The most exciting game of the 2009 season was not the Super Bowl. It was the NFC Championship. It was a classic battle that ended in a dramatic overtime victory for the New Orleans Saints. At the center of this game was a quarterback showdown which could serve as the symbolic passing of the torch from the old to the new breed of gunslingers.
During the game Brett Favre was 28 for 46 with 310 passing yards, but it was his two interceptions – including a late-game bad decision which essentially cost the Vikings the game – that defined his game. Meanwhile, the Saints’ Drew Brees – who completed only 17 passes for less than 200 yards – managed to hook up for three touchdowns and no picks in a performance that propelled his team into the Super Bowl.
It was a thrilling game that helped bring an outstanding close to the 2009 football season.
So, what better way to kick off the next season than with a rematch?
If that one interception thrown by Favre at the end of the game really was the only reason that Minnesota lost, then they now have a chance to prove it, and stake a claim as the team to beat in the NFC (perhaps even the NFL).
After a not-very-surprising “holdout,” Favre has decided to return once more and play football (news that I’m sure the Medicare people were disappointed to find out). And with a supporting cast that is formidable even without Sidney Rice, Favre and the Vikings should once again be in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy.
The Saints are fresh off of a whirlwind tour as reigning Super Bowl champions, where the players and coaches enjoyed all the fruits of victory. Brees is on the Madden ’11 cover, the team has visited the White House, and the city of New Orleans has held a six month party in the team’s honor.<br.
But the time for fun and games is over.
Winning one NFL championship is difficult enough. Winning consecutive championships is nearly impossible, and the schedulers have seen fit to make sure that the Saints are no exception.
The final piece to the puzzle, which pushes this game from being one of intrigue to being the game to watch for the entire season, is simple – it is the season kickoff.
Let’s face it, this has been a very slow summer for sports. The World Cup ended two months ago, LeBron has announced where his talents will be, and unless you are lucky enough to live in a city such as New York, Tampa Bay, or Atlanta, you probably lost interest in baseball somewhere back in late July.
We have been patient long enough, and it is time we all got a taste of the good stuff once more.
America’s favorite sport is about to get underway, and it launches its 2010 campaign with a superstar repeat of the best matchup from last season.
As a sports fan, I’ve come to recognize trends in athletics and what certain innuendos mean. There are three little words in sports lingo that just scare the jeepers out of me. I usually know it’s not a good thing when these three words are brought into any conversation, relayed on any news reports, or uttered from the mouths of coaches, managers and players. Those three words are “Doctor James Andrews.”
Dr. Andrews is an orthopedic surgeon who practices in Birmingham, Alabama at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthropaedic Center (call and you might actually be able to schedule an appointment, as only about 25 percent of his surgeries are done on athletes.). He’s one of the most recognizable “name” doctors in the known world. But to many professional athletes, he’s their personal doctor. To fans of those athletes, he’s a scary name. Usually if someone is associated with Dr. James Andrews, something is wrong. That problematic something, whether it is knee, shoulder, or elbow, is going to get fixed. But if it is serious enough for Andrews to look at, then it is pretty serious.
If there’s someone else who has a bigger list of names associated with him, I want to see it. Can you imagine what the contact list on his cell phone looks like? He must have some kind of referral rate! Just take a look at all the names he has been associated with, either through surgery or consultation, over the years: Troy Aikman, Drew Brees, John Smoltz, Jack Nicklaus, Roger Clemens, Michael Jordan, and more recently, Brett Favre. These are all Hall of Fame caliber players, and there are countless others. Smoltz has repeatedly said on local Atlanta Braves telecasts that Andrews single-handedly saved his career and made his off the field life more enjoyable. Back in 2000 Smoltz was having serious elbow pains. Just four years removed from a Cy Young award, he thought his career may be over and he thought the things he took for granted, such as playing with his kids and swinging a golf club, would be severely limited. But in swooped Andrews to perform Tommy John surgery and two years later, Smoltz was an All-Star closer.
