The Way It Ought To Be

Pujols and Fielder should rememember to thank McGwire and Sosa

2012-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

Prince Fielder is leaving the Milwaukee Brewers after six seasons and is getting a nice, big fat, nine-year, $214 million contract from the Detroit Tigers.

When I heard Fielder was headed to Detroit, my first though was, "Oh, well, that fits. His dad (Cecil) played there."

But when I watched ESPN's Outside the Lines on Wednesday and one of the analysts said baseball is as strong and financially healthy as it's ever been, I had a different thought. Why is baseball so healthy right now and has been for the last 10-plus years?

When Major League Baseball canceled the World Series in 1994 because of a labor dispute, what followed was three seasons of mediocre attendance and financial struggles for most teams. Then came the 1998 season and the home run hit parade put on by both Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.

Those two have since been ostracized for their supposed use of steroids that led to McGwire hitting 70 home runs and Sosa 66. But what is forgotten is that Sosa and McGwire saved baseball. Attendance spiked in 1998 because fans wanted to see the duo wherever they played. Baseball was back and McGwire and Sosa were the catalysts.

Fast forward a couple years and Texas gives Alex Rodriguez the first-ever $200 million contract. The Rangers couldn't handle the contract and then dealt A-Rod to the New York Yankees. Then other teams had to keep up and salaries spiraled out of control. And now we have Albert Pujols leaving St. Louis for a mega-contract from the Anaheim Angels and Fielder's deal with the Tigers. A pair of contracts worth more than $200 million in less than a month and the same pundits who want to keep McGwire and Sosa (and Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, etc.) out of the Hall of Fame are lauding the Angels and Tigers for making free-agent splashes by landing the big fish.

Those hypocrites forget that the Hall of Fame is a museum for the history of baseball. Like it or not, the so-called "Steroid Era" is part of that history. If you keep one of those players out, you keep them all out - the likes of Ken Griffey included. That's not right. Nobody knows for sure who was using and who wasn't using, so you don't discriminate.

You especially don't shun Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. You thank them. You thank them for saving baseball. And Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and every other player who gets that mega deal need to remember to thank them as well.

My 14-year-old son might know more about football than me

2012-01-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

As a sports reporter who primarily covers the St. Louis Rams, people expect me to have some sort of insight into football. The expectation is that I will win my fantasy football league every year and be able to correctly predict most of the games correctly.

Well, while I do think I know football – and other sports – well, let’s just say I fall short of those expectations that are thrust upon me.

Let’s start with my fantasy football team. I was in a league with other sports media members and maybe that had to do with my four-win season. I have done well in the past with fantasy football, but this past year was brutal.

As far as predicting games correctly, we’ll go back to my preseason Super Bowl pick of Green Bay versus the New York Jets. The Packers looked great for most of the year, while the Jets, yeah, they sucked. So when the Packers were 15-1 and had the NFL’s best record while the Jets missed the postseason, I changed my AFC pick to New England.

Great picks still, right? Maybe my 14-year-old son, David, is some kind of playoff savant because his pre-playoff Super Bowl pick was San Francisco and New England and I watched the New York Giants beat the Packers last Sunday with David, who had picked the Giants, sitting right next to me.

He even said, “If the Packers win, it’ll be close, but if the Giants win, it won’t be.” Final score: New York 37, Green Bay 20.

I thought he was crazy at first and told him that if he was going to wear the Aaron Rodgers jersey my dad had sent him for Christmas, then he had to root for the Packers. He wasn’t doing it because he somehow knew that New York would win. And, damnit, he was right.

So here is my 14-year-old son who had San Francisco beating the Saints, picked the Denver Broncos to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round (his mother is from Denver) and had the Giants shocking the Packers at Lambeau Field. And I had the Packers beating the Saints in the NFC Championship game.

There’s a reason I don’t gamble, but if I did, I may have to lean on my son for advice. Maybe it’s not the sports reporter themselves who get the football expert gene, maybe it’s the son of the sports reporter. There is precedent to this football gene thing – the father of Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald is also a sports reporter.

For what it’s worth, David has the Patriots beating the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVI.

Silent Stan's absence a bit puzzling

2012-01-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

Steve Spagnuolo always prided himself on doing the right thing when dealing with players ... and his players appreciated how Spagnuolo spoke with them.

If Spagnuolo decided to release a player, he met with that player in person to inform him of the news. It was the one part of the job Spagnuolo dreaded because, as he often said, "this business is about people."

Spagnuolo, and general manager Billy Devaney, were both fired on Monday following a horrible three-year stretch that saw the Rams win only 10 total games.

But when owner Stan Kroenke decided to relieve both his coach and GM of their duties on Sunday, he didn't hop in his jet and fly to St. Louis to do it in person. He had his executive vice president of football operations and chief operations officer, Kevin Demoff, do it for him.

That would be the equivalent of Spagnuolo telling a position coach or coordinator to tell a player he's been cut. It just doesn't seem right. Spagnuolo and Devaney may not have been successful as far as putting a winning product on the field, but if Kroenke believes his own words when he said in his statement that he has "tremendous respect for Steve and Billy as people and football professionals" and wanted to "thank them personally" for their work in St. Louis, then do it in person.

As I left the auditorium at Rams Park following Demoff's 17-minute long press conference, I heard the questions: "Why did Kroenke have Demoff address the media instead of doing it himself? Why couldn't the owner fire Spags and Devaney himself instead of having Demoff do his 'dirty work'?"

Those are both very good questions. And I wish I knew the answers. I do know this - Spagnuolo and Devaney deserved to have the owner look them in the eyes when he told them they needed to clean out their offices.

This business is about people and Kroenke seems to have missed that along the way to building his billion-dollar sports empire.

Unimaginable pressure comes with being the No. 1 overall pick

2011-12-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

Alex Smith is finally having the season many expected him to have coming out of college.

The San Francisco 49ers made the Utah quarterback the first pick in the 2005 NFL draft –selected higher than Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. Smith underwent a ton of scrutiny through five mediocre years. He threw 51 touchdown passes in his first five seasons – Rodgers has 45 this season alone – with 43 interceptions and zero playoff appearances.

Smith said he tried too hard to validate his selection as the top overall pick and that he has trouble trying to describe the pressure that comes with being the first player taken in the draft.

“It’s something that is hard to even put into words,” Smith told myself and one other St. Louis reporter via teleconference on Wednesday. “You go through such scrutiny going through all the workouts and the combine and it’s such an ordeal. You work so hard to compete through those and then all of the sudden you are the No. 1 pick and people forget that basically the next day you are going to work, and it’s not like you have been off that whole time, you just continue to work. When you are the No. 1 pick, all eyes are on you. It’s strange that even all of your teammates look at you, they’re always watching you, every guy is always watching your movements.

“Sometimes I think if you start thinking about that, especially as a quarterback, it can affect your play. If you’re trying to not screw up, trying not to make the mistakes, sometimes that can become a bad thing. Instead of just going out and playing and cutting the ball loose and playing football, you can get caught up with people watching you and your quarterback rating and what people are saying and this and that. There’s a lot of distractions and I think one of the toughest things is just having the mental character and makeup to get all of that crap out of your head and just play football."

As Sam Bradford – who the St. Louis Rams took with the top pick in 2010 – is finding out, it’s not easy to live up to that billing.

“I think every No. 1 pick tries to, all top picks but especially No. 1, you are trying to validate it with every single play,” Smith said. “I know I did for a few years.

“Every single play I tried to validate it, so you are constantly trying to throw into the tight windows, make the big throws, and do everything yourself instead of letting the team and letting the system work for you and really just distributing the football. That’s your job, just distribute the football and make good decisions and then let those plays come to you. Instead, especially me as a young player, I just found myself forcing them and I think that’s the mistake a lot of early draft pick quarterbacks do.”

Many thought new San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh would cut ties with Smith and bring in a quarterback of his own choosing. But Harbaugh – a former NFL quarterback – stuck by Smith.

