The Sports Frog

Jemele Hill:

"It's hard to tell which is more astonishing -- that (Karl) Malone actually feels this way, or that (Demetrius) Bell was able to overcome the heartbreaking reality of being rejected by a parent."

Really? You have a hard time figuring out which is more astonishing? I'll help. The second isn't astonishing at all. It's called life. It's realizing that relying on a parent who could do such a thing would be folly.

Is Demetrius Bell the only guy in the NFL draft who has had little to no contact with their father? I'm going out on a sturdy limb and saying not a chance. Before anyone thinks that's got anything to do with any racial/socioeconomic issues, I'll say that I'm in the same boat as those guys, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Certainly there are situations where growing up without a father creates situations that must be overcome. However, not having a father around doesn't mean you've got a lot to overcome in and of itself.

I didn't have a father growing up. Still don't. I have a Dad, though, and she did a wonderful job of making me realize that it wasn't me who had anything to overcome.

Happy Mother's Day (a bit early), Mom.

Finally, David Witthoft shunned his Brett Favre jersey for the first time in 1,581 days.

The Ridgefield, Conn. boy, 12, wore the No. 4 jersey every day since receiving it as a gift for Christmas in 2003. David's father, Chuck Witthoft, said Monday that his son's last day wearing the jersey was April 23 -- his 12th birthday.

Witthoft conceded his son was starting to become more concerned about his appearance after the jersey barely came down to his belt line.

Witthoft first gained national attention three years ago, and attended his first Packers game in December. He's also planning to attend the Sept. 8 game when the Packers retire Favre's No. 4.

His mother, Carolyn, had washed the jersey every other day and mended it when needed.

of NFL players least likely to be involved in a shooting, Marvin Harrison would definitely be in the top 10. Yet, he is being investigated for just such an instance.

The NFL draft passed without the Miami Dolphins trading Jason Taylor, but that doesn't mean all is well with the team's star defensive player and new football czar Bill Parcells.

Taylor recently became incensed with Parcells during a recent visit to team headquarters, according to the Miami Herald. Taylor popped in on the Dolphins' executive vice president while he was watching tape, but the newspaper said Parcells ignored Taylor without speaking a word to him.

Taylor was taking a break from "Dancing With the Stars" when he stopped in to visit Dolphins players in South Florida. According to the Herald, after receiving a warm reception from his teammates, Taylor decided to seek out Parcells.

But according to the Herald, Parcells had no interest in talking to Taylor. Parcells even looked at Taylor, the newspaper reported, before going back to watching tape.

I am not sure exactly what is going on, but I am thinking tha for some reason, Jason Taylor is not on Parcell's grocery list.

The draft is over and now Mel Kiper can put his hair back into its mummified coffin for six months. When it comes to the draft I have learned to only trust the opinion of one guy. The amazing Dr. Z. He brings sanity to a situation of projections, 40 times, and workout wonders.

Here is a link to Dr Z's draft review. I think he sums it all up pretty well.

Matt Stover, the Baltimore Ravens' veteran kicker, has begun a campaign to replace Gene Upshaw as executive director of the NFL Players Association by next March.

I say that's bullshit. I started the campaign to replace Upshaw a few years ago. In fact when Goodell took over, he spent three hours learning the proper way to stick his hand up Gene's ass to get his lips to move.

"I feel that the board must begin to prepare for a change in leadership immediately," Stover said in an e-mail to the union's executive board and player representatives that was obtained Tuesday by ESPN.

...are taking an interest in Darren McFadden. And, since the Bears pick 14th overall and there is no way McFadden will be there at that point, the speculating about whether Chicago would be inclined to try and move up to get him can start. Even if they don't trade up, they are reportedly interested in McFadden's running mate Felix Jones as well. And he would probably be available at 14 overall.

And, while we're here, at this news we can raise an eyebrow with regard to how the Bears feel Cedric Benson is progressing in the recovery from his ankle break in November. I would guess there is some concern.

Bits and pieces for your perusal:

---Hashmarks at espn.com calls out Dan Rooney and the Steelers for a double standard. And an awkward one at that. In Pittsburgh's defense, that is the same double standard that applies for pretty much every sporting team going. Nothing new here.

---Denver's wider receiver Brandon Marshall with the most difficult-to-believe injury in Colorado since deer-meat gate. Fell through a TV and cut arm? Ok, I guess. It's all in how you sell it, Brandon.

---Bill Parcells actively looking to deal the #1 overall pick? Maybe. But the problem for him is the same as what is driving him to try and deal it. Not necessarily a guy right at the top worth what it will take to sign him.

---The Wonderlics are in. And there are some pretty bright players in this draft. At the least, there are a whole bunch who are three times as Wonderlic bright, as, say, Chris Henry was. At the least, none of them are likely to ever commit a crime while wearing their own jersey.

---A Bengals free agent siging actually wounded another team? Wow. Will wonders never cease and all that. At any rate, the Colts, who rely heavily on two tight end sets, will be having to address the loss of Ben Utecht in free agency. And Bengals fans actually get to look forward to maybe incorporating just one tight end into the their passing offense. Finally.

---Mock draft stuff from the last few weeks: Don Banks at si.com, TSX, Prisco, and Judge at sportsline.com, and scout.com on foxsports. Enjoy. One month until the April NFL holiday weekend. If the Dolphins are not able to trade the #1 overall, the consensus now is now that Jake Long is the player most likely to go in that spot to Miami.

Guess the musing that the Cowboys really might provide a home for Tennessee's number one bad boy were not just idle musing after all. It appears that preliminary talks have been had about bringing the rainmaker cornerback from Nashville to Dallas.

