Forever Banned From The Game But Acquitted In Court

I have often pondered the question of weather or not Pete Rose should get in to the Hall Of Fame. Usually my response ends with “If Rose gets in then Shoeless Joe Jackson should also get in”. Yet now I finally realize why neither of them must ever get in.

The Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is where Babe Ruth is immortalized forever. Think about that for a minute. George Herman “Babe” Ruth. It is wholesome. It is All-American. It is pure. The Hall Of Fame is the Vatican and Babe Ruth is Jesus. He did not ever play there. He did not invent the game but he was its savior. Was he perfect? No. Let he who is without flaw cast the first stone. But this is not about Ruth or Jesus Christ for that matter.

No, this is about integrity. This is about why steroids IS a big deal. I know that people are sick of it and tired of hearing about it. People are blind and also numb to the whole steroid issue. And that is fine. I am too.

But let me present it to you this way: How many people have been banned for life by throwing a Worlds Series, Super Bowl, or even a Stanley Cup since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned for life?

How many people have been banned from baseball for betting on games since Pete Rose was banned for life?

The answer to both is NONE! Yet I assure  you both Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose would gladly trade in their spots in the Hall Of Fame to come out “Not Guilty” You can not have your cake and eat it too. Simply put: If you wanna play you gotta pay. That is the precedent set forth all those years ago by Kennisaw Mountain Landis. It is the very reason why we even have a Commissioner in the first place; to preserve the integrity of the sport.

If Jose Canseco had been questioned and subsequently banned from baseball back in 1986 we would never have had a “steroid era” If Allan Huber Selig had done the right thing and demanded strict drug policy in 1994 without exception we would never have had to suffer through the pain of this era. Shame on you Mr. Selig. SHAME ON YOU!

If we continue to turn a blind eye and not care about this issue it is never going to go away and is only going to get worse. Allowing anyone from this era entrance to the Hall Of Fame after having been found “dirty” would be reprehensbile.

If you want to clean up the sport BAN THEM FOR LIFE! And let them know it now rather than leave it up to some bleeding heart sportswriter twenty years from now.

The Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is where Babe Ruth is immortalized forever. Think about that for a minute. George Herman “Babe” Ruth. It is wholesome. It is All-American. It is pure. The Hall Of Fame is the Vatican and Babe Ruth is Jesus. He did not ever play there. He did not invent the game but he was its savior. Was he perfect? No. Let he who is without flaw cast the first stone. But this is not about Ruth or Jesus Christ for that matter.

No, this is about integrity. This is about why steroids IS a big deal. I know that people are sick of it and tired of hearing about it. People are blind and also numb to the whole steroid issue. And that is fine. I am too.

But let me present it to you this way: How many people have been banned for life by throwing a Worlds Series, Super Bowl, or even a Stanley Cup since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned for life?

How many people have been banned from baseball for betting on games since Pete Rose was banned for life?

The answer to both is NONE!

If Jose Canseco had been questioned and subsequently banned from baseball back in 1986 we would never have had a “steroid era” If Allan Huber Selig had done the right thing and demanded strict drug policy in 1994 without exception we would never have had to suffer through the pain of this era. If M Shame on you Mr. Selig. SHAME ON YOU!

If we continue to turn a blind eye and not care about this issue it is never going to go away and is only going to get worse.

If you want to clean up the sport BAN THEM FOR LIFE!

He's had Ravens behind his back all the way in Baltimore. Now let's see how long he stands in front of some Jets... and if we can even see those Jets behind him.

This Rex Ryan is certainly making a name for himself with a confident and brash mouth. Thus far, the big man is being noted for two occurrences of verbal notoriety and virtual nothing else past his reputation as Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator.

The first came when he was being interviewed on a radio show and was asked about facing New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick two times a year. He stated “I did not come here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings” more or less. Let me analyze. Most people would give Belichick his proper dues and state that they definitely aim to compete/challenge their rival. However, he comes out and makes a statement similar to what a 1930’s era bootlegger might say.

The second issue was his comments about Miami Dolphins starting middle linebacker Channing Crowder here when he claimed to have never heard of him. Crowder certainly responded with truth. He said that Ryan is an “OTA Super Bowl winner” as in he has won the offseason and that if he was truly doing his homework, that he’d know who the Miami Dolphins starting middle linebacker was.

Now, I’m pretty sure Ryan did know him. I’m not saying that a guy talking like this out in the open isn’t interesting. But I am saying that if his team does not end up looking respectable, even this year, he might just look like a real douche bag. If he ends up having a short life in New York, then he will really look like an idiot. He could be the next Mike Tice; big, burly, fat cheeks, thinks he’s a thug, has the respect of his team, but can’t win a damn thing.

