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Mar 26

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CSTV Inside Points (plus picks)

I thought this would be a good time to deviate from the norm. I’ll still take a look at this weekend’s Final Four (one of the best in recent memory), as well as offer my picks (for what their worth) for these truly pick em games. But let’s face it, I’m not going to offer much in the way of original and informed insight. Not with all the media, insiders, and writers converging on Atlanta this week while I sit in front of my laptop in Brooklyn. And no, I’m not bitter at all…

I did get thinking though about the fact that I just spent the better part of four weeks inhabiting CSTV, the right arm of CBS for all things March basketball. This was CSTV’s second year with the CBS affiliation. Might as well have been the difference between night and day. Last year was such a cyclone it felt like at best we were controlling the chaos. When it was over there was a distinct and pervasive feeling of accomplishment buzzing around the network. It was a feeling, however, accompanied by a comparable sense of relief.

This year was more of a tropical storm. There were some heavy winds, but the foundation of the network remained solid. The preparation was impeccable. The coordination between working parts was consistent and succinct. The final product was nearly flawless. And the side stories were unforgettable.

First, let me introduce myself. I’m the teleprompter guy. The guy whose job it is to quite literally make the script of the show go. While our anchors, Adam Zucker and Greg Amsinger, aren’t as dependent on the prompter as, say Ron Burgundy, it nonetheless makes their lives much easier when their scripts are running in the right place, at the right time. The duty of the teleprompter is very basic, yet integral to the overall operation of the show. Chances are if you receive any recognition on prompter it’s because you suck and are screwing everything up. That said, as long as you’re not prone to slipping into uncontrollable catatonic states, prompting is quite the manageable task.

So that was my principle duty throughout the tournament. Needless to say CSTV has a variety of programming just for hoops. Among the shows are Gametracker Live, a highlights and analysis show; Full Court Press, which brings live press conferences from players and coaches, along with in-studio analysis; Tourney Talk, a call-in show dedicated to shootin’ the breeze about the tournament, and March Madness Highlights.

We also have a rotation of in-studio analysts. Since I spent my waking life hanging around these guys the last month, allow me to now introduce the most notable coaches and personalities who helped turn the wheels of CSTV this past March.

Seth Greenberg: Current coach of Virginia Tech. He’s ushered in a basketball renaissance in Blacksburg, a notorious college football town. With his recruiting and leadership the Hokies have quickly become a force in the ACC, arguably the nation’s most storied basketball conference. He’s also a great TV personality. After Virginia Tech lost to Southern Illinois in the second round of the tournament, he naturally became the Salukis’ biggest advocate, deeming them the “junkyard dogs”. Put simply, an ego armed with a catch phrase makes for excellent television.

Dereck Whittenburg: Current coach of Fordham. He inherited the remnants of a basketball program in 2004 after Bob Hill finished reaping his path of destruction at Rose Hill. In three short years Whittenburg has morphed Fordham hoops from an utter embarrassment into an 18 win team. Just how embarrassing were they? The Rams were 2-26 Hill’s final season. Then the St. Bonaventure program became engulfed in a recruiting scandal and one of its sanctions was to forfeit every conference win, including its two victories over Fordham. That made Fordham the first team to win more conference games (three) than overall games (two). “3-13 in the A-10, 2-26 overall,” I told the coach. “Talk about embarrassment.” I then told him he’d be hearing from me soon enough to write the whole story. Takers? CSTV.com?

Brian Curtis: CSTV’s basketball insider and a regular contributor both in-studio and out in the field. He’s knowledgeable and witty, but sometimes adopts a little too much of a “holier than thou” approach to his business. Given his diminutive stature and propensity for speaking in the third person through a distinctly nasal voice, it’s difficult not to crack a smile when he’s up to his antics. He’s also the host of his own show, aptly named, Taking Issue with Brian Curtis. If CSTV could just allocate a camera crew to follow him around 24-7, I swear Taking Issue would make for great reality television.

Steve Lappas: To sum it up, Lappas is the man. Formerly the head guy at Villanova then UMass, Lapp is a bundle of energy and information with great presentation. He’s one of those few coaches that when you see him doing his thing, you just know he’s cut out for TV. And he’s Greek! So he obviously took all the producers and talent out for a nice Greek meal between shows one night. They dined on the likes of avgolemono (egg-lemon soup), spanakopita (spinach pie), and octapothi (grilled octopus). The unique victuals were warmly received by all. Well, except for a few unwilling stomachs… Yasou Lapp!

Jonathan Coachman: A guest host for CSTV who makes his bread and butter working/wrestling within the ranks of the WWF/WWE. One day when I arrived at the studio and settled down at my station Coachman was in the middle of quite a doozy of a story. Recounting for anyone within earshot, he was detailing the typical revelries of professional wrestlers (like they need articulation). Let’s just say these guys love blizzards. The Coach, meanwhile, assumed the role of the overzealous weatherman, giving us a play by play of one such Noreaster. Classy. In a related story, be sure to check out “My Coke Fest”, part of CSTV’s killer Final Four lineup live from Atlanta!

(I’m serious, check it out: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/032906aar.html)

So as you can see, all around wild and wacky fun times at CSTV this month. And there is much more to come (in addition to My Coke Fest, of course). This year the network is operating exclusively on-site in Atlanta, thus the whole CSTV-shabang has been transplanted to the Georgia Dome and its surroundings. Oh, and in case you were wondering, they won’t be requiring teleprompter services. However I did tell Amsinger if he found himself unable to exist without prompter to merely give me 18 hours notice and I’d hail a Greyhound. And NO, I’m not friggin bitter.

(Grinding teeth…)

Okay, maybe just a little bitter. Hey, it could be worse though. I could be a Kentucky fan. In case you missed it, a caller from Kentucky phoned into our live Tourney Talk show and summed up pretty accurately the state of bitterness:

“I just wanna say, f**k Tubby Smith.”

Duly noted sir, duly noted.

Onto the picks…

Florida over UCLA Gators are the champs, and in order to be defeated a team will have to line up, grab them by the throat, and not let go until there are quadruple zeros on the clock. If UCLA wants any shot of winning this game they should take a look at the 2007 AFC Championship Game or the 2004 NBA Finals. The Colts and Pistons both seized an opportunity to go for the jugular of a dynasty, and held on with the grip of an ironman. That’s the only way to topple the mighty. It’s just not going to happen to Florida until there’s a giant present to force the issue…

Ohio State over Georgetown No one had seen the real Greg Oden until Joey Dorsey checked himself into the Pantheon of Idiotic Statements before the Regional Final between Ohio State and Memphis. Dorsey might be a tree of a man, but Oden is a woodchopper. Dorsey called Oden overrated, and Oden in turn, chopped some wood. Steve Lappas didn’t exactly have to go out on a limb when he referenced the whole “sleeping giant” thing, but the point has been made. Not by Lapp. By Oden.

