This & That

Romo
I watched Tony Romo’s post-game press conference last week following the Cowboys' win over the Giants’ and was very impressed by his demeanor, intelligence and unassuming nature. I can see why he is so well-liked.

Amani Toomey
Okay. I finally found a Michigan wide receiver that has had a solid NFL career. The Giants’ Amani Toomey is in his 13th year in the NFL and has the third most receptions in history for a player to never earn Pro Bowl honors. As you know, I am not a fan of Wolverine wide outs – with good reason.

I forgot Toomer was a Michigan grad. I don’t remember what round he was drafted in but it doesn’t matter – he’s been solid.

Braylon
Speaking of Michigan receivers - Braylon Edwards said this past Monday that he was “unappreciated by the fans in Cleveland.” The guy can’t catch a break. Right.

You would think his advisers would suggest he keep quiet and not draw any more attention to himself. He’s done enough damage to his reputation with his embarrassing play in 2008. Log this one under the category of “delusional.”

More On WRs
John Madden said on the air the other night the following – “TO is a great receiver but he will drop the ball.” This begs the question – Can you be a great receiver if you don’t have good wide receiver hands?

I covered this ground last year in a piece following Braylon Edwards’ selection to the Pro Bowl. I stated that I had to adjust my position on what a “great receiver” is based on today’s wide outs and their propensity to drop double digit passes in any given season.

Perhaps I was too quick to give in. All I know is the best wide receivers in the game 20 and 30 years ago rarely dropped passes at this rate.

The only likely answer is they are bigger, faster and stronger today but not as fundamentally sound. You could probably say that about many of our best athletes across the sports spectrum today.

Baseline
I will go to my deathbed not understanding why basketball teams, at all levels, are taught to give up baseline to the ball handler when he’s on the wing.

It only works if the helps comes quickly and the offensive player in question is unable to adjust to the help defense. The majority of the time I see a defender give a player baseline, the offensive player ends up getting a layup, fouled, or setting up a teammate for the finish.

Why not just continue to play good defense and stay in front of your man and not give him a clear lane to the basketball? John Wooden couldn’t convince me that’s not the best approach to take. I’m stubborn I guess.

Thinking Out of the Box
One of the reasons bad teams become good teams overnight involves thinking out of the box. That’s the case with the Miami Dolphins, who took ILB Joey Porter and made him a pass rusher this season.

He’s now among the league-leaders in sacks – wreaking havoc in the backfield all year long helping his defense get off the field on third down. And think, Porter is arguably on the downside of his career.

I never understood why teams don’t blitz their middle & inside linebackers more when he’s clearly their best linebacker. Dropping a tacking machine in coverage all the time seems like a waste of talent to me.

For example, I’ve always wondered what kind of damage Ray Lewis could do if you turned him loose after the quarterback more often on second and eight and third and five.

It’s a simple philosophy – take your best player in your front seven and tell him to get the QB – regardless of what position he plays.

Indians’ Smoke Screen
While the Indians spend the off-season revamping their bullpen and trying to acquire a quality middle infielder and a big outfield bat, the key to the Tribe’s success in 2009 will depend heavily on Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez.

These two bats need to put big numbers this coming summer to ease the pain of Cleveland lacking team speed, having a mediocre defense and any other warts that may appear during the long, hot summer.

Simply – their #3 and #4 hitters of past years need to stay healthy and perform like they belong there again. Period.

Auburn & Charles
How do you hire a football coach to compete in the SEC who has posted a 5-19 record in two years at Iowa State? Auburn’s AD and company are either brilliant or total and complete morons. We’ll know in three years time or less.

That’s about all the patience Tiger fans will have before they start calling for heads to role. I realize Gene Chizik has roots at Auburn, but 5-19?

As for what Charles Barkley said pertaining to race being a major factor – of course it’s true. Can you imagine a 5-19 black head coach getting a similar post?

Barkley’s best point went unnoticed because everyone focused on the race comments – as usual. Barkley stated Auburn needed to “shake things up” or do something different based on the other programs in the conference and Auburn trying to compete against the success they are having. He’s dead on.

Had I been the AD at Auburn, Turner Gill would have been my first, second and third choice. The guy turned around one of the most pathetic college football programs in the country (U. Buffalo) in just three years time.

The fact that’s he’s black would have shaken things up in Alabama, and the SEC in general, and would have been a plus when Gill entered a young man’s home trying to recruit him.

The last time I checked, nearly 55% of Division I college football players are black. Auburn, along with 115 other programs at that level, have it backwards. Being a black head coach is a positive in recruiting football players.

If redneck alums and boosters don’t like it, so what?

If you (AD) are right and he wins, they’ll be on board. And if he (Gill) fails, you are going to can him after three or four years whether he’s white, black or green. That’s unfortunately the nature of the business these days.

Think about it – which carries more weight when he enters your home recruiting your son - Gill, a former All-American quarterback from Nebraska, who as a young coach has already proven he can turn a program around quickly, or another middle-aged, grey-haired white guy who has five career victories on his resume? Come on.

Joe Thomas
I’m no offensive line coach, but you have a better chance of convincing me Global Warming (aka: Global Climate Change) is real than convincing me Joe Thomas earned Pro Bowl honors in 2008.

This season, he looked like a rookie.

I suggest Thomas spend his off-season working out instead of shooting his Cast-Fishing television show or whatever it is.

They Play 16 Not 14
And why does the league make the NFL players choose their Pro Bowl picks after 14 games are played? Why not wait until after the season ends? It’s not like the last two games are important.

That’s like picking the AL and NL MVPs on September 1.

Again, no common sense at work – again.

Celtics
Boston is off to the best start in franchise history. Again, at the moment, I maintain the Cavaliers are slightly better.

I base it on Mo Williams being a huge pickup for Cleveland while the Celtics have not added another quality piece of this magnitude.

If the series started today, I would say Cavaliers in six. And no, I’m not a homer – you know me better than that. They (Cavs) match up very well with Boston.

The Cavs have the size and depth inside to make Garnett work (Ben Wallace & Andy V.) - as they did last season.

LeBron should be well-rested come April and May, he is playing the best defense of his career and should easily the best player on the floor – again.

Finally, Williams should give the Cavaliers a true tempo setter and the second consistent scorer they have lacked in the post-season to get them over the hump.

The Celtics should NOT be able to consistently run two and three players at James with Williams on the floor. He should eat that up.

That being said – you want game #7 in your building – if necessary. That’s why Cleveland needs to continue to grind out win after win.

Greg Oden
When Greg Oden came out of Ohio State, I questioned his ability to score consistently at the NBA level early in his career. The little I saw of him in college indicated to this observer he was a “project” offensively in the NBA.

That’s not to say he won’t eventually be a force at both ends. I just don’t see teams having to double-team him any time soon inside when he gets his touches.

That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of “Mr. Skinny” out of Texas either, who went to Seattle (now Oklahoma City). If you are 6’9, you should be able to bench press more than your average Division I female post player.

My problem with both players was the “franchise player” tag that was put on them by the media – again, before they played one minute in the NBA.

That’s the speech teacher in me coming out again observing silly words being used time and time again by folks (media members) who get carried away.

Oden has a chance to dominate, although I question if he’ll ever be that kind of player at both ends. I don’t ever see Kevin Durant being anything more than a terrific scorer – which will still make him a lot of money.

One final note – I would rather have Durant than Carmelo Anthony. They are both pure scorers, but one appears coachable and one doesn’t. You figure it out who’s who.