Mr. Woodson’s Back

 If you ask last week’s GMC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 6) where he’s been for the past few years, Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers will confidently reply by saying, “I never left”.

Last week’s spotlight is nothing new for Charles Woodson, whose name used to be highlighted a lot in the past during his college days and beginning of his professional football career. His performance last week showed that he’s back with a vengeance. This is his first Defensive Player of the week award since his rookie year in 1998. Woodson unanimously won the GMC Defensive Player of the Week Award beating out his competition with 73% of the votes, proving he is once again a fan favorite. It’s been many years since he has received this type of recognition. Back in college Woodson won practically every award he was eligible for including the Heisman Trophy in 1997. He received more votes than Peyton Manning and Randy Moss that year and was the first defensive player to ever win the prominent award. 10 years later the veteran is once again playing like the Charles Woodson from the old Michigan days. During last week’s win against the Redskins he had 4 tackles, an interception, and two fumble recoveries, including a game winning touchdown return for Green Bay. He wrecked havoc on the Redskins offense during that game. Green Bay defeated Washington 17-14.

When asked about his rebirth, Woodson states he doesn’t feel as if the way he is currently playing should be considered a rebirth. He stated in an interview with the Associated Press that he has always played pretty good football, even back in Oakland, but people just stopped paying attention because he was apart of a loosing team. In Oakland, he had an awesome rookie season but after that he failed to live up to the hype mainly due to injuries. Over the years Woodson has been plagued with turf toe, leg and shoulder injuries. But now he’s shining again in Green Bay as a pivotal member of a winning team with an all-star Defense, and his critics are taking notice. In fact, since coming to Green Bay, Woodson has been playing the best football of his NFL career. Last year he had an impressive year with a career high of 8 Interceptions and was deserving of a Pro Bowl appearance but apparently was overlooked. If he continues to play at this high caliber, he’ll most likely make a fifth Pro Bowl appearance this year. He was selected to the Pro Bowl each of his first four years in the NFL and has not made an appearance since 2001, so he is long overdue.

Woodson, who just celebrated his 31^st birthday, admits as a seasoned player, he is much wiser and content on and off the field. He also states how exciting it is to finally be a part of a winning team. He credits a great working relationship among his teammates and a trust they have toward each other on the field to helping the Packers continue to win. And lets’ not forget about the Defense he’s always bragging about; a Defense that’s known across the league, especially the Woodson/Harris pairing. The two are one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL today. Woodson is proving that he is back, and to hear him tell it, he’s never left. Welcome Back Mr. Woodson.

*In other Packer News, wide receiver Koren Robinson returned to work after the bye-week. He was recently reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week after serving a year long suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. This was his third violation. His return will definitely help Green Bay’s offense.

 

“The Jet’s” Sports Journey Game of the Week

The Biggest Game of Your Life Happens Every Saturday.
LSU vs Kentucky

Last weekend I watched Les Miles gamble more than a Las Vegas bookkeeper against Florida. Every time no matter what they did it worked. This weekend against Kentucky — not so much. With a game for the ages that needed to go into the third overtime to declare a winner, the Tigers luck ran out at probably the worst possible time. For the five fourth downs they converted last week, they faced another with a need for a first down or bust. They were only two yards away and 17 from the end zone, but they needed a score to keep the game alive. Quarterback Matt Flynn handed the ball off to Charles Scott. The conversion fell short. Mayhem ensued in Lexington. The Wildcats had just knocked off the number one team in the nation 43-37 in fashionable style.

This is the latest and greatest in a season that has been anything but ordinary. In an age where the same 10 to 15 teams rotate in the top 20 poll year in and year out, this season is it’s polar opposite. Every single team in the preseason AP top 10 poll has suffered a defeat, and not always to formidable opponents. Which just goes to show you that no matter how dominant of a defense you have, or how high powered your offense seems to be, no one is above actually not having to play the game itself. LSU is still one of if not the top team in the nation, which cannot be denied. But it goes to show you that every week you have to bring your A-game to get the job done. Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson did just that to topple the Tigers.

Finishing up 21 for 38 with 250 yards and 3 touchdowns, Woodson came on strong late in the game. With his second ranked rusher in the SEC Rafael Little sidelined with a bruised thigh Woodson knew he had to perform. Shaking off a slow start after two interceptions, the Wildcats took it into halftime down by a respectable three points, 17-14. The man for the Wildcats who was able to make the game go into overtime was an unlikely hero.