I can only hope that the Cowboys do this, somehow talk Mike Brown into taking the cap hit to deal Chad Johnson, and give us all the spectacle of Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, and Pacman Jones on one team for 2008.

That would be swell. Someone, please, make this happen.

By popular demand.

So, I've been begging the Bengals to trade this tool for awhile now, as it became painfully apparent about a year or so ago that his shtik, so very funny and amusing for national talking heads, was masking his being a complete dick in the locker-room and a guy who most assuredly looks out for himself ahead of his team at all times. And, in doing so, I was late arriving at the idea that he is as destructive as it now appears he is. I know I argued long and hard that there was no way that he had hit a coach as was reported two years ago about an alleged halftime altercation involving Johnson.

Well, I guess it is a lot less alleged this morning. And I was wrong to think that there was no way Johnson would have done something so stupid. As is now evident, he trades in stupid.

And, as much as it pains me to admit it, it appears Pro Football Talk was right back in the day when it had the story that no one else did that Johnson had blown up at halftime of the ill-fated and doomed Bengals playoff loss to the Steelers and punched a coach. Despite consistent denials from pretty much everyone in the locker-room that day, Shaun Smith (now with the Browns) has apparently confirmed that Johnson punched Marvin Lewis and took a swing at then-receivers coach Hue Jackson. And, really, with the team reeling from the loss of Carson Palmer on the first offensive snap from scrimmage but still in a game that could have been won, I am certain that there was nothing better for them than watching Chad Johnson have an all-time tantrum causing the coaches to deal with him rather than get the team ready for the second half.

All class, that Chad Johnson. And just the kind of calming influence that helps football teams win. Seriously, why can't they get rid of this tool? Oh, wait, because Mike Brown is a tool as well and apparently won't allow it. It amazes me that Marvin Lewis would consent to coach the guy after that. Hell, this explains the persistent bitching about double standards from Bengals players with regard to the rules and Chad Johnson. You want a first class exhibit, post-Terrell Owens, about how to meltdown a team with selfish behavior? It's Chad Johnson. By the way, Cincy's continually coming up small in big situations mirrors that of Johnson, who absolutely disappears when it counts. You build your team around talented but extremely flawed individuals like Johnson, and the circus of the last few seasons in Cincinnati is one of the very possible results.

Awesome. And when he is on the team come August, and daily stories about his mood are all that is being reported from training camp, well, that's gonna be just swell. For everyone else. For Bengals fans? Not so much.

The Jets, fresh off their free agent spending spree, may have a zen for Darren McFadden. And, as luck would have it, a major metropolis teeming with women for McFadden to impregnate.

As for mock drafts, not a ton of new stuff (i.e., before the initial free agency flurry of signings), but here's some reading if you have lost track of the early guesses:

---A collection at sportsline.com

---Don Banks' v. 3.0 on si.com

---Scout.com has a really fine effort that takes into account the start of the free agency period at foxsports.com out just yesterday. Good stuff in that one.

Oh, and what do I like (love) about their version (NTYC* March edition)? For the second mock in a row, Glenn Dorsey falls to the Bengals slot. I like the cut of their gib with those guesses. Hope those worries about his leg linger and let him drop just that far. I really do.

*Not that you care

The Cowboys have a yearning for some Pacman. Jones, that is. I guess they are trying to bring back the "fun" of the Michael Irvin 90s days. A few obstacles:

1. He is still suspended

2. He is a member of the Titans

Still, if this somehow were to come to pass, adding Jones to a team that already has Terrell Owens is, at the least, potentially entertaining.

Don Banks has a good take here on si.com, with nice words for the Browns (he calls them the team to beat in 2008 in the AFC North), Eagles, Saints, and Falcons.

Getting a thumbs down from Banks? Jets (he's not impressed with the moves they have made in free agency), 49ers, Dolphis, Chiefs, Titans, and Raiders. His write-up on the Raiders is noteworthy:

"• Oakland Raiders -- Where to begin? The Raiders gave defensive end-turned-tackle Tommy Kelly more than $18 million guaranteed despite the fact that the onetime undrafted collegiate free agent played just seven games last season and is coming off ACL surgery. They paid a steep price for receiver Javon Walker, who has had three knee surgeries and is said to be playing with a bone-on-bone situation in one of his knees. And they added ex-49ers offensive tackle Kwame Harris, a former first-round pick who couldn't even stay in the lineup for San Francisco's less-than-dominating offensive line last season.

Ex-Giants safety Gabril Wilson is a solid -- if unspectacular player -- but at $39 million, the Raiders had to over-pay to entice him to town. While it certainly made sense to re-sign running back Justin Fargas and franchise cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, the Raiders saw receiver Jerry Porter and quarterback Josh McCown walk away in free agency without getting anything in return. At this point, quarterback is again a concern, because no one knows if JaMarcus Russell is ready to take over the starting job. There are rumors that he's close to 300 pounds and not exactly prepared for his close-up.

Bolded part says what?

Holy Jared Lorenzen, Batman, that's, that's, that's a huge problem for the Raiders is remotely true. Quarterbacks that size can be lovable lugs enjoying life as a back-up. In, say, New York, for the Super Bowl champs. Quarterbacks that size who are #1 overall draft choices? Potentially franchise crippling. And not so much a lovable lug.

John Tomase in the Boston Herald with a pretty decent list to chew over:

1. Dallas
2. Green Bay
3. Pittsburgh (oh please, that sure would be swell, go ahead and stick a hot poker in the eye of every Bengals fan around while you are at it)
4. NY Giants
5. New Orleans

Don Banks yesterday with these thoughts among others on si.com:

---He's a little more non-plussed with the 49ers moves than I am (see my post just below), calling them basically Washington west. Dan Snyder won't be pleased about that.

