Sports Bytes (Jan 29, 2010)

Top Rank President Bob Arum is trying to have Antonio Margarito's suspension lifted so that he can fight on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard at Cowboys Stadium on March 13. Margarito was suspended for one year after it was discovered that he used an illegal substance on his hand wraps prior to his nine-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley. The Association of Boxing Commissioners has not commented on Arum's efforts to sway the Texas Commission. "This is to clarify that the ABC has had no official contact with the Texas Boxing and Wrestling Commission. The ABC has not issued any correspondence in reference to this matter," said ABC President Tim Lueckenhoff . . . Texas would be crazy to unilaterally lift Margarito's suspension. They are still smarting from the criticism they received following the questionable judging in the Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi bout in August 2009. Texas judge Gale Van Hoy scored the bout in favor of fellow Texan Diaz by the shockingly lopsided score of 118-110 . . . The Texas commission is a free-wheeling, independently-minded commission, so it will not surprise me if they do lift Margarito's suspension. I once had my own confrontation with them while Public Relations Director of Main Events. It was on July 17, 2004 and Kermit Cintron was battling Teddy Reid. More than once Reid hit Cintron late and was not warned or penalized. I berated the referee and was tossed from ringside by the commission. You would have thought I was John Dilinger considering the efforts of security to keep me outside of the ring area. LOL. It was very funny . . . And I do not regret yelling at the ref . . .

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports reports that a deal announcing Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley is imminent . . . If Mosley forces the action it could make for an entertaining bout since both fighters possess blazing hand speed. I give Mayweather the edge because of his youth and because he is as fundamentally a sound boxer as Bernard Hopkins. Mosley is a future Hall of Famer who has been blessed with great natural abilities, but technical expertise is not one of his strengths. Mayweather by decision . . .

Want to know why athletes seemingly invite trouble without caring about the consequences? Here is one reason. Yesterday's ESPN.com poll asked respondents, "What do you think of the NBA suspending Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittendon for the remainder of the season?" Astoundingly, of the 123,297 people who answered, 62% said the punishment was just right. Just right? Arenas stores guns in his locker and re-enacts the OK Corral by allegedly drawing his guns on Crittendon, and fans are satisfied with a half-season suspension. Pathetic. Let's face it. Professional athletes know that rarely are they held fully accountable for their actions. The public complains that athletes are treated like royalty. Yet, when a disgraceful punishment is levied against an athlete we roll over and say it was "Just Right". We have no one to blame but ourselves . . .

Funny column by Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist John Gonzalez who offers his list of "Sports Figures I'd Like To Taser" . . .

Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke is the latest to whine about the NFL Overtime Rules. "It's not fair." It's "the worst rule in American sports". . . Blah, blah, blah. Hey Bill, if a team doesn't want to lose on the opening overtime drive, here's a novel suggestion: play some defense. If a defense can't stop its opponent for one drive, that team doesn't deserve to win . . .

Terrell Owens never fails to offer "interesting" insights. Yesterday Owens told USA that the only thing separating him from Jerry Rice's receiving records is that he never had great QBs to work with. "I know hands-down I'd be close to Jerry Rice's records if I had been with quality quarterbacks like he had." Who are some of the QBs he considers great? Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees . . . I wonder if Owens cried when talking about his past quarterbacks . . .

Johnny Damon must feel like the kid at a birthday party who is left without a chair to sit-in when the music stops . . .

The wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson wants to kick and punt in the Pro Bowl. Just what the NFL needs, one more reason to take its All-Star Game even less seriously . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 28, 2010)

Former world heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe wants to return to the ring to fight Juan Carlos Gomez. Bowe is 42 years old and shot. Having been around Bowe at assorted press conferences, there is little doubt that a boxing ring is the last place he belongs. Any commissioner who sanctions a Bowe fight should be fired and should face criminal charges . . .

Kurt Warner is expected to announce his retirement Friday. Too bad. He still has plenty left in the tank . . .

Former NY Mets security guard "Gerald Tacopino pleaded guilty Wednesday to taking Shea Stadium bases and seats while he was supposed to be looking for looters during last year's demolition." Tacopino says he found the bases laying in a pile of garbage and assumed they were worthless. After confiscating the bases he sold them on e-Bay for $842.50. As part of his plea he agreed to repay the $842.50 and to accept a one-year banishment from Citi Field. I don't know why the Mets are so upset. It's not like their hitters used second and third base very often last year . . . Good news for the Mets: Ace Johan Santana threw a successful bullpen session at the team's minicamp . . .

The NY Giants hired 10-year NFL veteran Robert Nunn as defensive line coach. Nunn has worked with the Buccaneers, Packers, Dolphins and Redskins. New Giants def coordinator Perry Fewell reports that Nunn comes highly-recommended, but then again what else is he supposed to say? "We hired someone who nobody recommended?" . . .

ESPN.com asked, "In hindsight, who had the worst gaffe for the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game? Of the 39,600 respondents, 45% said Adrian Peterson's repeated fumbles. Only 35% said Brett Favre's interception late in the 4th quarter. The responses reflect Favre's popularity. Sure Peterson performed terribly, coughing up the ball more often than Old Faithful spews in a 24-hour period. But just because a gaffe happens several times doesn't make it the worst. Despite Peterson's fumbles the Vikes were only yards away from attempting a game-winning field goal. That all ended when Favre threw the interception instead of sprinting down the empty sideline to get deeper into field goal territory. Hence, Favre's gaffe was the biggest . . .

So an NBA player stores guns in his locker, allegedly draws one and points it at his teammate, and all he receives is a half-season suspension? I guess Gilbert Arenas would have had to pull the trigger to get a full-year ban . . .

ESPN.com's John Clayton selected Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison's 100 yard interception return for a TD in last year's Super Bowl as the "Greatest Super Bowl Play" ever. It was a fine play but it it is not in the same league as NY Giants WR David Tyree's catch against the undefeated Patriots in 2007." Harrison's interception showed a great deal of individual effort, but it happened at the end of the first half. Compare that with Tyree's acrobatic catch, which took place with only :59 left in the game on a drive that ended the Patriots dreams of a perfect season. No comparison. Yet, Tyree's catch was only fourth on Clayton's list . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 27, 2010)

Looks like the equipment guys are getting the last laugh. That is if they work for the Jets. We sports fans mock them for carrying around the players' jock straps, joking that they are on the same level as the "Piss Boy" from Mel Brooks' classic film "History of the World". But today the equipment guys can sneer at us. According to www.sportscracklepop.com, Rick's Cabaret's dancers (strippers) "are offering free lap dances to the entire Jets team” as a way to "raise" the spirits of Gang Green following its AFC Championship loss to the Colts. Hey, to me "entire Jets team" means everyone, including the equipment staff, janitorial staff, public relations, team bus driver, etc . . . (Kudos to SI.com for bringing it to our attention)

ESPN.com's demographic skews toward the younger generations (teens and people in their 20s) so it's interesting reviewing the results of the site's daily polls. Case in point: One of today's featured questions asked which team do you most associate Andre Dawson with: the Cubs or the Expos? With 20,161 votes tallied, 61% said the Cubs. I wonder how many of those respondents know that Dawson spent almost twice as many years in Montreal (11 years) as he did in Chicago (6 years)? Since many of them are probably under 30, they probably never saw Dawson in an Expos uniform . . . The Baseball Hall of Fame has decided that Dawson will enter as an Expo . . .

