Joe Floater is just and Average Joe

The word "elite" has become more overused by the football media in discussing quarterbacks this season than the word "like" in an intellectual conversation between the Kardashian sisters. All season long the theme to any discussion has been who the elite quarterbacks are in the NFL and which traits an elite QB must have. In the wake of the Super Bowl the overbearing and unmatched opinion of the entire media who can't make up their mind or agree on the status of Philip Rivers, have unanimously agreed that Joe Flacco is "elite". What am I missing here? Sure, he's a good quarterback who played well in the post season, but to put him in the same category as Brady, Rodgers or Roethlisberger is absurd. An elite qb is one that can take an offense on their back and make plays that would be unreasonable to expect from 80℅ of quarterbacks. Let’s go back and watch the games instead of the shear results to realize that Flacco has done no such thing. Ray Rice is an elite RB and Anquan Boldin is an elite receiver, but to call the guy who puts the ball in place for them to do the things that would be unreasonable to expect from 80℅ of their counterparts is a misuse of the word. It’s a quarterback’s league and we like to believe that a team is as good as its qb and it often is, but this Ravens offense that features 3 wide receivers who make great plays on poorly thrown balls is simply better than their qb. In the spirit of using the word "elite" I will mention that the game did feature a qb on the verge of breaking into that elite class, but contrary to the recent articles that I read that QB plays for the Niners. At the risk of overselling him, Colin Kaepernick has something that I have never seen in a quarterback - 0 weaknesses. He can read the defense, stand in the pocket, make smart decisions, thread the needle to hit receivers in tight coverage and place the ball perfectly down field to hit a receiver in stride. He can roll out, run the option and most impressive of all, he can pick up substantial yards on the ground with the presence of mind to avoid subjecting himself to open field hits, something that Steve Young, Steve McNair and RG3 have never demonstrated. The greatest thing that I take out of these playoffs was the opportunity to watch him play 3 full games and I look forward to watching him light up defenses for many years to come.

AND THAT'S THE BRUTAL TRUTH

Live Strong Lance

I do not know what is worse, testicular cancer or 2 hours with Oprah, (I hope I never have to endure either one) but either way it’s fair to say that Lance Armstrong has been through a lot in his life. In any event, it is absolutely mind boggling to me how a man who has provided support to and inspired thousands (if not millions) of cancer patients over the years can suddenly be villainized by America.  I have never advocated doping in pro sports for the simple reason that it creates an unfair and unsafe barrier to entry for amateur athletes who rely on shear talent and tireless preparation to make it. At long last, professional sports are catching up to the Olympics to protect the integrity of their leagues and make sure that these barriers do not continue to exist so that only the absolute best can reach the highest level of their given sport. However, in my stance against doping and support for all anti-doping measures, I am also a realist who cannot ignore the norms of the past. While I do not have any form of proof it is fairly safe to say that 95% of Tour de France competitors between 1995 and 2005 were using some form of artificial substance to allow them to train harder to conquer the inhumane conditions of the Tour, yet only one of these many riders won 7 titles. Only one rider in the history of the sport became a household name throughout America, and only one used that celebrity status to create a better world for cancer victims and their families. Furthermore, in a twist of irony and despite the testimony of many Tour riders, Lance Armstrong in his recent admissions will ultimately and single-handedly rid the sport of the heavy doping that was present long before he got there. In many ways, Lance Armstrong is much more a victim of doping than a perpetrator, as the greatest cyclist of all time he may have been able to compete and dominate as he did in another era without the use of banned substances, but coming into the sport in the 90’s doping was the norm and not doing so would have given the other riders an unfair advantage over him. Not doping for Lance would have been like Roger Federer going through his entire tennis career using a wooden tennis racquet when all other (less talented) players were using titanium. Lance is clearly a classy gentleman who has nothing to be defensive or ashamed of which may explain why he allowed Oprah her chance to once again point her nose down at an interviewee, but as she continued to point out how he used artificial substances to do his job better, it would have been appropriate on some level for him to ask her if she ever took a diet pill or underwent cosmetic surgery to keep her ratings and marketability as high as possible.

AND THAT'S THE BRUTAL TRUTH! 

