up wearing different uniforms than the ones they are used to seeing them in. Favre looked, for lack of a better term, wierd wearing the colors of the New York Jets. Just like Joe Montana looked starnge wearing the colors of the Kansas City Chiefs. Just like former White Sox great Frank Thomas looked out of place wearing an Oaklnad Athletics or Toronto Blue Jays uniform.

When great players like these wind up changing teams, it isn't strange to hear fans say something to the effect of "I wish he was back." It's happened many times over the years, with many different athletes in a lot of sports. Sometimes the fans get their wish (with the results being decidedly mixed). Most times they don't.

The fans of the Seattle Mariners are getting their wish. Ken Griffey Jr. has re-signed with the club after nearly a decade away from his old stomping grounds. It's not a big money deal, and it only runs for a year, but Griffey is back where a lot of people both in and out of Seattle think he belongs.

There was a time when Junior was baseball. He was The Kid, The Natural, or whatever nickname you wanted to bestow on him. He was the can't miss prospect who didn't miss. He helped put the Mariners on the map. In case you didn't know, the Mariners struggled for most of their first twenty years in Major League Baseball. They were that era's version of the Washington Nationals. Griffey helped transform them into a contender.

He didn't do it alone, of course. he had help with Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, and Jay Buhner amonst others. But Junior was the straw that stirred the drink. He was not only a great hitter, but he was a great defensive player as well. He could make you ooh and aah with any catch that he made while patroling the expansive centerfield in the Kingdome.

But that was a long time ago. Junior left Seattle after 1999, approving a trade to the Cincinnati Reds, where his father played for so many years (and the city he grew up in). He hasn't been the same player since than (injuries and age have made sure of that). The Mariners aren't the same team they used to be.

They haven't quite gone back to what they were when they first came onto the scene as an expansion team in the late 1970's, but they aren't good. Heck, they won 61 games a year ago. It was a season that caused Mariners management to fire the GM, the manager, and the interim manager.

Make no mistake, the Mariners are starting over. They hired a new GM and manager. Their lineup has many holes, and their pitching staff has a lot of question marks. But that's all been forgotten. Mariners fans have either forgotten, forgiven, or just plain don't care that Junior asked out after the '99 season. Everyone in Seattle is ecstatic to have him back. The feeling in the Pacific Northwest is that the prodigal son is returning

Sure, Junior would fill the hole left by Raul Ibanez (now with the Phillies), but Mariners fans should (and eventually will) realize they aren't getting the 28-29 year old Griffey they had ten years ago. This edition of Junior is 39 (turning 40 in November). This edition of Junior, much like my 1998 Toyota Corolla, has seen its better days.

Since playing in 145 games (and hitting an un-Junior like .271) in 200, Griffey has played in 140 or more games just once (2007, when he hit .277 with 30 HR's and 93 RBI's). Outside of the 2007 season, Junior was a big disappointment with the Reds, either not being able to stay healthy or not producing like the young Junior when he was. It got to the point that the Reds dealt him to the White Sox without really getting much in return. And the Griffey that played with the White Sox didn't look like he even wanted to be there.

Junior isn't magically going to return to Seattle and be the Junior of old. Even though the word is he's 100% healthy after off-season surgery. And even though the word is that he's dropped a little bit of weight and looks like the old Junior, the in prime Griffey is gone, probably never to be seen again. If he hits .260 again (like he did with the White Sox), what are Mariner fans going to say? Are they going to take it easy on him or are they going to turn on him?

Griffey (and Mariners fans) should look to history to see what his future might be. The New York Rangers brought Mark Messier back in 2001 after letting him go to Vancouver a few years earlier. There was a lot of goodwill at the news conference announcing his return. But, the goodwill didn't last long. The Messier that returned to the Rangers was a far cry from 'The Captain' that led them to the Stanley Cup in 1994. This Messier was old, had trouble staying healthy, and wasn't quite the player he used to be. By the time he retired in 2004, Ranger fans were more than ready for him to leave.

It seems as if Ken Griffey Junior and the Seattle Mariners paid little attention to the Messier episode. Or, maybe they forgot how un-Police-like The Police were when they reunited a couple of years ago (they weren't nearly as good as they used to be either).

It sounds good, but putting the band back together doesn't always work out.

Check out my podcast and listen to why I'm happy that the Bucks did not make a trade! Go to saundersonsports.podbean.com now!

Looking For Some Honesty

Michael Vick came to the NFL in 2001 with talent that was just sick. He could throw the ball a country mile. He was as fast as any player in the league. The Atlanta Falcons had to have him, so they traded up and selected the Virginia Tech star with the first pick in the draft.

We all saw how it worked it. Vick was productive, but never quite developed into the quarterback most thought he could. There were always questions about whether or not he could win you a game with his arm. No one doubted his athletic ability and no one ever said he couldn't win you a game with his legs. It was his arm and ability to develop into a 'quarterback' that people questioned.

Then came the dogfighting allegations, the guilty plea, and jail time. The Falcons were so disgusted with his conduct they ruled him out from being a contributing member of the team once he came out of jail. Arthur Blank, the team owner, scolded him publicly. The Falcons wanted nothing to do with him.

Now, word around the NFL is that the Falcons are shopping Vick's rights, figuring some team will pay a decent price for someone with his talent. And over the weekend, San Fracisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary refused to rule out going after Vick.

"I'm not going to say I'm open or closed," Singletary said. "I'd say it has to be something [general manager] Scot [McCloughan] and I talk about and feel good about one way or the other. But we have not talked about it at this point in great detail. We're trying to focus on what we have."

Read between the lines here. What Singletary really said was that the 49ers wouldn't mind having Vick on the roster, especially if what the Falcons were looking for in terms of compensation was something they felt was reasonable. Considering what the 49ers currently have at the quarterback spot (Alex Smith and Shaun Hill) it isn't surprising that they are looking, and looking hard, at Vick.

What the 49ers are doing is in direct contrast to what some teams around the league have already done. Some teams have already come out and said they had no interest in bringing Vick into the fold. But, the Niners, quarterback hungry as they are, won't rule it out.

And the Falcons, who at one time treated Vick as if he had the plague, are more than happy to ship him somewhere else, as long as they get something in return.

Are you really surprised at this? You shouldn't be.

The NFL talks a great game when they talk about character and personal conduct. But that's all it is. Talk. The truth is the teams look at these players as assets, nothing more. The Falcons are looking at Vick and seeing a player with talent who they can use to get another player (visa a draft pick) who can help them win. The 49ers look at Vick (and their quarterback situation) and see a player who can help them win more games right now. If they acquire Vick, you can bet they'll talk about a player deserving a second chance, but the truth is - behind closed doors - they see Vick as someone who will help them win games, which is really what the NFL is all about.

