Chip Shots
A Sports Blog
A Sports Blog
Chip Shots
JoePa Speaks
I know I'm a couple of days jumping on the pile on the JoePa interview in the Washington Post, but I found it a fascinating read. One of the key things I saw was that when Mike McQuery went to JoePa to report the 2002 incident involving Jerry Sandusky, he left out a lot of the graphic description in deference to Paterno's age and standing. Now, I don't know if you are buying it, but I am and here's why: My Dad is a couple years older than JoePa and while I can discuss things with him, there is a certain line I don't cross with him. I do not use profanity (because he doesn't) and I do not use sexual euphemisms. My father is no shrinking violet, he served his country in Europe at 19, and knows all those words, but he raised me to not be crude in his presence. So, I get where McQuery was coming from.
If you drink what JoePa is serving, he claims he had issues with the whole thing and turned it over to people that he felt could better handle it. I believe that this is true and I think somewhere between Tim Curley, Gary Schultz and Graham Spanier, the ball was dropped. The fascinating component of this whole story is why didn't Curley, Schultz and Spanier act and report Sandusky to the police. My guess is that they knew ten years ago the repercussions the scandal would have on the university and they wanted to keep it in house. That said, continuing to allow Sandusky any involvement with the university was horrible judgment on their part.
I think in JoePa's case, he did what he thought was right and correct in terms of university policy. He phoned his superiors and reported the incident. What he didn't do is follow up or use his power within the university to demand Sandusky be brought up on criminal charges. He could have, probably should have but didn't, and in not doing so, brought himself down in November.
There is also a great deal of conjecture about the Penn State board of trustees. If, as the new President of the university, Rodney Erickson asserts, he is an employee working for the trustees. If that is the case, did former President Spanier report the incident to the trustees? If he did and they didn't act, then that is not only a huge moral lapse, it's a huge financial liability.
I think at the end of the day, while JoePa had a role in all of this, he probably had less of a role than any of the principles. I think his age, his generational values and his desire to act according to policy worked against him in this situation. How he will be judged in the future will be a topic of much debate.
Two other quick notes: First, while I understand some of the Penn State alums are not happy with how the JoePa deal was handled or how the search for a new coach was handled, I think it was a good thing for Penn State to clean house. After forty-five years of a singular philosophy, I think it may have been time to change some things. That said, Franco Harris needs to stop making an ass of himself and ruining his own legacy by acting like a spoiled child.
Second, it is easy for overly testosterone driven sports talk hosts to regale us of what they would have done. But the truth of is none of them were there, nobody had any idea this was going on and all the woulda shoulda coulda talk is speculation and gum flapping at this point. The legal process will decide who did what to whom and who knew what when. Saying you hope someone dies is over the line. And I hope that listeners respond by turning off their radios and realizing that no matter how repulsive this situation is, there are more civil ways to present discourse.
There Is No Joy In Cheeseland, Mighty Rodgers Has Struck Out
As a Bears fan living in Wisconsin, I can't tell you how happy I am today. No more Super Bowl predictions, no more reports of Aaron Rodgers walking across Lake Michigan, no more nominations for Mike McCarthy as the next pope. Just silence. The noise has dimmed and the Packer euphoria of the last year has been replaced by shock and anger. That's right, anger. Because when you get right down to it, Packer fans are just like Bears fans: When they win, they are happy and when they lose, they are searching for answers why. The difference is Bears fans do not have the lofty expectations that Packer fans do.
Besides, if the Bears crap out Chicago fans still have the Blackhawks, Bulls, White Sox (and in the cases of masochists the Cubs) to fawn over, follow and be let down by. For hard core Green Bay fans, the packers are it. Sure, those closer to the southern part of the state have the Brewers and five or six still acknowledge the Bucks, but when the Packers are expected to get to the Super Bowl and don't, Cheese nation gets curdled pretty quickly.
