khandor’s sports blog

Although it may have taken them 43 years, too many heart-aches to count properly, and one absolutely devastating semi-”the-man”-made natural disaster …

Who Dat? Dat’s the Super Bowl Champs!

As Leigh, a friend and blogger from New Orleans, said to me,

“The energy in this entire town is incredible.  People here have been ready for this for decades…but the way the media is treating the Saints as underdogs isn’t a surprise to any of us.  The people of New Orleans have been subjected to those attitudes for a long time ourselves, and we still are in too, too many ways, but we’re still here.  And those who are still unable to return here due to the displacement caused by the storm, or the recession, or other circumstances - they’ll return in one way or another, because this is a town that can teach the rest of this country how to live.  It always has, and it always will, despite it all.”

Leigh’s pride runs across NOLA tonight. The same week that Education Secretary Arne Duncan outrageously called Hurricane Katrina “the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans”, the city has delivered a counterpunch to Duncan as well as any and all doubters. Their ascendancy means that the arduous post Hurricane recovery work has gotten more publicity in the last two weeks than it’s received in the last two years. This is maddening but many New Orleans residents wouldn’t have it any other way. As Saints linebacker Scott Fujita’s wife Jaclyn said, “The people of New Orleans love the Saints not because they provide a distraction from their fall but because they are a reflection of their rise.”

Whether you believe that or not, the proof is in the very vibe of the city. The French Quarter is hopping tonight. The Ninth Ward is hopping tonight. Algiers is hopping tonight. People in New Orleans are feeling damn good right now, and to scoff at that is to scoff at the very resiliency that makes us human. Community activist and former Black Panther Malik Rahim who has lived in the city for three decades and still works in Algiers, told me, “I haven’t seen people this happy since Katrina. No question about it.” That doesn’t mean all – or even some – questions about the future of New Orleans are solved by a Saints Super Bowl win. Jobs, housing, and the right of return for displaced residents still need to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

But it does mean that folks of the Big Easy are feeling fearless tonight. Every last person – from Bush to Brownie - that wrote this city off has to now bend down and kiss the ring. President Barack Obama, who often seems allergic to saying the words “New Orleans” must now greet the team at the White House and acknowledge both the Saints and the city that bears their name. Even if tomorrow is unbearably hard, we have today. And today feels mighty fine.

In case you might not know of him, just yet, Dave Zirin [Edge of Sports] is one of the finest sports writers in America today.

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Full [and much better quality] version of this post-game interview

… and, Jim Caldwell is one of the finest sportsmen these eyes have yet to see.

“Our head is bloodied, but unbowed.”
- Invictus

For the benefit of those who are regular readers of this space …

What you need to know is:

On an annual basis, the Super Bowl is the single most wagered upon event in North America. 

Successfully prognosticating upon the outcome of weekly NFL games is what first developed an interest in the field of “sports handicapping”, in general, on the part of yours truly, some 33 years ago.

Since that time, one thing which has gradually become crystal clear … across an array of sports … is that successfully handicapping BIG GAME [single day] events is an Art & Science, unto itself, and a “calling card”/specialty for yours truly.

Not everyone who is a successful “sports handicapper” can do this consistently.

In fact, few “sports handicappers” can authentically lay claim to the following statement:

“______________ is a service which nails the outcome of BIG GAMES,”

as an accurate description of what it is they provide for their clients.

If you have only 1 sporting proposition to make this year, today is the opportunity to make it …

based on the selection provided by yours truly, in the post above this one, titled: “Khandor’s Sports Service, Games Of The Day.”

It is listed under the category of, “KSS GOTD Selections, NFL - GOTW [Super Bowl XLIV], Game 1,” and comes at a cost of $100.00.

As always, the choice of whether to act, or not, is yours to make.

Either way …

Enjoy today’s BIG GAME and the remainder of your Sunday, hopefully, with friends and family.

khandor

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“Life is short; and, things happen quickly.”
- Derek Fisher

This was a terrific NFL game with oustanding plays made all over the field by a number of different individuals for each team, including Mark Sanchez [QB], Leon Washington [RB], Thomas Jones [RB], Braylon Edwards [WR], Chad Henne [QB], Ricky Williams [RB], Ronnie Brown [RB] and Ted Ginn [WR].