Kentucky kicker Lones Seiber wasn’t exactly the coaching staff’s favorite player to date. He had missed three PAT’s this season. So for the kicker to come up big and nail field goals on three different occasions over the fourth quarter and overtime shows what the kid is really made of. With 4:23 left in the fourth quarter he hit a 23 yarder to tie it up 27-27. Overtime was just as exciting, with Seiber hitting a 43 yarder to keep the game alive in the second overtime. Woodson quickly took over on the next possession.

The rule in college football says that after the second overtime both teams must go for a two-point conversion after a score. Kentucky scored on a seven yard pass to Steve Johnson (7- 134 yards 1TD) but failed to capitalize on the conversion. All LSU had to do was take it in one more time and make the conversion to solidify their number one ranking. It did not go as the Tigers had planned.

On the ensuing possession the Tigers gave the ball three consecutive times to running back Jacob Hester (18- 61 yards) who gained eight yards. Then they did something that was very uncharacteristic of them this year. They gave the ball to Charles Scott (7-94 yards 2 TD). That might sound like a normal thing, but they only gave him one carry in the second half and overtime combined. Talk about a breather, they basically gave him the night off. Then we’re like listen kid we’re going to call your number with fourth and short, go make something happen. Well, something happened. The Kentucky Wildcats knocked off the number one team in the nation, adding to the already non-conforming college football season we have had thus far.

Kentucky can soak it all in, but not for too long. They host No. 15 Florida next week and finish out there season at No. 20 Georgia and then against No. 21 Tennessee. It’s always great when you can finish out a game strong and get a victory, but the Wildcats have a short backfield and a defense that will have a hard time stopping the likes of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Even though LSU won last week against the Gators, Tebow threw for 158 yards and ran for 67. Something Kentucky will have to improve on if they want to be a part of the nation’s elite teams.

As for LSU, the road to the BCS championship game does not get easier. With so many teams with one defeat, it is very feasible that there could two teams with one loss playing for the title. The Tigers host No. 17 Auburn and then have to travel to Alabama the very next week. They theoretically could win both of these games and still not make it, having to host Arkansas the last game of the season. Les Miles and his team must go back to the drawing board and try and gain back everything that they seemed to have lost this week. It won’t be easy, but with the best defense in college football and a coach with multiple tricks up his sleeve, I don’t think this is the last we have seen of the LSU Tigers.

By God The Wizards Played Defense

By golly, the Washington Wizards didn’t just play defense against the Cleveland Cavaliers; they played the kind of defense that wins championships. The effort resulted in an 81–62 defeat of last season’s Eastern Conference champs.

In their first pre-season game played last Tuesday at Quicken Loan Arena in Cleveland, the Wizards blocked nine shots and forced 26 turnovers. Lebron James, Daniel Gibson, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall recorded three turnovers apiece.

The Wizards who’s DNA usually reveals a lack of defense, demonstrated a defensive energy and intensity that will make them a contender for the Eastern Conference title, if they maintain that kind of play. Their coverage of the pick and roll was suffocating; the defensive rotation was in sync and their success at cutting off the baseline – on at least two occasions King James efforts was discontinued – is what Wizards fans have been waiting to witness.

Prior to the game Coach Eddie Jordan said that his coaching staff wanted to see the team “come out and be good as a defensive unit.”

Indeed, they played as a defensive unit!

Gilbert Arenas, returning from a season ending knee injury last year, lead the Wizards in minutes played, playing almost 22 minutes, but Agent 0 struggled offensively, shooting 2 for 11, scoring nine points. However, continuing the theme of last year’s heroic last second shots, Arenas converted a “3” to close the first-half.

Antonio Daniels, who filled in for Arenas at the starting position during his injury, led the team with 12 points, converting four of six shots. He also performed his usual stellar job of protecting the basketball. While handing out three assist – last year’s assist-to-turnover leader, did not commit a turnover.

The Wiz held James, played just 15 minutes, to three points on one of five shooting.

The Cavs were without the services of Anderson Varejao and Aleksander Pavlovic, both are restricted free-agents with no current suitors.

The Wizards play the Dallas Mavericks Saturday Oct. 13 at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University. The following home game, Oct. 19, the Wizards will face off against Zalgiris Kaunas.

