Black Monday Update

Well, it’s midnight-thirty and I can’t sleep. I’ve had a full day (yesterday now actually) of chasing news about Andy Reid becoming the new coach of the Kansas City Chiefs … or not maybe. The insiders are expecting it to be finalized later today (Friday); we’ll see.

As I thought about that, it struck me that we should revisit my blog from a month ago about coaches on the hot seat and see how accurate I was. I listed 10 warming seats. Let’s take another look at each one and see how I did.

Norv Turner, Chargers – He’s gone along with GM A.J. Smith, as expected. 1 for 1 so far.

Andy Reid, Eagles – As mentioned above, he’s in line for the Chiefs job, so he obviously was fired by Philadelphia. 2 for 2.

Romeo Crennel, Chiefs – Winning two games all season will do that. It was so bad that KC Owner Clark Hunt apologized to the fans. Crennel out; GM Scott Pioli may not be far behind. 3 for 3.

Ron Rivera, Panthers – GM Marty Hurney was fired but the Panthers’ late season run has saved Rivera so far. He’s probably safe. My first miss.

Jason Garrett, Cowboys – Owner Jerry Jones is NOT HAPPY with the ‘boys 8-8 finish. There will be changes, but I think Garrett is safe for one more year. Now I’m 3 for 5.

Rex Ryan, Jets – GM Mike Tannebaum got the ax, but Rex is safe. I’d expect OC Tony Sporano to get the boot, too. Their offense was pathetic.

Chan Gailey, Bills – After three underachieving season, Gailey is done in Buffalo. I expect him to catch on as an OC somewhere. That’s now 4 for 7.

Pat Shurmur, Browns – The Browns were improved, but new owner Jimmy Haslam is cleaning house and wants his own guys. President Mike Holmgrem and GM Tom Heckert are gone, too. 5 for 8.

Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals – Going from 4-0 to 5-11 and having the worst QB situation in the entire league wasn’t good enough. Coach Whiz is out, but he’ll likely get another head job, maybe Buffalo. I’m now 6 for 9.

Mike Mularkey, Jaguars – He’s in place for now, but this may change. I expected Shad Khan to can him and bring in his own guy, and he still may do that. But it’s a miss for now. 6 for 10.

The one I missed … is Lovie Smith of the Bears. They won 10 games but didn’t make the playoffs because the Packers couldn’t beat the Vikings. That’s a tough one. He’ll land another gig, for sure.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Top 10 NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat

Well, we’ve come to that time in the NFL season. It’s Week 13, and the playoff picture is coming into focus. The teams in the hunt are clear. And the teams simply playing out the string are painfully evident.

Here’s a list of coaches likely to be out of a job soon. Some will be put out to pasture at the end of the season, some maybe sooner.

Norv Turner, Chargers – This one is past due. Norv has been turning great talent into mediocre records for years in San Diego. He and A.J. Smith are both gone.

Andy Reid, Eagles – Owner Jeffrey Lurie said before the season that a repeat of last year’s 8-8 record wasn’t good enough. I don’t see any way Philly makes it back to .500. But Andy won’t be out of work for long.

Romeo Crennel, Chiefs – There’s no two ways about it. Having one win through 12 weeks will get you fired. Question is, will GM Scott Pioli get to choose the new HC or will he also be out of work?

Ron Rivera, Panthers – GM Marty Hurney is already gone. Can his hand-picked coach Ron Rivera, only in his second season in Carolina, be far behind? He’s likely gone as a new GM will want his own guy.

Jason Garrett, Cowboys – I’m not sure on this one. Jerry says he loves him, but Jerry hates losing more than he loves anything.

Rex Ryan, Jets – This call will probably be made by Jets Owner Woody Johnson. New York loves Rex, but will his two consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance get him one more year to prove it. He’s probably coming back.

Chan Gailey, Bills – He’s a good offensive coordinator, but it is obvious that this train is only going in circles. Gailey is likely let go.