Somewhere, Brett Favre just threw another interception . . .

Excuse me as I climb off the floor. I just read a Joe Girardi paraphrase in the NY Daily News reporting that "the Yankee brass will discuss in spring training whether Curtis Granderson or Brett Gardner would be the team's center fielder." Discuss? What's to discuss? Brett Gardner is not an everyday player. The guy cannot hit his weight. Granderson should be the starting centerfielder with Gardener platooning in left field . . . Bringing back Damon is starting to look like a better idea . . .

Someone should tell the Nets that they may be in trouble since they've played half an NBA season and still have fewer wins than they have fingers on one hand . . .

There are those who have not and will not donate money to the Haiti relief effort because they are skeptical as to whether the victims will actually receive the funds. I don't blame those people considering what has happened in the past. I remember reading somewhere that much of the revenue generated from the 1985 song "We are the World" never actually made it to the starving Ethiopians. Allegedly the Ethiopian government grabbed most of it for themselves. In Haiti machete-carrying marauders have seized some of the donated items to sell on the black market. It is a serious concern that has caused many people to balk at offering financial assistance. Former NBA journeyman and Iowa State power forward Paul Shirley, however, has different reasons for not donating to the Haitian relief efforts: "If I use history as my guide, I don't think the people of Haiti will do much with my money." Shirley announced his position in an article for www.flipcollective.com. If you want a hint as to how he truly feels about the earthquake-devastated nation, his Op-Ed contains an imaginary article that he would write to the Haitian people. This is how the letter begins: "First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded". Geesh . . . Objectively speaking Shirley is right to question why Haiti never seems to progress. But now is not the time for objectivity. Schedule your think-tanks later; focus now on rescuing the world's most sacred and precious commodity: human lives . . .

Are there any Mets fans who don't believe the organization should have jettisoned GM Omar Minaya as soon as the final out of Game 162 was completed? . . .

Newly-hired NY Giants def coordinator Perry Fewell says he sees "a very talented defense". Huh? Someone better review the films Fewell was given. It appears he was watching the 2007 team films . . . If Fewell doesn't plan to make many changes, Giants fans may want to hold off on the "Wait Till Next Year" chants.


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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 26, 2010)

Grant Desme earned MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League by hitting 30 home runs and driving in 89 runs for his Class-A ball club. But the next time Desme says he's stepping up to the plate, he'll be talking about a very different type of plate--the collection plate. Desme has left professional baseball to join the priesthood. The Oakland A's outfield prospect explained his decision as follows: "I was doing well at ball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things. I wasn't at peace with where I was at." How ironic that a man accustomed to doing the "calling" (for fly balls) has now himself been "called" . . .


Another shot fighter is returning to the ring. Three-time world champion Erik Morales either has a very short memory or he is strapped for cash. Morales retired after losing his last four bouts and five of his last six. Following his loss to David Diaz, Morales acknowledged, "That's it. No more fighting. I am done. Too many punches, particularly to the head area." Someone should replay that interview for Erik . . .

Brett Favre says it is "highly unlikely" that he will return for the 2010 season . . . Sure it is . . . It'll be highly unlikely until the end of training camp. And then Favre will decide to play again--just for one more year . . .

I didn't think it was possible for the Pro Bowl to become more irrelevant than it already is, but the NFL proved me wrong. By moving the Pro Bowl to the week prior to the Super Bowl, the NFL has assured that Super Bowl participants will not be available. What does that mean this year? Forget the two starting QBs Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Forget an AFC starting wide receiver and tight end (Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark). A here are a few other recognizable names you won't be watching: DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis; MLB Jonathan Vilma; and safeties Darren Sharper, Roman Harper and Antoine Bethea . . . And that list doesn't include the four offensive linemen (three from the Saints and one from the Colts) who will also not participate . . Sorry, Roger Goodell, but I think the change in date will hurt your Pro Bowl ratings more than help it . . .

Chargers RB Ladainian Tomlinson is upset about the limited number of carries he received this year. After watching Tomlinson's ineffectiveness in the Chargers' divisional playoff game against the Jets, he should be happy he received as many carries as he did. Sadly, Tomlinson looks done . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 25, 2010)

NFL Championship Weekend Wrap-Up

Indianapolis vs. NY Jets: The better team won. After falling behind 17-6 the Colts shifted into high gear and scored 24 unanswered points against the NFL's #1 ranked defense. That is pretty much the story in a nutshell. Here are some other thoughts:

• Mark Sanchez was excellent. In fact, he was the best player on the field for the Jets. He threw two TDs in the first half, the first of which was an 80 yd pass to Braylon Edwards that was as perfect a throw as you can make . . .
• The Jets defense fell apart. They made mistakes yesterday that they hadn't made all season. They missed tackles, blew assignments, and even had difficulty stopping the run against a team that was last in the NFL in rushing . . .
• There is a Bud Light "Too Light, Too Heavy" commercial about two guys playing paintball. In the "Too Heavy" portion of the ad, one shooter is strafed with blue pellets by F-16s flying overhead. Jets cornerback Dwight Lowery was picked on by Manning so often that if Peyton's passes were blue pellets, Lowery would have looked like the guy from the commercial . . .
  
• That Colts offensive line is incredible. The Jets sacked Manning twice by the 6:13 mark of the 1st quarter, but never got near him again for the rest of the game . . .
• Momentum shifted permanently in the Colts favor in the final drive of the first half. Four plays and 80 yds in only :58. The TD cut the Jets lead to 17-13 . . .
• Want to know why Peyton Manning is as good as he is? Ahead 30-17 with only 2:22 remaining in the game, Manning was still sitting on the bench reviewing photos of the Jets defense . . .
• C'mon, Jay! You, too? Jets K Jay Feely joined the ranks of Shaun Suisham and Nate Kaeding by missing multiple field goals. The six points he surrendered would have kept the Jets withing striking distance of Indianapolis . . .
• Would it have made a difference if Jets RB Shonn Greene had not been injured? I don't think so. The Jets offense repeatedly committed penalties that put them into 2nd or 3rd-and-long situations. When you make those mistakes it doesn't matter who your running back is . . .