Out With Loria

Jeffrey Loria is a despicable being – everyone who knows him or ever dealt with him already knows that – why is the entire online world treating this reality like breaking news?  Hated men in sports is not a new or unfamiliar phenomenon, Barry Bonds, A-rod, Lebron and T.O. have all experienced their turn in the bad books as have owners and front office personnel like Art Modell, Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman. However, these men should never be confused for being even close to the type of specimen that Loria is. The list above is far from complete and made up of men who were hated by the rivals they dominated and the fans they abandoned or let down, but every single man on this list made winning a priority. Of course they all wanted their big payday and never apologized for it (nor should they have), but their off field preparations and on field performances were always inspired by what they believed was necessary to win. Loria’s name should much sooner be discussed with Hitler and Madoff then with these great sportsmen.  The only thing surprising to me about the recent expression of rage towards Loria is that people actually seem surprised about how far this parasite would go to completely and shamelessly sodomize a team, a city and a sport that welcomed him and treated him well (as if it were unprecedented).  From the day he first ventured into baseball he has been nothing short of an embarrassment to professional sports and humanity and if the commissioner is not part of the solution then as far as I’m concerned he’s part of the problem. The NFL is the greatest professional sports league in the history of the universe and they would never allow a waste of flesh like Loria to own a team, so why does Major League Baseball with a self-professed reputation of being a gentleman’s league for over a century have had dealings with him on multiple occasions. The very integrity of baseball has been compromised over and over again by this man, but as the proverb goes, “if you lie down with dogs, you’ll wake up with fleas”.  This is an issue that extends far pass a luxury tax, millionaires Vs. billionaires, the institution of the asterisk or the Mitchell Report. MLB has dealt with many major issues over the past two decades but this is more serious than all of them and should probably be addressed at the congressional level, but until then all owners, players, fans and league offices need to take the necessary steps to ensure that this vicious being and his slow-witted whipping boy of a stepson be halted from causing any further embarrassment or destruction to America’s pastime.  

AND THAT’S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Mid-Season Predictions

Yesterday I had the misfortune of reading an article where the author claimed to have studied game film to compile a list of who the legitimate Super Bowl contenders are. I’m not sure what game film he studied or what his definition of “legitimate” is, but his 17 team list appears to be more driven by the standings and not game film. (It was basically a list of all teams at or above .500 plus the Cowboys, minus the Vikings). Among these “legitimate” contenders according to him are the Dolphins, Bucs, Seahawks and Colts.  Basically what he is saying is that a minimum of 5 “legitimate” Super Bowl contenders at mid-season won’t even make the playoffs. While I will not comment any further on this article, I will say that reading it was not a total waste of time as it has inspired me to compile my list of predictions for the remainder of year.

 

1.       Saints will finish 10-6 and squeeze into the playoffs. They are currently 3-5 withwhat appears to be  an extremely tough second half of the season. However, these tough games include a road game against the Giants (beatable at home), a home game against the Niners (beatable on the road), two games against the Falcons where anything can happen in divisional play, a road game in December against the Cowboys when they traditionally self-implode, a road game against the Raiders and home games against the Bucs and Panthers. The ’09 Champs and their fraqnchise QB should be able to put together a 7-1 run.

 

2.       The Steelers will win their division at 12-4. They are currently 5-3 with 5 home games remaining and road games at Baltimore, Cleveland and Dallas. They are getting healthy and appear to be getting ready to peak at the right time. If they take the 1-7 Chiefs seriously this week (which is far from a given) they should be able to finish 7-1 down the stretch.

 

3.       The 5-4 Seahawks will finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs.

 

4.       The Falcons will get the number 1 seed in the NFC and lose their 1^st playoff game.

 

5.       Tim Tebow will not start a single game at QB unless there is an injury to Sanchez. If he does however get to start he will post an above .500 record.

 

6.       Dolphins will finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs.

 

7.       Colts will go 9-7 and make the playoffs.

 

8.       The Ravens will also go 10-6 and get the other wildcard.  

 

9.       Steelers, Texans, Patriots and Broncos will all win their division.

 

10.   Chargers will finish 8-8, miss the playoffs but Norv Turner will keep his job.

 

11.   Jets will finish 8-8 and Rex Ryan will say something foolish in a press conference. Their fans will pick them to win next year’s Super Bowl.