Dolphins run over rival Jets [video highlights included]
The running back combination of Brown and Ricky Williams was nearly unstoppable. Brown scored a pair of touchdowns while rushing for 74 yards. Williams had 138 scrimmage yards, the big game coming on a 59-yard reception.

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Of particular note was the outstanding play-calling of Dan Henning [Dolphins' Offensive Coordinator], who mixed conventional running formations with Wildcat sets and a variety of pass plays to keep the Jets’ pressure defense off balance for much of the game.

Once upon a time …  there was no more SURE WIN in all of sports than a play on the Dolphins, at home on Monday Night Football, as a wagering underdog.

Dolphins vs Bears [MNF] 1985

If Chad Henne & Co. can maintain this level of offensive production, this group of Dolphins might just have come of age last night. 

Please, see Peter Holt.

Please, see the San Antonio Spurs.

Please, see the Spurs’ 4 World Championship Larry O’Brien Trophies.

Now …

Please, read about THE WAY a Winner Thinks When The Going Gets Tough.

When Spurs majority owner Peter Holt walked into the room for the NBA Board of Governors meeting here earlier this week, he was greeted with a cacophony of catcalls and good-natured ribbing.

His fellow owners couldn’t believe the supposedly thrifty Holt had signed off on one of the most expensive offseason makeovers in recent Spurs memory.

“They all think I’m cheap as hell,” Holt said.

Not anymore. In the span of less than a month, Holt and his ownership group have done some serious damage to their miserly reputation.

In the eye of an uncertain economy that prompted many NBA teams to put a lock on their wallets this offseason, the Spurs went barreling past the luxury tax threshold to acquire Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess.

The Spurs already are about $8 million over the dollar-for-dollar tax line, with still more roster pieces to add. The final tariff bill is likely to breach $10 million, on top of a payroll pushing $80 million.

In his first interview since the offseason began, Holt this week explained the reasoning behind the Spurs’ out-of-character summertime spending spree. In Vegas terms, it was time to go all in.

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Whether or not the San Antonio Spurs actually win the 2009-2010 NBA title really isn’t the point.

What matters most of all is Mr. Holt’s versatility, intelligence, commitment to excellence and … perhaps, No. 1 on the list … actual Level of R.E.S.P.E.CT. for [1] the Spurs loyal fans, [2] RC Buford & Gregg Popovich, [3] Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili & Tony Parker, et al.

As that great, down-home, southern gentleman-philospher, Bum Phillips [Houston Oilers], once said, about the defining characteristic of a fabulous former NFL head coach by the name of Don Shula [Miami Dolphins]:

“He’s so good, he can take his’n and beat yours’n; then take yours’n and beat his’n.”

That, dear friends, right there, is a Prime Example of A Man who actually knows what he’s doing in the Great Arena of Life. 

On Tuesday, SI.com published its review of owners in the NFL, MLB, NBA & NHL, listing both the top 5 and the bottom 5 in each of these leagues. These are the bottom 5’s, respectively:

[Number Rank, Owner, Franchise, Purchase Year, Purchase Price, Current Value, Winning %, Playoff Seasons, Championship Season]

National Football League
5 Denise DeBartolo York, 49ERS, 2000, N/A, $865 M, .417, 2, 0
4 Mike Brown, BENGALS, 1991, N/A, $941 M, .351, 1, 0
3 Dan Snyder, REDSKINS, 1999, $750 M, $1,538 M, .488, 3, 0
2 William Clay Ford, LIONS, 1964, $5 M, $917 M, .411, 9, 0
1 Al Davis, RAIDERS, 1966, $180,000, $861 M, .569, 21, 4 

Major League Baseball
5 Ted Lerner, NATIONALS, 2006, $450 M, $406 M, .419, 0, 0
4 Jeffrey Loria, MARLINS, 2002, $158 M, $277 M, .502, 1, 1
3 David Glass, ROYALS, 1993, $96 M, $ 314 M, .432, 0, 0
2 Tom Hicks, RANGERS, 1998, $250 M, $405 M, .489, 2, 0
1 Peter Angelos, ORIOLES, 1993, $173 M, $400 M, .486, 2, 0

