Bleacher Report - Articles by John Falcetta

Memo to Thomas Jones: Good For You

John Falcetta — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:24:31 -0500

What a difference a month makes.

The Jets were flying high. There was even talk of an all New Jersey Super Bowl.

Then the inevitable let down.

Now they have fired their coach and the sniping from the locker room has begun.

Thomas Jones, who has been a class guy his whole career spoke from his heart when he threw Brett Favre under the bus last week. He took alot of heat for doing so.

He was also correct.

Jones unlike an anonymous coward teamate aired his grievance publicly. He also put his name to it. That took guts.

The media, which has mostly drooled over the almighty Favre has already hammered Jones for daring to speak against the great one.

How Predictable.

I will agree with one point that he should have gone up to Brett Favre face to face and spoke to him. My question is how do we know he did not try to do just that? We do not.

I am not going to use this space to slam on Brett Favre. Again. Not comepletly anyway.

The Jets collapse was not all Brett Favre's fault. Yes I said that.

The defense did not perform as well as it had all season and to Favre's defense his receivers (like Kyle Orton's) did not exactly get open with a great deal of frequency.

I respect That Thomas Jones was honest and for all the Jones bashers he was just responing to a question that was asked of him. Is that not what most of the Media wants is honest answers?

The Jets are no closer to a Super Bowl now than they were the last four decades when they last won one.

They are even interviewing college coaches for the Vacancy created by Mangini's firing. That ought to sell those PSL's.

This Franchise has been a wreck for years, long before Brett Favre showed up. To scapegoat him entirely is completely unfair.

In 2009 Thomas Jones Will do more Bicep curls and the Jets will move forward (maybe). They still will not have a QB.

Brett Favre will probably go on to a T.V. job increasing that networks ratings by at least 20%. Then begin his countdown to Canton.

Cheer up Jets fans atleast you don't have T.O. on your team.

Yet.

Random Media Thoughts: Espn Is Walmart.

John Falcetta — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:18:29 -0500

I have been watching a lot of sports my whole life.

I have taken notice of a few things as of late.

MLB Network

I like what I see so far from the new channel. Harold Reynolds is a great studio analyst. He took some heat from media critics for his performance for TBS in last year's playoffs.

He is back in his element in the studio. I think he can be a good game analyst if given time, but he was thrown in during the playoffs and was blasted for it.

I also like the Classic games and recent World Series games that aired this past weekend.

The hot stove show is must watch for baseball junkies.

So far so good. I can't wait until pitchers and catchers report.

ESPN

Where do I start?

Do I really need to see Chase Daniel's family every 10 seconds?

ESPN has mastered the art of overexposure. They beat you over the head with stories they want to tell you and force feed you garbage on a daily basis.

Tony Kornheiser may be the most annoying man in the world west of Jay Mariotti.

Do I really need to hear Mike Tirico on the radio AND see him in the play-by-play seat?

NO!

Pairing him with Scott Van Pelt is maybe the worst idea ever. The "radio show" they have is like two hours of the ficticious "Gumbel 2 Gumbel" from Family Guy. Just brutal.

It gets worse—Van Pelt gets his own hour. You quickly realize why it's only one.

Thank your personal higher power that the Colts got eliminated. I doubt anyone could have taken a Manning vs. Manning Super Bowl.

ESPN has become Walmart.

Everyone complains about Walmart but still shops there. Can't beat the prices or get an oil change and groceries anywhere else I guess.

Everyone complains about ESPN, but still watches and listens. They have a virtual monopoly.

Change may be coming to sports media, but not fast enough.

Memo to Brian Urlacher: Grow up Already

John Falcetta — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:49:03 -0500

Brian Urlacher thinks we have been unfair to him.

Brian Urlacher thinks we do not know anything about football.

Brian Urlacher does not think he had a bad season in 2008.

I think Brian Urlacher is misguided at best.

This is the same guy who in the offseason held out for more money after "outplaying" his previous contract.

The same guy who has made almost as many commercials as Peyton Manning has.

The same guy who will take the cheers of the fans and their money, without taking the criticism.

Urlacher has told the Chicago Tribune that any criticism of him this year was unfair and that anyone who criticizes him does not know anything about football.

I may not be Vince Lombardi, but I know bad when I see it.

I saw him getting pancaked by the Packers in Green Bay (when he wasn't getting pushed five yards deep into the end zone).

I saw him wearing Houston Texan blockers all day in Week 17.

Come to think of it I do not recall him shedding too many blocks at all this year.