---He refuses to believe that Randy Moss would really dare to leave all things Tom Brady. I think Banks doesn't really understand Moss then.

---He likes what the Browns got done. Sure. Pour salt, Don Banks.

By the way, Michael Turner is in Ladainian Tomlinson's shadow no more, heading to a pot of gold in Atlanta. $15 million in guaranteed money front-loaded in a six-year $35 million dollar contract.

The Bengals. Of Cincinnati.

Even when they try to do something right, it somehow ends up wrong. How else to explain having acquired a true difference make in the middle of the defensive line in Shaun Rogers for all of two hours Friday afternoon, only to learn that the NFL front office disallowed the deal, and then watch as the fuckin' Browns swoop in and get said difference maker?

I mean, jeebus. Like getting punched in the nuts on a repeated basis. You ask for it to stop, and it continues, unending.

Big winners so far in free agency (three whole days in edition)?

The Browns. Fuckers. But it's hard to argue with a new defensive front, a re-signed quarterback, and a wide receiver. Bastards.

Dolphins. Getting new blood on a team that desperately needed same.

Niners. I don't think anyone they got is going to put them in the playoffs necessarily, but Justin Smith and Deshaun Foster will help them be better.

Losers? Um, the Bengals. Yeah, the Bengals. Even when they try to win, they lose.

Indispensible sorting through all of this? Hashmarks on espn.com, which has rapidly become THE must-stop for NFL news this off-season.

The Combine ended on Tuesday, so how is this post even relevant? I blame the NFL.

See, somehow, the NFL found out I was given a free ride to Indianapolis last week for their Combine - which apparently was a mistake or an oversight that I was granted.

When finding out about me, in typical league fashion they didn't kick me out of the RCA Dome. No, they let me stay as promised. Instead, they just gave me the ten year flu. It's not fun to fall asleep on Saturday night and not wake up again until Saturday morning. So, I had to watch the whole damn combine thing on tv just like all the other scum bags.

This is what they tell me: this is a very deep draft. It doesn't hold the top heavy talent at 1-5 that would maybe draw more attention to the class, but overall there will be some very good NFL players taken long past the second and third rounds.

At the top, everyone was talking about Darren McFadden's 4.33 forty time that came the day after I predicted his stock would continue to fall out of the top 20. I'll admit to being wrong about how others view McFadden, but given the talent at running back this year, I wouldn't touch this guy with a first round pick. Consider the body type that Rashard Mendenhall possesses at 210lbs. He ran a 4.45 forty, and had a RB best 4.18 20 yard shuttle time. Ball security problems (something McFadden has too) is really the only weakness to Mendenhall's game. His thighs are huge. He's dreamy.

Two other running backs who answered big questions at the Combine were Ray Rice and Jonathan Stewart. Both were known to be great, powerful inside runners but scouts wondered if they had the long speed to be NFL starters. Stewart ran a 4.48 and Rice ran a 4.49. Rice also placed at the top of the charts for the 20 yard shuttle and 3 cone drill. He's probably got the best lateral movements of any back in the draft, while Stewart is more of a run you over type at 225lbs. Both are guys that give you what you need at the running back position: yards after contact.

More to come as my mind becomes unjambled.

...Oiler's next post on combine stuff that has jumped out at him, pass the time with Hashmarks on espn.com. If you have missed the doings in Indy to this point and care to catch up, there is no better resource for getting up to speed on the nets. This note is of interest:

"LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey still must convince teams that injury concerns are overblown. Dorsey stressed that he hasn't missed games, but medical examinations haven't removed the uncertainty over a stress-fracture injury suffered during his junior season."

Apparently the concerns were sufficient enough that he was sent to a local hospital for a battery of tests over the weekend. Gotta say, as a Bengals fan of a team with the #9 overall pick in the first round, if injury concerns cause Dorsey to slip down that far, well, that would be outstanding.

He laid down blistering 4.27 and 4.33 times in the 40 at the combine yesterday. That's really damn good. And also somewhat of interest was the chatter making the rounds amongst the people covering the combine and captured and relayed to the rest of us via the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

"That's where news got out that Arkansas running back Darren McFadden is not only battling a paternity suit, but that he told a team during an interview Saturday night that he has two children on the way."

Well. That's prolific. He's already blown past the Tom Brady and Matt Leinart level and is already in the Chad Johnson category for children outside of marriage. And, that is a fast enough start at a young enough age that perhaps, dare we dream, Travis Henry's mark might be in reach?

And, again, because I just don't understand this, why is it so hard to buy and put on a condom? Heck, aside from the you-might-make-a-baby concern, should there not also be the you-might-get-a-disease-and-even-maybe-die-because-of-it concern? Or is that worry too rooted in me from being in high school and college in the late 80s and early 90s? At any rate, McFadden appears less than concerned about those kinds of worries.

I remember how Peter Jennigs used to pronounce Nicaragua. It took him 15 seconds. What bullshit.

Meanwhile....Shirts and caps proclaiming the victory of the New England Patriots -- when the American football team actually lost the latest Super Bowl -- have ended up in the hands of poor Nicaraguan children.

Ironically some of these same children made the uniforms for the players in the Super Bowl and after going on strike and getting a raise are now making $0.27 a day. Fucking unions.

All of us at the Frog have taken the week off from work and have been granted full back stage access to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. We're also very thankful to be staying at the Marriott Courtside, courtesy of the NFL. I've had two cups of hazelnut coffee already this saturday, connected with my daughter via web cam, and just have to say that this is truly a great experience. I've also been told that next year, the NFL will be taking the top 20 from the swamp as well. Notable news:

• Matt Ryan has decided not to throw at the Combine. What you hiding, Matty?

