Deja vu all over again

Well, it's 2008, and the annual Super Bowl picks from ESPN's flock of football analysts are in. Shockingly, the Chargers are the AFC favorites among the analysts. Seems like that has been the trend since LT came into the league, despite the Colts and Pats dominating the AFC for the past few years.

You know, it's actually funny how much analysts don't want to like the Pats. Everyone hates them. That's fine, jealousy is a common human trait. But it's embarrassing that these so-called "experts" could be so pro-Chargers, which is more blatantly anti-Pats than it is anything else. How could you possibly pick anyone but the Pats to win the AFC? They have the greatest quarterback ever and the return the best offense in the history of any sport ever. But it's OK, the Pats don't need people to love them.

All they need is a field. (And, for all the Pats haters out there, a camera.)

In the NFC, it's the Cowboys, whose quarterback, Tony Romo, has yet to do anything in the playoffs other than Jessica Simpson. No one would argue that Romo isn't a good quarterback. He is a fantasy starter by all means, and was a star in most leagues last year, but his playoff numbers make me scratch my head ...

Elsewhere
-- Call me crazy, but I'm rooting for the Texans to make the playoffs. I have a soft spot for them.

-- Yahoo! has some interesting stuff up on its main page. Best cities to earn a living. My current location, Washington, is fourth.

-- Despite being in a terrible country, Moscow is the world's most expensive city.

-- Scientists found out why "mama" and "dada" are our first words. I think the answer is obvious: In this time of 24-hour cable news networks, the inundation of media and constant struggle to keep our messages out there, starting your fundraising efforts at a young age seems more and more attractive. I started begging my parents for money when I came out of the womb. In retrospect, I should've started earlier ...

-- Coco Crisp must hate playing for the Sox.

-- Why does this not surprise me?

-- Manny's in town this week. Just an update from my once previously published Manny Watch and Bay Watch:

Manny. In 100 games with the Sox, he hit .299 with 20 homers, 68 RBIs, 22 doubles, had an OBP of .398 and scored 66 times.

In 24 games with the Dodgers, Manny is hitting .379, with six homers, 21 RBIs, 12 runs scored and a .476 OBP.

Bay. Give him his due, in 22 games with the Sox, Jay Bay is hitting .341, with four homers and 20 RBIs. His OBP, .386, is 10 points higher than his career average.

Let's call it a wash.

-- Closing thought: Can't say this surprises me ...

Conventional Wisdom

Pitt suits up for its fourth season under Dave Wannstedt on Saturday. The Panthers host a feisty Bowling Green at noon at Heinz Field.

There is some truth to the rumor that I'm glad I won't be waking up at 9 a.m. to cover this game. If Pitt loses, season's over before it started.

Elsewhere
-- I think what he means to ask is, "Is it 2010 yet?"

-- Always a pleasure reading.

-- Yikes. Is it November 5 yet? Oh, and Madonna, it's 2008. You were famous 20 years ago.

-- Miami named Chad Pennington its starting quarterback. In a related story set to come out in three weeks, the Dolphins will announce that Chad Henne will replace the injured Pennington, who will likely miss the rest of the season.

-- Oh, great. So now we have to watch mediocre SEC basketball? I can't wait for the big-time Auburn-South Carolina showdown.

-- Check out No. 27. And for all you Pittsburgh area hoops fans, check out No. 40 while you're at it.

-- Just good reading.

Enjoy your Tuesday, folks. Hillary Clinton is up tonight at the DNC. Mark Warner is the keynote. Watch this guy. He'll be running for president in the future, trust me.

Another case of the Mondays

The Olympics are over.

[Loud cheering]

We can finally have our TVs back. Not that NBC affiliates covered many sports anyway ...

-- Big debate at ESPN.com over which team was better: the Dream Team from Barcelona 1992 or the Redeem Team from Beijing 2008. Read Chris Sheridan's take here or vote here.

I still say the Dream Team was better, but if they went head to head, I think it's pretty obvious who would win.

-- Just hang 'em up, Mike.

-- Shelly Anderson writes a nice recap of the Olympics.

-- Paul Ziese's "Five Keys for Success" for Pitt football. Here's one: Just give the ball to LeSean McCoy.