He has a point that the whole season was not his fault. Not every big play (of the many) against the Bears' overrated and overpaid defense was solely his fault, but he has to take some blame for this disaster.

I am hopeful that this bad year was a result of his back and neck injuries adding up. I hope that he can come back and earn the money he has been given.

I hope.

I don't know if he can be the player he was before. I do know that he has to improve his poor attitude toward the media and fans.

Brian, if you take the adulation of the fans and their money when they buy your jerseys and the products you shamelessly hock, you have to take the fair criticism.

You can't continue to have it both ways.

Army-Navy. Still the Best Rivalry of Them All.

John Falcetta — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:28:31 -0500

This is rivalry week. Or so ESPN tells us.

It's the week we get some big college football rivalry games.

Ohio State-Michigan: Not so much this year.

Northwestern-Illinois: Becoming very interesting lately.

Washington-Washington State: You are joking right?

Utah-BYU: BCS or bust

There are many great rivalries in all sports. None seem to carry the luster that college football rivalries hold.

And none has the meaning of the Army vs. Navy rivalry.

No, neither team will compete for a BCS berth or a conference title. Most times, a bowl game is a great reward to a service academy. And yes, Army has hardly been competitive in the last few years (against anyone).

But, that does not take away from this game.

I know deep down that Army will most likely get beat down again, but I will watch every play from start to finish. I always do.

Many people cannot understand why this game gets the attention it does from CBS and the national media given that it is usually a mismatch and neither team has national prominence.

No answer I give will satisfy these critics.

This game is very special to some of us who have served in the Military. To me, there is nothing quite as cool as seeing the "Beat Army" banner on a Navy Ship or "Beat Navy" on a Bradley or an Abrams.

Alabama vs. Auburn can't do that.

One of my favorite games I have ever watched was the 2004 game. Even though it was another Navy massacre, with a score of 42-13. But, just getting to watch it at all from a bunker in Fallujah was awesome for me. It helped bring a little distraction, even if only for three hours.

Navy has won nine of 11 games and six in a row.

But, I will hold out hope that Army can pull off the upset and make this a close rivalry again.

While Air Force and Navy continue to book their annual bowl reservations, Army continues to look for answers every year.

The future never seems to be any brighter. After today's 30-3 loss to Rutgers drops the Black Knights to 3-8, the present isn't looking good either.

On the bright side, they have four losses by 10 points or less. Hey, whatever you can take right?

But come Dec. 6, all that can change. With one win, the program can take a drastic upward turn.

In the one rivalry where records truly do not matter, anything can happen.

I will hope for the best for Army football and enjoy what is if not the best rivalry in sports, the most meaningful one by far.

Memo To MMA Fans: I Told You So

John Falcetta — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:35:21 -0500

I have been away from Bleacher Report for several weeks, but have been dying to write this.

EliteXC went out of business.

Looking back on my previous writings about that joke of a promotion, I have to say I was right about it all along. I even called them the new XFL.

I am not trying to gloat too openly, (okay yes I am) but being right never felt so good.

This group put on terrible cards and pushed undeserving fighters to top spots on the card before they were even close to ready. It made a mockery of mixed martial arts.

Many mainstream reporters who had long had a misguided notion about MMA were given the ammo they needed to continue to dismiss MMA after the CBS broadcasts.

The Chicago Tribune did not propely cover UFC 90 that was held here in Chicago. One writer even wrote that UFC "had a chance to make it long term."

Hello it was the 90th freaking card I think they had proven their staying power

EliteXC took the progress made by UFC back a few years. There is no doubt that if UFC had been putting on these cards, the outcome would have been different.

Qualified fighters main eventing MMA's most high profile cards ever—what a novel concept.

It wasn't all that bad though. EliteXC did give a stage for women's fights on their cards so that goes as a plus in the legacy column.

But that was it.

While that goof Michael Wilbon can cry over the beatdown his guy Mr. Slice received, the MMA world is much better off without him or his lame promotion that pushed him on us.

All I have to say to the Shaws is don't let the door hit you on the way out.

On second thought I hope it does.

Question For TNA: What Is This Garbage?

John Falcetta — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:45:57 -0500

I feel like I have been here before.

Oh yeah I have.

I have not watched Pro Wrestling in quite a while. The WWE has lost my attention and TNA did so a long time ago.

I recently tried to give TNA another chance. I did not go to the Bound For Glory Pay Per View as I had intended since it was close to my house. I knew the outcome would be Sting winning the title again.

How original.

The same tired storyline the same tired old wrestlers getting put over at younger talents expense seems to be the same old same old.

