Blog Reboot

After about two weeks of radio silence, I’m back to discuss the sports world with you.  Other things (like that stuff I’m actually paid to do Monday through Friday) overshadowed my desire to share with you all my thoughts about the sports world.  So, in typical Dibbles and Bits fashion, I’m heralding my triumphant return with lots and lots of Bits.

Bit #1: Marlins-Blue Jays Trade

I admit, it’s tough to lead off a big post like this with a discussion about baseball.  I have never understood the term “Hot Stove” (used to describe November-December in baseball world) and frankly have no interest to learn.  But, the trade last week between Miami and Toronto deserves lots and lots of scrutiny.

By now you’ve probably heard all that can be said about this trade.  I truthfully do not care too much about the players involved…the Blue Jays haven’t made the playoffs in twenty years.  Forgive me for saying so, but if Roy Halladay couldn’t bring this team into the playoff hunt during the past decade, Jose Reyes doesn’t have a prayer to make any kind of impact.

But for Miami, this offseason qualifies as the biggest con artistry by an ownership group that I can remember.  In a deal that puts 80.3% of the funding on the taxpayers of Miami, the ownership group traded away all their big players.  Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson all moved north last week.  Hanley Ramirez left for a better sunshine team in Los Angeles, and Heath Bell, an afterthought on the minds of many 2012 baseball fans, no longer keeps a Miami address.  As if those names aren’t enough, the Marline actually negotiated with Albert Pujols last year.  The biggest free agent prospect of the last decade wanted to play for the lowly Marlins.  If I’m a Marlins fan, I want to put my taxes towards a winning team, not a feeder system for more traditional franchises.

But, I’ve come around a little bit to another conclusion.  As bad as this might be, fans have done nothing to make the Marlins feel welcomed or to keep them in town.  The new stadium bumped the Marlins only to 18^th in average attendance this season.  In 2003, when the Marlins won the World Series, they averaged just over 16,000 fans per game.  An ownership group would not feel any connection to a city with such flagging interest.  The ballpark, by all accounts, makes up for the poor performance on the field, but when nobody fills it, owners will look to make good on their investment in other ways.  So, it’s nothing new to see Miami wallowing in this kind of mess.  Fire sales after the 1997 and 2003 championships could not be greater precursors to the Marlin Mentality stained across newspapers now: If you care, great.  If not, no one involved cares.

Bit #2: Exciting BCS Prospect

Somehow, Nick Saban continues to find bailouts.  For the second straight year, his team looks primed to make the BCS National Championship Game with one loss.  That he’s been shown over the years to be a man of few scruples obviously irritates the casual sports fan, but the matchup with Notre Dame couldn’t be better.

That said, these aren’t crazy great resumes coming in.  Bama has played a moderately easy schedule this year, and for my money will trounce any team in the championship game should they make it.  Keep in mind they also have the SEC Championship game against #3 Georgia in a few weeks. If you like Notre Dame, you need to admit your team has two quality wins this year (Oklahoma and Stanford), but otherwise the schedule looks mighty pedestrian.  Still, I’m not in the business of bashing Domers, other than to say the best use for the Rudy DVD is scraping dog refuse off your shoe.  Seriously, the matchup between two traditional powers will bring plenty of viewers to the game.  What’s bugged me in the last two weeks has been all the Notre Dame fans saying “would you really want to see Kansas State-Oregon?”  My answer is always “no, but I can’t vote...and your breath stinks.”  On radio shows around the country, Domers call in saying something along the lines of “no way would college football leave us out a title game.”  One guy even suggested the NCAA would effectively rig games to bring Notre Dame into the fold.

This is typical Notre Dame hogwash.  The mistaken belief that your team means anything of substance and thus deserves special attention in 2012 is, to put it bluntly, a joke.  The litany of South Bend failures runs about 15 years long by this point.  But, that does not take away from an impressive and likely undefeated season this year.  Having Notre Dame in the conversation will revitalize college football and might bring back so many of those fans who are tired of SEC schools who spend more on football than on academics.

I hope the Notre Dame-Alabama championship does happen, not because I like either team but images of Bear Bryant and Lou Holtz would make such a championship game more than worth it.