 

12.   One of the last 3 year’s Super Bowl Champs will represent their Conference in the Super Bowl. (Giants, Packers and Saints). The other 3 playoff teams will be the Niners, Bears and Falcons.

AND THATS THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Meet Buster Posey

The Catcher is the most important player on a baseball team.  The Catcher is someone who should see things develop before the play even begins in a similar fashion to how Tom Brady and Peyton Manning read defenses and then call the game accordingly. The Catcher is someone who should be mentally tough enough to crouch inches from where 90 mile an hour pitches meet the worlds fastest bat speeds, often causing tips off the catcher’s helmet. He needs to be strong enough to block the plate when a 250-pound base runner is coming at full force from third.  Finding someone to do all these things flawlessly on your team is as rare as finding a franchise QB, and finding a batting champion to do it is unprecedented. Meet Buster Posey, the 25-year-old catcher for the San Francisco Giants who in his 3-year career has established the reality that if he’s healthy, the Giants win the World Series. In 2010 The Giants shocked the world by winning their first ever Championship on the west coast, a triumph that was mostly credited to the superb starting pitching led by two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, the consistent door slamming pitching of closer Brian Wilson, and a group of castaways that gelled together at the right time.  Now, two years later, Lincecum has been reduced to the bullpen, Wilson missed the majority of the season to recover from surgery, Pat Burrell, Edgar Renteria and Cody Ross have moved on, Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan and Marco Scutero came aboard,  and the most significant similarity between the 2010 Giants and 2012 Giants is the cerebral game calling and offensive production of Buster Posey. I’m not insinuating that the Giants will win the World Series every year with a healthy Posey, but as is the case with any franchise QB, with a team built around him they will always be legitimate contenders. 

AND THAT'S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Are the Niners Just the 2006 Bears with Laid Back Fans?

I remember watching  ESPN in late September /early October of 2006 to be amazed that the recently released NFL power rankings had the Chicago Bears as the top team in the league. Seriously? I thought to myself. They really fooled this many people? I know they have a great defense anchored by Brian Urlacher, a highly effective running game, a sure footed kicker and a young man on his way to become the best returner in the history of the league. No question that these are all important elements to a championship team capable of controlling the ball and strategically playing a game of field position, but has the entire football world overlooked the fact that their QB is Rex Grossman? (On a side note I believe that Rex Grossman is nothing short of a total gentleman who was abused by the media and handled it with dignity and class without exception. It is not my intention to bash the guy but merely point out that like all 5 Billion people on this planet with the exception of 20 men he is not a good NFL QB.)

Unfortunately for the San Francisco 49ers, winning a Super Bowl in this era does not require a good QB; it requires a great one. Over the last decade, every Championship team had a QB whose last name was either Brady, Manning, Brees, Rodgers or Roethlisberger. With the exception of the older Manning who had a ring handed to him by incompetence of the aforementioned 2006 Bears, all these QBs had to either orchestrate a game winning drive or run the clock out of a one possession game to seal the deal against a worthy opponent in at least one of their championships. As important as all the other elements to the game are to get to the playoffs, you need a franchise QB to win the big game in this decade. There’s a reason why the Ravens have not been back to the Super Bowl since 2000 despite the annual tradition of “expert” prognosticators picking them to get there, or that overgrown Blue Hen playing behind the center.

Unlike many, I was not fooled by Alex Smith or the 49ers last season, nor did any of their impressive off season moves woo me. In fact, their only signing that truly caught my attention was the one they didn’t make – Peyton Manning. However, I’m embarrassed to admit that like the rest of the football watching world I too was ready to abandon my franchise QB theory and declare them champions after week 1. After all, I’m not crazy. They do have the stingiest defense in the game, an efficient RB in Frank Gore, a dominating offensive line, a hungry and dynamic head coach, the best current playmaking TE and a receiving trio as good as any. Throw in a healthy Ted Ginn Jr. to return kicks and you have all the makings of a champion……..in 1987. In 2012, you need a QB and Alex Smith simply will not do.