Now we get this garbage called the Main Event Mafia. I remember this storyline in WCW called the "New Blood vs. The Millionaires Club." It was terrible then and it's terrible now.

Many of the same players are even involved in this retread. Kevin Nash, Sting, Scott Steiner, Booker T., Jeff Jarret and the worst booker ever Vince Russo.

Let's just hope Russo does not put the belt on himself again or David Arquette is too busy to have a title run.

This angle is going nowhere fast. The funniest part to me is that Samoa Joe even called them the Millionaires club when he was talking to Steiner a few weeks ago.

What a joke.

I have tried to get back into watching TNA but just cannot justify wasting my time with it. Even when I record it on my DVR. The Barney episodes I have taped for my daughter are more entertaining.

TNA fans often chant "Fire Russo" during gimmick matches at PPV's. Maybe they should do it more often. Maybe they should'nt show up to show the disgust they have for him and his booking.

I know one thing I won't be watching Impact anymore, even fast forwarded.

Take On the Leader: A Rebuttal

John Falcetta — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:39:43 -0400

This is a rebuttal to the Take on the leader "article" by Joe What's his name.

This is an 18 year old kid who has nothing better to do than write eight "articles' per day.

Most of the time all this guy does is re write rumors or posts on other site. This should not count as writing on Bleacher Report.

Some of us have real lives that we live and do not have time to post 163 "articles" in 28 days.

If the quantity and not quality of your work makes you No. 1 then God help Bleacher Report. In my Opinion Ron is, was, and always will be the No. 1 wrestling writer on here.

Not some smart mouth punk who downgrades everyone and their opinions because he has nothing better to do than be a keyboard tough guy.

Hey Joe, here is a suggestion:Learn how to use spell check and learn how to deal with others.

If you are a "leader" like you say show some leadership skills and learn how to work with others and not be a selfish punk kid with zero life experience.

I hate the fact that I had to write this but to see where Bleacher Report is going with people like this makes me sick.

Some of us actually care what we write and make an honest effort. We do not repost things all day long and act like a God.

Take some lessons Joe, it may help you.

Memo to Sports Media: Enough Already with the Lame References!

John Falcetta — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:40:07 -0400

First, let me say it is good to be back on Bleacher Report. After a short break I now have the time to write about a few things I have observed lately.

The Tampa Bay Rays are an amazing story, to say the least. I am disappointed that they beat the Chicago White Sox yesterday, but that does not take away from the respect I have for them as a team.

In a day when all we seem to hear about is the salary wars of the Yankees and Red Sox, here comes a team with a low payroll to show Major League Baseball how it's done. Much like the Minnesota Twins, they show that you can build a winner without spending like a drunken king.

That being said, one thing is killing me about the Rays: Evan Longoria.

No, not the soon-to-be Rookie of the Year and future MVP, no doubt. But the media that covers him. Honestly, why is it that every time this great young player does something, we have to hear the endlessly lame Eva Longoria comments?

I swear I just want to reach through my TV and choke the ESPN anchors who do it. (Yes, that includes you, Stuart Scott.) Who thinks these comments are funny or even entertaining? Not one person I know.

I can make you this promise right now. In a few years Mrs. Parker and her husband will not be as famous as the Rays' third baseman will be.

That brings me to the NFL and NFL Network.

After the Dolphins beat the Patriots, Rich Eisen made the incredibly stupid reference to Tony Sparano "whacking" the Patriots.

Here we go again.

Isn't it time to let the lame and racist Tony Soprano crap go? The fact that Sparano himself goofed on it does not make it any better in my opinion.

How would Eisen have felt if, instead of someone saying an Italian-American "whacked" someone, they threw other racial stereotypes in the mix to describe the coach?

Imagine, if you will, the outrage a Jewish general manager would feel if a Jewish stereotype were thrown his way after a contract negotiation. Not too pleasant, is it?

Or if a media member made a Latino stereotype regarding Ozzie Guillen? The local Chicago media does enough making fun of his accent in my opinion.

What about an African-American coach or player? Look at Imus, if you can stand it. Perfect example.

Even a female coach. Throw in a stereotype there and see what happens.

The point is that this would not be tolerated for any other group. I fell sick every time someone mentions a famous Italian-American, the mafia crap has to come along with it.

I think Eisen should be fired, personally. Many will disagree with me on this, which is fine. But like the old saying goes, I like my funny to be funny.

The Evan/Eva garbage and the Sparano/Soprano crap is not funny. It is time to kill these lame references once and for all.

Memo to Seth Petruzelli: Thank You!

John Falcetta — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:03:33 -0400

Where do I start?

