This Day Reminds Me Of.....

Bob Howry. It's like a headache in my eye.

The current temp on Chicago's lakefront = 46 degrees. Winds gusting from 25 to 35 mph. It'll be June at week's end, but it's going to be 38 degrees tonight with a wind chill in the high 20s.

Will someone, anyone, for the love of God please tell me why I'm not living in Buenos Aires? The only way I can warrant living through this ongoing winter in Chicago is if the Cubs win the World Series and I'm here for the party of the millenium.

But that eventuality is about as likely as Jessica Alba showing up at my casa with a lifetime supply of Cheddar Jalepeno Cheetos (the best Jerry, the best). In other words, I'd better stock up on Advil.

For my eye.

Super Bowl Weekend in Phoenix (Part I): The FBR

Sometimes you allow a little time to elapse before reflecting on an event (i.e. weekend of ballyhoo). Sometimes, when you're busy at work and negating your tertiary life as a blogger, 2.5 weeks elapse.

What can I say: neglect happens.

On the flip side, the following observations are still with me 18 days after departing from an overly crowded PHX, so maybe that's indicative of something. Or not. Regardless, here a bunch of random thoughts/memories from the FBR:

1) In my wildest dreams, I couldn't have fathomed the Mad Max & the Thunderdome like atmosphere that was the FBR Phoenix Open. Replace your mental image for typical PGA Tour attendees (Izod families with matching visors eating pimento cheese sandwiches) with the late night crowd at Dre's in Vegas (stilettos included).

Now populate Dre's with 170,000 people, half of which are 35 year-old females with EE fake j's, all of whom work in real estate (i.e. the largest, dumbest collection of hos on the planet outside of Vegas).

Redonkulous.

2) If you're at the TPC to watch golf, you hang out on the front nine. If you're there to party, you hang out on the back nine. If you're there to see things normally reserved for South Padre Isle and Skinamax, you hang out at #16.

3) Speaking of the 162-yard 16th, it is hands down the loudest (most drunken) hole on Tour. If a player misses the green, they're greeted to 10,000 boos from the crowd (like clockwork).

"It's like playing a golf shot in the Rose Bowl," said Tom Lehman.

Never seen anything like it.

4) Baseball has HGH, the Tour de France has EPO, and the PGA Tour has mallet sized drivers. Said another way, I'm now fully prepared to suggest that golf undergo an equipment review: these guys are murdering the ball.

And I'm not talking about one or two players, I'm talking about 65% of the field. Consistently. Murdering the ball.

5) The Bird's Nest -- a fenced off piece of asphalt in the parking lot outside the TPC -- hosted the after party for the tourney. A 20,000 person after party. For a golf tournament. Unimaginable.

And Diana, slightly belatedly, I riggity realized that I liggity love you.

6) Honestly, I don't think the PGA players would put up with drunken throngs at the TPC in Scottsdale if it weren't a once a year a deal. As is, for one weekend in February, life on the PGA Tour is inverted.

And everyone in Phoenix enjoys the spoils.

7) Congrats to Indiana Alum Jeff Overton for his 27th place finish at the FBR (and thanks for the V.I.P. passes to the Nest).

8) The FBR's application has been submitted and approved. It is now a permanent fixture on the calendar. And I can't wait for next year.

This team is going to kill me...