-- Saw a Baltimore Orioles game this weekend. They lost to the Yankees. There will be no linking to the Yankees' site. Oriole Park is a nice place. It's clean. The fans fought back when the obnoxious Yankees fans starting cheering. It was fun. I will go back there.

For giggles ...

<p><strong>><a href='http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008/pick-your-president/'>2008 Election Contest: Pick Your President</a></strong> - Predict the winner of the 2008 presidential election and enter to win a $500 prize.</p>

A few more ...

This is absolutely disgusting.

And this is just disappointing.

Just sayin' ...

Checkin' in ...

I was in Georgia this weekend. The state, not the war-torn country. Aside from the usual filthy barbecue and always delicious sweet tea (the real kind, not some Lipton rip-off), I noticed one major thing down there.

Away from any major markets, the biggest seller in town is ... the high school football team. That's right, the Ware County Gators. There were T-shirts on sale at the local Wal-Mart, Walgreen's and a few other places. So cool.

A little obsessive and over the top for a high school football squad? Probably.

Elsewhere
-- I cannot stand [insert Olympic event here]. I can't wait until this is over, so the real sports fans can get back to normal life. I've spent too many days listening to big "Olympics fans" explain away the process of dismounting a balance beam. Seriously, please be quiet. Nine times out of 10, you have no clue what you are talking about. Save the rest of the public the trouble of hearing the mindless blather spewing from your mouth. Thanks.

-- Oh, and thank god I didn't have to check a bag for my flights to and from Jacksonville (the closest airport to my grandma's southeastern Georgian community). Would've cost me $15 each way. No joke. And if I wanted a drink on the flights? $1 for water. $2 for soda or juice.

Give me a break.

So I went to a Nationals game last night ...

The Washington Nationals are 44-77. I had never been to a game at Nationals Park before. I had never seen the Nationals play. Needless to say, now I know why they are 33 games under .500.

The Mets scored eight runs in the third inning en route to a 12-0 pummeling of the Nats last night.

A few observations from last night's game, at which I stayed all the way through.

-- Mets fans are insufferable. Their team hasn't done anything in 22 years, yet they act like Yankees and Red Sox fans. Win something -- heck, even the division -- then get back to me.

-- The Nats are seriously the worst team I've ever seen. Last night's game was awful.

-- Just a random observation: If your team isn't playing at the game that you are attending, don't wear the full get-up. I can understand a hat, a T-shirt, a fleece or hoodie, some kind of embroidered pants or something along those lines. But to feature at least two of the aforementioned articles is too much. Last night, I saw a girl with a Red Sox hat, Red Sox T-shirt and a Red Sox bracelet thing. Too much.

-- Nats Park is nice. A little bandboxish but still nice. The fans are silent. I guess I can't blame them.

-- Ryan Zimmerman won't be there much longer at the rate the Nats are going. You can't blame him. He looked like a kid at a rained-out birthday party last night.

-- A hot dog -- any hot dog -- should never be $4.50. And a soda shouldn't be $4.50. Ever. That is not OK.

-- Parting thought: Will I be back to Nats Park this season? You bet.

Bombing in Beijing

Ah, the bright future of American soccer. A roster featuring 10 MLS players crashed out of the 2008 Olympics with a 1-1-1 finish, good for third place in Group B of the group stages. A 1-0 win against Japan to start the tournament faded out of memory as the U.S. drew Holland, 2-2, before dropping a 2-1 decision to Nigeria.

I know many of my readers probably could care less. Soccer is something that people just don't follow in the U.S., especially in a place like Pittsburgh, where football is the only sport that exists to many. But when it comes to the Olympics and the World Cup, U.S. soccer is a way to smack the rest of the world in the face. It's a way to say, "Look at us, world. A vast majority of us don't even care about soccer, going out of our way to insult it, and we still can compete with you."

But in order for the U.S. to compete with anyone, something has to change. There can no longer be 10 MLS players on any roster taken to a regional or world competition. Taking MLS players to an Olympics or World Cup is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. And it shows.

