Jeff: Shocked Into Stunned Disbelief

"We're going to behead the golden goose," one NFC owner said last week. "And I can't see why both sides would ever let it get to that..."

I thought I was smarter than this (any of you who know me can insert your own "well you should of asked me and I could have told you you weren't" joke here). I really did. With all the spoiled athletes and owners in today's world of sports, I didn't think there was anything out there that could really shock me. Well I was wrong. Reading Len Pasquarelli's column today on ESPN.com about NFL labor strife leaves me stunned. I expected the labor problems that happened in baseball, basketball, and especially hockey, but never the mighty king of pro sports, the National Football League. While the commissioners of the NHL and Major League Baseball are incompetent at best, and David Stern (now, without a doubt, "the Don Stern" is the best commissioner in sports) has done what he can with the third most popular sport in the country, I just thought the NFL was bullet-proof. The hard salary cap and non-guaranteed contracts have done wonders for pro football. It gives small market teams like the two latest Super Bowl contestants, Pittsburgh and Seattle, a chance to compete with the big boys in Dallas, Washington and New York. Although it's definitely a disadvantage to the players, having no guaranteed contracts makes them play harder, and therefore makes the game better. Hell, the fact the league is so wildly popular despite having NO TEAM in the country's second largest media market (Los Angeles) should tell you how well both the players and owners are doing here.

So you would think, as I did, that both sides would look at this, as well as the problems and shortcomings of the other leagues, and try to get a new collective bargaining agreement finished as fast as possible. If you're involved in the NFL, you're not making money hand-over-fist- money is practically falling from the sky!! Yes, owners from major markets could probably be making more money than they are now, but considering their franchises are all worth in excess of $800 MILLION DOLLARS each and they continue to be cash cows, is it REALLY worth it to sacrifice all of that for a few more millions a year?!?!?!

Apparently it is. Besides the fact owners and players can't agree how much of a percentage of league revenues the players should receive (players want 60%, the owners won't budge from 56.2%), you have the owners themselves fighting with one another!!! It was the late New York Giants owner Wellington Mara who years ago took the responsibility of convincing the owners that a salary cap and sharing revenue streams more evenly would be better for the league, even though Mara, owner of a team in the world's largest media market, standed to lose the most from this proposition. When Mr. Mara died this past year, it seems like his forward-thinking common sense that had been a Hallmark of this league for so long left with him. Is it possible to screw up the NFL? Before this week I would have said no. I believe college football is the only "untouchable" sport in the country. I can't possibly think of a scenario where people would stop watching and attending college football games en masse. I used to think the NFL was in this class too, but it looks like I was mistaken.

Is the NFL now doomed because of this week's happenings? No, but I'm no longer convinced cooler heads will prevail here. Unless something unforseen happens today, the NFL will have an "uncapped" season starting in 2007. Suddenly the two things that have made this league so great, a salary cap, and reasonable player contracts, will be gone. Suddenly small-market teams like Minnesota will no longer be on even standing with the Dallas Cowboys or Washington Redskins. Those "big boys" can sign as many players as the want to as much as they want. Yes, the contracts will still not be guaranteed, but that gives even MORE advantage to the bigger cities, as we've seen in baseball. If player X can sign for $10 million in Minnesota, or for $20 million in Washington, what do you think he's going to do? And if a team like Washington, a team that makes obscene amounts of money already, can spend freely on players with no concerns about their bottom line, well I think you can fill in the blanks from there.

Oh, and just so you don't think I'm totally blaming the owners for all of this, here's a quote from the Pasquarelli article on comments from NFLPA (players association) director Gene Upshaw:

"And Upshaw has reiterated throughout the talks that if the NFL ever plays without a salary cap for one season, players will never permit one to be reinstituted."

At this point, I have no reason not to believe him. Football fans (and especially those in Minnesota), enjoy the 2006 season, because after this, football as we know it may never be the same.

Jeff: Da Musings

* The Olympics are officially over. Of course for me, they ended last Wednesday when Canada's hockey team lost. Bad Olympics for North American hockey, but good for North American athletes: USA finished 2nd in the medal count with 25, and Canada finished 3rd with 24. Glorious.

* On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being really hot, ice dancer Tanith Belbin is like a 472. She's also Canadian.

* So KG hit a fan in the face with a basketball yesterday. After a bad call, a frustrated KG threw the ball into the stands in frustration, and hit some poor guy right in the kisser. No truth to the rumor KG thought the guy was Kevin McHale.

*By the way, I guess it's Target Center policy that any fan that's injured has to get carted off on a stretcher, no matter what the injury. The TC crowd booed the guy as he was being carted out. What is this, Philly?

*Speaking of booing, the dumbest move by a fan base last week comes from Cleveland Cavaliers fans booing Lebron James as the Cavs got spanked again by Detwah. Um people? You don't live in Miami or LA or New York. Drew Carey has to be the only person alive who really believes that "Cleveland Rocks". If you guys feel that way about Lebron, trust me, there's 29 other NBA cities that would gladly take him.

* Went to the Wolves/Nuggets game Friday night (big thanks to Megdan- I MEAN Megan & Dan, for the ticket. BTW I saw Dan twice this weekend! TWICE! My mind was officially blown!). Great game, great crowd, but the Wolves could not stop Carmelo (25 pts through 3 quarters, finished with 30). I do believe I mentioned this in the "T25U25" but Melo is coming along quite nicely, thank you. He was hitting shots from all over, and his baseline spin for a two-hand dunk right on Blount was filthy. I am still surprised at how explosive Melo is. Is it possible to be "deceptively explosive?" Because he is. Oh and the three he hit to win the game in overtime, buried in the corner with Trenton Hassell draped all over him, was as clutch as it gets. Melo may beat Lebron to the Finals yet.

* As good as Melo was, the one Nugget I would really like to see in Minnesota is GM Kiki Vandeweigh (or however you spell it). When Kiki took over the Nuggs, they were as cap-strapped and hopeless as the Wolves are now. He completely rebuilt them into the contender they are today (and yes getting Melo in the draft helps). He could be the one guy that could save the Wolves and keep KG, and because of a conflict with the Nuggets owner, he won't be back in Denver next year. But of course that would actually mean firing McHale, and we know there's a better chance of a 90 degree day in February here than that happening.

* Don't have an exact date here, but wanted to give you the heads up that some time this month you WILL be seeing the First Annual MWSR NFL Mock Draft (or at least the 1st round). Plan your lives accordingly, take time off work, quit work, hell do whatever you have to do. We just want you to be prepared for that life-altering event. For those that doubt us, what makes us think we can publish our very own mock draft? We both have the NFL Network. Duh.

* Finally, I'm starting a new thing in the Musings called the "Music of the Musings" or some crap like that, I don't know I was never very good at titles. Anywho, the point is I always have songs running through my head (the Jer was subjected to it Saturday night), and I thought I'd take this space to share a few that I've been enjoying over the week. Feel free to contribute your own. Here's my three for the week...

"Tulips"- Bloc Party
"Blue Orchid"- The White Stripes
"Folsom Prison Blues"- Johnny Cash (from the Love, God & Murder cd)

Jeff: #$%^& @&#^!!?!?!?!?

That kind of sums up my feelings on Team Canada being knocked out of the Olympics in the quarterfinals. My therapist has said it's best for me to write this out, and apparently it's a much more theraputic and healthy way to deal with anger than punching somebody in the back of the head and driving them face first into the ice. Who would have thunk it, eh? So here's my basic assessment of what went wrong for Team Canada at the Olympics. If you don't care about Canadian hockey, I'll gladly cross-check you face-first into the ice...oh wait, I'm not supposed to do that anymore.

GOALTENDING: Martin Brodeur is the best in the world, and proved it. His backup, Bobby Luongo, was sensational in his 2 appearances.
Grade: A++
DEFENSE: Scott Niedermeyer was certainly missed, as was big Ed Jovanoski. However, other than taxi-squad replacement Bryan McCabe, Canada's D men played well. In their 6 games, Canada gave up only 11 goals, 2nd best in the tourney. The speed and size of rookie Dion Phanuef of the Calgary Flames would have been a welcome addition too.
Grade: B
OFFENSE: Hmmmm so 3 goals in the last 4 games, 2 of which were flukes, and Gretzky decided to leave 7 of the NHL's top 25 scorers at home. Anyone else see a connection there? For a team that could not score, that just might be your issue. Name a Canadian forward that played well- I dare you! Gretzky chose some guys that had gold medals and world championships, but were not having good NHL seasons before the Olympics started. Bertuzzi, Draper, St Louis, Richards, Smyth and Nash continued to play below expectations. And to make it worse, your "stars" like Sakic, Thornton, Iginla, Gagne, Heatley, and Lecavalier give you 4 GOALS TOTAL!?!?!?! Russian super rookie Alex Ovechkin (my new favorite player to watch by the way. In the Canada game, when he had the puck it looked like everyone else was in slow motion.) had more goals than all those guys COMBINED!!! And can you imagine if Yzerman and Lemieux had accepted their invites? This team would have been even older and slower!!!
grade: what's lower than an F-?

Look it's tough to criticize Gretzky because he rebuilt Canada hockey after the debacle in Nagano in '98, bringing leadership and responsibility to the team, and it resulted in the country's first gold medal in 50 years. Gretz is old school and favors experience over the best players, but that thinking is the biggest reason Canada will be watching the semi-finals today instead of playing in them. In these short tournaments, yes there's a lot of pressure and experience would help, but the keys are 1) goaltending (never a problem for Canada), and 2) chemistry. Logic would tell you that guys who are playing well in the NHL when the Olympics start are going to have a much better chance of continuing to play well than guys who weren't.

Ok, that feels better, although only a little bit.

A couple of quick non-hockey thoughts:
* yes the Knicks are insane for bringing in Stevie Franchise-Killer. I thought that Isiah might swing Marbury to the Wolves, but it looks like he's going to try an idea that nobody, including himself, thinks will work. When asked about pairing the two me-first players in the same backcourt, Isiah's response was "it's crazy enough that it might work." Boy there's a shot of confidence. So glad I'm not a Knicks fan.
* also, the Knicks are able to make trades like this because they make obscene amounts of money. The Knicks themselves are the most profitable team in the NBA, and the company that owns them, Cablevision, has literally millions of cable subscribers a month paying their bills. Money is not an issue at MSG- competence certainly is.
* Strib this morning says that Daunte doesn't want to be traded, and the Vikings never shopped him after all. That's funny because today's Miami Herald tells a much different story.

* Finally, you heard it here first: Miami Dolphins for Super Bowl XXI. ESPN's John Clayton is reporting the Dolphins will throw obscene amounts of money at QB Drew Brees, and that San Diego will not match. Forget Bill Belichek, Nick Saban is the best coach/decision maker in football right now. In 2 seasons he'll have turned that team from doormat to Super Bowl contender. Miami won 9 games without a decent QB last year, and now they're going to get one of the 6 best in the league. This also means the Chargers are almost as crazy as the Knicks. I don't care how good you THINK Philip Rivers can be, you KNOW Brees is a Pro Bowl QB. Just plain dumb.

