Spring Break
The Dead Period
Ralph MacDonald
Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: Sports
Four years ago, on February 20th, the great writer Hunter S. Thompson shot himself in the head, leaving a suicide note that was titled "Football Season is Over." While other sports fans may not feel the same despair, it is easy to sympathize with a sportswriter's melancholy at this time of the year.
Football season is indeed over, and National Signing Day took with it the last real news of the sport until spring. The NBA is on break for its all-star weekend, spring training has yet to really get started, and I just do not have the heart to watch college basketball or NASCAR.
So, in lieu of actually trying to focus in on one topic, here are the litany of sports items that I felt were actually worth mentioning this week:
1. Carmelo Anthony. The "what if Detroit had picked Melo over Darko" thing has been done extensively, but recent events merit even further investigation. Anthony and Chauncy Billups have played extremely well with each other in Denver, bringing new intrigue to the "what if" question. It is hard to imagine (given Anthony's solid improvement as a team player since Billups' arrival) that Anthony would not have developed into an even better player if he had been paired with Billups from the very start of his career. Making the idea even more tantalizing is the thought of an improved Anthony going against his would-be division rival, Lebron James.
2. The MLB free-agent season. Just as I print a criticism of Angels GM Tony Reagins, he goes out and signs Bobby Abreu to a one-year, five million dollar contract-a cheap deal for a very good outfielder. Then the Nationals sign Adam Dunn (a true sabermetric hero-I was surprised that the A's did not have more interest) to a two-year, 20 million dollar deal. The economic crisis has really corrected the baseball market, and might become a blessing in disguise for a sport that has had budget problems in the past.
3. Lane Kiffin-jackass. A quick review of Kiffin's credentials: He was the co-offensive coordinator at USC, was hired as the Raiders' coach after they were turned down by the other co-coordinator (new Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian), failed to turn around the franchise, pissed off Al Davis, got fired and landed the job at Tennessee-making him a less-than-proven wunderkind.
Now, a quick review of Kiffin's actions since arriving at Tennessee (a period less than three months): took stabs at rival coaches Nick Saban and Urban Meyer (three National Championships between the two, mind you), accused Urban Meyer of cheating while recruiting a mutual target (he did not), self-reported two recruiting violations that he took part in.
What more can you say? He's a clueless smack-talker with a hot wife and a future world of hurt in the SEC.
Football season is indeed over, and National Signing Day took with it the last real news of the sport until spring. The NBA is on break for its all-star weekend, spring training has yet to really get started, and I just do not have the heart to watch college basketball or NASCAR.
So, in lieu of actually trying to focus in on one topic, here are the litany of sports items that I felt were actually worth mentioning this week:
1. Carmelo Anthony. The "what if Detroit had picked Melo over Darko" thing has been done extensively, but recent events merit even further investigation. Anthony and Chauncy Billups have played extremely well with each other in Denver, bringing new intrigue to the "what if" question. It is hard to imagine (given Anthony's solid improvement as a team player since Billups' arrival) that Anthony would not have developed into an even better player if he had been paired with Billups from the very start of his career. Making the idea even more tantalizing is the thought of an improved Anthony going against his would-be division rival, Lebron James.
2. The MLB free-agent season. Just as I print a criticism of Angels GM Tony Reagins, he goes out and signs Bobby Abreu to a one-year, five million dollar contract-a cheap deal for a very good outfielder. Then the Nationals sign Adam Dunn (a true sabermetric hero-I was surprised that the A's did not have more interest) to a two-year, 20 million dollar deal. The economic crisis has really corrected the baseball market, and might become a blessing in disguise for a sport that has had budget problems in the past.
3. Lane Kiffin-jackass. A quick review of Kiffin's credentials: He was the co-offensive coordinator at USC, was hired as the Raiders' coach after they were turned down by the other co-coordinator (new Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian), failed to turn around the franchise, pissed off Al Davis, got fired and landed the job at Tennessee-making him a less-than-proven wunderkind.
Now, a quick review of Kiffin's actions since arriving at Tennessee (a period less than three months): took stabs at rival coaches Nick Saban and Urban Meyer (three National Championships between the two, mind you), accused Urban Meyer of cheating while recruiting a mutual target (he did not), self-reported two recruiting violations that he took part in.
What more can you say? He's a clueless smack-talker with a hot wife and a future world of hurt in the SEC.
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