Andrews is in the news this week, and Minnesota Vikings fans are praying that he has some good news for a certain someone. Brett Favre had his ankle surgically repaired by Andrews back in May and is set to consult with him later this week about the ankle. If Favre gets good news and assurance from Andrews, then it’s a good bet that #4 will be suiting up for the Vikings again. Just when you thought that career was put to rest, huh? Admit it… you never thought Favre was going to retire anyway!
Just last week I was at Turner Field watching the Braves take on the Mets. During the game, Braves pitcher Kris Medlen began experiencing pain in his elbow and had to leave his start early. Before the broadcasters even said it, the good doctor’s name entered my mind and I immediately cringed, both as a fan and for the player. It’s amazing how one name can be associated with so many athletes and so many professional teams. Sure enough, an MRI showed Medlen had a partial tear in his UCL, which will likely eventually lead to Tommy John surgery. Any guesses who is going to perform that surgery? Kris, meet Dr. James Andrews.
“Dr. James Andrews” is definitely a scary phrase to hear, especially if it relates to a player for one of your teams. On one end, fans feel fairly confident that Andrews will fix whatever ails the athlete. But, if it’s serious enough for Andrews to look at and possibly fix, then chances are that athlete is going to miss a lot of time on the field. That’s what’s scary!
I don’t want to hear any discussion about whether or not Brett Favre is retiring. Until the day comes when the Minnesota Vikings take the field and a quarterback OTHER THAN Brett Favre is leading the team, he will be the starting quarterback.
Even if he says he is retiring, I won’t believe it until I see it.
With that formality out of the way, the best backup quarterback in the NFL is Tarvaris Jackson. He is by far the best insurance policy in the league for a franchise at the QB position. Rightfully so. But if you run a team where there is uncertainty about whether the planned starter is coming back, it’s best to make sure you have a qualified backup in place.
In some ways Tarvaris Jackson SHOULD be the starter for the Minnesota Vikings, and he WOULD be the starter except for the fact that a quarterbacking legend and future first-ballot Hall of Famer decided he wanted to play for the Vikings last season. And now that legend may do so again this season. That reality would have gotten just about every quarterback in the league demoted, and so it is not necessarily an indictment of Jackson’s skills.
Now I know what you are thinking – Jackson had his opportunity to start, and was first benched for Gus Frerotte back in 2008, then Favre got the starting job last season because the Vikings didn’t know if it was best to move forward with Jackson at the helm.
Let me remind you about some of what Jackson has done while he started for the Vikings.
His record as a starting QB is 10-9. I know that’s not a Pro-Bowl caliber record, but it is a winning record… and that is more than some other starters in the league can boast.
He has thrown a total of 21 touchdowns to only 18 interceptions. If you scratch one single game where he threw four interceptions (and no touchdowns) against the Detroit Lions all the way back in 2007, his ratio of 1.5 TDs to every one INT would place him ahead of his NFC North colleagues Jay Cutler (1.28 to 1) and Matt Stafford (only 1 TD to every 1.53 INTs).
And yes, Jackson did lead the Vikings to an 0-2 start in the 2008 season before being benched for Frerotte. But that is only half of the story. Later that same season, after Frerotte was injured in a game against the Detroit Lions, it was Jackson who came back onto the field and led the Vikings to win three out of the last four games of the season en route to 10-6 finish, an NFC North Division championship, and a playoff appearance.
I am not trying to argue that Tarvaris Jackson belongs in the same conversation as guys like Drew Brees or Peyton Manning. And he is obviously no Brett Favre (which is why he is sitting BEHIND Brett Favre). But he is a quarterback who wins more games than he loses, and throws more touchdowns than interceptions. Those credentials alone would earn him a starting nod on many other teams in the league over THEIR current starters.
It CERTAINLY qualifies him as the best BACKUP in the NFL.
Read opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan about which matchup presents the best possible game for the 2010 Super Bowl.
