NFL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

NFC Wildcard
3) Seattle 27, 6) Washington 17
I expect the Redskins' run to come to an end here after yet another long road trip. They have become an incredible story, but this is where the magic of Todd Collins will wear out. Expect Seattle's defense to give him a hell of a time. The Skins' D will play well too, but they won't score enough points on offense. Seattle is an awfully tough place to play, and the Seahawks are a much better team than the Skins.

5) NY Giants 20, 4) Tampa Bay 16
My only concern here is whether the Giants will experience an emotional letdown after going toe-to-toe with the Patriots this last weekend. They are the better team and have won on the road all season long. I like Jeff Garcia and Jon Gruden an awful lot, but I believe they are the product of a bad division. The Giants defense shouldn't have a problem with Tampa's offense, and I think Brandon Jacobs will be the difference in a defensive struggle.

AFC Wildcard
3) San Diego 28, 6) Tennessee 10
To me, this is the biggest lock of the Wildcard round. I know the Chargers are snake bit when it comes to the playoffs, but if they can't win this game, they will never win a playoff game. They have won six in a row, while the Titans have struggled since starting 6-2. Making the playoffs in year two of the Vince Young era is a big accomplishment already. The Chargers are about winning now. Just that fact alone tells me where the two teams are.

4) Pittsburgh 17, 5) Jacksonville 14
Jacksonville is the better team, but I can't see them winning in Pittsburgh twice in a four week span. Everyone seems to be projecting a Jaguars/Patriots matchup already, but I don't think the Jags are there quite yet. They are a remarkable story and will continue to get better as the years go on, but I think Pittsburgh wins a nail biter in this one. This is definitely the best game of the Wildcard round. I expect nothing short of a blood bath in this one!

(Rest of the Postseason: Reasons will come when matchups confirmed)

NFC Divisional
2) Green Bay over Seattle
1) Dallas over NY Giants

AFC Divisional
2) Indianapolis over San Diego
1) New England over Indianapolis

NFC Championship
Green Bay over Dallas (not since Buffalo/Dallas II have both #1 seeds met in the Super Bowl)

AFC Championship
New England (in a nail biter) over Indianapolis

Super Bowl XLII
New England over Green Bay (19-0)

Before There Was Jeanerette, There Was Caray!

I think Harry Caray is the reason I liked Rick Jeanerette so much when I went to college in Buffalo Sabres' country. I grew up with the legendary, bumbling drunk broadcaster with the Chicago Cubs until he died in 1998. It was a sad day in the Morgan household when we learned of Caray's death on CBS's Winter Olympics coverage. It was fitting they would make the playoffs that year. Jeanerette is the exact same character, just in puck land. He filled the void that Caray's death created.

Pat Morgan

Struggling Bulls Fire Skiles

Coming into the season, the Chicago Bulls were predicted by many to contend for the top seed in the East and possibly represent the conference in the NBA Finals.

However, the Bulls have started the season a very disappointing 9-16, which leaves them 10 games back of the Pistons in their division, and only ahead of the Miami Heat and New York Knicks for the worst record in the East. Today, the head coach, Scott Skiles, took the fall for the Bulls' dreadful start. The breaking point had to be the Bulls last two games where they lost by a combined 43 points to the Celtics and Rockets.

I do not agree with John Paxson's decision to fire Skiles today. Skiles has taken this Bulls team from an embarrassment every year to one of the best young teams in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately at the first sign of trouble, Skiles has been given the ax. He should have definitely been given the rest of this year to turn the team around, and I would have given him next year too for making the playoffs the last three years. It isn't Skiles' fault that two of his best players in Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were severly distracted by the Kobe Bryant rumors, and now are more concerned about their contracts that will be up in the air after this season. That is the GM's doing. Should have given the coach the rest of the season to make things right.

Despite the poor start, the Bulls only sit 2 games out of a playoff spot, and surprisingly they are only 4.5 games back of the #4 seed. They are too far back from the surging Celtics or Pistons for something better, but they certainly have time to make something good happen from this year. And should they make the playoffs, they will be a handful for either of those teams should they meet.

This move is symbolic of how the NBA has become. Coaches get fired more in the NBA than any other league. In fact, the only organization I can think of in another sport that changes coaches at such an alarming rate is the New Jersey Devils. I love Paxson for his key championship contributions as a player from '91-'93 and for rebuilding this current team as GM, but this was a very classless move on his part. Shameful! On Christmas no less! And if Isiah Thomas still has a job, shouldn't Skiles?