Pat Shurmur, Browns – The Browns have been playing tough, improved football the past few weeks. But new owner Jimmy Haslam may have plans to install his coach. I expect to see Shurmur follow Mike Holmgren out the door.

Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals – The Cards’ Superbowl appearance a couple season ago bought him some time and patience. This team seems to be headed in the wrong direction. It needs a good QB. And maybe a new coach.

Mike Mularkey, Jaguars – Nice guy. Bad head coach. The skiddish nature of Blaine Gabbert hasn’t helped. Doubt to see him back in Jax next season.

So who am I missing? Where do I have the order all messed up? Sound off; give me your list.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

 

NFL Week 2: Games to Watch

Week 1 was great. From record-breaking performances (see Brady, Tom; Newton, Cam) to down-to-the-wire games (Lions@Bucs, Panthers@Cardinals, Cowboys@Jets) to unexpected wins (Bills, Bengals, Jaguars), the first weekend of NFL football was well worth the wait. With lots more where that come from for us every weekend through January, I'm anxious to see what's still behind the curtain.

Here’s a look at a few of this weekend’s best games.

Bears (1-0) @ Saints (0-1) – The Bears looked good beating the Falcons in Atlanta last week; the Saints looked good in defeat at Green Bay but couldn’t slow down the potent Packer offense. The teams hook up this week in New Orleans as the Saints kick-off their home schedule. Brian Urlacher is back from three days of bereavement after the passing of his mother, but it won’t be enough as the Saints put it in high gear this week.

New Orleans 31, Chicago 24

Cardinals (1-0) @ Redskins (1-0) – Arizona travels to D.C. to take on the Redskins in this battle of surprising undefeated teams … at least so far. It’s just one game, but both of these teams will definitely take it. The Cardinals gave up 422 passing yards to Cam Newton in Week 1 so Rex Grossman may have another good day against a porous pass defense. Kevin Kolb will have a tougher time against the fly-to-the-ball Skins defense. Advantage: Redskins.

Washington 17, Arizona 16

Chargers (1-0) @ Patriots (1-0) – This one may be the marquee match-up of the week. The Chargers are coming off a lackluster but resounding beatdown of the Vikings, holding Donovan McNabb to 39 passing yards. Pitiful. And Tom Brady and the Patriots put up 500+ passing yards on the Dolphins in a Monday night victory. Whichever defense plays better wins this game. Plus we’ll see if the Chargers’ special teams coverage has improved in a week. The Pats take it at home.

New England 31, San Diego 27

Eagles (1-0) @ Falcons (0-1) – Michael Vick returns to the Georgia Dome, a place he used to call “my house.” It’s now Matt Ryan’s domain. It will be interesting to see who is more popular with the crowd. Vick is beloved in Atlanta, but I’m sure Matty Ice will have the edge once the game starts. And the Falcons’ offensive staff no doubt will have studied what the Rams did to the middle of the Eagles’ defense in Week 1. Expect to see lots of Michael Turner pounding up the middle. In the battle of the birds, the Falcons take it.

Atlanta 24, Philadelphia 20

As for Missouri’s hometown teams, unfortunately, I have them both losing again this weekend. The Chiefs go to Detroit and face a hot, young Lions team, and the Rams head to New York to take on the football Giants on Monday Night Football. Sorry guys, but it’s going to be another rough weekend.

Enjoy the weekend, NFL fans. Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Top of the Brain: Wednesday

I'm sitting around the house tonight, thinking about the last few days in sports, and frankly, the last few days in the world. I’m not going to even pretend to know or understand what is going on with the U.S. stock market or the rebels overtaking Quaddafi in Libya or Steve Jobs stepping down as CEO at Apple. What I do know is that God built me with a love for sports, and I’m so glad he did. It’s a distraction, which I desperately need from this depressing world we live in. So here goes … Top of the Brain for this fine Wednesday …

Cardinals Swept at Home – Early in the year, it was the Los Angeles Dodgers who were the talk of baseball. They were the talk because their franchise was, and is, in a state of disgrace. And even so, they come to St. Louis and sweep the hapless Cardinals. The Cards are now just four games over .500 at 67-63, 10 full games behind the Brewers. Put a fork in them … they are done. The moth flying in Matt Holliday’s ear the other night is just the latest in a comedy of poor play that has done the Redbirds in all season. Hard questions have to be asked this offseason. Something has to change. It’s been five years since the team has sniffed the playoffs.