Bit #3: Maryland and Rutgers moving to Big Eleven…or whatever number you want

Fate has ascribed a constant sore to the college football fans of this era.  We must deal with realignment, the consistent discussions and subsequent headaches as teams redraw the map to play in one conference or another.

The latest shoe to drop happened in College Park, as Maryland’s Board of Regents approved a move to the Big Ten (or Eleven).  This move would bring Maryland into the tradition-laden conference of Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State.  As usual, money brings the move into perspective.  The addition of the Big Ten Network onto televisions around the DC area could represent as much as a $100 million revenue stream.  With Rutgers, the New York market would come into play as well.

While it certainly sounds great financially, this is one of the worst realignment moves I can imagine.  Maryland is bucking their 60-year affair with the ACC to become a lower tier Big Ten school.  Maryland can be compared to Minnesota right now…a team that consistently receives preseason attention but can’t ever break through due to losing recruits to other conference rivals.  The news comes at a strange time, with Randy Edsall’s current version of the Terps drawing more notice for their ugly uniforms than for any aspect of their on-field product.  Clearly, the Big Ten doesn’t care about increasing the competitiveness of its conference, or else it might have moved on Pitt last year (Pitt has actually won a conference championship recently, unlike the Terps).  This realignment does nothing but uproot Maryland fans from the friendly, familiar confines of the ACC in favor of losing to Wisconsin and Michigan State once a year.

Bit #4: Jerry Jones in Dallas

My first NFL Bit today is one I’ve been hoping to write for a while.  But, in consideration to the unhealthy amount of Cowboy fans I call “friends,” I’ve resisted.  No longer.

I’ve made a few comments here and there about Jones as owner/GM.  He wears one hat very well, guiding the team to a new stadium and the moniker of “America’s Team.”  He’s cashed in on the product of the Cowboys, marking his success with the second-highest valuation of any sports team in the whole world.

But, as a GM, he’s terrible.  Cowboy fans know all of his failures, so I won’t repeat them.  But, Jones showed his true inability to judge football talent when, after an overtime win against the Browns at home (take a moment to consider just how absurd that previous sentence is), Jones said he was “really pleased with the offensive line.”  This came after Romo got sacked seven times, the line had four holding calls, and the rushing game averaged 3 yards per carry.

He needs to either have his eyes checked or sell the team, because a coked-out orangutan could see things so differently, as could Jerry’s third grandchild.  Last month, a premium NFL website rated the guards and tackles on Dallas’ offensive line in the bottom five for their position.  This comes from people who make a living watching offensive linemen play, a prospect so unappealing to the layman that you have to put some trust in their efforts.  The Cowboys average exactly four yards per rushing attempt this year, good for 23^rd in the league.  If he’s unwilling to relinquish control, then he’s willing to lead this franchise down the tubes for a little while longer.  Comments like that tell the whole story of his tenure over the last ten year…he’s blind and consistently wrong.

Bit #5: Gary Bettman Needs to Resign

I said in a post about two months ago that Gary Bettman, commissioner of the NHL, deserves to lose his job.  He’s presided over three lockouts during his time, one of which canceled a whole season and the current version of which looks to do the exact same thing.

Over the weekend, Bettman suggested a two week moratorium on talks so that heads might cool down.  Clearly, enough things have cooled, like the heels of players itching to return.  By now, the NHL and union have talked around every important issue, and agreement does not look likely anytime soon.

Bettman’s real incompetence through all of this: he doesn’t understand the game.  The NHL has 32 teams and tries to support itself on a meager television deal, constantly wondering aloud why the NBA’s deal looks so much bigger.  As Bill Simmons wrote today (an article in which he says things I told you all two months ago), the NBA runs on stars.  People want to see LeBron play 40 minutes a game, not Sidney Crosby play one-third of a game.

Bettman needs to step down, because he’s shown an inability to address the latent issues in the NHL model.  We’re here seven years later rehashing the same discussion points as in 2004.

Bit #6: College Coaching Carousel

Over the next few weeks, there could be some very big job openings in college football.  Tennessee, a former national champion reduced to a shred of its glory days, fired Derek Dooley in the middle of his third season.  He lose 19 of 23 SEC games while coaching and holds the fourth worst winning percentage of all Tennessee coaches.