Jeremy: Funny quote

I got one of those emails today where they ask kids questions and then you get to read the funny answers. With my upcoming nuptuals in mind, this was my favorite one:

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10

That's funny stuff. I especially love that the kid doesn't say that she should like sports too, he just says "she should like it that you like sports."

Jeff: The Monday Musings

* I was one of, probably, 4 people to watch and enjoy the NBA All-star festivities over the weekend. The Andre Igoudala dunk from behind the backboard was one of the craziest things I've ever seen. The fact he hit HIS FACE on the backboard on his first attempt, well, if I had a nickel for everytime that happened to me...ok, ok I'd have no nickels.

* I said it in the Top 25 NBA players post, and I'll say it again: as an NBA fan I'm concerned about Lebron's development. I swear he and Kobe switched bodies last night: Kobe was passing up open shots, while Lebron was going 1-on-5 the whole night. And yes he was the highest scoring player from the East, but he was NOT the MVP, as the East made their huge comeback in the third quarter with Lebron seated firmly on the bench- where he still managed to shoot 7 times (or maybe I just imagined that). LBJ was so hyped coming into the league because he was supposed to be an all-around player, not a bigger version of Kobe. What happened to the "more athletic, HIV-free Magic Johnson" Lebron was supposed to be?

* speaking of concern, I'm well beyond that point with Olympic hockey. Just not a good time to be a North American hockey fan right now, but hey, at least the American team has an excuse: they're just not that good. USA hockey is in a transition, as the "stars" like Mike Modano, Chris Chelios and others are hitting the twilight of their careers, and the guys in their late 20's and early 30's, like Brian Rolston and Eric Cole, are good but not great players. However, the USA has some of the best, if not THE best, collection of hockey talent age 17-21 in the world right now. The last few NHL drafts are seeing record numbers of American-born players not only going in the first round, but going early. The 2006 draft should be the first time ever two Americans have been taken with the first two picks, as the U's Phil Kessell, and Minnesotan National U-18 defensemen Erik Johnson are battling it out for the top spot. For the 2010 games in Vancouver (assuming NHL'ers as still playing in the Olympics), USA should be right back in the medal hunt.
As for Canada, I wish I had an answer, but I don't. All the excuses I can come up with, be it jet-lag, tired legs from playing so much in the NHL, or lack of chemistry, apply to all the other big hockey countries, and yet it's not affecting them as much. Part of the problem could be one of too many options: the Canadians had so many quality players to choose from, they were bound to leave some deserving guys at home. Wayne Gretzky (by the way, I haven't commented on the gambling thing, because, as is being reported now, Gretzky and his wife did nothing wrong, and won't be charged. It's a non story, so leave The Great One alone) chose to take some more experienced guys who were not playing well when the team was selected in December, like Bertuzzi, Ryan Smyth, Draper, and Martin St Louis, instead of inexperienced youngsters like Eric Staal, Jason Spezza, and Sidney Crosby, who were on fire before the tournament started. I also think, as was pointed out during the broadcast of Canada's loss to Finland, that despite Canada's superior depth, the loss of defensemen Scott Niedermeyer was huge. Niedermeyer is one of the game's top players, and one of the best skaters, and on the bigger sheet, his presence has been greatly missed.

* If I had to pick a favorite to win Gold, I'd take the Russians. Nobody has more skill up front, and their goaltending has been solid. By the way, if you're wondering why I can't get back into Canada, it's because of comments like this: I don't care how much hype Sidney Crosby receives, Russian Alexandre Ovechkin is a better player than Crosby. If I could select any player in the world to build a team around, I'd take Ovechkin over anybody else. And by the way, for you Americans, I think Kessel's got a very solid chance to be better than Crosby too. Canada will now revoke my citizenship.

* Adam Stache Morrison strikes again: Gonzaga was down at the half Saturday night to Loyola, and Morrison had just 5 pts. Head Coach Mark Few's halftime speech went like this: "Adam, shoot the ball!!!" And so he did, scoring 37 in the 2nd half, including 8 of 10 from 3 point range, to finish with 44 points for the game and a 79-70 Gonzaga win.

* Last, and certainly not least, congratulations to the driver who won the Daytona 500 yesterday. A huge accomplishment by that guy, turning left a lot faster and better than anybody else. Needless to say I was so excited for the event, I didn't watch a single solitary second of it.

Jeremy: Love to Hate

I was listening to ESPN Radio this morning and the guy hosting the show (I have no idea who is was and I can't seem to figure it out) was discussing an interesting topic that I thought I'd take a stab at. He was talking about people in sports, that for one reason or another, people hate. Athletes, owners, commissioners, referees, etc. It's not something we think about often, but we know the people that strike a negative chord with us, no matter the reason. (Hate is a strong word, and my Mom told me I should never use it to describe another person... sorry Mom... for the sake of dramatics I'll continue to use it.)I thought, for my own enjoyment, I'd list my favorite sports personalities to hate and why, in no particular order.

*George Steinbrenner - I'm sure I've said this before, but in my opinion the Yankees represent everything that is wrong in sports, and Steinbrenner is the grand marshall of that parade. He's willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for any player he wants, because he knows that he's going to make twice that amount off of t.v. and jersey revenue. I don't know what's worse, the fact that he'll pay those salaries or that the players keep showing a quick willingness to accept them. I'll give Steinbrenner one thing: the system allows him to run his team the way that he does, and he does it better than anyone else... that doesn't mean we have to like him.

*Kobe Bryant - I never liked him. I never liked the comparisons to KG, I never liked his smug swagger, I never liked his "me first" attitude, and I never liked that he had so much trouble with Shaq. Kobe has multiple rings, and he would never have gotten any of them without The Diesel in the post. He has always carried himself like he believed he was above everything going on around him, and he proved it with his extra-marital activities in Colorado awhile back. Unfortunately for the Kobe haters he's one of the top 3 players in the game right now and if you like scorers, there's nobody who is more fun to watch.

*Bobby Knight - I would call this a bit of a love/hate for me. I hate Knight because, like Kobe, I think he feels like he's above the law. But having said that... I'd love to see him coaching my team. He's a throw-back, as task-master and a teacher. No matter what you think of him as a person (which might be not much) he's still a great college basketball coach.

*Bud Selig - My opinion that baseball is the most screwed up professional sport is well-documented. I wouldn't say that I blame Bud Selig for that, but I would certainly blame him for being seemingly unwilling to do anything to make it better. I understand that the players union would have a fit if Selig tried to introduce a salary cap, but how does Selig not see that this would be the best way to save the competitiveness of the game? Instead of getting a handle one how much money the owners are paying the players Selig talks about contracting teams that aren't doing well financially. And how can he expect all of these teams to do well financially when the playing field is not level?

*Terrell Owens - If there's anyone is sports who seems like he wants to be hated, it's Owens. T.O. is the poster-child for the entitled athlete, for the players who think they always deserve something more for what they do on the field, no matter what they already have. Unfortunately he's also one of the top 5 most dangerous offensive weapons in the game. If the guy never played another down in the NFL I don't know if anyone would miss him, but behind Barry Sanders and Bo Jackson he would be number two on the list of "What if..." NFL players. I can dream can't I?

*Sean Salisbury - Let's get something strait: this guy played quarterback for the Vikings in the early 90's... EVERYBODY played quarterback for the Vikings in the early 90's. His accolades as a player have nothing to do with his prowess as an analyst, and nothing to do with my feelings about him. As an analyst he is annoying, he is over-bearing, he is rude, he is a know-it-all, and the sound of his voice makes me cringe.

*Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon, Randy Johnson... you get the idea - anybody who cut their teeth with a MLB team and then sold their soul to the devil himself to be overpaid by the Yankees deserves to be sucker-punched in the stomach. Okay, okay, I get it, all together now: IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY! I don't care. It sucks. It makes me sick, and I will never, ever, be okay with it.

*Iowa Hawkeye fans - Once, in Iowa City for a Gopher football game against the Hawkeyes, I literally feared for my life. I am not even joking about this. I really thought that if things continued to get out of hand I might not make it out of Kinnick Stadium alive. Hawkeye fans are rabid (which isn't, in and of itself, necessarily a bad thing) to the point of being rude, and being jerks. They take all of the fun out of friendly trash-talking. Usually while tailgating at Gopher games I like to rib the opposing fans a bit, and usually everyone has a good time with it, but I won't even talk to the Hawkeye fans. There's a chant we love: "WHO HATES IOWA??? . . . WE HATE IOWA!!!" I think for many Gopher fans it's not so much a chant as it is a way of life.

That was fun... this might not be the last you hear of this topic... Jeffrick, you got anything?

Jeff: Bring Back Marbury

Is there another state in the union that always has more drama surrounding their pro sports teams than Minnesota? It may be cold here, but it's certainly never dull. We'll save Daunte-gate for next week, as the team has until early March to decide what to do with him (I said it on this site in mid January and I'll say it again- keeping him for the 2006 season is the smartest thing to do). The NBA trade deadline is next Thursday, giving teams now less than a week to revamp rosters for a playoff run- or a run at Adam Morrison in the draft lottery. Rumblings continue today in the Strib that the T-Pups are still looking to deal, and Stephon Marbury's name keeps popping up. At this point in time, I think getting Starbury is a move the Wolves HAVE to make. Allow me to explain... (salaries are, of course, courtesy of hoopshype)

Kevin Garnett's contract runs out in the summer of 2009, giving him 3 more seasons in Minnesota after this one (assuming he chooses to stay that long, of course). Thanks to your plucky VP of basketball operations, the Wolves are essentially capped out through the remainder of his deal. The salary cap will hover around $60 million a year through 2009. Garnett makes $18 mill this year, and each year through '09, his contract goes up $2 mill, meaning he'll make on average about $23 mill through the end of his deal, or a little more than a third of the team's cap. Got that so far? Added to that are four guys whose contracts run at least as long as Garnett's, and who, by themselves, are completely untradeable: C Mark Blount (4 MORE YEARS after this, with a salary now of $6 million, and will finish close to $8 mill per year), G Troy Hudson (also 4 more yrs, starting at $5.5 now and finishing at $6.5 per year), G Marko Jaric (signed through 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $5 mill per now, and $7.5 by '11. And by the way, the Jaric deal McHale made was the 2nd worst in the history of Minnesota sports behind only the Herschel Deal. Just so you know), and G Trent Hassell (who makes a reasonable $4.35 mill per year, but he gets that EVERY year through 2010).

On average that's about $20 mill a season on the low end, and as high as $24 mill per year by 2009. Combined with Garnett's $20-$24 mill per season, even my math tells you that's close to $50 mill of your cap with those 5 guys right there. Add to that Dick Davis' $6.5 per season through '08, Mark Madsen stealing $2.5 mill per year through like 2065, and Rashad McCants and your bench guys, and there's your entire salary cap tied up every year through the end of Garnett's deal. Congratulations, Wolves fans: you're screwed!

