I can just envision that sideline shot of Vince Lombardi: WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON AROUND HERE!

In Denver, their star franchise quarterback got himself into a sissy fit and forced the Broncs to trade him.  As one blogger wrote, it would have been poetic justice for him to go to the Lions.  I guess we all can't win.  Anyway, evaluating this as a straight trade is interesting.  In exchange for Cutler and a 2009 fifth round pick, the Broncs get QB Kyle Orton, a 2009 first round pick, a 2009 third-round pick and a 2010 first round pick.  The Broncs secured their future with the picks and Chicago rolled the dice that Cutler is the answer to their woeful QB play.  This trade looks to me like "now" versus "tomorrow" with the Broncs opting for "tomorrow."  All of this means is that it will be 10 years before the true winners and losers of this trade are known.  It's entirely possible that Denver will draft horribly and turn an otherwise good trade into an abysmal one.  Not likely in my estimation - but possible.

As the players exchanged, I think that Kyle Orton will really like playing for McDaniels.  He likes smart, accurate, system guys, and Orton fits that bill.  He's not overwhelming with his talent, but with the WRs he has, and the McDaniels system he ought to be productive - at least as productive as Cutler.  The difference may well be that Cutler's arm strength stretched the field, but one has to wonder about his head.  You don't have that with Orton.

Denver now has the luxury of drafting two impact defensive players to help shore up their bad defense, or draft a future QB if one of the "studs" falls to them.  Either way, the Broncs should be able to get some real impact players that will help right out of the gate.  Any improvement - even that of a rookie who really doesn't know the ropes yet - is still an improvement.  With Denver's D, there's really no way to go but up. 

As for Chicago, you've got to like their chances in the North now with a real QB leading the team.  But, the questions about Cutler's thin skin and whiny ways will follow him.  And Chicago faithful aren't exactly known for their tender sensibilities.  So he'd better play well and that right away.  The Bears teammates are probably going to like him from a physical standpoint, but reserve judgment until they know him better on a personality one.  Either way, Chicago's going for the wins right now - and without a great offensive line or great receivers, and now trading away first round choices, their ability to get impact players is somewhat at issue.  Still, he's going to provide a boost to the Bears, and perhaps they've found a franchise type QB to build around for the long term.

On other matters, Plax Burress was cut today by the G-Men of New York.  I wonder if this surprises anyone except Plaxico?  The Giants place a high degree of value on moral character, and the more that gets uncovered about Burress the more obvious that it is he's badly lacking in character.  Whether it's the string of lawsuits for non-payment of contractual agreements or the stupidity of breaking NYC gun laws, Plaxico has been a problem for them.  What's curious is that he was on good behavior before the Giants won the Super Bowl.  The Steelers obviously saw things in him that convinced them to let him go via free agency; the Giants must have arrived at the same conclusion.  Either that, or they have inside information that BUrress is heading for a stay at the expense of the State of New York as a guest in a correctional facility.  One way or the other, cutting ties with Burress makes a great deal of financial sense.  Even if he's healed by the time training camp rolls around, the legal questions will continue to dog him.  And there's no franchise I can think of - including the likes of Oakland or Cincinnati - that would pay a player while he's in jail.  Won't happen. 

Things are relatively quiet otherwise.  The Titans are investigating the 'Skins to find out whether there was improper contact with Haynesworth prior the start of free agency.  I'm guessing they're going to do this in an attempt to get another draft pick perhaps?  Or they feel betrayed that they didn't get a chance to try and sign him?  Don't know.  Bears watching, however.

Finally, the NFL as an entire organization has lost a key cog in the power structure with Dan Rooney going off to Ireland to be the Ambassador for the US.  A very nice reward, but it doesn't help the NFL.  Rooney was always front and center during labor negotiations, and his role has always been the consensus-builder, especially when large obstacles were in the way.  One can only hope the NFL has someone in waiting that can take over those reins.

What the hell is going on in Denver these days?  There are times in which I wish I could overhead a conversation in person; the media reports coming from today's conference call between coach Josh McDaniels, QB Jay Cutler and owner Pat Bowlen range from bad to middling.  Someone is spinning like all hell; makes you wonder which side is doing more of the spin!