Finally, though this season has flown by for me, by Monday morning we will all know the Super Bowl matchup. One thing is certain – no matter what teams are matched up on Super Sunday, the game will be fantastic. Each team plays good defense, most teams play good offense. The one team that does not play good offense – the New York Jets – makes up for what is lacking with extremely excellent defense. The Jets are a fascinating team flush with talent and personality. The Minnesota Vikings may not have the personality the Jets have, but they have balance. Each team is dynamic and interesting on and off the field, and the combination would make the ideal Super Bowl matchup in 2010.
Both teams feature the type of characters and personalities that make media week tolerable for fans and media alike. For the Jets, no personality stands out more than outspoken and bombastic coach Rex Ryan. Plenty of writers have talked about how great Ryan’s personality is, and during media week, should the Jets win this weekend, Ryan will get a lot of camera time. For the Vikings, Brett Favre will continue his media magnetism, for better or worse. Should the Vikings win this weekend – which I believe is very likely – Favre’s accomplishments at his age and stage of career are rather amazing, and worth examining through the relentless spotlight of the media.
It is not as if media week suffers from a lack of stories around the teams and players in the Super Bowl, but Brett Favre will also have the chance to face the Jets one season after wearing the team’s jersey. No, the coaching staff is different from when Favre wore green, but the fans remember the excitement his presence promised, and ultimately did not deliver. Should Favre have the chance to deliver a championship to the Vikings, Jets fans – with the troubles seen from their team’s quarterback Mark Sanchez – will be unable to hold back frustrations.
After all of the stars and non-football stories are covered, recovered, covered again, and then slowly beaten to death, the two teams also play a game of football. While these teams present the best sports reporting opportunities, they also present the best possible matchup of football teams.
The Jets are the prototypical successful playoff team in the NFL. The Jets do two things well – defense, and run the football. The Jets had the best defense in the regular season allowing fewer than 15 points every game, and a mere 252.3 yards allowed per game. Amazingly the Jets only allowed 153.7 passing yards per game (a big reason why I feel the Colts will struggle this weekend). The Jets have the best defensive players in the playoffs. The team also runs the ball extremely well and has improved in that department in the playoffs thanks to the efforts of rookie running back Shonn Greene.
The great thing about this potential matchup is that the one offensive strength the Jets have is the one defensive strength the Vikings have. The Vikings only allowed 87.1 rushing yards per game. Sure, Favre and the offense are well balanced and strong, but they have not faced a defense like the Jets yet, either. Yards and points will be a struggle, especially with as poorly as the Vikings and Adrian Peterson have run the football in the playoffs.
This matchup seems like it would a slam dunk against the Jets. Greatness happens in sports when the odds seem to be are at their most obvious. It is in these situations that expectations are certain. These same conditions were present when an improbable New England Patriots team beat the St. Louis Rams, and the countless other close and surprising NFL playoff games. More than any other game the Jets and the Vikings would showcase the best the league has to offer in off the field stories and on the field drama.
Regardless of the outcome of the games this weekend I will watch the Super Bowl. But, the best possible matchup imaginable is between the Vikings and the Jets.
Read the argument from Loyal Homer about which NFL playoff game is the best of the upcoming weekend.
Rarely in sports does the star power on the field in a game promise quality. Such is the case for the NFL divisional playoff game this Sunday afternoon when the Minnesota Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s best playoff game, and perhaps its best game all season.
We are all aware of the start power in this game, from both sides. The Vikings have Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, and Jared Allen along with an entire cast of supporting characters. The Cowboys have Tony Romo, Marion Barber, and DeMarcus Ware along with their entire cast of supporting characters. The talent abounds, and fans are in for a treat.
Usually when analyzing what the best games of the weekend will be I rely heavily on statistics and general game knowledge – football teams have to run the ball well and stop the run to win in the playoffs. The Cowboys have a strong and dynamic running attack and the ability to stop the run. The Vikings have Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor – a dynamic duo in their own right – along with a defense that is excellent against the run. But, these are playoff teams. That is what fans and the media expect. What will make this such a great game is not that raw data, but the immeasurable stuff.