I understand there is a sort of pride in building up a domestic league and trying to beat the world that way. But it doesn't work. And it won't ever work. If you think Landon Donovan is good, you are an idiot. You know nothing about soccer. He might be fast. He might be a nice guy. But he is not good enough to compete at a high level on a world stage.

Players like Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu got it right and left for Europe. That's where you hone your game. Not South America. Not the MLS. Not Africa. Not Asia or Oceania. Europe. You go to Europe to learn how to play soccer.

If the U.S. ever wants to compete, it has to abandon whatever system it's currently using to develop national players. It has to start over, with an emphasis on exporting talent to import international success. It's too bad Donovan couldn't handle life abroad. He might have turned out to be a decent player. Instead, he's wasting time at home.

My parents always used to say, "Don't just play [basketball] against your friends or in the driveway. Go play against bigger kids and older kids. Play against better kids. You'll get better."

They were right.

And with players like Altidore, Adu, Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley, Tim Howard, Jonathan Spector, Eddie Johnson and Michael Bradley leading the way, perhaps the Americans are moving in the right direction.

Hopefully, the MLS will be far less represented at the 2010 World Cup. Otherwise, expect another year of high expectations and hype building up to the tournament, then a colossal disappointment that actually shouldn't surprise anyone.

Let's get to the rapid fire ...
-- Sigh.

-- There is no truth to the rumor that Brett Favre, who is pushing 6,000 years old, will be John McCain's running mate. There is, however, some truth to the sidebar rumor that both will be tired by September.

-- Did you see this racist picture that surfaced of the Spaniards mocking the Chinese (and basically every Asian ethnicity)? Spain always seems to be in the middle of this kind of stuff ...

-- There's a lot of fuss over Ben Stiller's new movie, "Tropic Thunder." But I don't think anyone involved with the movie should care at all: The more people talk about it, the more people will want to see it. So everytime someone complains about the flick, another person is intrigued to go see it. Somewhere in the L.A. area, someone is smiling. After all, negative publicity is still publicity, and that's all movie execs want.

-- The ongoing age controversy. China is the new Soviet Union.

-- I've started a new fantasy football league. We're currently at 15 teams, with the very likely prospect of pushing 20. The goal of the league is to (1) create a larger winnings purse by having more people, (2) have each person pay less to join than they would otherwise to join 10- or 12-person leagues and (3) even out of the playing field so you actually have to draft a deep team with role players.

What do you think of this idea? Comment below and let me know what you think.

Just a couple thoughts on a Tuesday:

Journalists dress like those involved with the topic they cover. Think about it.

A sports journalist (writers, radio guys, behind-the-scenes TV guys) dresses like a fat slob, with an alarming lack of fashion sense, mostly because they are usually fat slobs. Makes sense right? They dress like sports fans.

Of course, the exception to this rule is the empty-suit TV guys, who know about as much about sports as your dirty socks. They usually have a few suits in their rotation, plus a heavy bag of makeup and mirrors. Look harder, TV guy, maybe you'll finally figure out how to fill that empty space in your head where your brain used to be.

Other news
-- Chipotle. Is. Delicious.

-- While I think ending homelessness and poverty will be two of the greatest challenges of my generation, I do have one comment for panhandlers: Shaking a cup filled with change at me will not make me want to give you money. Period. A simple "God Bless You" would be nice. Or a song. Or even a high five. Shaking the cup just doesn't do it for me.

-- I know what you're thinking. It's either (a) I can't believe this guy just linked me to the Chipotle Web site, (b) Isn't this a sports blog? (c) Why am I still reading this? or (d) Wasn't I on Facebook?

-- There's a sleepover at SportsWorks in Pittsburgh. You're invited. Now in theory, having a sleepover with a big-time university's cheerleaders and its mascot would probably be pretty sweet. A couple brews. Maybe a DJ. You know, liven up the event and make things happen. Unfortunately, these are Pitt cheerleaders. Tough luck guys ...

-- Know who I'm sick of? Michael Phelps. He makes me wallow. Nobody likes wallowing.

-- All. Senior. Citizens. Should. Have. Life Alert.

-- Yes, I did just link you to a page on which former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop is featured prominently. Seriously, look at that facial hair. Would you really ever want that guy operating on your kids (he was a pediatric surgeon)?