And not to kick you while you're down, but because of the Jaric trade and Celtics deal, you'll only have 2 of your 4 first round picks. The team, as currently constructed, is not a championship contender. Instead the Wolves are a borderline playoff team, who, when they actually do get to use those draft picks, will probably be picking somewhere in the teens. So you can't add much through the draft, and you can't add the alpha-dog Garnett needs to run with through free agency because you simply don't have the cap room. What do you do?

You roll the dice and deal Jaric, Hassell, and hopefully Blount or Hudson for Marbury. Steph and KG are on record, multiple times might I add, that they wish Steph wouldn't have left and that they'd get another shot together. Could this go down in flames? Absolutely. But it's either take the big gamble, or you're completely starting over. I'd like to say there's better options, but when Kevin McHale is running your team, this is as close to "good" options are you're going to get. If anybody else has a better idea, I'm listening.

Jeremy:... Why not? Thursday too.

*I was watching some Olympic coverage and I saw some highlights of the men's doubles luge event. Have you seen this? Were you like me, did you feel uncomfortable when you saw it? I'm not sure what would be worse, being the guy on top, or the guy on the bottom. I can't, of course, confirm this, but I heard there's a rumor flying around the internet that during the next Winter Olympics they are going to change the name of the event to Brokeback Luge.

*Can the NFL force owners into retirement? Because I think that this is the best option for Raiders owner Al Davis. I'm glad that Art Shell got another chance to coach an NFL team, even if it is the same team that he coached in his first stint in which he was run out of town for no apparent reason, but he was Davis' last choice. It's like all of the available coaches were lined up for a kickball game, the good ones got chosen early, and the rest decided to go play on the jungle-gym or the swings when they realized the only spot left was the Raiders. Except for Art Shell, who was still standing there hoping to get picked to play. Like I said concerning Davis, at this point nobody wants to coach for the guy, pretty soon nobody is going to want to play for the guy, and the only reason he still has an NFL team at all is because his fan base is a bunch of belligerent drunks who just like wearing black and having an excuse to get drunk and paint their faces, and who apparently have a ridiculous amount of disposable income.

*I can't quite decide what to make of the whole Daunte Culpeppar situation. On the one hand, if the guy wants out, I don't blame him. He is playing in the ONE market in the entire country that doesn't see him as one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the league. On the other hand, the guy is really forcing the Vikings to make a decision that they shouldn't have to make until they see the way his knee is going to hold up. I'm not excited about the prospect of Brad Johnson being our only option for a starting quarterback going into next season. If they Vikings do trade Daunte I won't be heartbroken, but they best get something better in return than they got for Moss.

Jeremy: Jeff Gets Mondays, I'll Take Tuesday

Muse on this Jeffrick... I'M BACK!

*Okay, I was never really gone, but Jeffrick is correct, wedding planning and the like has certainly preoccupied much of my time lately. To the two people who look for me to write regularly (family) and the two guys from Albquerqe that I pay to read, I'm sorry. (Side note: do you realize that we are getting between 50-100 hits on this blog per week and besides Jeff and I and two members of my family I literally have NO idea who reads this blog.)

*Like Jeff I didn't watch the Pro Bowl. In fact, I even went so far as to turn the channel when the highlights came on ESPN. Not only do I not care about the game, I don't even care who makes the team. While the NFL is the most successful professional sports league in the world, and while the NFL has the best and most successful championship game in all of sports, they have, without question, the worst all-star type game, and it's not even close. And (my sister loves this phrase) therein lies the rub: there's really nothing the NFL can do to make it better. The problem with the Pro Bowl is that it's after the Super Bowl, after the entire meaningful season is over. Once the final whistle is blown on the Super Bowl the average football fan doesn't care, and the die-hard football fans (no matter how much ESPN pushes it down our throats that it's still football and it's the final game of the season) don't care either. On top of that, like Jeff mentioned, the players don't even care and many of them don't even want to go. Can you imagine the media nightmare that would surround the NFL if a Pro Bowler like Chad Johnson or Randy Moss or Shaun Alexander suffered a career ending injury in the Pro Bowl? I'm with Jeff, name the Pro Bowl teams, and don't even bother playing the game. Or better yet, name the Pro Bowl teams, have EA Sports create teams with those players on Madden for the XBox 360 (which I hear is amazing), and televise the Madden version of the Pro Bowl. Now THAT I might watch.

*I've been giving some thought to the whole hockey gambling ring led by Rick Tocchet. I can't decide why I should care that hockey players want to, or are, betting on football, baseball, etc. Let me be clear: I think that what Rich Tocchet did was wrong, and he should be punished for it, but I just don't think I care. I would venture to guess the wife of the greatest player to ever play the game wasn't involved in the whole ordeal we may well have already forgotten about it.

*A note on the T'Wolves: Last week my cousin called my from Phoenix to tell me that he was there to watch the Wolves take on the Suns. At the time I said this: "well, if you want to have a good time, you might as well cheer for the Suns." Later in the evening I regreted having said that and I felt like the worst kind of fair-weather fan. To everyone who expects me to be a blind, biased, homer, I'm sorry, I let you down. Having said that... the Wolves have lost their last three games in a row, all at home, to the Utah Jazz, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, and the Toronto Raptors. Please re-read that last sentance until it really sinks in.... it's time to board up the windows.

*If anybody knows of how I can register my fiance and I for wedding gifts with the Golden Gopher ticket office please let me know.

Jeff: Back with the Monday Musings

- I didn't watch a single solitary second of the Pro Bowl. I don't think I'm alone. What would be wrong with just naming the team, and not playing it? Not only do people not watch, most players don't even want to go. It would be nice if they'd actually wait until AFTER the regular seasons ends to name the team, rather than week 16. Just a thought.

- I did watch a bit of the NFL Network during the week, where Bungles receiver Chad Johnson walked around the NFC practice, telling guys there was nobody that could stop him. And nobody on the NFC team disagreed.

- Wednesday will be the best day of the week: Mariners pitchers and catchers report down in Peoria, AZ (Twinkies report Sunday in Sarasota, FL), and it's also the start of Olympic men's hockey (Canada plays at 6am vs. Italy. Yes, I will be up at 5:45, and watching until I leave for work at 7:15. Draw your own conclusions about what that says about my life)

- I'm all for women's athletics, but what is the point of women's hockey? There are two nations that are good at this sport: Canada and the USA. The Canadians have outscored their first two opponents 28-0. The Americans have outscored theirs 11-0. I watched a few minutes of the Canada/Italy game (Canada won 16-0), and it was like the Italian team had never played the game before. Hell, maybe they hadn't. If you're going to hold this tourney, have the "gold medal bracket" for the USA and Canada and the "maybe we'll have a hope in hell in 80 years" bracket for everybody else. Honestly, it's like if the summer Olympics allowed American football: THe USA would win 100-0 in every game, the Canadian team would beat everybody else by at least 3 TD's, and when they played in the gold medal game, Canada would score once... ok, no they wouldn't, it would still be 100-0. The only good thing the European teams would have would be kickers. Yippee. Would anybody support this? Of course not, so why is this allowed in women's hockey??

- I think snowboarders like TheJer are slackers that need to get real jobs and learn to fly down mountains on two skis like God intended (or I'm jealous that I'm can't snowboard). I do however think it's very cool that the snowboarder punks have special pockets for their IPod built into their jackets. THey have controls built into the wrists them so they can change songs on the fly, with speakers built into the hoods. If I'm a snowboarder and I want to mess with some other dude, I steal his Ipod right before his run, and download nothing but Anne Murray or Celine Dion. That's be narly. Or radical. Or whatever snowboarders say.

- Sammy Sosa wants a million dollars from the Warshington Nayshunals (that's how a guy I used to work with pronounced it, so that's how I'm pronouncing it from now on) to play this year. The club wants to pay him about half of that. Remember when Sammy was at the steroid hearings and didn't answer any questions because he pretended not to understand english? If I'm the Nayshunals GM, I'm telling him "sorry, no speak Sammy. No comprende 'million dollars'" just to see how he likes it.

- If I have to say this every week until the NFL draft before people catch on, so be it: the Vikings should do what it takes to draft Lendale White, and they shouldn't trade or cut Daunte Culpepper unless he makes it absolutely clear he wants out.

- Anyone seen The Jer? Wedding planning has swallowed him whole. I'm worried he may never post again. So are the 4 regular readers of this site.

Jeff: Hello Twins Fans

Twins fans, can I have a quick word with you please? I'm Jeff, and I'm an outsider. I'm not a Minnesotan, which means I don't know what it's like to be "one of us", and it also means I'll never be able to run a pro basketball franchise into the ground and still have people say what a nice guy I am (that whistle you heard in the background was just the bitter train rolling through Jefftown). I'm not a Twins fan (Seattle Mariners fan since '89. OH if I only knew at 9 how such a simple decision could affect the rest of my life), but do find myself cheering for the Twinkies when it doesn't affect the M's (which really hasn't been a problem these last few years). As an outsider, I just wanted to say I'm starting to get worried about the mindset of Twins fans, at least if the article in the strib yesterday by Nick Coleman is any indication of how some of you are feeling right now.
COleman's basic message was that unless the Twins offer to pay for a new stadium, they can take their team and shove it where the walleye swim (or something like that). My favorite line was this one:
"Minnesotans are sensible people and they would approve a stadium plan that makes sense. They haven't seen one yet."
Um Nick, and any other Twins fans who share this sentiment? You're going to see the Twins leave town before you see a "deal that makes sense". Welcome to pro sports, friends, where fans get screwed. It's a matter of leverage, and in the case of Twins fans, they have none. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is footing the entire bill for a brand new stadium. Why? He has to. The man is making more money than God in the largest media market in the country, and he knows and Yankee fans know that he can't make more money in any other market. It's a wise decision to cough up massive amounts of money because he'll make that back 10-fold.
That is the exception, ladies and gentlemen, not the rule. Boston or Chicago (the Northside, that is) are the only other cities where owners could and should pay for the ballparks. Everyone else, including Minnesota, is going to have to pay out the nose to keep their team. If they don't like it, start cheering for the Yankees. As long as there's an open market of comparable size available (Viva Las Vegas, anyone?), the Twins are a threat to move if tax payers don't pay for a new stadium.
Now don't get me wrong here, I am NOT pro-owner. I think it's just as ridiculous as you do that billionaires making tons of money on sports franchises are taking tax payer dollars away from education, highways, and massive military spending (whoops, that's the federal government, sorry bout that) to spend on sports. I don't think it's right, but if you want to keep the Twins, that's how it's going to have to be. Ol' Tightwad Carl's buddy, Commissioner Bud, is on his side, not yours. He was fully ready to contract the Twins, so he won't have any problem letting his pal move the team to Vegas or Portland or Charlotte if it means him making more money. The owners won't stop him either, because it's in their best interests for them all to make the most money possible.
As a Mariners fan, I've been in this situation. In the mid-'90's, the team threatened to move if the city of Seattle didn't cough up a new stadium. The fans relented, we got one of the best ballparks in baseball, and Seattle is now a baseball town. Of course this doesn't guarantee you success. Three of the best players of the last two decades, Griffey, The Unit and A-Rod, all left town, and we currently have a $90 million-plus payroll and will probably finish last in the AL West- for the third year in a row. But at least we still have a team. Hey I agree that Minnesotans are sensible, and that they do know a good deal when the see one. But if you want to wait for that "good deal" to come along, while you're waiting the moving trucks will be taking your Twins off to some other town. I'm not saying it's right, but that's just how it is. Welcome to being a sports fan.

