Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

The lying has finally caught up to Jim Tressel. The man who thinks he is more righteous than thou is finally on the hot seat at Ohio State.  He can no longer hind behind the spectacles and the sweater vest.  Jim Tressel has been discovered for what he is - a cheat in the dirty game of college athletics.  The man who likes to lectures others in his book "Life Promises for Success: Promises from God on Achieving your Best"  will now be lectured by NCAA investigators.  Similar to Tiger Woods, who tried to portray a family image to the public but lived a life far from it, Jim Tressel tried to portray himself as coach who did things the right way.  His collection of proper sweater vests made Mr. Rogers seem like a party animal with those hipster cardigans.

Tressel was alerted that some of his star players were selling memorabilia in violation of NCAA rules as early as April 2010, nearly eight months before the school was finally notified.  By concealing the information, those players were able to stay on the field during the 2010 regular season and even in the Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas, netting Ohio State millions of dollars.  And what does the Ohio State Board of Trustees dish out to punish Tressel?  Two games, and their not against arch-rival Michigan or another Big Ten opponent, but against Akron and Toledo.  Brutus could coach against Akron and Toledo and the Buckeyes would still roll to victory.

This is not Tressel's first run-in with the NCAA.  After recruiting Maurice Clarett and promising his parents that he will make him a better football player and a better person, Tressel's coaching staff set him up with boosters who gave Clarett thousands of dollars.  Tressel also hooked him up with a landscaping job that required no landscaping.  Yet, somehow despite all the fiascos at Ohio State and further back at Youngstown state, Gordon Gee, the President of Ohio State, hopes that Jim Tressel does not dismiss him. 

Place the Open Sign Outside the Barbershop Window

The Barbershop is open on Sunday's again.  Tiki Barber must have joined the list of retired NFL players who have gone broke because he pulled his inner Brett Favre and unretired from the NFL.  That list is quite distinguished as 78% of NFL players are bankrupt after only two years of retirement.  Fortunately for Tiki, he retired early enough in his career where he may be able to return with something left in the tank.  The moral of this story is that if you don't have a prenup then you don't cheat on your preganant wife with a 23 year old intern (even if she is really hot) because a woman's wrath knows no mercy. She wants every penny from Tiki, and his need for cash, not desire for football, is bringing him back to the gridiron.  Do you think the Giants would actually pass on him if they thought he wanted to return for all the right reasons and could contribute to their running attack?  Tiki realized that he is better at running with a pigskin in his hand than talking into a camera as a sports anchor.  Surprisingly, Tiki proved that not every former ballplayer is great at being a sports analyst.  But, is there any chance that Tiki can convince Michael Strahan, who does a great job on Fox NFL Sunday, to come out of retirement?

Sid "Arthur" Rosenberg

It was refreshing to hear Sid Rosenberg's voice on the FAN this afternoon in New York.  While Sid thinks that he could be the biggest sports personality in New York if just given the opportunity, he has a long way to go before he usurps Mike Francesa as the preeminent voice for all things sports and non-sports related.  Sid may be able to captivate an audience talking baseball, basketball, and football, but can he spend a whole week talking about hedge fund investing and Bernie Madoff ponzi schemes, as if he works at the SEC like Mike Francesa?  Sid will have to read up on CDO's and derivatives before he can become a financial guru like Mad Money's Jim Cramer Mike Francesa.

Sid returning to New York is like Josh Hamilton joining the Yankees.  Everybody knows that he has the talent to succeed, but will he be able to handle all the distractions that New York has to offer, particularly the fast lane and the nightlife?  We know that Sid has experienced indiscretions in the past, so hopefully he can stay away from all the temptations this time around.  It will be a tough act to follow given that the only person with more demons in his closet is Trey Webb.

One of the Original Boys of Summer

 

If you're not supposed to talk bad of the dead then how come every article I read about The Duke of Flatbush discusses tax evasion and his malcontent attitude?  He had one bad day at the dish and proclaimed afterwards that Dodger fans don't deserve a pennant.  Yet, somehow that line has remained a part of his legacy over the years.  Although, most articles do mention some of his memorable moments, including two splendid catches, one of which robbed the Phillies Willie "Puddin Head" Jones of a homerun at the old Connie Mack Stadium, we still don't know much about one of the best centerfielders in the history of baseball.  Even Endy Chavez has one memorable catch in his career that people will talk about forever.  I understand that The Duke takes a backseat to the Say Hey Kid and the Mick, but do sports reporters have to pour salt on his wounds by writing about avocado farming rather than his impact as a baseball player?

