NINTH SEASON: WEEK EIGHT

This is something I never thought I would say:  I am beginning to hate sports.  I never would have believed I was capable of that.  When I was a kid, there were two sections of the newspaper I would read - the sports and the comics.  I read Sports Illustrated every week.  I watched the sports on the local news every night.  (Pat Murphy was my favorite sportscaster, for you West Palm Beach peeps.)  I never was one of those weird kids that was uber-obsessed with sports.  But I certainly loved them.

Now, though, that has all changed.  I have mentioned several times how hard it is to root for a corporation (unless its Apple).  But my discontent today comes from something different - the inability to keep things in perspective.  There were three events that highlighted this.  The first was the release of Randy Moss by Minnesota.  Here is the guy who is widely considered the best receiver of his generation.  He could light up the field like few others.  But he now has been unceremoniously dismissed from FOUR teams in his career.  In the subsequent arguments surrounding his ultimate landing place, many commentators said that Moss was a "clubhouse cancer."  He was a "cancer" to the team and should be avoided by teams with good chemistry.  [This concept also cropped up with the Kevin Garnett vs Charlie Villanueva spat - but that is basketball, so who gives a darn?  Except Mean Green.]

On the flip side, Mississippi State found out what a "clubhouse cancer" actually was.  Twenty year old defensive end Nick Bell died this week.  He was shockingly diagnosed with cancer in September.  Less than two months later, he was dead.  Now, I ask you, which clubhouse had a more traumatic experience?  The Minnesota Vikings had to put up with a petulant, entitled, arrogant, annoying millionaire as they all enjoyed their million dollar contract.  MSU had to deal with watching a young teammate not even in the prime of his life go from SEC athlete to dead man.  It was a horrible and tragic story.  And, two days later, it was buried onto a third level link on ESPN.com.  Randy Moss continued to be the lead story.  Moss was many things - he was a distraction, he was a jerk, he was a weirdo, he was a talented star.  But he wasn't a cancer.  Cancer kills.  It's more than an annoyance.

The last story was the death of Declan Sullivan up at Notre Dame.  Here was a kid who desperately wanted to be a part of the football world.  So he's helping out the team.  They send the guy up onto a big scaffolding during a storm with 50 mph winds.  The thing collapses and now he's dead.  Why is he dead?  Because Notre Dame is coached by Brian Kelly - and he needed to show his team that he had big balls and that he wasn't going to cancel practice for nothing.  They are warriors!  They are superheroes!  Here is a particularly damning article from ESPN about the whole issue.  Kelly is one of the new breed of coaches who treat their players like crap - but aren't so brazen as to choke them like Bobby Knight.  They are sports CEOs - dictating the rules, forcing excellence, and then bailing to take a better job.  Bobby Petrino, Nick Saban, John Callipari, Lane Kiffin.  And although I know I'll catch grief from Gator Greats, I would say Urban Meyer needs put on that list.  And I'm sure that Jimbo Fisher is of the same cloth, since he trained under Saban.  They don't care about players.  They care about winning games, winning titles, getting pay raises, moving to better jobs.  That's why Notre Dame was out in dangerous weather.  And that's why Declan Sullivan was up on a scaffolding.  And that's why he's dead.  I'm not just pointing fingers here.  UCF killed a player a few years ago because George O'Leary and his staff mocked players for being wimps and needing wussy stuff like water in the stifling heat.  So the kid died.  No consequences for O'Leary.  Jim Leavitt and Mike Leach get fired for locking a kid in a closet or hitting a kid - but we now have coaches killing kids and they don't even get a slap.

It is a seriously screwed up industry - which is why I am really starting to hate sports.  People don't matter.  It is all about dollars and power and status.  But, then again, is this really any different than any other industry.  Having worked in the church world for almost fifteen years, I can say that it is just as guilty of those things.  And we all see in politics that the average person doesn't matter at all.  The last election showed that.  It seemed like some candidates campaigned on the fact that they were less humane than their opponents.  Basically, you had to decide if you wanted to be a free spending quasi socialist or a industry loving, human being hating facist.  (At least according to Facebook status updates.)  As we in this league all know, this isn't going to get any better.  We are on a fast track to the last book in the Bible.  To me, sports had always been a way to escape the garbage all around me.  Now it gets me depressed.