New Orleans vs. Minnesota: Classic Brett Favre. Prior to the game FOX analyst Terry Bradshaw said he believes Brett Favre is the best quarterback to ever play the game. Favre's performance in his last two NFC Championship games is why I cannot even consider him among the top-five best QBs of all-time. It is as inevitable as taxes that at some point in a game Favre will throw at least one silly pass up for grabs. He did it in overtime against the Giants in the 2007 championship game, and he followed it up yesterday by doing it in New Orleans with less than a minute remaining in the 4th quarter. Despite all the fumbles and the penalties, the Vikings were in a position to win the game. Even with the injured leg, if Favre had continued running after rolling out to his right he had enough room to get the Vikings back into field goal territory. Instead, he threw across his body into the middle of the field where he was intercepted by Tracy Porter. It was a rookie mistake made by a guy who has been in the NFL for nearly two decades.

Some other ideas about the game:

• Favre's 4th quarter interception was his second of the game. His first pick was just as careless. With 1:59 remaining in the 3rd quarter and the Vikings on their own 31 yd line, Favre tried to squeeze a pass into triple coverage. The Saints intercepted it and converted it into a TD moments later . . .
• Adrian Peterson may want to consider changing his name from Peterson to Muncie. Peterson fumbled three times. (Although the stat sheet lists Favre as the fumbler on the errant hand-off, it looked to me like it was more Peterson's fault) . . .
• Although they did recover several of them, the Vikings fumbled six times . . .
• The Vikings defense held the Saints to only 77 yards in the second half, and only 24 of those yards came in the 4th quarter . . .
• Phenomenal job of pass protection by the Saints offensive line. Brees was sacked only once in the game and was rarely hit after throwing. It was a very impressive performance . . .
• The Vikings were penalized twice on the Saints overtime drive . . .
• How does a team allow itself to be penalized for 12 men in a huddle when they have just entered the outskirts of field goal territory and are on the verge of winning the NFC Championship? One of the all-time biggest bone-headed plays . . .
• FOX broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck disagreed on whether Saints DE Anthony Hargrove should have been penalized for a personal foul on his a 3rd quarter hit to Favre. Officials ruled that Hargrove drove Favre into the ground. Aikman disagreed with the call. Buck supported it. I agree with Buck. It looked as if Hargrove lifted Favre for the purpose of driving him into the turf . . .
• I don't think I've ever seen a game where so many fumbles were recovered by the fumbling team . . .
• Every game is different, but it is difficult to imagine either of yesterday's NFC teams beating the Colts in Miami. Both the Saints and the Vikings were sloppy and unprofessional . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 22, 2010)

NFL Championship Weekend Predictions

• Indianapolis vs NY - It's only fitting that these are the two teams battling for the AFC crown since the Jets were the first team to defeat the Colts this season (regardless of who was on the field at the time). Rex Ryan's "limit mistakes" strategy has worked well for the Jets this postseason. Running the ball and playing stingy defense will usually keep a team in striking distance of its opponent. The question is will it work against the Colts? If the Jets were playing any other team this week, I would pick them to win. But as much as I like their style of play and I admire what they have accomplished, I can't see them shutting down Manning enough to win. It may not happen early in the game. It may not even happen until the final drive of the game. But at some point Manning will erupt and throw the big pass that lifts the Colts to victory . . . But it won't be easy . . .
• New Orleans vs. Minnesota - Minnesota was 9-0 at home this season (including last week's victory over the Cowboys), but were a mediocre 4-4 on the road. And as if playing in the NFC Championships is not stressful enough for Brett Favre and company, they will also have to contend with a very loud New Orleans crowd. Screaming fans in an indoor arena can wreak havoc on a visiting offense's ability to execute its game plan. And let's not forget that this Saints team was 13-0 at one point in the season. So I am predicting a New Orleans victory, correct? No. The Vikings will control the line of scrimmage with their running game. (Want to quiet a crowd? Ram the ball down the home team's throats and you'll soon hear crickets chirping) And although the Saints offense put on an aerial show last week, I am convinced that my neighborhood Pop Warner team could have done the same against that Cardinals defense. The Saints offense will score some points, but the Vikings' pass rush will limit the damage. As far Minnesota's road problems, I don't consider Sunday's match-up a true road game. Other than the hostile crowd what's the difference between the Superdome and the Metrodome? It's not like the Vikings will have to contend with unusual elements, such as intense winds or extreme cold. In other words, a dome is a dome. The game will stay close throughout, but a key sack or a forced turnover by the Vikings defense will seal the win . . . Blow that horn, Ragnar!!
  

Glad to hear the Cowboys extended Wade Phillips' contract through 2011. Phillips led the team to an 11-5 record and to a wildcard victory over the Eagles. It was the Cowboys first postseason win since 1996. Under Phillips tenure the Cowboys are 34-17 . . .

ESPN.com posted a photo of a smiling Rex Ryan with his arm around his father, Buddy. When I saw the picture I was reminded of something Buddy said years ago while coaching the Eagles. Ryan was asked by a reporter what he thought about the fans booing a decision he had made. Ryan responded, "The day you start worrying about what the people in the seats are thinking is the day you find yourself sitting up there with them" . . . LOL

Get ready because it won't be long before NASCAR suffers a disaster. In an effort to stem its lagging attendance figures and its sinking television ratings, NASCAR will now allow "bump-drafting at Daytona and Talladega and more contact on the race track." That's smart. Let's spice-up racing by putting drivers' lives in greater danger. More collisions are needed! More fireballs! . . . This will blow up in NASCAR's face . . .

Want to know the state of women's tennis? The sport's most newsworthy story is whether or not Venus Williams was wearing underwear during one of her recent matches . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 21, 2010)

Spare me. ESPN and ABC force-fed more cross-promotion onto viewers Tuesday as ESPN football analyst Tim Hasselbeck and his wife, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of the morning program The View, switched places. Elisabeth went on "NFL Live" and "SportsCenter" and gave her NFL picks, while Tim will visit "The View" on Jan 28 and spend the hour interrupting the other three hosts since that is what the four women on the program usually do. I like Elisabeth and I give her credit for defending her conservative positions on "The View", but what's next, Minka Kelly giving batting tips? . . .

The Dallas Cowboys must be taking lessons from President Obama's staff. Yesterday, the Cowboys denied that Wade Phillips was offered an extension. The only problem is that the rumor was first announced on the Cowboys' website . . .

Looks like Jack Clark's recent tirade against steroid/HGH using MLB players may have started a trend. Yesterday, Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk ripped Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. Fisk blasted McGwire for insisting that steroid use did not inflate his home run totals: "That's a crock. There's a reason they call it performance-enhancing drugs. That's what it does -- performance enhancement." The former Red Sox catcher also showed no sympathy for McGwire's excuse that he needed steroids to recover from injuries: "Try having your knees operated on and catching for 30 years. Do you think you feel good when you go out there? [McGwire] had to stand around and play first base. So excuuuuuse me". . . Fisk wasn't any more diplomatic on the subject of Roger Clemens: "The reason he got let go from the Red Sox [after the 1996 season] was because he was starting to break down. . . . Then all of a sudden he goes to Toronto and he wants to show somebody something. Then he gets two consecutive Cy Young Awards [in '97 and '98]. Come on, give me a bucket" . . . Couldn't have said it better myself . . .