  "I want to give teams an accurate reflection of how I throw the ball," he said. "I want to throw to guys I know."

  I really liked Ryan in college, but quarterbacking in the NFL is played more in the head than it is in the body. Anyone not able to excel in uncontrolled circumstances should worry that team and its fans.
• The top three running back prospects, McFadden, Mendenhall, and Stewart, will all run at the Combine. Watch for yourself as McFadden's stock drops out of the top 20 and into the waiting arms of Jerry Jones.
• A coin flip has decided the rest of the top 10 for the 2008 NFL draft. There was a three way tie for the third spot, but that is now property of the Altanta Falcons. The Raiders will pick 4th and the Chiefs 5th.
• The competition committee is considering reseeding teams after each round of the playoffs, instead of using the current system which preseeds everyone before the first round and then keeps those matchups throughout the tournament. UPDATE: This is entirely wrong. I read the story incorrectly this morning. What they are considering is granting the top 6 teams a playoff berth, no matter the division champs. Don't tell my mom I was wrong and don't tell the NHL they're thinking about this.

A lot of media sites are covering the combine these days, but none are doing the quantity of work that espn's hashmarks is doing. Their quality is right at the top too.

For rankings, the days of Mel Kiper are long gone. So if you're looking for the best rankings from a media source, check out Mike Mayock's top 20 rankings

That's it for now, I'm off to my workout with John Locke.

I could wax poetically about the foolishness of keeping writers out of "secret" areas of the Combine, while letting the NFL Network put a camera everywhere. (I hope the aren't doing any colonoscopys) But I wll defer to the great Dr. Z who's opinion on this matter I whole heartedly agree with.

Boycotting the combine

The Combine workouts begin this week. I won't be there. I understand they're going to have them anyway. They used to be absolutely secret deals -- only the athletes, their relatives and about 40 million agents. Writers need not apply. Stay out. Beware the dog! This means you! No pasaran!

Now they're an ongoing feature of the NFL Network. I don't know what the coverage will be like because I've never seen it, but one thing is the same. Writers once again are not permitted to the inner sanctum. Interview areas are set up all over the place, and the press can have the pleasure of crowding like ants around the athletes after they've done what they're paid to do, hopeful of maybe a further moment alone with an agent or personnel director.

There's absolutely no reason why the press should be banned from the inner sanctum, except for the fact that that's the way the NFL always has done it. You know, the old Emerson quote -- "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." The writers could be sitting in the stands of the RCA Dome, or up in the press box, taking notes, minding their P's and Q's, as well behaved as little troopers, answering the call when interviews are set up, just as they do at the NFL draft. But no, the NFL has decided this must be a secret event, except for their own network, of course.

So if you don't want me, Combine people, then you'll have to get by without my help. What bothers me is that my fellow journalists are willing to take any kick in the teeth the NFL dishes out and remain smiling. In the old days, when the labor movement was alive and well in our country, you might have had a chance of organizing the writers into a massive boycott. Let 'em do it without us ... waddya say? Everybody stay away! No chance now. You'd never get all those talk radio people to fall in line, and besides, most newspaper owners are on a social footing with club owners. Their sentiments lie in that direction.

So have a nice Combine, NFL. Have fun covering it, fellow writers. I'll get a printout of the results sneaked to me at the league meetings, and I'll sit down and study the numbers for about 48 hours, as I always do. You don't want me, I don't want you. I've got my own friends to play with.

...appears ready to resume his duties as the Ravens' quarterback in 2008.

"Being a competitor, I understand that people are always going to put something, some name out there," McNair said in his first public statements since the end of last season. "I'm not into speculation, I'm into reality. If it happens, then I'll deal with it.

"But as of right now, my only focus is getting my shoulder ready for the season. I have confidence in myself and in my teammates. If I didn't, I would not come back."

Good luck with that. I am guessing Baltimore's desire for a fresh start in 2008 does not include a 36-year-old quarterback coming off of rotator cuff surgery.

The coaching Marcel Marceau gets relatively effusive. From the Boston Globe:

"In my entire coaching career, I've never seen another team's practice film prior to playing that team," he said. "I have never authorized, or heard of, or even seen in any way, shape, or form any other team's walkthrough. We don't even film our own. We don't even want to see ourselves do anything, that's the pace that it's at. Regardless, I've never been a part of that."

Belichick added that in his "entire coaching career, I have never filmed a walkthrough, our own. I've never been on a staff that has filmed a walkthrough. I'm talking about when I was a head coach. As an assistant, I've never seen a head coach film a walkthrough the day before a game."

Wow. Excellent. The lines are set. GM Scott Pioli is starting the credibility campaign against the mysterious Matt Walsh (alleged tapee of the Rams' walkthrough). And Walsh's attorneys are firing back.

Hmmmm. Where have we seen this before? Oh, yeah, last week. Clemens. McNamee. Attorneys. Congress.

Those who do not learn from history and all that....Crank the circus back up, I guess.

Well, not directly. But indirectly. Because when you have a season as nightmarish as Atlanta just had, you see moves like this:

"Other than Crumpler, one of the team's longtime leaders and best players, former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Rod Coleman, left tackle Wayne Gandy, quarterback Byron Leftwich, linebacker Marcus Wilkins, wide receiver Jamin Elliott and cornerback Lewis Sanders were released."

That is potentially just the beginning. More cuts may be coming, and the names rumored to be at risk in that wave include "tailback Warrick Dunn, quarterback Joey Harrington, linebacker Keith Brooking, guard Kynan Forney, wide receivers Joe Horn and Brian Finneran, and safety Lawyer Milloy."