Take it away ATL!

Mar 20

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Sweet 16 Points

As the ranking fanatic of March Madness I’ll admit that this year’s Thursday/Friday games in the first round were uncharacteristically dull. None worse than Cardinal-Cardinals. Stanford and the Lopez brothers (or as I like to call them, the twinny-twin-twins) got absolutely pasted by Louisville. This game was such a thrashing I wouldn’t be surprised if the NCAA selection committee received a case of Cristal courtesy of their counterparts over at the NIT. Thanks for givin us ‘Cuse suckers!

It wasn’t just Stanford, though. George Washington did its fair share in attempting to take the spotlight of embarrassment away the Cardinal, bowing to Vanderbilt by a trendy 33. Long Beach State (sans-Snoop-support) scored 86 and still lost by 35 (yes, that means Tennessee dropped 121 on the LBC). Marquette, meanwhile, didn’t score a point until the 10:00 mark of the first half against Michigan State.

But…

The first round was still a bundle of fun, for one glaring reason. Duke lost!!! It’s always fun watching Mike Krzyzewski get bounced from the tournament. It’s even more fun when it’s in the first round against a school (VCU) whose acronym Coach K probably can’t even decipher. And it’s downright satiric when the kid he gets beat by turns out to be a North Carolina-product who got no recruiting love from Tobacco Road. Throw in the priceless look on the face of that flopper Josh McRoberts, and you have yourself a recipe for one game saving an entire round. Well that, and the fact that amid all the yawning Gus Johnson still found a way to have multiple coronaries. So you see, it wasn’t really all that bad.

And it certainly got better. Saturday was fantastic, and made up for the let down of the first two days. Pitt-VCU, Lousiville-Texas A&M, Vanderbilt-Washington State, and BC-Georgetown were all classics. VCU clawed back from 19 down in the second half to take the Panthers to overtime. A freshman from the Cardinals made 15 straight free throws and owned the game against A&M before losing the Midas-touch in the waning seconds. The free-spirit-Cougars went two OT’s with Vandy before falling. And Eagles-Hoyas was just a backyard brawl.

Now, with 16 still standing, let’s take a glance at what’s to come…

East Region

North Carolina-USC I’ll tackle this one first but I really have little ground to stand on. The Longhorns needed something from D.J. Augustin and got nada (6 points, 6 turnovers) against USC. So much for my national champs, as the Kevin Durant era (I hope) has come to a close at UT. Looking ahead to this matchup I just can’t envision USC having the legs or the bodies to run with Carolina. Tyler Hansbrough tore off that mask and tore Michigan State apart in the second round. With Ty Lawson sustaining his current level of play the Heels take this one relatively comfortably.

Vanderbilt-Georgetown After GT-BC I can’t honestly say you’re going to see a grittier game in the round of sixteen, but Vandy is at the very least resilient, and won’t be swayed by Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green in the trenches. These two teams met at the very beginning of the season (an 86-70 Hoyas win) so there will be no aspect of unfamiliarity. For the Commodores, Derrick Byars has emerged this tournament as that senior leader who has refused to let his team go down. Don’t expect this game to move higher than the 60s. Georgetown is one of the best closing teams in the country. This will be a tightly contested match but the Hoyas will prevail late.

South Region

Ohio State-Tennessee Indisputable fact about March Madness: every would-be champion has a scare. You can say what you want about Greg Oden’s controversial mauling of Xavier’s Justin Cage that was not deemed an intentional foul. Cage still had a chance to ice the game but missed a free throw. And the Musketeers failed to defend the three point line on the Buckeyes’ last possession, allowing Ron Lewis to get a great look and tie the game at the buzzer. There’s something reassuring about surviving in the face of imminent demise. So much about this tournament is believing, and I think Ohio State finally believes. Good run, Vols.

Texas A&M-Memphis The Aggies have been a chic Final Four pick, while the Tigers have almost been an afterthought as the two seed. No one really gave them a chance last year, and yet they got within a win of the Final Four. A&M on the other hand, really did struggle against pesky-Penn. In the end it was the Aggies’ athleticism that won out over the Quakers’ SAT scores. As the tournament progresses and the talent gap between opponents diminishes, coaching becomes more of a focal point. In my opinion the edge in that category swings to John Calipari. Tigers advance.

Midwest Region

Florida-Butler Ho-hum, the Gators are in the Sweet 16. Now if someone can please wake up Joakim Noah, that would greeeeat. While Florida’s hoop-when-necessary approach has suited them well enough through the first two games, they better watch out. The Bulldogs are full of life right now and could build an early lead in this game. Regardless, at some point the Gators will take a big bite outta the dogs and send them home with their tails in between their legs. Another formidable run for Butler.

Oregon-UNLV All I know is that the winner of this game will have THE best after-party on campus…

West Region

Pittsburgh-UCLA I’m certainly not the first, but I’ll go right ahead and declare it myself: this will be the ugliest basketball game you’ve ever seen. Yes, I did watch the UCLA-Indiana game. While that was the most horrid first half of basketball you’d ever want to see, the last ten minutes were pretty thrilling. This game will be played on more of an equilibrium of ugliness. Ben Howland coaches UCLA, where he has trademarked Ugly Hoops Inc.. In case you forgot, he started the enterprise as an entrepreneurial endeavor at…none other than Pitt! His disciple there? None other than Jamie Dixon, current head coach of the Panthers! Let’s just hope the winner of this one cracks 40.

Kansas-Southern Illinois The Salukis’ grind-it-out approach has become well-documented, and America has met another Falker, who goes by the name of Randal. All and all a heck of season for a school from the Valley, which is a conference that has undoubtedly shed the “mid-major” tag after the last two tournaments. Unfortunately, going up against a team as talented as Kansas, well, there’s only so much a Falker can do…

Enjoy the games.

Mar 14

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Tourney Preview

Talk about a wide open tournament. Florida could capture it because it begins its title defense with the same crew from last year. UCLA is championship caliber because the Bruins are better than the national runner-up squad they fielded last April. Wisconsin could win it with gritty defense and Alando Tucker. Kansas is scary. So is North Carolina. Ohio State has Greg Oden. Texas has Kevin Durant. Texas A&M has Acie Law IV. Georgetown is white hot. Memphis has won 22 in a row.