Jeff: Top 10

10. Andrei Kirilenko, F, Utah Jazz, 6'9, 225lbs, 24 yrs, 6yrs/$86.4 million, 38.2mpg, 15.6 ppg, 8.4reb, 4.4 apg, 1.69 stl, 2.75 blk, 20.43 PER
A 5 stat guy that does everything for you-- except lead. Hey I'd love to have this guy on my team doing anything I asked, but I have two problems: he's not a go-to guy, and he's making $86 MILLION FOR THE NEXT 6 YEARS!!!! AK47 at $50 mill? Love him. At $86 mill? Hmmmm not so sure. Great young talent who's underappreciated and overpaid. Coolest nickname in the league, though.

9. Gilbert Arenas, G, Washington Wizards, 6'4, 210lbs, 24 yrs, 4yrs/$46.2 million, 41.8mpg, 27.9 ppg, 3.7 reb, 5.9 apg, 1.8 stl, 22.72 PER
Wow, anybody else surprised by his scoring this year? A me-first type of point, but the 5.9 assists is respectable, and the 27.9 ppg and over 40 minutes a nice more than makes up for it. A reasonable contract for one of the 5 best points in the league. Memo to K. McHale: this is what can happen when you use your 2nd round pick on talent instead of an overrated, undersized Big 10 player. Just throwing it out there.

8. Chris Paul, G, New Orleans/Oklahoma City/Okabogee Hornest, 6'0, 175lbs, 20 yrs, 5 yrs/$20.8 million, 36 mpg, 16.3 ppg, 5.7 reb, 7.8 apg, 2.2 stl, 22.14 PER,
Where to even start with this kid? What impresses you most? THe assists? Rebounds? steals? An almost 3-1 assist-turnover ration? Yes he's only 6'0, but he's not as reckless going to the rim as Iverson, so I think his frame can hold-up. The only thing left for him to do to complete the Isiah Thomas comparison is win 2 titles, get left off the Olympic team, and single-handedly destroy an entire minor league, AND a prominent NBA franchise. I'm personally hoping the last two end up being the WNBA (wait who am I kidding? The CBA was WAY better than the WNBA!) and the Lakers.

7. Carmelo Anthony, F, Denver Nuggets, 6'8, 230lbs, 21 yrs, 3 yrs/$14.6 million, 36.6 mpg, 25.7 ppg, 5.3 reb, 1.22 stl, 21.43 PER
Yeah the age is not a typo there. In his 3 year career he's been labeled NBA savior, then a baby, and now "The New Bernard King". It was unfair to compare the kid to Lebron, only because so few people on planet earth have Lebron's maturity at 18 or 19. Melo's taken some time to mature, and has taken his lumps for it, but I honestly think he's better off without the Lebron comparisons now. He's a lethal scorer who wants and makes big shots, and believe it or not, has been much more clutch than LBJ early in their careers. Whoops, there's another Lebron comparison.
One other comment: Yes, Joe Dumars has built the NBA's best team in Detroit, but if I'm a Pistons fan, I'd still be upset we passed on Melo for $%^&ing Darko! Dumars can hum and haw all he wants about how "we had Tayshaun already" and "where he start on this team" and everything else. Stop it. You had the #2 pick in the draft and you're getting NOTHING from him. No team in basketball history couldn't use a 20 point-a-game scorer. With Melo the Pistons would be making a serious run at 80 wins- I'm not kidding. As the Jer would say "I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin.'"

6. Greg Oden, C, Lawrence North High School (Indianapolis, IN), 7'0, 245lbs, 18yrs
Being called by people smarter than me the best high school center since Shaquille O'Neal (remember Tim Duncan, from the Virgin Islands, was relatively unknown at the time). Could he just as easily be the next Eddy Curry as the next David Robinson? Absolutely, but the potential of being a once-in-generation center puts him this high. Thanks to the new draft rule, we'll all get a good look at him at Ohio State next year when he should destroy the Big 10 before going to the draft. If New Orleans/Oklahoma/Aberdeen was smart, Chris Paul would fake an injury next year to give them the best shot at him. Paul and Oden together? Wow. Instead he'll probably be wasted on the Raptors. Thanks to Isiah Thomas, at least the Knicks can't get him.

5. Chris Bosh, F/C, Toronto Raptors, 6'10. 230lbs, 21 yrs, 3 yrs/$13.3 million, 38.9 pmg, 22.9 ppg, 9.2 reb, 1.08 blk, 23.69 PER
If I didn't loathe Toronto as much as I do, I'd also feel sorry for any basketball fans they have there. First Vince Carter quits on them, they get literally nothing for him, and then he turns back into an allstar. Now Chris Bosh is making the leap just in time for Raptors fans to realize there's absolutely no way he'll resign there. Honestly, what has a better chance of happening: Chris Bosh resigning with the Raptors, or Canada renouncing beer? We're maybe 5 years away from contracting the Raptors, and I think we should take New Orleans/Oklahoma/Tombstone, and Orlando down with them. But of course that makes WAY too much sense to ever happen.

4. Dwight Howard, F/C, Orlando Magic, 6'11, 240 lbs, 20 yrs, 4 yrs/$23.2 million, 37 mpg, 15.3 ppg, 12.5 reb, 1.57 blk, 19.37 PER
Two words: "Man Child." Or "Moses Malone". Hey I'll admit I thought Orlando should have gone with the sure thing and taken Okafor instead of Howard. You just never know with high school kids how hard they're going to work until AFTER they've signed a 5 year guaranteed deal. Howard showed from day 1 he's the real deal, and because of the potential, high school kids keep getting taken so high. But as NBA GM, I'd still be nervous. Not the case with Howard though, a double-double machine for the next decade. Can he be the go-to guy, and become a 20-15 behemouth? Time will tell, but we know if it doesn't happen, it won't be because of a lack of effort.

3. Dwayne Wade, G, Miami Heat, 6'4, 212 lbs, 24yrs, 3 yrs/$11.8 million, 39mpg, 27 ppg, 5.9 reb, 6.9 ast, 2.0 stl, 28.01 PER
To me, the top 3 guys are head and shoulders better than anybody else on the list, but there's not much separating them from each other. Wade's "only" the third best player despite the fact he's proven more than the other two guys. He not only puts up monster numbers in the regular season, but proved last post-season he's capable of carrying a team by himself. Shaq was right when he said "this is Dwayne Wade's team". Too bad Shaq didn't tell that to Pat Riley, who went out and got Jason Williams and Antoine Walker to take shots away from Wade. Look when you have two dominant players, you surround them with complimentary guys, NOT selfish ball-hogging, no-talent ass-clowns. Not only that, he clogged up the salary cap for the next 3 years. Good thing Dwayne will only be 27 when they get some flexibility back.

2. Amare Stoudamire, F, Phoenix Suns, 6'10, 245 lbs, 23 yrs, 6 yrs/$75.2 million, 36.1 mpg, 26.0 ppg, 8.9 reb, 1.6 blk, 26.71 PER
Obviously this is contigent on his knee healing, and him returning to 100% health. He's due back in March, and considering the Suns are leading the Pacific with a solid hold on the #2 seed, if I'm Phoenix I'm keeping him out till April. Give him two weeks to get in shape, and then be ready to go for the playoffs. At just 23, he's ready to overtake Duncan as the league's best big man, and considering he AVERAGED almost 38 & 10 in the western conference finals loss to the Spurs last year, I don't think that's going out on a limb. IF he's healthy for the playoffs, I think they've got a great shot to knock off the Spurs.

1. Lebron James, G, Cleveland Cavaliers, 6'8, 240lbs, 21 yrs, 3 yrs/$21.1 million, 41.8 mpg, 30.9 ppg, 6.9 reb, 6.5 ast, 1.64 stl, 28.70 PER
You were expecting Darko? Three years in it's safe to say he's the best combination of size and skill we've ever seen. The question now should be: can you teach a killer instinct? Thus far in his career, we haven't seen it, and I know a lot of things come with age, but I don't know if that will to dominate is one of them. He hasn't had a great supporting cast in the past, and he certainly has less to work with than others even this year. Basketball fans love him for his passing talents, but those have diminished as his scoring has gone up, yet when the game's on the line, he seems more apt to pass instead of score. Am I wrong? I hope so, and this post-season will be VERY telling for me on just whether King James really can challenge MJ as the greatest of all-time. He's got the ability, but does he have the will? Will he be MJ, or the NBA's version of Peyton Manning/A-Rod?

Jeff: Top 25 Under 25 (11-20)

20. LaMarcus Aldridge, Sophomore, PF, Texas Longhorns, 6'10, 240lbs, 32.7 mpg, 16.1ppg, 9.2 reb, 2.0 blk,
He's probably the #1 pick in June, and looks to have a pretty solid skill set for a big guy. Still, he's the best low post player in college and he doesn't even average a double-double? Shouldn't 20 & 10 be a norm for this guy? This whole Longhorn team is extremely talented and yet they don't bring it every night, so I wonder if Aldridge is letting that affect him, or if it's the other way around. The only UT game I've seen all year was the 31 pt blood-letting Duke laid on them, and he had the most invisible 21 pts I've seen all year.

19. Channing Frye, C, New York Knicks, 6'11, 248lbs, 22 yrs, 5yrs/$14.4 million, 25.9mpg, 13.8 ppg, 5.9 reb, 0.7 blk, 19.76 PER
The numbers aren't gaudy, but he's played very well for an otherwise terrible Knicks team. I wasn't all that impressed with him at Arizona, but credit Isiah Thomas for getting a good one here. Now the challenge is not to let the other knuckleheads on the team ruin a good kid. Best of luck with that. Like Bogut he won't be a superstar, but will be a border-line all star guy in the mould of a Jamal Magloire, and there's about 23 other teams in the L who would love to have that.

18. Marvin Williams, F, Atlanta Hawks, 6'9, 230lbs, 19 yrs, 5yrs/$25.5 million, 22.4 mpg, 6.8 ppg, 4.5 reb, 10.75 PER
The rebuilding Hawks took Marvin as a potential pick, and he still has plenty of it. However, with how well Chris Paul is playing in Oklahoma/New Orleans/Timbuktoo and how glaring the team's need is for a point guard, this pick isn't looking so good for them. Williams does have a ton of raw talent, and could very well be one of the best players in this draft. But, would you rather have him be as good as Paul in 5 years, or have an all-star PG from day one? I thought so.