Mark Bradley in the AJC on the carnage:

"And if it means taking a step backward in 2008 simply to tailor the roster to his liking ... well, [new GM] Dimitroff didn't seem opposed to that, either. "My aim is to put a team on the field that's very aggressive and very passionate, a team that is beginning to believe in itself. That's the first goal. The starting point is to have that in place." He said nothing about going 10-6 or making the playoffs. Rather, he spoke of establishing a template, of setting a new tone. Toward that end, nothing resonates like the rustle of a veteran cleaning out his locker. They'll be hearing that sound often in Flowery Branch, where there's a new man in charge, a bold man who cares nothing for yesterday."

Interesting. And maybe exactly what the Falcons need. Nothing on this yet from the must-read Atlanta focused Braves & Birds site, but, work permitting, I would expect Michael to have a comment there soon.

Arlen Specter appears eager to push ahead with an inquiry after meeting with Roger Goodell:

"There are many matters which have not been explained," Specter said. "And the commissioner is stonewalling."

Gee commish. Sounds like you failed in your sale. Better go home and kick your dog to get your anger out. Or extend Odell Thurman's suspension another year. Whichever makes you feel better.

Oh, and horrible job to you, sir, at containing this. Destroying the tapes and declaring that there was nothing to see? Bad idea then. Bad idea now. Bad idea forever. You really could not foresee the obvious question? That if there was nothing to see, why did you destroy the tapes? Absolute incompetence.

Be right!

Please be right!

League insiders (whoever they may be) are saying that Washington has them some Chad Johnson fever. From the Washington Post:

"Numerous league sources, including some with direct knowledge of conversations between Snyder, Cerrato and recent head coaching candidates, have affirmed that the Redskins have interest in trading for Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson, with two league sources saying Johnson is eager to land a hefty new contract from Washington.

Acquiring an elite receiver is Snyder's top priority, league sources said. The Bengals have said they have no intention of trading Johnson, but his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is working quietly to broker a deal, the sources said."

Fine. Make it a second round pick and we've got a deal. Well, as long as the Bengals are willing to swallow a horrible cap hit that they would have to take by dealing Johnson. And, now that I think about it, owner Mike Brown doesn't ever take finanical hits on anything. So, sorry league insiders, nice try. I will file that under I-will-believe-it-when-I-see-it. Never mind that getting the Chad Johnson insanity out of Cincinnati would be well worth the cap hit, Mike Brown usually don't play that when it comes to money.

Damn.

Less than favorable. In fact, it was loudly boo-tacular.

Asante Samuel decidely doesn't care:

Arguably. And...what an odd franchise to model.

With the perfunctory Steve Spagnuolo flirtation done (and with neither party apparently particularly interested), the attention is back to Jim Fassel. As for why an obviously talented candidate like Spagnuolo would run from the Washington job screaming? The thing that I have heard/read that makes the most sense is that any coach with any sense will avoid a situation where the team has decided that the position is really a glorified time-out caller, and is trying to make the two coordinators the dominant driving forces. Since those two have already been hired, this take makes a lot of sense. It is the Oakland way of doing things, in large measure, and its a puzzling approach to running a team.

But, hey, for all we know, it is what Tom Cruise has instructed Daniel Snyder to do...

Well, actually, no, it isn't.

But today is the day when Dr. Z's annual review of the NFL announcing teams is out at si.com, so, it is a better day than usual just because of that. No five star teams this year, but Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan on Fox came very close to that exalted level.

As for the bottom of the pack? Once again, it is ESPN's #1 team, with 1/2 a star. No Joe Theismann, but similar result from a year ago. Maybe it's Kornheiser...

Never would have seen this if not for this excellent and funny post by Vandalay over at Airing of Grievances, but the Victoria's Secret people last week tabbed the Steelers' Mike Tomlin as the sexiest NFL coach.

Now that they mention it, I guess he is kinda hot.

That said, while we're here, it is not like he's competing against a crop of Abercrombie & Fitch models though. But perhaps I am missing something when it comes to the Romeo Crennels, Bill Belichicks and Eric Manginis when it comes to hot.

But I doubt it.

Yawn. For a guy who likes to think of himself as original, the antics he is currently engaged in are awfully derivitive of what Terrell Owens pulled to get out of Philadelphia. The problem for Johnson? Those national media members who have not tired of his act (unlike, say, most Bengals fans, or the Cincinnati media) still think of him as a harmless good guy. If he keeps wandering around in front of every microphone he can find acting like a horse's ass, that will change. Good luck with that.

Johnson's other problem? Bengals owner Mike Brown is a stubborn sumbitch. He would be perfectly content to let Johnson bitch, cry, hold his breath, hold out, etc., rather than give in to his trade requests.

Knowing all of that, this particular Bengals fan has set his Johnson meter to "ignore" as this all plays out. In a perfect world, I would deal him for whatever he will bring back, a second or a third or so, and move on. His usefulness to the team has long since been eclipsed by the distracting drama. In this world? I am a mere observer to what is sure to be protracted unhappiness. Oh, and Evil Incarnate claims Johnson won't sit out 2008. Big of him. Being that he is under a contract and all. One that paid him a ton of up-front money two years earlier in a contract renegotiation than the Bengals had to do when the deal got re-done a few years back. See, the usual allegations that the Bengals organization are cheap bastards don't even hold here. The base problem? Chad Johnson is a selfish tool. And that just won't be changing anytime soon.

The guys who own newstands are going to be loving life in the boroughs today. For a taste of the coverage, Bob Glauber in Newsday:

"The New England Patriots were miffed that Plaxico Burress predicted a 23-17 New York Giants' win nearly a week before Sunday night's Super Bowl. Only 17 points for the highest-scoring team in NFL history? As it turned out, Burress gave them a little too much credit.