Pat Morgan

NHL on Christmas Break; Sharks and Others Involved in Closely Contested Season

The NHL heads into Christmas break and the standings are very close in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings lead their respective conferences by a decent margin, but the teams fighting for the playoffs aren't separated by much. In the West, the Stars are in secondplace with 46 points, while the 8th and final spot belongs to the Anaheim Ducks, who have 41 points. In the East, second and eighth place are only separated by 5 points. Many teams that are below the playoff line are not far behind, which makes for an exciting three months of NHL regular season hockey.

This is the first that I am actually into the NHL for real. A couple seasons ago, I got into the first seven games or so and then lost interest. This season, I started watching this month and for some reason, I'm totally into it. I'm a San Jose Sharks fan and hopefully they can get over their troubles at home (6-9-3), overtake the Stars in the division and get a decent playoff seed. They lost to the Detroit in the Western Conference Semi-Finals last season and the Red Wings look like they will be tough to handle again this season. Detroit is a storied franchise and it's not a suprise they are atop the Western Conference. The Sharks on the other hand, came into the league in 1991 and are looking to capture their 1st ever Stanley Cup. I think they can do it if they play up to their potential, but their offense sometimes looks obsolete, especially their pwer play.

This is how close it is in the NHL, especially in the West. Last week, the Sharks were second in the West, but after a shootout loss to Phoenix and getting blown out by the Stars, San Jose finds themselves in sixth place. Another loss would most likely have them on the outside looking in. Maybe in this case, it's a good thing that the NHL is a long season. The Sharks have time to move back up the standings and I am looking forward to seeing how it plays out. Once Christmas is over, it's back to the ice for these players and the quest for the Stanley Cup will resume.

Shawn Marosek

Should the G-Men Go Full-Throttle vs. the Pats?

With the 38-21 victory in Buffalo today, the New York Giants clinched their third playoff berth in as many years. The Vikings loss to the Redskins tonight also means the Giants are locked in the playoffs as the NFC's fifth seed. They will travel to Tampa to play the Buccaneers, most likely in the Saturday wildcard primetime slot in two weeks.

Most importantly, the victory today means that the Giants will not have to knock off the undefeated New England Patriots this Saturday to ensure themselves a trip to the postseason. The Giants can either go full throttle to try and make NFL history or they can elect to rest some of their injury ridden players for their matchup with Tampa Bay. This has already been a hot issue of debate, but now that this scenario is a reality, expect it to beaten to death this week on sports radio, ESPN, etc.

As a historian of the NFL and wanting to see history earned in a competitive way, I would love to see the Giants challenge the Patriots and make them earn win number 16. However, the Giants should not be expected to do so, as they do not owe it to the NFL to risk injury that could seriously hamper their chances in the playoffs. Teams that clinch playoff spots with games remaining on their schedule have earned the right to decide whether they want to rest their players or not. Even if that game has playoff implications for the opponet (i.e. Tennessee vs. Indianapolis next week), or in this case with NFL history on the line.

For someone who is anticipating this game without my team involved, I would like to see the Giants play the game by giving it all they have to win. I can understand if they rest high injury risks like Plaxico Burress or Brandon Jacobs, but I hope they play Eli Manning, Amani Toomer, and the big play makers on defense. It will make for, potentially, some great drama on Saturday night.

However, I am not a Giants fan, so I don't have a team I'm emotionally tied with in the game. If the Jets were in this position, I would want the coaches to stress that the playoffs are the most important thing. I would love to play hard and try and win the game for a historic place in history, but a playoff win would be much more important to me. If the head coach feels the best way to win that playoff game is to rest and not risk having his players spending an exuberant amount of energy and emotion on a meaningless game then I would respect that. It is very possible if the Giants go full throttle against New England it will have no effect or even a positive effect on how they play against Tampa Bay. However, there are many instances where a team has an emotional letdown after a game that is deemed as HUGE! And should the Giants play New England full throttle, then the coaches would be sending their players the message that this game is huge.

This will be a great issue of debate this week, and ultimately we should agree with what the majority of Giants fans feel. We would want that respect if it was our team.

Pat Morgan

Retired or Not Retired? Big Tuna to Become Dolphins VP

Just 11 months after retiring for a third time from the NFL, Bill Parcells has landed himself another job. Except this time Parcells (or so he claims) won't coach. The Tuna is set to become the vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins. Yesterday, Parcells turned down a similar role with the Atlanta Falcons to take the Dolphins job. When Parcells ultimately retires from this gig, he will have retired more times than Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Both of them have retired three times.