The result is that the 49ers are 12-3, locked up the NFC West title weeks ago and Smith is having what Harbaugh has called a Pro Bowl season with a career-best 2,931 passing yards through 15 games with 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Rodgers, New Orleans' Drew Brees and New York's Eli Manning are the NFC quarterbacks for the Pro Bowl.

Bradford lifted the Rams from one win in 2009 to seven in 2010 as the Rams fell a game shy of winning the NFC West. He was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year after throwing for 3,512 yards with 18 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions and taking every snap. That’s a start Smith could only have dreamed of after he threw one touchdown pass with 11 interceptions in seven starts.

“It's tough,” Smith said. “No one understands that at the quarterback position you rely on so many people just to have a chance to do your job. Just from an outside perspective looking in, obviously (Bradford) had a really big rookie year. I think he did a lot of good things and then the expectations just continue to rise and a new system, the lockout, all of the injuries the Rams have had this year especially on the offensive side of the ball at the receiver position and offensive line, things like that, those are things that I think aren’t excuses, they’re facts, but no one really looks to that. No one wants to talk about that or hear that. A lot of times so many people just look at your stats and all of that stuff can be deceiving. So for him I still think just continue to work to get better every day. You’re going to get through this.

“The NFL is so much what have you done for me lately and just looking forward to the next game and putting that stuff behind you. I think for him, he’s such a young player in this league, he’s got such a long road ahead of him that if he just continues to work on becoming a better player he’ll be just fine.”

This year has been a reversal of fortune for both Bradford and Smith. Bradford suffered a high ankle sprain against Green Bay on Oct. 16 and has been nagged by it ever since. He’s missed five games already and will likely miss Sunday’s season finale against the 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome. Bradford has only six touchdown passes with six picks and has thrown for 2,164 yards.

This year has been a reversal of fortunes for both Bradford and Smith. The Rams have dipped to two wins and could own the top pick again in next year’s draft. Meanwhile the 49ers will be making their first playoff appearance since 2002. Smith said patience will be key for Bradford and said as long as the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner doesn’t start reading the message boards or listening to sports talk radio, he – and the Rams – should be OK.

“You learn that one real quick,” Smith joked about listening to sports talk. “It’s tough. Even look at Sam a year ago everybody is singing your praises and then a year later all of the sudden it’s not the same story. You learn how quickly things can change and obviously this is the most popular sport in America and it is that for a reason.

“Obviously, that’s a part of it. If you play quarterback you’re going to be under a lot of scrutiny, people are going to say a lot of things either way about you, so you better have some thick skin. If you don’t have thick skin you’re not going to make it very long in this league.”

Harris retirement makes me reminisce

2011-12-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

As he sat in front of his locker at Rams Park, Al Harris was surrounded by a handful of reporters. The first question was about his right knee and his pending surgery on Jan. 13 to repair a torn ACL.

Harris will head to Florida for the surgery – a procedure he could have had this week, but delayed it so he could return to St. Louis and say good bye to his Rams teammates. That’s when Harris broke the news himself – he is retiring after 14 seasons in the NFL.

“I wanted to be around the guys this last week,” he said. “I just wanted to be around the fellows, see everybody. You can only sit at home for so long. It was time to get back.”

The 37-year-old Harris was drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round of the 1997 draft and then spent six years in Philadelphia, eight in Green Bay, three games with Miami and this season in St. Louis. His time in Green Bay ended when he tore his left ACL in 2009 while breaking up a pass in the end zone against San Francisco. He tore the right ACL this season while tackling Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs on Nov. 13.

He was placed on injured reserve the very next day – marking the third straight season he finished on IR. Had he been able to finish out the season, Harris may want to keep playing, but knows when it’s time to call it quits.

“You’ve got to take the hint,” said Harris, who admitted that he’s “still frustrated” about not being able to play. “When the guy upstairs is talking to you, you’ve got to listen.

“I tip my hat to anybody who comes back from a knee injury. It’s a hard rehab. It’s a grind. At 37, it’s just time to turn the page. It’s just time.”

What I will remember about Al Harris is a guy who made plays. His most memorable play came against Seattle in the 2003 playoffs. The Seahawks won the toss and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, a former Packers backup, yelled into the referee’s microphone for all the Lambeau Field crowd to hear, “We want the ball and we’re gonna score.”

Hasselbeck threw a scoring pass all right – into the arms of Harris, who returned the pick for a game-winning touchdown. When Harris was asked to reflect on the most memorable thing about his career, it wasn’t that interception, it was getting a call from then-Tampa Bay head coach Tony Dungy telling him that the Buccaneers would going to draft him.

“To this day, that is the most exciting thing you can ever imagine as a little kid growing up, student-athlete, to get that call,” Harris said.

He was eventually cut by the Bucs and quickly claimed by Philadelphia, where he was a solid player. He burst out with the Packers. He and Mike McKenzie were a formidable tandem of talent and great hair. When McKenzie left for New Orleans, Charles Woodson then helped create one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL.

Harris tried to come back from his first ACL injury in 2010. He began that season in Green Bay on the physically unable to perform list and was eventually released. Miami signed him and he played in three games before a hamstring injury had him in IR for the second straight year.

St. Louis was supposed to be where Harris made his big comeback and showed everybody the old man could still play. Forced into increased playing time because of injuries to the Rams’ top corners – Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy – Harris was playing well until he “planted wrong” and created too much torque when he picked up Cribbs and slammed him to the Cleveland Stadium turf. Harris immediately grabbed his right knee.

“That was my last play,” he said Wednesday. “That was God’s way of telling me it’s time to turn the page.”
That page is one that will see Harris stay in football as a coach. “As far as football is concerned, you'll see me again,” he said.

“I’m going to come back to coach. I’ve got my mind made up about that,” Harris continued, ruling out any chance at a comeback like former teammate Brett Favre. “Professionally, I hit every single goal that I set out for myself. Now it’s time to turn the page and set a new set of goals.

“I really do think I’ve formed enough professional relationships in this business to know that I can still be around it.”

Harris was a mentor to the younger St. Louis corners and the consensus of a quick poll of the young is that he will make a great coach. As somebody known for putting in long hours and who said the “preparation from Monday to Sunday” is what he enjoys the most about football, Harris appears to have the right mindset and work ethic to be a successful coach.

Harris played in 194 career games with 128 starts, 21 interceptions and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. He also appeared in 12 playoff games. This season with the Rams, Harris appeared in nine games with five starts, recording 20 tackles, seven pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

“I had an awesome time,” Harris said of his career. “I thank (Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo) for giving me an opportunity to come and help out. I hope I left a positive impression on everybody.”

You certainly did with me.

Pro Bowl reaction; Rams understandably snubbed

2011-12-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

With the release of the Pro Bowl rosters on Tuesday, it’s tough to find much fault with them.

As someone who covers the St. Louis Rams on a regular basis I was hopeful that either or both Chris Long and James Laurinaitis would get their first trips to Hawaii.

Long has 13 sacks this season, but got passed over for three other defensive ends who all have at least 15.5 sacks. Laurinaitis has better statistics than Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, who was essentially a legacy vote. But the snub of Washington’s London Fletcher, the former Ram who leads the NFL in tackles, is an even more heinous omission.

People are viewing Tim Tebow’s omission from the AFC roster as a snub and that’s just ridiculous. In a season where quarterbacks like New Orleans’ Drew Brees, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Carolina’s Cam Newton and New England’s Tom Brady are setting records left and right, Tebow’s stats just do not compare to the signal callers who did get the Hawaii invitation.

Brees broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing yardage mark on Monday night – with a full game still remaining. Rodgers and Brady could also pass Marino’s mark of 5,084 passing yards this season. Rodgers, who has already surpassed Brett Favre’s single-season mark of 39 touchdown passes to break Green Bay’s team record, will also likely set a new single-season passer rating record – breaking Peyton Manning’s 2004 record. Although unlikely, Rodgers needs five touchdown passes against Detroit on New Year’s Day to tie Brady’s 2007 record of 50.