Bartolo Pitches Well While Sucking Wind

What's more fascinating - that Bartolo Colon pitches impressively or that he actually impressed the Yankees coaching staff with his first outing of the spring?  This is the 26 time World Champion New York Yankees and they are actually getting excited about a 37 year old pitcher who hasn't pitched in the major leagues in 18 months.  This guy actually lost some weight in the off-season and he still came into camp at a whopping 267 pounds.  Colon has a better chance of opening holes for Brandon Jacobs than he does at pitching effectively at the back end of the Yankees rotation.  Bartolo makes Boomer Wells look thin.  I'm sure he will be a good mentor for Joba Chamberlain, who has no plate discipline of his own at the dinner table.  Joba got big on Nebraska's beef and potatoes.  You can only imagine how big Joba is going to get after Bartolo introduces him to rice and beans.

Maybe I need a better HDTV, but Carmelo Anthony, rocking number 7 and the headband, looks so similar to old-Knick Al Harrington from afar on the court.  Am I the only one who thinks there is a similarity?

Bring It

Charlie Sheen challenged CBS executives to "Bring It" last week on the Dan Patrick Show.  I haven't been more pumped up over a line since Todd Beamer said, "Let's Roll" on Flight 93.  Charlie actually has a very good point that he was trying to get across to Dan Patrick.  As Sarah Palin pointed out during the 2008 campaign, America loves Joe six-pack - the hard working American who kicks his feet up at the end of the day and enjoys a few brewskies.  But, Charlie, with his multi-million dollar salary, is not your average American.  So, instead of a few beers, he tends to relax with some broads and drugs.  He's not the first person in Hollywood to let loose that way.  So, how does Chuck Lorre pull the plug on Charlie simply because he works hard and parties harder?  As long as Charlie is not a train wreck on the set, who is Lorre to police his actions off it.

Chauncey Feeling Melo

How do you feel right now if you are Chauncey Billups?  After struggling early in his career, Billups was able to obtain a ring in Detroit and valiantly return home to Denver with his family when he was traded to the Nuggets. In a league where players are not always able to control their own destiny, Billups had what every player wants - the large contract and the ability to play in a city that is best for his family.  Chauncey was able to spend his morning and afternoon with his wife and kids before playing ball at night at the Pepsi Center.  Now, he is constantly on the road despite playing "home" games at the Garden all because Melo, a disgruntled superstar, twisted the arms of the Denver Nuggets and forced Masai Ujiri to deal him to New  York.  How can Chauncey possibly get along with Melo on the same team after Melo's selfishness lead to his upheaval from Denver?

Balkman is Back!

The Knicks shipped Gallo, Chandler, Felton, Mozgov, and draft picks  in a three team deal to bring back Renaldo Balkman and also receive throw-ins Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter and Corey Brewer.  Isiah Thomas must have been in Jim Dolan's ear trying to get Balkman back in a Knicks uniform to justify taking him with the 20th pick in the 2006 NBA draft.  Balkman, a fan favorite, is a 6'8" stud with a wingspan like a Condor.  Thomas always felt that Balkman could be a Rodman/Artest type player in the NBA and his defensive mindset could prove to be a game changer for the Knicks.

As exciting as the Melo deal is for the Knicks, it seems somewhat bittersweet losing a homegrown product like Gallinari and a tough point guard in Raymond Felton who embraced New York in his short stint here. Maybe if Donnie Walsh was able to actually do his job and not get stepped on by Jim Dolan, the Knicks would not have had to give up so much in the trade for Carmelo. Don't get me wrong, I think that the Knicks are a better team this morning than they were last night, and they are in a much better position to bring in Chris Paul or Deron Williams in 2012, but it would have been nice to see Melo drive the lane and kick out to Gallo for three.  Once Dolan got involved, it became clear that the Knicks were going to get Melo. The only question was how much restraint Dolan could show in not blowing up the whole roster. 

St. John's Returns to Relevance

The Johnnies have earned a spot in the round of sixty-four.  St. John's attracted almost 15,000 fans into Madison Square Garden to cheer them on against the No. 4 Pitt Panthers and they did not disappoint. The win should put St. John's in the top 25 and make them relevant again in college basketball.  Despite wins over  No. 3 Duke, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 10 UConn and No. 13 Georgetown, St. John's victory over Pitt may have been their most impressive win of the season.

Duke lives and dies with the three ball, so they can be beat when their outside shots are not falling.  Notre Dame plays a great team-oriented style of basketball under Mike Brey, but that win lacks some luster because Notre Dame is not a marque program with  big-time athletes like other major basketball programs.  UConn looks like world-beaters at times and lost at other times.  The Huskies go as Kemba Walker goes, and when he has an off night, UConn can be upset.  The win over Georgetown was great, but the Johnnies were able to surprise the Hoyas with the upset.  Pitt knew St. John's has an impressive track record of knocking off top ranked teams this year, yet the Johnnies were able to hang with them all day and eventually go ahead for good with a Dwight Hardy scoop with 1.2 seconds left.  St. John's is not intimidated by any opponent and are poised to make some noise come March.