AND THAT’S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Send In The Refs

You cannot go down to your local junkyard to find tires for your brand new Ferrari. Ferrari embodies performance and luxury as a result of the world’s most talented designers, engineers and marketing professionals coming together over many years to create the perfect product and the ultimate level of brand equity.  If you furnish this product with worn out, low grade tires they simply will not be able to handle the speed of this automobile, and the years of dedication by the best engineers and designers would have been all for nothing. Slowly, the brand equity built over many years and the reputation as being the world’s greatest performance vehicle will be tarnished. Sure, people will still drive the cars just as people still drive Hyundai’s, but the special and distinct appeal that the car has in people’s minds and hearts will disappear, and the image of the brand will be reduced to equal that of their competitors. As foolish as this scenario sounds of putting discarded tires on a world class luxury product, that is exactly what the NFL has done this season by implementing replacement refs from Division 3, high school and the lingerie league. The contributions of the world’s greatest players, coaches and executives are being overshadowed by refs that simply cannot handle the speed of the game, and the talent and preparation of those individuals are taking a backseat to misinformed interpretations.  

I agree with the NFL’s stance of not being forced to the negotiating table, but it is time to acknowledge how great the regular refs are as much as we like to get on their case for the occasional bad call. I am often amazed (in previous seasons) by watching the slow motion replay and seeing how the refs got the call right despite it looking nothing even close to right in real time to my untrained eye. The refs are not a commodity that can be easily replaced. Just like the players and coaches, these men are the absolute elite in their profession and need to be recognized as such. The concept that the NFL is so good that any old ref will do is like saying the Chargers are so talented that even Norv Turner can take them to a Superbowl. I just hope the replacement ref experiment does not last as long as Norv’s tenure.   

1994 All Over Again

The Greatest Stanley Cup Final That Never Happened

It has certainly been a while since I last posted an article but the void in my life that shows up every NFL offseason has left me uninspired. The NFL Draft is covered to death, the early months of a baseball season are as interesting as a conversation about the difference between Russian Chess and Romanian Chess, and the NBA is well, the NBA. However, in the wake of a possible and likely New York-LA Stanley Cup Final I feel the need to reminisce about the greatest Stanley Cup Final and possible Sports Championship that never happened.

Long before there were undesirables such as the Fox puck, Gary Bettman or The Minnesota Wild uniforms, in the early 90’s hockey was going through a renaissance in the United States, mainly due to two men who shared the job as the unofficial Canadian ambassador to the United States. Their names were Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and their respective embassies held court in the nation’s two largest cities. By the time their tenure with the Oilers had ended, Gretzky was unquestionably the greatest player in the game and Messier was widely respected as the game’s greatest leader. (Gretzky has since invented a level of superstardom that only Michael Jordan can understand and Messier retired as indisputably the greatest leader in the history of team sports.) Their jobs in their new country of residence was simple..sell the game! The strategy to do so was also simple (conceptually)…win a championship! A decade after a young Magic and Bird were mandated to revive Basketball, a veteran Gretzky and Messier had the task at hand to do the same for hockey in a country where the game was not widely played or understood.  

 Both the Kings and Rangers had instant success under the guidance of their new leaders. LA, who had gone most of their entire existence without any significant success and the better part of the decade with none, had instantly become one of the top teams in the league, and the Rangers who had not won a cup in 50 years had immediately become the favorite.  More significantly, King’s games became the new Hollywood place to be seen competing with Sunset Strip hotspots and even their Great Western Forum roommate Lakers, while Ranger games became the hottest ticket in town by Wall Street power brokers, Madison Avenue socialites and East Village hipsters alike. The final piece of the puzzle, to bring hockey up to the same echelon as the other three major professional sports leagues in the US, was to have these two superstars square off on the game’s greatest stage; a battle of east Vs. west, leadership Vs. talent, Hollywood Vs. Broadway.

The Rangers won the President’s Trophy in 1991-92 with Messier taking home MVP honors but the team fell short in the playoffs to Super Mario’s squad. Two years later they energized the city with their first Cup since 1942. In 1992-93, The Rangers battled injuries and coaching instability most of the year, but the Great One took his squad to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to fall victim to the Montreal Canadiens and their record 24^th Cup. Had these two teams managed to have everything peak at the same time and meet in the finals, not only would the hockey itself had been among the finest in history, but the Oiler’s brother against brother billing would have peaked interest throughout a country that craves a headline and the individual metropolises would have been energized by the battle for supremacy beyond the game itself. No team from New York has ever played a team from LA in the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup finals.  Between 1963 and 1981 the Yankees and Dodgers won two World Series a piece against one another while the Lakers and Knicks squared off in the NBA Finals 3 times in 4 years. Reigniting the New York-LA rivalry would have been the spark to put and keep hockey on the map south of 48.