First off, I watched the show Saturday like most longtime MMA fans probably did. I was hoping to see a fraud get exposed.

Mission Accomplished.

The show started with the announcement of Ken Shamrock being pulled out because of the cut over his eye in training the day of the fight. My first thought was: Here we go again.

Another bogus show from a bogus promotion. Another Ken Shamrock flame out.

Then when the announcement came that Seth Petruzelli was the last minute sub, I thought: Okay, I'll tune back in and hope for the best.

I got it.

I make no bones about the fact that while I hold no personal grudge on Mr. Slice, I find this whole circus around him to be quite annoying and disturbing. It is supposed to be like Mike Tyson's glory days of the 80's—but more resembles the train wreck of the last decade of his career.

Kimbo Slice was thrust into an impossible situation and, to his credit, made the best of it. He has trained hard and done the best he could do while others made money off his blood sweat and tears.

I think a lot of "hardcore MMA fans" have mistakenly focused their anger on him and not the promoters, where it belongs.

That being said, I was glad to see him lose Saturday night. If that makes me a jerk than I am guilty as charged.

I heard all the excuses first from the broadcast team—which was horrible beyond words—that he should get a mulligan because he had so little time to prepare. Seth Petruzelli had just as little time to prepare and, oh yeah, he gave up almost 30 pounds.

Now comes the low blow theory.

This is the worst garbage of all. If it was a low blow, I ask one simple question. Why didn't Kimbo complain about it? If I got kicked low in the groin I would yell from the heavens about it. Kimbo did not.

Theory debunked.

To his credit, Kimbo seemed to take his loss like a stand up guy, except for walking out on the post fight interview and being late to the post fight presser.

But, hey, no one is perfect.

All the complaints are coming from the Internet fans who rode his jock until the bitter end.

This day was coming folks. It had to happen.

Kimbo finally went up against a fighter who had real skills and was not afraid...look what happened.

Petruzelli is no Ray Mercer or Tank Abbott and certainly not Bo Cantrell who tapped out to a grazing shoulder punch in a fixed fight. He's not James Thompson either who had him beaten.

He is a true Mixed Martial Arts Fighter who stepped up and got the job done. This may be the best thing in the long run for Kimbo Slice. He will no longer have unrealistic expectations of him from people who either want to profit off him or know nothing about MMA (ESPN and CBS.)

Thank You Ken Shamrock for going Ken Shamrock and not living up to the hype again.

Thank You Seth Petruzelli for stopping this circus dead in its tracks once and for all.

Memo to Brett Favre Part 2: Be Careful What You Wish For

John Falcetta — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:14:14 -0400

The Brett Favre vs. Packer management saga has come to a conclusion that seems to be a win-win-win for all three parties involved. Brett gets to go play quarterback again, the Jets get a future Hall of famer to lead a talented roster, and the Packers of course get rid of Brett Favre. The circus, however, is far from over.

Starting back in Cheeseland, Ted Thompson and Aaron Rodgers are on the hottest of hot seats. Every time Rodgers gets sacked or throws an incomplete pass he will hear the boo birds just like he did during the family night scrimmage this past week.

He will have to be perfect in ways not even Favre himself was. A quick note to Packer teammates: stop calling Rodgers A-Rod. Keep it up and your team will go 1-3 in October.

Ted Thompson will forever be seen as the guy who ran Brett out of town, no matter what happens from here forward. He stood his ground and refused to budge. His job security may be a Super Bowl or bust situation.

Head coach Mike McCarthy seems to get the least amount of heat because he was put in a no-win situation. What was he supposed to do? Publicly go against his boss Thompson? Even if he wanted Favre back and some reports indicate he did privately, how can he punk out his boss on such a monumental issue.

He was squeezed by both sides and the media these last few months. He more than anyone should be burned out over this.

Now on to New York. Here comes Brett. Well Brett Favre is going to quickly learn that as fast as the New York fans and media will be there to welcome him with open arms, they will be there just as fast with pitch forks and negative words.

Brett has always loved being a "country boy." Green Bay fit him perfectly. It was a small market where he could do no wrong. Even during this whole debacle most fans stood by their beloved number four. He has never faced the red hot glare he will when he gets to the Jets.

Jets fans are starved for a winner. They are passionate about their team. There is also the small little fact that their in stadium rival won the Super Bowl last year. This is a big time P.R. play for the Jets as much as it is a way to improve the team. Simply put, they needed Favre.

Things will not be as easy for Brett in New York. He will not have his interceptions overlooked by the fans or media. The fact that he threw an interception to cost his team a Super Bowl trip is hardly mentioned.