When I read that Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were elected into the NY Mets Hall of Fame, I was reminded of my first visit to Citi Field last season. As I walked to my seat in left field, I was struck by how generic the stadium is. Don't get me wrong, I like the shape of the field and its dimensions very much, but the stadium itself contains very few visuals about the organization. For instance, instead of containing a panorama of former Mets stars, the rotunda is a paean to Jackie Robinson, who never played for the Mets. Looking around the field itself for a visible Mets presence is just as futile. The lone Mets signage I saw was the team's logo broadcast on the centerfield scoreboard. Perhaps now that two more players have been added to the team's Hall of Fame the Wilpons will make a concerted effort to "Mets-ify" the stadium. I'm not even a Mets fan and the lack of visible pride bothers me. An organization that has won two World Series and played in two others has plenty of history to embrace . . .

(P.S. I know the rotunda was designed to honor Robinson as MLB's first black player, but my question is, why is honoring Robinson the Mets' responsibility? Shouldn't that be the responsibility of Major League Baseball? Some try to rationalize the rotunda decision by saying that although Robinson didn't play for the Mets, he did play for a New York National League baseball team-the Brooklyn Dodgers. My response is that Willie Mays would have been a more appropriate choice since he not only played for a New York National League team--the NY Giants--he also played for the Mets)

Let's cut Tiger Woods some slack. If he is honestly trying to get some professional help, following him around to land "Gotcha" photos is sordid. I am usually one of the first to scoff at celebrities and their bogus "treatment programs", but let's remember that Woods is not "recovering" in Hollywood. He is in Mississippi--hardly a red carpet town . . .

Last night I watched round 15 of Larry Holmes-Ken Norton on You Tube. I still think it is the greatest round in heavyweight history . . .

Even though I am not a Jets fan I would enjoy seeing Gang Green bury Brett Favre, especially after the way he treated the organization . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 20, 2010)

Critics of the NFL's past hiring practices argued that it was discriminatory against minority coaches and executives. In 2003 The Rooney Rule was instituted, which "requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operations opportunities". The rule means well and it has increased minority hirings, but I think it ignores the real problem with the NFL's hiring practices. The league suffers from a "Good-Ole-Boy" complex. How often do you see the same coaches being recycled, many of whom were unsuccessful in prior stints? Case in point: The Buffalo Bills have hired Chan Gailey as their new head coach.

Why?

What in Gailey's past convinced Buffalo management that he is the guy to lead the organization back to prominence? Gailey has been a successful coordinator, but in his one opportunity as head coach of the Cowboys, Dallas failed to win a playoff game. Apparently to ESPN.com the Bills were having difficulty finding another "name" coach and Gailey came highly-recommended by Bill Cowher. Make no mistake about it. Hiring Gailey was a "save your butt" decision. Should the Bills fail to return to the postseason, management can save their jobs by arguing, "Hey, we hired a guy with a lot of experience who came highly-recommended by a Super Bowl-winning head coach." They don't have that luxury if they hire an unproven football coach, even if he is the greatest football mind since Bill Walsh. It's difficult to bring new blood into a sport, whether black or white, when the decision-makers are frightened into playing it safe . . .

Apparently, just hours before the Chargers-Jets game, San Diego wide receiver Vincent Jackson was stopped by police because of how loud he was playing his music in his car. The San Diego Union-Tribune says that "Jackson was cited for driving with a suspended license and expired tags", and that he was briefly handcuffed . . . But did he kick the citations when they were given?

I guess it's good that Pacquiao will battle Clottey at Cowboys Stadium since nothing else will be going on there for some time . . .

Hall of Famer Jim Brown says he thinks LeBron James should remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now there's a shock . . .

"Pants on the Ground" is my new favorite song . . .

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Linecum certainly understands his value. Linecum has asked an arbitrator for a record contract of $13 million. The Giants responded with an offer of $8 million. Let me make it easier for the arbitrator: when a kid wins back-to-back CY Young Awards in his first two full seasons, he is worth every bit of $13 million . . . Have any doubts? Imagine the amount of money teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox would be offering him in the open market . .

You have to wonder why the Red Sox are not signing Jason Papelbon to more than a one-year contract, especially considering Papelbon's admission a few weeks ago that he would entertain a multi-year deal. Does management doubt the reliever's shelf-life? Paplebon's $9.35 million guarantee is steep, but wouldn't they want to tie-up one of the league's premiere closers? Perhaps GM Theo Epstein doesn't want to risk a multi-year deal . . . Just a thought . . .


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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 19, 2010)

Apparently former MLB infielder Jose Offerman is in dire need of Xanax--and in large doses. Offerman, who in 2007 hit an independent league catcher in the head with a baseball bat after being plunked by the opposing pitcher, is now in trouble for throwing a punch at a Dominican Winter Baseball League umpire. The league has understandably banned Offerman for life . . . Not to make light of Offerman's actions, but the video of the incident is comical. It looks like a re-enactment of the 1996 Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon bout. Both Seldon and umpire Daniel Rayburn hit the floor without being struck by a punch . . .

Undefeated WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto has decided to withdraw from his January 30 bout against Shane Mosley because of the tragedy in Haiti. Berto is a Haitian-American who represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympics. Berto cited mental and physical exhaustion as the reason for calling off the bout. In a released statement he said the following: "I lost several family members to the earthquake and after two days without word, was relieved to learn that my sister, Naomi and her daughter, Jessica survived, but were left homeless. I have seen the pain in my parents’ eyes as they attempt to understand what has happened to our homeland and recognize a place they once called home" . . . Our prayers are with Berto . . . Since Berto's withdrawal rumors have surfaced that Mosley may next battle Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Since Mosley and Mayweather are both affiliated with Golden Boy Promotions, the bout should be easy to negotiate if both fighters want it. At the very least it has to be easier than negotiations were for Mayweather-Pacquiao . . .

The stars are aligning for a Jets vs Favre Super Bowl . . .

A great shirt was worn by a fan at the Chargers-Jets game: John3:16shirts.com . . . Tremendous . . .

With less than three minutes to play in the Jets-Chargers game, Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson made a difficult catch on the sideline. Jets coach Rex Ryan threw his red flag to challenge the official's call, and Jackson responded by kicking the red flag, which drew a yellow flag. CBS analyst Phil Simms thought the official who flagged Jackson should have let him slide because of the intensity of the moment. I don't agree. If you do something bone-headed like that, you deserve to be penalized. Jackson's ill-advised kick was emblematic of the Chargers' unprofessional attitude since the opening kickoff . . .