If the Rangers and Kings both emerge to reach the finals this year, time will tell if this version of the two teams have enough cache to ignite a country’s interest in a sport from coast to coast and everything in between, but in all the talk about a Kobe –Lebron Final or Manning-Manning Super Bowl, The Messier-Gretzky Final is the greatest Championship Duel that was never played.

AND THAT’S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Manning and The Niners Need Each Other

If I was a close friend of Peyton giving him career advice I would tell him to retire immediately, pointing out that he has a history of spinal injuries in his genetics, a young family, many years left to live in which he would like full function of his neck and spine, enough money to last him a lifetime, a Super Bowl ring, all the merits of a first ballot Hall of Fame career with nothing left to prove and a post-playing broadcasting career just waiting for him to accept.  However, if he was absolutely adamant about coming back to play, either to prove to himself that he can still do it or to have one more shot at matching his baby brother’s two rings then I would tell him to go play for the 49ers.

Peyton has never been a cold weather QB and his tolerance for the elements will only go down as he recovers from neck surgery. Playing his home games in sunny California and regular road games in Arizona or the dome in St Louis will allow him to play the majority of his games in a comfortable environment. The weak division should provide him with an easy path to the playoffs and the tight defense and productive running game should allow him to take it easy later in games. A big Tight End like Vernon Davis in his prime should be every QBs dream in today’s NFL, Michael Crabtree can be a pro-bowl receiver in the right system while a still productive Reggie Wayne has vowed to come with Peyton wherever he goes. 14 years ago Manning replaced Jim Harbaugh as the Colts QB without ever having played a game in the NFL and with any possible hard feelings set aside he will now have a chance to play for him as a coach.

The Niners may be  a great fit for Peyton but he can go anywhere to play. While the Dolphins, Jets and Redskins have all acknowledged that they need Peyton, San Fran is still in denial of that reality. Alex Smith may have a had a decent season and an incredible 6 minute stretch against New Orleans in the playoffs, but let’s not plan a parade around the first overall pick of ’05 just yet. He has been nothing short of disappointing since being drafted way too high out of Utah and his 17 TD season may have been more than anyone expected from him but  far fewer than the league’s elite. With Smith standing behind the center the 49ers were lucky to have won a playoff game this year and most likely will not win another.  However with a healthy Peyton calling the plays the Niners are as legitimate a contender as there is in the NFC. I do not know how healthy Manning is, how long he will be able to play and how many hits he will be able to sustain before calling it in, but what I do know is if Alex Smith was my only other option I would be willing to pay to find out. Quarterback for the 49ers is one of those rare and prestigious positions in sports that should always be filled by a special player, similar to Linebacker for the Steelers, goalie for the Canadiens, Left Field for the Red Sox, Center for the Lakers, etc. Manning is the logical and available choice to continue the Montana/Young tradition.

AND THAT'S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Why Hines Ward is a Hall of Famer

In the recent news about Hines Ward’s release from the Pittsburgh Steelers there has been a lot of discussion about his pending retirement and whether or not he will eventually find a home in Canton. The Hall of Fame is for those that contributed to the game beyond reasonable expectations and who demonstrated a skill set better than their counterparts of the era.  Hines Ward meets these criteria on all counts and there should be no discussion that he belongs in the Hall. For the better part of a decade (which is an eternity in the NFL), Ward was consistently a premier receiver in the league, always being among the league leaders in receptions. More importantly however and what often gets lost in the box scores are his clutch yards after catches to pick up key first downs and his unprecedented and unmatched ability to set blocks down the field.  Notwithstanding the fact that he played the majority of his career in a run first system he still managed to accumulate 1000 receptions while with the Steelers, more than Randy Moss or Andre Reid caught in their careers. The early critics opposing Ward ever getting into the hall are using the pitiful argument that if Chris Carter and Tim Brown can’t get in than why should Hines. With all due respect to those two great receivers, they did what above average receivers have done throughout the modern era and will continue to do forever. They ran their routes, got open and caught passes. What Hines Ward has done in his career, blocking like an all pro lineman while catching 1000 passes, has never been done before and will rarely be done again. I have nothing bad to say about Carter or Brown, but claiming that they were better in their careers than Ward is like saying that Shawn Kemp or Derrick Coleman were better Power Forwards than Dennis Rodman simply because they scored more points. Anyone who understands the value of defense and rebounding in the NBA knows that Rodman was a far superior player than the other two and no one who truly understands the NFL would ever claim that Carter or Brown were better football players than Hines Ward. A better point of reference for Ward would be to compare him to Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe who was inferior to Ward both statistically and as a blocker. We live in a world where we evaluate tangibles simply because it is easy to measure but if anyone ever stopped to consider the intangibles it would be clear to them that the two-time Superbowl Champ should one day be inducted in a yellow blazer.   