Newton, the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, has already accounted for twice as many touchdowns as the Rams collectively have as a team. His 14 rushing touchdowns is an NFL record for a quarterback and he has set numerous rookie passing records – including most passing yards by a rookie. He is a no-brainer for the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year and he did not get a Pro Bowl invite – and that’s perfectly all right because Rodgers, Brees and Eli Manning of the New York Giants have had better seasons. Newton’s time will come.

RON’S RAMBLING RANT:

The Rams promoted tight end Ben Guidugli from the practice squad on Tuesday to fill the roster spot of suspended WR Austin Pettis. They also signed rookie tight end DeMarco Cosby, a Missouri native, to the practice squad. Cosby was with the Rams during training camp.

Guidugli’s promotion is long overdue – he made the final roster only to be released in place of former Cardinals and 49ers tight end Stephen Spach. Guidugli was then re-signed to the practice squad but released a couple more times during the season only to wind up back on the practice squad.

Guidugli’s ego was understandably bruised when the team claimed St. Louis native Mike McNeill off of Indianapolis’ practice squad last week. McNeill was then inactive for last Saturday’s game at Pittsburgh. Guidugli has been around all season and knows the offense, so the signing of McNeill didn’t make much sense unless if it was just a PR move to sell a few more tickets for the season finale at home against San Francisco. I really enjoyed speaking to McNeill in the preseason and on the day he was signed but, as somebody pointed out to me last week, shouldn’t it be about winning games?

Next up on the “should-be-promoted-from-the-practice-squad” list is offensive tackle Ryan McKee, who has spent the last two seasons on the eight-man unit. McKee has been invited to training camp next season, but that’s not guaranteed if a new coach and general manager renege on the current regime’s promise. McKee is not eligible for the practice squad next year, so 2012 will be the make-or-break year for his NFL career.

Roethlisberger's play a reason to sit Bradford

2011-12-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Sam Bradford wants to play and you would expect nothing less. The problem is that the sprained left ankle of the St. Louis Rams quarterback still hasn't healed right and won't until after the season.

"I’ve told Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) that I’m trying to get my ankle as healthy as quick as possible," Bradford said Tuesday. "I want to be out there soon as it’s good enough to go. I expect to be on the field. Now, obviously Coach and (head trainer) Reggie (Scott) still have to feel comfortable enough for me to be out there and feel that I can protect myself and that I can play at a level to help this team. As soon as I get back to that point, I expect to be back in the huddle.

"It’s my job. That’s why I’m here. I’m here to play football. I’m not here to ride the bike, I’m not here to sit on the sideline. No matter what happens. I mean why wouldn’t I want to play? You put so much time in, you put so much work in and then to just have it taken away and not to be able to go out there and do what you love to do, it’s not easy. It sucks sitting on the sideline. I don’t like it and it’s miserable. There’s nothing fun about it, so as soon as I can get back out there playing you’ll probably see me smile a little more.”

Bradford struggled in St. Louis' Monday night loss at Seattle, but didn't turn the ball over four times like Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. I admire Bradford's desire to play. I just don't think it's smart for him to. But it's not like he's taking the decision to play lightly.

"Anytime you play football there’s a risk of injury," Bradford said. "Whether the risk of re-injuring this or creating further damage is more now as compared to a couple of weeks ago, I don’t know. I’m sure Reggie knows more about that than me, but that’s really not a concern to me. I think if it’s good enough to go, it’s good enough to go.”

I'm not sure if giving the player the final say-so is the right call either. A source in Pittsburgh told me that Roethlisberger will play Saturday against the Rams unless if his sprained ankle "suddenly swells to the size of Casey Hampton and won’t deflate." That decision is Roethlisberger's because, "it’s his call, his team."

Anybody who watched Roethlisberger struggle against the 49ers on Monday night knows how a high ankle sprain can affect a quarterback's game.

"It just changes your throwing mechanics," Bradford said last week. "It’s hard on my front leg. It’s not easy to come through and fully torque, and get everything I have into it where it kind of puts more stress on the arm. I’m not sure if it reduces arm strength, it just kind of limits your ability to put your entire body into throws at times."

Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis said he noticed how much Roethlisberger labored Monday night.

"When you have a high ankle, it limits what kind of plays you can call," Laurinaitis said. "Can you do a lot of play actions, a lot of bootlegs? Probably not. The guy has to run and roll out and that's something that's not really possible with a high ankle.

"One of the best things Ben does, he's no Michael Vick, but if you've watched him over the years, he's been able to break tackles and move around enough to get the ball out. When you limit him with his mobility, that ability to escape and extend plays, you limit a big part of what his game is."

Predictable Rams offense easy to defend

2011-12-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

Sunday came and went with another loss for the St. Louis Rams. We saw the same things – penalties, ineffective line play, solid effort by a defense that wore down late and gave up some big plays, poor special teams and offensive play calling that even a football novice would be able to defend against.

I asked Steve Spagnuolo directly following the game if he was pleased with the play calling of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Without hesitation, the answer was, “Yeah, absolutely.”

Really, Steve? Really?

I may have answered that question with something like, “For the most part, yes. We need to score more points and be more effective in some situations. Josh can do a better job. We can all do a better job.”

An answer like that doesn’t throw McDaniels under the bus, but it also addresses the issue of McDaniels’ questionable play calling.

Want examples? Oh, I’ve got examples.

Let’s go back to the first game against Seattle when the Rams scored a measly seven points using multiple spread, empty sets. When the Rams did run, their personnel packages told the Seahawks exactly what they were going to do. Steven Jackson goes from the outside to the backfield with two tight ends and a fullback.

So no running back = pass. Two tight ends and a fullback with the running back behind the quarterback = run. That’s pretty easy to figure out and the Seahawks had an easy time defending it. The result was 185 yards of total offense and only 42 rushing yards for Jackson.

Let’s fast forward to Sunday’s 20-13 loss to Cincinnati. The Rams did not convert a single third down until late in the fourth quarter and finished the game 2-of-13 on third-down conversions. Why were the Rams so bad? Well, let’s first give the Bengals defense some credit. But then the culpability falls on McDaniels.

First quarter – third-and-7 – Jackson runs right for a loss of a yard.

First quarter – third-and-1 – Jackson runs right for a loss of two yards.

Second quarter – third-and-3 – Kellen Clemens sacked for a loss of six yards.

Second quarter – third-and-6 – A throwback pass from Jerious Norwood to Clemens, who then underthrew a wide-open Austin Pettis.

Second quarter – third-and-1 – Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd goes in motion, stops to get set in the backfield telling everybody in the building that he’s going to be getting the ball and then runs left for a loss of three yards.

Second quarter – third-and-4 – Clemens pass to Lloyd for a gain of a yard.

Second quarter – third-and-6 – Clemens pass to Danario Alexander for a gain of five yards.

Third quarter – third-and-2 – Pass play and Clemens scrambles for a gain of one yard.

Third quarter – third-and-7 – Clemens sacked by “Cousin Nate” for a loss of eight yards.

Fourth quarter – third-and-1 – Clemens sacked for a loss of five while lined up in the shotgun.

So we have some third-and-shorts where McDaniels decides to pass, a third-and-long where he decides to run and a pair of trick plays that failed miserably and a pair of passes that were thrown well short of the marker. The only play call I liked was the throwback pass, but Clemens didn’t throw a good pass with a Bengals lineman bearing down on him.

I don’t know how Spagnuolo – or anybody else – can be happy with that. I know Rams fans sure aren’t. That’s evident by the boos that rain down regularly at the Edward Jones Dome.

Jackson wants to retire as a Ram

2011-12-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Ever had that job you loved, but the success you crave just doesn’t happen?

I know exactly how that feels. I get to watch sports for a living, but the monetary compensation I receive doesn’t make me feel successful.