Last year was special because the expectations weren't there. Then the Packers backed into the playoffs, beat the Bears and went on to shock the Steelers in the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers eclipsed Brett Favre as a matinee idol and kids everywhere were trying to grow their hair like Michael Boulton to emulate Clay Matthews.
The Packers started out 13-0 this year and images of running the table were all over Wisconsin. When they finally lost their first game to Kansas City, the cry was "it's okay, we want to win championships not regular season games." Now that they have no chance to repeat, they've turned on the team like a bunch of Honey Badgers eating their young. Welcome to my world, kids.
And so, as the Giants prepare to fly out to San Francisco for the NFC Championship, the Packers get ready to do something no one around these parts thought they would be doing: making tee times. Perhaps they have a friend on the Bears they would like to play with.
Butkus D. Dogg's Friday Fearless Forecast
Hello again. Last week I was 3-1, missing only the Steelers-Broncos game which most of you probably picked incorrectly. That Tim Tebow is really something, especially with his constant talk about God. Remember, God spelled backwards is Dog. Just sayin'We're down to the elite eight in the NFL and we have three weeks left of our picks. This season has really flown by. Monday was the end of the college football season as Alabama beat LSU in the B
Mama was so happy when Alabama won, she was shouting and the Fat Dog jumped on me yelling "Woll Tide, Woll Tide." Not cool, Fat Dog.
We got snow yesterday. I'm hoping to get the Fat Dog to go outside. Nobody would find him for days. As big and white as he is, people would think he was a snow drift.
I'm 121-43 on the year and we'll add the bowl picks next week to see how far I've fallen.
Here's this weeks picks. Let's roll like the Tide...
- New Orleans vs. San Francisco: How did the best game of the weekend wind up in the Saturay afternoon slot? At least it will give the Bald Guy something to look forward tomorrow. The Niners have been the league's best story and this game will be like what would have happened if LSU or Alabama played Oklahoma State: The league's best defense against arguably the league's best offense. I think, in the final analysis, the Saints ability to score quickly will overtake the Niners ability to stop them. Take New Orleans.
- Denver vs. New England: This is where the Godly Tebow meets a devil named Belichick And unless Tebow plans on selling his soul, the devil wins this round. Take New England.
- Houston vs. Baltimore: The Ravens defense is pretty suffocating. The Texans offense is pretty good, especially Arain Foster. I think the Ravens bend but don't break. Take Baltimore.
- New York Giants vs. Green Bay: This is a tough week for the Packers as they learned offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's son Michael drowned on Monday. Still, that won't distract them and while the Giants defense may rattle Aaron Rodgers, the Packers offense can crank out the needed margin. Take Green Bay.
Bama Leaves No Doubt (Maybe)
There really isn't much you can say about last night's mythical National Championship game except that it was dominated by Alabama. From start to finish.LSU Quarterback Jordan Jefferson may have killed his stock in the NFL draft with a terrible performance. Meanwhile, the list of heroes for the victorious Crimson Tide is long and distinguished. Quarterback A.J. McCarron played fearlessly last night, in contrast to how he played in November. He'll never be an elite quarterback, but, then, it doesn't take an elite quarterback to win. Just one that knows how to run the game.
For Alabama coach Nick Saban, it's his third championship in less than ten years and second at Alabama.
The post game quote after the game that I found most curious is when LSU coach Les Miles said "I wish I could have done more for your team." Um, Les, you are the head coach. Just sayin'.
The only thing that Alabama's November loss to LSU did was screw up what could have been the game of the century, Alabama's defense vs. Oklahoma State's offense. Oh well. There's always Madden.
Game Of The Century Redux
Usually I leave the football analysis up to Butkus D. Dogg, but he agreed that I should give my own take on tonight's alleged national championship game.
I say alleged because I can't help but think how much more interesting this would be with Oklahoma State meeting LSU. Not that I don't like or respect Alabama, but we've seen this dance before. And with no playoff or "plus one" to settle the issue, even a Crimson Tide victory tonight in New Orleans does not guarantee them a clear national title.