The Cowboys have something in this game coming in the Vikings will fight tooth and nail to take away – momentum. Ever since DeMarcus Ware’s scary head injury in the penultimate game of the season – and his miraculous return a week later – the Cowboys have played with an extra bounce on both sides of the ball. Tony Romo’s passes are sharper, Miles Austin’s routes are a little crisper, Keith Brookings tackles are a little stronger, and even Felix Jones is a little faster (though that is hard to believe). Momentum breeds confidence, confidence wins. The Cowboys have it right now, and the Vikings need it.
Desperation lives in both teams, and both coaches. The coaches from both teams have a tremendous amount of incentive to win.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips has his back against the wall. General Manager Jerry Jones has a nice contract extension sitting somewhere in a desk drawer (a desk that is probably made of gold, diamonds, and rare baby seal skin). If Wade Phillips wins this game – and perhaps a conference championship game, Jones will likely offer Phillips a pen and the contract. If Phillips and the Cowboys lose Sunday, Phillips career in Dallas will come to an abrupt end.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress also has his back to the wall. He has been vocally critical of his star quarterback (who may know a thing or two more about the offense than Childress), and entered the season on a hot seat. Thus far the Vikings have played well, especially having started the season so strongly. Lately, however, the Vikings have begun to slip – especially in road games. The Vikings are fortunate to be playing at home Sunday, having lost four of the last five road games. While the team has played strong at home, without a secure return from Favre and the prospect of ending a once promising season on a down note, Childress could find himself unemployed.
Coaches coach, and players play. The difference is players have stronger contracts than coaches. If the players of both teams like and respect their coaches, they best pull out all the stops this weekend. .
This game has the requisite drama every big game needs – plenty of coaches coaching for their jobs, players playing for contracts, players giving it one last shot, players trying to erase a stigma… and that whole “lose and the team’s out of the playoffs” thing. Without a doubt I have had the best track record at picking the must-watch games of the weekends throughout the Fall and Winter. This game is no exception. Grab a six pack (or if you’re like Sports Geek, a smooth bourbon or a delicious scotch) and enjoy what promises to be not only the best game of the weekend and playoffs, but perhaps the entire season.
Read the arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer about which sports story they believe was best in 2009.
“Here we go again.”
NFL fans around the country repeated that phrase many times over when. On August 19th, Brett Favre announced once again that he was not yet ready to retire. After last year’s retirement waffling – where Favre ended up with the New York Jets in an experiment that could hardly be considered successful – many around the country expected him to FINALLY hang it all up. Instead, the waffling began once more, and Favre eventually signed a contract with the Minnesota Vikings for the 2009 season.
There were a lot of questions regarding what Favre would actually be able to accomplish with Minnesota. Last season, he finished the season throwing just as many interceptions as touchdowns (22), and seemed to fade physically as the grueling 17-week season played out. In the final game of 2008, Favre had an opportunity to lead the Jets to the playoffs, but instead threw three interceptions in what ended as a disappointing loss to the Miami Dolphins. Compounding the on-field struggles were rumors of a rift in the locker room between Favre and some of the Jets players. Several reports were released that Jets players resented Favre, who seemed aloof and created resentment as a result of the preferential treatment he received.
So when Favre donned his purple jersey, with all of the baggage from last season hanging like a cloud over his head, there was some trepidation as to just how successful his second non-retirement would be. Those questions did not linger for long, though!
During the first two weeks of the regular season, Favre was clearly settling into his role with Minnesota. While the Vikings looked to running back Adrian Peterson to shoulder the load offensively, Favre was called upon primarily to just manage the game and not make mistakes, and he succeeded. During those two games, Favre completed a combined 37 of 48 passes, and threw for three touchdowns with no interceptions.
It was one week later, as the Vikings hosted the San Francisco 49ers, that the Favre Renaissance officially hit full-steam. After throwing a total of only 48 passes combined in his first two games, Favre fired off 46 passes against the ‘Niners. He completed 24 of them en route to his first 300-yard passing game of the season, including a 32-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis with mere seconds left on the clock, snatching victory away from San Francisco in what can only be described as “Favre-ish” fashion.