That’s ten teams. Ten teams that if I had to play devil’s advocate I would wholeheartedly endorse as the next national champions.

But I’m not here for that. I’m here to be decisive. To be brash. I’m here to tell you the crazy s**t that I think is going to transpire in this tournament. So without further ado here is a region by region breakdown with notes, upsets, and picks.


Midwest Region

Notes: Bad news everyone. Florida is baaaaack!! The Gators had a few snooze sessions this season, but have regained that Gator-pride and appear poised to defend their crown. If Florida loses it will be early and shocking (see: Arizona, second round). Still, doubtful that’s going to happen, and whoever emerges from the bottom half of the bracket (likely Wisconsin or Oregon) will find itself overmatched against a seasoned group of hungry Gators.

Upset Special: Winthrop. The Eagles are a senior-laden team that has lost only four games this year. Oh yeah, and those four L’s were to North Carolina, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Texas A&M. Of those games they only got blown out by A&M. They ate their conference alive and are no strangers to the tournament out of the Big South. Don’t be fooled: Winthrop just might find itself standing between Florida and the Final Four.

Final Four Pick: Florida. It’s immensely difficult to repeat as national champs because of the structure of the tournament and the fact that elite teams usually matriculate stars to the NBA. The Gators are intact, and have a more than manageable trek to Atlanta. Winning the first four is doable for the champs. But that’s still only two thirds of the way to two in a row…

West Region

Notes: The West has the best slate of projected second round games and subplots. Kansas and Kentucky is the most notable, as the Jayhawks have made early exits the last two years, and Tubby Smith’s Wildcats won’t be an easy out. On the bottom half of the bracket is a potential rematch of the best regional game from last year, between UCLA and Gonzaga. Win or lose, Adam Morrison won’t be there to bawl at midcourt, but the Zags will certainly have revenge on their minds.

Upset Special: Holy Cross. In 2002 the Crusaders almost changed history. As a sixteen seed, they took Kansas, a one seed, down to the wire. They haven’t won a tournament game since 1953 but have been a formidable opponent in clashing with the likes of the Jayhawks, Marquette, and Kentucky in the recent past. Southern Illinois, a cinderella of the past, is currently sitting on a four seed. Like Gonzaga, the Salukis have always done their best work as a long shot. This year my bet is Southern Illinois will hear chants of “Welcome tah Woostaah!”, and have no clue what they mean.

Final Four Pick: Kansas. The Jayhawks have a strong sophomore nucleus that has felt first hand the unpredictability of the tournament. Kansas was stunned in the first round by Bradley last year. Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, and Julian Wright won’t let that happen again. And history would indicate that once Kansas gets rolling, regional finals are all but a sure thing.

East Region

Notes: Without a doubt the most stacked region in my opinion. North Carolina was rewarded with a number one seed and short travel distances, but the Tar Heels have a tough road ahead. Marquette and Michigan State are far from gimmes in the second round. With this bracket featuring the likes of Texas, Georgetown, and Washington State, there are many potential speed bumps for the very deep, but very young Heels.

Upset Special: Boston College. For the first time in a handful of years, the Eagles have no expectations. Zero. Since Sean Williams was dismissed from the team, BC has been nothing short of a train wreck. So why do I like them? Matchups. A first round tilt with Bobby Knight and Texas Tech will bring out the best from ACC Player of the Year, Jared Dudley, who struggled through the latter half of the conference schedule. And mark my words: Georgetown wants no part of an old Big East rival playing with nothing to lose.

Final Four Pick: Texas. Two words: Kevin Durant. He’s the best player in the country. He’s the best player in college hoops since Carmelo Anthony. And he’s on a mission. More on that in a sec…

South Region

Notes: Florida may be the top overall seed, but Ohio State has the easiest overall path to Atlanta. Texas A&M is probably the Buckeyes’ most serious competition, but will have to knock off Louisville in Lexington, KY before entertaining any notions of Ohio State. The rest of the region is full of sleepers. Virginia could make a run with its exceptional backcourt duo of Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds. Nevada is led by an All-American, Nick Fazekas. John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers just finished colonizing Conference USA, and have an element of mystery to complement a 30-3 record.

Upset Special: Penn. Between nomadic Quaker fans and the partisan-Kentucky crowd in Lexington, Penn should have a decent support contingent. On the court Ibrahim Jaaber is one of the top point guards in the country, and can control a game by himself. Penn isn’t a big team, but is disciplined and can shoot the ball. Look for the Quakers to frustrate A&M, win the crowd as the perennial underdog, and have a chance to steal the game late.

Final Four Pick: Ohio State. Impossible to pick against the Buckeyes. Greg Oden has elevated his play of late, which is another way of saying he is gaining use of his dominant hand. He had a couple of monster games in the Big Ten Tournament, and should be eager to prove some naysayers wrong (even if he is the consensus number one pick and wears the expression of a trash collector). And don’t forget about Ohio State’s other fab freshman, Mike Conley Jr. This kid has proven he has the ability and the rocks to take and make big-time shots.

And the Winner is…

Texas. Here’s a quick story: I was at the 2003 Big East Tournament, and watched as Connecticut, led by Ben Gordon, disqualified Syracuse in the semifinals. After watching Carmelo Anthony throughout that tournament I had already determined he was the greatest college baller I had ever seen in person. What struck me at the time was watching him walk off the court at Madison Square Garden, defeated. He had a look plastered on his face. It was a combination of contained anger and silent resolve. I felt it. And I thought to myself, wow this kid looks like he’s about to make a stand. That inkling was enough for me to pencil in Syracuse as the national champs. And Melo handled the rest.

I believe Kevin Durant is about to pull a Melo of his own. He knows he’s the best. He’s shown he’s the best. And last weekend he took the proverbial sucker punch from Kansas in the Big 12 Championship. In that game he tied a career-high with 37 points, but Texas blew a huge lead and lost in overtime, 88-84. Durant didn’t score and took only two shots in the extra session. The facts are clear. No player or defensive scheme can deal with Durant. When he takes the ball, he finds a way to put it in the basket. When he has failed, it has been because the ball didn’t find him. In this tournament, not only will the ball find Durant, but when it becomes necessary, Durant will TAKE THAT ROCK.

And Texas will cut down the nets in ’07.