I agree with Parcells that Miami is a better place to be than Atlanta, but I don't understand why he feels he has to get back in the game again. Parcells has never been able to make up his mind, as he goes from one job to another job more often than Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino.

Well, not as bad as them, but for being such a legendary coach, he really has not developed an identity in one place since he left the New York Giants after winning his second Super Bowl. I loved him when Parcells turned my New York Jets around, but he was gone so quickly I don't really feel a huge connection to him. I definitely still cherish those years, but I don't think of him as a New York Jet. Remember, he also turned the rival Patriots into a winner again as well, and took them to a Super Bowl, which he didn't do with the Jets. He left way the Jets way too soon, especially being after a bittersweet 8-8 season when Vinny Testaverde was injured in Week 1. That team was widely predicted to go to the Super Bowl. I'm sure Patriots and Cowboys fans feel the same way about him.

Parcells did do a good job in his one year as a GM with the 2000 Jets, but it is unclear if Parcells can be as successful in the front office as he was on the sideline. It is unlikely a successful coach will want to coach in Miami with Parcells hovering up above. I think only unproven coaches will be able to work under Parcells while he is a VP of the team. Forget about a Bill Cowher type down the road. The Dolphins do need a lot of help though, so hiring Big Tuna can only help. Even though he will only stay three or four years before hitting the dusty trail again. However, I don't understand Parcells's motives for wanting to return to the NFL fire once again. I wouldn't be surprised if Parcells returns to the sideline a year or two into his contract should Cam Cameron not be able to turn the team around, or if the team isn't unable to lure another coach to their liking. I guess the NFL is like a woman, you can't live with them and you certainly can't live without them.

Pat Morgan

Is New England the Best Team of All Time?

With the realistic possibility of the New England Patriots going undefeated and winning another Super Bowl, the question might arise if they are the best NFL team ever. 16-0 in the regular season and 19-0 overall sure looks impressive, but many people might have other teams in mind.

New England has home field locked up and the next two games are meaningless, except for the fact that it might be history in the making. Everyone knows Bill Belichick will play all of his starters until the games are way out of hand, and I mean way out of hand. Try a 35-40 point game until the head coach pulls Tom Brady or Randy Moss. So, with that said, the Patriots will probably go 16-0. They have the winless, I mean one-win Dolphins this week and the struggling New York Giants to close out their schedule. They will easily handle the Dolphins, while the Giants might pose a threat if they need the game to make the postseason. Whatever the situation ends up being for the Giants, the Patriots will still win and keep an unblemished record heading into January.

If New England runs the table and wins the title, are they the best team ever? If they aren't the best, they surely are in the top three. I'm too young to remember the 49er teams of the 80s, the Steeler teams of the 70s and the Packer teams of the 60s. Many people who have recollections of those legendary squads might tend to lean towards the teams of the past. The earliest I remember watching football is the 1991 season and this is by far the best team I have ever seen. Maybe the teams nowadays aren't as good as they were in the past. Maybe that's why the Patriots are cruising through this season. Take this New England team and put them into a time machine. Send them back to the 60s, 70s, or 80s and see how they fare against the rest of the league. I'm not an expert on the teams of the past, but I know that some of them were very good and some have been considered the best of all time.

ESPN used to have this show called Matchup of the Millenium. Using up to date technology, they would have teams from different decades face off against each other. Videos from certain games would be edited to make it look like the teams were actually playing against each other. I remember seeing the 49ers of the 80s play against the Steelers of the 70s. They should have a new episode come out featuring the 2007 Patriots.

As for being the best team ever, I could make an argument supporting the Patriots. On the other hand, I could also make an argument supporting the 85 Bears, who only lost one game that year against the Miami Dolphins. They had it all, including a Hall of Fame coach and a stifling defense, which the Patriots certainly do not have. The Packer of the early 60s do not get the recognition they deserve, because the Super Bowl didn't come into play until the later part of the decade. Any one of those teams could be on top of the list. How about one of the four Pittsburgh teams that won Super Bowls in the 1970s? Joe Montana might argue one of his San Francisco teams is the best. It will be up for debate if the Patriots accomplish their ultimate goal. Here's another question to ponder. If they lose one or two games to close out the regular season, but then go on to win the Super Bowl, could they still be considered one of, if not the best team ever to play in the National Football League?