In one of the most stunning upsets in Super Bowl history, nearly equaling the New York Jets' historic win over the Baltimore Colts following Joe Namath's famous pregame guarantee, the Giants beat the Patriots, 17-14, to ruin New England's attempt at a perfect season and give the Giants their third Super Bowl victory.They did it by matching wits with one of the greatest coaches and greatest quarterbacks of all time, using a brilliantly conceived game plan and getting productive performances from a handful of players who hadn't been major contributors. Until the biggest game of their lives."

That just about covers it. As for Boston, I can't help myself, so, take it away, Dan Shaughnessy:

"There'll be no Hub parade on Super Tuesday. No commemorative books about "Path to Perfection." In New England, the church bells all are broken. Two-touchdown favorites and touted as possibly the greatest football team of all time, the Patriots were beaten by the New York Giants, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII last night at University of Phoenix Stadium. An 18-0 season dissolved when New York's Eli Manning found Plaxico Burress in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left.

The Patriots lost the Super Bowl. It is an alternate universe. It does not compute. It's like hearing Tony Bennett singing, "I Left My Heart in Ashtabula," or seeing a photo of Mitt Romney with his hair messed up. Shocking. This was supposed to be the coronation for Bill Belichick's History Boys."

That's got to set a record for most dated pop cultural references ever. An American Pie shout out? Tony Bennett? Surprised he didn't toss in some Ira Gershwin for good measure. You, you're not particularly with it, CHB.

I'm going to be expecting a whole lot of mea culpas from the chattering class this morning. On to the day after spin and observations.

Don Banks in si.com with Snap Judgments:

"Trust me when I tell you that folks close to Brady were very, very worried about his ankle on the Sunday night after New England had beaten San Diego in the AFC title game earlier that day. Brady basically couldn't even walk on his sore ankle that night at home, which tells you how fortunate the Patriots were that there's a two-week gap between the conference title game and the Super Bowl. Still, Brady appeared to have trouble with his deep passing touch against the Giants, which could be attributable, at least in part, to his inability to plant that foot and follow-through on his throws."

What? I like your stuff, generally, Don Banks, but, what? I don't recall you saying something similar before the game. Were you just holding this nugget in case the Pats lost? That's Peter King-esque. Here's a thought on Brady's troubles that has nothing to do with his ankle. He spent the game being pile-driven into the field by large Giants defenders. Start there and skip the ankle stuff.

A Super Bowl Judgements from Clark Judge at sportsline.com:

"Worst call

It's Belichick again, this time on a fourth-and-13 at the Giants' 31, with just under seven minutes left in the third quarter. Logic says you call for the field goal. Only Belichick didn't. Instead he keeps his offense on the field, and Tom Brady threw the ball out of bounds. Wait a minute, didn't Belichick remember that it was a call just like that -- fourth-and-11 from the 30, to be exact -- that cost Marty Schottenheimer in last year's playoff loss to ... New England? Are you going to tell me that Stephen Gostkowski can't kick a 48-yard field goal indoors? Please. If that's the case, the Patriots should find themselves another kicker.

Great point. I don't recall Buck and Aikman hammering on that call, but it was odd. Apparently Belichick had NO faith in Gostkowski. Or his defense for that matter (what is it, about a ten yard difference in field position if he misses?). But at that point, the way the game had played out, I thought there was a far better chance for Gostkowski to make that kick then convert the first down. And, yeah, New England probably could have used the possible three points later on. Bad move. Bad call.

And, if you were looking forward to the Bill Simmons morning after column, it's here:

"This time around, we were the Rams. We were rooting for the unlikable double-digit favorites with an unstoppable offense. We were the arrogant fans who dismissed the chances of the other team. We had the Super Bowl postgame party looming that had been a hot ticket all week. Then the game started, and everything went right to hell. We looked flat from the first minute. Our underdog opponent gained confidence, punched us in the mouth a few times, kept punching and punching, caught a few breaks, threw a few more punches, ran out of gas near the end, looked to be done ... and out of nowhere, rallied for a miracle drive to steal the championship. We stood there slack-jawed while the other fans celebrated, unable to breathe, wondering what the heck just happened. And then, we hustled out of the stadium like we were fleeing a crime scene."

Mmmmm, your pain, it nourishes me.

A few more random thoughts from me (NTYC):

1. Simmons blathered about the ankle later on in that piece, Banks had his stuff on it, and, well, sorry. I'm not buying it as an excuse for Brady's pedestrian performance. Again, it sure looked to me like New York's relentless pass rush had a lot to do with it.

2. I don't recall freaking out when Randy Moss left the field in Washington early a few years back for the Vikings. So I see no reason for me to freak out over Belichick leaving in the confusion before one second was put back on the clock last night. I better go check to see if I was critical then, in order to be consistent in the criticism today. Assuming I was not critical, there is no reason to be so now. That game was over. Although a little teeny tiny part of me thought it might be funny if Manning had somehow fumbled, the ball had somehow gotten loose, and New England had somehow run the ball back. The stories of Belichick being told about that sequence in the locker-room would have made my millenium.

3. Seriously, how has no one found Tiki Barber to get his reaction to this? Where's Peter King?

4. Great game plan from the Giants in general. Stayed committed to trying to control the clock with a steady running game, and it kept the Patriots off balance all game. As much deserved praise as the Giants defense is getting, it would not have worked had the Giants' offense not done such a good job controlling clock and field position as well.

A lot of fun to watch in general. Just a great game.

...and the rest of us are just guests.

In a Super Bowl and ending that reminded me eerily of another defensive struggle that turned on great quarterback play late (Super Bowl 23 and Montana to Taylor), Eli Manning, with two fourth quarter touchdown drives to Tom Brady's one, led the Giants to a 17-14 upset win for the ages over the Patriots.