Mar 6

2 Comments

Bracket Points

I say it every year but it warrants an annual mention: the NCAA Basketball Tournament is the best three weeks in American sports. March Madness is the one sporting event that blurs the boundaries between work and play; between personal and professional. For three weeks straight it invades lives and environments, crosses cultures, while continually dominating the moment.

The common thread? Brackets. For anyone working in an office, going to a school, frequenting a bar, or generally not living in a hole, brackets are waiting to be filled out.

Within a specific populace, the ensuing conglomeration of completed brackets gives way to “the pool”. This pre-tournament ritual helps jump start the madness before the ball even goes up. Since the field of teams is set a full three days before the competition begins, this limbo period allows “the bracketer” ample time to abandon normal activities and research teams with the intention of locating potential sleepers and duds. Sometime within this process comes the moment of conception: a vision of the outcomes of 63 basketball games, unique unto the bracketer.

While a bracket will ultimately not sprout arms and legs, upon completion it without a doubt takes on a life of its own. There is a natural moment of pride associated with the first glance at a just-finished bracket. That feeling of satisfaction then shifts to one of angst, with the realization that the bracketer actually has no freaking clue what’s going to happen. However, confidence returns. The bracketer is by nature cocky. And defense of a bracket in hostile, divisive environments like offices or bars is a must.

You see, some brackets can be made or blown before the tournament even kicks into high gear. Due to the fact that nobody will ever produce a perfect bracket, defending one’s picks is almost as vital as picking the games themselves. Because of this notion the Madness can be divided into two phases: the first weekend of games, and the rest of the tournament.

There are 48 games the first weekend, and the bracketer has a vested interest in every one of them. Which is why over that four day period there are 48 battles to be won or lost, each frequently being decided by a single bounce of the ball. Ideally the bracketer emerges from that first weekend beaten, but not defeated; amazed, but not exhilarated.

While everyone wishes and believes that their picks could theoretically and miraculously all come to fruition, those first four days decisively extinguish that utopia. By this point the hope is that the bracketer’s Elite Eight and Final Four are still relatively intact. This is where the second phase takes over. After the cyclone that blows through the first two rounds, what’s left of one’s bracket becomes cherished. Highlighters, creases, and stains (not to mention buzzer beaters and upsets) have compromised its original crisp and flawless form.

Now there are 16 teams left. The bracketer in you has now become you. You start to see exactly what must happen for your bracket to prevail. Scenarios are playing out in your head. Questions are forming. The angst is returning. Inevitably each game in the Sweet 16 and beyond will become an individual showdown against one of your bracketing competitors. You will adopt schools, fan bases, and basketball traditions you couldn’t have cared less about in February.

After withstanding the whirlwind phase of the first weekend, you discover that from the remnants has emerged an agenda. It’s an agenda of hope, realism, and odds, all simmered together in a stew of March mayhem. And of course directly tied into the fates of the 16 remaining schools.

From this point on the basketball takes over. Teams still playing the second weekend of the tourney fall into two categories, contenders and cinderellas. Contenders are the national powers that found a way to escape the bedlam of the first round. Cinderellas are the little schools that pulled off a shocker or two. Both fall under the general heading of “smokin’ hot”. And any college team that is sizzling in March carries with it an air of invincibility.

Naturally, the level of basketball played is unrivaled. You’ll see guys hit threes from unfathomable distances. You’ll see others sacrifice their bodies, and leap five rows into the stands just to preserve a possession. With bigger venues, NCAA Regionals attract upwards of 25-30,000 spectators, all embodying the passion of their teams.

The Final Four? Only 50,000 people in a football stadium, layered on top of each other and surrounding a 94 foot hardwood court. They’ll be chanting in unison by the ten thousands. And there you’ll be, in front of your TV, crinkled bracket in hand, slippery highlighter in perspired palm, feeling the electricity of the moment, waiting for that one play that will advance that one team you need in order to beat that one friend who’s been pissing you off since fantasy football season ended.

Make no mistake about it, there’s something special about winning your pool; knowing that your bracket was the closest to the actual outcome of this utterly unpredictable, massive sporting sensation. And of course it’s always something special when your forecasting has given you the right to talk loads of smack to your friends and/or associates.

In that light, I’m introducing the first Ballgames Points Bracket Challenge. This will not be the conventional hoops pool. Since my readership is stretched far and wide (and evidently thin), I welcome anyone to submit their picks, and talk all the necessary trash throughout. There will be no blank bracket provided, so fill out your own and post all winners round by round, and attach whatever inflammatory hogwash you see fit throughout the tourney.

Three weeks, 63 do or die basketball games, and a whole lotta s**t talk. That’s what March Madness is all about.

***For more on s**t talk, check out the new CBS/CSTV March Madness promotional initiative. The New York Times summed it up (and legitimized it) best:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/business/media/28adco.html?ex=1173502800&en=1524d91f30a55a0c&ei=5070

Here’s my taped bit on the BC Eagles:

http://cstv.collegesports.com/postup/play.php?vid=7

Feb 26

3 Comments

Matsu-Manny-zaka Points

The guy’s already a legend, and he hasn’t even thrown a pitch in the bigs. The Sox posted over $51 million for Dice-K. They courted him; tempered his piranha of an agent, and finally, signed him for another $50 mil.Since then they’ve knocked down walls in the Fenway clubhouse to accommodate his massive media contingent. They’ve morphed the mighty baseball enterprise that is the Boston Red Sox into a multinational and bilingual operation. They’ve even researched the finest Japanese cuisine the city has to offer. All this was done just in preparation of his arrival to Boston, and eventually, Fort Myers.

Now, he’s finally there. And it’s all about him.

So of course Manny has found a way to make headlines. Big shocker.

Who else, but Manny, could possibly report to spring training both late and early?!? Like all Manny side-stories, this one is murky. All that’s known for sure is that for the second year in
a row the team allowed Manny to arrive on March 1, approximately a week after normal position players are required to report. His mother may or may not be in the hospital. And Manny may or may not have known that he was scheduled to appear at a car auction in Atlantic City this past weekend.

Regardless, this morning Manny arrived at camp, big as life, a full three days before schedule, and about three days after position players living in the real world. You know how Manny likes to keep things on an even keel, right?

Well he also likes to be the center of attention. And since it probably only recently occurred to him that all those team mailings he’s been getting actually say, “Welcome to Boston, Dice-K!”, and not “Welcome back Manny!”, my bet is Manny’s had a lot to take in of late.

So he most likely deemed it necessary to arrive early. Or not as late. Whatever. What’s relevant is that Manny is now fully aware of Dice-K’s presence, which may or may not have pulled him away from whatever it was that he was allegedly doing. Get the drift?