        Every year around this time I hear that phrase. Sometimes, usually around the Ides Of March, I utter it myself. It is often accompanied by pacing, swearing, and hand ringing. The team in question for me is the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team. My other allegiances, The New York Yankees, The Indianapolis Colts and The Indiana Pacers, do not have the same effect on me. Baseball moves me in a much calmer way, the length of the season being what it is. The NFL season is like sugar and I’m a four year old. I get insanely happy, or feel like someone kicked me in the nuts. But it’s over pretty quick, I know it’s just a game. I don’t even really acknowledge the NBA any more, so whatever.
        But the Hoosiers are like my kids. I take pride in the way they develop over the course of the season, bite my lip as I watch them repeat mistakes, and I want to protect them from themselves when I see them relying on bad habits.
        I was there as The General’s career began to lose it’s luster, and I began to see my kid’s behavior not as cute anymore, but that of a spoiled brat. It was always so easy to eat up the excuses.
“But he won three championships.”
“At least he graduates his players.”
“The guy runs a clean program.”
        And that was all great, but let me get this straight. We were excusing a man acting like a boorish louse, because he was doing what is expected of him? That’s like saying a drug dealer is a good guy because he “takes care of his kids”. Uh, yeah, that’s called a responsibility, not an achievement. I always thought it was no different than Knights track record.
        And then Knight was gone, and our kid was moving into puberty. They were awkward. They showed promise. They had ups and downs galore. I was always a Mike Davis fan and still am. Most of the time I found myself defending the unreasonable position he found himself in and downplaying his questionable in game coaching. Then came the day I found out about the fact that Mike Davis, an A list college recruiter, passed on actively recruiting Gregg Oden because he didn’t need another point guard. At this point, it became common knowledge that Oden, a once in a lifetime center, only wanted to go to a school that offered a scholarship to his high school teammate and best friend, Mike Conley Jr. This is a duo that went 1 & 2 in the Indiana Mr. Basketball voting, took the Ohio State Buckeyes to the NCAA Championship game, and both went top 5 in the NBA draft. At times at Ohio State when Oden was injured, Conley carried the team. I couldn’t believe Davis would pass up getting Oden, all because he wants to play with this guy! It was a huge mistake and I think it cost Mike his job.
        Now our kid is all growed up. The Hoosiers have left the nest and are striking out for fame and fortune. For better or worse. Going outside the Hoosier Nation, IU’s Athletic Director Rick Greenspan hired Oklahoma State coach Kelvin Sampson to guide the Hoosiers. Sure he had just been censured for making 577 phone calls in violation of NCAA rules.
“But the guy wins.”
“ And his teams play hard. ”
“And he recruits well.”
        Then the bombs dropped. Assistant coaches were fired, lies were told, phone calls were made. Again.
        So now I know how my Mom felt when I made mistakes out on my own. I’m sure she said
“This kid is going to be the death of me.”
I know how she feels.

The Year That Was...

Well, it's over. The 2007 NFL season has drawn to a close, or as my wife puts it "Sundays are back.". The NFL season is pretty much the highlight of my year, much like many of us out there. Football has, in my lifetime, replaced baseball as the national past time, and in a big way. I still think there is something about the game of baseball that is in our nations fabric but nothing catches the nation's imagination and fervor like football, and the NFL is the zenith. The storylines alone are worth watching the Superbowl every year, and this year that was no exception. But more than that, The Monday After is a chance to look back on the last 6 months and reflect. So here are 10 things I took from this year:

1. The Golden Age of QB's

I'm sorry but I can't think of another era where sports most glamorous position has been so deep, and in a historic sense.  You have the Legend, Brett Favre, resurrecting a waning mystique and leading the youngest team in the league to hosting a Division Championship game at blustery Lambeau. It was the first time in years I hadn't thought "I know he's Brett Favre, but he is killing the Packers with these mistakes." The old gunslinger was grabbing victories from the jaws of defeat an having a blast doing it. 

Then there are Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Both are perennial contenders to take home some sort of MVP award, both have had monster seasons shattering records, they helm the two winningest franchises of this era, and they both gave damn good performances hosting Saturday Night Live. We may never see this sort of run again, two supreme athletes absolutely killing it in every fashion at the same time. 

Then there is a bit of the old guard hanging around, Warner and McNabb. Both are names that will be easily remembered, they were the faces of the league at the turn of the millenium. And the still have the ability to make you wish you hadn't missed that game, or turned the channel. Not to mentioned they helped usher in The Madden Curse.

Then there is this new phalanx of absolute stars. The 2004 class has ad two Superbowl winners, and an AFC championship appearance. Drew Brees and Carson Palmer are both poised to jump up to the next level of stardom. And then there is/was Michael Vick.

I'm not going to go through and put up comparisons to the other eras, that's what sportsbars, beer and friends are for. But just to get the conversation going, have you ever seen a better collection of QB's?