Ordinarily, I would question the wisdom of a franchise dangling their star QB as trade bait.  And so I have to wonder just what Denver was thinking.  It's hard to imagine that Matt Cassel is that much better than Jay Cutler!  Cassel would have to learn the system, although one expects him to pick it up quickly because Cassel played for McDaniels in New England. 

Or, when sizing up Cutler's talents, did McDaniels see something he didn't like?  Did he see mental errors?  Cutler did throw a lot of picks last year and should share in the blame for the Broncos stunning late-season collapse that cost Shanahan his job.  In that case, going for Cassel made some sense, right?

Regardless, I think the real "jerk" here is Jay Cutler.  Yes, you are the star, franchise quarterback.  But you are not above the team, nor are you untouchable.  Getting all pissy because your ego got hurt does no one any good, and perhaps if nothing else CONFIRMS what McDaniels thought of him in the first place.  If McDaniels has to deal with that kind of whiny, me-first attitude - and knew it coming in - then there's perhaps good reason to dangle Cutler.  And with his ego getting all bruised, you have to wonder now whether or not anyone would want him knowing that he's very thin skinned.

Bottom line is simple: neither you, I nor anyone else should be reading or commenting upon this situation.  How or why it got public is the problem.  The Broncos would have been far better off dealing wtih this internally outside of the public eye because it is a delicate situation in which people are going to get their noses out of joint.  It's just human nature - no one wants to be replaceable.  It's just too bad that the Broncos fumbled this situation so badly to the point where you, me and everyone else has to read and comment about it.

Sorrow in South Florida. 

In Pittsburgh we occasionally hear of boaters who die on our rivers either through recklessness or more often via an accident.  Those boaters that lose their engines and go over one of the many low-head dams always make local news; I'm sure that the missing boats make the local news in Florida and other places near the ocean.  It's just that when it involves NFL players it becomes a bigger media story.  It's sad that two young players have presumably lost their lives due to rough seas.  It's that much harder to handle when there's really no one to blame. 

Proof positive that Dan Synder is the most reckless and careless NFL owner

The signing of DeAngelo Hall.  If Synder thinks that throwing more money at a guy who's cover skills have been questioned is going to improve him, he's sadly, sorely mistaken.  It's just another example of Synder's belief that throwing money at the situation will somehow improve it.  Washington may been good enough to reach the playoffs, but there's little chance they'll do anything when they're there.  It's simply too hard to win when you blatantly overpay a CB, especially one who's all hype.

On the flip side, while the contract for Haynesworth is huge, at the same time he's the exact kind of impact player that totally changes a defense.  Offenses now have to account for the huge and unbelievably quick Haynesworth; attacking the Redskins defense is now a lot more difficult.  It's a good signing, and will probably be worth the contract in the end. 

The "Conspiracy Theory" of Matt Cassel

The Patriots abhor high draft picks.  Whether that's Bob Kraft, Pioli or Belichick leading that charge doesn't matter; the fact remains that the Pats truly hate high draft picks.  They do not see good value in them; in their eyes you are far overpaying a player for an unknown return.  The Patriots model is to find "value" picks, and lower first round/high second round picks are in their sweet spot. 

Plus, you have to factor this into the equation.  No matter how good Matt Cassel looked last year, IT WAS ONLY ONE YEAR!  He's only started one season.  It's not like the Pats traded Tom Brady for a 2nd rounder; Brady is a proven winner.  Cassel had a nice season, sure, but in that prolific offense, with those weapons, and with the coaching he had it was understandable if not predictable that Cassel would succeed.  Now you put him in a franchise with an offense line in tatters, only one real viable receiving weapon, a normally disgruntled running back and you'll get out of Cassel the "real" performance.  I think Cassel will settle out as a nice player, but not a star.  So did the Pats do some kind of game with the Chiefs on this trade?  Uh, no.  The "throw-in" of Vrabel is the clue; Pioli, knowing exactly how the Pats like to draft and how they value their draft, probably demanded a "sweetener" to the deal.  And the Pats, valuing players as they do, looked hard at Vrabel, seeing his age and looking at his future production and that weighed more heavily than his locker room and field presence.  So while many are questioning the "value" of this trade, I think the big mistake here is that people somehow believe that Cassel is worth more than this trade suggests.  I, on the other hand, believe that it was a good trade for both sides. 