What’s known is this: Manny upped on the scene today and wasted no time getting his first glance of Dice-K. Barely before he had a chance to show off his new doo to David Ortiz, Manny had a bat in his hand, and had stepped into the batters box during a session of live batting practice being thrown by the new guy himself.

He looked at three pitches Dice-K had to offer, without offering back at one. It was his so you’re the guy who’s been taking the attention away from me and I’m not yet sure if I like it or not moment with Dice-K. Which is why I’m officially excited about this season. The three-ring circus has gone international.

While the evolving dynamic of this Japanese infusion overlapping “Manny’s world” will undoubtedly produce some hilarious (and possibly awkward) anecdotes, I’m of the mind that Manny and Dice-K are really going to hit it off.

First of all, Manny can relate to Dice-K. He showed up in the spring of 2001 and had to immediately deal with a significant language barrier because he never really had to speak in Cleveland (English at least). It is his personality that has become larger than life in Boston, and when he does speak, it serves to merely enhance that Manny-mystique, as opposed to define it.

Dice-K strikes me as a similar breed. The guy is clearly a character. He’s played some “Lost in Translation” games with Theo and the Trio, as well as the media. His grasp of the English language is surely not fluent, but no one knows what his true level of proficiency is at the moment. And he seems to like it that way.

Aside from the fact that I think their personalities will mesh well together, the two have a lot to learn from each other. Manny’s approach to the art of hitting is unmatched in both ethic and implementation. Dice-K will definitely have questions. Manny, conversely, being the truest student of hitting, will be fascinated at the prospect of adding another dimension to his understanding of this innate and finely-honed skill of his.

In addition, they are both machines in their respective disciplines, which will be an immediate source of mutual respect. They also play a game that revolves around one guy using a piece of wood to try and strike a tiny round object being hurled at him by another guy who’s sole objective is to make him miss. Mano-a-mano.

Face it, these two are natural, primal adversaries, best at what they do, foreign to one another, and now teamed up. Anyone else get the feeling they won’t have to do a whole lot of talking in order to communicate?

No matter what, this is just the beginning. It will be interesting, and no doubt amusing, to see how this current conglomeration of spirits and egos mold together to form the 2007 Boston Red Sox. It will also be extremely well-documented so expect the bizarre, and watch as it is beamed back and forth over the Pacific. Who am I kidding, though? We’re a fan base that has become accustomed to putting our undying faith in circus acts featuring the likes of cowboys and idiots.

Manny and Dice-K? This year’s act just might become the main event.

Feb 12

NBA Midseason Points

With the 2007 NBA All-Star game on the horizon I thought it would be appropriate to look at the state of affairs in the league. This season has been rich with subplots: streaks (Suns and Mavs), beefs (Nuggets and Knicks), marquee player movement (Allen Iverson and Chris Webber), and one team inching ever so close to a new wing of the NBA Pantheon (hint: 16 championships, 18 losses…and counting). Because “parity” isn’t part of the NBA vocabulary, let’s take a look at some of the principal themes of the 2006-07 NBA season within a context of conferences.Western Conference

Simply put, the West is diesel, and Shaq has been back east for the last three years. The Mavs have won 42 of their last 47 games (a cool .894 clip) while the Suns won 32 of 34 at one point. Pantheon streaks? Absolutely. Both teams have championship-caliber lasting power, but Dallas is clearly a step above of Phoenix because of its defensive capabilities and depth. However, as the Suns have proven the last two years (2006 without Amare Stoudemire), they have the potential to run any team this era has to offer straight out of the playoffs. Steve Nash has been hampered of late and the Suns have fallen off the Mavs pace of 68 wins. Expect Phoenix to run off another 12-15 in a row soon after the All-Star break and make it an epic race for the West’s top seed.

If there weren’t two 65+ win teams in the West, the talk would be all about the balance of excellence throughout the top half of the conference. The Jazz have benefited from Carmelo Anthony’s 15-game suspension stemming from the “MSG Incident”, and have built a lead of seven games over the Nuggets. They’re going to need it, as the Nuggets will make a strong push with A.I. and Melo finally playing together over an extended period of time. I still like the Jazz to take the division with 50-52 wins, barely edging the Nugs, who will be relegated to the bottom half of what will be a fearsome playoff bracket.

Denver will be joined by Kobe’s Lakers on the latter half of the bracket. Bryant has been playing some of the best team basketball of his career (with the least capable supporting cast), remarkably transforming an inexperienced team into a group of young veterans. Both the Nuggets and Lakers will be assuming the identity of that team no one wants to face in the first round. And should the Clippers continue their resurgence, they will combine to form one hell of a first round speed bump for the likes of Phoenix and Dallas.

Amid all these legitimate dark horses in the West lies perhaps the most dangerous pair: Houston and San Antonio. Yao Ming has become what skeptics never believed he could be in this league: dominant. He was averaging 25.9/9.4 before he broke his leg two months ago, and the Rockets have actually been better since his injury. The Spurs, meanwhile, continue to hiccup through the ’07 campaign, but are without a doubt the Patriots of the NBA, and will obviously win their 57 games and become the toughest out in the West (mainly because the Mavs won’t beat them two years in a row).

Eastern Conference

You know things are bad when the most noteworthy storylines involve the weight problems of the defending champions, and the inability of the league’s most historic franchise to score more points than an opponent. For the Heat, it’s simply a case of having too many veterans (see: Antoine Walker and Gary Payton) having already achieved all they need to in their careers, opting for drive-thru instead of practice. The Celtics diagnosis is equally simple: without Paul Pierce the Celtics are a glorified college team.

That said, I still like Miami defending at least it’s Eastern Conference crown. See, that’s what’s glorious about the East. It’s entirely possible to tank half a season (as the Heat basically did last year as well), string some wins together at the end, and go to the Finals. It’s the age-old axiom: if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Here the Heat are, 51 games into the defense of their title, with 25 wins to show, two impact players (Walker and James Posey) having been reprimanded for munchy-syndrome, and sparse amounts of Shaq. Yet they currently sit just four games behind Washington for first place in the Southeast Division.

Who’s gonna tell me the Heat won’t win 46 games, snag the three seed, go into Detroit or Cleveland and take the East again? It’s just that easy when you’re a beast of the least.

On the opposite end of that spectrum sit the Celtics. Their losing/tanking is well-documented, as is the fact that come May 22nd, Danny Ainge will be putting his livelihood into a plastic bubble filled with ping pong balls. To me, it’s worth the trade off. I didn’t get to grow up watching Larry Bird. I thought I was going to grow up watching Reggie Lewis. I ultimately settled for Paul Pierce, as if that was settling.