I know he can sometimes sound pro-Cowboys, but I think Troy Aikman is the best football color commentator in broadcasting today. He is insightful and he recognizes that viewers are tuned in because of the game and not because of him . . .

Cardinals defenders should not worry about their futures. Even if they are released by Arizona they can find jobs as TSA airport officials . . .

I am sure I saw Ragnar, the Minnesota Vikings mascot, preaching about Judgment Day in NYC's Bryant Park . . .

NY Knicks guard Nate Robinson has announced that on Feb 13 he will attempt to win the NBA's slam-dunk contest for a record three times . . . That's what I said: Who cares? . . .

Had the Cowboys won Sunday who do you think FOX would have given more camera time next week, Kim Kardashian or Jerry Jones? . . .

You have to love former slugger Jack Clark's honesty with respect to MLB players and steroids: "All those guys are cheaters -- A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez]. Fake, phony. Rafael Palmeiro. Fake, a phony. [Roger] Clemens, [Barry] Bonds. [Sammy] Sosa. Fakes. Phonies. They don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame." I have a feeling that many other players feel similarly, but are uncomfortable broadcasting it to the public . . .

Excellent article in the NY Daily News by Bill Madden about small-market clubs feasting on luxury tax money. Boston Red Sox owner John Henry was quoted in an e-mail stating the following: "Change is needed and that is reflected by the fact that over a billion dollars have been paid to seven chronically uncompetitive teams, five of whom have had baseball's highest operating profits" . . . In other words think twice the next time you hear small market clubs cry about their financial burdens and about how they are at a constant competitive disadvantage . . .

Not happy with China's human rights record or with their dumping of inexpensive, low-quality products on our store shelves? Not to worry. Payback for both will begin shortly and it will not be in the form of tariffs or sanctions. It will be in the form of Stephon Marbury. Former NY Knick Stephon Marbury has signed a contract with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanxi Club. . . Consider the Chinese paid back in full . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 18, 2010)

NFL Divisional Playoff Round Wrap-Up

Jets over Chargers - Pathetic is the word that best describes the Chargers performance yesterday. Unprofessional is another. I could go on, but I won't:

• The Chargers were penalized 10 times in the game. They were flagged repeatedly for false starts and for unnecessary roughness--stupid penalties attributable only to a lack of focus and discipline. In their first three drives of the game, the Chargers committed two false starts and a delay of game, snapped the ball over the head of QB Philip Rivers, and missed a 36 yard field goal . . . Oh, and by the end of the first quarter they had already wasted two timeouts . . .
• Head coach Norv Turner and his staff were outcoached. This is a team that was 4th in the NFL in points per game (28.4 pts) and 5th in passing yards (271.1 yards). Yet, instead of capitalizing on their downfield passing strengths, the Chargers play-calling was conservative and gave the impression that the staff was more concerned with not losing than with winning. Rather than allow Rivers to air it out, the Chargers relied on dump-off passes that netted little yardage. And one of the few times they allowed Rivers to throw downfield was when they were camped-out on their own four yard line. Rivers threw it to an unsuspecting Gates and it was intercepted by Jim Leonhard . . .
• Losing by three points at home in the 4th quarter and in desperate need of reclaiming possession of the ball, how do the Chargers allow Shonn Greene to break several tackles and escape for a 53 yd TD run? Unbelievable . . .
• At the 10:41 mark of the 4th quarter, the Chargers only had 28 yds of total offense in the second half . . . They also only had four yards rushing . . .
• Who was laughing harder after this game, Daniel Snyder or Drew Brees? Redskins owner Snyder has received snide criticism recently from people like Jimmy Johnson for having fired Norv Turner years ago. Who's laughing now, Jimmy? . . . Drew Brees was once a Charger. He left San Diego when management made it clear that Rivers was the future of the organization . .
• You spend training camp killing yourself with "Two-a-Days" in 80 and 90 degree temperatures. You get banged around during the season to the point where it is difficult to climb out of bed in the morning. After all that work and a season of success, you go home dejected because, in part, your kicker blows two field goals from under 40-yds. That's a kick in the chops, isn't it Nate Kaeding? . . .

Enough of ripping the Chargers, even though there's plenty more to say. It's time to give the Jets some credit.

• How much of a never say die club are the J-E-T-S? At the 8:58 mark of the 2nd quarter the Jets had accumulated more penalty yards (32) than offensive yards (21). They did not earn their first 1st down until the 8:18 of the 2nd quarter . . .
• Who would have thought that if there was a Jets running back who would gain over 100 yards in back-to-back playoff games that he'd be named Shonn Greene and not Thomas Jones? . . . Greene is certainly a load to bring down . . .
• Jets DB Darrelle Revis showed on his 3rd quarter circus-like interception why he is probably the best cornerback in football. Rivers attempted to squeeze a pass into the arms of Vincent Jackson at the NY 17 yard line. It was a good pass and Jackson looked like he would reign it in. Revis was not in a position to catch the pass or to deflect it, so he waited until the ball reached Jackson's hands and then yanked down the receiver's right arm, sending the ball into the air as the two hit the ground. Miraculously the ball bounced off Jackson and onto Revis, who grabbed it while lying on his back. It wasn't the catch that was important. It was how he prevented Jackson from making the play even though the Chargers' receiver had the better position on the ball . . .
• Jets head coach Rex Ryan and his staff crafted an amazing game plan. No matter how much the offense sputtered in the first half, Ryan stuck to his conservative game plan of running the ball, limiting mistakes, and playing stiff defense. It was a masterful example of controlling the pace of a game. Ryan must have been waving a watch on the sideline, hypnotizing Norv Turner into playing a slower, more physical game . . .
• Don't look now but the Colts will be facing a team in the AFC Championships that has always served as a thorn in their side . . .
• Still don't think Mark Sanchez can make the big play when necessary? His scramble and touchdown pass to Dustin Keller in the back corner of the end zone was as impressive as any play made by Peyton Manning or Brett Favre . . .