How to tell successful franchises

The franchises that throw money at players - like the Redkins and Raiders - often times seem to operate under the assumption that the more money invested in players equals wins and titles.  The teams that are successful year in and year out are not wanton spenders.  They target players that fit their team, their style, their players and perhaps most importantly their mold.  The Patriots are THE prime example of this.  When they get players via free agency, its not often that big headline-type player.  They get players that they can plug into their system knowing that they'll get good performance.  They will take risks on character - Randy Moss and Corey Dillon being the two biggest examples - but with Belichick's strong personality as the coach, I think the record is set straight right from the get go.  Things that are not important are tolerated, but anything less that total dedication to the craft of football and winning games is not.  Plus, the players know that they're going into a good situation where the owner and front office and coaches all operate on the same wave length, all want to win and therefore the players have a great chance at tasting the ultimate success.  It doesn't always work out, but wise spending seems to pay more returns than simply throwing money at big names.  It's why the Pats, Colts and Steelers will all be AFC pre-season favorites for the Super Bowl, and why Dallas, Washington and Oakland won't.

Jason Taylor

So he doesn't want to take part in off-season training programs.  When you're a long-time veteran in the league, and when healthy provides for known production, why in the hell would you get all in a fuss over something like this?  To me is says that Washington realized they made a mistake with Taylor, and instead of taking the high road, tried to weasel their way into finding an excuse to cut him.  This isn't to say that Taylor's above fault; as a team player you need to put the team above many elements.  But putting the team above the family, when Taylor is obviously a family man, may be asking too much from him.

My guess is that Taylor will find himself a nice, comfortable home in a winning franchise where the team will accept Taylor's demands - and that will be reflected in the contract.  I don't know whether a player of Taylor's talents would fit into Pittsburgh's scheme; frankly I think it would be miscasting him.  But I wonder if Taylor won't look at a team like Pittsburgh, or Baltimore, or now the Jets.  They are all run by steady, defensive-minded coaches who will likely accept Taylor's limited appearances in off-season workouts and drills so long as they are assured that Taylor shows up for camp in shape and ready to play.  Any team could use a quick defensive end - if for nothing else than in passing situations where his talents are best utilized.  I'll actually watch this one more closely than others because I think Taylor is *exactly* the kind of player that certain winning-type teams want to get.  He's solid, a winner, and has his priorities set in a way that may miff some teams, but will be accepted, tolerated and maybe even celebrated in others.  That's where Taylor will land.

Arizona Cardinals and Kurt Warner

To Arizona: What the f***, over?  Honestly, this is a man that is far better able to run your offense than Leinart, is a proven winner, a solid man and is obviously more than capable of being successful even at his advanced age.  When a Super Bowl team is considering casting off it's star quarterback, it tells me that the team doesn't care about winning.  Warner is a winner, pure and simple.  Putting him into the right situation with the right players equals success.  How hard is it?  The Cardinals - and the Bidwells - can easily afford Warner's contract request.  It's not like they're up against the cap as it is; they're notorious for underspending and pocketing the profits.  That's a horrible way to run a team in the fan's eyes because it doesn't produce many winning teams.  For them to mis-managing this entire Warner thing tells me that the Cardinals will be like every other Super Bowl-losing team in the past decade; not making it back to the big game.  Maybe even not making it back into the playoffs - although given the weakness of the NFC West perhaps that's an overstatement.  But Seattle will likely rebound and is at least as good all around as the Cardinals.  Blowing their chance to resign Warner and keeping him happy and as the starting quarterback is putting all of that into peril. 

Yep, that's what I think.  What about you?

I am not a fan of basketball in the same sense that I am for other sports.  I've never followed the game closely, I couldn't tell you a damn thing about other teams unless the players on those teams are on SportsCenter all the time and the ESPN and Fox guys make a big fuss over them.  What I do know about watching the Panthers comes from catching the odd game here and there and listening to those that know better. 