NFL NOTES

• What is the deal with the release of Shawne Merriman by the Chargers?  A few years ago, he burst onto the scene as a wrecking ball on defense.  He won Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl team in his first season.  He raked in lucrative endorsement deals.  Then he got busted for using steroids and got suspended.  But he still finished third in the vote for Defensive Player of the Year.  He made the Pro Bowl that year, and the next.  Dominant player, tons of talent.  Then he became injury prone, beat the crap out of his girlfriend, and then got cut by the Chargers - in the same year he was their "franchise player."  It was yet another example of wasted talet and someone who just couldn't stay in football for some reason.  Maybe it was that he lost focus.  Maybe the lack of steroids meant he didn't recover as well.  How does a player go from franchise tag to released in just a few months?
• The Jaguars have given up the most points in the NFL.  They have been outscored by 61 points.  But they are 4-4.  Huh?
• Carolina has only scored 85 points this year.  That is 30 points less than any other team (Cleveland).  The next lowest is Chicago with 126.  But John Fox is going to be a sought after coaching commodity?  This could go down as the worst contract year in the history of the NFL.
• Oh wait, I take that back.  Randy Moss is in a contract year.
• One good thing about Favre's complete meltdown is that we shouldn't have to put up with the retirement circus next year.  There's no way he can come back again.  Right?  Please tell me I'm right.
• The whole Donovan McNabb benching is so strange.  I mean, we have known he isn't a clutch performer since he lost his dinner during the Super Bowl.  But to get benched like that?  And Shanahanalama's explanations were amazing.  First is was Rex Grossman knew the offense better from being in it before.  (Huh?  Any time the better option is Rex Grossman, you must suck.)  Then it was that McNabb wasn't a good two minute quarterback.  Then it was that he is fat and out of shape.  Goooo!  Talk about having your player's back.  McNabb is one of the more easily offended and emotionally fragile players in the NFL.  Now he's supposed to come back and play for his coach who just called him fat, out of shape, inable to run and offense, and worse than Grossman?  Wow.
• The Chiefs and Raiders are playing on Sunday Night.  And NBC is glad about it?  What kind of world is this becoming?

COLLEGE NOTES

• As usual, here comes my UCF bit.  Over the years, I have thrown more than my share of punches at George O'Leary.  But I will also give him praise when I need to.  He was able to put two successful seasons together and broke the "on again, off again" curse.  This year, they are very impressive.  They have lost two games by a combined total of 10 points to NC State and Kansas State - who have both been ranked.  They have the best record in the state.  And they are the 2nd highest ranked team in the state.  You really could argue they are more impressive than FSU (the only team ahead of them), since they both lost to NC State.  But FSU's other loss was a blowout to Oklahoma and UCF's was to K-State during a tornado.  I just hope they can keep it up and beat Houston.  It's a Friday night game on ESPN2 - national coverage.  If they do, they will be ranked for the first time ever and on their way to the bowl season with a legitimate shot at a win there.  Good job UCF.
• The Big East expansion has dragged UCF into the discussion all over the country.  They are one of the teams that is an obvious target.  But, as a UCF fan, I don't want them to join the Big East.  I know that is dangerous.  They could hold out and end up being screwed over like Boise State.  But, it would be a premature jump.  Here's why.  The Big East doesn't want UCF for anything but football.  So that means their sports will be split up like they were for years.  That doesn't work because it destroys any chance at rivalries.  Second, the Big East is extremely unstable.  They are going to get poached when the ACC or SEC decides to go to 16 teams.  We know this.  So, does UCF risk getting stuck in the shell of the dying Big East in two years?  Or do they keep on building their programs and hope the ACC makes the right choice in a few years?  Maybe once they are the largest school in the nation that will help.
• BSU/TCU - I'll be honest with you, I am a bit nervous after last week.  I was hoping USC could take out Oregon, but it didn't happen.  And Auburn is freaking scary.  I still think Auburn can lose one of their games - the Alabama one and the SEC title game still loom.  BUT, if Bama does win, they immediately will jump into the title game.  We have seen how the system is all too ready to ignore Boise and TCU - jumping over them weekly.  This week is a big one.  TCU plays Utah, who could screw this whole thing up.  But if TCU beats Utah, it will help their stake.  Alabama plays LSU.  If the Tigers win, that will help get rid of Bama, but will put LSU back into the problem.  Auburn plays an intramural team this week, so they aren't in danger.  Neither is Oregon.  The chances are running out.  Auburn only plays UGA (ha) and Bama.  Oregon has Oregon State and Arizona left.  There's going to have to be an upset.
• Cam Newton is a beast.  How did he end up leaving UF?  Seriously, I have no clue how that all happened.  I know we can't play "what if," but good grief.  I doubt UF would be struggling so much with him back there.  I can't wait until he is holding a clipboard in the NFL.

SFL NOTES

• The Gator Greats/Bloodthirsty Ferrets game was all it was expected to be.  It was high scoring and close.  You hate to see a loser in that kind of game.  Gators made a valiant comeback at the end, but wound up just short.  They would have beaten every other team in the league by 20 points that game.  It just stinks to lose that way.
• Da Bus has quietly snuck up into the playoff race.  The top four teams (Ferret, Odious, Stickboy, Gators) have been the Colts, Patriots, Steelers, and Chargers of the last few years.  But Da Bus is right there.  After their narrow victory over the freefalling Tampa Bay Rams, they are 5-3 and ready to step up if one of the top four lose a game down the stretch.
• Four weeks ago, Mean Green was 3-1 and up near the top of the league.  Four losses later, they are part of the putrid bottom half of the league.  Seriously, the SFL is like the SEC right now.  You have the West at 5-3 or better.  Then the East is 3-5 or worse.  Relatively safe to say that the playoff teams will come from our "West."  
• The Tampa Bay Rams need to fire Wade Phillips right now.  
• The Trade Deadline is November 12!  Don't forget!