Shawn Marosek

Fantasy Owners Raging Over Westbrook Play

Most fantasy football leagues entered their playoff semifinals yesterday. Many of those teams included Brian Westbrook, who is the second best running back (behind LT) in the league in my opinion. Westbrook elected to fall at the one-yard line and allow the Philadelphia Eagles to simply run out the clock on a 10-6 upset over the Dallas Cowboys. Westbrook, unselfishly, turned down the touchdown. In an era where players care more about their stats then anything else, Westbrook kept the Cowboys from still having a prayer to win the game.

I have spoken to a few furious fantasy football players, and they feel Westbrook should not have manipulated the game the way he did. The consensus seemed to be that Westbrook should have known what was riding on that touchdown.

To me that is nothing more than...

Sour Grapes!

Westbrook's play was one of the smartest decisions I have seen this season. Westbrook showed he cared more about a win than his own personal stats. Scoring the touchdown would have meant Dallas would have needed a miracle to win, but Westbrook realized a miracle can anytime happen and you seal the game when you can! Great move by Westbrook. I liked him before this play yesterday, but now he climbs way up my list of favorite players.

Pat Morgan

Clemens Biggest Fish Caught in Mitchell Report

The long awaited Mitchell Report has been released, and the biggest name by far on the list is Roger Clemens. The news of Clemens using steroids is the biggest bombshell baseball could have had outside ARod if he was on the list.

In my opinion, Roger Clemens using steroids is as big a story as the long assumed use of Barry Bonds. Clemens is one of the top 5, 10 pitchers of all time according to many experts, and even ranked #1 by some. Clemens has won 354 games, seven Cy Youngs, and a rare MVP award for a pitcher. Like Bonds, Clemens played at a very high level into his mid-40s, including a season with a 1.87 ERA at 42 years of age. So, while a big story, the fact Clemens used steroids is hardly shocking.

According to the Mitchell Report, Clemens's steroid use is tied to a first hand witness, Brian McNamee. Mitchell was led to McNamee by Kirk Radomski, whose information helped Mitchell form a big chunk of his report. McNamee was Clemens's trainer from 1998 through May of this year. McNamee says he injected Clemens first hand with steroids during their time in Toronto and then acquired steroids for him through 2001. That is when McNamee claims he stopped acquiring steroids for Clemens, but was unsure if he kept using. There is no paper trail or anything on Clemens, so clearly he did a good job hiding his dealings. So, what it boils down to for Clemens is that McNamee simply turned on him. We probably never would have found out about Clemens unless McNamee decided to talk. Expect Clemens when he talks or releases a comment to call McNamee a liar and ask where anyother proof is.

This is pretty damning evidence though, and it is going to be really hard to Clemens to proof to the court of public opinion that he did not use steroids. Even Barry Bonds's former trainer, Greg Anderson, won't turn on him. Clemens's career actually mirrors Bonds in many ways. He was already a Hall of Famer, but the steroids allowed him to extend his career and have tremendous seasons well into his 40s. I think it's obvious Clemens continued to take steroids after 2001 too. We don't have proof on that, but look at his years in Houston. I know ERAs drop in the NL, but not to 1.78.

The question now is whether or not Roger Clemens will still make the Hall of Fame. I have to give the same answer I give for Bonds. Just because you were a Hall of Famer before you used does not excuse the fact that you cheated the game later in your career. Your actions that significantly hurt the game should weigh more than what you accomplished as a clean player. Look at Pete Rose as an example. His whole career was clearly Hall of Fame level, but he fell out because of actions after he left the game. I think Clemens should be kept out of the Hall of Fame for at least the 15-years he would be eligible on the writers' ballot. Obviously it comes down to the voters, not MLB, to decide, but I hope they feel the same way. I am for forgiveness though as everyone makes mistakes, so if in 20, 30 years and the Veteran's Committee feels he should be in the hall, then I will have no problem with it. I like the idea of baseball veterans ruling on this matter over biased writers.

Other than Clemens and the obvious ones in Bonds and Sheffield, there were only a few notable names. The ones that stood out to me were Andy Pettitte and Miguel Tejada. I expected Tejada to be on the list due to his rapid power decline and ties to the Oakland Athletics. Pettitte would have been surprising if he wasn't Clemens's best friend (and maybe more). It wasn't as big as list as some thought, but it clearly has a epic name to lead it.

Pat Morgan

Rowand Heading to San Francisco

Usually Barry Bonds is the topic of a San Francisco baseball story. Not this one.

The Giants opened up their wallet Wednesday and signed Gold Glove centerfielder Aaron Rowand to a 5-year deal worth around 60 million dollars. A fan favorite in Philadelphia, Rowand will be playing for his third team in four seasons. He debuted in the Major Leagues with the Chicago White Sox and helped them win their first World Series title since 1917.