17. Joe Johnson, G/F, Atlanta Hawks, 6'7, 230lbs, 24 yrs, 5 yrs/$85 million, 39.9 mpg, 19.8 pts, 4.2 reb, 5.8 ast, 1.3 stl, 17.75 PER
If it weren't for that outrageous contract, he'd be higher on the list for me. With that said, he is leading his team in minutes played, scoring, assists, and steals. If it were any other team besides the Hawks, the worst in the league, that would sound even better, but at least Johnson is giving effort in a seemingly hopeless situation. At least Atlanta has a couple of pieces to build around.

16. Adam Morrison, Junior, SF, Gonzaga Bulldogs, 6'8, 210lbs, 20 yrs 36.7 mpg, 29 ppg, 5.9 reb, 1.1 stl
I think at worst he's a better pro than Wally Szczerbiak. Their measurables are about the same, they both make a dump truck look quick or agile, neither are great rebounders, and they both lack, um, shall we say desire and talent on the defensive end. Wally right now is a better 3pt shooter than Morrison, although it should be noted he only shot 39% his senior year at Miami(OH) and 43% for his career. Morrison has struggled to hit the three consistently in the past, but this year is a respectable 42%. Once you move inside the arc on offense, however, there's no comparison. Wally can't dribble, and therefore can't create his own shot, he has trouble attacking the rim, and hasn't been good hitting contested shots and drawing fouls inside. Morrison has taken nothing but contested shots this season, hitting on 52% from the field, and is leading the nation in free throw attempts (181) and makes (142) at 78.5%. Not only that, but his 29 ppg has come against much stronger competition than Szczerbiak's 24.2ppg his senior year. The biggest difference to me between the two is that Wally's a shooter- Morrison's a scorer, and I'd rather have the scorer any day. Again, AT WORST Morrison's better than Wally, who's currently averaging 19.9 a night with lesser skills. Morrison's ceiling is definitely not Larry Legend, but I think he could be a 20+ ppg scorer. Brace yourselves, but I'm going to do the unthinkable, and compare a white guy to an african-American player; I think Morrison COULD put up Glenn Big Dog Robinson-type of numbers.

15. TJ Ford, PG, Milwaukee Bucks, 6'0, 165lbs, 22 yrs, 3 yrs/$9.18 million, 36.8 mpg, 12.2 ppg, 4.5 reb, 6.4 ast, 11.51 PER
Listed at 6'0, but actually closer to 5'9, Ford still has a chance to be special. He might be the fastest and quickest player in the league whose initials aren't AI, his turnovers are down, and that 4.5 rpg (6th among PG's) is not a typo. Had a scary spinal injury that kept him out all of last year, but he seems to have rebounded well. Health at his slight stature, as well as a jumpshot, will always be questions, but the Bucks have themselves a real-deal true point for a long time.

14. Emeka Okafor, C, Charlotte Bobcats, 6'10, 255lbs, 23 yrs, 4yrs/$20.8 million, 33.7mpg, 13.2 ppg, 10 reb, 1.92 blk, 15.2 PER
Speaking of health issues, Okafor will be a solid player for many years, and will start getting some all-star recognition if two things happen: the Bobs start winning, and Okafor stays healthy. Neither are guaranteed. He had back trouble at UConn,which is always scary for an undersized center, and is back on the IR again this year with an ankle injury. A tough kid with good timing and a great attitude, and a very reasonable contract for a young center. If he can stay healthy, the Bobs have a good one.

13. Kirk Hinrich, PG, Chicago Bulls, 6'3, 190lbs, 24.9999999 yrs, 3yrs/$9.59 million, 36.2 mpg, 14.8 ppg, 3.5 reb, 6.5 ast, 15.12 PER
If a Bulls fan tells you "Hey I really like that Heiny" you don't have to punch him or worry he's just seen Brokeback Mountain. Hinrich is the ol' throwback type of point guard, with a great outside shot, and an almost 3-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's decent defensively and you won't have to worry about seeing him on the police blotter.

12. Al Jefferson, PF, Boston Celtics, 6'10, 255lbs, 21 yrs, 4ys/$9.1 million, 18.9 mpg, 8.4 ppg, 5.3 reb, .87 blk, 17.06 PER
His "PER" average tells you the kid just needs a chance, and as the Sports Guy said, if GM Danny Ainge keeps clearing out overpriced vets, coach Doc Rivers will have no choice but to play the kid 35 mins a night. Wide body with good feet, soft hands, and understands how to use it all on the offensive end. Has franchise player potential, and the C's have him at a bargain basement price for another 4 years.

11. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs, 6'2, 177lbs, 23 yrs, 6yrs/$66 million, 34.7mpg, 19.3 ppg, 3.8 reb, 5.7 ast, 1.17 stl, 21.78 PER
I'm the first to admit I hate the Spurs, and I've never been a big Parker guy. I think the fact he's dating Eva is the only reason he's this high for me. I know, I know he's won two titles, his numbers are outstanding, and he's only 23. Still I think he's a product of the Spurs system, and without Duncan he's an above-average PG at best. He's a woeful outside shooter, and I still don't understand why guys don't stand at the free throw line and let him chuck up bricks all day- OH yeah, they're too busy staring at his girlfriend to D up.

Jeff: Top 25 Under 25

The general question here is: if you could have any player under the age of 25 (I'm limiting it to the NBA, college, and one particular high school senior), who would you have? Keep in mind, NBA salary (if he's drawing one) IS a factor here, as are dirty mustaches and striped socks. Since this is MY list, there are going to be biases, and probably some guys I've forgotten (if you're one of the three or four Portland Blazers fans left on the planet, and happen to stumble upon this, I have not forgotten about Zach Randolph. Yes he's young and can average a double-double but his attitude is horrible and his contract is even worse. No thanks. Also I didn't forget about Darko either. He has no business being anywhere close to this list). Since both are a rare commodity these days, I am also partial to point guards, and big men who actually want to play in the paint. So if you're one of the seemingly endless supply of athletic wingmen, you're going to have to have something special to make the list. Guys like Charlie Villaneuva, Luol Deng, Josh & JR Smith, Danny Granger, Gerald Green and others are close, but not quite Top 25 material for me.
(All salaries courtesy of hoopshype.com. PER is ESPN.com's John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating. The league average is 15.00):

25. Kendrick Perkins, C, Boston Celtics, 6'10, 260lbs 21 yrs 3yrs/$4.5 million 17.3 mpg, 4.3 pts, 5.2 Reb, 1.3 blk, 12.69 PER
So you're wondering how Perkins gets on here but Darko doesn't? He hasn't shown much as a scorer, but if you give him twice the minutes (which would be pretty good for a starting post) you'd be getting 10 boards and 3 blocks a game. And the kid shoots over 50% from the field right now. High school bigs take at least 4 years to figure things out, and this is year 3 for Perkins. With Blount gone the big fella should get more time, and we'll see if his numbers take the expected jump.

24. Shaun Livingston, PG, LA Clippers, 6'7, 190lbs, 20 yrs, 4yrs/$17 million 26mpg, 6 pts, 4.3 ast, 1.0 stl, 10.32 PER
Has showed flashses of immense potential, but has also showed a propensity for getting hurt. Stats aren't pretty, and his jumper's even uglier, but had a solid April to close out last season, and has had moments this year. He's a couple of years away, but 6'7 point guards with his vision and skills don't come along very often. Clips will give him every opportunity to develop properly.

23. Rudy Gay, Sophomore, SF, UConn Huskies, 6'9, 220lbs, 20 yrs, 29.0 mpg, 15. ppg, 6.2 reb, 2.0 stl,
He's big, athletic, and has every skill in the book. So how is he only averaging 15 and 6 a game? If he was playing anywhere near the level of Adam Morrison or JJ Redick right now, his talented UConn team would be overwhelming favorites for the national title. We'll see if he shows heart and tenacity at the big dance. Has all the tools to be an NBA star, it's just a matter of using them.

22. Andrew Bogut, C, Milwaukee Bucks, 7'0, 245lbs, 21 yrs, 5yrs/$28.47 million, 29.2 mpg, 9.4 ppg, 7.8 reb, 1.07 blk, 16.67 PER
Not quite the stiff I envisioned him to be after the Bucks took him #1, but I'm still not as high on him as others. A decent first year, but really, what's his ceiling? I'm thinking a 15 and 10 guy tops, which means he won't be a star, but he's not going to be a 1st overall bust like Olowakandi either. It also puts him at the front of the line to kill a team's cap by getting vastly overpaid by Isiah Thomas or Chris Mullin someday.

21. Andre Iguodala, SF, Philadelphia Sixers, 6'6, 205lbs, 22 yrs, 4yrs/$10.9 million 38.1mpg, 12.0ppg, 5.9Reb, 1.5 stl 14.42 PER
Offense has been slow in coming, but he's shooting 50% from the field, 73% on free throws, and his 12ppg are on 8 SHOTS A GAME!! All-NBA Defense potential, he's one of those few guys these days who contributes in so many other ways coaches never want to take him out. His 38 mpg is a testiment to that.


11-20 later in the week...

Jeff: One Down, One to Go

If you're one of our three or four faithful readers the past couple of years (and a big thanks to you, by the way), you know when it comes to the Wolves, we've only had two problems with them: Kevin McHale, and Wally Szczerbiak. Well last night's trade to the Celtics at least solved one of those. Now if only we could find a way to get rid of the other. ESPN.com NBA guy Marc Stein actually liked the trade for the Wolves, but other than McHale, I think he's the only one. Both the Strib and Pioneer Press bashed the trade, and I thought Souhan's article summed it up especially well. He can expect a call from McHale's wife today after he actually had the nerve to call out Mr. Celtic.

For me personally, I would have been ok with this deal, had the #1 pick not been thrown in. I like Ricky Davis. I especially like Ricky Davis at about $19 million for the next three years instead of paying Wally $46 million for the next 4. Davis is a slasher, a career 19 ppg scorer, and he even plays some D. As for Wally, I don't know whose hearts broke more: the ladies of the Twin Cities, or small forwards from the other 29 teams in the L who won't get to light up Wally when they face the Pups. Although I will not make the argument here, a strong case could be made that Wally was the most overrated athlete in the history of pro sports in Minnesota. A career 15 ppg scorer who had ONE all-star appearance, I just never understood the fascination with the guy. He was a good outside shooter, but brought absolutely nothing else to the table. Nothing. And when the playoffs rolled around, he might as well have suited up for the opposing team, because the guy is a walking turnover when somebody actually gets in his face and guards him. Good riddance.