He’s been everything a superstar could be: talented and cocky, loyal and endearing, not to mention clutch. But he’s never had a big man. And that’s just not fair. In my opinion, if you replaced Antoine Walker with Tim Duncan (as the Celtics had hoped for in their last tango with lottery fate), Paul Pierce would today possess at least one ring, maybe a couple. If you find yourself a doubter, take a look at his 2001-02 season. He played in all 82 games and another 16 in the postseason. In his first playoff run he etched his name into the Celtics record books, alongside the likes of Bird, McHale, Russell, and Cousy. And he did this all after surviving an attempt on his life just three weeks before the season began, in which he was stabbed multiple times.

Let’s face it, Paul Pierce deserves a big man. And with the way everything has gone the last few years, culminating with “the collapse”, I’m willing to take my chances with the lottery…again. If not for Celtic Pride, for Paul.

Now that Greg Oden guy just better freaking declare.


Feb 8

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Hofstra Lacrosse Feature

This is the link to my first piece for cstv.com, a feature about the three senior leaders of the Hofstra women’s lacrosse team.

http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-lacros/stories/021407aab.html


Jan 26

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Pats post-mortem points

It’s hard to imagine that, for the most part, Patriots and Red Sox fans are one and the same. Case and point: Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. The Red Sox had surged ahead of the Yankees, 8-1 (their historic comeback clearly just a formality) in the fourth inning, yet not a soul throughout the Nation dared utter the words, World Series. However, on Sunday night in Indianapolis, with the Patriots holding a 21-3 lead and driving in the second quarter, New England fans near and far had collective visions of South Beach dancing in their heads.I was one of them. Talked to and text messaged my friends about more impending glory. Even declared out loud that the day the Patriots blew an 18-point lead in a playoff game would be the day I declared the end of the dynasty. And I sort of am. But not really. Just wait.

See that’s the difference between Patriots and Red Sox fans: two polar opposite psychological dynamics operating within the same fan-framework. In other words, we’re real screwed up, so cut us some slack.

Back to the original point. Ask any Sox fan if they’ll ever have to hinge great chunks of their personal and professional lives on a Red Sox playoff run. Ask them if life will ever be as good as it was during those eight nights of baseball in October, 2004. Answers will always be some variation of: Nope, Sox got the one, did it unprecedented, now my father/grandfather/son/pet can die having lived a fruitful existence. I’m saved.

While we obviously want to see the Sox succeed (and not get five-game swept by the Yankees), that familiar chill and snicker when recalling the ’04 playoffs will never cease to be. It is there in that Sox-psyche, forever embedded.

But it’s different with the Patriots. Much different. We saw this team rise from the ashes of NFL futility. A team that for over two decades didn’t even merit discussion on the Boston sports scene. The Patriots played home games 26 miles from the hub, could rarely be seen on TV, and had appeared in one thrashing of a Super Bowl in their history. With the Celtics and Bruins hanging banners in the 70s and 80s, and with the Red Sox losing in Shakespearean fashion, the Patriots were blander than white toast.

But after its acquisition by a savvy businessman with a passion and a plan, the New England franchise grew so fast and so decisively that suddenly it could only be compared with the all-time greats.

Which brings us to Sunday night. The Patriots, driving for a fourth-first half touchdown, saw their drive halted on an offensive pass interference call against Troy Brown. A possible 28-3 lead and assured 24-3 advantage was nixed by one play. But that didn’t really matter. If a lead in a playoff game against a great opponent has ever been airtight, it’s a Patriots lead. And we know that from past experience (17-3 in the 2001 AFC Championship at Pittsburgh; 17-3 in Super Bowl XXXVI against St. Louis; 21-3 in the 2004 AFC Championship at Pittsburgh).

In all those games the opponent made a strong push, but our defense never gave up a lead and Tom Brady did what was necessary to win. We had no reason to believe the Patriots would allow a new ending to be written. But hindsight’s 20-20.

And hindsight tells me the Patriots had to play three quarters of tough, playoff football against the Jets before traveling 3,000 miles to beat a team that was nine times better than they were on paper. (Well nine Pro Bowlers at least.) It was the proverbial “game they had no business winning but always win.”

The team then got hit by the flu-bug somewhere in between San Diego and Boston, and it accompanied them to Indy. It put Artrell Hawkins, the backup safety to the injured Rodney Harrison, out of the game. It rendered the steely Troy Brown eerily human (he ran a curl when he was supposed to run an out on the third down play that would’ve essentially sealed the game). Coupled with Rosevelt Colvin’s absence in the second half, along with Eric Alexander and Rashad Baker’s presence in crunch time, the Pats D was, for the first time, vulnerable. Not to mention uncharacteristically ragged and fatigued.

Yet we all feel that with another thirty seconds or so, Brady would have found a way to get the boys into the end zone, and onto Miami, because that’s what he does in January. But not this time. It took a perfect storm to drown the Patriots Sunday night. That is why I am not sticking to my comment from in the moment, that the dynasty is dead, because it isn’t. Unfortunately, this phase of it is. Guys like Tedy Bruschi, Corey Dillon, and Troy Brown all deserve to retire. Especially Bruschi.

I have a feeling we haven’t seen the end of some (maybe all) of that trio, but we certainly have seen their dominant days pass, and that is sad. That said, Brady is staring his prime square in the face. He has an offensive line that is young and cohesive, and most importantly, protects him. He has a budding running back that will emerge as one of the league’s best over the next few years. He has a young wide receiver with all the tools to become his next principal beneficiary, if he can only adopt the Patriot-ethic.

Defensively, the only area without question marks is up front, which is a good thing. With Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Jarvis Green manning the trenches for the next three years, the Patriots will be remain a run-tough defense. They must find a way to get younger and faster at the linebacker position, a notion we’ve never had to embrace in the Bruschi-era. And if they can find a way to keep Asante Samuel opposite Ellis Hobbs, good luck to opposing quarterbacks. If not, there’s still the x-factor, the reason why the Patriots have gone through 500 defensive backs in the last four years and have four AFC East crowns and two rings to show for it.

Bill Belichick. True, after this January good ole Bill may not be recognized as the classiest coach in the league, but he’s still the undisputed best. In Bill we still trust. So too does the Kraft family.

And as I alluded to before, Robert Kraft is not only a class-A businessman, he’s also a passionate Patriots fan who…HATES…LOSING!!!