Are the Panthers for real?  Are they Sweet 16 material, Elite 8 material, Final Four material or better?  Given their stature lately, how they've played their games this year and their presence on the court, I would have to opine that they are at least Elite 8 material if not Final Four.  Can they win it all?  That is a big, and good question.

Firstly, and you may think I'm nuts for saying this, but firstly the Panthers have to "escape" the Big East tournament.  A critical change this year was to expand it to all 16 teams in the field; unless something truly remarkable happens Pitt will be a top-3 seed in the Big East tourney.  That means they ought to have two easier, totally winnable games before running into serious competition.  Their remaining regular season games are against Providence, Seton Hall, Marquette and finally UConn in the season finale.  There are two games the Panthers should win - Providence and Seton Hall - a total unknown game in Marquette and then the season finale.  That one is a toss-up probably.  So should Pitt win out, securing the Big East regular season finale and perform well in the Big East tourney, they'll be an easy #1 seed and maybe even get to host the East.  Pitt's two losses came against sure tourney teams Louisville and Villanova, both on the road.  It's no small stretch to believe that to win the Big East tournament they'll have to go through some combination of Louisville, Marquette, Villanova and UConn.  Frankly, if that was your Big East FInal Four it wouldn't surprise many people.  They're the best teams in an elite league, and Pitt and UConn seem to be the cream of the crop again. 

Getting into the NCAAs after winning a long, grueling tournament will pose it's own set of challenges.  First, Pitt will almost assuredly be a Sweet 16 team - the #1 seed virtually guarantees it.  I say "virtually" because in college hoops nothing can be taken for granted, but with how Pitt plays ball it will be exceptionally difficult for any seed lower than a #4 to beat this team.  It's not that I'm blowing smoke - they are solid, play great defense, rebound the hell out of the ball, and perhaps most critically, have stable, veteran senior leadership that seems to play best when its needed most.  Their coach Jamie Dixon seems to have this program moving out of the shadow of Ben Howland, who himself took this program out of the wasteland and into the land of promise.  Dixon seems to be moving this team from one of perennial promise to one of perennial championship contending. 

Anyway, the NCAA tournament is unlike any sporting event I can think of.  The pressure, the glamour and the attention these amateur athletes get must be overwhelming, and it's important to note that they are officially "amateur athletes."  They don't get the big rewarding contracts, nor the constant travel requirements and the rest that comes with being a pro.  They are there, many of them, for the pure love of the game.  They play and compete and it's great and fun and exhilarating to watch.  But because they're young, they're sometimes immature and they're amateurs at this, they are not exactly predictable.  This isn't the Boston Celtics or Lakers rolling the world's best players at you for four quarters.  They're kids, and they're playing hard and fast and loose, but that can change on a dime and those same kids that are one second high on the hog in the next can be devastated.  It's perhaps the most engaging part of the entire event, that all of this is completely unpredictable.  So while I think Pitt has enough talent, courage, energy and drive to win it all, it's going to take a special run, some luck and obviously damned good play.  Can Pitt win it all?  For the first time ever I won't sound like a total and completely "homer" if I say yes, they are capable.  Wouldn't that be something for this city, to experience a professional football championship followed up three months later with an NCAA one?  It could happen.  I don't know if it will, but I'm sure going to hope for it and root for it.  I've never had that much cause to watch and really, really feel hope.  So here it is: I'm hoping that Pitt wins the title!

A long, LONG way to go, though...

It was reported this afternoon that Kurt Warner's agent wants to open negotiations with the Arizona Cardinals to bring Warner back into the folder at the Cards QB for the 2009 season.

I think this is the Cards best bet QB-wise.  It remains to be seen whether Matt Leinart can do anything beyond get naked in hot tubs with cute girls; certainly he's not done anything on the field that suggests he's capable of leading this team anywhere.  But Warner's track record is more than solid.  In him they have a top quarterback - an elite QB even - in whom they can entrust their entire offensive package, and get production each and every week.  There are a great many teams in the NFL that wish they had such a QB, and I think the Cardinals will enjoy the luxury of having a great quarterback. 