Minnesota over Dallas - As I said in a previous blog entry, it is dangerous to judge a team based on how impressive they've been against one opponent:

• No doubt the "Monday Morning Quarterbacks" will rip Tony Romo as a loser who will never win. But that is unfair. The Cowboys offense was ineffective because their offensive line could not protect Romo. Romo was battered from the opening drive and was unable to find the time to deliver the ball downfield. He was sacked six times and was bounced off the turf another nearly dozen times . . .
• The Cowboys were held to only 92 yards rushing . . .
• Sydney Rice clearly wants the sports world to know that there is another Rice besides Jerry. The Vikings wide receiver caught three TDs and logged 141 receiving yards overall . . .
• I can always count on Shaun Suisham to miss a few field goals . . .
• Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking described the Vikings final TD, which was an 11 yard pass to Visanthe Shiancoe with only 1:55 remaining and the Vikings ahead 27-3, as "totally classless and disrespectful". I agree with Brookings . . .
• Once in a while the FOX Studio crew can make for interesting television. Today was one of those times. Following the Minn-Dallas game Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson argued about the appropriateness of the Vikings final touchdown. Bradshaw ripped it and said that as a QB who called his own plays and didn't get them "from some coach on the sidelines" that he would never have done that. Johnson defended the play and basically said, "This is the pros and if you don't want a team doing that to you, then stop them." It made for good television . . . Bradshaw also added later when asked about the Cowboys poor performance that "we all believed the Cowboys PR about how they were a different team". Good job, Terry . . .
• Misleading statistic alert: Despite losing by 31 points the Cowboys won the battles for "Time of Possession" (30:34 - 29:26) and "Penalties" (Boys 2 - Vikes 8) . . .
• Wade Phillips took the Cowboys to the NFC Divisional Playoff Round. He deserves to keep his job. Cowboy fans need to remember that although their team knocked off the undefeated Saints and blasted the Philadelphia Eagles twice, they also lost twice to the NY Giants and barely squeaked by the Redskins at home in their first meeting. They have been a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team all season, and until they can play a complete season at the heightended level they finished the season at, a Super Bowl will be out of their reach . . .

Saints over Cardinals: If you can't play defense, you don't last long in the postseason:

• In the span of six quarters (the final three quarters against the Packers and the first three quarters against the Saints) the Cardinals defense gave up an astounding 90 points. As of the 1:10 mark of the 2nd quarter, 11 of the past 15 postseason drives against the Cardinals defense ended with a TD. It looked like the Saints were playing Colgate and not another professional football franchise . . .
• Brees had so much time to throw on his TD pass to Shockey in the 1st quarter that he could have constructed a lemonade stand . . .
• Arizona cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie must be the greatest DB in history if he earned a Pro Bowl selection while playing on this defense . . .
• FOX analyst Tony Siragusa sometimes smothers viewers with the painfully obvious. On Saturday after the Cards had surrendered several TDs, Siragusa warned, "One thing the Cardinals can't do is stop being aggressive." Gee, I never thought of that, Tony . . . However, Siragusa did recover well minutes later when he was the first of the FOX broadcast team to recognize that Scott Shanle was penalized with a personal foul not for hitting Warner in the head, but for grabbing his face mask . . .
• Based on the two playoff games against the Packers and Saints, I would say that Kurt Warner still has plenty left to offer the Cardinals . . .
• Freezing the kicker is dumb. Its success rate is about equal to Dave Winfield's World Series batting average . . .

Colts over Ravens - Sometimes you lose simply because the other team is better:

• The Colts offensive line is amazing. There are more fingers on your right hand than there were times on Saturday night when Manning was hit by the Ravens defense . . .
• How does an offense that rarely runs the ball manage to complete an 8:00 drive as the Colts did in the 2nd quarter? Manning was 8-10 on the drive. Most teams barely throw the ball 10 times in a half . . .
• In the 2nd quarter the Colts outgained the Ravens in yardage by 127-9 . . .
• Manning played well, but not exceptionally, despite the nauseating praise from CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf. Although he made some great throws, he also overthrew several receivers (twice in the end zone) and he threw two interceptions (one was negated by a pass interference call) . . .
• Speaking of Dierdorf, he was so busy praising Manning late in the first half that he missed an important mistake by the referees. The Colts had the ball on a second and goal with :09 remaining. Manning took the snap and threw an incomplete pass to Dallas Clark. The clock read :07. There is no possible way the play could have only taken two seconds. The clock operator obviously started it late. Ravens coach John Harbaugh was livid and could be seen arguing with the refs; yet Dierdorf was off on a Peyton Manning tangent and was either oblivious to the issue or he didn't care . . .
• Ed Reed's interception in the 3rd quarter is a perfect example of why I cringe when a defensive player on my team tries to run with the ball after a fumble or interception. Manning was trying to hit Pierre Garcon, but Reed snatched the pass and headed in the other direction. Sure enough, Reed did not secure the ball and a hustling Garcon ran up behind him and stripped him of it. The Colts recovered the fumble . . .
• Baltimore's Joe Flacco is a good young QB, but he is going to continue to have his passes deflected and intercepted if does not learn to "look off" his receivers. During instant replays it was easy to see that Flacco was locking onto his receivers as soon as he dropped back into the pocket. Telegraphing passes is career suicide for a quarterback . . .
• The Ravens defense tackled well early, but as the game progressed they were hit with a few major penalties, such as pass interference on a Peyton Manning interception and an unnecessary roughness call in the end zone on Ray Lewis for hitting receiver Austin Collie in the head . . .
• The Ravens offense was stymied by the Colts defense from the beginning. Flacco and company made matters worse for themselves by dropping passes and committing silly penalties. They also turned the ball over four times. Flacco turned it over twice himself . . .

Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 15, 2010)

According to a Wall Street Journal study of four recent NFL broadcasts, the ball is actually "in play on the field" for only 11 minutes . . . And I thought I was a procrastinator . . .

Last week I was 2-2 predicting the NFL wildcard match-ups: I picked both AFC games correctly, but I bombed in both NFC games. Here are my predictions for this week's NFL Divisional Playoff Round:

• Minnesota vs Dallas: This is the most intriguing game of the weekend, and probably the most difficult to predict. I believe the winner of this game will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Minnesota is undefeated at home this season (8-0). Dallas has rolled the past few weeks. So what does my cloudy crystal ball say? Minnesota. Since mid-season I've felt that the Vikings are the NFC's most balanced team. Although they had problems late in the season losing three of their last five, all three losses were on the road. In their last two home games they crushed Cincinnati and the NY Giants by a combined score of 74-17 . . . I still have questions about the Cowboys. Was their domination of the Eagles a foreshadowing of what to expect from them this postseason, or was it simply case of one team owning the other? Prior to their victories over the Eagles, the Cowboys shut out a hapless Redskins team and upset an undefeated Saints team that had barely escaped losing several times since mid-season. (That same Saints team also then lost its two final regular season games.) Maybe this Cowboys team has gelled and is poised for a postseason surge. But I'm not convinced. The Cowboys' defense will contain Adrian Peterson, but he will still have a few big runs in the second half to help the Vikings pull away in the 4th quarter. Vikings win an entertaining, well-played game.
• New Orleans vs. Arizona: The Saints offense sputtered the last three weeks of the season, so they couldn't have asked for a better opponent than the Cardinals. Last week Aaron Rodgers and the Packers fried the Cardinals secondary with 45 points in just three quarters of football. Look for for Kurt Warner and his offense to score points again this week, but with that Cardinals secondary as inept as it is, I don't see how they will be able to stop the Saints. Saints by more than a TD.
• San Diego vs. NY Jets: It's been a great ride for the Jets--but this is where it ends. The Chargers have won 11 in a row and are the best team in football right now. The Jets are a good young team that will only get better, but they don't have the firepower to stay with the Chargers. San Diego wins comfortably.
• Indianapolis vs. Baltimore: Baltimore feasted on the Patriots last week, rushing for over 200 yds while punishing Tom Brady and company. Defensively they looked as good as they did 10 years ago. But the truth is they are not as good as they were then. The Ravens will scratch and claw to remain in the game, but ultimately the Colts explosive passing offense will prove superior. Look for Indy to pull away in the third quarter.

