quick NFL thoughts as we look to the playoffs

- Wade Phillips, Norv Turner. They're the same coach. Two sides of the same mediocre coin. Have any coaches ever done less with more? Norv's team squeaks into the playoffs because the AFC West is terrible and Wade's team chokes in the biggest way imaginable to miss the playoffs. How does a team get waxed 44-6 in a must-win game and still keep its head coach?

- Dallas has some big time house cleaning to do. First, TO needs to go. He wasn't much of a force this year and he's too much of a headache to have so many dropped passes.

- Romo is the most anti-clutch quarterback ever. He's the A-Rod of QBs. I can't get over the sad sack look he had all throughout the second half of that Philly game.

- Who have the Chargers beaten this year? They didn't beat a single team that made the playoffs, and their win over New England came when Cassel was still getting his feet wet.

- The other thing people don't talk about with this Chargers team: Tomlinson belongs on the side of a milk carton. He's rushed for 100 yards in only two games this year. He had a very pedestrian 3.8 yards per carry this year. This team does not have a running game.

- Picks for the first round of playoffs: Miami over Baltimore, Indy over San Diego, Philly over Minnesota, and I really want to say Arizona over Atlanta but I just don't trust that Arizona can stop Michael Turner. So Atlanta over Arizona.

- For a warm weather teams, home field doesn't present that much of an advantage this time of year. Who doesn't want to play in San Diego or Miami in January when the weather is perfect? Miami has a great home field advantage in September and October when the humidity wears cold weather teams out, but later in the year, I imagine that teams must love playing in the comfortable Florida weather. Same goes for San Diego.

- Miami over Baltimore because I don't trust Joe Flacco starting his first playoff game on the road and I think Sparano and company will have enough tricks up their sleeves on offense to pull it out. 13-10, Miami over Baltimore.

- The Rat got fired in Denver. Can't say he hasn't had it coming, but it's still a huge shock. I just got used to the seeing Shanahan shrug off bad seasons and late disappointments. Denver could have kept him on if they got a new GM to help with the personnel. They've swung and missed on too many draft picks and free agent signings the past few years.

- Keep Tom Cable

- Browns, hire Scott Pioli and the one-time Mangenius to right the ship.

- I can't believe the Bills kept Dick Jauron. With Romeo and Rod Marinelli both out of work, Dick Jauron is unquestionably the worst NFL head coach. He's too conservative to be an effective coach. He punts on fourth and short at midfield, he runs when he should be passing and he has JP Losman pass when Marshawn Lynch has 127 yards on the ground and only needs a first down to ice the game. I wrote earlier about a terrible sequence he had in the Browns game. He's had one good year his entire coaching career. 7-9 the last three years, which means at least he's consistent, but I think the Bills have the talent to do better than that. They're a 10 win team with a competent coach.

- Non-football thought: For years, Pizza Hut has ignore trying to make good pizza and has instead tied its fate to the marketing of gimmick pizza (stuffed crust, Pizza Mia, etc.). Now they've decided to make a gimmick pizza that resembles good pizza. The Natural features real tomato sauce and pepperoni. What a novel concept.

Dear Sacramento Kings

Dear Sacramento Kings,

Seriously? You fired Reggie Theus? Did you learn nothing from my letter to the 76ers after they fired Mo Cheeks? Don't you remember last year when Theus took a shit Kings team and made them believe that they were a darkhorse 8th seed contender for a month. Come on, Maloofs. Show some patience with your coaches. This is ridiculous. Everyone expected the Kings to suck this year, and they were just keeping with expectations. Kevin Martin, your best player, has been battling injuries all year, and despite this, your team showed up for an inspired win over the West's best, the Lakers. But one lopsided loss to a much-improved Knicks team later, and Theus is on the outs. In what sport is one and a quarter seasons enough to implement changes to turn around a losing team? None. The NBA coaching carousel has to stop unless Mike Dunleavy, a coach who's actually had time to better his team and hasn't, gets fired.