Tony Romo Is STILL Throwing Interceptions

But no matter how many he threw (5) the Cowboys beat the Bills in the worst way: they teased them by playing like crap, missed a chance to win the game with 20 seconds on the clock, executed the rarest of feats, an on side kick, then won on a 53 yard field goal…by a rookie who had never kicked one that far. OK then, what’s a Buffalo Bill gotta do to win in this league? I guess they have to have an offense to match the defense that took Dallas by the throat and throttled it til the embarrassment was too much, even for Romo. Remember when Romo had a couple of good games last season after he took over for Drew Bledsoe? Bill Parcells, then the coach, told the press not to anoint him yet or pave his way to Canton. What’s so funny is that on the pre-game show Parcells pretty much said that Romo was still capable of being wild and crazy; and when he gets like that it’s not a picture anyone wants to see. But he had also said that the sign of a quarterback who is a leader to his team is when after 2 interceptions he goes into the huddle and the guys don’t look at him as if he doesn’t know what he’s doing. How about after 5 and a lost fumble? Romo took it on himself and didn’t spare the language in the post game interview. He also looked sheepish when confronted by his coach in the locker room but unlike Parcells, his new coach didn’t hit him with sarcasm and ridicule. He got a virtual hug and he needs one. He faces pretty boy Tom Brady and the monolithic New England Patriots this Sunday night in the battle of the 5-0 teams. One thing we know: it can’t get much worse for Romo except if he loses to Brady. He’ll feel worse than after the Buffalo game even if he throws for 5 touchdowns and keeps the ball from bouncing out of his hands. Brady and the Pats are the Mt. Everest for the Cowboys. Let’s see if they can deal with the rarified air at those heights.

 

Bulletin: Joe Torre is still employed, for now

The news from the Yankees’ organization is that the tribe is gathering in Tampa to discuss the future of Torre, but not until next week. In the meantime, politicians in NY in addition to fans, Yankee players who can opt out of their contracts or who are free agents are clamoring for Joe to get one more chance. But even more bizarre is the latest guy to step up to the plate and lobby for Joe: Big Papi himself. They say that there is no greater honor than your enemy’s respect. Well Joe has gotten it from Ortiz who said that the head of a successful organization, when cut off, leaves the body without the brains or nourishment for itself. You gotta love that about the guy; he’s a gentleman and a scholar….well let’s not go that far OK? But I still don’t see Joe being given another try unless Brian Cashman puts his own neck in the noose again. He did that last year and Joe returned. Big Papi gives direct credit to Joe for getting the team out of its 21-29 record in May and makes the point that if you blame him for the bad times; he’s got to get credit for the good times. The truth is that the Yanks were the best team in baseball post-All Star game and the Sox were barely over .500. Nonetheless, the letdown after closing within a game of Boston in September and the inability for Clemens to contribute doomed the chances of the team winning the division. Who knows if the result would have been different had they played the Angels in their state of injured disrepair? By this time next week we’ll know who will be managing the Yankees. In the meantime, Big Papi is playing in the ALCS this weekend and I’ll bet Joe is rooting for him.

Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com or listen to the podcast at the site or right here at www.sportsjourney.com under the Programs tab.

© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC

Doesn’t Reggie Bush Play In The NFL?

From the looks of things, I seem to have forgotten…

In football, seasons are a lifetime. Last year’s scapegoat can be this year’s MVP. Super Bowl champions don’t make the playoffs the next year, it happens. So for a probe to be coming out now about Reggie Bush receiving benefits a year and half after he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints is kind of absurd, no? I know investigations take time, but I feel like I already heard about this in its entirety two years ago. The question was brought up when Bush was still in college wowing the nation into a love affair with the Southern California Trojans. Supposedly Bush and his family received gifts amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The sassy running back laughed off the reports and went on his way to being one of the most talented overall players in college football history. Nothing was done. To pin these crimes on him now would be like locking up O.J. Simpson today after being acquitted over ten years ago. A day late and a dollar short as they say. If Reggie Bush did do it though, I’m sure he wouldn’t write a book about it like an idiot.