Since this, as all big games are, has been sliced, diced, and analyzed to death, I'm going to keep this pretty short.
The x-factors in this game in my mind are LSU punter Brad Wing and Alabama running back Eddie Lacy.
Wing is an unbelievable punter. His punting in the first matchup between these two teams put Alabama in several deep holes. One punt in particular was misjudged by return man Marquis Maze and wound up rolling for 73 yards. Although there is no wind in the Superdome, there are lights on the ceiling, and high, lofty punts by Wing could lead to an Alabama turnover. Alabama is best served by a short field and it is Wing's job not to allow them one.
Lacy was just recovering from turf toe the last time these two teams met. With 44 days since the Tide's last game, he most likely will be 100%. Lacy is key for two reasons. The first is to preserve Trent Richardson for the second half. The second is Lacy is a load to bring down and can wear down a defense. He also is a great change of pace back and can spell Richardson while continuing to pound an opponent. I think a healthy Lacy could be a difference in this game for the Tide.
In the end, it comes down to the quaterbacks. LSU has two good ones in Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee while Alabama has an able game manager in A.J. McCarron. I think Jefferson is the key to LSU being successful offensively. I keep waiting for McCarron to show me something, yet he never does. Don't get me wrong, he's okay, but he's not the kind of quarterback that can take over a game like Jefferson. If Alabama does what it did against Texas in the 2010 championship game and knock Jefferson out early, they will still have to contend with Lee.
As much as this is going to get me in trouble with my Alabama native wife, I'm thinking LSU and maybe by ten or more.
One thing about these types of games. After over a month of inactivity, it's hard to judge how these teams will react at game speed. Players who were sucking fumes in November or playing with nagging injuries now have had time to heal and that does change the complexion of the game substantially.
I only wish there was a way to see how Stanford and Oklahoma State would stand up against these two teams. That would make it interesting.
Butkus D. Dogg's Friday Fearless Forecast (Week 19)
Hello, again. For the second straight week I took it in the shorts (just an expression, I run around in the buff. Okay, I have a collar) and went 2-3. I can't believe the Vikings are so bad they lost to the Bears and the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets losing to Miami, even after Miami fired that coach who was wearing the fake nose and glasses. And then we have the Lions, who were facing the Packers JV and still lost. Arghhh. I'm still 118-42 on the year, so that's good and hopefully I'll make it up over the playoffs. As you know, our mama left us, but now I hear she is coming back tomorrow. I guess the Bald Guy apologized for whatever he said or did and Mama has agreed to return. I hope the Bald Guy knows what he's doing because I guarantee you, she is not going to let him watch sports like he has been while she's been away. He's even been watching the NBA lately. Ooops, I suppose I wasn't supposed to mention that.
I, for one, will be happy to see her. We lap dog types require a lot of attention. With the bald guy going to work everyday and being in the sack by 8 or so, I'm feeling pretty neglected. Yeah, the Bald Guy spends time with us, but then he goes into his man cave and has to cook dinner and locks us up while he's eating, so there is very little quality time. And when he does spend time, he tries to split it between the Fat Dog and me, no matter how many times I shove that lard a** out of the way. At least now I know there will be somebody on duty to rub my head from 9am-10pm each and every day (even if I do have to watch soap operas.) WELCOME BACK, MAMA!
One other quick note. Tonight is the Cotton Bowl. Unfortunately, it's on Fox, which means if you watch the game, you'll be subjected to three and ½ hours of Gus Johnson. The Bald Guy has had the technicians at AT&T U-Verse install a special Gus Johnson mute chip which kicks in anytime he starts to scream (which will probably be most of the second half.) That guy makes my ears bleed. I'd rather listen to the Fat Dog sing the hits of Celine Dion than listen to that jackass call a football game. Or a basketball game. Or curling. Or whatever.