Sincerely,

The Idiot Fan

The Obligatory Baseball Post

Move over Carl Pavano. There's a new worst ever Yankee contract in town. C.C. Sabathia, $161 million, 7 years, with an opt-out clause after 3 years and boy, will the Yanks fans hope that C.C. exercises that option. That would be the first bit of exercise Mr. 290 pounds has done in some time. He's a good pitcher, and I think every critic of this contract won't question that. He's a really good pitcher sometimes. But if I'm a Yankee fan, and thank god I'm not, there are a few HUGE things that worry me.

1. He was begging West Coast teams to sign him at the winter meetings after getting the Yankee's huge contract offer. He took like two weeks to sign that deal. $161 million and he took two weeks to decide on that. He has a history of pitching well in small market, no pressure teams (Cleveland, Milwaukee). He said he wasn't sure about living in New York and wanted to live and play on the West Coast.

2. Even after begging the Giants, Dodgers and Angels to sign him, no one threw him anything even close to the Yankee's offer. I can see the Dodgers and Giants being cheap, though the Dodgers could use a number one guy like C.C., but the Angels? They throw money around like there's no tomorrow. They're the Yankees of the West Coast. And nothing, no offer, nada. And C.C. wanted to play for them and probably would have taken quite a bit less to do so.

3. $161 million, 7 years. I'm sorry but no one is worth that kind of money. That's a terrible deal, anyway you slice it. I know it's the Yankees, and they have an endless supply of money with the YES network and the new stadium, but there was once a time when people wanted to play in New York. The Yankees have an unmatched history and legacy of winning. They play in the biggest market of all with the most potential for fame and endorsements. Their fans care. A lot. They shouldn't need to grossly overpay for players. Players should want to come to the Yankees and in some cases, take less money to do so because they know they'd make it back up in endorsement deals.

And then the Yanks go out and sign soon-to-be 32-year-old A.J. Burnett to a 5 year, $82.5 million deal. A.J., by the way, has only played like one complete season without being injured. He has an electric arm but can't control it. He's never had an ERA that's even close to under 3.00. Is this worth $82.5 million? Do injury-prone pitchers all of sudden become great when they hit 32? Unless A.J.'s hitting up Roger Clemens for some training and pharmaceutical advice, I don't see it happening.

And that sound you hear? That's the sound of the Red Sox and the three real Tampa Bay (Devil) Ray fans rejoicing.

Dear 76ers

Dear 76ers,

What the fuck? Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with you? You fired Mo Cheeks? He's a good coach. Good enough to take a crap 76ers team last year and coach it to the playoffs. Good enough to have Philly thinking NBA Finals in the offseason this year. But not good enough to keep his job this year? Seriously? Who's better than him that's available right now? I don't see Hubie Brown making another coaching comeback. Look, you guys signed Elton Brand and you immediately started dreaming of championships. But here's the thing, Elton peaked a few years back and is coming back from Achilles surgery. He's playing with a group of guys that are not suited to his strengths and vice versa. It takes time to incorporate a new focal point to the offense. You may eventually turn it on and get it, but this kind of thing doesn't happen overnight. Also, if you were getting Elton Brand, you might have wanted to get some 3 point shooters too, so that your team could have proper floor spacing for Brand to be most effective. Right now, no one, and I mean no team in their right mind, is afraid of your perimeter players because they're all drive and kick guys and not perimeter or even mid-range shooters. Andre Miller? Nope. Andre Iguodala? Ha, are you kidding me? He's an overrated energy player that has lacked the energy ever since he got a HUGE contract in the offseason. Another brilliant move on your part, by the way. So enjoy your knee-jerk reaction. Enjoy dreams of this being a spark. In truth, you blew it with a good coach, a good person and a good teacher of the game.