But what if he did that for a New York Team? Watch out. Go ask A-Rod what the glare of New York is like. It isn't always pretty. Last weekend Yankee fans even booed Derek Jeter. In New York it's produce and win or you get fried. Period.

Brett Favre may experience something he never has at home before: the home crowd turning on him. As hard as Packer fans will be on Rodgers, Jet fans will be equally hard on Favre. The first time he throws a pick he will be booed and crucified by the newspapers. No one has it easy there, not even certified legends.

There is the flip side of course. Favre could lead the Jets all the way. If that happens, he would experience highs he has never had before. He would be loved as much as he is in Green Bay if not more. It has been 40 years since the Jets won it all so you have to give them credit for pulling out all the stops. Will they win it all? Probably not. Will they be fun and exciting? Absolutely. Will the media circus be overwhelming? Priceless.

For the Packers, Favre, and the Jets, they all got what they wanted; now they all have to live with the consequences. This will be must see TV.

Elite Xc Becomes the new XFL!

John Falcetta — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:15:46 -0400

The EliteXC show this past weekend was a disaster on every possible level. The shows ratings and live attendance were down big time from the last show. This should signal the beginning of the end for this wannabe MMA promotion. The ratings were down 43% and the live crowd had 2,800 comped tickets to fatten the crowd according to reports. Even local fighter Nick Diaz could not keep this train on the tracks

There have been the expected excuses from the apologists already. From the obvious " Kimbo wasn't there" and "Gina wasn't there" to " there was no preparation time"

Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President for CBS Primetime said “We didn’t have our ‘A-plus’ draws on the card" That is nice to know

I don't buy that garbage.

The main even Saturday featured a rematch between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith. The fight went exactly as expected. Lawler dominated the first fight until the B.S. ending, so why would this one be any different? Smith showed great heart but was not going to beat Lawler. Good for him to at least get another payday.

When you put out a sub par product the first time most folks will not come back for a second. The train wreck factor was a huge part of the first shows success. The curiosity of Kimbo Slice and the hope he would get beat by hardcore MMA fans were huge factors. That sounds just like the plight of the XFL. Huge splash at first, and then the huge crash when people saw it was a joke of a product.

Kimbo Slice will be back in October unfortunately for true MMA fans. He will probably be fed another tomato can that he will struggle to beat or be in another fixed fight like his grazing shoulder punch "knockout" of Bo Cantrell. Only if they get an opponent who may actually beat Slice will they get the ratings back up.

Then they can do us all a favor and take this lea ridden dog out back and shoot it once and for all.

Where is WWE heading?

John Falcetta — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:48:07 -0400

C.M. Punk winning the World Heavyweight title was great. It was great for him, the fans, and WWE, in general, which was to be kind getting very stale.

If I had to see Edge vs. Undertaker or Cena in another title match, I was going to puke. What puzzles me is what they are doing with this new fresh champion.

Doing what they always do, dropping the ball.

You do take a new champion if you want him to have any credibility and make him look weak in his/her first PPV title defense.

So now after the Bash where Kane did his run in, we are left to look at Punk like he cannot handle himself that he is just warming the belt for others. A transitional champion.

The next night on Raw was even worse. Once again, he was dead meat for Batista only to be saved by another run in this time by JBL. Who honestly can look at him as a credible champion now?

How are we supposed to believe he can beat big Dave when he is getting his belt saved every time he faces him? That is no way to get over a baby face champion.

Unless there is a major unforeseen heel turn in the future of C.M. Punk, this makes zero common sense to do to this potentially great champion.

This is some of the worst booking of a Champion I have ever witnessed. WWE is spoiling a good thing. Now we get Punk vs. JBL at Summerslam.

It will probably not even be a main event taking a back seat to a potential Cena vs. Batista match up. Is that anyway to treat a Champion? Not in my book.

If they had no intention of giving Punk a strong run, they should have never given him the belt. He deserves far better. He has earned his place the hard way, and he deserves more respect than he is getting from management.

Memo to Caleb Campbell: Welcome to the Army

John Falcetta — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:08:10 -0400

By now, we all know the story of Caleb Campbell, who after being drafted by the Detroit Lions this spring, was allowed to defer his Army service.

Now, just this week, Campbell was told by Army and department of defense officials he would not be allowed to continue his NFL dream and must report to "regular Active duty."

This is a mistake for the Department of Defense on so many levels. It is mind boggling.