He gave the Jets a first round pick just to snag Belichick, so don’t be fooled into thinking he’s going to let him get away (translation: the Giants may get Asante, but as for the guru, dream on). And don’t underestimate the mutual dependence Belichick and Brady have on each other. They each saved the other’s career. So with Brady’s best years on the horizon, watch as the Krafts hammer out a new deal for Belichick, and ride what they’ve been patiently waiting to declare as the second wave of the Brady/Belichick Patriots-dynasty.

I said after the second Super Bowl that when history was truly ready to look at the Patriots, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick would each have five rings. With that tandem at the helm you’re going to be hard pressed to find a Patriots fan who doesn’t believe that they’ll win another two. And thus we have revealed the one inherent similarity, rooted somewhere within our vast sports-psyches, between Red Sox fans and Patriots fans. We, more than any other fan base, embody our athletes.

Manny, Pedro, and the Sox got their title, are content with life, and can ride off into the sunset as perpetual champs. Brady, on the other hand, has made it no secret that his most coveted ring is the next one.

On both accounts, we concur.

Jan 19

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AFC/NFC Championship Points

On HBO’s championship edition of “Inside the NFL”, before Bob Costas had his panel (of Chris Collinsworth, Cris Carter, and Dan Marino) pick this weekend’s games, he presented a graphic. That graphic was a summation of Marino’s picks in playoff games involving the Patriots over the last five years. Of the 13 games New England has played, Dan picked against them seven times, including all three AFC Championships and two Super Bowls.

The kicker?

Marino is one of the few personalities in football who has actually had the Patriots’ back throughout their glorious run. The caveat being that his premier gig is alongside traditional Pats-haters, Boomer Esiason and Shannon Sharpe, on CBS football’s flagship show, “The NFL Today”. Since football analysts would prefer to be “not wrong” than “right on”, Marino’s HBO picks have essentially been cover picks. Which is to say his faith has never totally been with the Patriots, but hey, the guy’s gotta keep his day job, ya know?

LACES OUT DAN!!!!!!! (Just thought that quote would emphasize the brevity of Marino’s film career.)

In my opinion Marino is the most steadfast Patriots supporter among his TV colleagues, as well as throughout the national print media. So for the purposes of this column we’ll disregard Dan the businessman, because his CBS picks have clearly been more consistently from the heart.

Why is it that Marino’s heart frequently tells him the Patriots will prevail? A few reasons. First, he knows through painful firsthand experience that teams win championships. He was an outstanding quarterback on some very good Dolphins teams under Don Shula, but his corps were never the likes of Joe Montana’s 49ers (the Dolphins lost to San Francisco in Super Bowl XIX, 38-16) or even Jim Kelly’s Bills (Marino lost twice to Buffalo in the playoffs, 1990 and ’95). He’s also a product of the AFC East, which has been the NFL’s most hard-nosed, trench-football, defense-heavy division over the last two decades and change.

Historically, the warm weather Dolphins fade in December and January, when the Northeast becomes a bitterly cold and snowy mess. Marino himself would be the first to tell you that the elements had quite a bit to say about more than a few Dolphins seasons. So he understands the kind of toughness the Patriots embody.

The other principle reason Marino’s heart is usually with New England is Peyton Manning. Dan Marino is petrified that Peyton’s career will end up erasing his own. Manning has already trumped some of Marino’s trademark NFL records while becoming the new face of the league.

Peyton Manning is a statistician’s best friend, a publicist’s dream, and Dan Marino’s worst nightmare. But he hasn’t won a Super Bowl. And that, my friends, is the one thing keeping Marino from pulling a full-fledged Ray Finkle of his own.

While Peyton Manning is truly Marino’s arch nemesis, Tom Brady is his buddy for life. Brady won more Super Bowls in his first five years than Marino has in his last five Madden seasons. Never will Brady threaten any of Marino’s (hopefully) timeless records. He doesn’t in the least bit crave the spotlight. But, thankfully for Dan, Tom Brady beats Peyton Manning in the playoffs, and will continue to do so.

The Colts hype and exposure is so documented and ludicrous, I’m not even going to take time to address it. Instead I’ll stick with righting the pathetically and perennially wrong national media. In 2003 and ’04, it was the Peyton Manning is just too good to lose argument. This year it’s the well the Colts have really dominated the Patriots in the last two meetings, and those were at Foxborough case.

Okay, the 2005 meeting on Monday night at Gillette was the one game in this era of the Patriots that they entered with absolutely no shot of winning. Yes, they got dominated. They got dominated after a seven-game stretch to open a second consecutive defense of their crown that included four games against 2004 playoff teams, all on the road. It was deemed the hardest opening schedule in league history. Nuff said.

As for the November 5th game at Gillette this year, I need not emphasize the fact that the Patriots played their worst game of the season while the Colts played their most complete game ever against the Patriots. Tom Brady threw four picks yet probably would’ve tied the game at 27 on the Patriots final drive had Kevin Faulk not missed an easy pass at the Indy 32, forcing Brady’s fourth and final interception.

(If you want to see my thoughts from after that game go to the vault: http://ballgamespoints.blogspot.com/2006/11/pats-colts-points-of-shame-aright.html)

In short, the Colts did everything they could have hoped for to put themselves in a position to win that November game. Yet the game was undoubtedly decided by Brady’s implosion. Which begs two questions: 1) How likely are the Colts to twice play a perfect game against the Patriots? And 2) how likely is Brady to twice mess himself against the Colts defense? Early results are 1) highly unlikely and 2) over Brady’s dead body.

Patriots 29 Colts 23

NFC Championship

I picked against the Bears last week because of Rex Grossman, and he played well enough and the Bears won. Barely. Had Matt Hasselbeck not tripped on an attempted handoff to Shaun Alexander in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter it would’ve been the Seahawks traveling to New Orleans for the NFC Championship. Grossman played a deceiving game. The throws he made were long, authoritative, and game changing. But he was also pressured at times, and the old Rex came out, as he threw an interception and lost a crucial fumble.

The Saints offense is essentially a high-octane college offense run by a cool, effective professional. Their offense is college-like because of the versatility and athleticism of their skill players. On any given down Reggie Bush could be lined up in the backfield, as a wing, in the slot, or split wide. There’s always the threat of Deuce McAllister splitting defenses open with runs up the middle, but then again he could be split wide or offset himself.