But, consider Penn State.  While it’s always looked like a longshot, Bill O’Brien has done a good job keeping Penn State together and instilling some kind of consistency for a program wracked by NCAA sanctions.  He’s made no bones about his NFL ties and has consistently avoided discussing next year, likely in trying to find a better landing spot.  Morally ambiguous, but certainly opportunistic.  Imagine after 50+ years of one coach, Penn State might have two in as many years.

There’s always USC out there as well…Lane Kiffin guides a listless group that started out the season ranked #1, only to be staring a 6-6 record in the face right now.  Certainly, USC has lost to tough opponents, but with their talent level, the Trojans should be running away with the Pac-12 South.  While I expect Pat Haden to keep Kiffin, it certainly wouldn’t come as a huge surprise to see him leaving another college town in utter disgrace.

Bit #7: Redskins-Eagles

There’s not much to say other than the Redskins benefitted from rookie quarterback mistakes but also from an outstanding rushing game.  Griffin and Alfred Morris combined for 160 yards between them, a dynamic backfield that can run the ball down opponents’ throats or scramble to create plays.  The score also points to Griffin’s ability to pick apart the Eagle defense, though the bomb to Santana Moss was an ill-advised throw that just happened to fall to Moss.  He’s got a cannon, but that ball likely shouldn’t be thrown.

Overall, penalties kill this team.  A huge win like this normally speaks to a properly played game, but the Redskins lost 80 yards on 13 penalties.  The Skins are now the most penalized team in the NFL, a real achievement considering the personalities on the Lions and Raiders.  If this team wants any shot at the postseason, a high stakes victory in Dallas on Thursday will be crucial.  A crowded NFC East will not have much room, but if the Skins can somehow lose only once down the stretch, they might be in line for a wild card berth.  Realistically, however, that has a 5% chance of happening, but it’s fun to dream!

The Sports Story That Must Go Away

Before Wednesday, everyone wanted political ads to stop clogging their sports.  On Monday Night Football Chris Berman, the overzealous and campy ESPN broadcaster, interviewed both presidential candidates, despite the fact most of us who watched that game did so to avoid the political game.

But thankfully for anyone with a sports pulse, the election finished yesterday.  Regardless of your affiliation or preference, we can finally come back to the greatest unifier of them all, sports.  No matter what, even Democrats wear red during Ohio Saturdays.  For all the rhetoric that’s grated on our ears the last few months, we can finally return to enjoying the finer things in life (e.g. Michael Vick’s collapse, the NHL greed, and the simultaneous catch rule in the NFL, just to name a few).  But, one sports tory continues to reappear and, frankly, I’m tired of it.

That’s the Saints bounty scandal.  The first news broke back in April that Saints players allegedly put out bounties on opposing stars such as Brett Favre and Kurt Warner.  Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down penalties to four players, a general manager, and the head coach Sean Payton.  Before you knew it, this story received more air-time and Word Counts than any other sports story this year.

What’s followed the initial penalties has been confusing and ultimately circular.  First, all penalized players appealed the decisions amid strong complaints from the players’ union.  When Goodell rejected those appeals, the players went to civil courts.  Somewhere in that process he lowered the penalties in an attempt to placate those courts.  A defamation lawsuit and a few district court proceedings later, the situation came right back to Goodell considering appeals.  When meeting with the suspended players, Goodell apparently gleaned enough information from them to re-assess certain penalties and to send letters telling players their own testimony had incriminated them.

Let’s briefly stop there…the above paragraph occurred over the course of five months.  For five months we watched the Saints organization and players association focus on lifting these penalties, never accepting any supposedly final decision by Goodell.  And by now the process has grown repetitive…a court tells Goodell to do something, he complies, the players challenge…and the circle keeps going. 

I can’t deny the players a chance to clear their name.  Current trends look to prioritize player safety in the NFL, so how the league and players jointly handle these bounty penalties will likely reverberate at some point in the future.  But, the players continue to reach into a bag of tricks, and we’re already halfway through the season in which many of the suspensions ended.  While I care about the legacies of individual players, the increased attention on the appeals process at the expense of the actual games on the field strikes me as ridiculous.  Jonathan Vilma, who had been suspended for a whole year, has drawn the process out over these past six months, ostensibly trying to clear his name.