Rowand arguably had his best season in 2007. He batted .309 with 27 home runs, and had career bests with 89 RBIs, 105 runs, 189 hits and 45 doubles in 161 games. In 2006, he let everyone in Philadelphia know who he was, after crashing hard into the center field wall while chasing down a fly ball by the Mets' Xavier Nady. Once he got up, his face was covered with blood and a roar from the crowd showed its appreciation.

The fans will miss him in Philadelphia. There's no doubt about it. Not only did Rowand have career numbers last season, but he was a key part of the 2007 National League East Champions. When a casual fan thinks of the Phillies, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard might be the first two names that come to mind, but Rowand was just as important. The Phillies had a very good player patrolling center field at Citizens Bank Park, now they will have to find someone new to do the job.

It's not going to be easy to find a center fielder with that kind of attitude. The fans of Philadelphia had a brotherly kind of love for Rowand, but now he's headed west to San Francisco. With all that has happened in his career, there is reason to believe that Rowand will be a fan favorite in the city by the bay.

Shawn Marosek

Tejada Traded To Astros For Five Players

The Baltimore Orioles traded All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros Wednesday for five players. Tejada, who has been sort of an Iron man of this generation, leaves Baltimore after a four-year stint with team.

He joins an Astros team who has been down the last few seasons, but maybe adding a talented hitter and fielder like Tejada will provide a boost. Houston gave up a lot of players in the deal. They include outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patten and Dennis Sarfate, and third baseman Michael Costanzo.

This a great pickup for Houston, which is looking to rebound after two disappointing seasons in a row following a World Series appearance in 2005. They have a decent starting staff behing coveted ace Roy Oswalt and have talented youth in Wandy Rodriguez. They did trade Luke Scott, who was a starter a year ago, but the other four names I've never heard of.

I can't see the Astros competing this year for the division unless they start making some serious deals during the offseason. They gave up on Phil Garner as their manager even though he led them to a World Series two years ago for the first time in franchise history! Now they are trying to build this team back up again, and it's not a bad idea to bring Tejada on board.

As for the Orioles, what can I say? The team hasn't been in the postseason since they lost to Cleveland in 1997. They have been near or at the bottom of the standings for over a decade. The team has had to deal with the Raphael Palmeiro steroid problem and now they've traded arguably their best player since Cal Ripken Jr.

Tampa Bay might pass them next season and that's sad. Fortunately for Tejada, he won't have to be a part of it. However, the team he was traded to isn't that great either.

Shawn Marosek

Spygate Continues: Jets Reportedly Did Some Videotaping Of Their Own

A report has surfaced that the New York Jets were caught videotaping New England Patriots signals a year ago when the teams played in Foxboro. It is still yet to be determined whether this happened during New York's regular season win against the Pats or during it's playoff loss to New England.

According to a published report, an employee of the Jets was asked to stop videotaping from the mezzanine level at Gillette Stadium. Unlike the Patriots, the Jets are saying that no rule was actually broken in the process.

"All filming at last year's Patriots game was done with pre-approval from the Patriots and in accordance with NFL rules," Bruce Speight, the Jets' senior director of media relations, told Newsday.

The equipment was removed from the stadium, but was never confiscated by the league. It just makes one wonder how many teams are doing this in order to gain a competitive advantage. The Patriots and Bill Belichick were fined a total of $750,000 for videotaping the Jets' sidelines in Week 1. Now, there might be an investigation into this matter, even though I don't think there will be any punishment for the Jets. I don't understand how videotaping another team from the mezzanine level of a stadium was approved by the league or the opposition, which makes me suspicious of Speight's comments, but that's all we have right now.

It's strange how this is coming out right before the Jets and Pats game this Sunday. It's almost as if the Patriots knew about this right after Week 1, and didn't want to tell on Eric Mangini and the Jets until right before their second matchup. Could this motivate the Jets, just like spygate seems to have motivated the Patriots in their pursuit of perfection? I highly doubt it and I don't think the Patriots need to have any more of a psychological advantage. The team is 13-0 and the Jets are 3-10. The Patriots might put up 70 this week and another win will be tacked on to their undefeated record. But this spygate controversy will be brought up in future discussions regarding these two teams, and it's a shame.

Shawn Marosek

Petrino Bolts Atlanta for Razorbacks Opening

Just 24 hours after his Atlanta Falcons were drubbed by the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, Bobby Petrino resigned as head coach to take over at the University of Arkansas. So, for the second time in 2007, Petrino has broken a contract to bolt for another position. In January, he broke out of a 10-year contract with the University of Louisville to take the Falcons' head coaching position. In an era where contracts seemingly mean nothing to coaches, Petrino may have trumped them all.