It was real surprising to me when I saw that Brian Dawkins had left the Philadelphia Eagles, the same place he played his entire career thus far. But it wasn’t so much the fact that he wasn’t going to be an Eagle anymore, but more so the fact of where he would be going… Denver. What the hell is he doing there?

We should all know now that just about any team has a chance to succeed and even win a Super Bowl every season. However, at the bottom of that list would have to be the Denver Broncos. I would have figured Dawkins to want to play for a proven team or a current contender, but in this case I cannot say he has found either.

The Denver Broncos, and it’s funny to say this, have not been successful since that had Jake Plummer! I mean, I know Jay Cutler is now coming into his own, but he isn’t there yet. Another thing that isn’t in Denver is a good defense. I don’t know if Dawkins figures himself to be their savior like I’m sure the naïve Broncos front office does, but it’s going to take a lot more than a great free safety to bolster a team that was 26th against the pass and 27th versus the run. On top of that, they gave up 28 points per game which is four touchdowns. That is ridiculous.

I mean, he can do what he wants of course. I’m not his daddy. And I don’t necessarily think it was a terrible idea to play for the Broncos. I just thought that he was a guy that would definitely be looking for a contender and nothing less. Oh well.

But that doesn’t matter because they aren’t champions and the Pittsburgh Steelers created and/or forced the Cardinals into those mistakes. But make no bones about it; this team totally changed its approach when the playoffs began.

Their offense remained just as explosive as it had been in the air, and then they finally decided to rely on the run a little more. For next year, the Cardinals now know that they can run the ball effectively. With Edgerin James getting older, and Tim Hightower being nothing more than an effective backup, the Cardinals have plenty of room to draft a power or fast, or whatever kind of back that can be a pro-bowler. And honestly, they can’t be much worse than James and Hightower.  

Everyone knows about the trend of Super Bowl losers not making the playoffs the next year, but remember, the Cardinals are still in a poor division with two teams that have to rebuild, Rams and 49ers, and one team that was in real shambles this season and with an aging QB in Matt Hasselbeck, the Seattle Seahawks. I know that sounds hypocritical because Warner is 37 and was still dead nasty, but he is an exception to the rule of the old quarterbacks whose performances dwindle when they get older.

Another strong argument against their chances may be that if they can’t keep Anquan Boldin they won’t be as explosive. However, we must remember they either didn’t play with him or did while he was ailing with injuries during these playoffs, and Larry Fitzgerald still tore it up.

I believe the Arizona Cardinals are right where they need to be. They showed lots of heart in the Super Bowl defensively after being down 17-7 and 20-7, because they still stuck to their guns and held the Steelers shy of the end zone twice. Of course they blew it at the end, but they still showed a lot of moxie. Do not be surprised to see them in the Super Bowl if it does happen. Plus, with the way the NFL has been the past few seasons, I think the only teams that could surprise me in the Super Bowl are the Lions and 49ers. ‘Nuff said.

And even the veteran Steelers are somewhat of a surprise after being knocked out of the first round last year at home to Jacksonville, in earning a Super Bowl Birth while facing the league’s toughest schedule based on last year’s opponents winning percentages.

The Skinny on Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals went from losers of three of their last five regular season games, to winners of three straight post-season games. And not only did they do this with the playoff-history-leading performance by Larry Fitzgerald, 23 catches and 419 yards, but they did it by forcing turnovers and also by generating a respectable ground game.

In their three playoff victories, the cardinals have forced a total of 13 turnovers; eight interceptions, and five fumbles, for an average of 4.3 per game.

On top of that, a running game that averaged a mere 73.6ypg during the regular season, good for last in the league, grew up and averaged 113.3ypg game in the post season.

The Downside on Arizona

For all of the praise that the Cardinals have received for being a previously perennial blundering franchise and finally reaching a Super Bowl, they still managed to give up 259.6 passing yards per game (38.4 more than their 22nd ranked 221.2ypg in the regular season) and 20.6 points per game, which is only 6.1 less than their 26.7 in the regular season.

Although that is an improvement of close to a touchdown, and the extra passing yardage they have given up can be attributed to giving up just 74ypg on the ground in their playoff wins, that still shows that they have a propensity to let teams back in the game through the air, as they did against the Falcons in the Wild Card round, and Eagles in the NFC Championship game.

The Skinny on Pittsburgh

The Steelers benefited greatly from the privilege of facing an 8-8 San Diego Chargers team in the divisional round, and an 11-5 sixth seeded Baltimore Ravens team at home, after they upset the one seeded Tennessee Titans, in the AFC Championship Game. However, they still won their games by continuing on the success of their 1st ranked defense in points (13.9), total yardage (237.2), passing yardage (156.9), and 2nd ranked run defense (80.2ypg). They were able to hold Baltimore to 14 points, and even though San Diego managed 24, that was mostly because they got two TDs in the 4th quarter while the Steelers were already riding a comfortable lead.

