As the sporting world take a breath after the Super Bowl and before pitchers and catchers report, let’s go to the bullet points and take a look around the wide world of sports:
-Despite my pick of the Patriots last week, the better, more deserving team won the Super Bowl. The Giants made the big plays when needed, the Patriots didn’t, and the Giants got the breaks they needed on all three of their fumbles (two lost, one nullified by penalty). Having said that, these were two VERY evenly matched teams and any result was possible…and this game also showcased two very flawed teams, in a season in which every good team had at least one major flaw. Flawed teams make for sloppy but exciting games, and the Giants and Pats certainly gave us that.
-Everyone complains when a game is poorly officiated – no one notices when a game is well-officiated. Despite the game being close throughout and having quite a few key penalty and boundary calls, I’ve not heard one complaint about the work of the striped shirts last week, and that’s a credit to the whole crew. It’s easy to remember the refs that you think screwed up a game – let’s remember the name of referee John Parry and the fine work of his crew, they did a fantastic job in the Super Bowl.
-One last note about the Super Bowl – what’s with Tom Brady’s wife bad-mouthing Welker and the other receivers? I can understand loyalty to a spouse, but those comments seem likely to do more harm than good for her husband.
-The Pirates are so bad, they cannot even overpay to lure free agents it seems…Edwin Jackson reportedly turned down $30 million over three years from Pittsburgh to take $11 million from the Nationals. Even allowing for the idea that Jackson hopes to parlay a bounce-back 2012 into a longer, more lucrative deal, it amazes me that a mediocre pitcher would leave $19 million on the table. Looks like 19 years of losing (and counting) is causing all but the dregs of the free-agent market to avoid Pittsburgh at all costs. Can we PLEASE get a new owner??
-I’m a bit concerned that hockey is reacting to this concussion epidemic by relaxing enforcement of other rules. In the past month I’ve seen more uncalled hooking, holding, and interference than I can recall in the past seven seasons, and also a sharp decline in power plays. The end result is a slower game, to be sure, but one that favors the less-skilled player and rewards the trapping, clutching, and grabbing style that the Devils bored fans to death with 10-15 years ago. I wonder if it’s any coincidence that New Jersey is suddenly surging in the standings?? In any case, dumbing down the product is not the answer to these head injuries – better equipment and better rules protection for headshots is the ultimate answer. We shall see if the league that openly condones fighting is capable of making this leap of logic.
-The Penguins are about to have a MONSTER problem on their hands this summer: Sidney Crosby’s contract expires July 1, 2013. Players cannot discuss an extension until the contract has less than a year to go, but once the contract hits that point it’s generally expected that teams will quickly come to terms with their stars as soon as they are allowed to extend contracts.
Crosby, however, presents a particularly tough challenge for GM Ray Shero – Sid has played exactly eight games in the past 13 months, and he’s still out – and even if he returns this season, there will be questions about his durability for years to come. On the other hand, he’s the captain, the face of the franchise, and he took far less money than he could have on his last contract in order to help the team afford other players. Additionally, by all accounts he’s a high-class individual who never puts himself in a bad position off the ice and is very generous with his time and money – which, combined with his amazing skill, have made him unbelievably popular in Pittsburgh (and the entire league, for that matter).
This is going to be a case where Shero has to weigh the consequences of either decision very carefully – if he signs Crosby to another 5-year contract, he runs the very real risk of getting almost no return on a $45-$50 million investment, and the Penguins cannot afford such a mistake. On the other hand, if he is unable to come to terms and is forced to let Crosby walk as a free agent or trade him in the next year, he risks a HUGE fan backlash, and the very real possibility of a Crosby resurgence with a rival club (Think Philly or New York wouldn’t find a way to sign Sid if he were available??).
I think the best answer for both parties, assuming Crosby comes back later this year and gets through the rest of the season with no more setbacks, would be a 2 or 3 year deal at most. This would give Crosby more security than a 1-year deal while giving the team at least some cover from the possibility of yet another lengthy absence. Whether Crosby is willing to take such a deal is the big question, but given how well he worked with the team on his current contract and that he’s currently building a new house, I have to believe that he wants to find a way to stay in Pittsburgh. Pens fans will need to monitor this situation closely over the next six months or so.
-To end, here’s my interesting link of the week: my favorite writer, Joe Posnanski, has a great column on what athlete you would choose to represent you in a winner-take-all game. Click on the link, the column is really a lot of fun and makes you think a lot.
Next week, we’ll take a look at the NHL standings and the needs of each contending team as the trading deadline approaches.
Dave Glass can be reached at buggyracer@verizon.net.