But, each successive update in this process points to the continued futility of giving this story tons of coverage.  When asking Goodell to recuse himself, the Saints stirred up the familiar “us against the commissioner” bit.  If they make that play, the players should also accept when Goodell actually makes a good call.  He appointed former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, and before too long the players took issue with that appointment, scrambling lawyers to join in the fight.

I don’t want to insinuate the players are necessarily wrong on all of this.  They should be able to appeal these decisions.  But, these kinds of powers came to the commissioner’s office through the recently approved CBA.  If the players have buyer’s remorse, they have no one to blame but themselves.  Accusing Roger Goodell of prejudicial bias when he has meted out punishments to every team in the NFL for endangering player safety makes no sense and does no credit to his fairness.  Sure, he’s suspended a few Steelers…but all those guys knew they were repeat offenders, and still groaned about it.  And yet, Goodell recused himself and chose as his replacement his mentor.  While that might sound just as prejudicial, Tagliabue did not have to deal with issues remotely similar to those Goodell has addressed.  And, while he’s his mentor, think about the times you and your dad disagree…it happens to everyone.

Still, the media prefers to emphasize the players vs. commissioner theme, rather than focus on why the Saints, even with Vilma back on the field, consistently put out a miserable defense.  Each new “Developing Story” banner at the beginning of a SportsCenter adds new “intrigue” to the bounty scandal.  These were unprecedented measures, which I disagreed with at the beginning and still find misplaced.  But, this story has run its course.  The media, the Saints, and the players should understand that, barring crazy happenings, the evidence in league hands remains good enough for some kind of punishment.  I would also encourage the Saints to focus on their disappointing season.  It’s high time to play football, not mess around in court.

Bit #1: Redskins Awful Performance

I’m officially throwing the towel in for this Redskins season.  I attended the Panthers game this past Sunday and, while enjoyable, I saw the worst performance by this team all year.  With the schedule hardening significantly, we are done.

Third down conversions are still a huge problem.  The Skins were 3-for-15 on the penultimate down and remain right near the bottom of the league as far as their 3^rd down efficiency goes.  The defensive stats might not be as terrible as weeks prior, but the long pass from Newton to Edwards for 82 yards in the fourth never should have happened.  The Skins also allowed Deangelo Williams, previously embroiled in a slump, to romp for a 30-yard touchdown.  Those are big plays, and the defense let the team down by giving those up.

I’d also like to point out a fact about the NFL…defenses are so good that getting any points on a drive makes way more sense than going for it on 4^th down in the red zone.  The decision to go for it from the 2-yard line in the second quarter gets many fans excited, but makes very little sense.  There’s no shame going into halftime down 7-6 if your defense can hold the opponent in the remaining time.  Enough time was on the clock (about 5 minutes) for the Skins to have the ball back should they make a stop.  Unfortunately, Shanahan went for it, got nowhere, and watched his D give up a 12 play, 98-yard drive.  Take the points and get out of there.  That’s always a better long-term rule, especially in the second quarter.

Lastly, when trying to gain two yards, a designed stretch run for RGIII or bubble screens to Brandon Banks likely won’t get you very far.  Alfred Morris has been fantastic this year…put him between the tackles and let him fall forward.  Shanahan didn't do that.

Bit #2: Sean Payton

The NFL voided a contract the Saints paid with Sean Payton a few months ago, which was belatedly announced this past week.  The issue: Payton could expunge the contract if general manager Mickey Loomis were fired or suspended.

Generally, I’m not a fan of an interventionist league, so this move doesn’t sit too well with me.  I think the league voiding mutually agreed upon contracts to be a worse precedent than the specific clauses in question, but no matter.  The firestorm this started centers around Payton’s availability after this season.  He can go wherever he wants, and with juicy opportunities in Dallas and Philly looming, could he come terrorize the NFC East.

The short answer, I think, is no.  For one, he has found the ultimate partner in crime through Drew Brees, who possesses the necessary skill set and competence to run Payton’s unique offense to perfection.  Secondly, he has unfinished business in New Orleans after missing the entire season.  Third, the man must understand were he to rebuff the Saints after committing susepndable actions, Payton would become public enemy number one.  All the accolades and “Free Sean Payton” shirts that Jimmy Buffett promoted would go by the wayside.