The Bears are depleted on the defensive line after the loss of Tommie Harris. And no secondary is suited to account for the speed and versatility of the Saints passing game. Thus not only with New Orleans move the ball, but they will score with relative frequency. I don’t doubt that Grossman will once again connect on some big deep balls, but the Saints offense will keep applying the pressure, and Grossman will make a crucial mistake in the fourth quarter.

Saints 27 Bears 23



Jan 15

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Pats-Chargers and Class

Class, like many overly thrown around terms in sports, is all relative. On this January 15th, 2007, the New England Patriots are a mean, classless crew of a**holes with an even meaner and class-lacking a**hole at their helm.

To the San Diego Chargers at least.

Back in New England, however, they are the same group of warriors (with some new working parts) that continue to rewrite football history. History, it is often said, is not without a sense of irony. It is human nature to reflect on the past, identifying moments that, for better or worse, inexorably impacted the future. Irony only enters the equation when that future is finally determined, and has been accordingly altered by some seemingly unrelated prior event.

Truly ironic instances tend to be humorous. But for those with big egos and short memories, irony also tends to be a dish best served cold, when prepared by the right chef.

Since history is the impetus of irony, travel back to October 2nd, 2005. The Patriots were two-time defending Super Bowl champions, owners of the longest home winning streak in league history, and battered. Rodney Harrison had torn all the ligaments in his left knee the week before in Pittsburgh, and Tedy Bruschi was still recovering from a stroke. Monty Beisel and Chad Brown were the starting inside linebackers.

The Chargers came into Foxborough, and beat the Patriots, 41-17. But that wasn’t all. They yapped. They disrespected the Patriots’ house. They showed very little class in victory. After the game Marty Schottenheimer made comments about the Patriots’ injuries coming full circle, and pondered how long the team could continue to be a force. It wasn’t so much a sign of disrespect than it was an observation. It was an observation that the traditionally even-tempered Tom Brady took exception to in the media the next week. Brady asserted that Schottenheimer had no right to make comments about his team, and with reason.

While Schottenheimer’s comments were not overtly disrespectful, they may have been the most concrete way for an incensed-Brady to respond to a few other occurrences at the end of that game. When the contest had concluded, with the Chargers scoring the final 24 points, the San Diego players took some time to “take in” the surroundings, and most likely had a few words for the angry and pugnacious Gillette-faithful. In addition, Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was overheard saying, “That was an ass whupping!”

These are all instances of professionals not living up to their titles. Players are paid to play; coaches to coach. For the Chargers to walk onto the hallowed ground of Foxborough and knock off the champion Patriots was impressive. They earned that victory. But for a team that had only appeared in one Super Bowl (a 49-26 thumping at the hands of the 49ers) in over thirty five years of existence, to act the way they acted following that game was simply disrespectful. Disrespectful to the stadium they were competing in, to the three banners waving over them, and to the game they represent.

The Patriots have given new meaning to the concept of team as it applies to the most inherently team game in sport. They have illustrated that MVP’s and Pro Bowls mean squat when it comes to winning football games in January. And yes, from time to time, they fall. When they do, they fall to worthy adversaries. Adversaries that are usually ecstatic for having taken advantage of the opportunity to have played sixty minutes of better football than the Patriots.

After that Week 4 game last year, the Chargers didn’t respectfully bask in their accomplishment. Rather, they did their best to throw it back in the face of the Patriots, which itself became one of the few sour pieces of history embedded in the “Razor”.

Before we get to history turning into cruel irony for the Chargers, let us look at some other history, to better illustrate why San Diego will ultimately look back at that October 2nd with biting regret.

The Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have been rivals ever since Bill Parcells was matching wits with Bill Cowher in the mid-90s. The rivalry became even more intense following the 2001 season when the Steelers were destined to meet the Rams in the Super Bowl, and Cowher made the grave mistake of overlooking the Patriots. Since that time, it seems nobody except the Steelers have had true reverence for the Patriots.

The Steelers and Pats have battled in the regular season; they’ve battled in two AFC Championships. The Patriots went into Pittsburgh in October, 2004 and had their NFL-record 21-game winning streak snapped. The Steelers, students of the past, barely acknowledged their own end of the game, opting instead to remark at the magnitude of the Patriots accomplishments. The Patriots, meanwhile, got back to business, regrouped, and marched back into the Steel City for the 2004 AFC Championship and ended the Steelers 15-game streak.

Point is, the Patriots have been respected by the Steelers, and reciprocated that respect. The tables were turned after the fateful outcome of the 2001 AFC Championship in Pittsburgh. Never again would the Steelers slight the Pats, and never again would the Patriots have that added incentive to make them eat their words.

The difference between the 2001 Steelers and the 2005/06 Chargers? History!!!!! The ’01 Steelers had no idea what they were getting into. They didn’t respect the Patriots because they had no reason to. They were the best, and the Patriots were that team kneeling in their way.

The San Diego team that came into Foxborough didn’t just disrespect a coach, a team or a fan base. They disrespected a dynasty. So with all that transpired between then and now, with the Chargers this year emerging clearly as the team to beat, I found myself chuckling after listening to everything I heard in the week leading up to this game.

Fate, it would seem, is not without a sense of irony. Another applicable phrase. From the events at Gillette last year, to Shawne Merriman going on TV last Sunday and disrespecting the Patriots, to trying to keep Pats fans out of Qualcomm, to Schottenheimer entertaining hoards of media to openly talk about his atrocious playoff record, I mean, geeez! Is it any wonder that the Chargers a) dropped passes, b) fumbled balls, and c) committed inexplicable penalties? Is it any wonder that Merriman was practically an afterthought? Or that Schottenheimer went for it on a 4th and 11 from the Patriots 30 yard line and had no general control over his players?

Who’s truly surprised that the Chargers lost this game? Was it fate? Maybe on the surface, but at its core it was just another case of a talented group of players losing to a mentally tougher, more experienced, and better coached team.

As for the whole “class” thing that LaDainian Tomlinson referenced, yep, sometimes irony is painfully blatant, especially when you don’t see it coming. But history always precipitates irony. The Chargers refused to look at the 2001 Steelers with a historical and self-evaluating perspective. They opted instead to act classless in an October matchup with New England, a giant that evidently (and within character) put its reactive mechanisms on snooze until the time was right. And as if that wasn’t enough, Merriman did that giant the service of pressing the alarm button just to make sure it woke up in time.

So while the reputable LaDainian Tomlinson wants to point to the Patriots’ lack of class in mocking Merriman’s sack-dance, maybe he should take a step back and look at that jig as an appropriate reciprocation of a winner’s bravado.

Because as we all know, fate and history are not without a sense of irony.

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