Random Musings: Pondering Randy Moss, Rich Rodriguez

I bought a new coffee maker today ($10 at Market Basket).  

I've had 24 cups of coffee in the last two hours (gotta get my $10 worth), so you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little scatterbrained.

It doesn't help that the Patriots game tomorrow has me feeling like a little kid on Christmas eve.

I couldn't sleep tonight if I wanted to...

The constant pacing back and forth across the bedroom has my wife ready to file for divorce, so I figured I'd quit that for a while and write an old-fashioned Random Musings column...

AFC Championship Cold-Feet

The closer we get to the AFC Championship Game, the more I’m convincing myself it’s going to be a close one.

A couple of things I don’t like going in:

1)    Randy Moss’ situation

I thought he came off extremely believable and, based on the circumstances and timing, I’m relatively sure something fishy is going on.  However, distractions are distractions, even in the best of locker rooms.

2)    The Bad QB Factor

The Patriots' biggest weakness this season: crappy QBs.  The immortal A.J. Feeley, future Hall of Famer Kyle Boller, and the suddenly resurgent Eli Manning completely tore up New England.

If Billy Volek starts, I’m a little worried that the trend could continue.

3)    The Talent Factor

We forget, the Chargers are a talented team.  They might be the most talented team in the NFL.  The more you look at them, the more they scare you.

So I get myself all worked up and worried, then I go on ESPN.com and see a picture of Norv Turner.  Problem solved.

Don’t get me wrong, he coached a whale of a game last week.  But I can’t get past the Norv Turner-Bill Belichick matchup.  I mean, do we really think Norv Turner can beat Bill Belichick in a playoff game? 

Do we?

Rich Rodriguez: ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

I’ve stayed pretty quiet on the Rich Rodriguez situation, preferring to let the experts in Bleacher Report's college football crew do the talking.  And they’ve done a really, really thorough job. 

I think I’ve read 2,134,567 "Rich Rodriguez is the devil" columns.

It’s not that I don’t agree, because I do, but we’re bordering on insanity at this point.

A couple of quick thoughts on the subject:

1)    Blame the NCAA, not the coach

Rodriguez did what plenty of other coaches have done—he tore up a perfectly valid contract and left for a bigger, better school. 

Until the NCAA changes the rules and stops coaches from doing this, why wouldn’t they leave for the next best thing at the first opportunity?

2)    Who cares about the buy-out? 

Rich’ll end up paying something, no doubt, but he’d be stupid to just pay the entire thing without fighting it.  It’s a normal process.  They’ll settle on a lesser number at some point and everyone will be happy. 

Frankly, I’m surprised he didn't get something in his Michigan contract addressing the buyout.  He must have thought it wasn’t going to be a big deal...

3)    Stop bashing the old guy, start praising the new guy

WVU is losing recruits because of the negative pub.  Yes, it’s probably because the national mainstream media sucks.  Yes, it’s unfair.  But it is what it is. 

Start praising Bill Stewart and stop bashing your ex-coach.  Start convincing people that your school is great instead of convincing them that your old coach is a jerk.

I don’t mean to be insensitive, but for the love of God, MOVE ON! 

Not because you’re wrong or because you don't have a right to be pissed, but because there’s nothing you can do about it. 

The best move for WVU fans at this point is to talk about the positive future instead of harping on the negative past.

Quick Hits

- Peter Angelos' stepping in and stopping the blockbuster trade his baseball people apparently worked out with the Chicago Cubs is reason No. 3,476 why the Baltimore Orioles will never compete as long as he’s owner.

He’s like a slightly more insane, far less intelligent version of Jerry Jones.

- Memo to the Minnesota Twins: Crap or get off the pot! 

The entire planet is sick of the Johan Santana trade talk.  Will it happen?  Where will he go?  What is he worth? 

At this point, I’d rather they just gave him away to the Yankees than have this thing drag out any further.

Doesn’t MLB have a tampering rule?

Shouldn’t Hank Steinbrenner (our favorite owner in professional sports) have been fined by now? 

Talking openly about how much he’s willing to pay a player under contract to another team seems a little like tampering to me.

But hey, what the heck do I know?

- Jason Garrett decided to stay with the Cowboys and effectively destroyed any credibility Wade Phillips ever had. 

Nice move, Jerry “I’m a Genius!” Jones. 

Not that Wade Phillips is a good coach, but at least give him a CHANCE to succeed.  Having his successor already under contract, and making as much money as he is, is an open invitation for locker room problems.

What happens the first time Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett disagree on an offensive gameplan?  Who wins?

What if Wade wants to cut a guy that Garrett wants to keep?  Who wins?

- I agree with Michael Strahan, enough of the Brett Favre lovefest! 

I’m starting to long for the Brett-slowly-declining days.  The Brett-sudden-resurgence has gotten annoying.

- I like my TV and couch enough to say definitively that I’d rather be there than in the -5 degree Frozen Tundra this weekend.

In Closing…

I’d like to officially apply for the Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons head coaching positions. 

My qualifications are as follows:

- I’m fantastic at Madden, leading the New England Patriots to seven straight undefeated seasons in Franchise mode.

- My career record of 0-0 as a head coach in the NFL is better than or equal to most of the guys you’ve interviewed so far.

- I promise I won’t pull a Mora or a Garrett and turn down the job.

- As my wife will attest, I’m better than any NFL head coach when it comes to yelling at officials.

- I would have kicked the field goal last week if I were Tony Dungy, which makes me better than a former Super Bowl head coach.

- At this point, could you really do any worse?

I'm SeanMC.