2. Defense Wins...

It's pretty obvious. If you look at the list of the top teams in all defense categories, only the Baltimore Ravens (who would be in the playoffs if they had an offense, ANY offense), The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs (notice a trend?) break up the list from being a list of who went to the playoffs. And guess who was last on the list of playoff invitees? The Giants. But, as we all know from this year, and last year for that matter, is that your defense needs to be gelling at the right time. Offenses tend to be what they are, not a ton of ups and downs for good teams. Sure there are slumps, but they are like bumps in the road usually, and not too far off what the team will prove to be their average. But defenses seem to grow, to feed like monsters. When players finally grasp the system, or everyone really does their homework, or a corinator figures out is guys do really well, you see a defensive unit totally transform. I love to see that because it usually is such a complete picture, one aspect of the game complimenting another, and another, until it's like watching a machine. Offenses are known by individual players, defenses have 1 name for the whole group.

3. "Special" Teams

Devon Hester is ridiculous. Can he throw?

4. Where are the star wideouts?

Even Randy Moss was sort of quiet in his magical, record breaking season. Chad Johnson? I can only remember 1 touchdown dance. T.O.? All I remember is the crying.  Not that I'm complaining. Far from it. I'll take Hines Ward and Marvin Harrison any day of the week, but seriously, what happened to the flamboyance of the receiving corps I remember? Huge diamond earrings don't cut it anymore. It's the one position in football usually guaranteed to have some personality, and I want it back. **EDITOR"S NOTE- I will indeed be complaining about what self righteous, pompous d-bags these guys are when they start acting out again. I know.**

5. Running Back - The QB's of the future

The 1st paragraph I wrote, will be cut and pasted in the next couple of season, replacing QB names with RB's. Think about it. LT and LJ in their prime, Addai, Maroney, Peterson, Gore, Jackson and Grant just entering theirs. And Westbrook, Alexander and James finishing theirs. Exciting to think about.

6. Obama to coach the Redskins

Just like I support Barack Obama because of what I perceive to be an ability to bring enthusiasm and foster hope, I hope we get some new blood in the coaching ranks soon that have a real impact. I really dug Mike Tomlin, that team didn't miss a beat but at the same time seemed transformed. I hope Mike Martz never gets another head coaching job, as well as Gregg Williams. They had their shots and failed. Everybody is looking for the next Belichick success story and they keep the same 8 names floating around. The Raiders finally shook up the merry go round last year and what does Davis do? He tries to run Lane Kiffin out of town without paying him, even after he got the Raiders to finally at least pretend they were pursuing excellence.

7. The Arizona Cardinals

Honestly, I swear I will not be fooled again. For something like three years now, I keep thinking they are "the sleeper", and every year I get burned. I don't really care about them one way or the other, but I get so disappointed in myself for falling for it. It's like loaning money to that one friend you've known your whole life but that nobody can figure out why you're friends, especially not your wife. You keep thinking, "He's getting it all figured out, he just needs this little help. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when he pays me back and becomes respectable." But here I sit, still out 50 bucks. Thanks Cards. (That being said, if Leinart comes back strong...)

8. The Minnesota Vikings

On the other hand I have completely disregarded the Minnesota Vikings for most of my 32 years on this planet. I don't know why, but they almost seemed like a CFL team to me. When racking my brains as to who would round out the Colts schedule, knowing they played the entire NFC North, I would have to look it up. But then two years ago i was watching a preseason  game with a friend who said "That guy looks like Vick, but he wants to throw." I watched Tavaris Jackson squirm out of the pocket and use his feet, to set up his arm. A novel concept. I knew he wasn't their starter so i filed that in my Jon Kitna file for useless QB info and went about my life. then I started hearing about the Williams's and that D. Then came Adrian "I had Fred Taylor's groin instead of a collar bone in college" Peterson. Now I'm thinking, "Are these guys gonna start asking to borrow money?"

9. The Colts

Optimism for next year is once again the coin of the realm, and having Freeney and Harrison come back makes Colts fans richer than most. But I pray that Tony Dungy and his excellent staff will see what not resting your starters did for the Giants and how badly we play after "resting." And I can't wait for the new stadium. I am calling it "The Barn" form here on out. You have been warned.

