Did anyone catch that Grizzly Laker game last night?  Why didn't Kobe get thrown out of that game?  I know... just because he's Kobe.  Does anyone think that if Deavon George would have been the one to give Miller that vicious elbow to the throat, that he would have been around to witness and even play in that overtime?  No, I don't either....

How about that ending to the Alamo Bowl?  We almost had ourselves another Stanford/Cal situation there!  Why is it that games are allowed to end like that?  With all of those Nebraska players on the field, there is no way Michigan was going to score.  Not that they would have anyway, but shouldn't they have at least replayed the down?  I know, I know, it would have been next to impossible to get everyone off the field...but still! 

Isn't Roy Williams just about the best recruiting coach you've ever seen?  Of course, a National Championship is a tremendous help in that area, but who else could have lost the top 7 scorers from a year ago and still managed to field a competitive team?  I mean, think about Duke or Illinois without their top 7 players from last year!  Aside from the recent loss to USC, this has been a season that has far exceeded anyone's expectations, including a huge win over Kentucky and a very competitive loss to a still-undefeated Illinois team. 

Does a General Manager make that much of a difference?  The Boston Red Sox appear to be falling apart at the seams without Theo Epstein.  The latest rumor has them trading Manny Ramirez AND Matt Clement for Miguel Tejada!  So you're telling me that a downgrade in offensive production AND the loss of a quality starting pitcher is a good move?  It seems every move the Red Sox make this off season makes them less and less competitive in the suddenly more than two-team race for the AL East Division title. 

Why is there no Monday Night Football game on the last week of the season?  Wouldn't it be great to have a game that meant everything to two teams be in the national primetime spotlight all by itself? 

Has anyone noticed that the Charlotte Bobcats are putting together a pretty decent season for a second-year expansion team?  Raymond Felton has turned out to be an excellent draft choice and Brevin Knight is having a career year.  If they can add a few pieces next season and keep Emeka Okafor healthy, they are in a division where they could conceivably make a playoff run.  Kudos to the organization for building it the right way.  This looks like a team with a good foundation that is poised for future success. 

 

At a time like this, the right words never come easily to me.  Condolences to Tony Dungy and his family do not even begin to express the depth of my sympathy for their loss.  I was in a situation a few years ago in which I feared my daughter would be lost, and I can tell you that it was the most horrible period of time in my life.  Thank God He spared her life.  I cannot even begin to imagine the grief the Dungy family is experiencing right now.  I have always admired Tony Dungy.  He is a true professional and a man of character.  He was my choice to coach the Vikings after being their defensive coordinator and doing such a fantastic job, but alas, the team didn't go in that direction.  But all of that doesn't really matter now, does it?  In times like these, the world of sports seems so trivial.  The very thing that we placed so much emphasis on last week is now placed in its proper perspective.  Life will go on, and so will the games, but for now we pause and consider how precious life is.  Hopefully, we can all learn from this to appreciate what we have.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the Dungy family.  May God comfort you and give you strength to get through your time of grief. 

It's time for the era of the black quarterback to finally and mercifully come to an end.  When James Harris became one of the first to break through the white ceiling, it was big news.  When Doug Williams led the Redskins to a Super Bowl championship, it proved beyond all doubt that race was not a factor in determining what makes a good NFL quarterback. 

Today, seeing a black quarterback capably leading a team is no longer eye-opening.  In fact, it has become quite commonplace.  Black quarterbacks now routinely lead teams to playoff appearances, conference championships, and Super Bowls.  They are also recognized for their outstanding performances with trips to the Pro Bowl, and with league MVP awards.  If you were to ask most knowledgeable football fans to name the top ten quarterbacks in the league, the list would likely be about half black and half white.  Similarly, a list of the worst quarterbacks in the game would have a roughly equal racial mix.  Clearly, there are good and bad black quarterbacks in the league, just as there are good and bad white quarterbacks. 

So why is it that we continue to insist on using the outdated label "black quarterback"?  And why do we continue to fall prey to stereotypes that don't stand up against reality?  The recent comments by J. Whyatt Mondesire make a good case in point.  Mondesire, the head of the NAACP in Philadelphia and the publisher of the Philadelphia Sun, a black-oriented newspaper, who is supposedly representative of black people, (as though one voice or opinion could truly represent the diversity that exists in an entire race of people) wrote a column suggesting that Donovan McNabb was not being true to his race by abandoning his "running quarterback" style of play. 

As misguided as Mr. Mondesire's comments were, they do reflect a stereotype that unfortunately still exists.  There seems to be a general belief that black quarterbacks can only be successful if they are running quarterbacks, using their athleticism to cause defenses to react to them, rather than beating a defense with their intellectual ability.  Conversely, the white quarterback is seen as less athletic and more cerebral, and therefore more likely to be successful as a pocket passer and not as a scrambler.   There are, of course, numerous examples from both races which disprove this mindset, but somehow it still persists. 