Pryor to the Raiders – In hindsight, it should really come as no surprise that troubled Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of this week’s supplemental draft. Al Davis and crew continue to be enamored with skill players with extreme speed, and Pryor fits that bill. This franchise more than any other gives second chances to guys that have gotten crossways with the NCAA, the law, their wives, purple drank, etc. He is definitely a project. He may eventually start a few games at quarterback, but with the speed and height and strength the dude has, he would make an incredibly talented TE. That’s likely where he’ll end up.

Colts Add Collins – Kerry Collins, veteran QB of the Giants and Panthers and Titans, was signed by the Indianapolis Colts today as insurance for Peyton Manning’s ailing neck. In reality, they had to do something. Manning is progressing slowly, and the Colts’ backup quarterbacks – Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky – are pitiful. If the team has any hopes of holding the season together in Peyton’s absence, they had to have an upgrade at QB. I still say Manning will be under center when the season starts. This move says management isn’t so sure.

Rams/Chiefs at Arrowhead – I’m headed to the Governor’s Cup game on Friday night in Kansas City. (Thanks to my buddy, Forrest, for the tickets.) Yes, it’s preseason, but seeing the two teams I follow most closely face off in person is worth the three-hour trip from my house to Arrowhead. I’m excited to see the Chiefs’ starters play into the third quarter and see how the teams compare after major off-season moves by both franchises. St. Louis has looked great so far in these make-believe games, and Kansas City has looked pretty horrible … but what does that mean. Nothing. Watching a game at Arrowhead, one of the best venues in all of the NFL, is worth my time. Watch my twitter feed for pix and updates from the game.

Chris Johnson’s Contract – Tennessee Titans’ GM Mike Reinfeldt, Johnson and his agent met today to talk contract. While both sides say the meeting was “beneficial,” no real progress was made. Johnson wants to be paid like one of the top playmakers in the NFL, not just one of the top running backs. He reportedly is looking for $39 million guaranteed over the first three years.  Ridiculous. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Bruce Pearl’s Punishment – The NCAA kicked off a new era of program discipline today when it announced the sanctions for Tennessee’s athletic program. The current coach and players won’t bear the brunt of the punishment; former coach Bruce Pearl and his staff will. Pearl got a three-year show-cause penalty, basically barring him from any NCAA job during that time. I like Pearl. I like this new direction for punishment even better.

Upcoming blog posts will include NFL division-by-division predictions, my very specific prognostications for the Chiefs and Rams, NFL Power Rankings, and fantasy football advice including my first video blog. Stay tuned.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Top of the Brain: Thursday

So, for my new readers (like almost everybody since this blog is only two weeks old), these Top of the Brain (TOTB) posts are basically a collection of odds and ends from the sporting world. Some are hot topics, some are just things I have opinions on and some are just interesting (well, maybe). Anyway, here goes.

Terrelle Pryor Suspension – It’s amazing to me what a stink this has caused in the sports media world today. Bottom line, I applaud what the NFL did and am glad Commissioner Roger Goodell took the stance he did. Pryor is eligible for the supplemental draft, but will have to sit out five games; the same length of time he would have had to sit in college. Somebody, somewhere, sometime has to draw the line for these rule-breaking prima donna college athletes. Roger isn’t afraid to be the heavy. Bravo!

Cardinals Swan Dive – The Brewers are making it very hard on the Redbirds. Milwaukee (before losing this afternoon) had won 18 of the last 20. As of this minute, the Cards trail them by 6.5 games. Regardless of what the Brewers do, the Cardinals have to find some consistency and get on a winning streak. This win-one lose-one win-one stumbling act they’ve been one isn’t going to cut it, and frankly it’s getting pretty old. The formula: solid starting pitching, consistent hitting and average defense. It’s not asking for much, but it may be more than they have to offer. 40 games to go … the window is rapidly closing.