This is the first time I have seen a coach leave in midseason to jump for another job. Petrino couldn't even finish the first year of the five year contract he signed with the Falcons. This is the worst example of how ridiculous these coaches have become. I know things have stunk ever since Petrino took over for the Falcons, but when you make a commitment, you don't leave in the middle of the season. Petrino almost makes Nick Saban's decision to bolt the Miami Dolphins look ok. They both lied to their classy owners saying they were not going to leave.

This is probably the last we'll see of big college coaches being hired by NFL teams for awhile. However, I thought that after Saban left for Alabama, and just a few days later Atlanta hired Petrino. So, who really knows, but I do know coaches and their contracts have become a big joke. It has become a major problem with these college football and basketball coaches.

Something needs to be done to severly penalize coaches for leaving places they sign big contracts with. Coaches that get fired still have to be paid by their bosses, so why not something that goes the other way. Athletic directors need to work some language into these contracts. Something that is even more severe than Les Miles's $1.25 million fine should he leave LSU for another job. Maybe something along the lines of the coach having to pay back a certain percentage of what they've already been paid. Remember, Ricky Williams had to pay back his signing bonus for not living up to his contract with the Dolphins. Something can be done. I'm not sure exactly what that can be, but hopefully something will curtail these coaches from backstabbing their employers left and right.

Pat Morgan

LoDuca Signs With Nationals

The Washington Nationals are starting to look a lot like the New York Mets of the past. They traded Brian Schneider and Ryan Church to the Big Apple for Lastings Milledge, now catcher Paul LoDuca has signed with the team. In essennce, it was a four player trade between the two NL East rivals. Let's not forget who the manager of the Nationals is. It's Manny Acta, who was the Mets third base coach two seasons ago before taking the head job in Washington. Could there be a new rivalry on the horizon for 2008?

Let's face it, the Mets are a much better team than the Nationals, but that doesn't mean there won't be some bad blood between the teams come opening day next season. The Nationals probably feel like they got the better end of this deal, so look for them to improve next year. The Mets are undeniably more talented, but they need to go after some pitching, instead of messing around with the Nationals. I know New York doesn't have much to offer another club when it comes to youth, but Omar Minaya has to get his butt in gear and start making some deals.

For Mets fans, it must be frustrating to keep hearing this general manager keep saying that he likes the team he has right now. That's his answer for everything and it's got to stop soon. If he fails to make any more major deals before the season and the Mets get off to a shaky start in 2008, don't be suprised to hear the New York fans and media getting on Minaya's back. He is supposed to be an amazing general manager, but it's not looking that way so far this offseason.

Don't forget about the manager of the Mets too. Willie Randolph has to be partly to blame for last year's debacle in September. I know the players have to perform, but as a manager, you have to keep control of the clubhouse. Randolph will probably be fired if New York fails to make the postseason for a second consecutive season. As a Mets fan, you shouldn't be upset if Willie goes. You should be rejoicing. If your manager still hasn't figured out how the double switch works, then you know he's not the right man for the job.

As for the Nationals, they are hoping that Milledge turns out to be what the Mets had been anticipating for the past few seasons. Loduca is a hard nosed player and certainly will be liked in Washington. They might have a problem with Milledge's attitude, but the team will not have to worry about Loduca's hustle and leadership skills. Mets fans will surely miss their former catcher. It's too bad management didn't give Loduca a shot at coming back.

Shawn Marosek

Dolan: Isiah's Job is Safe (How?)

One day after an embarassing 28-point home loss to the woeful Philadelphia 76ers, James Dolan informed Isiah Thomas that his job as head coach of the New York Knicks is not in jeopardy. The Knicks sit at 6-13, which is good enough for last in the Atlantic Division. Thomas has been the president of basketball operations for four years, and head coach for over a year. During his tenure, the Knicks have made the playoffs just once, and that resulted in a first round sweep to the New Jersey Nets.

It is absurd that Thomas is still at the helm of the NEW YORK KNICKS! The Knicks were an elite franchise in the 1990s, and if it was not for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls they probably would have hung a few championship banners. This was a franchise who got criticized by fans if they did not win 50+ games in a season and play well in the playoffs. Now, fans before this season were googling over the prospect of winning 38 games and earning the 7 or 8 seed in a terrible Eastern Conference. Wow, have expectations changed!