Four games, four home teams selected . . .

Why does it always seem like whenever there is an issue between a player and a ballclub, that player is represented by Scott Boras (see: Carlos Beltran) . . .

Roy Jones, Jr. has nothing left. If he continues to box he will one day leave the ring on a stretcher. A rematch between Jones and Bernard Hopkins is the last thing Jones, and professional boxing, needs at this time. Hopkins is older than Jones, but he is in better condition. He has not suffered the brutal knockouts that Jones has experienced recently. Hopkins will be able to chop down Jones and punish him, just as he did Felix Trinidad. I fear Roy Jones, Jr is a disaster waiting to happen . . .

Want a piece of Giants or Jets history? Steiner Sports is selling off pieces of Giants Stadium to interested fans. Everything is available, even pieces of turf. I'd like to have the piece of turf that Joe Montana landed on after being blasted by Jim Burt in the 1986 NFC Divisional Playoff Game. Lawrence Taylor intercepted the pass and returned it for a TD. Montana left the game and the Giants destroyed San Francisco by the score of 49-3 . . .

Rationalizing is what we humans do when we don't want want to face reality. Muck-up landing an account that would have guaranteed you a promotion? No problem. You didn't want that job anyway. Called a girl by the wrong name on a date? That's okay. She wasn't going to be "the one" anyway. I've heard a lot rationalizations over the years, and used plenty of them myself, but none of them were as silly as the one suggested by former Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas. Lucas believes that he was fired as Cavs head coach during the 2002-2003 season because ownership wanted to tank the season in order to land LeBron James in the 2003 NBA draft. Forget for a moment that the NBA Lottery was designed to prevent the worst team from automatically receiving the first pick. The Cavs were 8-34 when Lucas was fired. If the organization's goal was to finish at the bottom of the heap, why fire Lucas? It would seem he was doing a good enough job of burying them himself . . . Lucas also alleged that a secondary motivation for sacrificing the season was that ownership wanted to sell the team. Ownership denies that the team was for sale that year. The team was later sold in 2005 . . .
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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 14, 2010)

Golden Boy Promotions signed heavyweight John Ruiz . . . and no, I don't understand why . . . Ricky Hatton announced that he plans to fight one more time before retiring. Oh, good. Now I don't have to feel depressed that Pacquiao-Mayweather isn't happening . . . ESPN.com is reporting that a Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins rematch has been signed. Is there anyone but the two fighters who cares at this point? . . .

Titans RB Chris Johnson was selected as the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. A no-brainer. Johnson rushed for over 2,000 yds in 2009--on a non-playoff team that finished 8-8 . . .

The Giants choices for def coordinator are diminishing. Romeo Crennel has accepted the def coordinator position with the Chiefs, while Jim Haslett has done the same with the Redskins. Word is that first on the list from the beginning has been Jets linebackers coach Bill Sutton. The Giants do not appear to have any interest in interviewing former Giant Pepper Johnson for the role . . . You can't help but wonder if Crennel and Haslett passing on interviewing with the Giants is an indication of how sought after the position is. Do coordinators not want to work with Coughlin? Do they think he is a lame duck if the Giants don't make the playoffs again last year? Or do they think the Giants defensive problems run too deep to be solved in just a year or two? Stay tuned . . .

The NFL is losing one of its greatest coordinators. "Boss Hog", otherwise known as Joe Bugel, is retiring from football. The 70-year-old guru became famous for coaching "The Hogs"--the Redskins memorable offensive line who lead the franchise to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. As John Madden once said, "Being a Hog means that you spit and you don't care where it lands, on your chin, on your shirt . . ."

The Goose believes anyone who is guilty of taking PEDs should be barred from the Hall of Fame. Can't say I blame Gossage. Why should someone who cheated be rewarded with the same honor as someone who played by the rules? There are probably plenty of other retired players who feel similarly . . .

How long before Mark McGwire insists that the injections he received from Canseco were B-12 shots? . . .

I propose that 'We The People' create a fund in Tiger Woods' name now that he no longer receives free cadillacs from GM. Can we allow this outrage to continue?! Must we watch as he steps into a Toyota, or worse . . . a KIA?

There is one sport whose popularity I cannot understand: NASCAR. And before any of you NASCAR fans start yelling that it's because I have never been to a race, you're wrong. I was at a major race at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC. The fans were as passionate as any sports fans I've met. In fact, some even drove to the race in their trailer and spent the week at the race site. I enjoyed watching the B-2 Stealth Bomber and the F-16s that flew overhead prior to the race, but once the race began I could not wait to leave. Between the noise from the cars roaring around the track and the monotony of watching the cars do nothing but roar around the track, I thought my head was going to split. Why am I telling you this? ESPN has announced that they will broadcast "Nine of the 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and 14 total races in all" . . .

The season hasn't started and already one of the Mets biggest players is in danger of missing time. According to a statement released by the ballclub yesterday, Carlos Beltran had an "arthroscopic clean-out of the arthritic area" of his right knee. The surgery was done yesterday and the team doesn't expect him back for up to 12 weeks. If you are asking, as I did, why Beltran waited until mid-January to have the surgery, the Mets say that he was not feeling pain in his knee either at season's end or in the beginning of the off-season. Apparently "the symptoms returned to the point where pre-spring training conditioning became too painful" . . . What was Beltran doing in the offseason that caused his knee to deteriorate so drastically in such a short period of time? . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 13, 2010)

Something rings untrue about McGwire's confession that he only took steroids for healing purposes. Or if not unture, then at least inconsistent. Here is what he told Bob Costas:

• "I did it [for] health purposes. If you look at my career, injured '93, '94, '95, '96, I was a walking M*A*S*H unit. I told my dad yesterday when I finally had to tell him about this. I remember calling him in '96. I was so frustrated with injuries, I wanted to retire. He's the one who told me to stick it out. At that time I was using steroids thinking it was going to help me. It was brought to my attention that it was going to help me heal faster, make my body feel back to normal."

Yet, as MLB.com points, "According to McGwire's statement, his usage of PEDs spanned a large portion of his career, which included parts or all of 16 seasons."