You don't believe me? Let me ask you this. If it weren't Michael Vick. Let's say it was some run of the mill backup quarterback who found himself in Vick's situation. Do you think teams around the league would have interest? Do you think the Falcons would be shopping his rights, or do you think they would just cut him and let him go where he wants to go? If it weren't Vick - if it were a lesser player - teams would stay away, and the Falcons would cut him rather than trade him.

But it is Michael Vick. Just like it was Leonard Little of the Rams. Just like it was Tank Johnson, who got another chance with Dallas. Just like it was Pac Man Jones. Just like it was Terrell Owens.

Bottom line is that if you're a player the NFL regards as having talent, or something left in the tank, it doesn't matter what you have done off the field. You're going to get another chance. Teams make more money if they win. General Managers and coaches have more job security if their teams win.

This is not isolated to the NFL. MLB, the NBA - they all take chances on players with questionable character if that player is someone who can help them win.

Does Vick deserve a chance? I wouldn't sign him, but I understand that many people feel differently. I just wish that teams would be honest when they talk about players like him.

Instead of saying they are helping Vick get a fresh start, the Falcons should just come out and say they moved him because what's coming back in return is something that can help them win.

Instead of dancing around the issue, Mike Singletary should just say that he has interest in any player who can help his team win.

At least the truth would be out there, as opposed to what will be put out there when the Vick trade is eventually made.

Check out my podcast and find out what I think the Packers should do with their first round pick!

Someone Tell Senator Kohl Wins Should Be The Priority, Not Money

The NBA trading deadline is tomorrow, and the Bucks - after beating the Pistons last night - are said to be one of the teams burning up the phone lines in an attempt to make a move. However, instead of trying to pick someone up to help this team make the playoffs, all the rumors seem to have the Bucks shopping three players - Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva, and Ramon Sessions.

The thinking goes like this. The Bucks would like to move Jefferson now and get out from under his contract so they can re-sign Villanueva and/or Sessions - both restricted free agents - this off-season. Why? It's pretty simple. Bucks owner (Senator) Herb Kohl, doesn't want to break the luxury tax threshold. He has to get rid of a contract or two now because he knows that there are teams who will sign Sessions and/or Villanueva to offer sheets he couldn't possibly match.

The problem is Jefferson is the only player on the roster with a big contract that other teams in the NBA have interest in. It would be easier if someone would take Dan Gadzuric off his hands, but outside of former GM Larry Harris, there isn't an NBA executive out there who wants Gadzuric or that contract.

So, instead of going over the luxury tax threshold and put the strongest team on the court possible, the Seantor is seemingly willing to cut his nose off to spite his face.

My question is this. WHY?

The Bucks aren't a great team by any stretch, but they are a scrappy bunch that just happens to be in the thick of it as teams battle for the final playoff spot in the East. Even without the injured Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, and Luke Ridnour, this team ahs managed to keep themselves in the playoff hunt. Why would you want to wave the proverbial white flag now?

By trading either Jefferson or one of the two upcoming RFA's (restricted free agents), the message Kohl would send to the fan base is that money is more important than winning. What he fails to realize is that whatever air is left in the baloon right now would be let out if a 'white flag' trade is made. Whatever buzz there is about this team would go away immediately.

For the last two seasons, there hasn't been anyone talking about the Bucks in February and March because the season pretty much ended in December and January. The Bucks - at the moment - have positioned themselves into being a (borderline) playoff team, and if they can pull it off (shorthanded as they are), the Bradley center would be the place to be once again. Just the prospect of making the playoffs with all the injuries has people talking.

Would anyone realistically expect the Bucks to win a series against either Cleveland or Boston? Probably not. But it is better to be in it than to be on the outside looking in. I remember going to the Bucks-Pistons playoff series three years ago, when everyone knew the team ahd no chance. Still, the BC was rockin'. Give Bucks fans a winner and they'll show up. Give them a playoff team, and they'll not only show up, they'll do their best to blow the roof off the arena.

I say the same thing now that I did a couple of years ago, when fans wanted the Bucks to tank and get a chance to draft either Kevin Durant or Greg Oden. I don't want to see that go down. I don't really want another lottery pick (the last two have yet to make their mark in the league). I don't want to rebuild again. I'd like to win. It is always better to win than give up. Always.

If the Senator has his heart set on moving Jefferson to clear cap space, then at least wait until the off-season. Trades can be made prior to the draft, you know.

And, I'll take it a step further. Keep Jefferson, and shell out the money it would take to sign Sessions and/or Villanueva. So you have to pay the luxury tax one year. Plenty of teams do it. Besides if you win, you'll make money. If you win, taxpayers might be more likely to give you a new building (which is what the team wants in case you didn't realize).

Winning is what it's all about. Making a trade to save money doesn't help you get there.

The trade deadline is coming up tomorrow. Here's to hoping the Bucks don't wave the white flag.

Check out my podcast and find out why I believe A-Rod today more than I did a week ago.

Brewers Have More Questions Than Answers

Valentine's Day has come and gone. The NBA closed the book on another (yawn) All-Star game. Wisconsin's own Matt Kenseth won The Daytona 380 (not a typo). We're creeping towards the end of February, and that means we can start talking some baseball, especially now that the Brewers are in camp.

It seems like it was just yesterday that the Brewers were beating the Cubs and clinching their first playoff spot in twenty-six years. But a lot has happened since October. And, for Brewers fans, a lot of it hasn't been good.

Most teams get better during the off-season, either through trades or free agency. The Brewers went backwards this off-season. Their division rivals and the team they fought for the wildcard spot with got better. The Cubs spent money on Milton Bradley, who will fill a huge need for them in the outfield. The Mets signed Francisco Rodriguez and traded for J.J. Putz, addressing a need (bullpen) they hope will help to avoid a third straight September meltdown.

And what did the Brewers do? Sure, they signed Trevor Hoffman and Braden Looper. And, yes, they think Jorge Julio can be a setup guy with Mike Lamb providing insurance at third. But they also watched their best starter leave for greener pastures (green = money), sat by as another starter hit them with a bill for elbow surgery on his way out the door (uh, that would be Ben Sheets), and hired a manager whose reputation took a major hit in his last stop.

The 2009 Brewers have a lot of questions they need to answer. And, until those questions are answered, it's hard to view this team as a contender right now. Here's a look at the questions that have Brewer fans buzzing.