National Basketball Association
5 R-Johnson/M-Jordan, BOBCATS, 2004, $300 M, $284 M, .417, 0, 0
4 Chris Cohan, WARRIORS, 1991, $130 M, $335 M, .409, 3, 0
3 Michael Heisley, GRIZZLIES, 2000, $160 M, $294 M, .388, 3, 0
2 Cablevision/J-Dolan, KNICKS, 1997, $300 M, $613 M, .439, 7, 0
1 Donald Sterling, CLIPPERS, 1981, $12.5 M, $297 M, .341, 4, 0

National Hockey League
5 Predator Holdings LLC, PREDATORS, 2007, $193 M, $164 M, .499, 1, 0
4 Atlanta Spirit, HAWKS, 2004, $80 M, $158 M, .519, 1, 0
3 Charles Wang, ISLANDERS, 2000, $187.5 M, $154 M, .416, 4, 0
2 Alan Cohen, PANTHERS, 2001, $101 M, $163 M, .443, 0, 0
1 MLSE, MAPLE LEAFS, 1994, $102 M, $448 M, .471, 8, 0 

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Now …

Which of those 20 separate owners also happen to have a 2nd franchise in one of the other 3 leagues?

MLSE also owns the Raptors [NBA, 1998, N/A, $400 M, .454, 5, 0].

If you combine the efforts of the Maple Leafs and the Raptors, might it be accurate to say that MLSE is possibly the worst owner of them all?

Current Franchise Value: $848 M
W-L Record: 920-1984
Winning %: .464
Playoff Seasons: 13 [of 26]
Championship Seasons: 0 [of 26]

You make the call.

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A-Rod allegations: This is baseball’s worst nightmare
[Part I: On telling fibs to Agents of the US Federal Gov't]
It’s not surprising the game’s highest-paid player would try to skirt the system in 2003. What was more surprising out of the SI report was the suggestion that Gene Orza, the players unions No. 2 man, may have tipped off Rodriguez about tests. If it was done once, why not twice? The Major League Baseball Players Association should never be in the position to play sheriff, but it damned straight ought not to be an abettor, either.

“That’s the kind I’d like to buy,” Rush said. “It’s way, way fast. I tested it in Germany and it’s automatically five-tenths of a second faster. What I have is a standard sled. There’s a company in Germany called Dresden and they cookie-cut sleds. You’ll see guys buy those, and then start doing things to them. They know how to do little tricks and stuff. Me? I’m clueless. After four years I know how to do little things to make the sled how I like it, but I don’t know how to make it fast. There’s after-market companies that take your sled and supe it up. But that custom kind of work is expensive. What I have is a stock sled. I want a suped up sled.”

===================================

The need to be suped up in some way is one of the problems plaguing our society today … whether it be in Major League Baseball, the NHL, the NBA, the NFL, Formula One, NASCAR, Bobsled Racing, or just everyday life … rather than having earned one’s own way to the top of the podium, gradually, over time, with authentic blood, sweat & tears.

This corner, on the other hand, much prefers a different course of action … which builds [a home, or business, or otherwise] brick by brick, board by board.

An instantaneous classic …

filled with fabulous efforts by a host of standout participants.

Kudos to Ken Whisenhunt, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Darnell Dockett, Mike Tomlin, James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Homes [MVP].

Here it is …

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Use the comments section to explain your views.

A terrific football coach announced his retirement earlier this evening …

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Colts coach Tony Dungy retires
Tony Dungy always considered football just a career path.

Not his life’s mission.

On Monday, Dungy began the transition from head coach to full-time dad and devoted volunteer by announcing his retirement after seven years leading the Indianapolis Colts.

“We just felt this was the right time,” Dungy said. “Don’t shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don’t get to live.”

————-

and the NFL is a lot less rich for it.

Men like Mr. Dungy do not come around every day in the ruthless world of professional football.