The biggest question is what is the Wolves direction here? Did this trade make them better, not only this year, but for the future? Only slightly. Davis is an upgrade on Wally, and I'm not sure Blount will be much better than Kandi was. Marcus Banks? The Wolves are in dire need of somebody who can run the point, and maybe all he needed was a change of scenery. Maybe. Yet despite the trade and a slight upgrade in talent, this team is STILL not a championship contender, and with their cap situation they're not going to be for the remainder of Garnett's contract, which runs out in 2009 (again thanks to hoopshype for all the salary info. My favorite new site). Blount and Troy Hudson average more than $6 million per year through 2010, and Jaric's deal is the same but with an extra year through 2011. By the end of those deals, you're looking at more than $20 million a season for three guys that are now completely untradeable. Trenton Hassell averages just under $5 million a season through 2010 as well, so combined with KG's remaining four years, you've got 5 guys taking up almost your entire cap, and three of them you couldn't give away if you tried (unless you threw in a 1st round pick, but aren't we out of those?). So there's no room for the remainder of the time Garnett's here to add that alpha dog he so desparately needs.

And then there's the draft picks. ESPN.com NBA stat guru John Hollinger rated every team on their drafts for the last 10 years, and Minnesota, all under McHale, were one of the six worst teams in the league. The joke about whether it's better or worse for McHale to keep his draft picks has become as old as the Ole and Lina joke's around Minnesota. But all kidding aside, other than Garnett and Marbury, McHale's track record of #1's he's kept has been awful. Other than Starbury and Wally, here's the other guys that have heard their names called by the Wolves in the 1st round since 1995:
Paul Grant (#20-1999), Rasho (#17-'98), Will Avery (#14-'99), Ndi Ebi (#26-'03), and McCants at 14 this past year. That's 7 guys drafted in the first round after KG got here, and now only McCants is left. I'm having trouble finding the words to express how awful that is, so feel free to choose your own. I mean trying to decide which is truly worse, the fact McHale cannot judge talent or the fact he gives away #'1 like candy on Halloween, is like choosing between Star Jones or Roseanne in a beauty contest. There are no winners, just like Timberwolves fans will never feel like winner as long as Kevin McHale continues to make basketball decisions for the team.

Jeremy: Fantastic...

Steve Aschburner of the Star Tribune had a fantastic description this morning describing the Timberwolves woes...
"If you want to think of the Timberwolves' 107-83 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night at Target Center as a measuring stick, a way of gauging the competitive distance between the Wolves as currently constituted and the NBA's most efficient, most selfless and most successful squad, you'll want to start with a standard 12-inch ruler.
Lay the ruler on the ground. Now place a yardstick at one end. Have a friend stand at that point holding the end of the longest tape measure you can find. Walk until you hit the tape's end.
Then get in a car, drive until the fuel level hits "E," step out and shoot off a flare gun.
That's how far away the Wolves appear to be, based on their worst home blowout of the season and a miserable performance in the second half of what was supposed to be a feisty, emotional night, given the return of former Wolves coach Flip Saunders."

Jeremy: Can't... think... clearly...

Yesterday, before we knew that the Ron Artest trade to Sacto had fallen through, Jeff sent me an email saying things like "good thing we didn't need Ron-Ron," and talking about how frustrating things are as a Timberwolves fan right now. I couldn't agree more.
I've tried to sit down and write about the Wolves at least 3 or 4 times in the past week and everytime I try to do it I just get so frustrated that I have to stop. But I think the Pistons game last night proves so clearly that this team, this franchise as a whole, has absolutely no business being anywhere near the conversation when it comes to championship teams, and right now I'm not even sure they deserve to be mentioned in the list of possible playoff teams.
So I guess it's time to spew...
The Wolves played fantastic basketball in the first half last night... as the Pistons coasted. The second half told the story: if the Pistons aren't the favorite to win the NBA Championship, then I don't know who is.
The conversation has come up many times about the possibility of KG not being a Timberwolf next year and I have avoided that conversation at all costs. I can't even think about KG playing basketball with another uniform on. He's my favorite athlete of all time and it's not even close. He embodies everything that is good about sports, while consciously working against everything that is wrong with sports. He's a team-first guy, he makes everyone around him better, he makes an impact in absolutely all aspects of the game, he doesn't have a shoe contract with behemoth Nike, he is active in the community, he is charitable throughout the country, he doesn't speak badly about his teammates or his coach in public, he respects the history of the game, he takes winning and losing personally, he puts winning above personal stats, he's loyal, and he works his tail off every single night. I get a little bit sick to my stomach just thinking about seeing KG playing for another team.
Having said that, if KG does decide to leave, I can't blame him. Kevin McHale has given KG no reason to believe that he's willing to do whatever it takes to put the pieces in place around KG to win a championship, and Boss Taylor has given KG no reason to believe that he doesn't put all of his trust in McHale. I don't want to see KG leave town, but given all of the factors in place, I wouldn't blame him one bit if he did.
I heard an interview with Flip Saunders on the radio Monday night where Flip was talking about how Glen Taylor called him after last season, just a few months after Flip had been fired from the Wolves, and Taylor asked Flip if he'd be willing to come back and coach the Wolves. This was the first time that I had heard this had happened and it absolutely blew me away. Making a call like that to Flip absolutely wreaks of Taylor second guessing what had happened, and perhaps wondering if McHale should have been the one to go instead. I hope that's what was going on, because McHale should have been the one to go. And good for Flip Saunders for saying no and for landing in the best job in the NBA with the Pistons. I hope the Pistons win the championship, and I hope that in the process he tells us what he really thinks of Kevin McHale.
There are far too many problems over the years with this franchise to even list. But let's take a look back...
Letting Gugliotta go for a song.
Not getting enough in return for Marbury.
Drafting...
Donyell Marshall
Isiah Junior J.R. Rider
Chrisitan Laettner
Will Avery
Ndudi Ebi
Igor Rakocevic (what?)
Rick Rickert
Blake Stepp (who?)
Letting Chauncey Billups go (yeah, we didn't need him).
McHale deciding to coach the team for half a season.
Signing Joe Smith to multiple illegal contracts.
The Flip Saunders firing.
And let's go ahead and add "making Kevin McHale the GM" to the list.

Not pretty.
A note on Wally Szczerbiak. If anybody still thinks that Wally is good enough to be the second scoring option on a competative team... let's remember that Wally is currently our second scoring option, and not only that, but he's having the best season of his career. We are 19-20, we are third in the worst division in basketball, and we are not competative. Any questions?

81

Jeff,
Everyone today is saying that Kobe's 81 points yesterday is upstaging
the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl matchup. Am I the only one who
heard that Kobe scored 81 points and yawned? I just don't care.
Should I? I don't think it's anything new that Kobe would take 46
shots in a game, so I'll give him one thing, at least he shot the ball
well, 61%. But honestly, when a guy shoots as much as Kobe does, and
is convinced (and rightfully so) that he's the only option on his
team, isn't he bound to have an obscene scoring night like this?
The arguement, of course, and as always, is that Kobe has to score in
bunches because he's the only option on the team, but let's not forget
that the reason he's the only option on the Lakers is because he
forced Jerry Buss to move Shaq out of town. He WANTED to be the only
option. He WANTED to have times where his team "needed" him to score
60+ points. He got what he wanted. He's the first option on the
Lakers. A team that may or may not make the playoffs. I'll tell you
what, if Kobe and the Lakers DO make the playoffs, then I'll care
about Kobe's 81. And oh yeah, that 81 came against the Raptors, who
just happen to be (in my opinion) one of the 10 worst teams in the
NBA.
Okay, I'll be honest, I do care. It's an incredible stat, it's an
incredible game. It's pretty unreal and who knows if anyone will come
close to breaking Wilt's record ever again. But in this day of all
that matters is scoring, and the teams that are actually winning
championships are the ones that do everything well, not just scoring,
I'm hesitant to care too much. Yeah, Kobe can score... but he's not a
winner (without Shaq). He doesn't do anything to make the players
around him better, so he's not doing anything to make his team better.
Yes, 81 points in a single, non-OT game, is unreal, but all Kobe is
building is his stat sheet, not a winner, and shouldn't that be what
matters?
Your thoughts?
The Jer

Jer,
Kobe could have scored 181 points last night, and it still wouldn't have upstaged the NFL playoffs. It was a huge accomplishment, but in the mind of the average sports fan, the NFL is still more important than anything that happens in the NBA.
As for the 81 pts, I don't care if it took him 81 shots, 81 pts is incredible. The fact he did it, like you mentioned, shooting 61%, I mean, that's Jordan-esque. Here's where you abandon me as a friend, but I'll admit it: I've enjoyed watching Kobe this year. I still don't like Kobe, but for the first time in his career, he's actually playing like Jordan. It kills me to say it, but he is. The man is averaging 36 a game on 45% shooting (3rd among shooting guards), 83% on free throws (5th), 5.6 boards (2nd), and 4.3 assists (numero uno among SG's). Now, we both agree that he HAS to do this, because there's nobody else to do it other than Odom (who only averages about 12 shots a game), and you're absolutely right in saying that it's his own fault there's noone else to help. Yes, he forced out Shaq, and yes, I think they'd be the best team in the league IF they still had Shaq. For that reason alone I don't think the guy should win MVP because he single-handedly destroyed a championship team, and that doesn't seem very "valuable" to me.
However, if Kobe's goal was to win a championship "his way" he still may get his wish. The crop of free agents for 2006 is poor at best, but next summer, for 2007, it's downright scary. IF, and that's a big if, Laker GM Mitch Kupchak (spelling?) plays his cards right, he'll have Kobe and Odom, and plenty of room for at least one big-name free agent. Right now that's all the Lakers need to get right back to the Championship level.
And remember: Kobe's only 27.
Jeff

Jeff: The Monday Musings

- Well I guess Steve Smith is human after all. The Hawks defended him well, and because Carolina had no other weapons, and absolutely zero ground game, Seattle could cover Smith with 3 guys and send the other 8 after Jake Delhomme. Smith is still the best receiver this year, but really, who'd we think he was? Chuck Norris (www.chucknorrisfacts.com)?

- I know having 2 weeks off before the Super Bowl gives both teams time to rest and heal, but I still hate it for all the over-hype. The playoffs are supposed to be grueling, and injuries are apart of the game. Play the next week like you're supposed to.

- People will make a big deal about a #1 seed Seattle being underdogs in Vegas to the #6 seed Pittsburgh (early line is the Steelers -4.5). Don't be one of them. Two reasons why:
* Vegas puts out lines to make money. They don't make money if everyone bets on one team. Because Pittsburgh has one of the largest nationwide followings in the league (along with the Cowboys and Raiders), the Steelers could be sending their practice squad team to Detroit (who could probably beat the Lions- ZING! Oh the Burn! A deep burn! It's so deep!), and you'd still get a ton of people betting on them. The Seahawks, on the other hand, have a minimal following outside the Pacific Northwest, so Vegas needs to encourage more people to rally around the Hawks.
* This Pittsburgh team is also not a normal #6 seed, and you'll hear a lot about this too. Before QB Ben Roethlisberger got hurt midway through the year, this was one of the three best teams in football. If he hadn't gotten hurt, they could have very well overtaken Denver for the AFC's #2 seed. So if you're a Steelers fan, not that we'd ever encourage betting, but um, put your popsicle sticks down now, because the line is only going up. If you're a Hawks fan, or think they can win, be patient.