Okay, enough of my repressed opinions. it's showtime. Here's our best shot at the first round of the playoffs:
- Cincinnati vs. Houston: This game is a tough one to call because both these teams have rookie quarterbacks and you never know how a rookie quarterback is going to do in the playoffs. In addition, the Texans have been backsliding the last few weeks. The Bengals have their own problems with quarterback Andy Dalton fighting the flu earlier this week. When the game is this close, you gotta go with the home team. Take Houston.
- Detroit vs. New Orleans: All I have to say about this game is that if a backup quarterback can throw for six touchdowns against the Detroit Lions, what do you think Drew Brees is likely to do? Take New Orleans.
- Atlanta vs. New York Giants: I think the Giants are the sleeper team of the NFC. They've definitely won when they've had to and their defesne was very convincing against Dallas. Atlanta is an upgrade over Dallas, but I love the Giants balance of offense and defense. Take the Giants.
- Pittsburgh vs. Denver: It doesn't matter that Rashard Mendenhall is out or that Ben Rothlisberger re-tweaked his ankle. All that matters is the Pittsburgh defense is going to make Tim Tebow wish God would call him home before the end of the game. Take Pittsburgh BIG.
Quick Shots: Cubs Unload Big Z
- It was neither surprising nor shocking that the Cubs unloaded troubled pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins for a marginal, back of the rotation starting pitcher. It wasn't a salary dump, as the Cubs will be eating $15 in Big Z's salary this year. It was a cleansing, a chance for the Cubs organization to move on from Big Z's anger issues and the negative effect it has on the clubhouse. Give Theo Epstein credit, a lot of GMs would have asked for more or eaten less, but the return they will get in terms of attitude is far greater than the cash or the value of a player. The White Sox would probably never make such a move, otherwise Alex Rios would be long gone.
- Zambrano is now united with his BFF Ozzie Guillen. People say Guillen can control Big Z, but sometimes working with your friends is not like hanging with your friends. Ozzie is putting a lot on the line in terms of credibility with other members of his team in how he handles the brooding righty. If he cuts him too much slack, he could lose the team.
- I wonder if Mark Buehrle has started to wonder what kind of situation he has put himself in.
- Last night's West Virginia pasting of Clemson in the Orange Bowl came as a complete surprise and clearly illustrates why BCS games are bull cookies. No way that happens to Boise State, Georgia, Houston or Arkansas . Mommy, can we have a playoff now?
- The West Virginia victory means that coach Dana Holgorsen can get tossed out of as many casinos as he wants and the fans will fight off the security guards for him.
- Like him, love him or hate him, Daniel Carcillo has probably played his last game in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform. His hit on Edmonton's Tom Gilbert Monday night not only lost the Hawks a game, but probably put Carcillo on IR with an injured knee. One of the reason the league came down hard on Carcillo (besides the fact that it was a borderline dirty hit) is Carcillio is a repeat offender. A team like the Hawks, which is competing for another Stanley Cup, can ill afford to have a player the refs will sit down just for breathing too hard on someone.
- The Chicago Bulls may want to call in an elbow specialist. First, C.J. Watson dislocates his, then the franchise, D-Rose, falls on his. The Bulls looked pretty good last night on their second consecutive game after the furious comeback against Atlanta Tuesday.
- The Chicago Bears are searching for a new GM. I guarantee you they will either hire someone you never heard of or someone not featured on the lists being circulated by various publications. Personally, I like Reggie McKenzie, just because the way you beat the enemy is with someone from the enemy camp.
- As far as the O-Cor role is concerned, I would love for the Bears to hire Todd Haley, but most likely it will be Bullwinkle J. Tice.
- Finally, one of my good friends (and former employees n Milwaukee) Cliff Saunders has been cut loose by ESPN in St. Louis. Cliffy is a hard worker, a good guy and has a list of names the CIA wished it had. I hope someone hires him soon. They won't be disappointed. I've seen several of my radio friends lose their jobs in the last year and all I can think of is that I must be part cockroach.
Bears Make Changes-Sort Of
If Charles Dickens were a Bears fan, he would have definitely called yesterday "the best of time and the worst of times."It was a great seven hours from the time it was announced that General Manager and later Offensive Coordinator had been put in a van and driven to O'Hare. But the euphoria ended shortly after 4pm, the minute team president Ted Phillips opened his mouth.
