Credibility , You Couldn’t Make This Sh_t Up If You Tried Because It Just Makes You Laugh !

Traditionally , I like to sit down and watch many of the sports’ magazine programs that are on television . Primarily , to hear the views of the analysts out there and to see how they might view various situations that are arising around the sports arena. Funnily enough , as I’m sitting in bar with several friends enjoying some light hearted banter. While much of this happens to be going on. I look up to see none other than Matt Millen and Herm Edwards on ESPN , discussing the NFL . Now don’t get me wrong , but while both of these men were successful over the course of their playing careers. When it came to being on the sidelines either from the executive standpoint or from a coach’s . Both Edwards and Millen , shall we say , were less than successful ?

Former Lions' President & CEO Matt Millen. He's now been hired by ESPN to provide analysis on the NFL as well as college football. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo / Paul Sancya ..........................

Millen presided in taking the Detroit Lions from being a once respected franchise within the NFL and then proceeded to turn them into a pedantic and absolutely atrocious football team. In the 2008-09 season the Lions showed us ineptitude that no one thought that they’d ever witness within the NFL . Losing all sixteen regular season games tends to take a great deal effort. For the Detroit Lions under Matt Millen’s tenure , they made it all look so effortlessly easy. And that’d usually take some doing.

Trey Wingo (left), Herm Edwards (center) and Mark Schlereth of ESPN discuss the NFL on the network's NFL Live . picture appears courtesy of espn.go.com/ Alex Hughes copyrighted material @ All rights reserved .................

For Herm Edwards, let’s just say that the most memorable sound byte uttered from his lips, has been “…you play the game to win.” Unfortunately, for dear old Herm, winning wasn’t something that came along with a great deal of regularity in either of his tenureships as a coach, with the New York Jets or the Kansas City Chiefs . I can only surmise that ESPN had turned to these two individuals , merely because on the food chain when it came to former NFL players or coaches or any other perceived doyenne of that ilk. Both Edwards and Millen were so far down on the totem pole , that their asking price may well have been a cardboard box to sleep in and a cup of soup. In reality though , ESPN may well the largest sport’s broadcasting unit in the world. But when it comes to credible sports’ journalism, they lie up there , somewhere between the guys responsible for the ‘Watergate Scandal’ and the idiots who presided over the Jayson Blair cover up .

ESPN now has become for all sense purpose , purely an enteratinment outlet source , rather than a venue being well informed source of sports information. In many respects it borders on watching a three ringed circus with the presenters acting like a bunch of circus clowns. All that’s left out of the programming is the perfunctory pie in the face routine . But then again a pie in the face is definitely meant to be funny , isn’t it ?

Wayne Gretzky a principal partner in the now bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes' NHL franchise. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Matt Trahern ............

It’d appear that Gary Bettman in his own perceived urgency to see the NHL remain relevant. He can only be aghast, with what’s allegedly happening with regard to what was deemed to be the impending auction of the almost defunct Phoenix Coyotes . It has been a complete farce ! Bettman and the Board of Governors of the NHL have refused the bid of Jim Balsillie , who as founder and CEO of RIM , the makers of the Palm Pilot and Blackberry, had stated that should he acquire the franchise , he would move it to Canada. Something that the NHL seems to have no desire for. The other potential bidder is Chicago White Sox and Bulls’ owner Jerry Reinsdorf . And it certainly hasn’t helped that it’s now perceived that Reinsdorf is said to be having cold feet as to continuing his pursual of the bid. Especially as the litigation process surrounding the Coyotes gets murkier by the minute . Much of this has gone on primarily because the franchise has been mismanaged , while onetime hockey great, Wayne Gretzky has presided over the debacle. The team is literally bankrupt, not only financially , but also in terms of their competitive being. There mightn’t be a worse ran franchise in all of professional sports . And that’d include Donald Sterling’s Los Angeles Clippers .

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks with the press prior to the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins . picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Jim McIsaac ......................

Much of this has come from the franchise’s eagerness to rid itself of its debts, incurred in operating in the middle of nowhere. Whoever felt, that it was a good idea to have a franchise in Phoenix , couldn’t have done a great deal of research to begin with. And while the curiosity factor initially brought in the fans. After that initial impact , it wouldn’t have been remiss to state that was the only malaise for the Coyotes. But it clearly stems from the fact that the hierarchy of the NHL and its players have always been at an impasse when it comes to the business aspect of making the sport a truly successful entity. And even after their historical labor shutdown. It’d appear that the NHL and its players simply haven’t learnt their lesson.

Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner, Jerry Reinsdorf. He's now pursuing the purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL. But it'd also appear that he's reluctant to meet the over inflated price that the NHL and Coyotes' owners are said to be looking for. At the same time the NHL have turned down the bid put forward by RIM CEO , Jim Balsillie. Bettman as Governor of the NHL has been openly critical of Balsillie and as to his honesty and intentions with regard to the Coyotes. picture appears courtesy of afp/ Arun Jawall .................

The NHL franchises are simply back to their idiocy of paying the players exorbitantly large sums in the form of long term contracts when the revenues just aren’t simply there to justify it at all. But then again watching the NHL conduct their business is very much like watching a drunk taking a field sobriety test. They’re just bound to screw things up one way or another and then simply look to blame someone else for their problems.

Falcons' wide receiver Roddy White. The fifth year starter is holding out hoping to have his contract reneogiated whereupon he's paid in line with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. I expect the tooth fairy to be laughing at this juncture. Because not even she's of the belief that White is that good . Much less is due to paid on par of player of Fitzgerald's caliber. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Matthew Gibbons .......................

I’ve no doubt that there are some electrifying players around the NFL. Larry Fitzgerald simply springs to mind. Randy Moss and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots . Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings . But would anyone deem to put the Atlanta Falcons’ Roddy White in that particular category ? The player is obviously besides himself , if he’s off the impression that the Falcons are about to acquiesce to his demands , and pay him Fitzgerald type money. Then he’s a bigger idiot than the comedian , Carrot Top ! Roddy White has yet to make his mark within the NFL , let alone be considered one of the pre-eminent wide receivers in the NFL. But yet hear we have a fifth year starter looking to be treated like he’s veteran of the league who ought to be getting more respect than he deserves. His stats and presence are nowhere on par with that of Fitzgerald , at all.
And he’s by no means a friggin’ game changer by any stretch of the imagination !

It’s enough that the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell now has an image problem , that borders on being made comparison to that of the gangsters of the roaring twenties and thirties. We’ve got players being jailed for vehicular homicide and another even more prominent player in Michael Vick coming off federal jail term but now looking to be reinstated get by the NFL. And at the same time resume his career in football at the professional level.

Well now comes the even more arduous task facing Goodell and that of the newly designated NFLPA Executive Director in DeMaurice Smith. With the NFL about to opt of the collective bargaining agreement which expires at the end of the 2010-11 season. The negotiations will no doubt , become somehwhat contentious. The players seek a larger part of what they believe to be an even larger slice of a pie that runs into billions of dollars. And the NFL now knows that in this uncertain economic climate, many of their patrons in terms of the corporate clients may not be willing to impart with their funds the way that they once did. Furthermore, the broadcast and cable networks though they tend to make their contract agreements several years in advance. They’ll be watching with great intense scrutiny as to how everything plays out. They more than anyone else have more to lose should things go up in smoke. And at the same time the fans may well be the biggest losers of all, should an agreement not be reached between the two parties. An uncapped season could lead to ticket prices rising in order for many of the franchises recoup some of the lost revenues. But then again, what’s new ?

Giants' linebacker addresses members of the press at the Giants' training camp held on the campus of the University of Albany , Albany , New York. The player insists that he acted approriately with regard to the Plaxico Burress incident. And has stated that he'd carry out the same course of action again, without fail. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Mike Groll .......................

Plaxico Burress’ lawyer Benjamin Brafman, states that there were mitigating circumstances concerning his client’s predsiposition , with regard to him being indicted on illegal possession of a firearm and criminal neglect. Unless I’m mistaken there can be no mitigating circumstances for carrying a weapon that was unlicensed in any of the states where Burress apparently either has a home or that was his place of employment. Brafman is merely adding insult to injury by disprespecting the public and above all the integrity of the judicial system within the state of New York. But then again one merely has to look at what occured at the Latin Quarter Club in Manahattan , to realize what a complete ass Burress is to begin with ! I can only hope that the judicial system within the state of New York and in particular Manhattan makes sure that an example is made of Burress to begin with. As to Buress’ former teammate, Antonio Pierce . Who states , that he acted responsibly and would do the same thing all over again. I’ve this to say to him ” … did it not for one instance occur to you , that with Burress having a concealed weapon in a night club they were asking for trouble to begin with ” ?

Well there you have it my take on issues such as credibility within the realms of the sports arena and what I for one find completely comedic about it all. Hopefully there are one or two stories that you’ve indeed come across as of late. That’ve ended up with you asking yourself the question . Are they really that stupid ? And surely they didn’t just do that or actually want us to believe that was what they meant ?

I gladly look forward to reading your responses as to the content matter and that of your own particular sport’s stories that you found amusing.