Sincerely,

The Idiot Fan

P.S. Toronto Raptors management, most of the above goes for you too. Your coach was good enough to win Coach of the Year two years ago but not good enough to keep his job. Sure, your team was underachieving this year, but again, you were trying to incorporate a big piece in Jermaine O'Neal, who, by the way, doesn't run all that well after multiple injuries, and yet, here he is on a team that wants to run. I actually like Sam Mitchell's coaching replacement, so this isn't a huge loss, but let's actually give coaches some time to work here. Players can tune coaches out nowadays because they know that a coach's shelf life is only about two to three years. And you wonder why a coach loses his team.

quick thoughts as we skid towards the auto apocalypse

- Poor Detroit. Their industries are in shambles, the city still has a bad rep for producing both Kid Rock and Eminem and the Lions won't win a game this year. Plus, the Pistons continue to be vastly overrated because people can't get over their perceptions of what the team was like 2 and 3 years ago. And the Tigers? Spent money that should have gone towards the auto industry on Dontrelle Willis and finished at the bottom of the AL Central below even the Kansas City Royals.

- Fire Rod Marinelli. He seems a like a good guy and is trying to get the Lions to win one game, just one game, but it's not working. His coaching background is defense and yet, the Lions are currently winless because their defense is atrocious. The offense is good enough to win 4 or 5 games, but opposing quarterbacks and running backs have career days against this team.

- The Lakers have problems on defense. They started out the season defending so well that everyone just assumed this was a strength. It's not. Not yet, anyway. They've given up 100 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games and the only game they played stingy defense was against lowly Milwaukee.

- Which brings me to this point: the Bucks are a terrible team. Have they quit on Scott Skiles already?

- The Jets have peaked and have gone from lock to make the playoffs to probably not making the playoffs in the span of two losses. They looked like the best team in the AFC after beating the Titans, but back-to-back losses to Denver and (gasp!) San Francisco have this team and its fans reeling.

- Welcome to the bottom, Chargers. Let me tell you, as a Raiders fan, after a while you get used to it and come to accept that you won't win a thing.

NBA ceilings/basements vol. 2 - the east

How the East could be won or lost:

1. Boston Celtics - I've been thinking a lot about this team lately. They're getting the tough part of their schedule out of the way early with all the back to backs they've been playing. They look a little more beatable this year than last, but a favorable schedule down the stretch will help them immensely. A few things about this team:

a) Garnett has slipped, at least on the offensive end. It's noticeable. He relies on his jumper a lot more than in past years.
b) Garnett hasn't slipped on defense. And he still scares everyone on the court with his intensity and forces this team to play good defense.
c) The Celtics take pride in their D much like Detroit did under Larry Brown. Every guy on this team wants to shut down the other team. Every guy wants to grab a rebound or fight for the loose ball.
d) I'd be thinking so much about the age of the Big Three and looking for signs of slipping that I completely overlooked the possibility that Rajon Rondo could turn into a consistent All-Star caliber point guard. He's not there yet, but if he gets there, that extends the championship window for this team by a couple years.

Bottom line: This team is a lock for at least the Eastern Conference Finals and probably the NBA Finals.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers - They're better this year. They're going to win 60 unless LeBron gets hurt. They should steamroll their way to an Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Celtics. Here's why I don't think they'll beat the Celtics. Who's the second banana on this team? Obviously, LeBron runs the show, but who's the other guy that teams gameplan for? If you take LeBron out of the game, which the Celtics and the Pistons have done in the past, who beats you? The team is LeBron, who's the best player in the league and it isn't even close (sorry, Kobe), and a bunch of good role players. But MJ had Pippen, Shaq had Kobe and then Wade, Garnett has Pierce and Ray Allen, Duncan had Robinson and later, Ginobili and Parker, Kobe has Bynum and Gasol, and so on. You need at least two to win in this league. If they swing a blockbuster deal that doesn't involve Vince Carter (too selfish), they could move up. Otherwise, they'll be Boston's second banana.

3. Detroit Pistons.......nah...not this year, too soon. Orlando Magic - Enjoy being three. Even Dwight Howard making the leap won't bump this team up past Boston and Cleveland. In order to make the leap from very good to consistently great, Howard has to up his free throw percentage, develop a credible short jumper or jump hook and become a more physical defender with a mean streak. Another 50 win season looks to be a lock. Orlando's a well-coached team with good shooters, a vastly underrated point guard in Jameer Nelson and some decent depth in the bench. They should handle all but two teams in the East.