First, there was all the attention his story generated for recruiting purposes. That attention swung both ways positive and negative. The Army capitalized on his story to attempt to generate as much positive media coverage as it could get.

Smart move. In a media dominated by anti Bush administration reporters who often only report negatively on the military, it was a smart move to take the initiative and try something new.

It is not such a smart move to then rip away that deal that you tried to use for positive press.

Second, it really makes the Army look bad to do this. Again, we are force fed negative images from the biased news media to the movies, which I won't name that flat out lie about the stories they tell about the military or paint the military in a very negative light.

Almost no true war movies are ever made. They are made to further the point of the director or studio. This move only reinforces the built in stereotypes that exist about the Army that they lie to people and screw you over endlessly.

Third, Why now? Why do this now? This makes no sense at all. I understand how situations change and that you just suck it up and drive on, which is what Mr. Campbell will do.

But why wait until after you spent months promoting this to shoot it down now?

If he made the team, this would have been perfect for recruiting heading into the school year when for obvious reasons recruiting numbers will drop when young candidates go back to school.

Even though recruiting and retention numbers are at record highs (which the biased media will never tell you), it is just bad publicity to publicly go back on your word like this.

Finally, this makes no sense in that all the free recruiting that this may have help the West Point Football team achieve is now lost. Most high school athletes probably do not want to play at a service academy in the first place.

Now they have even more reasons not to go. I have been in these shoes before I know things change with the Army as well as anyone, but in this case, I know they let a great chance slip away that they will never get back.

Not to mention, they probably made Caleb Campbell's decision on making a career of the Army an even more clear choice.

The Army and Department of Defense have made a huge fumble they won't be able to recover.

Meet the New NBA Commissioner

John Falcetta — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:36:29 -0400

I know, I know. Vinny Mac is not really the NBA commissioner; David Stern is. So, before people get up in arms and leave comments, I'll get that out of the way right now.

Well, they have never been seen in the same place together. Actually, he may be better for the job than Stern when you really think about it.

Everyone has seen the NBA playoffs over the last few years and has scratched their heads wondering if what they are seeing is fixed or not. Stern continues to deny any wrong doing but offers no real explanation for strange situations that keep coming up year after year.

Stern continues to label Tim Donaghy as a "lone criminal" and a "rogue official." Buy how does he know that's really true? What investigations have taken place? Where is the paper trail leading only to Donaghy?

There is none.

That is why the NBA needs Vinny Mac to take charge. He has done wonders for regulating wrestling. He was the first promoter to admit that outcomes of matches were predetermined, just like the NBA playoffs. Something most people already knew. He should take over the NBA and tell us all the same thing.

The way I see it the only real difference between McMahon and Stern is that McMahon actually admits that his sport is entertainment, not a true sporting event. Just like the NBA playoffs.

Think of the possibilities. Shaq and Kobe in a flaming free throw line match or Bruce Bowen fake kicking people in the groin. This could be priceless. Not to mention that no one would really be that disappointed when their team "loses" because you knew it was going to happen anyway (you just did not know how it was going to happen).

Just like the NBA playoffs.

Jeff Hardy is Back Again: Does He Deserve Another Shot?

John Falcetta — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:42:10 -0400

Jeff Hardy made his comeback to Raw last Monday night. He won a huge match against MVP, one of WWE's top young stars. The question is: why does he keep getting so many chances?

Hardy has long been an under-utilized talent in the WWE. He left a few years ago after battling drug problems and went on to flop in TNA. He came back to a ton of fanfare and was given a solid initial push. Hardy worked his way up to the brink of main event status, only to blow it with a 30-day suspension for a wellness program violation.

He was given another serious push upon his return and he received a main event pay per view shot against then WWE Champion Randy Orton. He looked good in a losing effort and stayed at the top of the card until his latest run-in with the wellness program.

Upon returning Monday, Hardy started to actually talk on the mic about his mistakes and getting another shot, when he was interrupted for gimmick purposes. The WWE should have let him talk. maybe he would have actually been sorry for his mistakes. Maybe he would have come off like Darryl Strawberry telling the fans this time he was really clean for good.

The curtain has been pulled back on Pro Wrestling for a long time now. For better or worse, we learn more of the real story about the wrestlers we see on T.V. each week. No longer are we left to wonder why someone left a company. It's almost instantly on the internet before the door shuts behind them.

Hardy has to know that this is his last chance. He cannot keep screwing up and getting more chances. He appears to be a guy who simply can't take the pressure of the main event and being a top earner for the company. Maybe he is self sabotaging his career so fans can always wonder what might have been instead of taking a chance and failing.