* Was Ken Macha the right choice? I, for one, think he is, considering the other candidates Doug Melvin interviewed were either too inexperienced (Dale Sveum) or had too much baggage (Willie Randolph). That being said, Macha was said to have problems with some of his Oakland players. He will have to prove that the rumors he had problems in the Athletics clubhouse were just that - rumors.

* Do the Brewers have enough starting pitching? Last year at this time the Brewers had eight starters battling for five spots. This year the Brewers have six. And the quality isn't what it was a year ago. Yovani Gallardo has yet to pitch a full season in the bigs. Jeff Suppan's problems since signing his $42M contract have been well documented. Manny Parra had an up and down rookie year. Dave Bush must prove he is the second half Dave Bush from a year ago and not the first half Dave Bush. Braden Looper has also had issues with consistency, and Seth McClung doesn't have a track record of success at the big league level. The only way we'll know for sure if the starters will hold up is to watch the season develop. But my confidence isn't at a high level right now.

* What about the bullpen? Getting Hoffman, a first ballot hall of famer in my book, is a very nice move, but there are questions in front of him. Can Carlos Villanueva handle the 8th inning role the team seems to envision him in? Which Jorge Julio will show up this season - the one that pitched for the Braves down the stretch or the one that blew through six organizations in three seasons? The Brewers allowed the dependable Brian Shouse to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays - can Mitch Stetter step in and be what Shouse was? Will David Riske get healthy and justify the $13M deal the Brewers gave him a year ago? I'd like to tell you I have the answers to these questions, but just like the starting pitching, only time will tell.

* Was holding on to Rickie Weeks the right thing to do? The Brewers, as an organization, remain sold on what Rickie Weeks can do. Operative word being can, because in three and a half big league seasons Weeks hasn't done it. Sure, Weeks scores runs when he gets on base, but does he really get on base enough to be a leadoff hitter? He also hasn't hit consistently since being rushed from the minors, and his defense has always been questionable. I understand the Brewers don't want to give up on Weeks and watch him live up to his potential somewhere else, but how many chances can you possibly give him? If it were me (and I know you're probably happy it isn't) I would have pursued free agent Orlando Hudson (who is still out there).

* Who's on third? Bill Hall is set to miss the next four to six weeks with a calf injury (though he claims he'll be ready sooner). I'm willing to give Hall the benefit of the doubt and give him another chance (hoping that the Lasik surgery he had this off-season corrects some of his problems at the plate). But, if he isn't healthy or productive, what do the Brewers do at the hot corner? If you really think Mike Lamb is the answer then you might be the only one. Mat Gamel will get a chance to show the Brewers he's ready during Cactus League games, but the rap on him is that he can't field. Can the Brewers afford to play Gamel in games that count if his glove isn't ready? Probably not, but then again I don't know anyone who would be excited by a Lamb/Craig Counsell combination at third base either?

* Which Corey Hart will come to play? Will it be the one that hit .294 with 24 home runs in 2007? The one that earned an invitation to the All-Star Game last July? Or, will it be the Hart that wound up hitting .268 in 2008. The one that swung at everything in September and October without making much contact. For the Brewers sake, it better be the 2007 Hart.

Those are the six major questions the 2009 Brewers must have. How many contending teams do you know of that go into camp having to answer those type of questions? This isn't to say the Brewers can't contend. Obviously, they have the potential to, and remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. A lot of things can happen during the course of a 162 game season (I'm sorry if I started channeling Ned Yost right there).

However, as currently constructed, it would be hard for anyone, even the most ardent of Brewer Backers, to say that this is a playoff team.

But then again, no one expected the Rays to make it to the World Series a year ago, right?

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

This was the first weekend without any football to watch (second in a row if you count last weekend, but I don’t since they did play the Pro Bowl). Still, there was plenty to watch. Enough for my version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.



The Good: The Dunk Contest: All I can say is it lived up to the hype. For the second year in a row it lived up to its advanced billing. I say that knowing the dunk contest isn’t what it used to be. Nothing will ever beat the dunk contests that featured Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins. But it also wasn’t nearly as bad as the Brent Barry/Harold Miner years either.



Orlando’s Dwight Howard once again made us jump out of our seats and scream at the top of our lungs. Sure the phone booth bit was over the top, and sure he tried to go to the well again with the whole Superman cape thing, but bringing out the twelve foot rim was entertaining. Commissioner David Stern wouldn’t let Howard do it last year, but relented this year, and it was a good decision.



But the weird thing was that it wasn’t the hilite of the night. No, that would be what Nate Robinson of the Knicks did. The green uniform was creative (Kryptonite to Howard’s Superman). But, jumping over the 6′10″ Howard and throwing it down was a moment we’ll remember for the next twenty years or so. It was ‘Nique winning the dunk contest in the mid eighties. It was MJ seemingly walking on air when he won his dunk title. Yes, it was that damn good. And let’s give Howard credit for it as well - after all there probably aren’t many players who would have been willing to do what Robinson asked Howard to do.



I’ve fallen out of love with the dunk contest in recent years. Saturday night made me fall in love with it all over again. And if Lebron James keeps his word and takes part in next year’s contest, then it really does become must see television again.



The Bad: The Daytona 500 Finish: Sure, the crash triggered by Dale Earnhardt Jr. took out Kyle Bush, who had the most dominant car on the track, was questionable. But for this casual NASCAR fan the finish was controversial.
No offense to Matt Kenseth, but if there was a luckier driver on the track when the rains came I couldn’t tell you who he was. There were 120 more miles to go when they called the race because of weather, and I’m not so sure Kenseth would have been able to keep the lead for those 120 miles.



The fact of the matter is, though, that we will never know. NASCAR rules called for the race to be called and it was. My problem is that this is the Daytona 500, not the Daytona 380. This is the ‘Super Bowl’ of stock car racing. For this race to end the way it ended left me unsatisfied. I felt the same way when weather forced race officials to halt the 500 early a few years ago, giving Michael Waltrip his second career Daytona 500 victory.



This is NASCAR, not the IRL. I would expect a boneheaded decision like that to come from the IRL, which managed to take open wheel racing, at one time very popular in the United States, and turn it into something less popular than Major League Soccer (with apologies to any soccer fans reading this right now). If a situation like this had happened with the Indy 500, the race would be run the next day. Is there any harm in finishing the Super Bowl of stock car racing Monday as opposed to Sunday?



I’m just glad I didn’t pay for a ticket. Those really are the fans that got the raw end of the deal yesterday.



The Ugly: The NBA All-Star Game (Tie): I laughed watching Sportscenter this morning. I laughed reading some of the accounts of last night’s All-Star Sham on the web. Everyone wants to wax poetic on how the combination of Shaq and Kobe performed. Everyone wants to point out how those two made beautiful music on the basketball court once again.