-- It's never too early for hoops. Especially Big East hoops.

-- Parting thought: Byron Leftwich should start over Ben Roethlisberger. There. I said it.











... Gotcha!

Is This the Year?

Power rankings on ESPN.com have Pitt at No. 24. Meanwhile, USA Today's preseason rankings show Pitt on the fringe of its Top 25.

Regardless of where the preseason prognosticators place the Panthers, excitement levels are high around the UPMC Sports Complex. And university officials seemed to beat everyone else to the punch, expressing some inkling of expectation prior to Pitt's colossal upset of West Virginia in the final game of last season by extending Dave Wannstedt's contract.

But let's put it all in perspective.

Pitt's 13-9 upset of West Virginia rocked the college football world and generated all of the buzz that you were just reading about. But is it warranted, or is it a big leap of faith and hope after a one-time aberration from the norm?

(Take a timeout here. Normally, I don't get into politics on here unless it's a joke, but can you see comparisons between Barack Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and Pitt's win against WVU? I know it took three years for Obama to reemerge as a presidential candidate, but that's basically like one offseason in football, right?)

The Panthers' offense revolves around sensational running back LeSean McCoy. There's even a "Shady Cam" on Pitt's Web site. McCoy will need some help from his backfield mate, 5-foot-7 roadrunner LaRod Stephens-Howling. But with all the focus on Pitt's running game, which still might not be enough to stop McCoy, the entire Panthers Nation will have its eyes transfixed on Bill Stull.

Stull, as many of you probably know by now, showed promise against Eastern Michigan last season before injuring his thumb. He didn't seem like a game-changing quarterback, but he appeared to be a confident manager of the game. With an explosive running attack, that may be all Pitt needs to be successful.

Expect Pitt to return the same kind of defensive power that it has maintained over the past few seasons. The athletic talent is there. Now all there has to be is a will to win and a game plan that works, something that surely has been missing the past few seasons.

But before we start talking about eight, nine or even 10 wins, let's get through training camp. Because last year's left everyone limping into the season. So slow down and think clearly.

After all, it's still Wannstedt coaching.

There are moments in sports and elsewhere that just make you say, "Really?" Today has already provided us with two:

-- Kyle Boller (above, doing what he does best: lying down) will start for the Ravens.

This is notable because Boller lost his job to Steve McNair, whose 13-year career included 13 injury-filled seasons, no Super Bowls and a whole lot of lovin' from the sports media. I never understood why McNair was such a favorite with the media.

It's also notable because Boller beat out Ohio State legend Troy Smith and the Ravens' first-round pick in this year's draft, Joe Flacco, who briefly attended my alma mater (Pitt) before making waves as a big-time Division I-AA -- sorry, Football Championship Subdivision -- quarterback.

Boller got the nod because of his experience ... from the Baltimore Sun:

Weighing heavily in Harbaugh's decision-making process was Boller's 42
career starts, which are 40 more than the combined total for Smith and
Flacco.

"I think it's more of a nod to experience and seniority," Harbaugh
said of his decision.

Which leaves us begging the question: How soon will John Harbaugh be fired?

-- And how could we miss this one? Brett Favre, who is still listed as a "historical player" by NFL.com but listed on the Packers' Web site, announces that "the best thing for this team is for us to part ways."

Humorously enough, Packers.com makes no mention of the story. Either the Packers.com beat writer is really slow, or this is the most awkward situation possible for the Packers franchise.

-- Yikes. I hope none of the other five-star high school basketball recruits follow Brandon Jennings, who has blazed to path to Europe to parlay the NBA's age limit.

I'm regularly updating and adapting my position on this. But currently, I'm wondering: Why go to class when you could make money? It makes sense for him to go play in Italy. Otherwise, he's wasting a year of eligibility for another good player, who will work harder than Jennings because a trip to the NBA may not be in the balance at all.

The more blue-chippers go overseas, the more college basketball evens out, competition-wise, the more it becomes the game we know and love, where players play because they love their school and want to play there, not because they are eager to impress scouts in their endeavors to leave early.

What do you think about the NBA's age limit?

