Some Pre-Turkey Day Treats
By Jason Parker
With the beginning of the holiday season less then a few hours away, its time to share some tasty morsels of my own with you, the loyal blog-ettes. Let's rock and roll:
- HOT STOVE NEWS: I never thought I would actually be writing what I am about to say. Let me start with this: I love my New York Yankees…I am loyal and supportive. With that, the name of my fantasy team the last eight seasons as been "Jeter's Jews", and one of my most valued possessions is an autograph of Jeter's on a pasta menu from a restaurant in the Tampa area. You can see where I am going with this…for Yankees fans like myself, the recent events surrounding Derek's contract negotiations have left us fans torn. With that…here it comes…I have to side with the organization on this one. While their offer of close to $15 million a year is less then what the Captain made on his last deal, there can no argument that his production has gone down the past two seasons. Yes, he is a leader in the clubhouse who is still respected by the young talent, and yes, he still is producing at a major league level. That being said, this team needs to think about what's going to happen when it comes to signing another much needed quality starter to go with C.C. Sabathia, as well as what happens when it comes to resigning their young talent, like emerging star Robinson Cano. If Jeter wants to prove he is the real Capitan, he signs the offer, leads the Yanks to two more World Series titles, and goes out on top. After all, lets be honest…can you really see him in any other uniform? Then what would I call my team…"Mariano's Menorahs"?
- I'm not going to jump completely on the panic button yet regarding the Miami Heat, but Monday's loss to the Pacers was nothing short of pathetic. This isn't one of the elite teams we are talking about…IT'S THE INDIANA PACERS!!! They didn't just beat you…they schooled you in your own house…with all of the Big Three healthy and playing (if you called Wade's night "playing"). The next six games are what become crucial for the team. Games at Orlando and Dallas can most likely be chalked up as losses, which makes the games against weaker opponents Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington and Cleveland that much more important. At 12-8 after twenty games, coach Erik Spoelstra might be able to avoid falling on the sword. Losses to several inferior teams, and Spoel could be updating the resume. And two things regarding that: first, I don't care how many titles he has won, it's out of line for Phil Jackson to make the comments he did regarding the coaching situation. He has no clue what goes on in that organization (as a matter of fact, no one does, with the way they are so tight lipped). Second, if Spoelstra does bite the bullet, I urge Pat Riley to swallow his pride and NOT come back to the bench. Its time to bring in some new blood to run the show. An idea? Former Cavs Coach Mike Brown…after all, he won 60 games with LeBron and some scrubs like Mo Williams and Anderson Varejo…imagine what he could do in his offense with the "Big Three".
- The loss of Udonis Haslem for what is becoming an extended period of time is the reason this team will not win the title this year. They could have fought through the injuries to Mike Miller and the bumps and bruises with Wade, LeBron and Bosh…but losing not just UD's skill but leadership is the final straw.
- Isn't it ironic that the president of Ohio State University, Dr. Gordon Gee, is saying Boise State and TCU do not belong in the national championship game? This from a man who, not only destroyed the athletics department at Vanderbilt and put it in the same category as intramurals, but runs a school that laid eggs in back to back title games in 2006 and 2007. He also went on to saying that a playoff system is the "slippery slope to professionalism". So, Dr. Gee…will you be turning down your basketball team's invite to the NCAA tournament this spring? Didn't think so.
- Let Tyler Thigpen start for the Dolphins Sunday against Oakland. I would rather risk losing the game then the apparent quarterback for the future, Chad Henne.
- Cornerbacks make plays in a split second that MIGHT result in helmets touching, and get fined up to 75-thouseand dollars or suspended…and Richard Seymour punches someone and only gets a fine of $25,000? Oh please explain this one to me.
- It's the last week of college football's regular season. I'll be in the corner crying now.
- He isn't my driver of choice, but you have to give it up for Jimmie Johnson winning his 5th straight NASCAR crown this weekend. I know officials aren't exactly enthralled, as they would love some new blood holding the title to attract more of a competition feel. But he knows how to win, and has probably one of the best crew chiefs of all time in Chad Knaus. And on a side note, before you knock NASCAR, go to a race. On television, you don't get the same experience of fast cars, strategy, and insane fans that make for half the fun. Plus, news flash for all you close minded people: It's not just for rednecks anymore.
- Finally, as the holidays approach, I wanted to take a second to thank some important people in my life. First off, I have the greatest parents in the world. Through the power of divorce, I'm lucky enough to have three of the most supportive people in my corner. Mom, I'm proud to say that I am exactly like you, and I love you so much…Dad, you always have my back and I love you for that…and Ted, I couldn't ask for a better stepfather who could double as my own "hype man" (it's a rap term…I'll explain later). Also, to all my friends who have been on Team Parker since it's beginnings twenty seven years ago: You all mean so much to me…Collin, Beau, Keith, Kyle, Ben, Anne-Mari, Karli, Krista, and the rest…you know I'm here for you all anytime.
Happy Thanksgiving to all…save me some stuffing.