Two Vikings-related thoughts:
1) When talking about the Daunte Contract-gate from last week, let's pull out the ol' cliche "where there's smoke, there's fire." Maybe Daunte didn't really want his agent to ask for more money, but I don't this his agent came up with the idea on his own either. This smells to me like a ploy for Daunte to force his way out of Minnesota. I say that because if Daunte was truly happy here, you wouldn't hear anything from him, and he'd be more willing to meet with the new staff than he has been. The Vikings have another former all-pro that was hurt all year, and yet we haven't heard anything negative about the team or his contract from him or his agent. That guy is Matt Birk. Also keep in mind that as fragile as Daunte's confidence and ego seem to be, I'd still rather take my chances with getting him healthy and seeing what he does in a new system before I kick him to the curb. Good quarterbacks aren't exactly growing on trees lately.
2) I'm loving all the young new coordinators the Vikings are hiring. From everything I've read, these guys were primed for better jobs in the next year or two. Better to get them now and let them learn together, than to miss out on them down the road. I do like this whole "we have an owner who actually wants to win and spend money" thing.

And finally two Packer-related comments:
1) I will never understand this argument, which I've heard from more than a few former Vikings fans that have become Packer fans: they stopped cheering for Minnesota because they think Vikings fans are too fair-weather, and that Packer fans are more loyal. Um, maybe it's just me, but by you jumping ship to the Vikings' biggest rival for that reason, doesn't that make YOU even worse than fair weather?
2) I don't like to brag, but Zygy Wilf asked me to establish the official position for Vikings fans on the topic of Brett Favre's retirement, and here it is:
We want Brett to keep playing. For as long as he possibly can. We've known for awhile that his dilusional Packer faithful still think he's the QB he was 10 years ago, but after watching him this past season, it's obvious HE still thinks he's the QB he was 10 years ago. If he keeps playing it means more 28 INT seasons for him, and therefore more losses for the Pack. Not only that, but there will be no progress for Aaron Rodgers, or for anybody else, and Favre takes up a ton of cap room, not allowing them to build a better defense or address other needs. So please, Brett, on behalf of the state of Minnesota, keep playing.

Jeff: The Musings O' Monday

Forrest Gump's mama certainly knew what she was talking about: in the age of parody the NFL IS like a box of chocolates; you just never know what you're going to get. After three of four road teams won on wildcard weekend, I, like many, figured normalcy would return, and home serve would mean something. Seattle and Indy were heavy favorites, and although I wanted to see both Carolina and Denver win, I wasn't sure it would happen. Sitting here on a Monday off, watching the Wolves bury the Knicks (this just in- the Knicks are NOT a good basketball team), I'm left with so many NFL questions, and so few answers (although I haven't read Peter King's MMQB or Len Pasquareli's Morning After yet. BTW, if you're a football fan, those are must-reads). Who would have thought that both New England, the clutchest team in the last decade, and Indy, the closest thing to a dominant team this year, both lose? Or speaking of dominant, that Chicago's D would get lit up AT HOME for 434 yards by warm-weather Carolina? And if you're one of three or four people that are familiar with Seattle's cursed history, although they were heavy favorites it's a mild surprise they actually did what they were supposed to do.

A question then from each game:
Carolina 29, Chicago 20
Honestly, how good is Panthers receiver Steve Smith (12 catch, 218 yds, 2 TD-oh and he ran for another 26 too)?
To paraphrase Red from Shawshank Redemption "the last thing that went through the Chicago Bears heads is how in the hell did Steve Smith ever get the best of them?" It's become a cliche to say that Smith is the ONLY weapon in the Panthers offense, but seriously, when one of the best defenses in football have a week to prepare for him and he not only beats them but DESTROYS them? What do you do with that? What else is the guy capable of? Could he cure cancer? Find Bin Laden? Talk KG into staying in Minnesota? Nothing would surprise me anymore. For the record, Smith IS the only option Carolina has. Here's their 2006 regular season stats:
Smith had 103 of the teams 269 receptions (that's 38%), 1563 of 3485 yards (45%), and 12 of 25 TD's (48%). No other Carolina receiver had more than 34 catches, 441 yds, or 4 TD's. And for the record, his numbers yesterday were good for half the teams catches, 68% of their receiving yards, and 2/3rds of their TD's. As Ron Burgandy would say "I'm not even mad- that's AMAZING!"

Pittsburgh 21, Indianapolis 18
Will Peyton Manning EVER win the big one?
I think we all got the answer yesterday, and it was a resounding "NOPE!" If Manning couldn't win it this year, with homefield advantage, the Patriots in a down year, and no real threat from the NFC, I don't know if it ever happens. At about the halfway point of the year, I conceded I was wrong about Peyton. That he wasn't the NFL's version of Alex Rodriguez after all, and that he really could put up stellar numbers and be a leader when it mattered most. So much for that theory. Hey give the guy credit for making the valiant comeback, but they had some, ahem help, to get as far as they did and still blew it. Although Vanderjagt completely shanked that kick, I have to ask why Peyton's going for the gusto on 3rd and 2 instead of converting the 1st down? They make a short completion or a handoff to Edge and the drive continues, or at the very least Vanderjagt has a shorter field goal try. Bottom line is the great ones aren't remembered because they ALMOST make the comeback.

And how ridiculous was that call on Polamalu's interception? When the ref went "under the hood" to look at it on replay, there's no doubt in my mind that he wasn't looking at the replay at all, but instead a video feed directly to Commissioner Tagliabue's office, who was demanding he overturn it so the Colts could get to the Super Bowl. That call was such a blatant screw job I almost thought I was watching a Lakers playoff game.

Denver 27, New England 13
Am I More Annoyed with Bronco fans or Boston Fans?
After my freshman year of college, when the Broncos beat the Packers in the Super Bowl, I swore I would never cheer for the Broncos again under any circumstances. I was SO sick of my Colorado buddies bragging about how great the Broncos were, I almost wished the Packers had won instead. But I'll admit it: I was kind of cheering for Denver on Saturday, and was certainly not sad to see them win. That tells you how sick I am of all the Boston whining between the Red Sox and Patriots, and you just KNOW we're going to get flooded with whiny Northeasterners lamenting their playoff woes. Hey Boston: the whining was cute when you guys hadn't won in 80 years, but when your baseball team finally wins-WITH THE 2nd HIGHEST PAYROLL- and your football team wins 3 of 4 Super Bowls, I think I speak for all of us when I say SHUT THE HELL UP! WE DONT CARE ANYMORE!! Thank you.

At the same time, I don't want to hear from the people in Denver, Pittsburgh, or Austin either. Don't whine to me about how your team "gets no respect". You know how you get respect? Earn it. Win a #$%^& game, and you'll get your respect. Try cheering for the Vikings, Mariners, Canucks or Gophers and then you can talk to me about unfair.

Seattle 20, Washington 10
Why isn't Seattle the favorites to win Super Bowl XL?
Let's see, along with Denver, they've got the best record of the 4 teams left, they've got the MVP, an underrated defense and quarterback, and a coach that's won a Super Bowl. And still nobody gives them a chance. If Alexander is truly 100% next week, how are they not the best team? I mean sure, next week Steve Smith will have 34 catches for 944 yards and 17 TD's while scaling Mt. Rainer, brewing a more popular cup of coffee than Starbucks, and becoming the 1st legitimate left fielder in Mariners history, but the Seahawks should still win right? Right?

Jeff: Thought For the Day

Who'll have better attendance next season: the Minnesota Lynx or the Minnesota Timberwolves?

Right now, with a top 5 player in Kevin Garnett, the Wolves are still a distant fourth on Minnesota's pro sports radar behind the Vikings, Twins, and Wild. As underwhelming as the Wolves have been, currently at 15-16 after their hot start, Minny sits just a game out of first place in the league's worst division, which, under the current playoff format, means a #3 seed in the first round. That's definitely something to play for and hope for, and yet for the umpteenth year in a row, Minnesota hasn't gotten behind its NBA team. If interest is this poor now, just wait till the coming offseason...

Kevin Garnett WILL be traded, and judging by the last three trades involving NBA superstars (Shaq, T-Mac, and Vince Carter), Minnesota will be lucky to get 50 cents on the dollar for him- and that's IF we had a competent GM (we don't, but looking around the league we're certainly not alone). I usually hate it when guys whine their way out of town, but KG deserves better than this. He's been here 11 years, has busted his ass everytime on the court, and has been more than a model citizen to boot. You can't ask for anything more out of a professional athlete than KG has given. You just can't. He has every right to demand a trade to try and get a championship somewhere else, because it's obvious it's not happening here- Kevin McHale has seen to that. (And I think that's what bothers me most about all of this: I've been screaming for years about how terrible McHale is at his job. Now people are finally starting to see the light, and instead of getting angry about it and demanding something be done, people here just throw up their hands like "Golly gee, whatareya gonna do? That Kevin McHale is just sucha nice guy doncha know!" Part of the blame needs to go on Glen Taylor too, for having unfounded loyalty for a guy that's driven his franchise into the ground. He took McHale's side and it cost us one of the league's top coaches in Flip Saunders (although don't get me wrong, I think Dwayne Casey will be a good coach), and now his loyalty to McHale is going to cost us the greatest athlete in the history of the state: and nobody seems that worried about it!)

But I digress. After Garnett goes, what are you left with? Brace yourself, this won't be pretty: first off, we won't have a first round pick, unless we get one in trade, because McHale shipped it to the Clippers ALONG WITH AN EXPIRING CONTRACT for Marko F@#$ing Jaric. The free agent crop is thin to begin with, and once KG leaves we'll turn into Utah or Atlanta North, as in good luck trying to lure free agents here, so you're going to have to overpay mediocre players just to fill out a roster. Next season's starting lineup will probably consist of Hudson, Jaric, Wally, Griffin, and some overpaid center like Nazr Mohammed, or Lorenzen Wright in the middle. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2006-07 Minnesota Timberwolves!!! Please, they'll be giving away tickets at Lynx and high school games just to fill the lower bowl.

A word to the few true Wolves fans out there: get to Target Center before May, because it's not only the last time you'll see KG in a Wolves uniform, it won't be long before this team is forced to move to Kansas City or St Louis. And you'll have Kevin McHale to blame for it, except of course, that nobody will "because ah gee he's such a nice guy!"

Jeremy: Child(ress)like Excitement

The most exciting facet of the Vikings hiring Brad Childress, former offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles...

BRING ON THE MUSTACHE ERA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeff: Heisman Voters Got It Right

Weeks from now, when Longhorn fans finally stop celebrating a well-earned National Championship, the first thing they should do is send thank you notes to the folks at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City. Texas QB Vince Young was seated at the famous club, along with last year's winner and last night's adversary, Matt Leinart, and watched Leinart's teammate Reggie Bush walk off with the Heisman trophy. A trophy Young thought HE deserved, and boy did he ever make a convincing argument at the Rose Bowl. In what at times seemed to be single-handedly guiding the #2 Horns past #1 USC in one of the best college football games ever, Young proved he was the best player on the best stage. However, this doesn't mean the Heisman voters got it wrong.