Could it be because we still insist on using terms like "black quarterback"?  It is time to get past this medieval thinking.  It's time to sack the black quarterback and to bench him once and for all in favor of just the quarterback.  Donovan McNabb and Peyton Manning are quarterbacks.  Carson Palmer and Daunte Culpepper are quarterbacks.  Joey Harrington and Aaron Brooks are quarterbacks.  Kyle Orton and Charlie Batch are quarterbacks.  The point is that race is not a factor in what makes a good or a bad NFL quarterback.  Can we now, in 2006 in America, finally move past this issue? 

That title may seem strange given that the NFL is head and shoulders above baseball in terms of popularity, so I guess I've got some "splainin" to do.  How about this to ####e up the playoff stretch drive?  The NFL could borrow a page from baseball's book and allow teams that have been eliminated from the playoff chase the opportunity to jettison players that they will end up cutting in the off season for salary cap reasons anyway.  How many times have we seen the Major League pennant chase affected by a trade deadline pickup who comes in and alters the balance of power in a divisional or wild card race?  A team is able to temporarily plug a hole with a short-term rental, or to obtain a player who ends up re-signing and and becoming a long-term solution.  There would need to be changes in the salary cap structure to allow this to become feasible in the NFL, but it's worth a daydream or two to think about the possibilities. 

Here are a few suggestions that would really add some interest to what is rapidly becoming a ####-hum playoff chase.

1)  The Raiders could cut loose Randy Moss, who would give Michael Vick and the Falcons a much-needed deep threat. 

2)  Green Bay could give Brett Favre one last shot at a Super Bowl by allowing him to sign with Dallas for the rest of the season.  (The fans would never forgive them, but hey, we're just dreaming here, right?)

3)  John Abraham could be free of his contract dispute with the Jets to go and bolster the defense of the offensively loaded Bengals. 

4)  The Vikings could get some offensive line help by picking up LeCharles Bentley from the Saints or Damien Woody from the Lions. 

5)  The World Champion Patriots could gear up for a chance at a three-peat by signing some defensive backfield help, maybe say Robert Griffith from the Arizona Cardinals.

These are just a few of the many possibilities that exist, all of which would add a great deal of interest to the rest of the regular season.  And just think of what they might mean for the playoffs!

With a huge win this weekend over the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in the Metrodome, Mike Tice might just be able to push the eject button on that hot seat he's been occupying for the better part of this season.  After the 1-4 start the Vikings got off to this year, and all the off-the-field turmoil surrounding the team, Tice was seated squarely in front of an angry firing squad made up of fans, media, and probably even some of his own players.  A come-from-behind win over Green Bay in week seven kept the wolves at bay temporarily, and there was a glimmer of hope that Daunte Culpepper had somehow turned around the dismal start to his 2005 campaign.  Calls for his benching were shelved, if only for one week.  Those calls would have begun again in earnest after the shelling the team received at the hands of the Carolina Panthers in week eight, but that became a moot point when Culpepper was lost for the season after tearing up his knee on a hit in the first half.  In hindsight, it may have been the "best" bad thing to happen to the Vikings in a season that was rapidly deteriorating into a nightmarish Twilight Zone episode. 

Mike Tice has often stated that Daunte Culpepper is his guy as long as he is the coach of this team.  He was not going to consider benching his quarterback, even after the 2-5 start, which could largely be blamed on Culpepper's penchant for turning the ball over.  Sure, the defense had not played up to expectations, but they were on the field for far too many minutes facing poor field position thanks to the numerous turnovers.  Nothing about Culpepper's play would lead anyone to think that his season was going to get better, and there was ample reason to think it could get even worse.  Still, Tice was not about to bench him and turn the reins over to Brad Johnson, a quarterback many believed to be past his prime and nothing more than a serviceable backup.   Ah, but sometimes fate intervenes and forces your hand.  Such was the case with the Culpepper injury, and Tice's decision was made for him. 

Clearly, the turnaround of the Vikings from losers to playoff contenders cannot be attributed to a single factor.  Brad Johnson has come in and stabilized the quarterback position, limiting turnovers and giving the defense a fighting chance.  That defense has made an amazing turnaround as well, reducing the total yardage per game and taking the ball away from the opponents at twice the rate as in the first half of the season.  Kudos to Ted Cottrell for simplifying the schemes and allowing the playmakers to go out and make plays, something that guys like Darren Sharper have taken advantage of in a big way.  Another factor has been the strong leadership of the new owner, Zygi Wilf.  After the infamous party boat incident, he squarely put his foot down and made it known that this was not acceptable behavior for his team.  He also stepped up and let Mike Tice know that his job was not in imminent danger, and that he would make sure that the coach had whatever he felt was needed in order to start winning ball games.  In that vein, he brought in Jerry Rhome to help the offense and Foge Fazio to shore up the defense at the behest of Mike Tice, and they both seem to have paid enormous dividends to this point.  Credit Mike Tice with getting the team to believe in him and themselves again, and with retooling the entire offensive philosophy and mindset of the team in midstream.  They became a team willing to grind it out, sticking with the ground game and an effective play-action passing game.  Not an easy task for a team that prided itself on an all-out down-the-field style of attacking offense, but it was exactly what was needed to match the personnel in the absence of the departed Randy Moss and the injured Daunte Culpepper. 