Let’s look at the reality of the situation here. College football players don’t get paid. For the millions of dollars in revenue they bring in from ticket sales, merchandise and playing in BCS games – they get no monetary compensation. Not to mention how much money the boosters throw into the advancement of football for the nation’s biggest programs. Don’t get me wrong, these kids are dedicated. So dedicated that there isn’t enough physical time in the world for them to hold a job even if they wanted to. College football consumes its athletes ten months a year. If it’s not practice, it’s running. If not running, it’s lifting. Not in the weight room? You can find them in group study hall. It gets to the point where these kids live, breathe and eat football. So much so that sometimes they have no other choice but to do things to get money that they normally wouldn’t. But hey, they’re getting a free education, that should be enough right?

So is this so called “gift giving” fact or fiction on a whole in college football? The answer is so obvious it doesn’t even deserve a response. I remember being in 8th grade and facing a question a lot of middle school football players from Bergen County New Jersey faced; public or private? North Jersey is home to some of the best private high school football in the country, but the name of the game is the same all around the country. We took a look around at a few different private high schools where I was recruited (if you could even call it that). Little to mine and my parents knowledge, they averaged about $8,000 a year tuition. It wasn’t even feasible for us financially. We told the dean of the one school our situation, thanked him for his time and left. Two days later I received a phone call from one of the alumni telling me if I wanted in, no problem. But I was only 13. I kindly declined. Not because I didn’t want the opportunity, but what had I done at that point in my career to warrant such an offer? Nothing. So I opted to go to my public high school instead, but I bet I wasn’t the only one who received that kind of offer. The point of this story is that I wasn’t anything special, but if they want you bad enough they’ll offer you the world. College football is on a scale not even comparable to that. It is a big money game. Maybe not for the players, but for a lot of other people involved in college football where winning means money.

Imagine this. You are a linebacker who just sealed the first BCS bowl win of your university’s history with 2 sacks, 9 tackles and the game clinching interception. After the game, you go to a dinner that the boosters set up for you and your teammates win or lose. During the dinner you get approached and congratulated to by so many people your head starts to spin. You get one envelope, and another, then another. All contain some type of monetary compensation. What would you do? Mom and dad have 2 other kids, both going to college in the next three years. That $75.00 a week they’re giving you for all your expenses just hasn’t been cutting it lately. So you take it. Does that make you a bad person? I guess it depends on how you view the situation. On one hand, the players are doing something that they are not allowed to do. On the other they’re being given it, kind of like Christmas once a week. It would be one thing if you were stealing money from someone unbeknown to them, but it probably came from the boosters own fat pockets.

In no way am I saying that Reggie Bush should have taken a free house if he did. But hey, I didn’t get offered one. He should have realized that he was going to be the number one, I mean number two pick in the NFL draft in the near future. But in hindsight, it’s hard to say what you would do when the money is in your face. You don’t get paid, you can’t have a job, and maybe the family’s financial stability isn’t exactly in order. Regardless, we don’t know the situation. The way they made it sound when the allegations came up; his whole family was in cahoots. It died off for a while, but now it is back in the media.

Word is the two sports marketers who brought it up in 2005 are at it again. Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels are saying they have financial documents that link Bush and his family to $280,000 in benefits given to them, including $50,000 for a house they lived in rent-free for a year. Why did this all initially happen you ask? Because in 2005 Bush signed with a different sports agent, Mike Ornstein. Last time I checked I thought Bush signed a contract worth about $12 million. That’s just to play football. Not including his endorsements with Adidas, Hummer, Subway, Pepsi and EA Sports which add up to an amount that is estimated at a ridiculous $50 million. What I think is weird about this whole situation is the simple fact that Michaels reached a settlement with Bush and his family last April that was for between $200,000 and $300,000. What do you think that was for? Did they want more money now? Trust me, he’s good for it.

That’s not even the biggest deal. The Pac-10 and the NCAA said that if it is proven that Bush took improper benefits that USC would have to forfeit games. He also would have to give up his Heisman trophy. What does the kid taking money have to do with his performance on the field? If you want to go for the kid’s bank account because he signed with someone else, go for it. You want to call him a liar, fine. But a cheater? That’s questionable. After all, who wrote the checks? And, you already received compensation. It’s like being a big brother to an alcoholic and then dropping him off at the bar. It’s juvenile, it’s unethical, and it’s embarrassing. I just don’t want to see this investigation make a joke out of college football as steroids have with Major League Baseball. You have people running around cheating and taking performance enhancing drugs, but you frame a kid you told you would help. There is more to this story than anyone knows as of right now, and I am sure in the upcoming weeks there will be some light shed on this situation. But in the end the only party going to be hurt is USC. If we’re taking away titles and Heisman’s and all of that, maybe something should be done. Like a stipend. Because right now, they’re just going to be messing with record books that have no need for re-adjustment. You happen to be looking into the wrong sport for that…