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson knows this feeling, too. But his issue isn’t with money – he’s got plenty of that – it’s with wins and losses.

Since Jackson was selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft as the heir apparent to now-Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk, the Rams have had one of the worst stretches in franchise history.

Jackson has never been part of a winning team – the Rams were 8-8 in 2004 and 2006 – and their overall record in his eight seasons is a paltry 38-89 with only one playoff appearance in 2004. He admitted Thursday that “three or four years ago,” he felt sorry for himself and wondered why he was stuck on a losing team. He has since matured into a leader and been selected for the Pro Bowl three times.

“At this point now I think it’s clear that my legacy will be defined by me having dealt with these hard situations and watching me grow and understanding that now I have become a pillar of strength more so than just a running back,” he said. “It’s hard to be a great running back when you have guys like Marshall and Eric Dickerson that were in this franchise. My legacy will be defined by the things that I have overcome and the adversity.”

Faulk and Jackson will be back in the Edward Jones Dome together on Sunday when Faulk has his named added to the team’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. Faulk, whose number 28 was retired in 2007, will also receive his Hall of Fame ring.

Jackson, who had a bit of a strained relationship with Faulk early in his career, said he would talk with Faulk after the game.

There may be congratulations due on both sides. Jackson needs 105 yards to record his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season. That is something that only six players – Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin and LaDainian Tomlinson – have ever done.

“To be in that group I think it’s a special group to be a part of. I think it shows that not only are you productive, but that you can sustain season after season,” Jackson said. “I’m pretty sure those guys have played through injuries and it just marks that you’re a tough guy, a gritty guy, that a franchise can hang their hat on.”

Only one of those players – Sanders – played his entire career with one team. St. Louis already lost one superstar athlete when Albert Pujols left the Cardinals to sign a big-money contract with the Anaheim Angels. Jackson has no plans on being the next superstar to leave town.

“To finish out with one team is special,” he said last week. “That particular franchise that gave birth to a dream and allowed you to live it out and be embraced by the community, so I would believe that he would have wanted to stay here and I think any athlete, whoever drafts you or signs you when you’re a young guy, you would love to finish with that particular team.”

He reaffirmed that sentiment this week.

“I would love to remain, retire, not a one day retirement, one of those kind of deals, but I would love to finish my career here,” he said Thursday. “Whoever the next guy is to come in and fill in for me and take over, teach him the ropes and teach him the legacy and the things that have been taught to me. I would take pride in that. I would love to do that.”

And it looks like Jackson’s contract, renegotiated in 2008 to include an escalator clause that could void the final two years if he averaged 1,200 rushing yards and 400 receiving through the first four years of the deal, will remain in tact. Jackson will unlikely hit those numbers, so his contract should remain valid through 2013. But that’s something Jackson doesn’t think about.

“That part of the business is that itself and even if I was to hit those milestones, the Rams still own my rights,” he said. “They have the decision to retain me if they wanted to. My main focus is always to be the best player on this team and go from there. By doing that I think that puts me among the elite.”

Now if the team can finally reward him with that winning season every elite player deserves.

Geography means nothing anymore in college

2011-12-14T09:23:00.001-08:00

I have two teenage sons, one of whom is a junior in high school. So it’s time to be thinking about where my eldest boy will attend college. Fortunately, he’s a pretty darn good varsity swimmer and diver, so a scholarship could be in his future. But even as the colleges come calling, his mom and I will still have input on where he goes.

I would like him to attend a school that values education, which is something the Big East Conference has seemingly forgot.

In an effort to beef up the strength of the league, the Big East officially added five schools last week. Even though it is a geographically named conference, location doesn’t matter. There are apparently no former real estate agents who work for the Big East.

Central Florida was one of the schools added, which is the only one that is actually a sound geographic decision. The other four teams? San Diego State, Boise State, Houston and Dallas-based Southern Methodist University.

I don’t have a problem with this if the Big East changes its name to something that removes the “East” from its name. I don’t see that happening, just like I do not expect the 10-team Big 12 Conference and 12-team Big 10 Conference to swap names.

The Big East raised some of the same geographic eyebrows a few months ago when it invited Texas Christian University. TCU has since reneged on its decision to join the Big East and accepted an invitation to the Big 12.

“I think it’s perfect,” former TCU quarterback and current Cincinnati Bengals starter Andy Dalton told me and two other reporters on a teleconference Wednesday morning at Rams Park. “It makes more sense than the Big East, where we were going to begin with. For the location part of it, it makes a lot of sense.”

Keeping that last sentence in mind, what does Dalton think of the Big East adding four teams west of the Mississippi River – including one located on the Pacific Coast?

“Now that doesn’t make sense,” he said.

I couldn’t agree more.

Spagnuolo not thinking about his future

2011-12-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

Even if he doesn’t admit it, Steve Spagnuolo knows he’s on borrowed time.

Following another disastrous loss on Monday night in Seattle, the head coach for the St. Louis Rams met the media Tuesday afternoon and faced questions about his future.

Spagnuolo has always been one to call the National Football League “a results-driven league.” Unfortunately for Spagnuolo, with only 10 wins in three years, the results have not been there. Despite the lack of success and three head coach firings already this season, Spagnuolo said he has not thought about his coaching future.

“My focus is on Cincinnati,” Spagnuolo said of the team's next opponent. “That’s how I operate. That’s the way you do it in this league. To think beyond that is an injustice to the people you’re working for.”

Kansas City cut ties with its coach, Todd Haley, on Monday – hours before the Miami Dolphins fired Tony Sparano as their head coach. Earlier this season, Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio became the first coach to get the axe.

Like the Rams, the Chiefs have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season – namely starting quarterback Matt Cassell and running back Jamaal Charles. Even that built-in excuse didn’t save Haley’s job, a season after he guided the Chiefs to an AFC West title.

Expectations were high for the Chiefs after winning the division and they were high for the Rams following last year’s seven-win campaign that had them one victory shy of the NFC West crown. Every team deals with injuries, but they have especially hit the Rams hard this year. They have placed 10 cornerbacks on injured reserve – although Chris Smith was released and re-signed three months later – and have 14 players on IR. Despite the revolving door in the secondary and on the offensive line and the fluidity of the roster, Spagnuolo has not used the injuries as an excuse for not winning.

“It’s a steep, steep hill to climb,” he said Tuesday. “I’m sure there are other teams in the league facing similar situations. Unfortunately, we’ve had them at two critical positions – cornerback and offensive line. We’re finding it very difficult to overcome it, but when we play Sunday, we’re going to have to find a way to. I focus on finding solutions, rather than why it’s the way it is or what it could have been.

“If had (an) explanation, I would have solved it a long time ago. Only the good Lord knows. None of the guys plan on getting hurt. Everybody’s preparing to be healthy. People will go back, is it the lockout, is it this or that. I don’t know. There’ll be studies on it, I’m sure. Every team will do it. We’ve have our fair share of (injuries), but when they all come at the same position, that’s what makes it challenging.”

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has made some inexplicable play calls this season and is somehow an early candidate to replace Haley in Kansas City, acknowledged that injuries have been a factor in producing the league’s worst scoring offense.

“I would think we’d be more productive than we’ve been,” he said last Thursday. “There’s no excuses. We just haven’t done a great enough job of doing the things that we needed to do to be successful in games and you never run from that. Who knows what would have been had some of these guys not gotten hurt? Maybe we’ll find out down the road.”

That road may soon be lined with a new coaching staff.

Thoughts on the NFL: Tebow-mania, the unbeaten Pack and the Chiefs coaching situation

2011-12-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Some Monday morning quarterbacks are up in arms about Tim Tebow receiving too much credit for Denver's overtime win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Of course Tebow was given too much credit for the win. That's the same for any quarterback in the NFL.
Sure, Matt Prater hit two long field goals to tie and then win the game. Sure, the Broncos would not have even been in position to win the game had it not been for two mistakes by Chicago running back Marion Barber. But, had Barber stayed in bounds in regulation or not fumbled in overtime and Chicago would have won, the headlines would have read, "Tebow magic runs out" or something along those lines.
So the same people complaining that Tebow was given too much credit for the win would have been blaming him for the loss. And that's fine. That's how NFL quarterbacks are treated - too much praise for wins and too much blame in losses. That's kind of the general rule.
For those people who don't like Tebow because of his faith and were pondering on Twitter, "Which god does Prater pray to?" Does it matter? I'm pretty sure Prater is also a Christian, albeit not as outspoken as Tebow. But who cares? Whether your god is called Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah or anything else, every monotheistic religion prays to the same god. If you're an atheist or agnostic, then too bad. Tebow's not trying to convert you or anyone else. He's just being himself.
We've see too often so-called Christians come across as hypocrites when their actions don't match their words. It's almost as if everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop with Tebow, but guess what? I don't think that's going to happen, so let it go and just enjoy the fact that we are watching a Broncos team that has found a way to win close games and Tebow's ability to make plays late has a huge part in that.
Now anyone calling for Tebow to be an MVP candidate is just ridiculous. There is one MVP this year and his name is Aaron Rodgers.
PERFECT PACK: Speaking of Rodgers, he threw two touchdowns in Green Bay's throttling of Oakland on Sunday. As the Packers are now a perfect 13-0 and marching closer toward that undefeated season, Rodgers has throw at least two touchdown passes in each of the 13 wins and tied Brett Favre's franchise mark with his 39th TD toss this season.
As fun as Broncos fans are having watching their team, every fan should be having fun watching history in the making with the Packers. I think Bill Cowher said it best on CBS' pregame show, "Only the Packers can stop the Packers."
COACHES CHOPPING BLOCK: You've got to feel bad for now former NFL head coaches Todd Haley and Tony Sparano. I've never been a fan of coaching changes before the end of the season. That's why whenever anybody asked me if Steve Spagnuolo will be canned before the season, I always tell them no. I still believe that.
As far as who replaces Haley in Kansas City, I think Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli would be making a mistake if he goes after Josh McDaniels. What has McDaniels done to show he can be a successful head coach. He got off to a 6-0 start in his first season in Denver before things spiraled out of control and he was fired midway through the 2010 season. He was given another chance to work his way back this season as the Rams offensive coordinator, but it's been a huge disappointment. The Rams are scoring a league-worst 11.7 points per game, Sam Bradford has a quarterback rating of 72.3 and the offense is 31st in total yards.
I don't care what kind of success McDaniels had with Chiefs quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Matt Cassell, he has not earned another shot at a head coaching job.
Now if the Rams can just somehow lure Cowher to St. Louis with Dick Vermeil as GM and Marshall Faulk as the president of football operations. Hey, why not? A guy can dream.

Cops without their headlights on draw more attention

2010-05-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

In the last couple of weeks, I've seen two St. Louis Metro police cars driving around Soulard at night without their headlights on. I have to ask why.
The other night I flashed my headlights on and off, and received a friendly wave from the police officer for my gesture. But when I got home I wondered why the headlights were off to begin with. Did he simply forget to turn them on, or did the drivers of both squad cars have tactical reasons for killing their headlights? Remember, we're not talking about the blue and red row of lights on top of the vehicle. We're talking about basic headlights.
Following the officer's wave, he turned onto an adjacent street with his headlights still off. If he's trying to be stealth, he's going about it the wrong way for two reasons.
First, driving around in the city at night without headlights on is only going to draw attention to you. If you want to drive around in stealth mode, try blending in a little.
The second reason is pretty basic as well - when your headlights are on, oncoming traffic has to look into your headlights. Without the cop car's headlights on, my car's beams were able to nicely frame the silhouette of a police squad car. I saw the bar on top of the vehicle and easily identified it as a police car. With his headlights on, I would not have known it was a cop car until it drove past me.
I have no idea why two cop cars were driving around Soulard at night without headlights. Maybe the drivers simply weren't paying attention. If that's the case, then I don't think I want those officers driving the streets. If the reasons were tactical, then the reasoning is faulty at best.
If there's another reason I'm not thinking of, please let me know.

Memo to the NFL: Let the punishment fit the crime

2009-10-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

I realize football is a tough sport. I played the game in high school.

Like Vince Lombardi once said, “Football is not a contact sport, it’s a collision sport.”

Injuries happen, and I’m OK with that, as long as they happen within the rules.

St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Gary Gibson broke foot and ankle bones in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota after being shoved by Vikings tackle Artis Hicks. Gibson fell awkwardly to the Edward Jones Dome turf, and his season was over.

The shove came after Vikings quarterback Brett Favre had released the ball, completing a 47-yard pass downfield to Sidney Rice. Fifty yards behind the play, Gibson lay writhing in pain.

Gibson’s season was over with a cheap shot, an unnecessary shove after the play. What did Hicks receive for his punishment? Not a penalty during the game, and then Thursday he gets a $5,000 fine from the NFL.

Five grand for ending a guy’s season?

How about you let the punishment fit the crime?

If you hit somebody illegally, and that other player misses one game, you miss one game. If it’s two games, then a two-game suspension. In Gibson’s case, he’s done for the season, and so should be Hicks.

The NFL is so hypocritical about its rules to protect the quarterbacks. You tap a QB on the forehead with your fingernail and it draws a 15-yard penalty, but when a lineman blindly gets shoved to the turf forcefully enough to snap a bone or two, there’s no flag? Even worse, that same lovetap to the noggin could get a $20,000 fine, even though no harm was caused. But an actual cheap shot that ends a guy’s season merits only a $5,000 fine.

Hmmmm. Interesting.

This reminds me of a game a few years ago between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Favre, then with the Packers, had thrown an interception. Favre’s good buddy Warren Sapp, a defensive lineman with the Bucs, passed up a block on Favre, who was closer to the play. Instead he blindsided Packers’ tackle Chad Clifton, putting the crown of his helmet under Clifton’s chin. The force of the hit lifted the 320-pound Clifton off the ground in what they call a “de-cleater.”

When Clifton landed, he did so with such authority that he sprained bones in his pelvis, ending his season and forcing him to spend nearly a week in the hospital.

The cheap shot was deemed “legal” by the NFL, and Sapp got off scott-free. That was such an injustice. What made it even harder to swallow is that Sapp showed no remorse for ending another player’s season, and jeopardizing his career.

He showed no empathy for an injury he himself could have fallen victim to. Never once did he apologize. Not once did he visit or even call Clifton while he was in a Tampa hospital.

And not once was a punishment or fine even discussed by the NFL.

A clean hit, my butt.

Even Sapp admitted that he passed up a hit on Favre to go after Clifton, a player whom he was across for much of the game. That right there tells anyone with common sense that he sought out to injure Clifton.

Then Green Bay coach Mike Sherman recognized the “block” as a cheap shot immediately and challenged Sapp after the game, telling him it was a “chicken-XXXX thing” for him to do.

Sapp’s reaction was to challenge the coach to a fight. Real nice.

I used to like Warren Sapp, until then.

How he got away with it angered me even more. The NFL should have ended Sapp’s 2002 season, just as he ended Clifton’s.

Hicks’ shove of Gibson reminded me of how the NFL hands out gross fines for seemingly harmless contact, but other hits that aren’t so harmless, and result in season-ending injuries basically go unpunished.

That just isn’t right.

If Gary Gibson were a quarterback, instead of a defensive tackle, I’d wager that Hicks’ fine would have been a lot more substantial.

This column can also be found at The Alton Telegraph.

New AP poll displays obvious bias and disrespect

2009-10-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

The new AP college football poll was released earlier today, and at first glance, the top four are as expected - 1) Florida, 2) Texas, 3) Alabama, and 4) LSU.
But then it gets hairy.
Boise State wins and slips from fifth to sixth? Virginia Tech barely beats a team that lost to Richmond, and slides up a spot? It's the same in the coaches poll.
The politics against Boise State has begun.
They're going to do all they can to prevent an unbeaten Broncos team from playing for a national title. Ridiculous.
The AP writer calls Boise's 34-16 win over UC-Davis "lackluster," but Virginia Tech's eight-point win over hapless Duke was somehow more impressive? Yes, a 34-26 win at Duke - the same Blue Devils that lost to a I-AA team, and whose only two wins are against a bad Army team and I-AA North Carolina Central. Duke played even with the Hokies for all but one quarter, but Tech's win apparently merited more reward than Boise's.
Crazy talk, I tell you, crazy talk. And just shows the bias against the undefeated Broncos.
Remember week one when Boise beat up on Oregon, well during the game anyway, and Virginia Tech lost to Alabama? Yes, remember that. Virginia Tech lost a game, and Boise State hasn't. Another thing to consider is that Oregon hasn't lost since the Boise loss either, and is up to 13th in the poll.
You scroll a little further down the list, and you have to wonder why Wisconsin isn't getting any respect?
The Badgers went on the road for the first time Saturday and held off a late rally by Minnesota to retain Paul Bunyan's Axe for the sixth straight year.
Wisconsin led most of the way, but did voters just look at the 31-28 score and deem the win over a 3-1 team unworthy of praise?
A 5-0 Wisconsin team left out of the top 25? Seriously? The Badgers are 2-0 in the Big Ten, and better than Missouri, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Kansas. The coaches poll has Wisconsin at No. 25, but how does anybody justify leaving an undefeated Big Ten team out of the rankings?
Is it because Wisconsin hasn't beaten a ranked team?
Well, guess what? Neither has Florida, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Cincinnati, Ohio State, TCU, Penn State, Auburn, Ole Miss and Nebraska. None of those teams have beaten ranked teams either, and they're all ranked.
Mizzou's schedule is pathetic, and it's in the top 25? Please.
Wisconsin has a chance to prove itself in the coming weeks against No. 9 Ohio State and No. 12 Iowa. Two wins there, and the Badgers just might vault into the top 10 at 7-0. Unfortunately, it could be at the expense of a team like Boise, which just keeps winning, but probably has no chance of cracking the top 5 again.
It's a shame, and just another reason why a post-bowl, four-team playoff is a necessity.
Let the national title participants be decided on the field, instead of at the desks of ignorance and bias.

Favre still has fourth-quarter magic

2009-09-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

As I sat in the Edward Jones Dome Sunday afternoon and watched the Green Bay Packers beat the hapless St. Louis Rams, I couldn't stop a wandering eye from glancing up at the far side of the building.
There on the ring of honor, beside Rams greats like Marshall Faulk and Merlin Olsen, and other St. Louis football icons like Dan Dierdorf, were digital displays providing scores and stats from around the league.
Packers fans delighted in seeing the Minnesota Vikings trailing San Francisco late at home. Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre was having a yeoman's day, completing 50 percent of his passes for a pedestrian 221 yards.
At the same time inside the Edward Jones Dome, new Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was hitting big plays to Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, and leading the Packers to a 36-17 win.
Rodgers had a sparkling passer rating of 126.9 by virtue of his 13-for-23 day with 269 passing yards and touchdown tosses to Driver and fullback John Kuhn. Rodgers also ran for a score, and picked up another 38 yards with his legs.
What the thousands of Packers fans in St. Louis were unable to see was the switch in Favre's head they had grown so accustomed to seeing for 16 seasons get flipped.
Favre had engineered 40 fourth-quarter comebacks for the Packers, displaying the intangible ability to take over a game when it was on the line. Sure he lost a few along the way, but his talent for dominating a game, and the exuberance in which he did so, is what made him a sure-fire Hall of Famer. It's also the reason he grew to become arguably the most beloved player in Packers history.
Now donning the purple of the hated Vikings, Favre reminded Packers fans of his greatness, and proved to the rest of the league that he still has it.
Taking over at their own 20 with 1:29 remaining and trailing by four, the Vikings were without a timeout. Favre, who had been 18-of-36 for 221 yards with a touchdown and interception, engineered a 10-play, 80-yard drive to lead the Vikings to an improbable win.
Two weeks before his 40th birthday, Favre led his 43rd career fourth-quarter comeback. He was 6-of-10 on the drive, with two incompletions as a result of having to spike the ball to stop the block. The drive ended with a remarkable 32-yard fastball to Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone with just two seconds remaining.
Favre had done it.
He pumped left, rolled right, avoided a sack by skipping backwards, then rifled a pass with pin-point accuracy between two defenders. Lewis did his part, too, laying out for the ball, and getting both feet in bounds.
Following a review, the touchdown was upheld, and the Vikings knew now why their coach had pursued Favre so heavily.
Brad Childress was often chastised for dissing the two quarterbacks he had in camp, incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, a player they traded for to push Jackson for the starting job. But, at the end, there was Jackson right next to Favre giving him a congratulatory hug.
Even Jackson realized that neither he nor Rosenfels would have led the Vikings to a victory that day.
Brett Favre is Brett Favre for a reason. He's a bonafide Hall of Famer for a reason.
As well as Rodgers has played for the Packers, they are still a team that has won just eight of 19 games since Favre led them to 13 wins in 2007. People are still second-guessing the decision of general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy not to welcome Favre back after he changed his mind about retirement in June of 2008.
On Sunday, the old, grey-haired quarterback gave those naysayers another reason to say, "I told you so."

Support after layoff has been incredible

2009-08-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure many of you already know, I was laid off from the Suburban Journals Wednesday morning.
The Journals, and the Post-Dispatch, have been downsizing for the better part of a year, but up until this final week of August, the sports departments within the Journals went untouched.
That all changed Wednesday.
Our editorial director, Dave Bundy, conducted a meeting with the entire Jefferson County and St. Louis County Journals editorial staff crammed into the main conference room at the Town and Country office. Conferenced in were the staffs in Illinois and St. Charles.
Bundy explained that the Journals had to make changes, otherwise it would be operating in the red for fiscal year 2010. Those changes included scaling back from 16 publications to 10, and also shaking up the newsroom.
Unfortunately, I was one of those shakeups.
The part that really bothered me is that a year and a half ago, I was identified by the same managerial staff as a "young leader in the newsroom." Well, if that's the case, then let the young guys like me, Dave Kvidahl, Shawn Clubb, etc. lead.
Kvidahl and Clubb kept their jobs, and I'm happy for them.
I also hold no ill will toward the Journals, or anybody who retained their positions. What I do have a problem with is that this was supposed to be a cost-cutting move, but the majority of the people who were retained are the folks who have been with the Journals for 20-plus years and are drawing the highest salaries. There's honoring somebody's commitment to the company, and then there's making a monetarily-based decision that makes absolutely zero financial sense.
That's the part that bothers me. As much as the Journals brass wants to say that each employee was evaluated, and blah, blah, blah. This was simply a decision of tenure.
Last one hired, first one fired. That's the truth, no matter how it's spun.
I know I was one of the best writers and page designers the company had, and I know many of the Journals readers felt the same way. The overwhelming support I've received from readers and coaches has been amazing, and was the inspiration for this blog.
I wanted to post all of the comments I received in one spot, and to tell each of you, again, thank you.
Not included in this list will be the long conversations I had with Oakville baseball and softball coach Rich Sturm, DuBourg baseball coach Joe Groaning, Gateway Tech athletics director Sabrina Mack, Gateway Tech football coach Charles Cole, Gateway Tech basketball coach James Washington, former Gateway Tech football coach Melvin Walls, and Affton athletics director and football coach Dan Oliver - all of whom had positive things to say about my coverage of their respective teams and schools. I thought Sabrina was going to cry when I stopped by Gateway Tech Wednesday afternoon to drop off some papers she requested and inform her what happened that morning.
Roger Cole of St. Louis Soccer Magazine, former St. Louis TV and radio personality Kathryn Jamboretz, and Prepcasts.com owner Bob Ryan have all also been very supportive.
Here are the comments I've received via text message, e-mail or posted on a message board. (Spelling and grammatical errors were corrected)

"I'll keep you in my prayers."
DeAndre Campbell - Roosevelt football coach
"That sucks. Sorry to hear the bad news. You are really good. Let me know if I can help in any way."
Ken Droege - Summit baseball coach
"Terrible news Ron. Best of luck to you. I'm certain you'll land on your feet. I hope we cross paths again soon." On the 2009 football preview, and how good my cover design was: "I agree, I thought it was very well done. Congrats."
Jim Welby - DuBourg athletics director and football coach
"Ron, I'm extremely sorry to hear that. It has been great working with you. I haven't worked with or heard about anyone who has been so hands on, approachable, or in touch with St. Louis sports as you. The Journal and St. Louis will certainly be missing out. Thanks again for your hard work."
Marko Samardzic, St. Mary's baseball coach
"It is really a shame that a guy with your passion for covering prep sports is let go. Best of luck. Hope you come back."
Darin Scott - Lindbergh baseball coach
"Ron, sorry to hear the news. Area high school athletes deserve the coverage you provide so well. Give me a call if there is anything I can do. Good luck."
Bob Kern, Mehlville baseball and softball coach
"Ron, my son, Kevin Dwyer (senior ar Rockwood Summit, plays both soccer and basketball) has really enjoyed meeting you and following your coverage of high school sports. I can tell you he was truly saddened (as I am too) to hear that you were being let go. Glad to hear you are on the prep cast. Best of luck as you continue on in your career. Sometimes these things turn out to be blessings in disguise."
Ed Dwyer, Summit parent
"Hopefully it's not you that you are talking about (being laid off). You do great work for h.s. athletes ... Let me know if there is anything that I can do. My wife is HR manager at textbook publishing company ... Again, sorry to hear, if there is anything I can do just let me know. Hope to see you covering the Flyers this season."
Sean Erwin, Lindbergh fan

Message board posts:
"I have heard some rumors that the Journals were laying off a lot of people, including sports guys. This sucks. These guys do a great job of covering local sports and I enjoy reading their stuff more than anything else. I know I'll get my sports fix one way or another, but I hate the idea of people losing income in these trying times. Best of luck to any who were let go.
"This is true. There were some sports people let go yesterday and there will be some reorganizing of who works in what areas.
"If you read the prep coverage on stltoday.com, a fair amount of it was done by the Journal people let go yesterday.
"who got laid off???
"Ron Clements :(
"Whoa, w-w-w-what, are you kidding me? RON CLEMENTS was axed? Just goes to show management has no idea when they have talent. Ron, if this is true I will miss you with the yellow notepad at the games. You truly are a sports writer. You could take a game that my sons played in, and lost, and write a story that would make me smile and agree with you of what went down. PLEASE SAY THIS IS JUST RUMOR.
"Ron, I have proposed this before and never seen anyone take action. Why not create an inexpensive website for STL prep sports coverage? I would not fork over $25 per month but I'd be happy to give you $5 - $10 per month for comprehensive coverage and a place where I can get scores and stats, for the area high school teams and the off-season select teams that are related. I would think that between the user fees and some advertising revenue, this could work. The basic site would be a poor man's version of the ESPN site, with basic scores and stats. Add in a forum and feature articles, like the PD and Journals have. Make a go of it... "
STLToday.com message board thread
On the website idea:
"That's a great idea sptsman, and I could use the other Journals sports writers who were let go like Jason Reckamp, Dave Benson and Jerome Boettcher. Thanks."
And my replies to said message board thread:
"It's true. I was let go yesterday. I was going to mail a few things to Sabrina Mack at Gateway Tech that she asked for, but instead decided to make a personal visit. Sabrina, James Washington, Melvin Walls and Charles Cole all were sad to hear the news and had nice things to say about me, and the difference I made in the coverage of the city schools. That made me feel good. I also got kind responses from Joe Groaning at DuBourg, Rich Sturm at Oakville, DeAndre Campbell Roosevelt, Ken Droege from Summit, Dan Oliver at Affton and Jim Welby at DuBourg. Thanks also for your well wishes here. FYI, I will be calling the Hazelwood East-CBC game tomorrow night on prepcasts.com with Bob Ryan, and I will be covering the WPS All-Star game Sunday for St. Louis Soccer Magazine. I'll try to stay busy until the next full-time opportunity presents itself. Thanks again for all your support.
"Thanks everybody. Here's an idea, use Town talk, and how about this? getronclementsrehired.com haha :D"

I will update this as I get more comments.
Thank you again for reading, but most of all, for your support.

Sometimes less is more

2009-06-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

The St. Louis Cardinals need to think more about just the bottom line, and consider the feelings of their fellow human beings.
Apparently dealing with a basketcase like Khalil Greene hasn't taught the Cardinals how to deal with people.
The Cardinals called a high school kid in St. Louis twice on day two of the draft, telling him he was on their board and asking what it would take to sign him. By the end of the draft on Thursday, Oakville High School's Drew Levi went undrafted.
St. Louis director of player development Jeff Luhnow had good reasons for not drafting the smooth-swinging, 6-foot-2 outfielder, saying the Cardinals were seven deep in the outfield at the rookie league level already and that Levi would benefit more from a year in college.
If you know that going in, then why do you even call the kid and get his hopes up. He wouldn't have been disappointed as it is by not being drafted, but two separate phone calls from your hometown Major League club telling you they're interested makes going undrafted feel even worse.
Don't make the call unless you plan on taking the kid - otherwise just leave it.
The Cardinals did select one local St. Louis player, and several other players were also selected.
Read all about them here: http://tinyurl.com/kosuvd

A Favre comeback would taint his legacy

2009-05-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre proved he still had it in him.
He made his point, and now it's time to hang it up for good.
The longer Favre waffles about a possible return to the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, the more his legacy will be tarnished. Nobody faulted Favre for wanting to come back to the Green Bay Packers last season a few months after announcing his retirement. When Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy told Favre he would not be welcome back, people still wanted to see No. 4 play.
He went to the New York Jets and had a phenomenal start to the season, including tossing a career-high six touchdown passes in one game. When the Jets were 8-3, people were talking Super Bowl in the Big Apple.
Then came a shoulder injury and a late-season collapse.
When the season ended, Favre finished with a league-high 22 interceptions.
Throwing the ball to the other team has been part of Favre's game his entire career—after all, he is the league's all-time leader in interceptions thrown. But, for all the games he lost via the pick, he won more. He is the NFL's career leader in yards, touchdowns, pass completions, and attempts. He has three MVP awards and has been to two Super Bowls, winning one in 1997.
For all of his greatness, a second "un-retirement" to play for the Vikings will cast a shadow on all of his accomplishments. He will be regarded as petty and spiteful. Even the majority of Vikings fans don't want him on their team because the perception is he wants to come back for selfish reasons—to beat the Packers twice and show up Thompson and McCarthy.
That's not why you come back to play. The best thing for Brett Favre to do is relax and enjoy time in Mississippi with his family. Cut the grass, go fishing, heck, put that degree from Southern Mississippi to use and sub as a special education teacher in Hattiesburg.
But don't come back to play football. Go out as the legend you are, and be remembered for your greatness, not for your contempt.

The NBA playoffs may be exciting, but the Association still sucks

2009-05-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

While it's without question that Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Carmelo Anthony have done a phenomenal job in getting their teams to their respective conference finals, I still hate the NBA.
Basketball is a contact sport, yes. But what these NBA playoffs have shown us is that these so-called professionals have taken that contact to a whole 'nother level.
Even the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons of the 1980s didn't beat up on opponents the way the game is played today. And, what's worse is that the officials let most of it go. And when they don't, the fouls are so heinous that flagrant fouls or technicals are common place.
When was the last time you watched a high school or college game with more than one flagrant and/or technical foul? I cannot recall one. But you see it on a near nightly basis in today's NBA.
The NBA has let its league get out of hand by pacifying their overpriced crybaby players—but they still want to be perceived as in control by doling out fines or suspensions.
If commissioner David Stern wants to see what's wrong with the league, all he needs to do is watch the tapes from the Dallas-Denver series to see what I'm getting at.
All that "exciting" series had was a bunch of thugs beating each other up and calling it basketball. How many technicals and flagrant fouls need to be called before the league realizes the players are out of hand? Game 4 of the series had seven technical fouls and two flagrant fouls. Game 5 had three technicals, and Game 2 had a pair. See the point?
Then Monday night against the Lakers, Denver's Dahntay Jones sticks his leg out and trips Bryant, but no call. Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson called it "unsportsmanlike" basketball. Haven't you been paying attention, Phil? The entire league is filled with unsportsmanlike basketball.
It's time the league took control of the game once again, and not through intimidation by fines, suspensions or technical fouls. Stern needs to tell his officials to call the fouls—all of them—until the game is cleaned up.
If enough players foul out, and don't get ejected by a hot-headed, overzealous official, then we'll see the beauty of the game return instead of the debauchery we currently have.

It's time for playoffs

2009-05-02T08:25:00.001-07:00

The issue of a playoff in college football will not go away, especially after ACC commissioner and BCS president John Swofford was brought in front of Congress Friday.
Swofford was grilled by representatives, namely Texas Republican Joe Barton, who proposed a bill that would not allow the BCS refer to its championship game as a national championship game unless it was the culmination of a playoff.
The straw that broke the camel's back on the issue came in January when Utah hammered Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to remain college football's lone unbeaten. Utah finished second in the polls behind one-loss Florida.
The BCS wants to ensure the retention of bowl games, while Congress and most fans would like to see a playoff. The solution is surprisingly simple.
College football needs a couple of changes, not the least of which is establishing a four-team playoff.
Why are there 34 bowl games? Why did people in Washington, D.C. and St. Petersburg, Fla. feel the need for their own bowl game? There are too many as it is. But to have 34 bowl games, meaning more than half of the college football teams qualify for a bowl game, is ridiculous. One way to limit the number of bowl games is to change the criteria for bowl eligibility. A team should not have the opportunity to lose its bowl game and finish below .500 like North Carolina State, Northern Illinois and Memphis did in 2008. If the NCAA wants every team to play a 12-game schedule, then make seven wins the qualifying mark for bowl eligibility. This year, there were nine 6-6 teams to make bowl games. If the criteria was different, then we’d have four fewer bowl games, and we might have some better contests. But that's for an issue for another day - back to a playoff.
A post-bowl, four-team playoff is the way to go.
Before you go ranting about eight or 16 teams, hear me out. A 16-team, or even 8-team playoff system is a novel idea, but would never happen. It’s just unrealistic. A post-bowl, four-team playoff is the most realistic solution. And, there would be loads more money to be made.
You let the current bowl system sort some things out, sort of like a playoff, and then use the BCS formula to get the top four teams and seed 'em up.
If they had done that in 2006, you would have had all four of the major bowls as a player to determine which teams would make the semifinals, but even the Capital One Bowl champion, Wisconsin, could have gotten in as the number four team depending on how things worked themselves out. Boise State, that year’s only unbeaten, would have gotten its shot at the title following the bowl games.
In 2007, the only undefeated team in the country, Hawaii, could have actually played for a shot at a national title. Even Georgia, the team that demolished Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, would have been a player.
Four years ago the Liberty Bowl would have been a factor in the national championship, with then Conference USA champion Louisville and Boise State vying for the opportunity to get into the playoffs. This would create more of an interest in the non-BCS bowls and that would be great for college football. The most frustrating thing is that it's so easy to do.
A four-team playoff would only extend the season by two weeks, and would only affect four teams, two of those for just a week. Missing classes would not be an issue for the first week, because classes would not have started yet.
Simply return back to the old bowl tie-ins and use the bowls to sort everything out before using the final rankings to determine the top four teams. The BCS rankings can be used in this, pacifying the BCS brass because their system would still play a part.
Working in the bowls to determine playoff teams would make more bowl games more meaningful, and would probably get more people watching bowl games like the Liberty Bowl or Motor City Bowl.
So making the bowl games more meaningful, having a real playoff, still using the BCS in some fashion and making a boatload of cash in advertising and sponsorships for the three extra games would be bad for the NCAA how? Everybody wins, especially the fans.
Eight or 16 teams would be too complicated and would detract from the bowl games, creating red flags that would not make the solution probable to implement. The four-team system is very simple to implement.
Back to a game like the Liberty Bowl, four years ago, it would have impacted the national championship. It would have been more meaningful on a national scale, creating more viewers and more advertising money for ESPN, the network that televised the game, the bowl game itself and the NCAA.
Right now, if you’re not in the national championship game, the other bowl games are so much less important that you’re not even getting sellouts to the Rose Bowl anymore. That is bad for college football. To make the bowl games more meaningful by incorporating them, in some fashion, into the national championship picture is just good for the future of college football and is a win-win for everyone involved.
Use the bowl games to determine who should be there, sort of like a playoff, but not really. A full-out playoff would never happen and is just unrealistic. Again, a novel idea, but give up.
There is just too much money wrapped up in the bowl games and those bowls are not going to want to be part of a playoff, nor will conference presidents, because it will limit the number of teams that will get to a bowl game. Not that it would be a bad thing because there are too many bowls as it is, but still.
My plan is a win-win and, more importantly, is plausible. It adds more value to the non-BCS bowls and would generate a buzz in those games while giving fans a playoff. The national championship game would be played during the week between the NFL’s conference championship games and the Super Bowl. You know that weekend when there is no football?
It’s perfect.

2009 NFL Mock Draft Review

2009-04-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

When you're a guy putting together a mock draft from your couch, it can be pretty easy to just copy and paste comments from other people.
Fortunately for the readers at partyeastcarolina.com and at espn.com, I did no such thing.
What I did was watch nearly every minute of the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, took pages of notes - and realized Graham Harrell will never play in the NFL thanks to an arm weaker than Danny Wuerrfel.
Then I did scour about 10 other mocks before putting mine together - just wanted to see how comparable they were to my own.
When all was said and done, I'm fairly content with how I did in my prognostications.
I had seven picks completely dead on, including Beanie Wells to the Cardinals and Hakeem Nicks to the Giants - as well as Jason Smith to the Rams, Matthew Stafford to Detroit as the top pick (that wasn't so hard), Andre Smith in Cincinnati, Malcolm Jenkins to New Orleans and Brian Cushing taken by the Texans.
Seven out of 32 doesn't seem to great on the surface, but it is comparable to what Todd McShay, Mel Kiper, Jr. or Mike Mayock had.
Nobody could have predicted that the Browns would trade down three times in the first round and then draft a center. Also suprising to most was the Chiefs passing on Aaron Curry to take Tyson Jackson or the Raiders selecting Darrius Heyward-Bey.
I did have the Jets taking a quarterback - Josh Freeman with the No. 17 pick. Although the Jets traded up to the five spot to nab Mark Sanchez, Freeman did go 17th overall to the Buccaneers. I knew Denver would use one of its picks on a defensive end. While Jackson, the guy I thought the Broncos would draft at 12, was gone, they did take Tennessee's Robert Ayers. Getting the position right is nearly as good as naming the correct player. At least you identified the team's need correctly. There were six such cases where I did just that.
Those are the things you need to look at when you're evaluating mock drafts. Using that grading system, I did all right. Considering the resources and access to NFL teams that the three previously mentioned people have, to say I'm on par with them is pretty successful.
Now imagine if I had those same resources - maybe I could have predicted Cleveland trading down more than once.

Here's the link to my mock on espn.com: http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/Sportsguru6/blog/posts/83970