And, that may be so (even though Shaq played less than twenty minutes). But, it cannot hide the fact that last night’s game was about as ugly as you could get in a basketball game. First of all, it was a blowout - 146-119 isn’t really entertaining basketball. It wasn’t all that competitive in the second half.



And then of course there was the usual sloppy playground ball that the NBA All-Star Game is known for. I almost spit my beer out when Doug Collins commented on TNT that for a change there was some defense being played in an All-Star Game. I don’t know what game Doug was watching, but I didn’t see any defense. I saw 265 combined points. That’s a week for some Eastern Conference teams. I saw players driving the lane and opposing defenders getting out of the way like they were matadors.



The NBA All-Star Game used to be something I looked forward to every year. Now I only watch it because I have to. The NBA used to roll out their biggest stars on a Sunday afternoon, and these guys (Bird, Magic, Dr. J., etc.) would play like the game meant something. Now these guys come together and clown around. It’s nothing more than a pickup game now, albeit one that’s dressed up with more bells and whistles than your average pro wrestling pay per view.



The Ugly, Part Deaux (tie): Craig Sager’s suit: I know that Sager’s calling card is his loud wardrobe. but a pink plaid jacket with garish red pants is just too much. There are plenty of pimps who looked at Sager last night and said that he went over the line. All I can say is WOW! That was bad.

Check out the podcast today and find out why Brett Favre's season in New York doesn't ruin his legacy!

No Suspension for A-Rod Necessary

In eighteen years of being in the media, I have been fortunate to have met a lot of people that most sports fans don't get to meet. I consider myself very lucky in that regard. Some of the people I have met were one shot deals, and some I have been able to forge relationships with.

One of those people just happens to be Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. That's not to say we go out to dinner or anything like that. I consider The Commissioner and I to have a business relationship. The first time I talked to him was on July 4, 1997, when he called in as a guest to the Fabulous Sports Babe Show. For the next two years, whenever he came on the show (and it was frequently) I had the pleasure of speaking to him for a moment or two.

When I moved on to Sporting News Radio, and then WSSP in Milwaukee, I was able to keep that relationship going. I booked him as a guest many times. There were two times when he called me in an attempt to mediate a disagreement he was having with two of my Sporting News Radio colleagues (Jay Mariotti and Chet Coppock in the interest of full disclosure).

The Commissioner helped me out on a couple of occasions when I moved to Milwaukee, with things that had absolutely nothing to do with radio or baseball. He is a genuinely good human being, one who would give you the shirt off his back if he thought it would help. He is also a very sensitive person.

He is sensitive, not only in that he takes to heart any criticism that comes his way, but he is sensitive to the game that he has given his life to. He takes it personally when players or managers do things that wind up giving baseball a black eye. That's why Pete Rose has never been allowed back in to the game. That's why The Commissioner wasn't jumping for joy when he watched Barry Bonds break the all time Home Run record formerly held by Hank Aaron (whom The Commissioner reveres maybe more than any other player in history). And that's why The Commissioner has floated the possibility of suspending Alex Rodriguez for admitting to using steroids from 2001 through 2003.

But Commissioner Selig, in my opinion, would be wrong if he took action against A-Rod.

First of all, baseball had no parameters to punish steroid users during the time that A-Rod says he used 'roids. The late Ken Caminiti admitted to Sports Illustrated earlier this decade that he won the 1996 NL MVP while using performance enhancing drugs. Jose Canseco admitted to using the juice when he won his AL MVP award in the late 1980's. No action was taken against either player following their 'coming clean.' If no action was taken then, why should it be taken now?

I know that Commissioner Selig looked at Rodriguez as a Cal Ripken type of figure. A player who could save the game from the likes of Bonds. Selig had hoped that Rodriguez would do for this era what Ripken did when he broke Lou Gherig's consecutive games played streak in 1995. Obviously that isn't going to happen. But, punishing him for failing to live up to expectations (though there was a policy in 1997 that called for no suspension for steroid users) comes off as petty.

If Selig suspends A-Rod, then he would also have to suspend the other 103 players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. And, considering that the 2003 tests were supposed to be confidential, he would have a very hard time doing that. The other 103 names may come out eventually, but MLB cannot, as written in the CBA in 2002, 'out' those players.

Besides, Rodriguez is going to face his own jury starting when he reports to spring training. The fans. Fans outside of Yankee Stadium and their training complex in Tampa may turn A-Rod the way they turned on Bonds (most fans won't, but the vocal minority will). Alex is a very sensitive guy as well, and it's my belief he'll have a hard time playing while people hold up signs saying 'A-Roid' and 'A-Fraud.'

Rodriguez will face a different kind of jury five years after he retires from baseball as well. The Hall of Fame voters. The people who refuse to vote for Mark McGwire (who never tested positive or admitted anything) are likely to not vote for known steroid cheats like Bonds and Roger Clemens. Following that logic, it would seem unlikely that Rodriguez is going to be the exception to what has become an established (if unwritten) rule.

And, another thing to remember is that George Mitchell (The Mitchell Report) suggested that no action be taken against any of the players who were exposed on December 13, 2007. No action was.

So, the best thing Selig can do is nothing. Let nature take its course with Rodriguez.

Selig has done a lot of good for the game. He also, in my opinion, (partially) allowed The Steroid Era to occur by not doing anything. Sure, the union stopped him at every turn when he was trying to institute drug testing, but Selig also could have invoked his 'for the good of the game' clause if he had been so inclined. He wasn't.

Punishing Rodriguez after the fact would be petty, and Bud Selig is better than that.

** Check out my podcast and listen to why I think the idea of the Packers raising ticket prices across the board is a bad one. **

This Time It's For Good

So it's over. Again. For the second straight year, Brett Favre has decided to retire.

This time, I think it's for good. This time, I think Favre will stick to his decision. There will be no constant stream of rumors this time around. No rumors that he's working out. No rumors that he wants to play again.

There will be no summer full of controversy. No interview with FOX News. No bickering back and forth between Favre and the Green Bay Packers. No trade. No looking at him in a non-Packers uniform and thinking that he looks old and out of place.

It's over.

There was no teary good bye, as there was a year ago at this time. Favre has decided to stay home in Mississippi and email his retirement in. He told his agent to tell the New York Jets the year long experiment was over.

This time around, I really think Favre will do it differently. I really think he is going to stick to his decision. I don't think he'll do the talk show circuit like he did a year ago. This time, Favre is just going to lay low.

Why do I think it's over this time? Why do I think Favre is going to stick to his decision when he didn't a year ago?