The excitement did not stop there. Favre went on to lead his Vikings to victory the following weekend against his former team, the Green Bay Packers, making him the only quarterback in NFL history to record a victory against every single team in the league. In all, Favre led the Vikings to a 10-1 record during the first 11 games of the season.
What is most impressive about Favre’s 2009 season, though, is that it is statistically one of the best in his Hall of Fame career. Through 15 games of a 16 game season, Favre is on track to finish with a passer rating of greater than 100 for the first time in his career. That’s right – before 2009, Brett Favre has NEVER finished a season with a passer rating above 100. The closest he ever came to that mark was in 1995 when he closed the season at 99.5. Additionally, he is on track for a career low in interceptions, having only thrown seven so far in 2009. His career best before 2009 was 13. Finally, if Favre can pass for more than 300-yards in his final game of the regular season, it would give him his highest single-season total in passing yards since 1998. Not bad for a guy who most people thought was too old to remain competitive.
Brett Favre, who already holds many of the NFL’s passing records and is already a GUARANTEED first-ballot Hall of Famer, has arguably done better in the 199th season of his legendary career than in any of his previous 18 seasons, and he has had better success at age 40 than many quarterbacks will ever see, even in their prime.
Capping off this remarkable season for Favre is the fact that he was just named to the Pro Bowl for the 11th time, and will lead the Vikings into the postseason as he is striving for another Super Bowl Ring to add to his collection.
I no longer care how many times Brett Favre wavers in his decision to retire. As far as I’m concerned, Brett Favre can retire, then un-retire every preseason for the next 15 years if he wants to. He has proven that he was not yet ready to walk away, and is still one of the best in the game, almost 20 years later!
This Sunday promises to be a great sports day, and one that bachelors like me absolutely love. The two best games of the day are on FOX at separate times. Luckily, FOX has a doubleheader this week. Since my home market team, the Atlanta Falcons, do not play until Monday night against the New Orleans Saints I am in the very fortunate position to be able to get both the Giants-Eagles at 1p and the Vikings-Packers at 4:15p on Sunday. Also taking place Sunday is the Sprint Cup race at my favorite track in (Talladega)and Game four of what is setting up to be one classic World Series between the Phillies and Yankees. So, yeah, I need to make sure I have extra batteries for my remote! However, after looking at all four of those events and the other events throughout the weekend, it is quite apparent that the best and most intriguing game is the “Brett Favre Shootout” Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
Even if the game did not involve Favre making his first trip to Lambeau as a visitor it would still be a big game. But, it is hard not to look at the Favre factor. One element I am very curious to evaluate is the reaction Packer fans give their former hero. Will they boo him? Will they give him a standing ovation? What do you think? I am thinking it is going to be a strongly negative reaction. Bitter divorces tend to end up that way.
Setting aside the emotional aspect of it, it is still a HUGE game. Minnesota is coming off a tough loss in the Steel City at Heinz Field, a place where Sports Geek and I have peeked through outside the gates. Still, they sit on top of the division with a record of 6-1. Favre has had a tremendous season to this point, throwing for almost 1,700 yards and 12 touchdowns. Even though he was held in check by the Steelers’ defense, Adrian Peterson is still one of, if not THE, best running back in the league. If the Vikings can run the ball effectively in this game it becomes easier for Favre and his group of receivers, led by Loyal Homer fantasy favorite Sidney Rice.
Green Bay, quietly, is having a strong season, coming into the match up with a 4-2 record. As expected, Aaron Rodgers has developed into an elite quarterback. He has thrown for over 1,700 yards and 11 touchdowns. The running game has struggled at times, but Ryan Grant is coming off a strong game.
This game is more important to the Packers. The Packers have already lost to the Vikings once this season and with a loss in this upcoming game the team falls two games back in the loss column. Not only does a loss put the Packers behind the eight ball in the division, it sets the team back in the wild card chase as well. I know it is early, but it is not too early to start looking at records. The Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Packers, and the Falcons all come into this weekend with just two losses. Obviously, not all of these teams will make the playoffs. Each game takes on added significance when the goal of making the playoffs is still realistic. Plus, the Green Bay nation wants to show Favre that they are doing just fine without him!