Finally, there’s no way a guy like Sean Payton with a championship pedigree would ever let himself be ordered by Jerry Jones.  Jones might be able to pay Payton tons if money, but Payton runs to the beat of his own drum.  For Jones to take that leap, he would need to recuse himself from most football decisions.  So, don’t look for Payton to leave just yet.  He has the proper organization and tools in New Orleans to be very successful.

Bit #3: Jalen Rose Strikes Again

Jalen Rose, an NBA analyst for ESPN, always impresses me with his intelligence.  He’s also one of the best sports stories out there.  He grew up in inner city Detroit, admits to having hung around some very tough places and people, but hit the national stage at Michigan.  Part of the exciting Fab Five, Rose added his own brash style to that group that had so much success.

But, I am also surprised that Rose receives a free pass for certain admissions that truly shock me.  In September, Rose admitted to intentionally injuring Kobe Bryant during the 2000 Finals by sticking his foot underneath Bryant during a jump shot.  Kobe missed the rest of that game and the entire next game.  I guess that’s not too bad, considering Bruce Bowen has a job at ESPN despite being the dirtiest player in the league, but add that to Rose’s further admissions this week that he stole Patrick Ewing’s TV at an airport, and I’m wondering how long Rose can keep this up.  He played hard in the NBA and, while he’s proud of his background, using his “Detroit instincts” as motivation for stealing the property of another is not cute or funny.  It’s criminal, technically, so while he might find these kind of discussions amusing, they don’t exactly help his image all that much.

He’s making more money than lots of us, but every once in a while sports fans should ask for high standards from their pundits.  I know Rose has not met mine.

Bit #4: NFL Top Ten

1.      Atlanta Falcons (8-0)

Not a glamorous win yet again for Atlanta, but they are finding ways to win.  The Jones-White tandem on the outside recorded almost 250 yards receiving on Sunday night, a big performance in a big game.

2.      Houston Texans (7-1)

A 21-9 victory against Buffalo might not look great on paper, but Matt Schaub continues to be ridiculously efficient.  The long pass to Owen Daniels for a TD on Sunday coupled with the 100+ yard performance of Andre Johnson means the Texans might find the offensive balance they’ve lacked.

3.      Chicago Bears (7-1)

The defensive unit is two pick-sixes away from tying the season record for most interceptions returned…and we are only halfway through the season.  A 31-5 halftime lead for the Bears on Sunday resulted from a safety and INT return.  Throw in Brandon Marshall’s three TDs, and the Bears have a legitimate claim to being the best team.

4.      San Francisco 49ers (6-2)

Might have been on bye, but the 49ers still dictate the pace of play.  Nothing more to be said.

5.      New York Giants (6-3)

I’ve been bullish on the Giants despite close wins the last two weeks.  Well, the Steelers got them on Sunday, exposing the recent troubles of Eli and what’s been a lackluster running game the last two weeks.  Without a bad call on Michael Boley’s fumble return touchdown, this game wouldn’t have been at all close.

6.      Denver Broncos (5-3)

Close shave for Denver this week against Cincy.  The Bengals came into the game reeling, losing three straight, but still held a lead at the 14:00 mark of the 4^th.  But, Peyton Manning continues to play at a high level, throwing two touchdowns to put the game out of reach.  Still, not a great performance by Denver.

7.      New England Patriots (5-3)

The Pats had their bye this week, but think of them as being in a virtual tie with the Broncos, with neither team getting it done enough to hit the higher echelon.

8.      Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)

The pass defense has allowed 407 yards to Andy Dalton, RGIII, and Eli Manning total in the last three games.  That’s jaw-dropping.  A gritty come-from-behind victory in New York this week also bumps this team up, especially if the backfield proves to be made of steel rather than tape.

9.      Green Bay Packers (6-3)

A slight demotion from last week, but don’t worry too much.  Another strong aerial performance by Aaron Rodgers means this team is able to cover up its lack of depth.  The bye week should provide a chance to get healthy.

10.  Baltimore Ravens (6-2)

When your team needs a come-from-behind victory to beat the Cleveland Browns, you deserve to lose some points in the Top Ten.  The offense, which looked so good to start the season, was outgained by the Browns, which can’t feel good for long-term plans.