Georgetown Brawls in China – Of all the teams to send East to play and represent the country, why in the world would you send the Hoyas. They are and basically always have been a group of thugs. I don’t know all the details surrounding the dust-up, but I’m not surprised it happened. America at its finest … brawling on the basketball court in China. Geez.

Miami Scandal – This puppy has everybody buzzing. Nevin Shapiro, a convicted Ponzi scheme architect, is sharing details of how he paid recruits to attend and play and the U of Miami for years. It’s bad. The guy is a liar, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he is lying. The dude is a scumbag, no doubt, but the NCAA can’t ignore the allegations. Of primary importance to Mizzou fans is the fact that newly minted basketball coach Frank Haith is implicated. Shapiro says he finalized a recruit with a $10,000 cash payment, and that Haith knew about it. So much for the honor and integrity sale that MU AD Mike Alden sold us. I hope it’s not true. And  even if it isn’t, rival coaches are going to use it to sway student-athletes away from good ole Mizzou. It’s going to be a tough road ahead. Keep the faith, Frank.

FOX Inks the UFC – The Ultimate Fighting Championship and FOX Sports Media Group announced a seven-year multi-media rights agreement today that will position mixed martial arts' leading organization on network television for the first time. This is great news. It means that MMA is headed to the mainstream sports market, and that boxing is in big trouble. I love the UFC, and this deal only means it is that much closer to joining the big boys. Heck, ESPN is even covering the live events now.

I guess that’s about all for today’s TOTB. Upcoming blog posts will include my Top 10 storylines heading into the NFL season, division-by-division predictions, and my very specific prognostications for the Chiefs and Rams.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and rants, on any and all of these topics, and anything else you’d like to spout off about. Join the conversation. That’s the fun part.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

Cards on the decline?

It’s mid-August and the baseball season is in the stretch run. The July 31 trade deadline came and went with a handful of teams making moves to improve their chances of making the cut for the second season – the MLB playoffs. Among the teams making deadline moves was the St. Louis Cardinals, and the team was more aggressive that is its typical bent. Management is playing with a win-now attitude. As they should.

Two major moves were made. First was the Rasmus trade where they finally sent Colby and his dad packing to Toronto in exchange for some lefty bullpen help (much needed by the way), a veteran starter and a utility outfielder. Then Cards General Manager John Mozeliak went out and filled the teams last glaring hole – a steady fielding shortstop that could bat leadoff: Rafael Furcal.

Question is … is the team any better off than they were before the trades? That remains to be seen throughout the remainder of the year, I guess. But so far, the results seem to be about the same. We win a few, lose a few and still to barely be scraping by. Regardless of what you think of the deals made and whether it was smart or not, one fact cannot be refuted … ownership and the manager are playing for right now. With Pujols contract situation still unresolved and LaRussa only managing on a year-to-year basis, it is obvious the team is playing for this year’s playoffs and gambling with the future. I’m all for going for it, but the risks taken should be measured and smart. I’m just not sure.

The Cards currently stand in second place in the National League Central, six games behind the Brewers and six games behind Atlanta in the wildcard race. T­heir record is 65-57; a .533 winning percentage. If they keep playing at that pace, that would equate to a record of 86-76. Even in the weak NL Central, that is just not going to be good enough.

With football heating up and the regular season (Go Rams and Chiefs!) just around the corner, it’s only a matter of time before St. Louis’ beloved baseball team fades into the summer landscape. It just may not be in the Cards this year …

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

R-E-S-P-E-C-T … where’s it gone?

I believe sports are a mirror into American society. What we see portrayed and expressed and verbalized on the sports landscape are often great indicators of where we are as a people and how we think about things.  Like it or not, sports are at the heart of what we are as a society. And as a sports culture junkie myself, I’m a part of that. Guilty as charged.