The Jet’s Sports Journey Game of the Week

A game that lived up to be everything we asked for and more…
(6-0) LSU 28 • (4-2) Florida 24

There are a few games during your lifetime that you watch where you sit there in amazement and say, “Did I just really see that?” When you see teams fake a field goal for example or go for it on fourth down. Then again, and again, and again, and…again. Every time I saw Les Miles’s Tigers take the field on fourth down I just kept saying to myself, “Is he really doing this?” Then when I saw LSU take the field on a fourth and one from the Florida 7-yard line with 1:09 to play and down by three I blurted “He’s Crazy!” But time and time again the gamble worked out for LSU converting five fourth downs in mostly critical situations, and the Tigers whole heartedly earned their No. 1 ranking after their well fought victory over Florida, 28-24.

With all the upsets that are going on this season in college football, it’s hard to say that there have been a ton of quality games going on. Sure there have been a few great matchups thus far, but nothing compares to this. This game had electricity to it, knowing for sure one of these teams would be playing for the national championship later this season. With those gambles, Coach Miles is on the right track. With less than a minute to go Miles told his team he did not want to go for the tie. “I want to go out and win this thing” he said. Who else says that? When you have the Florida Gators in your backyard where you have a 30-2 record, you play it safe and go for the tie. You hope you win the toss, you elect to go on defense first, and you play the cards how they fall. Not Les Miles, no sir. He handed the ball off to senior running back Jacob Hester (23-106 yds 1TD) and said here, you can’t beat my hand no matter what you have; royal flushes included. Coach Miles gambled so many times over the course of the game it was ridiculous. Things like that just do not happen often and the football Gods were on his side.

After all, the Tigers were down by 10 points at three different times during the game. One of the nation’s top defenses who held opponents to less than 175 yards per game gave up 237 total yards to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (12 for 26 158yds 2TD 1INT). Where the Gators weren’t able to hold on was in the turnover column with two overall, one being an interception in the fourth quarter. This is the second consecutive loss for Florida after losing to Auburn 20-17 last week as time expired. For coach Urban Myers team, this has to hurt. When asked how it felt to watch the agony from the sidelines he replied, “Very frustrating, very frustrating.”

Tigers quarterback Matt Flynn (14/27 144 yds 1TD 1INT) held the offensive group together fighting through a high ankle sprain and keeping the Tigers in their No. 1 spot they stole from underneath USC’s nose last week. This week though there will be no dispute. About right after halftime it was announced that the Trojans had just lost to Stanford 24-23, which is a whole other story in itself. This gave the Tigers the chance to not be questioned anymore about who they’ve beaten, where they beat them and by how much. This win would solidify their top ranking and put them in the lead for the BCS national championship bowl bid. The real question is can they stay there long enough to qualify?

With games coming up against Kentucky, Auburn and Alabama back to back the Tigers will surely be tested. Especially with the way this year has been so far. Kentucky is coming off their first loss of the season as well against South Carolina 38-23 and will be looking for revenge (after beating the likes of Louisville and Arkansas earlier this year). Auburn squeaked by Florida last week and will be confident they can play with LSU. Alabama beat a solid Arkansas team and lost to Georgia in overtime. These are some solid resumes. LSU will have a tough time making it through this pack of games undefeated, but if Coach Miles lucky streak keeps on rolling the Tigers could find themselves in a great position at the end of this year.

As for Florida, they have a week to go to the drawing board with a bye next week. It’s not that they don’t have the talent, it’s there. Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you. Such is the world of college football. But the Gators have no time to nap, for the following two weeks they also take on Kentucky and then Georgia back to back. The SEC race is starting to shape up and the next four weeks will be able to tell who is going to rise out of what now appears to be the toughest conference in college football. As we always say, only time will tell.

Basketball Is Back

It’s that time of year again. Major League Baseball is in the midst of their playoffs; the National Football League enters the second quarter of their season, and the National Basketball Association is gearing up for a new season.