A few quick thoughts while waiting for the chattering classes who gave the Giants next to no chance to weigh in on the game:

---Eli Manning had best catch no shit from anyone who calls themselves a Giants fan ever again. I don't see how he could have been better in a big spot, and made every play that the Giants had to have throughout the game, and especially in the fourth quarter. And his escape to launch the pass that ended in the best catch I have ever seen in the Super Bowl (and maybe ever, good lord but David Tyree must have freakishly strong hands) was quarterbacking at its best.

---The pressure from the Giants defense was indeed a huge part of the storyline, as they were able to cause Tom Brady no end of misery for most of the game. They finally wore down in the fourth quarter, but by then had given their offense a chance to win late. You can't have asked for more from them.

---It is impossible not to think of Tiki Barber at this moment, and not laugh. Still willing to talk shit about your former quarterback and former coach, Tiki? I am guessing that answer is no.

--Yes, the game was over, in effect, but Bill Belichick should have been on the field as the final second ticked off. Randy Moss caught a ton of shit a few years back for leaving the field with a second left on the clock. Every columnist and sports talk host who called Moss out over that should do the same with regard to Belichick, for consistencies sake.

---Tony Spagnulo should have a head coaching job in Atlanta by mid-week. Oh, wait, they hired the guy from the Jags. Good job, there, Arthur Blank.

Wow. We've been lucky to have a number of extremely good Super Bowls this decade. This one takes its place in the discussion for best ever.

I have very little interest in the game today. Color me uninspired. As a huge sports fan that statement doesn't even begin to feel right, but perhaps this year I have reason to feel that way. I have refused to watch SportsCenter all week as I will no longer participate in the hyperBowl.

Maybe I just don't like the teams. The Patriots coach dresses like a drunk who shops at Goodwill and continues to participate in "gamesmenship". (Lying about injury reports, spygate, etc...) Maybe Peter King beat any interest for the Patriots out of me a few years ago with his continuous slurping at the fountain of Brady.

The Giants coach is universally hated by almost all his previous players and the team itself just leaves me underwhelmed. Shockey is on IR, Tiki is hiding in a corner eating humble pie and the untested Manning is behind the helm.

Additionally, because this game will draw a huge rating (meaning non-fans) the talking heads in the booth will be reading from Football for Dummies. I might find the game more tolerable if we had a generic announcing team and an advanced team, giving the viewer a choice.

Of course the most fun part of the game will be watching the commercials. This is Xmas, New Years and Chanookah all rolled up into one for Madison Ave crowd and careers will be made and ended in the ad game today.

So have fun and enjoy the spectacle, I for one will be waiting for the House episode that will follow the four hours of boredom. Interestingly most networks usually would broadcast an episode of a new show after the SB, but it looks like the writer's strike is having an effect.

All that being said, Pats win, but fail to cover.

It's here. Nothing more can really be said. If you have somehow missed some of the chatter, you can find your way to the links of interest on the main sites.

I went with 34-33 Giants the Monday after the championship games, and I guess I will stick with that. It's a legit long-shot pick though. The Patriots are the vastly superior team. They can make mistakes and still win, even easily. The Giants make mistakes and they will get crushed.

The usual mind-numbing talking points apply for this one. The Giants will have to be creative in their game plan and be flawless in their execution of same. They will have to get pressure on Tom Brady from their front four and try and capitalize on any mistakes. They will need a good running game to put Eli Manning in favorable down and distances and limit his opportunities to force the ball and make mistakes. They will have to be lucky.

That's all improbable, of course. At least improbable to all occur throughout the game today. But yaneverknow. And the Giants have been charmed and good in the playoffs. And perhaps it extends one more improbable game. Sure, why not?

34-33 Giants.

He's found a way to irritate members of the 1972 Dolphins. Good for him. What did he do to draw their attention? This quote, apparently:

"Johnson, a studio analyst on Fox's Super Bowl telecast, told reporters on a conference call that if the Patriots win, ``I don't think anybody is close to them as far as the greatest coaching job and the greatest team that's played the game. . . . Nobody, including the Dolphins, can ever say they accomplished what the Patriots will have accomplished if they [finish] 19-0."

Responded several of the most annoying team ever:

''I don't think Jimmy and Don Shula ever got along, and he's knocking Don Shula, who's the greatest coach ever,'' Dick Anderson said. ``Jimmy didn't do worth a damn when he was down here.''

Said Manny Fernandez: ``He's a horse's rear end. This is a cheap shot at Shula, whose greatness he never approached. It still eats at his ego. Belichick's team is loaded with talent.''

An irritated Larry Little said J.J. ''didn't go to a Super Bowl in Miami. He was supposed to be the savior and [wasn't].'' Bob Kuechenberg called Johnson's opinion ``ridiculous. I don't want to honor such a stupid remark with a comment.''

Funny, guys. God forbid he express such an opinion. I guess if you once coached the Dolphins, you are supposed to stick your head up your ass and leave it there. Maybe if he had something wrong in his innocuous quote, there would be reason to act like spoiled children. As it is, if the Patriots wins today, what they have accomplished is easily more impressive than what the '72 Dolphins did. And it is not even close. And I can't find anyone sane to offer a serious argument the other way.

Nothing new, really. Other than it ought to be about the last thing possible the Giants could have wanted to see in terms of possible further motivators for the Patriots. Yeah, yeah, they shouldn't need anything to motivate them, they're in the Super Bowl. Except, Bill Belichick has made a hall of fame career out of finding ways to motivate his team at points at which no extra motivation was needed. The "we get no respect" thing from a few years back, for instance. Seizing upon any perceived slight from opposing players (hello, Steelers game from December).