Read Bleacher Fan’s argument that the Miami (FL)/Virginia Tech game will be the best of the weekend, and Loyal Homer’s argument that the best is the Atlanta Falcons/New England Patriots game.
It sure took a long time. Relevance eluded the San Francisco 49ers for years since Steve Young and George Seifert left town. Once the picture of NFL dominance, the 49ers have been mired in the NFL cellar for several seasons. Last season management fired former head coach Mike Nolan and promoted assistant and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary to the position. Congrats, Niners. With a single swift move the organization has again been catapulted to prominence again and have another opportunity to prove it this week when they visit the retooled Minnesota Vikings in the best game of THIS weekend.
Everyone in the world is aware of why the Vikings are a story. Besides that quarterback fellow, the defense is fourth in the league in yards allowed per game and in the top 10 in most categories (though the season is just two weeks old). The defense plays hard and hits tough. They are a good and continuously improving defense thanks to the team’s defensive coordinator – Mike Singletary’s former teammate with the 1985 Chicago Bears, Leslie Frazier.
While Frazier is slowly gaining recognition for the stamp he puts on an NFL defense, Singletary has infused the 49ers with a toughness they have long lacked. His commitment to team unity has renewed the team’s confidence. Some significant changes Singletary has made, though he has not yet completed a full season as head coach, include forcing tight end Vernon Davis into both a good talent and a good teammate, ending the quarterback Alex Smith experiment, renewing a focus on running the ball well and playing good defense.
Singletary has now proved he is a good head coach in the NFL. Now the expectations from fans and media will increase. He is not longer the new kid on the coaching block and no longer a talented player turn coach many just root for.
Coming into this game it is billed as another opportunity for Brett Favre to shed rust, for Adrian Peterson to continue to assert himself as a league MVP candidate, and for the Vikings to potentially take a commanding lead in their division with a win and potential losses by Green Bay and Chicago.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out why the media is not covering the story of the 49ers more thoroughly. If the team wins against Minnesota on the road, however, it will be time to pay close attention to these 49ers. For the 49ers to earn the respect it has craved for so many down seasons a few key events need to take place.
First, Frank Gore has to be solid. Just solid. Twenty-five carries, 90 yards and a touchdown should do it. Also, quarterback Shaun Hill has proven he can take care of the ball, and the defense has proven they can play well when the game is on the line. While the aforementioned Vikings defense has some nice statistics to claim in the first two weeks of the season, the 49ers have the more highly ranked run defense, allowing a stingy 53 yards a game. The team also allows just 13 points per game thus far this season, good enough for fourth across the league. The game against the Vikings is winnable provided the 49ers play up to their potential. It seems likely Singletary is the right coach to ensure that happens.
Both of these teams are 2-0. The 49ers, however, have more to lose – and much more to gain. A motivated San Francisco team may shock the Vikings on Sunday and breathe needed life into a stale, but important, NFL franchise.
Close your eyes and imagine this scenario three weeks from now.
It has been a really hard week at the office, located in Eden Prairie, just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. The boss is a jerk. He told you to stay late every day during the week. He even told you to come in on Saturday, causing you to miss the first wave of college football games (now he is past the point of being a jer – who does that anyway?!). Now, after going to church on Sunday morning and eating a nice lunch with the family, you plan on getting in your recliner and watching the Vikings -49ers game on local FOX affiliate KMSP. You are really excited because Favre and Peterson had a great first two weeks of the season. Someone offered to sell you a ticket to the game earlier in the week, but with times being tough, you did not feel like you could afford to go. But that is okay, because you like watching it at home with your two boys (ages nine and six) who are reaching that age where football has become a big part of their lives. They are big Vikings fans, also. Adrian Peterson is their favorite player. Twelve o’clock local time comes and… what is this? This is not the Vikings-49ers!!! Why are they showing the Packers-Rams game? What???? You scream “I hate the Packers! Everyone in Minnesota hates the Cheeseheads! The Rams are awful!” (Hmmm, didn’t someone else say the Rams are awful?)