Well, things are different now. For one thing, Favre was always wanted in Green Bay. Even though Jets ownership and new coach Rex Ryan have publicly stated they want Favre to return, Favre teammates haven't been as quick to come out and say the same thing. Players came out after the 2008 season ended and took Favre to task for a number of different things. That never happened in Green Bay. No teammate before Thomas Jones had ever suggested that Favre needed to be benched. The criticism that Favre took from his teammates probably hurt him more than any negative press he ever got. Favre always said he loved playing the game, that the best part of playing was having fun with the guys. The players who came out and ripped Favre obviously weren't having any fun playing with him. Favre realized that and has decided discretion is indeed the better part of valor.

Favre also dealt with something this past season that he hadn't really had to deal with before. Shoulder problems. It wasn't just that Favre was injured. He's dealt with injuries throughout his career. But never before last season had an injury caused Favre's performance to suffer. There was speculation in December that there was something wrong with his arm when he stopped making throws he used to make with ease. That speculation was confirmed shortly after the Jets' season came to an end. It's very possible Favre just didn't want to go through a rigorous rehab process. After all , Favre has struggled with his commitment over the last few years. An injury such as the one he suffered might have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Favre is also more media savvy than a lot of people want to give him credit for. There was a segment of the media that was on his side when he decided to come out of retirement last July. There were media people who believed that Favre should have been handed his old job and felt bad when the Packers drew a line in the sand and held firm. Those same media people tried to give Favre every benefit of the doubt when the trade was made to New York, and he struggled with the transition to a new team. If Favre were to reverse field again, decide to play, and play for a different team (such as the Vikings), those media members who gave Favre the benefit of the doubt will turn on him. They will call him selfish. Favre was hurt deeply by some of the criticism he took last season, and knows that another year like last year will not be good for his reputation.

So it's over. There will be no Act III. There will be no summer drama. Brett Favre's great career has come to an end.

And I'm not waffling on that stance.

Listen to my podcast and find out why it was a bad idea for Brett to come out of retirement in the first place!

Video Clips

Thanks to Dan Walsh from The Sports Bubbler, we now have video clips from my appearance on the Time Warner Sports 32 Roundtable earlier this week. Click here to check out all the clips.

Coming tomorrow: Why I think Brett Favre's re-retirement will stick this time around!

Why A-Rod Gets a Break From The Fans And Not The Media

The sports world, not just the baseball world, has been knee deep into the A-Roid scandal since Saturday. People either are shocked, sad and angry that Alex Rodriguez cheated or they give him a pass because during The Steroid Era 'everyone was doing something.'

Over the last few days I've talked to friends in the media and friends who aren't in the media about the Rodriguez story. The conclusion that I've come to is this:

Fans aren't ticked off at Rodriguez. The media is.

In fact, it might not be a stretch to say that the media is more up in arms over steroids than fans are. The evidence is there. When Mark McGwire was caught with andro in his locker eleven years ago, fans were shocked and outraged. Now, fast forward eleven years. Hundreds of players have been outed as users of performance enhancing drugs. Others have come forward and admitted using steroids. The shock value, from the fans standpoint, seems to be gone. News of a player using steroids has become routine.

By the time Roger Clemens was 'outed' by The Mitchell Report, fans had seemingly had enough. I can say this because I saw the reaction firsthand. At one time, the topic of steroids in baseball was a sure way to 'light up the phone lines.' It became, at one point, what the Pete Rose/ Hall of Fame debate used to be.

But by the time Clemens was exposed, the novelty of it all wore off. The phones weren't ringing as they once had. The lesson learned by this radio talk show host is that there is a shelf life for everything. Steroids in baseball, in terms of a talk radio topic, has become old hat. Not that the topic doesn't merit discussion. It does, even if the phones don't ring. But the outrage from the average fan isn't what it used to be.

That being said, take a look at what the columnists are writing. Take a listen to what the other radio talk show hosts are saying. They (and I am among the group in the interest of full disclosure) are ripping A-Rod apart. On the other hand, the fans seem to be saying 'What's the big deal?'

Which leads to an interesting question.

Why is the media ticked off when the fans aren't?

I think I have a clue as to why.

The media is partly responsible for building up guys like Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire. When players like that burst on to the scene, produce, and become superstars, we in the media like to think we have a hand in that by either writing good things about them or praising them on the radio. When one of these players does something we don't agree with, we in the media tend to take it personally. We in the media feel betrayed when a guy like McGwire, who was universally praised for the way he came back from years of injuries, is found out to be a product of steroids and Human Growth Hormone. As a result, we go into attack mode.

Alex Rodriguez was built up by the media to be the anti-Bonds. The savior of the game. To find out he was as dirty as anyone else, well, it comes as an insult to those of us that built him up, hoping to be the guy that forever removes the stain Bonds soiled the record books with.

While the fans go to games and enjoy what they see on the field, members of media go to games and sit in the press box working. For fans, sports is entertainment. For media, sports is a job (a great job, but still a job no matter how you slice it). It's easier for fans to be more forgiving than the media. Fans watch the game and go home. Media people watch the game and then go to work. When a story like the A-Rod scandal breaks, it makes it more work than a lot in the media want it to be. Media members tend to resent that. That resentment can lead to negativity.

Does it mean that we in the media are bad people? No. But, I just thought I'd try to explain why fans are treating A-Rod one way and the media is treating him a different way.

Click here for today's podcast: Do you want the Milwaukee Bucks to give up on the season? Listen and find out why I don't.

Do You Really Expect Ted To Change??

By now I'm pretty sure you've had enough of the Alex Rodriguez positive steroids test story. The Bucks resemble a MASH unit, and I don't want to kick them while they're down (though that was a great game against Detroit on Saturday night). The Brewers report to Arizona this week, and until they start playing the games for real the questions that have been swirling around the club since December will remain unanswered.

So it's a pretty good time to focus on the Green Bay Packers. The Pro Bowl (yes they still play the game) is in the books, meaning the 2008 season is officially over (operative word being officially). Over the next few weeks we'll see players cut, traded, and tagged. Then free agency starts.

Ah, free agency. Every Packer fan reading these words right now has talked about free agency once or twice since Ted Thompson took over as GM in January of 2005. And most Packer fans, armed with the knowledge that the team could be as much as $32M under a $130M cap, are dreaming that their favorite team signs either Julius Peppers (who wants out of Carolina), Albert Haynesworth, or Terrell Suggs. These fans are dreaming that the Packers hold a news conference where one of those players will pose with a Green and Gold jersey, smiling and shaking hands with Thompson.

