Saturday, January 29, 2005

Saturday Morning Links

It is off to Jacksonville today, and time to get ready for Super Bowl XXXIX. One way is to check in with 2 of the five writers who have been at every Super Bowl. A pretty cool resume item for Edwin Pope, Bob Oates, Jerry Izenberg, Dave Klein, and Jerry Green. I suppose by now they are waiting each other out, hoping to be the final old guy in the press box, but they all are digging in for number 39 this year.

Edwin Pope on his run


Over the years, Edwin has formed lasting opinions.
•Favorite interview: Phil Simms, Giants.
•Least favorite: Jim McMahon, Bears. "He was a jerk who really worked at it."
•Best quote: "A writer asked Duane Thomas, then a Dallas rookie, how it felt to play in the ultimate game? Duane said, 'If it's the ultimate game, why are they playing it again next year?' "


Meanwhile, another of the fab five, Jerry Greene says hold the phone on this “Patriots Dynasty” stuff

If you are curious, this is 4 Super Bowls for me if you count broadcasting a talk show from “radio row” all week. But I still sit at 0 if you are counting actually going to the game. For some reason, I want to wait until a Super Bowl that has particular meaning to me to attend one. Of course, that would mean Green Bay or Dallas attending it, and frankly, I am not holding my breath for anytime soon.

Links:

Jim Jeffcoat FIRED

Avery decides a title is within reach


Johnson, who tonight will coach his sixth game in relief of Don Nelson, believes the Mavericks' 28-13 first half has provided signs that they could be championship material if things break their way. And he's not talking about next season or beyond.

Never mind that the Mavericks haven't won a division title since 1987, let alone an NBA title. Optimism is running amok at American Airlines Center.
"As a coach, you're never satisfied," Johnson said. "A couple of problem areas, we have to get better in. And if we do, then we can have a really special season. And I want them to get that taste in their mouths."
And what does "a special season" mean?

"A championship," he said. "I've been to the Western Conference finals with this team. A championship is the only thing that's left for this franchise."


Rangers unlikely to pursue Mags …No comment from the pessimistic media at this time…

Out of Town Links:

Sosa trades to Baltimore

In the “I am not sure that is a good idea” file: FredEX fires volley at Rodney Harrison


He followed through by mentioning No. 37. That's Rodney Harrison. "I'll have something for him" when they meet, Mitchell promised.

Sirens blared. Searchlights crisscrossed the sky. Reporters in Foxboro grabbed their cameras and microphones and notebooks and rushed to Harrison's locker at Gillette Stadium. They were not disappointed.

"Wasn't he a former first-round pick?" Harrison said. The media pack nodded. "But he still hasn't found his way into the starting lineup?"


Advantage Harrison. Despite all of the problems the Eagles have had at WR, Freddie Mitchell, despite being awesome in college, has done nothing but spare people to death. Now, after a nice performance versus the Vikes, he is ready to act like he is Jerry Rice. Simmer down now, Fred.

Catching up with Wilbur Marshall

He worries because he already lost a close friend and former teammate, Walter Payton, dead at 45 from a rare incurable liver disease. He worries because of the disconcerting news that former NFL great Reggie White died at 43 of a respiratory disease. He worries because he doesn't know which friend's funeral is coming next, and how many more tears he will shed.

"All those anti-inflammatory drugs, ephedra, Valium, Percocet and all that Motrin -- stuff that teams gave to players like candy on a shelf -- we now find out about the dangers of some of this," Marshall says. "With all that medication being pumped into them constantly, did that have an effect on them having a short life? At that time, we never knew those things could hurt you."



Turley versus Martz


But Turley leveled blasts at Martz last week on ESPN radio, and Wednesday night on the ESPN cable television network. Turley was asked in the TV interview where he would rank Martz among the 32 NFL head coaches. Turley replied: "Ah, man, are they going to have an expansion team? I put him down at 33."



Salary cap is tight in Miami somehow …I guess it is expensive to go 2-14…


Tennessee, Miami and Tampa Bay, for example, are between $16 million and $26 million over the cap, meaning they will have to jettison players and rework contracts to squeeze under the cap by the first week of March.



Corey Fuller busted for high stakes poker


Fuller, who was a star at the school in the early 1990s, was arrested nine months ago after police entered his Tallahassee home and broke up a poker game with pots of thousands of dollars. State law allows card players to gamble only up to $10 a hand.


Trailblazers chaos

Impress your friends with Super Bowl trivia Here

Tired of Favre love? Click here …Packers fans may want to skip this…

No comments: