Before we get down to business, I'd like to congratulate Ryan Spilhaus for answering last week's trivia question. He submitted his response within hours of the paper's release, which is actually kind of sad because not only does he read The Eagle, but he had the time to send in a response.
1. The Patriots losing is good for the NFL.
Poor Tom Brady. First his actress girlfriend breaks up with him, and then his arch-nemesis Peyton Manning beats him in a playoff game. Sure, Brady is already dating another model and will be fine, but the second his final pass was intercepted by Michigan alum Marlin Jackson, the Super Bowl got a whole lot more interesting.
At this point, other than New England fans, who isn't sick of this team? Bill Belichick's sweatshirt, Tom Brady's flawlessness and the neverending praise from Chris Berman and the ESPN crew were all welcome in the beginning, but five seasons later it has gotten tiresome. They were once lovable underdogs, but now they have become this decade's Dallas Cowboys, only without the drug arrests.
2. The Bengals should trade Carson Palmer for Michael Vick.
Speaking of drug arrests, on Monday, Cincinnati cornerback Jonathan Joseph was
arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. He is the ninth Bengal arrested in a little over a year, including wide receiver Chris Henry, who has been charged with five different crimes in the past year.
It is obvious that Carson Palmer is not the right guy to lead this team out onto the field, and Burt Reynolds is too old to play anymore, so in order for the Bengals to really become the Mean Machine from "The Longest Yard," they'll need to trade for Mr. Ron Mexico himself.
3. David Lee is the next big thing (hopefully this works out better than my JP Losman pick did).
The Knicks are still bad, but at 18-25, they are just three games out of the division lead and appear to be on the road to respectability. David Lee, a second year forward out of Florida, has been at the forefront of this resurgence, giving New York fans hope for the future.
The sad part about the Knicks is that general manager Isiah Thomas has actually made some great draft picks, getting Lee with the 30th pick in the first round. Too bad he is such a bad coach that he is not starting a player who is averaging a double-double. Hopefully once Isiah gets fired, his replacement will be able to do something with the talented young players that Isiah drafted.
4. Jimmy Rollins should at least wait until spring training before running his mouth.
On Tuesday, Rollins told reporters that he believes that the Phillies are the team to beat in the NL East. Never mind the fact that the Phillies finished 12 games out of first place and haven't made the playoffs since 1993, but Rollins is a leadoff man who posted a .334 on-base percentage last year and hit just .267 in September while teammate Ryan Howard tried to single-handedly earn a playoff spot.
The best part of the interview was that Rollins claimed that "it's tough when its 6-0 in the first inning," effectively throwing last year's pitching staff under the bus. While the acquisition of Freddy Garcia should help, Adam Eaton and Jamie Moyer aren't going to win them anything.
5. The Blue Crew should remember that AU has more than just men's basketball.
Last Saturday, the Bender Arena attendance record was shattered during the men's basketball game against Holy Cross. Although the team lost in overtime, for one day it seemed as though there was actually some school spirit. While time will tell whether Phil Bender day will lead to larger crowds for the men's basketball team, the Blue Crew should remember that they are supposed to support all of the university's teams, not just the most popular sport. On the Blue Crew's Facebook group, only the men's basketball schedule is posted, with no mention of any other winter sport.
The people behind the Blue Crew will probably argue that they had a "Field Hockey Blowout" game earlier this year, but where was the support when the team hosted and won the Patriot League Title? The AU wrestling team has been on the university's most successful programs the past few years, and deserves the support of the student body as much as the basketball team. Perhaps the Blue Crew should spend some of its money to offer free food at one of the last three home wrestling meets, or actually show up to the "other half" of a men's-women's basketball doubleheader.