Being the Other A-Rod

What a shame. Just when he thought he finally had a shot at leading the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers has to compete with Brett Favre all over again for the starting quarterback position. This is the first time it's ever really been a competition.

Rodgers has spent three seasons as a backup to Favre. Everyone knows Favre retired. It was an emotional press conference. Everyone watched. The world moved on -- Favre isn't even listed on a player search on NFL.com. Meanwhile, Favre stayed behind, dreaming of yesteryear and moments of late '90s glory.

A few months later, Favre asked for and received reinstatement. Now, he's a contender to start at quarterback for the Packers. He has some quality experience doing it: 16 years at the helm, a Super Bowl ring, three MVPs, etc.

Rodgers, on the other hand, has played in seven games in three seasons, with no starts. It looked like he would finally break through once Favre retired. Now he's back to square one.

You have to feel for the guy -- he has handled himself well through it all. But I would be furious if I were him. Not with the Packers, but Favre.

The main reason most people like Favre is that he "plays like a kid" and loves the game of football. But if he had any respect for the game of football and his team, he wouldn't do this. He would go quietly into the night, reaching the Hall of Fame and soaking up retirement. Instead, he has overstayed his welcome. And it's disappointing to see a guy like Favre make such a scene when it's not on the football field.

Elsewhere
-- I don't think talking loudly to people from foreign countries works. I know this joke has been run into the ground, but my trip to Subway for lunch today revealed that even in Washington, the epicenter of all that is intelligent (and extremely arrogant) in this country, there are still people who shout at foreigners to make them understand.

-- I can't wait for this.

Manny Watch, Bay Watch and More

I got more backlash than Don Imus normally gets for his yearly racist comment when I said on Thursday that the Red Sox trade involving Manny Ramirez and Jason was the worst trade in Red Sox history.

Some serious comments came my way. But I stand by it. I'll explain myself more clearly now that the buzz has hit its stride.

In retrospect, Bay is probably the best player the Red Sox could get so late in the trading game. And with Manny acting the way he was, he had to go. But the reason I find this trade so seriously devoid of common knowledge and intelligent movement of personnel is because it didn't have to happen.

The Red Sox did not deal with this situation the way they should have, and it cost them one of the greatest hitters of our generation. Sean McAdam, one of the best baseball reporters around, wrote in the Projo on Friday that Sox veterans told Theo Epstein that Manny had to go. Fans were clamoring for someone new, someone happy to be in Boston (see: Jason Bay).

But the situation went too far. Whatever it was the Sox management did in the past years when Manny asked to be traded wasn't used this time. Any solutions they came up with came too late. And the last solution -- the final deal -- involved losing two high prospects, too, along with the Sox best player. In return, two teams in the National League got better: the Dodgers will contend for the NL West crown, while the Pirates will be competitive in 2010. Meanwhile, the Red Sox got an above-average player in return.

I thought I made that clear on Thursday.

I do not disagree with the dealing of Manny after all that had happened. I disagree with the ability of the Red Sox to deal with Manny before it went that far.

It was disappointing to see him stoop to the levels he stooped.

But it was more disappointing to see the Red Sox stoop even lower and make an unprepared move that will yield very little in the long run.

Sure, it soothed the current ailment -- a mouthy superstar causing problems in the clubhouse. But it also saddled the Red Sox with a cheap imitation of a Hall of Fame leftfielder. And now they'll have to deal with it.

Manny Watch: Since the trade on Thursday, Manny is ... 8 for 13, with two home runs, 5 RBIs and four runs scored.

Bay Watch: Since the trade on Thursday, Jay Bay is ... 4 for 11, with a homer, 3 RBIs, six runs scored and a triple. Not bad. Not bad at all. All honeymoons come to an end, Boston.

Other news and notes

-- Memo to Brett Favre: Go away and shut up. Now. Thanks.

-- Props to Jed Lowrie for a big game on Sunday.

-- Ever wonder what happened to former Minnesota coach Clem Haskins? Here's your answer.

-- One parting thought: Wow. Just when I thought our society couldn't get any more pathetic. It's nice to be in Washington. The celebrities -- politicians -- get in way more trouble.