Most importantly, Thomas was found guilty of sexual harassment this summer. That should have been the final nail in the coffin, but amazingly, Isiah continues to lead. Most people who commit sexual harassment are fired before it is proven, and then that person has to fight for damages due to an unlawful firing if he or she is innocent. Dolan and Thomas must be best buddies or something, because I cannot come up with any other reason as to why Thomas still is on the Knicks payroll.

For someone who was one of the best point guards and leaders in NBA history, Thomas has been a horrible executive and coach. He grossly underachieved in his three years with a loaded Indiana Pacers team, but they look fantastic to his horrific years with the Knicks. It is time for Isiah to go, and time for Dolan to hire a highly established individual (Jerry West type) to try and get the Knicks out of this big, big hole. It is very damaging for the NBA with how bad it has gotten in New York. The NBA needs Madison Square Garden to rock again. It is the mecca of basketball!

Pat Morgan

Tigers Acquire Cabrera and Willis

The first blockbuster trade of the offseason saw the Detroit Tigers acquire Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Cabrera has been on the block the entire offseason, but it was expected he would land in Anaheim, not Detroit. The Tigers sent highly rated prospects Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin, as well as four others to the Florida Marlins. Miller and Maybin could turn into excellent players for the Marlins, but this is a brillant trade for a team that is built to win NOW!

Cabrera turns a very good lineup into a lethal one. Cabrera could stay at third base, but I think the best move for Detroit would be to move him back into the outfield. Brandon Inge at third is better than a potential platoon of Marcus Thames and Jacque Jones in left. In any event, Cabrera has been one of the best offensive threats in baseball the last few years, and now being sandwiched in a potent lineup like this, he will only get better and better.

That sexy lineup (arguably the best in baseball) would look like this:
CF-Curtis Granderson
SS-Edgar Renteria
RF-Magglio Ordonez
LF-Miguel Cabrera
DH-Gary Sheffield
1B-Carlos Guillen
C-Ivan Rodriguez
2B-Placido Polanco (Could flip with Renteria)
3B-Brandon Inge

Willis had a down year last year going 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA, but there has to be a happy medium between that and his 2005 season (22-10, 2.63 ERA). I do think though if Dontrelle was going to be traded to an AL team, Detroit is about the best place he could have ended up. He could have been pounded in the AL East, and he would get little run support with the Angels. Willis will also pitch in a park that is about as pitching friendly as Dolphins Stadium, and will be the third or fourth starter behind Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, and possibly Kenny Rogers. He doesn't have to be the ace of the staff meaning that should take some of the pressure off of him knowing there are other starters in the rotation that can pick up the slack should he struggle a little.

Look at the sexy rotation:
SP1-Justin Verlander
SP2-Jeremy Bonderman
SP3-Kenny Rogers
SP4-Dontrelle Willis
SP5-Nate Robertson

If Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney can stay healthy in the Tigers' bullpen, this team on paper looks like the first or second best team in baseball. Should the Red Sox get Santana that will tip the balance of power in their direction, but this Tigers team looks really, really good. Great trade!

Pat Morgan

Pats Survive Mega Scare to Remain Unbeaten

The New England Patriots improved to 12-0 tonight despite being taken to the limit by the Baltimore Ravens. Jabar Gaffney caught a 8 yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady with 44 seconds left to cap off a thrilling game-winning drive and deliever the 27-24 victory. The final drive survived two 4th downs and a deflected pass which is normally intercepted. If it wasn't for a few bizarre couple of plays and penalty calls, the Ravens would have won because everything went right for the upset. The Ravens' defense gave Brady fits the entire game, Willis McGahee ran for 138 yards, the weather stunk, and the Pats made several mistakes. Everything was in place for the upset.

But...

Near the end of the first half, Ed Reed intercepted Tom Brady and ran it back deep into Patriots' territory, but it was stripped by Kevin Faulk denying the Ravens a chance at a go ahead touchdown or field goal. After a huge punt return, Kyle Boller threw an interception to James Sanders which denied them a chance to take two possession lead midway through the 4th quarter. The Ravens' defense stuffed a Brady quarterback sneak on a 4th and 1, but the play was called dead after a last second timeout by Baltimore. Later in the drive, the Ravens stopped the Pats on 4th and 5, but a holding call was made giving the Pats a 1st and Goal. Finally, on the final play of the game, Kyle Boller completed a hailmary, but the receiver is tackled on the three. Other than the hailmary, if even one of those plays don't happen the Ravens probably win the football game.