AND THAT’S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Best wishes to Le Gros Bill for a full and speedy recovery.

LINSANE IN THE MEMBRANE

What do The Grateful Dead, Google and Jeremy Lin all have in common? If you say they are all unexpected success stories you would be right and if you said absolutely nothing you would be even more right. However the one thing that I first noticed about Jeremy Lin when he entered my stream of consciousness earlier this month is that he was born and raised in the hotbed of unconventional yet extreme talent, Palo Alto, California. Jeremy Lin is more than a point guard, more than an overnight success story, more that the cause of Gotham’s Temporary Linsanity and more than a new way to sell jerseys. In short he is the answer to a riddle - Can an unknown and undrafted 23 year old Harvard graduate restore the Knicks into a winning team? Before answering that consider the following. Can an unmotivated jug band formed in Palo Alto define the psychedelic rock movement and create a cult following for half a century? Can two men and a complicated algorithm change the way the world’s population searches for information, books flights, gets directions, keeps in touch with friends, watches videos, reads the news and makes phone calls? The great town of Palo Alto seems to breed these unusual suspects.

After 10 days of Linsanity I finally decided to actually watch a Knick game to see what the hype was all about. I was expecting to see a point guard of back up quality at best hit a few open shots and watch the crowd overreact simply because he does not look like anyone that has ever started in the NBA shorter than 7’6”. At 6’3” I expected to see a kid with no scouting report playing in a soon to end fantasy camp. I expected to see an outside shooting “HORSE” player with IVY league ball handling skills unable to guard the elite point guards of the NBA and unable to feed his co-stars efficiently. To be honest prior to watching him play I never thought of him as anything more than publicity stunt. Even when my wife asked me last week if the Knicks would keep him I answered “of course, he sells merchandise”.

What I actually witnessed in the game blew my mind. I first turned on the game in the second quarter when he was on the bench and had I not known better I would have thought he was the water boy or the trainer’s son sitting in uniform with all the players. Then he re-entered the game and impressed me in a way that the cynic in me didn’t see coming. Just as I predicted he doesn’t have the speed, he doesn’t have the size and he doesn’t have the finesse. He does however have court presence and the ability to distribute the ball efficiently. More importantly he has a skill that Knick point guards have not had for over a decade – he makes the players around him better. Their sudden 9-3 run makes sense to me – when he is on the floor the Knicks are quite simply the better team. Yes he turns the ball over and yes he can’t always go toe-to-toe with his counterparts. The most important thing for a team though is to win and he seems to bring a winning formula to the table. In making the individuals around him better he makes the team at large better and as their starting point guard the Knicks are a force in the East.

AND THATS THE BRUTAL TRUTH!

