This and That
Each week I'll give my thoughts on the world of sports:
• The AFC East came down to a three-team battle. There was such drama at the Meadowlands with Chad Pennington returning with the Dolphins, taking on Brett Favre and the Jets. In the end, Miami completed its incredible run, going from one win last season to division champs.
• The Philadelphia Eagles made it to the postseason at the expense of the Dallas Cowboys. For Jerry Jones' team, it was one of the worst defeats of the last 20 years, an absolute blowout city. I guess it is back to the drawing board for a team that has a lot of offensive talent but failed to put things together at the right time.
• There are reports that the 49ers are removing the interim tag from coach Mike Singletary. He deserves full-time status and he'll bring passion and a sense of pride. One thing is for sure; the players had better perform with intensity and emotion or it will be bench time, baby! Singletary is a fiery guy who will really get after players if they don't live up to expectations.
• Mark Teixeira gets a deal worth $180 million from, guess who? That's right, the Yankees opened up the wallet again. Their line-up is going to be incredible, all-stars at almost every position around the diamond. The question is, will they have a sufficient amount of role players. Obviously the addition of Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett makes them the odds-on favorite to win it all. Being the early favorites means added pressure on Joe Girardi. You know the Yankees want to make some noise, moving into their brand-new stadium.
• Randy Johnson signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants and I thought it was a great acquisition. This team needed more pitching help in a big-time way and this guy still has some fire left in his arm (173 strikeouts in 184 innings pitched last season). He finished 11-10 and opponents caught up with him, batting .260 on the campaign. Can he stay healthy and get enough starts? Remember, he will generate some excitement as he makes that run for career victory number 300 (just five Ws away)!
• Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim got some good news as guard Eric Devendorf will be back in the lineup. Devendorf missed just two games after initially be ruled out for the season due to an off-court incident. An appeal process led to 40 hours of community service as punishment; upon completion, he was eligible for reinstatement to the program. It is a big break for the young man; let's hope he takes advantage of this opportunity as he has had some problems off of the court in the past. He should look in the mirror and realize it is time to grow up and do a better job of representing himself, his family and his school in a positive way.
• The Celtics had won 19 straight games heading out west for the Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers. Santa gave the fans at the Staples Center a big-time present as Kobe Bryant and company ended that long W streak. The fans were on cloud nine, baby as they saw Phil Jackson celebrate career victory number 1000! Then Boston had to travel to Golden State the next day and the back-to-back games took their toll in winning time, during the fourth quarter. Oh those west coast road trips never get easy.
• Reports have surfaced about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completing his most important pass of all -- to model Gisele Bundchen. Right now, Brady cannot throw the football but he threw the more important pass via a reported engagement. I wish them all the best in their future marriage.
• Long-time NFL defensive genius Monte Kiffin has coached his last regular-season game with the Tampa Bay Bucs. He was the architect of the defensive scheme for the Bucs, one of the best in the game. Now he moves on to join the staff at the University of Tennessee, where his son, Lane, took over as head coach. I wish him well in the future down at Knoxville. Vol fans should be happy with his addition.
• Congratulations to West Virginia quarterback Pat White on a tremendous accomplishment. He is a flat-out winner as he became the first starting quarterback to go 4-0 in bowl games. The Mountaineers had several tough tests in those four postseason contests, including Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma and this year's battle against North Carolina was in Charlotte. Now we will have to wait and see where White gets drafted and what position he will play in the pros.
• The next two weeks will give us more important bowl games, not the ones that had 6-6 teams playing. I still think it is a joke that a club with a .500 record can be eligible for postseason play. It doesn't send a good message, rewarding mediocrity.