Coming off the heels of one of the most controversial summers ever for the NBA—Kobe Bryant said he wanted to be a Laker (Los Angeles) for life or was it he would never play for the Lakers again, and dirty Tim Donaghy admitted he purposely blew some calls in games or was it made some bogus calls—I’m sure Commission David Stern is elated that the b-ball is finally bouncing around the 30 NBA cities.

Training camp began this week. Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards) is back at 100 percent after his season ending knee injury in April. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and James Posey, now wearing Celtic green, are excited about their chance to contend for an Eastern Conference Championship. And Bryant and Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns), demanded to be traded, but have returned to the respective teams.

Here follows is some additional news dribbling out of training camp:

Washington Wizards
The Wizards, in Richmond, Virginia preparing for the new and improved Eastern Conference, entered this pre-season with a renewed focus on defense—ha, ha. During the summer the Wizards hired Randy Ayers (defensive coach) to mend their historically weak defensive team. According to Coach Eddie Jordan, Ayers is “doing a great job with” the defensive concepts through the first three practices. Maybe coach should let Ayers play defense because his boys have been playing disappearing defense for the last three seasons.

On another Wizards note, Etan Thomas has not been cleared to play because a cardiac test revealed he has an irregular heartbeat.

Orlando Magic
The rumor out of the Orlando Magic camp is that Dwight Howard, the 6-foot-11 man child who mans the paint for the Magic, is trying to add a 15-foot jump-shot to his offensive arsenal. To make sure Howard works on perfecting that shot, Coach Stan Van Gundy is having him doubled teamed every time he touches the ball in post.

According to Magic officials, Howard and the newly acquired Rashard Lewis are the only players guaranteed starting spots. Last year’s starters, Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu are competing for their starting spots. J.J. Redick and Keith Bogans have impressed Gundy with their play at the shooting guard position. Gundy maintains their play has been a team strength thus far.

One more rumor out of Orlando; Gundy is working the snot out of them boys.

Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are in Rome, Italy getting ready to potentially stake claim to being the best team in the east. But if they are to snatch that title from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Doc Rivers, Boston’s head coach, will continue teaching. In addition to the acquisitions of Allen, Garnett and Posey, the Celtics have six additional new players, including veterans Eddie House and Scot Pollard. Allen, traded to Boston in a draft day trade, said because the guys are new to each other they were trying to “build camaraderie—build chemistry.”

Phoenix Suns
The story in Tucson, Arizona where the Phoenix Suns are preparing for their upcoming season is who is and isn’t in camp. All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire is recovering from knee surgery; his second on the right knee in 17 months (microfracture surgery was performed on his left knee). Stoudemire is out for the next three weeks, but All-Star forward Shawn Marion is in. Marion, upset with consistently hearing his name in trade talks, demanded to be traded, but the Suns’ most versatile player arrived in camp with a positive and upbeat attitude.

Los Angeles Lakers
The latest Hollywood release, “Hawaii One-0” is a drama about how the Lakers will fair after Bryant’s off-season rants. The movie trailers have shown that Andrew Bynum isn’t upset with Bryant regarding sir [small letter intended] Kobe’s desire to have the center shipped to New Jersey for future Hall-of-Famer, Jason Kidd, and Bryant is sorry for how the remarks appeared. sir Kobe claims he was frustrated and wanted to win. No! He is full-of-it and wants to whine. Talk about acting. Here’s how this movie will end. Bryant won’t win the Lawrence O’Brien trophy this year, but he might win an Oscar. Oh, by the way, sir Kobe arrived 45 minutes late to media day; and he claimed that he will keep his mouth closed—yeah right! It’s going to be interested to see how camp goes in Hawaii.

Seattle Supersonics
We know what’s happening in Portland, no Greg Oden. But at Seattle Pacific University, Kevin Durant is doing his thing with the Seattle Supersonics. The 6-foot-9 offensive weapon is playing the two-guard spot. If that works out it just might a nightmare for the league’s 29 other two-guards.

San Antonio Spurs
While most teams are conducting practices lasting three to three and half hours, the World Champion San Antonio Spurs are practicing about two hours and 20 minutes; arrogance or ability. This year the Spurs are holding training camp at the team’s practice facility. This has the players ecstatic. Although the Spurs have won three of the last five titles, they’ve never won back-to-back titles. This year the Spurs just might erase that distinction from their resume.