Finally, the Steelers have also been able to get two very solid performances from Ben Roethlisberger who has no interceptions, 255 yards and a TD against the Ravens who gave up just 175.5ypg, and an efficient 17-26, 186 yard, 1 TD game against the Chargers while riding a 27 carry 146 yard outing by Willie Parker.

The Downside on Pittsburgh

The negatives for Pittsburgh are simple; If Ben Roethlisberger reverts to his at times erratic regular season play which got him 15 INTs, a low 59.9% completion percentage, and an 80.1 QB rating, then that would most likely produce a loss, as it would for many teams. But the bigger issue is that is the kind of thing that the Cardinals have been using to fuel their remarkable post season run, so if it happens, it will most likely be “Bye-bye Steelers.”

And even though Pittsburgh has used their defense to overcome much of the bad play from Roethlisberger, they might be hard-pressed to “stay in the game” with their defense if they aren’t sufficiently complemented by their offense. The Cardinals passing attack, ranked 2nd in the regular season with 292.1ypg, has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down in these playoffs. Even with their more balanced approach by going to the run more often, they are still managing 256.6 yards per game in the air.

Finally, the X factor is the two weeks of rest that Anquan Boldin is getting before the big game. With Arizona being able to produce this kind of yardage without him thus far, the return of Boldin can help balance things out against that 1st ranked passing defense of the Steelers.

So, once again, Big Ben doesn’t need to have an outstanding game, but will most likely need to play well, because the Cardinals should still be able to get “theirs” through the air in this contest.

Conclusion

If any quarterback is going to be less prone to suffer a let down, it should be Kurt Warner, as he has yet to throw a game away all season. I still see him throwing an INT, but one INT does not destroy a team’s hope depending at what point in the game it is thrown. Ben Roethlisberger has looked very mediocre at times this season, and very superb at other times specifically late in games. He would definitely like to make up for his 2005 Super Bowl performance where he went 9-21, 123yds, 2 INTs, and had a paltry 22.6 quarterback rating.

Solely because of this notion (that Ben wants to make up for his first Super Bowl and has admitted that to the media) I should be picking the Steelers to win this game. However, I just don’t see the fire in the eyes of any of the Steelers like I see in the eyes of Kurt Warner (which will be instilled into his young team in the huddle and on the sideline). I just feel that the “just another game” approach for the Steelers is a bit too close to the lackadaisical side, and I think Big Ben feels that saying he wants to make up for his appearance is enough. I.E., he won’t.

The Steelers could end up looking like a team baffled at the energy of their opponent, and the wake up call may come too late. Cardinals win convincingly, if not handily.

Mike Tomlin Coach of the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers

On February 1st, the Arizona Cardinals will do battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aside from the surprising appearance by Arizona to get to their first Super Bowl, there is a very surprising trend beginning to surmise… that is if the Steelers win the game.

In the Steelers last four Super Bowl appearances they have faced off against the L.A. Rams in 1979, winning 31-19, the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 losing 27-17, the Seattle Seahawks, winning 21-10, and now the Arizona Cardinals. If the Steelers win, that will mean that their last three titles will have come against present NFC West teams.

Back in 1979, the now St. Louis Rams, still were a part of the NFC West, but that division consisted of the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons. Since the arrival of the Houston Texans, that division now includes the St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and the 49ers.

Another interesting tidbit, like this year’s Cardinals, the only other 9-7 team to ever make a Super Bowl were those same aforementioned L.A. Rams.

However, the most striking piece of trivia has to be that all three team’s Super Bowl appearances against the Steelers were their first ever. Could this mean that the Cardinals, although a great story, are doomed to drop the ball in the non-literal sense of the phrase? Who knows, and if the world is what it is, and the Cards do lose, it shouldn’t be viewed as much more than a wild coincidence. Either way, it’s pretty damn cool… especially if you’re a Steeler fan.

Manny Ramirez Awaits A Suiter

Tim Tebow Two Time Natinal Champion

I will be the first to admit that I just do not like Tim Tebow. I absolutely want to vomit every time he hits the pull up jumper down on the goal line. Until today I thought he would not make much of a career in the NFL either. However, last night my opinion began to change a bit. Certainly not because the Fox broadcasters convinced me he is the Messiah. (Were they terrible or what?) As I watched Percy Harvin bust that long run to put the Gators back in business it made me think about Adrian Peterson and this year’s NFL playoffs. All year long we had to listen to grumblings about the Vikings being a Super Bowl contender if they had a QB. So I thought to myself who are they going to find that could get them over the hump? They are built to win now. They need a leader on that offense and a veteran is just not going to be available to them and Tavaris Jackson will never be that guy. And I have news for you, Sam Bradford and the rest of the nation’s would-be rookie class of QB’s are no where near the level of last year’s draft class. So forget another Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco type playoff run. Then as the Gator offense got rolling I thought of Vince Youngs performance in both Rose Bowls and wondered if Jeff Fisher wouldn’t roll out the “Wildcat” this weekend with Vince against the Baltimore Ravens.