Having Ted Phillips lead your search for a new GM is like enlisting the help of Stevie Wonder to help you find your car in an airport parking lot.
And what's more, it was Ted at his smarmy, arrogant best. "Eleven years ago, I hired Jerry Angelo," he crowed. How did that work out for you, Ted? Phillips went on to explain that whoever takes on the job will have Lovie Smith as his coach in 2012. What's more, Smith will be asked to come in and help interview the candidates. Isn't that like the tail wagging the dog.
All successful operations are constructed from the top down. Ownership, finance, General Manager and then head coach. You hire a GM based on his success elsewhere and he sets the vision for the organization. The GM must be allowed to hire and fire his own people in accordance with his vision. Do you think Theo Epstein would have signed up for the Cubs gig had he been told that he HAD to keep Mike Quade?
But not in Ted Phillips' world. Ted says the Lovie issue is non-negotiable and that any GM would be "proud to work with Lovie Smith." Maybe so, but if that candidate doesn't think he can win with Lovie Smith, he's either screwed or not taking the job. Ted Thompson took over the Packers with Mike Sherman on board and promptly dumped him after one season. It took Angelo three seasons to rid himself of Dick Jauron. In both cases, it mearly slowed down the progress of both teams. In the end, it seemed to work out better for Thompson.
What the Bears are actually looking for is a pro personnel director, not a GM Of course, Ted Phillips, who is a bean counter, doesn't have the football sense to know that. There children, lies the rub. The man who is doing the hiring is clueless as to what he should be hiring.
It's not just a talent gap the Bears are looking at, it's a coaching gap. Why does a second string quarterback for the Packers play in his only game of the year and throw six touchdowns for the JV? Coaching. Why does Caleb Hanie make Jonathan Quinn look like Tom Brady? Coaching. The thing about coaching is you have to coach up who you have and if your second string is terrible, you have to either coach them up or let them go. The Bears did neither and that falls squarely at the feet of both Angelo and Smith. And to fire one and not the other isn't improving your organization, it's hamstringing it.
OSU Win Means Nothing, But it Should
The Fiesta Bowl was magnificent last night and lived up to all of the pre-game hype. The scoring was fast and furious and the game came down not to the quarterbacks, but the kickers. It was a terrific game, worthy of becoming an instant classic. Unfortunately for Mike Gundy and his merry band of Cowboys, the win meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.Sure, Oklahoma State sugar daddy T. Boone Pickens thinks that if Alabama beats LSU that Oklahoma State could leap over the Crimson Tide and win the national championship, but the odds of that are more like Slim Pickens.
I don't know of any college football fan who wouldn't love to see the high flying Cowboy offense go head to head with the Alabama or LSU defense. But because college football has no playoff system, we're forced to simulate it on Madden or just fantasize.
By sticking with the BCS system, College football has deprived itself of some exciting games. If the BCS games were playoff games, then your next round could pit Oregon against Oklahoma State or the winner of the Sugar Bowl and the Clemson-Virginia winner against the winner of LSU-Bama. And from there, the potential of an OSU or Oregon vs. LSU or Alabama matchup would have tongues wagging all over the country.
But because men like Jim Devaney are stubborn and can't see the forest through the trees, the fans of college football and the teams never really get around to settle the deal. If there was a playoff, there would not be a need for an LSU-Alabama matchup so early in the proceedings. And instead of an Orange Bowl that annually takes on two teams that really have no business in a BCS game, there could be eight teams playing on New Year's Day for a shot at going to the second round.
If there is truly one injustice in sports, it's that fans are deprived of knowing who the real National Champion in college football is. If Alabama knocks off LSU, they, LSU and Oklahoma State will all be 12-1. Yet, there is no way to figure out who the best of the bunch is. Computers, coaches and sportswriters all have flaws. Settling it on the field, now that would be interesting.