BALCO Ghosts?

BALCO lab reaches out from the grave and still claims victims. Marion Jones has agreed to cop a plea with the feds for lying to them about using The Clear prior to her multi medal Olympics performance in 2000 as well as assisting her former boyfriend, track star Tim Montgomery, to launder a quarter of a million dollars. Remember when the Barry Bonds apologists were saying that the only reason the grand jury in San Francisco was still investigating BALCO labs was to try and snare Barry Bonds? They called it a witch hunt. Well guess what, Marion Jones was on that original list the feds got 4 years ago as was Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and of course Barry. Giambi copped to his use of steroids in front of the grand jury and did his time at the whipping post in New York. Sheffield was smart enough to testify that he couldn’t have used steroids. Why? Well he thinks that the only things that qualify as steroids, in his mind, are injected into your rear end. How could stuff you rub on yourself be a steroid….huh? Barry testified that he was told by Victor Conte of BALCO that The Cream and the Clear were natural substances, including some flaxseed oil. That is what Jones said too. Well, the wheels of justice grind slowly but they eventually catch up to you. In other lab raids recently, Rodney Harrison of the Patriots was nabbed as were 2 baseball players who have yet to face justice from MLB since the league can’t prove that the substances were taken during the time the league finally banned this stuff. Harrison is coming off a 4 game suspension by the NFL and made his mea culpas to the public and the team. The recent raid on scores of labs across the country that were supplied from China has garnered a slew of new names, none of which have been made public; but it’s just a matter of time before more athletes are humiliated and potentially disciplined by their sports and punished by the law. Makes you think about every time you heard Marion Jones claim that she was being persecuted and that she was clean. It also makes you think about how her skills deteriorated and got her no medals in the Olympics in 2004. She had obviously stopped rubbing the “flaxseed oil” on her body. She may do time, as much as 6 month; that is unclear as I write this on Thursday evening. What a shame that the price for fame and fortune is humiliation by the same public that cheered you and a cell in a federal prison.

Did Matt Holliday touch home plate? It doesn’t matter since the umpire called him safe and the Rockies are already 2 up in their Wild Card series with the Phillies. The instant replay talk has gotten so hot and heavy that conservative veterans are already saying it might be OK to use; maybe for calls made on whether a ball is a home run or a foul ball. Even my old friend Bud Selig is considering the question. But even if replays were used for that limited purpose it wouldn’t have helped on the final call made on Holliday. Human error is inevitable in these situations and frankly the Padres had squandered a lead over the Rockies in the Wild Card race to get into that situation to begin with. So the black cloth is being hung all over the city of San Diego with the Padres season over and the Chargers looking like they are on the clock already for the 2008 NFL draft. Can a city have bad karma? I don’t know but when a football crowd stars chanting the name of a fired coach they had a love/hate relationship with prior to him being fired you know that things aren’t good

Mike Vick update. How could I write one of these columns and not mention the latest Vick crap of the week? He is being chased by not one but two banks for being in default on lines of credit and personal loans. The NFL and he just presented their respective cases today about whether or not the Falcons are owed up to $12M as a refund on their advance bonus money paid to Vick. How can they expect him to give that back with his legal bills and the banks closing in? Poor baby. Oh yeah and in his first step towards rehabilitation he was seen having to live through an all day lecture by animal rights organizations to “sensitize” him to the plight of the poor dogs he used to abuse. He must have had to drink a lot of Red Bull to stay away. Hey, life’s a bitch then you get caught, then you get sued, and then you realize you’ve been a jerk. Well maybe.

Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com and listen to me on the Sports Journey Radio Show.

© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC

The Next Factor: The Redskins QB Jason Campbell is one to look out for

Campbell is emerging as the Skin’s Starting Quarterback

In 2006 Campbell surfaced as the Redskin’s starting quarterback replacing Veteran QB Mark Brunell in week 11. Campbell, who’s only in his 3^rd year of playing in the NFL, is proving to be quite a leader for the Washington Redskins. His QB rating last year was of 76.5 with 10 touchdowns in his first seven starts. Not bad for a starting rookie quarterback. This year he starts the season with only 2 TD’s but continues to show he is progressing. Of course the young quarterback is still growing into his own skin but will definitely be a key factor in helping the Redskins become a solid team in the future. I was astounded to see how he maintained his composure against the Eagles in Week 2 on Monday Night Football. He has a great arm and he confirmed it during that game and proved he could make throws. In college, Campbell played a key role in helping Auburn go undefeated in 2004 and contending for a national championship. He started 39 games out of 46 games at Auburn. The Redskins traded three picks for the right to draft him at the 25^th pick overall in 2005. If he can maintain his consistency, Jason Campbell will continue to be a quarterback to be reckoned with.