A Long Winter

I’ve been told by many friends they don’t read what I write about the NHL.  For reasons apparent to three year olds, the NFL garners way more interest on a national scale than my favorite sport.  And I’ve hit a point where convincing fans to appreciate hockey has no appeal anymore.  If you like the NHL, and want them to return, this will be a long, long winter.

News broke this past week that the NHL plans to cancel the Winter Classic, a New Year’s Day extravaganza featuring an outdoor game.   Bar none, the Classic provides the league with its greatest worldwide exposure, drawing many away from the recently disappointing slate of New Year’s bowl games.  Many remember the first Winter Classic featuring Pittsburgh and Buffalo, when Sidney Crosby scored a shootout goal in the middle of a large snowfall.  The magical effect spurred the NHL to bringing in bigger markets and more historic locations, like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.  This New Year’s Day the Classic was set for the Big House, Michigan’s stadium in Ann Arbor, and would showcase a Canadian team for the first time.

The labor dispute, however, likely irrevocably changed all of this forever.  While the NHL has experienced amazing growth since the last lockout in 2004, the moving pieces required to set up the Winter Classis to its current popularity take lots of time.  Contracts with cities, stadiums, sponsors, and teams all will need to be re-worked or voided.  And, what’s worse, the game itself might never come back.

Consider this: as a CEO of a corporation, why would you agree to a long-term deal to sponsor a marquee event for the NHL after two lockouts?  The league contracts a case of the measles every seven years, after all.  Bridgestone, the biggest sponsor of the Winter Classic, won’t fall into that trap again.  Now that I think about it, would anyone lend their national name to a brand that disappears once in a decade?

But a better question is: will the fans come back?  For all the problems, inherent issues, and frustrations caused by the NHL’s labor disputes, will fans ever return?  After becoming the first American pro league to lose a full season due to labor disputes, the NHL charted a new course of life.  Games moved to Europe to start the season, money poured into the dedicated NHL Network, and the search for a marquee event was born.  The results deserve high praise, as hockey experienced a record $3.3 billion in revenue last year and has seen the salary cap almost double since 2004.  The upbeat style of play, eliminating antiquated rules like the two line pass and instituting delayed offsides, created more scoring during the average game. 

The potential for continued revenue growth wasn’t just there, it was inevitable this year.  Economic forecasters had the Winter Classic bringing in more money than any previous hockey event, cementing the annual contest as a transcendent institution that would interest even the casual sports fan.  Nobody seems to want to accept that cancelling the Winter Classic reinforces to all observers that there’s a sickness in the league.  Maybe there are a few owners who refuse to negotiate, maybe the players want too much every year…everyone wants to blame somebody, but by now we’re past that stage.  The players, who did nothing to create the Winter Classic as an institution, won’t push hard enough to save it.  The league, supposedly knowledgeable of potential fallout, likewise refuses to come to the table and talk.  No further talks have been scheduled as of now, and given what will be sacrificed the two parties need to at least come together.  I have put my lot in with the players before on this blog…no longer.  At this stage, both sides are royally screwing themselves and fans through this kind of tomfoolery. 

Both sides are throwing away great success.  The Winter Classic, the biggest manifestation of that success, was meant to feature prominently this year in front of almost 100,000 fans in Ann Arbor.  Instead, we must watch as both sides peck at one another without any prospect for reconciliation.  A heralded 50/50 split proposed by the owners received a sound rejection from Donald Fehr and the players.  With a quarter of the season now cancelled, one would think missed paychecks might give the players an incentive to negotiate.  For owners, the possible lost sponsorships as a result of this lockout should give them pause. 

Regardless of your personal preference for who might be right in this debate, hockey will reach a new level of irrelevance should the season be lost.  Perhaps not for the puckheads like myself, but the average fan who found a growing attachment to the game in the last five years will follow the star-studded NBA rather than wait for the NHL to screw its head on properly.  Americans are known for their short attention span, and sports is no different.  That pains me, but at this point, why should I care?

Bit #1: New York City Marathon?

For the first time in a while, the New York City Marathon actually received some press nationally this week, but not in the way it would have liked.  Large swaths of New York remain without power…my Facebook this week told tales of 30-block walks just to take showers and charge phones.  But, mayor Michael Bloomberg says the show must go on.