So for the second straight week, the Patriots survived a scare from a team that makes its home just off I-95. Their next three games are home games against the Steelers, Jets, and Dolphins. The Steelers are 9-3, but are a poor road team. The Pats will want to kill the Jets, and the Dolphins are 0-12. I don't see them losing any of those three, so the game that could deny them perfection is at the Giants in Week 17. Right now it is unclear if the Giants will even need the game as they sit two games up for a wildcard spot. Even if they do, they have major injury concerns at running back. To beat the Pats, they will have to have a McGahee performance from Brandon Jacobs. I don't see it happening, thus the Pats will go 16-0. They have survived their scares and should win out easily.

Can they be beat in the playoffs? Only in the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts. They will not lose to San Diego or Jacksonville in the divisional round, or to Dallas or Green Bay, on a dry Arizona field, in the Super Bowl. As far as the Colts, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it is almost better for Indianapolis to be on the road, away from the fast RCA Dome turf, in the AFC Championship. Remember when the Pats wanted awful weather to slow down Peyton and company? Well that has flipped. The Pats now want that fast track for Brady to go nuts with Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, and Wes Welker. The Colts would perfer a sloppy track where Joseph Addai can dominate the running game, and the defense can better defend a slower Pats' offense. If McGahee runs for big yardage on the Pats, Addai almost certainly will. The identities of the Pats and Colts have switched. Look for a fantastic AFC Championship Game where the Colts have a legit shot to upset the Pats. They will be 17-0 going into the game.

Pat Morgan

Shark Win, Coach's Job Not Completely Secured

The San Jose Sharks improved their record to 13-8 on the season with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche Monday night. With the win, the Sharks have moved into a multiple team tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. I know it's a little early to be talking about the NHL Playoffs, but if the Sharks fail to make the postseason, you might find a new coach in San Jose.

Many believe Ron Wilson is on the hot seat with the playoff disappointments in past seasons attached to his name, so ownership might want to move in a new direction. The Sharks have plenty of talent, including centers Joe Thornton, who they picked up in a trade last season, and newly acquired Jeremy Roenick. Yes, the team is in second place in the Pacific Division, but expectations are higher than the results so far. Wilson has held the Sharks coaching job since Jan. 4, 2002 and he has no intention of that changing. However, until the Sharks move up the standings and start showing people that they compete with the big boys like the Red Wings and Stars, there will continue to be a cloud over their head coach.

Shawn Marosek

BCS Thrown Into Utter Chaos

In a nice dream we would all be looking forward to a great college football playoff over the next month. Unfortunately, we are still stuck with the worst thing in all of sports called the Bowl Championship Series. Like every week before this one, the top teams in the country suffered losses. #1 Missouri lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship, and even more stunning, #2 West Virginia lost to 4-7 Pittsburgh at home. #3 Ohio State will clearly be the new #1 team in the country, but the question is who will be #2 and get to play the Buckeyes in the National Championship.

The candidates for the two spot are Georgia, Kansas, Virginia Tech, LSU, USC, and Oklahoma. Each of these teams can make an argument to play Ohio State. I think it will be either Georgia or LSU. Georgia is the current #4 team in the country, and numerically would be the team to move into the second spot. However, LSU is the SEC champion, and both of their losses were in triple overtime. I would be shocked if the second team isn't one of those two.

In my opinion, LSU should be the team to play Ohio State in the championship. As a fan, I rather see Georgia as I have never liked LSU, but it is hard to make a case for Georgia over LSU. LSU won the SEC championship today and their division of the conference in the regular season. Georgia was unable to win a spot in the SEC Championship Game because of a blow loss to Tennessee, which was the team that lost to LSU today. Both of LSU's losses were in triple-overtime, and one of those came on a failed two-point conversion. Georgia's two losses were a blow out in Tennessee and a loss at home to South Carolina.

My opinion and those of the pollsters and computers should not matter though. This is almost as bad as it gets. I still think the year an unbeaten Auburn fan was left out of the championship game was the worst, as they couldn't look back at a loss as the reason they were left out. Unlike Auburn, every team had a chance this year to avoid a loss and get into the game. However, it is still very bad that only two teams from a large group of mediocre teams will play for the championship. An Ohio State team that played an incredibly weak schedule and has not played since Nov. 17th is not better than LSU, USC, or Oklahoma. But again, that is opinion. LETS HAVE A PLAYOFF!

My Bowl Projections
Rose Bowl: USC vs. Georgia
Sugar Bowl: Kansas vs. Hawaii (Illinois, if UH loses to Wash)
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Arizona State
Championship Game: LSU vs. Ohio State

Pat Morgan