McGwire's first full season was in 1987. He "acknowledges beginning to use after his third full season" [1990]. If McGwire was only using the steroids for healing purposes, why was he already using them three years before his self-proclaimed injury-plagued seasons began in 1993?

Maybe my math is wrong, but I don't think so . . .

Very funny story in yesterday's NY Daily News about the NY Knicks players and the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City, OK, which they say us haunted . . . If there is any haunting going on, it is in the Knicks locker room. How better to explain their disappointing 15-22 record?

Enough Mike Tyson cameos, please . . .

Not a bad pickup by the Texas Rangers signing Vladimir Guerrero to a one-year contract. Sure Guerrero was hurt last year, but Texas is only investing one year in him and he fills the right handed power vacuum that emerged after Marlon Byrd flew the coop . . . I wouldn't count out Guerrero as an impact player just yet . . .

Hank Aaron, baseball's true career home-run leader, showed a lot of class today by offering the following statement to Mark McGwire in USA Today: ""He has my forgiveness. If that's all that stands in the way between him being inducted into Cooperstown, we should all forgive him" http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100112&content_id=7904404&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. . . I will find it difficult to accept any of the steroid users as Hall of Famers unless there is something in the Hall specifying that their statistics are tainted . . . Speaking of Aaron, I've always felt he is one of the most underrated players in history. Aaron is not history's greatest home-run hitter as evidenced by his home run per at bats ratio. But if you examine his 24-year career you quickly realize that it doesn't matter because he was so much more than just a home run hitter.

• Most career All-Star Games (24) - Tied 1st
• Most career RBI (2,297) - 1st
• Most career extra base hits (1,477) - 1st
• Most career total bases (6,856) - 1st
• Hits (3,771) - 3rd
• Runs (2,174) - Tied 4th
• At-bats (12,364) - 2nd
• Games played (3,298) - 3rd
• 3 Gold Gloves

Hank Aaron may very well be the greatest player to ever put on a uniform . . .

Yippee!! Baseball announced the official first workout dates for pitchers and catchers . . . It won't be long now before the Boys of Summer return . . .

Sports media are quick to criticize the Yankees for their excessive payroll. Less often do you hear the media chide those small-market ball clubs that collect luxury tax money but do not use it to better their ball clubs. The Florida Marlins are one of the teams accused of doing this, so much so that the MLB Players Union has apparently been pressing the team "to increase spending in the wake of complaints the team payroll has been so small as to violate baseball's revenue sharing provisions." Today the union released the following statement: "In response to our concerns that revenue sharing proceeds have not been used as required, the Marlins have assured the union and the commissioner's office that they plan to use such proceeds to increase player payroll annually as they move toward the opening of their new ballpark" . . . Sure they will. And the check is in the mail, right? . . .

Lane Kiffin has decided to leave Tennessee after only one year to become head coach at USC. We sports fans are quick to criticize players for signing with other teams, instead of showing "loyalty" by remaining with their current clubs. Yet, what right do we have to criticize players for going after the best deal available when coaches and management are quick to do the same? Who is showing less integrity, the player whose contract expires and who signs with another team for more money or the college coach still under contract who jumps ship after a year to take the same job at another university? If you see nothing wrong with what Kiffin is doing, that's fine. But remember that the next time you want to condemn a player for signing with the highest bidder . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes (Jan 12, 2010)

Am I supposed to feel all warm and fuzzy towards Mark McGwire now that he has admitted his past steroid use? . . .

The NY Daily News today features its All-Enhanced Baseball Team . . .

My original blog entry about Pete Carroll's return to the NFL was to read, "I think it's safe to say that Pete Carroll saw the writing on the wall at USC. There will be no national championships in southern California for the foreseeable future, so why hang around?" But after hearing the latest allegations that Carroll knew one of his former asst coaches was using team and university doctors to feed a painkiller addiction, it appears that the former Jets head coach had other reasons for fleeing to Seattle . . .

Quote of the Wildcard Weekend: New England Patriots QB Tom Brady commenting on the reaction of New England fans to the Patriots embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Ravens: "I would have been booing us, too" . . .

Philadelphia Eagles fans should prepare for an ugly 2010 season. McNabb's days are numbered, and Saturday was probably the last time we will see Brian Westbrook in an Eagles uniform. The defense needs a serious upgrade, specifically in the secondary. I cannot ever remember an Eagles defense looking as pathetic as it did these past two weeks. Philly fans may be cheering for a below-500 club next season . . . You have to wonder whether former Philly GM Tom Heckert is among those who see tough times ahead for the Eagles. How else can you explain his decision to resign from the Eagles organization to accept the same position with the Cleveland Browns? Who leaves anywhere to go to Cleveland? . . . In a Philadelphia Inquirer online poll respondents were asked, "Do you want McNabb to return next season?" Not surprisingly, of the 8,939 votes, 65.7% answered No . . . .

Ken Whisenhunt, the NY Giants called. They want their secondary back . . . Yes, Kurt Warner's performance was one for the ages, and Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston looked like the reincarnations of the Marks Brothers--Mark Clayton and Mark Duper. But let's not forget that despite scoring 45 points, the Cardinals needed overtime to defeat the Packers. If Whisenhunt's 20th-ranked defense doesn't learn how to defend against the pass in the next six days, Kurt Warner's alleged retirement will begin sooner than Cardinals fans had hoped . . .

For those who believe that fighters are the only pro athletes who cannot handle their finances, I give you former Browns QB Bernie Kosar. Kosar's assets are being sold off by the courts to pay his creditors. Somehow Kosar managed to get himself into $18.9 million of debt . . . Sad story . . .

Speaking of fighters, it's time now for some professional boxing shenanigans. In a game of chicken that appears to hurt no-one but the fighters themselves, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have elected to fight on March 13--but not against each other. Pacquiao will battle Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, TX. The bout will be televised on PPV. Clottey is a durable welterweight who has victories over Zab Judah and Diego Corrales, but he will be unable to cope with Pacquiao's hand speed. Pacquiao should chop the Ghanan down like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree . . . Not to be outdone, Mayweather's promoter, Golden Boy, has decided that "Pretty Boy" or "Money" or whatever he is calling himself today, will also battle on PPV on March 13 against an opponent yet to be determined. There is little chance that anyone selected to fight Mayweather will pose any threat, so if you would like to be considered as the opponent, send a resume to HBO Sports . . .

It's unfortunate how the life of Jayson Williams has deteriorated the last 10 years. While I was at Main Events, we held a few charity softball games against WFAN-radio to benefit the Dan Duva Foundation. (Dan Duva was the founder of Main Events who died from a brain tumor at the age of 44). Williams would play third-base for Main Events and he was among the most fan-friendly athletes I have ever met. Always laughing, Williams appeared to genuinely enjoy signing autographs for kids after the softball games. Now he is just the latest example of an athlete whose life spiraled out of control after receiving fame and fortune . . .

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