No one but Jeff hardy knows for sure but one thing is clear: His act is wearing really thin, really fast.

Cedric Benson: Chicago Bears' Big Bust gets Busted

John Falcetta — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:26:02 -0400

Cedric Benson was arrested last night on charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest.

Reportedly, he even had to be pepper sprayed and "dragged to the shore" to be arrested by Texas police.

For Bears management, this should be the final straw in the Benson saga. Now, he has to go.

Benson has had legal problems before.

He was sentenced to eight days in jail in 2003 for a misdemeanor trespassing charge after forcing his way into an apartment to look for a reported stolen TV. In 2002, misdemeanor drug and alcohol charges against him were dropped.

I am always the first one to say "innocent until proven guilty" and to give people their day in court. But I say Benson should be gone for many different reasons other than this arrest.

In his time in Chicago, Benson has made Ron Dayne look like Barry Sanders. Bears fans have taken to calling him Curtis Enis 2.0.

He has run the laundry list of things not to do in the NFL:

Held out as a rookie,
Alienated teammates with a poor attitude,
Has a sense of entitlement and lack of conditioning,
Has been injury prone,
Worst of all, has not performed up to expectations.

I almost forgot the tendency for fumbles when he finally did get to play. The numbers, or lack thereof, are astounding for a No. 4 overall pick.

Last year, Benson took over as the featured back after Thomas Jones was traded away. He rushed for 674 yards, four touchdowns and 3.4 yards a carry before going on injured reserve in November.

In three years with the Bears, Benson has rushed for 1,593 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 3.8 yards a carry. He’s also missed 13 games.

That's the stuff all-time busts are made of. Now, the Bears can wash their hands of Cedric Benson once and for all.

Caleb Campbell: A Feel Good Story?

John Falcetta — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:00:01 -0400

By now most football fans have heard the story of Caleb Campbell the Army football player who is getting a chance to play in the NFL after getting drafted in the 7th round by the Detroit Lions. Campbell is taking advantage of a new program that allows athletes at Westpoint to serve as recruiters during the offseason from their sport instead of serving as full time officers. Now there has been alot of debate about this being right or wrong.

I have to admit at first I was skeptical of this deal from the Army to get athletes to come to Westpoint just to win games and not fulfill their commitment to the Army.

After doing some thinking about it I came to the conclusion that this is a very good deal for the Army and Campbell as well. Some have said that the Army is not getting a return on their investment.Yes the Army invested 4 years of training and education into Caleb Campbell so he could become an Army leader, but the positive publicity this has generated more than makes up for that

In a time when most media reports and films are not very positive for the Military any good press the Military can get is a good thing.

Campbell's deal also states that if he gets cut from the team during the first 2 years he must return to full active duty. That is not a sure thing for a 7th rounder, so he has a good chance of seeing combat anyway.

I have seen alot of opinions on this issue most have been positive.I recently talked to some fellow Veterans ant my VFW post and none had a problem with this deal.My question is why does Jay Mariotti? Everyone is entitled to an opinion but if Rod Marinelli who served in Vietnam is willing to draft this young man and has zero problem with this it is hard to argue against it.Even Roger Staubach who gave up 5 years of his NFL career and served in Vietnam has said this is a good program and he would have had to consider it if it was available when he played.

One point lost in all of this is that Caleb Campbell is a very talented football player. I follow Service Academy football very close. I watch every one of them it is a source of pride for me I root for Navy and Air Force except when they play the Blacknights.I can tell you that Campbell is the real deal and had he gone to Notre Dame or Oklahoma he would have been a day one draft pick.

So even though I am a Chicago Bears fan I will root for Caleb Campbell and Rod Marinelli aslong as they are not playing DaBears. They both deserve our respect.

Draft Day: A Chicago Bears Fan's Nightmare

John Falcetta — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:52:32 -0400

Every year NFL fans get ready for draft day with the hope that their beloved team will get the pieces needed to build a Champion. We watch the buildup for months after the Super Bowl to this weekend. Fans are beaten over the head with lists: Top Ten Draft busts, Top Ten Draft classes, Top Ten Draft steals, and so on and on.

While every fan can look at their team and call out the big busts in franchise history, The Packers will always have Tony Mandarich, "The best offensive line prospect ever" as anointed by Sports Illustrated. He was one glaring mistake by a franchise that more than made up for it in later years.

Dallas Cowboy fans can look at Quincy Carter, who was not only a first-round bust but he wasn't even a first round prospect. He was a reach and a bust. I can go through every franchise and find a bust or two, but it seems that only the Lions, Bengals, and Raiders fans can truly feel the Bears fans' pain.