It's important to remember that those are just dreams. reality is going to be very different.

Reality is this. Not only will none of those players sign with the Packers, but it's a good bet that none of those players will ever come close to signing with the Pack.

Conventional wisdom says that Thompson is going to go against what he believes, and throw money at as many free agents as possible in order to win now. Conventional wisdom says Mark Murphy didn't hire Thompson, so he has no loyalty to him, and a repeat of this past season's 6-10 mark will mean Thompson could be let go with another bad season. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Thompson signed a long term contract extension about a year ago last I checked. The Packers are not known for eating a lot of money. In the economy we live in right now, most professional sports franchises will think very hard before eating money on a contract. This fact alone means Thompson is safer than his detractors would like him to be.

Since that's the case, why would Thompson change his ways? Why would he change his view on free agency?

Do the packers have needs? Yes. There's no doubt about it. But, they had needs in 2005 after Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera left. They were replaced (originally) by Matt O'Dwyer and Adrian Klemm, a couple of free agents. To say they didn't work out would be a major understatement, and led directly to the Darryn Colledge/Jason Spitz combination the Packers have now.

In 2006, the Packers signed Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson, and Marquand Manuel as their key free agents. Woodson and Pickett worked out, but Manuel was even more of a disappointment than Klemm and O'Dwyer.

If you're keeping score, Thompson's track record on key free agents is two out of five. That's forty percent. Knowing the way Thompson thinks, the success rate (or lack thereof) justifies his desire to stay away from the big name free agents.

Another reason Thompson isn't likely to change in this, the Era of Change, is the turnover the Packers just had on their coaching staff. Out went Bob Sanders and his defensive staff. In comes Dom Capers and the 3-4. Changing the defense means Aaron Kampman will move to an Outside Linebacker spot. Changing the defense also means the Packers will need to upgrade the defensive line (specifically the ends).

But, Capers learned a lot while he was in Pittsburgh. one of those lessons was to develop your own players. The Steelers used to lose players to free agency year after year. They rarely, if ever, went out and signed a free agent to replace them. They just plugged the next guy in and watched him succeed. Thompson runs his team in very much the same manner. Capers will make do with what he has now, and with what Thompson will provide him in the draft.

The Packers also believe the collapse of the defense in 2008 was directly due to the system former co-ordinator Sanders ran. It was the classic definition of a read and react defense. No defensive player (and I've asked Gilbert Brown this question) enjoys playing in that kind of defense. Defensive players want to hit. The new system that Capers will install will do just that. It will allow them to be aggressive. The Packers would like to see how Kampman, A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, and Brady Poppinga do in a system that suits their talents before throwing money at players that may or may not work out.

I'm not saying that it's the way I'd conduct the off-season if I were in Thompson's shoes. I'm just telling you that to realistically expect the Packers to make a big splash in free agency, is, well, unrealistic.

A-Rod's Worse Than Bonds In My Book

I wasn't in search of finding a breaking news story when I took a cruise with my television remote control on Saturday morning. in fact, I just wanted to see with was on the MLB Network (I've become a big fan in the month it has been on). Imagine my surprise when I saw that MLBN was live with the news that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for using anabolic steroids in 2003.

My immediate reaction was "Et, tu, A-Rod?" I sat on my couch in stunned disbelief. I watched hours upon hours of coverage (which annoyed my wife but that's another story). This wasn't just big news. This was HUGE news. Bigger than the Bonds revelations.

And this was news I choose to believe. I know Selena Roberts, having covered many games with her over the years (we cut our teeth covering the awful New Jersey Nets of the mid 1990's). If she's reporting it, it's true. And besides, Rodriguez never denied it when Roberts confronted him with her story last week. All A-Rod did was decide to duck behind the cover of the union.

A-Rod is the best player, certainly of his generation, maybe of all time. A player that was on track to smash Bonds' steroid aided record of 762 Home Runs. A-Rod is baseball's version of Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Peyton Manning. He is bigger than the sport he plays. He's a crossover star (and that was true even before he started an affair with Madonna). In many ways, A-Rod is the game.

And now he is tainted forever. Even if he never fails another drug test, he's got the stain of steroids all over his uniform. When he breaks Bonds HR record (and he will) he'll do it with the steroid cloud hanging over him. His reputation will never recover.

Even if he decides to come clean, call a news conference and apologize, he will never get past this. Let's face it, Jason Giambi apologized for using steroids years ago. Fans forgave him. But don't tell me for a second that you (as a fan) have forgotten that Giambi's best years were helped by the use of performance enhancing drugs.

A-Rod - to some - will now and forever be considered a steroids cheat. Why? Well, for one, there's that report he failed the drug test. And secondly, because what he did hurts the game - and its fans - more than anything Barry Bonds did.

That's right. Rodriguez reportedly failing that steroids test six years ago is worse than what Bonds did.

You say you don't believe me. Well, MLB desperately wanted A-Rod to break Bonds' record. They looked at him as the clean cut boy next door type to rescue the record book from the steroids cheat MLB officials believe Bonds to be. They would have celebrated Rodriguez breaking Bonds' record in a much grander manner than they celebrated Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's record. Now they can't do it. Now Rodriguez is in the same category as Bonds is. He can't rescue the game the way MLB and Commissioner Bud Selig had hoped. And there isn't anyone else (at least that we can tell for now) that can. No one to rescue the record books from The Steroid Era.

A-Rod's positive test hurts fans more than Bonds does as well. Let's face it, Bonds has been a bad guy for most of his career. He was always a 'look at me' type of guy. He was a me guy as opposed to a team guy. Bonds proved that over and over as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates (run ins with Jim Leyland, the constant moaning and groaning about his contract). He proved it over and over as a member of the Giants. He's proved it since he's been out of the game (you can't say blacklisted, but you can think it). No fan outside of San Francisco was shocked that he was accused of doing steroids. No fan was shocked when he (in a back handed way) admitted to using the 'Cream' and 'Clear'. No fan was shocked when reports surfaced last week that the Feds had proof of a positive steroids test. Most fans didn't think Bonds was above cheating. That couldn't be said about Rodriguez.

Should we have suspected something? Maybe, considering that he did get bigger as he got older and that the Texas Rangers were one of the teams that we know had a number of different performance enhancing drugs users (Juan Gonzalez, Jose Canseco). But the growth spurt (and A-Rod is bigger than he was as a rookie, by a long shot) was written off as Rodriguez just getting older. And considering the way Rodriguez worked to get better as a ball player, he flew under the radar in terms of steroids.

But he had us fooled. All of us. That's why this hurts - not just as a media member but as a fan - way more than Bonds, McGwire, or any of the others named in The Mitchell Report.