10. The Perfect Storm

As an admitted Colts fan, the Patriots have always irked me, not only for beating us in Championship games, but mostly for the way they go about it. It's almost funny that the cracks only began to show when the pressure of perfection was brought to bear. Following what was, until last night, his most bitter defeat, the Hooded one took a "Can't beat em, Join em" approach and created a very Colts like team by getting Moss and Welker. He knew he need the horses to keep up and went and got them.

 Then Spygate hits. If Belichick has ever seen a movie, he knows big, powerful entities that work in shadows and thrive on secrecy are always brought down from within. He must have even seen it coming, that's why he changed the locks when Mangini said goodbye. And the NFL was swift and vengeful in it's actions. The new Commish looked every bit the righteous defender of the fans when ordering the Pats around and generally making the Hooded One squirm more than usual. And the punishment? Huge fines and a draft pick! Never in the history of the NF has such a fine been levied. 

But in the meantime, the Pats were looking good. Excitement was brewing. Touchdowns and excellence were being talked about more than videotapes and dog fights. And the NFL seems to have dodged another bullet. Until people started digging. If you look closely, there are still a couple of questions which need to be answered.

 Did the NFL really punish the Pats by taking a way a draft pick when they had another one from a trade? And why get rid of "all materials relating to the allegations of cheating", unless they actually show cheating of the highest order. You know, the kind of cheating which call dynasty's into question. You know, like spying on the opposing teams run through's at a Superbowl.

Now let me be clear. I am a conspiracy theorist at heart. I tell stories for a living and I eat this stuff up. Not to mention I would love the delicious irony of Bill Belichick being the architect of his own demise. But at the very center of my soul, I know this would be the worst thing ever. The NFL is at it's apex. Last nights game could end up as the second most watched televised event of all time, second only to the finale of M.A.S.H. This would be a huge blow. And Some genuinely good players and coaches would all be run through the ringer, some of them unfairly. And even though as a rule I am not fond of "Boston Fans", nobody deserves to have their hearts ripped out like that. 

So I beseech you, "Say it ain't so, Bill. Say it ain't so."

The Frozen Tundra of Lammmbooowww Field!

In sports, there are big games, and then there are BIG games. Mythical games. Games which are revered by their conditions and circumstance, as much if not more than, the actual play on the field.

Tomorrow, a pigskin battle in Green Bay, WI has the makings of being one of those games.

Brett Farrrvra and the famed Green Bay Packers are in the midst of a magical, who'd-have-thunk-it season. They won thirteen games in the regular season before dismantling the Seahawks, and the Packers' former head coach Mike Holmgren, a week ago to earn their place in tomorrow’s NFC championship game.

On the other side of the ball, the often maligned former #1 draft pick of the Giants, Eli Manning, has come into his own. In back-to-back weeks Eli has lead the Giants to road playoff wins -- including a come from behind victory last week over the Cowboys. Meanwhile his elder brother’s shadow is sitting at home, already done for the season.

As if the those storylines weren't enough, there’s the weather.

Game time temperatures are expected to be Hoth-like, with wind chills around -20. I’m tempted to dub tomorrow’s game Ice Bowl II from the onset, but in actuality tomorrow will feel like a sauna in comparison to the NFL Championship game of 1967.

The original Ice Bowl pitted Lombardi’s Packers against Tom Landry's Cowboys. The game-time temperature at Lambeau Field that day: -13° F, with the wind chill hovering around -48°F. Dallas defensive tackle Jethro Pugh and Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr still claim to suffer occasional mild effects of the frostbite from the Ice Bowl.

Regardless of the actual temp tomorrow, the bottom line is this: it’s gonna be naRsty out there. A reality which the sadistic Packer fans are guaranteed to love.

Lambeau Field. The Frozen Tundra. Winner goes to the Super Bowl. What more could any football fan ask for?

Meanwhile the execs at Fox have to be on the verge of creaming their pants. If the undefeated Patriots face Farve and the Packers in Super Bowl XLII, the byproduct will be the largest television audience in the history of American sports. And FOX’s ratings will bypass light speed and go straight to ludicrous speed.

Somebody call Cindy Crawford: America is gonna need a Pepsi.

But first things first: let’s enjoy the enchantment -- the history, the lore, the mystique of a marquee playoff game at Lambeau. Stock the fridge with Bud Heavies and settle in for a magical day.

Personally, I can’t fathom a reason to leave the house.