The list of Bears flops is very long and undistinguished. In 1989, the 11 and 12 picks brought in Donnell Woolford and Trace Armstrong. While Woolford made the Pro Bowl in 1993, Armstrong made zero bowls with Chicago.

Other notable busts include:

Stan Thomas-1991

Alonzo Spellman-1992

Curtis Conway -1993

John Thierry-1994(yes John Thierry)

Walt Harris-1996

Rashaan Salaam-1995

Curtis Enis-1998

Cade Mcnown-1999

Rick Mirer (and before you say it I know he was a Seahawks pick but The Bears traded a 1st rounder for him so he counts.)

David Terrell-2001

Marc Colombo-2002

Rex Grossman-2003

And I almost forgot the 2003 bust Michael Haynes.

Oh the list could go on for days. In 1988, two first-round picks brought in Brad Muster and Wendell Davis. Davis got injured so it is hard to call him a huge bust.

2005 pick Cedric Benson is on his way to becoming an all-time bust, but most people are waiting until after this season to put him up there on the Ryan Leaf list.

I notice the trend of busts through the late 80's all the way up until Lovie Smith took over. That may explain the two decades without a title.

Since the Lovie Smith era began, the Bears have seemingly done better in the draft. Maybe he is getting to "shop for the groceries" in the words of Bill Parcells.

This year's Draft is crucial for the future and present of this franchise, as it is for everyone. Let's hope the Bears Management does not drop the ball again.

Memo to Brett Favre: Come Back or Shut Up

John Falcetta — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:50:36 -0400

This is getting very old.

It seems everyday there is a new Brett Favre story from some "source" that is close to his agent, or Brett himself telling a small newspaper back home some outlandish garbage about coming back.

Well I am sick and tired of it.

This will be about the sixth offseason in a row where Brett dominates the headlines up until the draft and keeps the Green Bay Packers future on hold. I thought like many others he had decided this last month. Now here he is again playing to the media that won't let him go.

I say enough is enough.

Brett now says that if Aaron Rodgers gets hurt he would have to consider coming back to the Pack. Great move Brett, now we can all wait for the upcoming Tonya Harding attack on Rodgers. Let me guess what Brett will say next: 'if Rodgers throws a pick in the first quarter of the preseason that Brett may come back to save the Packers again.' Spare me.

Brett Favre is acting very selfish right now. If he did not want to retire he shouldn't have. Period. I am not saying the man does not have the right to come back—he most certainly does. But do it already or let it go so the Packers and Aaron Rodgers can move on with a future.

Hell even bringing up the thought of Rodgers getting hurt was out of line almost like he hopes it happens. Nice touch champ.

You know now there will be Cheese Heads who will root for it to happen. The already enormous pressure on Aaron Rodgers just got a ton worse.

I say that this is the last time I will mention Brett Favre ever again until he either suits up again and jerks everyone around for another season, or he goes into the Hall Of Fame in five years. I am sick of it and the sentiment is growing—it's time to put up or shut up or hopefully just go away.

After NCAA Championship: A Choke, a Smile, and a Huge Payday for Bill Self

John Falcetta — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:45:48 -0400

Memphis choked away a National Title last night. There is no way around that.

Does that take away from the Kansas Jayhawks' accomplishment?

Not a chance.

Kansas coach Bill Self has taken a lot of heat over the last few years, especially with his lack of tournament success at Kansas after leaving the University of Illinois.

Even last weekend, he was just one missed three-pointer away from losing yet again to a double-digit seed and putting the fire directly under his chair.

What a difference eight days and two three-point shots make?

Self now has fulfilled his promise at Kansas and, in turn, will be a very wealthy man.

Self has two outstanding options for his career. He can stay at Kansas, where he is now loved and is expected to win more titles, or he can go home. Home would be Oklahoma State where Self played college ball and grew up.

There is also the huge payday that will await him there.

Oklahoma State has the backing of T. Boone Pickens, an OSU grad, with plenty of money to donate.

The Cowboys want desperately to be a big-time program, and will spend as much of Mr. Pickens' donation money as it takes.

Enter Bill Self. What a great position to be in, the ultimate win-win.

No matter what Self chooses, he will get paid well for his future.

Kansas will likely give him a long-term extension with a big annual raise to compete with OSU.

They may not be able to match the Cowboys' cash, but they can offer Self the chance to be a major player on the major stage, and even collect a few more rings in the coming years.

OSU offers the chance to go home, be a hero, and get rich.

What a reversal of fortunes for Bill Self.