Then it hit me. Tebow to the Vikings. Just like that. I think he would be the perfect fit for the Vikings offense. He could run that offense all day with Adrian Peterson behind him or beside him. He easily becomes the leader of that offense and probably the team. He is perfect for the role. He would not have to worry about passing the ball all that much. With that defense and that run game behind that offensive line try to imagine having to stop both he and Peterson every down. Thrown in a short passing game the occasional deep ball and a pull up jumper here and there, you’ve got something. No?

Game one of second round NFL playoff action starts off with a rematch of a 13-10 victory by the Titans in Baltimore against the Ravens, but this time in Tennessee. The game will be televised nationally on CBS at 4:30pm on Saturday, January 10th.

In this week, the Divisional Playoff Round of the NFL, hearts are truly broken. In my mind, there is nothing more embarrassing than being a bye team and losing your first game. It is almost as if all the good your team did was all-for-not, and similarly, for the road team, it means you were only good enough to win in the Wild Card round. The first game of Divisional Round weekend will feature the Baltimore Ravens attempting to go down to Tennessee to pull off a huge road victory.

Advantage Ravens

Once again, the Ravens Defense will be the phase of their game to rely on; 3^rd in the league in points allowed (15.2), 2^nd in yards (261.1ypg), 2^nd in passing (179.7ypg), and 3^rd against the run (81.4ypg). The stinginess of their defense showed up profusely in their Saturday victory in Miami against the Dolphins as they forced Chad Pennington into throwing four interceptions, when he had only seven up until that point. On top of that, they also forced a fumble which they recovered.

What is even more is they rank higher in almost every major category defensively than the Titans; 7^th in yards (293.6ypg), 9^th in passing (199.8ypg), and 6^th against the run (93.9ypg). The Titans beat them in points per game at 14.6, but that is only for a difference of 0.6 points.

Aside from the Ravens defense, the performance of Joe Flacco in his first ever playoff game should pay huge dividends for Baltimore as he now goes into his second. In that game, his numbers were far from solid; 9-23 with 135 yards. That was only good for a slunky 39% completion. But if there are any underlying factors in his performance, it was obviously the fact he committed no turnovers, and amazingly, averaged 15.0 yards per completion. What this suggests was that when he actually did find the right target, it was a big play.

He already had the one playoff game where he saw his defense carry him. Now he knows if he can just step it up a bit, and with his defense playing like it can, that his team is in prime position for success.

Advantage Titans

The difference between the Miami pass defense (25^th at 227.8ypg) and the Tennessee pass defense (9^th at 199.8ypg) is 16 spots in the rankings. If Joe Flacco cannot increase his completion percentage, and is forced to throw the ball more against the Titans solid rushing defense, then the Ravens could be in for a long day. Maybe even the type that sees Flacco performing somewhat like Pennington did.

After that, Kerry Collins threw seven interceptions on the season, ass opposed to Flacco’s 12. But sadly, that seems to be the only advantage that the Titans could have over the Ravens. And too bad for them Joe Flacco hasn’t been prone to throwing games away this season. Oh… and we also saw what happened to the last quarterback the Ravens faced who only three seven regular season INTs.

Conclusion

We already know that the Ravens have better defense. But what is even more is the fact that their offense isn’t too far off either. In total yards per game the Ravens are 18^th at 324, and the Titans 21^st at 313.6. Although the Titans are 27^th passing (172.6), versus the Ravens 28^th ranking (175.5), it is for a difference of 0.7 yards making them virtually equal in that aspect. The real kicker comes in the Ravens 4^th ranked rush offense at 148.5 yards per game against the Titan’s 7^th place ranking at 137.4 yards per game. The Ravens, as a matter of fact, even score more points per game with 24.1, against the Titans, 23.4. However, that points per game number is also for a mere difference of 0.7.

The real deciding factor offensively is going to be the Ravens stronger running game, and better play-making defensively. I also predict another deciding factor to be the performance of young Joe Flacco against that of old Kerry Collins. Their stat lines, although similar, are leaving one thing out. Where as last week I mentioned the experience of Kurt Warner would take over that of Matt Ryan’s, this week it will be the youth of Flacco over Collins. Warner is still a dynamic quarterback. Whereas Flacco and Collins roles in their team’s offenses is to manage the game and not turn the ball over, for Flacco it is more to help ease his transition as a rookie quarterback, and for Collins it is because he is on the downside of his career.

But aside from all this, the most telling stat is the following. The combined records of the Tennessee Titans regular season opponents was 92-115, and the Ravens was 123-94. This just tells me that the Ravens have been having their mettle tested a lot more often than the surprising Titans up to this point.

Ravens move to within one victory of the Super Bowl.