My wife and I (along with more than 20 awesome teammates from Journey Church) took part in a church-league co-ed slow-pitch softball tournament today. And even in the very small fishbowl of a church league in Podunk rural America of Troy, Missouri, the degradation of respect in our society was evident. Seriously, it’s church league, right? Nothing super out of line, but you could just sense it. The game and the competition and winning were sometimes more important than common decency … respecting each other … respecting the game … enjoying life. It’s so much different than when I was a kid. Stop chuckling; it wasn’t that long ago.

Another recent and frankly, rather shocking, example of this was our very own Yadier Molina, catcher for the beloved St. Louis Cardinals. During a critical series in Milwaukee against the Brewers about 10 days ago, Molina was called out on strikes. I love Yadi, but what happened then was a disgrace. He just LOST IT. (Link to the video.) He went ballistic on the home plate umpire, screaming and spitting and doing the Ump Bump. Very. Bad.

For his outburst, MLB gave Molina a five-game suspension. It could have been more. But the point of all this isn’t the outburst or the punishment. It’s the respect … or rather the lack of it. Whether it’s slow-pitch, the major leagues, the NBA (quickly becoming the worst) or other American sports, the respect for each other, for game officials, for other players, for the fans and for the game is vanishing. For crying out loud, just respect yourself enough to act like you have a brain in that noggin of yours.  It can be hard to do in the heat of battle, but when we step back and look at it, it’s the right thing to do.

So as I (we) look at sports and life, it’s clear that our respect – for competition, for each other, for ourselves – is waning. That’s not good. So the next time you are at at game, in a game, watching a game or maybe just hanging out with family or friends, think twice about how you treat life around you. How much respect are you giving? Let’s model the life we want others to lead.

I’d love to have you join the conversation. Comment on this post.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

 Steve

Top of the Brain: Wednesday

Well, I had a number of things I was going to write about tonight, but I just can't seem to get on track with any of them. So we'll just wing it with a Wednesday, Stream of Consciousness, Nothing in Particular (NIP) blog.

1. NFL Free Agency -- Most of the big names have signed by now, so the majority of action is down to middle-of-the-pack guys. Surprised to see TE Zach Miller leave the Raiders to go to Seattle, but anything to make Oakland worse is good in my book. Chiefs signed FB LeRon McClain. Rams signed Cadillac Williams.

2.  Chiefs and Rams -- Both these teams are up and coming, and had some serious holes to fill with free agents. As fans, we'd like the front offices to charge out like crazy with checkbooks in hand and make a big splash. Neither team did that, sitting back relatively patiently and signing guys at moderate salaries that filled needs. Kansas City filled needs at NT, ILB and WR; the Rams took care of their most pressing needs at WR, backup RB and S. Nice job.

3. Cards dust-up with Brewers -- Unless you've been living with Rick the GEICO guy under a rock somewhere, you've heard about the bean-ball, spit-fest the Cards and Brew Crew had last night. Yadi Molina totally lost i when he was called out on strikes. LaRussa thinks the Milwaukee fans got personal with the insults. Really ... whatever. The GM made the deals to get you the team you wanted, Tony. Now just shut-up and play ball.

4.  A-Rod and Poker -- I continue to be blown away by how badly some of our modern-day millionaire athletes just don't get it. The report out today is that Major League Baseball is looking into a report that Alex Rodriguez is mixed up with some underground poker leagues. Big stakes. Bad dudes involved. And he's been warned previously. Expect a suspension if it's true.

And finally ... HOF Weekend. Was watching a piece on Marshall Faulk on NFL Network earlier tonight, highlighting his career. MF was an incredible mix of intelligence, quicks and hard work. He goes into the Hall of Fame in Canton this weekend. It's too bad the Rams v Bears game couldn't have been salvaged so the team could be there to support him. Regardless, he goes in a winner and a class act. And BTW ... two of my all time favorite runners are Rams -- Dickerson and Faulk. Fun to watch.

As always, I'd love to hear your take on any of this. Thanks for reading.
Steve