Rodriguez was supposed to be the savior. He was supposed to do for the game after Bonds what Cal Ripken did for the game after the strike of 1994.

It turns out he's just another steroids user. It turns out he really is A-Fraud.

Tune in to the Time Warner Sports 32 Roundtable tonight. I'll be on Dennis Krause's panel!!

Check out my podcast and find out why I'll never assume any player is clean again!

A-Rod Reportedly Used Juice

Breaking News:

According to Sports Illustrated, Yankees Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. Click on the link for the entire report.

My initial reaction is one of shock. This actually hurts me as a baseball fan more than what Barry Bonds (allegedly) did. I always looked at A-Rod as the anti-Bonds.

I will have more thoughts for the blog that will be posted Monday morning, and don't forget to check out my podcast on Monday as well. There will be more there on A-Rod, too.

In the meantime, a big thumbs up to MLB Network, which is doing a great job in covering this as I write on Saturday morning. Instead of avoiding the issue, as some feared they would because it would make MLB look bad, they are attacking it head on.

Don't Turn Your Back On The Bucks

I have worked in Milwaukee since July of 2005. I have lived here since October of 2005. In that time, I have come to a number of conclusions about where the local teams rank in terms of public support.

1. Packers
2. Brewers
3. Marquette
4. Wisconsin
5. Bucks
6. Panthers

The Bucks used to be a lot higher on this list. Back in 2001, when the Bucks were making their run to the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals, the Bradley Center was the place to be. It was loud, and the Bucks actually had a home court advantage.

But the building has been a lot quieter over the last six years. The Bucks have been in a downward spiral since the Ray Allen trade nearly six years ago. This team has gone through four coaches since I started working here. There has been exactly one playoff appearance since Terry Porter was fired in June of 2005.

The low point was last year, when the Bucks were a horrible 26-56. It was a team that didn't care about pretty much anything, let alone defense. Blowout losses were routine. The low point might have been that night when Andrew Bogut made a free throw, and not ONE BUCK bothered to give him a high five or a fist bump.

After the 26-56 debacle was over, the owner - Senator Herb Kohl - cleaned house. There was a new GM, new coach, big trades, and seemingly a new direction. The result of those changes were there for everyone to see. The Bucks were a team that played defense. They were a team that competed for 48 minutes a night. The record was a hell of a lot better than it had been in the past few years. Fans started talking about the playoffs, and for a while it looked like the playoffs were more than just a dream.

But the NBA is an 82 game season, and injuries do happen. Michael Redd went down with a torn knee ligament. We won't see him again until next January. And Andrew Bogut will not miss the next eight weeks (at least) with a back injury. And now Luke Ridnour is going to miss the next four weeks after injuring his thumb in practice yesterday.

The result of those injuries - There's pretty much no air left in the balloon. The fans have stopped talking playoffs. The media has started to pay attention to 20-2 Marquette and the 2009 Milwaukee Brewers. Fans (the few die hards that are left) are on message boards talking about tanking the rest of the season.

And I say that this basketball team deserves better. MUCH better. They deserve, no NEED the fan support now maybe more than ever.

I know, most fans think it's the other way around. Most fans feel they are entitled to a good product. They feel that if the product isn't good, they have the right to dump on the team.

In some cases, I would agree with that. Last year's Bucks team was rightfully dumped on from top to bottom. This year's team doesn't.

Scott Skiles has this team competing hard every night they take the floor. Even though they lost to the Nets by fourteen earlier this week, they competed (for a little while). They have the kind of work ethic that a blue collar city such as Milwaukee should appreciate.

It would be easy for this team to fold, but Skiles won't let them. It's not in his nature.

It isn't like this team has a bunch of jerks on it. Last year's team had a point guard that decided it was a good idea to punch out an assistant coach (without any action being taken against him i might add). Last year's team had a bunch of guys who cared about nothing more than their stats and their bank account.

A lot of those players are gone. The ones that didn't want to be here (Yi) - gone. The guy that decided to punch out Tony Brown (Mo Williams) - gone. The overpaid and into his numbers Bobby Simmons - gone.

The one player that had a bad reputation that remained was Charlie Villanueva. It took a while, but Skiles got into his head and Villanueva has been playing the best basketball of his Bucks career this season.

This is also a team that, despite being under .500, has a chance to make the playoffs. Is it as good of a chance as it was a couple of weeks ago? No. But, remember that the Bucks play in the Eastern Conference, which means pretty much everyone is in contention for a playoff spot. The Nets aren't as good as they've been in years past. The Bulls are fighting with their new coach (Vinny Del Negro) and reportedly wishing their old coach (Skiles) was still there.

If GM John Hammond can somehow find a way to add a piece (besides the newly acquired Keith Bogans), - whether it's another point guard or a big man, before the NBA trading deadline on February 19th, then the outlook is going to dramatically improve.

It's not out of the realm of possibility. And besides, Hammond got someone to take Yi off his hands. He got someone to take Me Williams (not a typo) off his hands. Hell, he got someone to take on Bobby Simmons' contract! That alone should make him a contender for the Executive of the Year Award.

Are the Bucks playoff hopes on life support? Yes, but the priest hasn't been called in to give last rites just yet.

And as long as they are still alive, it would be nice if their fan base would show them some support instead of writing them off two months before the end of the regular season.

Check out my podcast and find out why I think it's a mistake for the Brewers to keep Rickie Weeks!

Just Why Is Barry Bonds Going On Trial?

I am not a fan of Barry Bonds. I think he was a fabulous player (pre-steroids) - a Hall of Fame player, actually. But, in my mind, he tarnished his legacy by injecting himself with anabolic steroids (the government claims to have proof), and using the 'Cream' and the 'Clear' given to him by Victor Conte and BALCO.

That being said, I have just one question to ask. Why are we putting Bonds on trial March second.

If you ask that to prosecutors, they will tell you they are putting Bonds on trial because he lied. Well, the last time I checked, there are a lot of people who lie. Most of them never go on trial.

For instance Rafael Palmeiro blatantly lied to Congress (perjured himself) when he said he never used steroids four years ago. Of course, it was just about four months later that he was suspended for using steroids. Palmeiro never went on trial for that (but he also will probably never get into the Hall of Fame either).
Politicians lie every day. No one is putting them on trial. Lawyers lie every day, and I don't see them being indicted.

So, again, why are we putting Barry Bonds on trial next month?

Is convicting him going to accomplish anything? No. Neither is sending him to jail. It bothers me that my tax dollars would wind up going towards giving Bonds his 'three hots and a cot.' My tax dollars would also go towards trying to convict him, and I just happen to think that my tax money would be better used by, oh, maybe trying to fix the mess that our economy has become.