I often consider who are the elite QBs in the NFL.  One reason for this is that I'm frequently comparing Ben Roethlisberger to them to measure them up.  I have been seriously remiss in exluding Warner, but then again he's been minimized for the past several years.  Should Warner resign with the Cards and have another extraordinary year, he'll be in that conversation every week.

Another note on Warner has been the recent talk of whether or not he's Hall of Fame worthy.  For my money, he sure is.  As an athlete, he's magnificent.  As a man, he's better.  His abilities as a QB - especially in pure passing - are second to none, and that includes the likes of Brady and Manning.  There may not be a more accurate QB in the NFL.  Given his Super Bowl MVP, his NFL MVP, a total of 3 Super Bowl appearances and generally his all-around great play, yes, Kurt Warner is a HoF-bound QB.  In my opinion.

So the news is that Ben Roethlisberger played the Super Bowl with broken ribs, eh?  Since the source of that statement is Ben himself, let me just say that there's a healthy amount of skepticism.  He's shown in the past to exaggerate his injuries; for what purpose I've no clue.  Maybe he likes sympathy.  I don't know.  What I do know is that he looked awfully good in the Super Bowl for a guy with busted ribs, dontcha think?

And finally, sadly, to the entire disgusting sport of baseball.  Steroids and football were big stories in the 70s and 80s.  Many of those players have shown the long-term health effects of taking heavy doses of 'roids, and if nothing else, baseball should pay close attention to those players.  They are beaten down, mentally hurt and now wish they could undo the damage they did to their bodies.  No one is entirely sure what kind of chemical damage that 'roid usage does to a body, and it's unlikely that the real long-term effects won't be known for a few more years yet. 

What saddens me is that the atmopshere surrounding baseball and steroids was of casual indifference for many years.  When you hear that players like Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens and now Alex Rodriguez used them, it makes you wonder who else did it.  If the big name guys were doing it, don't you think that it suggests nearly everyone was?  In a sport where a big year often equated to tremendous dollars in the free agent market, the right set of circumstances were in place to drive steriod usage.  Players had to get bigger and faster, and recovery more quickly from both the day-to-day grind of the sport as well as injuries, in order to get that fat paycheck from clueless, stupid, or willfully ignorant owners. 

I don't know what recourse baseball has any longer.  In terms of national popularity it's fallen far behind football.  In terms of bad press, it's far worse than football.  It's a perfect storm of the highest profile players doing the worst possible things, and reacting poorly after the fact.  McGuire's "I'm not here to talk about the past."  Clemens and his idiotic lawsuit.  Bonds and the perjury trial.  Now A-Rod, who at least was honest and said that he did in fact abuse steriods, but went no further than that.  How are we supposed to follow a team or player when there's no governance in the sport?  How are we supposed to consider baseball players "sports heroes" when so many of them avoid the national laws in order to get bigger/faster/stronger just so they can get a bigger paycheck? 

The only way that baseball can be made to suffer is to cause irreparable financial harm to the entire system.  There are only two ways that can happen.  First, fans boycott the team, the television broadcasts, the stadiums, the clothing and everything associated with the sport.  Since I have a better chance of playing professional football for my Steelers than there is a chance of that actually happening, the only other recourse is that the government steps in and hammers baseball somehow.  Make them pay outrageous fines; impose a salary cap; fine the whole lot of them huge amount of money.  Whatever it is, the only way that baseball will truly change its ways is that if its forced to do so.  Sure, they've made claims that they're rigorously testing, but do you believe that?  You really think that the Yankees would allow a player like A-Rod to miss 50 games because of a steroid test, when he's one of their brightest stars?  Oh, and by the way is due $25 million a year?  Seriously? 

I have been tired of baseball for a long time.  My team is the Pittsburgh Pirates, which ought to tell you 95% of the story right there.  But the sport is broken, the players believe they are above the law and no one bothers to do anything about it.  With this latest admission, I consider baseball to be further marginalized.  I just don't care anymore about the sport.