Farewell to The Kid

This blog was created to vent about coaching decisions that I don’t agree with and players who are overrated in their sports. It certainly does not exist to discuss major issues such as illness or death, but every once in a while exceptions need to be made and today is one of those days. Having been born in 1978 I first started to be aware of sports stars some time around circa ’81. Being just 3 years old or so I only knew of one player from each sport that I watched and that player was as big as the game itself. Back then to me anyways, hockey was synonymous with Wayne Gretzky, tennis was John McEnroe, basketball was Dr. J., and baseball meant Gary Carter. As I grew older and realized that there were more than just one player in the league there was still something about The Kid that appealed to me. As I started playing the game myself and watched Major League baseball a little more closely, Carter stuck out among the other major leaguers as having something special that really spoke to me – he played the game like one of us. While the other stars of the era were at the ballpark doing their jobs, Carter was there playing a game with the same boyish exuberance and “its getting dark, next run wins” kind of attitude that was common to me and my inner circle of 6 year olds, but very rare in The Show. Professionals don’t jump up and hug each other the way kids do with each run scored, but as a Major Leaguer playing at the highest level, Gary had a way to celebrate the game in a way that  inspired an entire generation. It is no coincidence that there are a disproportionate number of professional or semi-pro catchers from Montreal that began playing the game in the late 70's and early 80’s, and it is no coincidence that if you Google Image the ’86 Mets, one of the most talked about teams in the history of any sport, the greatest algorithm available to man will undoubtedly return a picture of Carter jumping up and down with an expression of joy that is unusual yet refreshing to see on a grown man’s face.  The Olympic Stadium in Montreal may be one of the greatest architectural disasters in the history of western civilization as we know it, but that notwithstanding it still had its great moments over the years and The Kid was seemingly always in the center of them. From its opening in 1977 when Carter put on a show against the Phillies, to the Expos’ only playoff run in ’81, to his last game's standing ovation in ’92, and finally Gary Carter Day in 2003, Carter always put more asses in the seats than $1 beer night which says a lot in a City whose population remembers the O’keefe brand with more fondness than the Expos, and a stadium that was surprisingly built in an unpopulated, out-of-the-way and generally speaking run down part of town. That Stadium has been nicknamed “The Big Owe” for the financial burden it put on the city, but if anyone ever wanted to put a positive spin on that place they could rightfully and unequivocally dub it “The House The Kid Built”.  Having lived in both Montreal and New York I can tell you first hand that despite their geographical proximity you cannot find two populations more different from each other, yet Carter always related to both crowds.  From his youthful Joie de Vivre that struck similarities to  “the weekend starts on Wednesday” majority in La Belle Province, to his tireless work ethic that was respected by the 16 hour work day folk in The Big Apple, Carter was a fan and media favorite wherever he played. Carter’s passing earlier today is a reminder of the cruel realities that the Expos are gone forever and the Mets’ glory days are long behind them.  More significantly, two cities will mourn one of their favorites, and whether you followed baseball or not, everyone local knew and cheered for #8.

AND THAT'S THE BRUTAL TRUTH

SHORTER SEASONS, LONGER LIVES

In the first week counting down to next year’s NFL season I will discuss a topic that I typically avoid in my football conversations but feel it is an appropriate time to discuss. As a fan part of me wishes that football was played year round and like most of America I would enjoy an 18 game season with two fewer preseason games. That’s the fan in me talking employing the same greed as the owners in their quest for a longer season. Their greed is financially driven and mine is for entertainment but the spirit of the wish is the same – to benefit myself at the health risk of others. In the talk of 16 games or 18 games the most significant number to me is 55. That’s the age at which the average NFL player dies. That’s the average age at which the players we enjoy watching turn their wives into widows and their children into orphans. NFL players are not stupid (ok, some of them are) and just like police officers and fire fighters they understand the danger of their profession before getting into it, but as fans who benefit from their efforts we owe it to them to encourage a safer playing schedule. Fining James Harrison for hard hits will not increase the life of any NFL players but offering them fewer games to play in each year might. I am not a doctor nor do I pretend to be, but it seems to me that a 14 game schedule in the same 17 week season that would provide all teams with a bye week in each third of the season, would somehow reduce players battling through injuries. That would mean that in addition to taking fewer hits in a season they would also have more time to recover before feeling the need to tough it out for another week. Pain numbing drugs that lead to long term kidney and liver problems would be needed on a less frequent basis. Unreported head injuries would have an extra week to heal without being once again subjected to violent hits. Don’t get me wrong, I love the aggressive nature of football but as fans we would have to give up very little for a 14 game season. We would still be able to spend 17 straight Sundays plus playoffs watching football and aside from watching our favorite team less often and altering our fantasy strategy slightly we would for the most part be unaffected. Sure, the owners would each have to give up one home game but with the popularity and growth rate of the league they will undoubtedly find a way to absorb it. I wish I could watch my team play every week but in the end of the day the shorter season means longer lives.

AND THAT’S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!