Welcome to the life of a NFL fan in 2009!
In case you have not heard, it appears that the NFL is going to have numerous games blacked out this year. What that means is that if the home team does not sell out its home game, the game is blacked out in the home team’s local market. There are no winners in this situation. The owners do not get the extra revenue from a sold out stadium. The TV station carrying the game suffers lower ratings. But, the real loser is the average NFL fan!
This has obviously been a tough year economically. It is going to continue to be tough. Last year, the average NFL ticket costs $72.20. How many families can afford to go to a game at those prices any year, much less this year?
Here is another question I have always had – and maybe this is because I do not live in a big television market: If I am debating going to a game, does whether or not it comes on TV play into it? Do I sit around thinking, “Hey, the Vikings game may be not be on TV Sunday so I better buy a ticket.” I cannot envision a lot of people thinking that way.
I see no harm in lifting the blackout policy. I really do not think it is going to cause a dramatic decrease in ticket sales. If you are set on going to the game, whether or not it is going to be on TV rarely ever enters the equation when deciding on whether or not to go. Also, how are the teams supposed to build their fan bases to the casual fan, or the new fan, if the games are not regularly on television locally? I bet a lot of fans, especially outside of the home market, are unaware if a game is going to be blacked out. Perhaps it is even true that most fans do not even know the blackout rules.
The NFL is arguably the most popular league in today’s sports landscape. Therefore, everyone should be able to watch their home team play on the tube, no matter what. It is an easy call! Yes they should! The long term benefits outweigh any minimal damage.
Hats off to Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan for well-thought, well-researched debates on such a hot topic. This has been a dominant water cooler issue in sports the past week (in addition to Michael Vick and Brett Favre). It is even being discussed by people at my “real” place of work, which is largely filled with females. Rick Pitino has obviously dug himself quite a whole in the court of public opinion.
Bleacher Fan details the morality clause in Pitino’s contract that states that the coach’s employment can be terminated for “acts of moral depravity” or “disparaging media publicity of a material nature that damages the good name and reputation of employer or university, if such publicity is caused by employee’s willful misconduct that could objectively be anticipated to bring employee to public disrepute or scandal.”
Sports Geek, while not condoning Pitino’s actions, focuses on recruiting and the amount of success Pitino has had on the court. It is kind of hard to argue against his credentials in the game of college basketball.
After considering both sides, I am ruling in favor of Sports Geek. Pitino does not deserve to lose his job.
Look, I am not condoning what he did. He cheated on his wife. He lied about it and allowed the extortion case to go on before finally coming clean to law enforcement. We have not heard from his wife – and we really do not need to – but I am assuming she has forgiven him. Good for her. We all make mistakes and we all deserve second chances.
The main problem I have with this whole situation is that this “affair” started back in 2003. That was six years ago. Six years ago, I was about to start my senior year of college. Where has Karen Sypher been? Yes she was married to Tim Sypher, but why is she coming out with these allegations in 2009? I do not like the timing of the situation. As far as the morality clause, I can see why Bleacher Fan and others would see that as just cause for firing. Yes, as defined by the wording of the contract, I believe it is just cause. But, just because it is in the contract does not mean LOUISVILLE has to fire him. It is all about how that clause is interpreted. They have determined that firing him is unnecessary.
I am sure Pitino has been reprimanded behind closed doors by university officials. His reputation has sure taken a hit. He is sure to receive a lot of heckling by opposing teams’ fans in the upcoming season (I cannot wait until Louisville travels to Rupp Arena to take on Kentucky). I would also expect Kentucky’s new coach, John Calipari, and others, to use this against Pitino in recruiting. But, I do not see this as an act that warrants being fired, especially for something that happened six years ago. What if something you did six years ago came back to bite you in the behind? Would that be right? Should you be fired from your job for some of the things you did back in 2003? I know it is not going to happen anytime soon, but I wish that we could just all move on from this.
Memo to Rick Pitino: You need to send Brett Favre and Michael Vick a thank you card. He has stolen some of your thunder!
Posted by Bleacher Fan 