Just remember: If things were similar in the NFL, there would be no Super Bowl. Whomever the computers, coaches and writers voted in at the conclusion of the conference championships would be declared NFL champion. And while that sounds ludicrous, it is no more so then the way college football is being run now.
Maybe T. Boone Pickens can use his money not to buy more things for his beloved Alma Mater, but to bribe some officials in to getting a true playoff system.
Quick Shots: Bears Done, Now Real Work Begins
- Lovie Smith can look at the camera all he wants and say how good his football team is, but it's almost like a car salesman telling someone that the car they are considering purchasing was only driven by a grandmother on Sunday. The Bears have so many spots to shore up and upgrade, beginning with their offensive coordinator. Sure, Lovie and Mike Martz are good friends, but really, his philosophy is killing the Bears. Seven step drops, no audibles and tight ends with hands of stone? This is how you win in 2012? I think not. The first move Lovie needs to make is to buy his old buddy a bus ticket. I hear Green Bay is lovely this time of year.
- The second thing Lovie needs to do is re-sign special teams coach Dave Taub. The guy has been the one constant on Lovie's staff from day one and he has continually made the Bears the best special teams unit in the business. I don't care how much money he wants, pay him a grand more than he asks for and keep him around.
- That done, Lovie and Jerry Angelo need to turn their attention to upgrading the roster. I'm talking a real number one receiver. I'm talking about a left tackle that isn't more a Matador than a protector; I'm talking a back up quarterback who can come in and do what Matt Flynn does, not what Caleb Hanie does. I'm talking about a shut down corner. I'm talking about the heir apparent to Brian Urlacher, because it's not going to be that much longer and I don't want a Tom Hicks replaces Dick Butkus situation again.
- It's not that the Bears are that bad, it's just they aren't that deep. And, you saw yesterday in the Packers-Lions game, if a backup quarterback gets the right kind of coaching and has the right kind of players around him, he forgets he is a backup quarterback. But then again, I'm being Captain Obvious here.
- Kenny Williams trades Jason Fraisor back to Toronto for more magic beans. Kenny is highly confident that his organization can fix some of the pitchers he has acquired. Kenny has been know to find diamonds in piles of crap, but sometimes, they are just crap or turn back to crap. In any case, he's paired the payroll down to under $100 million, which is a workable number. He still may trim it south of $90 million, but that will give him some wiggle room if he needs it to acquire a rent a player in July if necessary. It will take a perfect storm for this team to compete in 2012, but stranger things have happened. No one saw the Giants and Cardinals coming the last two years and no one, and I mean NO ONE saw the Sox coming in 2005.
- One word describes last night's Bulls game: Wow. Talk about a beating. The Bulls hammered Memphis from the opening bell and hammered them the entire second half, despite having their scrubs in for most of the half. Shame on you, Brian Scalabrine, for not taking more shots when you had the opportunity. Of course, when you made your only attempt, we found out why you didn't shoot more. That was ugly, son.
- Speaking of wow, Tom Crean finally has Indiana playing competitive basketball since Mike Davis led them to the final four with Bob Knight's players. Nicely done, sir. Beating the number one and two teams in the country is no small feat. Let's see how you do against Michigan State and your old buddy Tom Izzo.
- The Chicago Blackhawks are back in action tonight against Edmonton. The Hawks have to have revenge on their mind after being drubbed by the Oilers 9-2 earlier this season. Let's hope there isn't a letdown after the big win over Detroit.
- Unlike many of you, I am forced into indentured servitude today and will miss at least the first half of three bowl games. I'm grateful the NHL moved the Outdoor Classic back to 2pm CST to accommodate my schedule.
- This just in: Ten members of the Kansas City Chiefs were injured in an attempt to carry coach Romeo Crennel off the field.
- Happy Anniversary to my lovely bride, Princess. It's been eight, long, strange years. Not because of you either, but because of my wacky profession and your robo neck. Someday, we'll look back on this and laugh. We always have.