4. Detr....nope. Toronto Raptors - Bosh and I think O'Neal has enough in the tank for a good playoff run. Calderon is the best pure point guard in the East. They've got enough good shooters to force teams to respect the 3 point shot. Their fans are some of the best in the NBA. Just a lot of fun to watch. Bosh could make the jump to an elite player and carry them through a couple of playoff series. Playing against Howard in the playoffs last year hopefully made both players tougher and better all around. Update: Wait, what? They just fired their coach? That could change everything.

5. Detroit Pistons - This feels right. I'd hate to be a Pistons fan right now and have to talk myself into thinking Iverson could be the key to this team. A few things:

a) Seriously, the Pistons gave up on this year to try and get LeBron in two years? That's what it sounds like. Why would LeBron leave a better team in Cleveland, a city that worships him by the way, to go to a worse team in uber-unglamourous Detroit? There's no way this happens.

b) R.I.P. Rip Hamilton as an effective player for 82 games. Without Chauncey to dish the ball to him, Rip looks a little lost. Iverson and Stuckey eat into his minutes and neither knows him as well as Chauncey did.

c) They traded a pretty good point guard who could run their offense, hit a few big shots and defend pretty well for A.I., a guy who needs the ball to be effective, takes too many shots and can't defend. Have I mentioned that I hate this trade for the Pistons?

6. Atlanta Hawks - Here's a new gimmick for an NBA team: Let's play a season without a bench. Their starters can hang with anyone, and it looks like Horford's going from good to very good this year, but they've got cobwebs and tumbleweed on that bench. Maurice Evans? Flip Murray? Egads.

7. The New York Knicks - I'm a homer. They play their hearts out. David Lee is perfect for D'Antoni and Duhon just set the single game assist record. They'll be a first round out, but they'll get there.

8. Miami Heat - D-Wade. Nuff said.

9. Indiana Pacers - Young team showing some spunk. I don't know what to make of them. I like Granger and I like Jim O'Brien. Maybe this team has a surprise playoff run in it.

10. Philadelphia 76ers - What's the difference between the 76ers and the Bucks or the Bulls or any other East team with one good player and a bunch of ok guys? The burden of expectations. No one thinks much of the other teams, but everyone had Philly penciled in for the playoffs. Well, not me. The Brand signing slowed down their run and gun helter skelter style that made them successful last year. Louis Williams is no longer a microwave off the bench. There's a potential "Brand suffers bad injury and the team makes an improbable playoff run" lurking in their season. But that shouldn't be the ceiling of a team that had conference final aspirations.

11. Chicago Bulls - So much first round talent and nothing to show for it. Another lottery trip means another chance to get lucky with a blue-chipper. Derrick Rose will have this team in the playoffs in the next few years, providing their coach learns how to coach.

12. New Jersey Nets - Vince Carter is making a strong play for another team to make a mistake and acquire him in a midseason trade. NBA fool's gold. Note to Cavs: Don't be fooled.

13. Milwaukee Bucks - Defensive coach tries to get uncommitted players to play defense. Hilarity ensues. If only.

14. Charlotte Bobcats - Defensive coach tries to get uncommitted players to play defense. Hilarity ensues. If only. I sense a pattern at the bottom here. Why tie so much money with J-Rich, Okafor, and Gerald Wallace? Does anyone think this is a core that can bring Charlotte a championship? Obviously the answer is no. So why did they do it? If you can answer that, you too could run the Charlotte Bobcats.

15. There's a worse team than Charlotte? Ah, right, the Washington Wizards. They actually should be better than what they've shown so far. They have a couple of good scorers in Jamison and Butler. When/if Agent Zero comes back, at least one paper, they would have a good trio. But yet again, here's a team that invested big bucks in a core that has shown they can't win it all.