The only reason Bonds is going to go on trial is because the Feds are ticked off that he lied to them. The old saying goes that you can't 'mess with the Feds.' Well, that might have been what Bonds did, and now they want their pound of flesh.

I just don't understand what good putting Bonds in jail is going to do here. Is it going to erase the fact that he put performance enhancing drugs into his body? No. Is it going to erase the fact that he holds baseball's most hallowed record with 762 home runs? No. Trying him, convicting him, and jailing him doesn't do anything to erase that.

You can't change history. For instance, the NCAA record books do not recognize that Michigan's Fab Five for to The Final Four in the early 1990's. But, it doesn't change the fact that we all watched Chris Webber call timeout against North Carolina, right?

Bonds cheated. If you read 'Game of Shadows' you believe that to be fact. If you read Jeff Pearlman's book on Bonds, you believe it to be fact. But, despite what we wanted, Bonds did break Hank Aaron's record. He might have done it with the aid of chemicals, but he did it. No trial, conviction, or jail time is going to change that.

Bonds has become a pathetic figure over the last couple of years. the eroding skills. The creaky bones that kept him off the field more often than not. The fact that he can't seem to accept that his baseball career is over.

And let's face it. His career is over. He is never going to put on a big league uniform again. Thanks to the intense media scrutiny of the last few years, there's a good chance he will never even make it into the Hall of Fame (if Mark McGwire isn't in then Bonds and Roger Clemens shouldn't get in either). And you know what? that's good enough for me.

That will be my pound of flesh as a fan. Keep him out of the Hall. That's the way to hurt him.

Let's face it. If Bonds gets convicted (which might be a tough thing to do in San Francisco - where he is beloved), then what kind of jail are you going to put him in? Maximum security? Please! If Bonds goes to jail, it will be a country club type of jail. What kind of punishment is that.

Keeping him out of the Hall hurts him. It will hurt him bad. Bonds has always wanted to be known as the best of all time. He will have a tough time saying it if he isn't in Cooperstown.

Being a Hall of Famer also has its financial rewards. His autograph will be worth more. His baseball cards will be worth more. Any Bonds memorabilia will be worth more if the term 'Hall of Famer' can be connected to it. Without it, Bonds gets hit in the pocket book. And, at this point of his life, with his baseball career over, I'm fine with hurting him like that.

I am not saying that I forgive Bonds for cheating the game. I am not saying I forgive him for robbing the fans of the chance to watch him chase Aaron without chemicals. I am saying that for every crime their is a punishment. And those punishments must be consistent with the crime.

Putting him in jail would not be consistent for the crime. Lying? Let's be real. We had a President of the United States lie about an affair. He didn't go to jail. Nobody put him on trial (in criminal court).

The government comes off as petty by going after Bonds. They would be better off letting Bonds twist in the wind as he has done for the last year. Hall of Fame voters could get their pound of flesh by voting 'No' every year in which Bonds' name appears on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Leave Bonds and the other steroid cheats like Clemens alone. Leave them to rot on the outside of Cooperstown looking in. I can't think of a better punishment than that.

Check out my podcast today: Who deserves more credit for Marquette's 20-2 start - Buzz Williams or the players?

Ramirez Was Right To Say 'No' To Dodgers

It is February 4th, and Manny Ramirez still doesn't have a team to play baseball for. Who would have thought that would happen. Then again, who would have thought we'd be less than two weeks away from pitchers and catchers, and there are still quality players (Adam Dunn, Orlando Hudson, Bobby Abreu, Joe Crede, Ben Sheets, and Randy Wolf) on the open market? That just shows you the effect the recession has had on the economy in big league baseball.

But then again, it's not like teams haven't tried to sign Man Ram. OK, make that team (the Giants were probably not serious about their pursuit). The Dodgers offered him a two-year deal early on in the free agent process, and he rejected it.

Then, after months went by without another serious offer coming in, the Dodgers tried again. A one-year deal worth $25M. A deal that would have made Man Ram the highest paid outfielder in baseball history. A deal that Ramirez and agent Scott Boras rejected.

Most of you probably think that Ramirez is a little nuts for turning down that kind of cash. Most of you probably think Ramirez is just pulling yet another of his stunts. Most of you would be wrong.

This isn't, and has never been, about money for Ramirez. The guy's got more money than he needs after signing a $160M deal with the Red Sox after the 2000 season. Man Ram is a guy that once left his paycheck in his car without caring if someone broke in to steal it (true story). He also isn't a guy that ever complained he was underpaid. All he ever wanted to do was play ball and 'be Manny.'

What this is about (if it's not money) is simply length of contract. The Dodgers offered Ramirez a one year deal. Ramirez is looking for a multi year deal (four years in case you are wondering). Privately, Man Ram knows he won't get that kind of deal (simply because of his age and fears that he may break down before he earns all the cash that would come with a long term deal). One would have to think Ramirez would settle for a deal in the three year range (or a two-year deal with an option for a third year).

The problem is, he hasn't gotten that kind of offer. And I can't figure out why.

Is Man Ram a flake? Absolutely. But he can flat out hit the ball. A career .314 hitter with 527 HR's. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Most teams would kill to have that kind of production, and would forgive any flakiness that comes along with it.

Sure, Manny has a fragile ego, and needs to be told he's loved more times than most people need it. But (and this goes for all walks of life, not just baseball), all the greats have their little idiosyncrasies.

Ultimately, the Dodgers should be ashamed of themselves here. Would the Dodgers have made the playoffs if they hadn't made the move for Man Ram? Probably not. All the guy did in 53 games was hit nearly .400 with 17 homers and 53 RBI. You would think the Dodgers would show more loyalty to a guy that carried them to the post-season. Isn't winning all that counts in this day and age?

Instead of rewarding Ramirez, the Dodgers are insulting him. If they really think that Dunn or even Bobby Abreu can give them what Ramirez did last season, then they must be on the same stuff Michael Phelps was caught toking up with. Abreu is a nice player, but he doesn't carry a team. He's a complimentary part. Dunn hits homers and drives in runs, but his defense is lacking, and his high number of strikeouts are a big reason while he is still looking for work.

Ramirez doesn't have those kind of weaknesses. His biggest weakness is that he's wacky. Big deal. Wacky got the Dodgers to the playoffs last year. Wacky ought to be shown a little bit of loyalty.

Because if the Dodgers won't, someone will before the games count for real.

Check out my podcast today and find out why Bucks fans are wrong to be down on Andrew Bogut!