However, given all of the many reasons for the Viking turnaround, there is one that stands out above all the rest.  If they are able to defeat the Steelers, run the table and take the division title from the Bears, and then go on to make some noise in the playoffs, they just may be able to do something that no one thought possible just a few short weeks ago.  They may be able to save Mike Tice's job after all.  And as crazy as it sounds, he might have to look back at the injury to Daunte Culpepper as the number one reason. 

 

Are you like me?  I can't be the only one, can I?  See if any of this sounds familiar to you:

The first thing you do when you get to work everyday is logon to www.vikings.com to see if there is any new tidbit of information since the last time you checked, just before going to bed last night.  Maybe there was a mistake and Keith Newman's MRI turned out to be negative after all.  He'll be available to play against the Steelers this Sunday!  It could happen, right? 

Next, it's on to www.oaklandathletics.com to see if there has been any overnight activity in the hot stove league.  Did the A's sign Frank Thomas yet?  What??  They got Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez for Andre Ethier!  But I've spent the entire fall following that guy's stats on www.minorleaguebaseball.com, you think to yourself.  Once the shock wears off, you remember what a genius Billy Beane is and you let your mind wander to the season ahead with unbridled optimism.  After we add the Big Hurt, this will surely be the year we finally topple the Evil Yankee Empire, the Mighty BoSox, and the now arch-rival Angels. 

The thought occurs to you that you probably ought to get some work done.  But wait, I haven't even checked in on my Heels yet, you think to yourself, as you quickly type in tarheelblue.collegesports.com.  You realize they don't have another game until Saturday, but who knows what juicy nugget of news might be available?  Roy Williams may have even gotten another McDonald's High School All-American to make an extremely early commitment to Carolina.  In your deluded and obsessed mind, this is actually a possibility. 

So you do just enough work to make yourself look busy while the boss is around, and then it's time for your break.  You spend it in the car, listening to ESPN radio.  Why doesn't Dan Patrick devote more time to stories about the Vikings?  Forget T.O. and the undefeated Colts!  Haven't we all heard enough of those stories?  Back to work...er, I mean, back to your favorite websites for another check-in.  What?  Still no news?  What's a guy have to do to get an update?  Oh well, time for lunch.  Maybe Jim Rome will have Barry Zito on his show today.

Back to work again.  This is really interrupting my sports jones!  Wasn't Mike Tice supposed to hold a press conference today?  Better check that website again.  One last check before shutting down for today?  Sure, why not?  I mean, it'll be at least ten minutes before I can get to the car and those drive time morons on sports talk radio.  Do they ever actually talk about sports? 

Ah, home at last, sweet sanctuary!  Time to check out ESPNews to see if there's anything on the ticker.  Nothing?  Oh well, maybe there's an ACC hoops game on ESPN2 tonight, or a nominally interesting NBA game on TNT.  Who needs dinner when you're this absorbed?  One last check of the ticker before heading off to bed.  Are you kidding me?  How can there be nothing on any of my teams, you ask yourself with all seriousness.  I guess I'll just have to check again in the morning when I get back to work.

What?  None of this sounds familiar to you?  I guess it must just be me, then.  Sorry!

Over the past ten years, who have been the top four shortstops in baseball?  That's an easy one:  Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Tejada. (Although not necessarily in that order) They have been statistical monsters unlike any foursome the game has ever seen at that position.  Now, can you imagine an infield that includes all four of them? 

Well, with the free spending ways of the Yankees, it is not such a far-fetched idea.  There are rumors flying that the Yankees are interested in signing the oft-injured Nomar to play first base, taking a chance that he can return to his previous All-Star status at a new, less stringent fielding position.  That would give them three of the big four.  The only logical move left would be to go after Miguel Tejada.  Wait, did I just say logical in connection with the New York Yankees?  Ok, then let's suspend logic for a moment, shall we?  Here's my proposed scenario to create the first ever Four Shortstop Infield:

The Yankees would trade Robinson Cano and a pitching prospect to the Orioles for the ultra-dependable Tejada, then convert him to second base.  They would have an everyday second baseman who is a perennial challenger for the MVP award, an outstanding defender, and an all-around fun guy to have on your team.  He would complete an infield that consists of a third baseman who just won the MVP award and is a legitimate Triple Crown threat;  a shortstop who is a consummate leader and professional, not to mention a consistent .300+ hitter; and a first baseman with the potential to lead the league in hitting if he is able to overcome a recent spate of injuries. 

The biggest challenge for Joe Torre would be figuring out how to fill out the lineup card!  Oh yeah, that and finding someone who can run down fly balls in the gaps out in center field.  You have to admit, it is an intriguing possibility to think that the top four shortstops of this generation, and probably of any generation for that matter, could all end up playing in the same infield at the same time!