The State of Rutgers, not exactly where they want to be

(3-2) Maryland 34 – (3-1) Rutgers 14

Coming into Saturday Rutgers already knew where they stood. With Louisville well at the bottom of the mountain after losing two games and West Virginia hanging on by a fingertip after being routed by South Florida on Thursday, the top of the Big East Mountain was in clear sight. The Scarlet Knights forgot to watch each step — or week carefully. Four steps away were the Mountaineers half hanging off the ledge. Three steps away were the South Florida Bulls, waiting to see if they could ruin just a few more seasons and happen to make their own. Two steps away was Syracuse, and they weren’t even supposed to put up a fight. One step away was the Cincinnati Bearcats where the meat of the Scarlet Knights season was supposed to begin. Instead, they forgot to look down at the step they were on and slipped on a turtle, or Terrapin I should say and tumbled down a great amount with their loss this weekend to Maryland 34-24 in front of the second largest crowd ever at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, NJ (43,803).

Maryland ended Rutgers 10-game home winning streak and backup quarterback Chris Turner (14-20 149yds) led the Terrapins to 20 second half points to drop the Scarlet Knights out of the top 10 ranking. This is the second year in a row Rutgers did not maintain that ranking for more than a week. Last year Cincinnati played spoiler yanking Rutgers out of the No. 7 the week after the Knights knocked off Louisville the week prior. This year, they had no excuse. Maryland took out starting quarterback Jordan Steffy (concussion) on their last series before the half and Rutgers went to the locker room up three, 17-14. From there, the Terrapins came out of their shell to dominate the remainder of the game.

Maryland’s running back Keon Lattimore finished up with 124 yards on 34 carries with one touchdown. A solid day for a solid back. The question that I would like to pose is why a middle ranked back in the ACC is getting more touches in a game than Rutgers Heisman candidate Ray Rice who finished up with 97 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown? If he is your guy, get him the ball. Not saying it would have changed the outcome of the game, but at no point in the first three quarters did the Scarlet Knights need to abandon the run and go with a pass heavy offense. Although Rice was held to 38 yards on his last 15 attempts, they should have been riding or dying with him. But that is neither here nor there. The real Heisman candidate for the game was backup quarterback Chris Turner.

Although Turner did nothing to actually win the game for the Terrapins, he did enough so they wouldn’t lose. When you are playing a top 10 team with your backup at the reins what more can you ask for? Turner led drives of 40 and 60 yards which both led to field goals, one of which put the ‘Terps up 20-17. He also mustered up two scoring drives in the fourth quarter capped off by runs from Lattimore and Lance Ball. This put the icing on the cake, or as we call it in Jersey – the nail in the coffin.

That last touchdown by Maryland came after Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel (25-44 310yds 2TD 1INT) fumbled on a forth and twenty play on their own 20 yard line. He did not dig his own hole though, starting at their own 35 the Scarlet Knights were pushed back 15-yards on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, putting themselves in a sticky situation to try and make a comeback.

So what now for Rutgers? A team that after this weekend’s occurrences with a win would have been propelled into the top 5. Something that Rutgers has never been able to do before. But all is not lost.

Rutgers takes on Cincinnati at home this upcoming week. With a breather at Syracuse before they host South Florida and West Virginia in the upcoming weeks. They could have used this game as a cushion going into this part of their schedule. With so many Big East teams with a loss thus far, the Big East championship is not out of the Knights reach. Right now, it’s just out of view. Another loss in the next four weeks against conference opponents could be the end of the road for Greg Schiano’s team. As for Maryland, the tough road continues. Taking on three tough opponents in Georgia Tech, Virginia and Clemson all at home. The road has been long and hard for Rutgers, who claims the birthplace of college football. They have been the laughing stock of the nation for years. Finally, Coach Schiano has made something to make New Jersey proud. They’re not there yet, but they’re well on their way.