Based on the games played in 2005 BEFORE the bowls, Reggie Bush was the nation's best player, and the one most deserving of the Heisman trophy. I totally agree with the argument that has been made before, and certainly will be many times again after last night, that they shouldn't hand out the Heisman, or any other award, until after the Bowl games. I mean, if bowl game stats count for the regular season, and they're THE most important game, why shouldn't that factor into the Heisman voting? That would be like the NFL naming its Pro Bowl lineups with 2 games left to play...ok, ok bad example, but you know what I mean. If the Heisman was handed out AFTER the bowl games, which it should be, then no question Vince Young is your winner. But because they don't, Reggie Bush was still the deserving recipient. Remember that when people are anointing Vince Young the greatest player in the history of the world and how unfair it was for him to get shafted. If it hadn't happened, who knows how this game turns out? As a matter of fact, let's put a little perspective on the three guys EVERYONE was talking about before the game:

VINCE YOUNG: 30-40, 267 YDS passing, 19 car 200 yds, 3 TD rushing
What a performance. Watching the game at my buddy Luke's house with 9 other guys (on a 52" HDTV-the ONLY way to watch a game), we were all amazed at Young's balance. When he runs he looks like he's jogging (or maybe it's a silent J, like "yogging" I don't know, apparently you just run), and he doesn't have the breath-taking moves that Mike Vick or Bush does, and yet the guy runs for almost 200 yds and at least 3 TD's for his 2nd consecutive Rose Bowl. Just the subtle cut or shake and guys could not tackle him. Plus he threw the ball really well last night too, which has always been the question with him. He's as crazy as he is gifted if he returns for his senior season. After that performance he has nothing left to prove, and nothing more to gain. He'll get better as a passer in an NFL system than he will coming back to the run-heavy Texas system, and after last night, he's a slam-dunk top 5 pick.

However, he's NOT as fast as Mike Vick. I point that out because Vick tore up college football in much the same fashion as Young has done, and yet Vick is rarely able to duplicate that on the next level. VY needs to keep improving as a passer, because running QB's do not win Super Bowls with their legs. Steve Young and John Elway both won Super Bowls by staying in the pocket, and using their feet to buy time. Yes, he's an incredibly gifted young man, and was a man among boys last night, but he's not going to be able to run all day in the NFL. Guys up there are too fast, and even a kid as strong as VY will get hurt running too much. Just ask Daunte Culpepper. He's not as fast as Vick, but he's much further along as a passer as Vick was. Vince should enter the draft, but I'd be shocked if he went ahead of Leinart.

MATT LEINART: 29/40 365 1 TD, 1 INT
People will probably remember the last play where he couldn't get rid of the ball and time ran out, but I put that on the two dumb timeouts his team called (the third was called after Leinart got his bell rung on the 2nd half run, and looked like he couldn't remember if he was in Pasadena or Portland), and his line breaking down. You can't blame Leinart for USC's loss. The game wouldn't have been close without him. In the biggest game of his life he completes 72% of his passes, and was absolutely unconscious in the 2nd half. He is example numero uno, however, on why Vince Young should go pro: Leinart, like VY, was the Golden Boy last year. Now? The same people who put him on the pedestal are the same ones trying to throw him off. Go out on top. The only positive for Leinart getting outplayed by VY is that maybe the Saints will draft Young instead of him. And you know what that means: he either goes to Tennessee and dates a different hot country singer every week, or he goes to New York where he breaks Wilt Chamberlain's scoring record. No, not that one...yeah, THAT one!

REGGIE BUSH: 13 car 82 YDS 1 TD, 6 CTH 95 YDS
Yes, the lateral was dumb, but look at those numbers: that's 177 yds on just 19 touches, an average of 9.3 per touch. He's still every bit the deserving Heisman winner he was all season. Please don't let the Bush haters fool you: nothing about last night should change the perspective on Mr. Bush. We KNEW going into the game he's not going to be a 25 carry-a-game-guy. He should, and will, be the #1 pick to the Texans, and if used correctly in the NFL (like Marshall Faulk) he'll be a star for a long, long time. The guy is a game-breaker and will dramatically change whichever team drafts him. Vince Young was just better last night.

What surprised me last night is that SC didn't use Lendale White more. The man had 20 carries for 124 and 3 TD's (Mr. Wilf, PLEASE DRAFT LENDALE WHITE!!!), and at 235 pounds, was killing anybody who tried to tackle him. Up until last night, the Trojans coaching staff had exploited the easiest matchup; if a team had a good run D, well then Leinart would throw all day. If they were stout up the middle or slow to the edges, like Fresno State, then that meant a big day for Mr. Bush. Coming into the game the Texas D was ranked 33rd against the run, and despite the presence of behemoth DT Rodrique Wright, SC had an obvious advantage going between the tackles. Maybe the fact this was Bush and Leinart's last game was the reason they didn't use White more, but if they had, they might be talking 3-peat instead of what could have been (oh and that Dwayne Jarrett guy's pretty good too, hey? There's your Trojan Heisman candidate for 2006. You know the Detroit Lions are pissed he won't be available in the first round this year).

All in all, that's probably the best college game I've ever seen, and one of the best individual performances by VY. UT fans will be saying a lot of "I told you so's" and deservedly so, but they should also be thanking those same people who doubted the Longhorns, because it gave Young and his boys the Texas-sized chip on their shoulder that helped spur them to victory.

Jeremy: Seepy time...

You know those people who went to bed when USC was beating Texas by 12 points with 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night at the Rose Bowl? Can you believe those people? Can you believe that they had the audacity to count out Vince Young and the Longhorns? Can you believe that they doubted the lore of the National Championship Game? Can you believe they were so tired that they couldn't have stayed up and watched for just another 30-45 minutes?
Okay, yes, I went to bed, alright? Let's just get that out of the way. I was watching the game in bed and I fell asleep. I woke up and looked at the t.v. to see USC kicking an extra point to go up by 12 points, and I thought to myself "the fat lady is warming up." Yes, that was me, leading the idiot parade.
Do you think maybe Vince Young felt a little bit slighted by having not even been given a snowball's chance in Hades at winning the Heisman? Do you think this guy might have taken it personally that nobody gave the Longhorns a chance against USC?
You have to admit, Texas scored on a very controversial touchdown, but their kicker also missed a very makeable field goal AND an extra point, and USC did plenty to allow Texas to stay in the game when they should have put them away. Texas (ahem, Vince Young) seemed to have something a little extra in the Rose Bowl that they hadn't had all year and that Mack Brown had never had, and USC just didn't seem to have whatever it was that made them so special over the last three years.
I'm sorry I missed it.
Quote of the day regarding the Rose Bowl from ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski:
"USC... has itself -- and the breathtakingly athletic Young -- to blame for failing to give college football immortality a sloppy wet kiss Wednesday evening."

Jeff: The Monday Musings

- Why does a real-estate billionaire from New Jersey who's a life-long New York Giants fan buy a team in Minnesota with a horrible stadium deal? So he can make a ton of money on a new stadium/complex. To me, that's the biggest reason Mike Tice was fired yesterday by owner Zyggy Wilf. Don't get me wrong, Wilf is committed to winning, and will pay for the best coaching staff money can buy, but this is a business, and Tice was fired to improve Wilf's chances of getting his new stadium complex in Blaine approved. Tice is a good guy who gave his all to the Vikings, and judging by the players' reaction to his firing, these guys were obviously loyal to him. But the biggest thing that worked against Tice was that all the off-field problems the last few seasons, from all the Randy Moss shenanigans, to his own ticket scalping to the Love Cruise, happened on his watch. All of these incidents have contributed to giving the Vikings a tainted image nation-wide, and more importantly have made many Vikings fans and legislators concerned about the state of their team. I think Wilf believes that by making a fresh start with the coaching staff, it's going to prove to the fans and decision-makers in this state that things really WILL be different next year, and that Wilf believes that you can win in the NFL with a respectable program. He's hoping that can win over legislators to give him the new stadium deal.

- Rumor 'round the campfire is that Tice will probably take a year off from coaching to spend more time with his family. I heard him say more than once on the coaches show this season how important his family is to him. Whenever he decides to coach again, he'll have no shortage of opportunities.

- Hanging onto Rob Brzezinski was a good move. He's a good GM who's been tied, gagged, and bound by Red McCombs in trying to run this team. Darren Sharper, in a very candid interview with Dan Barreiro last Friday, summed it up well. He said that under McCombs, the Vikes were "being asked to make a 5-star meal on a $10 budget." Zygy will take the shackles off of Brzezinski, and give him every opportunity to justify Wilf's trust in him.

- Speaking of Sharper, I think the guy should be a politican when he's finished with football. In that same interview, Barreiro was firing some pretty direct questions at him, and Sharper fielded all of them like a gold glove shortstop. He gave a thoughtful answer, yet managed to do so without saying anything controversial. He's a very smart dude, and I'm glad Green Bay gave up on him.

- A trade that makes WAY too much sense to actually happen: Cedric Benson for Troy Williamson.

- In his search for a new coach, the first call Brzezinski should make is to Iowa City to Kirk Ferentz. The second should be to Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. I doubt either one leave for any NFL team this year, but those are the two best candidates out there.

- If you believe that Brian Billick's job is safe in Baltimore (I don't but people much smarter than me do), and that Herm Edwards wants to stay in the media circus in New York (apparently the guy is so respected in football, he'd have his choice of any college or pro opening this offseason), that still leaves 8 NFL teams looking for a new coach; Houston, New Orleans, Oakland, Green Bay, Detroit, St Louis, Minnesota, and Kansas City. Welcome to parody. Other than KC (how good is Larry Johnson? Wow!), I think the Vikes are the most attractive job out there.

- Here's a REALLY early pick for the NFL 2006 offensive rookie of the year: tailback Lendale White. I just hope he does it in a Vikings uniform.

- Thought I was going out on a limb thinking that Pittsburgh will beat Cincinnati this weekend. But every web poll I've seen shows that plenty of other people are thinking the same thing. As the 6 or 7 of you who've been reading us for awhile know, I don't do well when it comes to predictions, so take this for what it's worth: New England will be the only home team to win on Wild Card weekend.

- Houston and New Orleans have to be giddy at their draft position. The Texans can take a once in a decade player, and the Saints get a franchise quarterback. Now all they have to do is not do something dumb like trade the picks, but considering it's Houston and New Orleans, well...

- I hope plenty of you are taking the time to lounge on the couch all day and watch football, since I'm stuck at work until 5. Happy New Year everybody.

Jeremy: COULD I HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG?!??

Just in case anybody gave any weight to my opinion about how I thought Zygi Wilf would handle the Mike Tice situation...
I'm sorry.