So, we come to it today. Super Bowl. Perfect season. All plenty of motivation. But I have no doubt that in the Patriot inner sanctum, he has found ways to use the Arlen Specter summons of Roger Goodell in ways to further prepare his team. No question in my mind.

As for Goodell, Hashmarks joined the throng questioning just what the hell he was thinking when he destroyed the tapes. And not buying his explanation. It is Goodell's hubris that makes me pleased he is being called to Congress. It also makes the NFL not the most credible source when it comes to denying that the Patriots taped the walkthrough of the Rams the day before their game back in the day. Destroy tapes like Goodell did back in September? Open yourself up to conspiracy theories for the rest of your tenure. And cause people to not really believe a word you have to say on the subject.

Enjoy Congress.

Courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal:

"McCarthy and Brett Favre talked for almost two hours recently and then Wednesday afternoon for about half an hour in a downtown conference room after each accepted a national award at the site of Super Bowl XLII.

Amid expectations that Favre would use his appearance to declare his intention to play an 18th season, the quarterback instead made it appear genuine that he really hasn't made up his mind.

"I haven't decided yet," Favre said. "I'm just going to take a few more weeks."

Which means we are about one month from a Peter King MMQB piece about seeing Brett Favre on his tractor. It's now as much a sign of the coming of spring as the phrase "pitchers and catchers report".

Remember gentle reader, he watches over you:

Seriously?

Actually, yes. Seriously. The issue? Why the league destroyed the tapes that were reviewed relative to the improper spying allegations against the Patriots.

"That requires an explanation," Specter said. "The N.F.L. has a very preferred status in our country with their antitrust exemption. The American people are entitled to be sure about the integrity of the game. It's analogous to the C.I.A. destruction of tapes. Or any time you have records destroyed."

Hmmm, that seems a little over-the-top. Then again, a LOT of people still wonder why the hell did the NFL destroy those tapes? Ordinarily this is where a pithy comment is inserted asking whether Congress doesn't have something better to do. Except that Roger Goodell being called to accountability for his officiousness is rather pleasing to me. For me this isn't about alleged Patriot cheating going back years, it is about the NFL's response to those allegations. Specter's focus seems to be there as well. Happy hunting.

By and large, I've managed to avoid the Super Bowl hype/chatter by design. Not much can be said about what is already an interesting game to make it more interesting. But Don Banks' end of the week thoughts are generally of interest. They include:

---notes on Jeff Feagles making his first Super Bowl in his 20th NFL season. If this were a Jayson Stark column, there would then be 1000 words on all the things that happened in the last 20 years. Happily, it is a Banks column, so that particular inanity is absent.

---highlighting of Randy Moss' "I want to retire as a Patriot" stuff

---For all of the Giant's road prowess, they are the first team to make a Super Bowl with five home losses on the resume

Enjoy.

Jean-Jacques Taylor in the Dallas Morning News has a pretty damn fine read this morning on the sham that is Jerry Jones pretending to pass off Wade Phillips as still being the head coach. The start of the piece:

"Jerry Jones should end the sham and just fire Wade Phillips, if that's what he wants to do. It would be considerably more palatable than listening to the Cowboys' owner tell us how committed he is to Phillips as his head coach, while he puts together a coaching staff that's clearly geared toward Jason Garrett.

Ridiculous. Jerry will vehemently deny this charge, as he should and as you would expect. So will Phillips and Garrett if asked. All of them will talk about the importance of team and how they're all on the same page. My advice: Don't listen to a single word of Jerry's rhetoric. Instead, simply examine his actions. They will tell you everything you need to know about this coaching situation that's doomed to failure."

And what are those actions? According to Taylor, a series of hires of assistants that are tied with Jason Garrett, not with Phillips. And there was the whole massive raise for Garrett to not take the Ravens job thing. At any rate, Taylor has a good point. I am not sure, at this point, why Jones is having Phillips continue as his alleged head coach.

I highlighted it, for what it's worth, last Monday. But there were not many joining in the highlighting. Certainly not Peter King. At any rate, belatedly, a shout-out to Braves & Birds Blog and its talented author for these paragraphs on the Favre-gag:

"I was interested to read how Peter King would react to his man-crush Brett Favre playing so poorly in the Packers' biggest game of the season. Naturally, he totally ignored Favre's role in the game. King spends roughly 5,500 words on the two games and only at the very end meekly points out that Brett shouldn't have thrown a pick to R.W. McQuarters. Really, doctor? Would it pain you to also point out that Favre threw a terrible pick to Corey Webster to set the Giants up for the winning field goal in overtime? Or that Favre preceded his interception to McQuarters with a truly dreadful throw into triple-coverage? Will Deanna no longer invite you over for tea and crumpets if you point out when her husband throws abysmal passes that would cause various talking heads to label just about any other NFL quarterback as a choker or a terrible passer?

Yesterday's game really made me think that Favre is the anti-Bonds. Barry Bonds gets treated ruthlessly by the press because he is, by all accounts, a prick (or at least he's a prick to the media). Favre can get away with terrible throws that would lead any other quarterback to be pilloried because he is, by all accounts, a really good guy.

And let me be even more frank, just to show you that I'm not a hard-hearted man, and that it's not all dollars and cents: I was rooting for Favre after reading the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year piece. That said, sports are supposed to be about performance and Favre's performance was not good yesterday. At one point in the fourth quarter, I was cringing at the idea of Bill Belichick having two weeks to come up with pressure schemes designed to force Favre into excessively risky throws. What does it say that I'm far more confident that Eli Manning will be able to handle the looks that the Pats will throw at him than Fave would?"

Thank you, Michael.

What he said.

And, if you don't already, consider this my updated request that you add Braves & Birds to your cruises around the 'nets. Great stuff, always.