This decision, quite simply, isn’t fair to New York.  The marathon depends on cooperation from law enforcement and fire departments, many of whom are patrolling the city trying to clean damage and prevent looting in areas without power.  Having to shadow the marathon will put a further strain on those resources.  While many think the race will boost the Big Apple economy, there’s no way the projected 47,000 runners will show, especially since flights remain limited and hotels filled to the brim (the Steelers will be unable to stay in New York prior to their game at the Meadowlands this weekend…hotels are turning away pro sports teams because they have so many tenants).  In short, the marathon might be an exciting event for New Yorkers, but diverting resources to it when so much of the city sleeps in the dark makes very little sense.  While city officials ensure the media they are not misplacing priorities, all effort possible should go into reversing the damage and turning the lights back on.

Bit #2: As usual, the panicky sports media

One of my biggest media pet peeves deals with the large amount of “Breaking News” or “Developing Story” tags you see when opening up a mainstream media website.  It might not happen 24 hours a day, but the bright yellow headlines on CNN.com occur enough to give you a seizure.  Similarly, ESPN’s Sportscenter always begins with either Breaking News or a Developing Story, the contents of which rarely justify the hoopla attached to them.

But, the Panic Meter is also a favorite for the 24 hours sports media.  And for the Lakers, that conversation has reached new heights after a tough 0-2 start.  I will admit, you can’t add the pieces the Lakers added and not see some ridicule, but the media really has taken itself to a new low.  Two games into an 82 game season and they are discussing the panic meter of the Lakers.  That’s right, the teams has completed 2.4% of their games, and should be panicked according to the L.A. media.

While I can’t deny we could see some changes early on if the Lakers struggle out of the gate, the attention paid to these guys is ridiculous.  As Kobe said yesterday, everyone needs to shut up and pay closer attention to the problems really affecting us right now (there’s an election on Tuesday, for example).  The Lakers will figure things out, as they always have.

Bit #3: Trade Deadline in NFL

One thing I dislike about the NFL is the lack of trade deadline acquisitions.  On Thursday, the Bucs traded troubled cornerback Aqib Talib to the New England Patriots, a refreshing breath of fresh air for a league fairly stagnant as far as trades go.  In the NBA or MLB, midseason trades make lots of sense.  For one, players have to do much less to pick up a scheme.  The NFL contains a myriad of defensive and offensive schemes, so just plugging a player in wouldn’t work as well.  Also, unlike the NFL, other sports consider expiring contracts and look to receive value in exchange for those contracts.  Almost any basketball trade, for instance, contains the flotsam and jetsam of journeymen who are in the last year of their deal (think Brian Cardinal as an example).  The NFL doesn’t do that, mainly for the reason given above.  The average football franchise prefers the familiar veteran to a rent-a-player who provides only about 8 weeks of production before leaving town.

So it makes lots of sense to set the system up as it’s currently done, but regrettably the NFL does not experience the kind of excitement that comes with shuffling talent around.  I’m not entirely sure what the point of this Bit might be, but many wondered this week why someone like Steven Jackson on the Rams didn’t move at the deadline.  It all comes down to how much he can produce in a different offense.  If you play in Jacksonville, it’s taken the whole team about two years to understand the offense.  Given that and the complexity of offense now, it makes total sense to not make large trades.

Bit #4: Biggest NFL game this weekend

The biggest game this weekend has to be Eagles-Saints on Monday night.  The two teams might not be the most explosive or most fun, but the loser of this game will be dead to rights in the tough NFC for the rest of the year.  The Saints, if they lose, will be 2-6 after giving up 474.7 yards per game this year.  The Eagles would drop to 3-5, a very low record and a long way from being in contention.  The NFC, at the peak of its powers this year, has effectively one playoff spot left open assuming the Packers make it.  That could go to the Eagles if they salvage a .500 record in the first half of the season.  That won’t be great, but it will be enough to build on (lots of inherent assumptions in that statement about the Eagles’ performance, but roll with me).  For the Saints, a marginally better defense that beats Philly can feel much better heading into a very tough schedule in the second half.  Drew Brees provides the firepower and has a sense of urgency about him to resurrect this team back to a playoff pulse.