Winter Classic Cancelled

The NHL continues to slowly kill itself. They've cancelled the biggest single TV event on the NHL calendar. The Winter Classic was one of the things that helped the NHL rebound from the previous Lockout, and now it's been cancelled by a League determined to destroy itself and the game.

Over 100,000 were going to attend the 2013 Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, filling Michigan's Big House with rabid hockey fans supporting the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. Two Original 6 teams, two of the most storied franchises in the sport. The game was to be in a state and nearby city that have remained loyal to the game for decades.

And now they've been screwed because the NHL wants to keep teams in Florida and Arizona. And because owners of teams like the Maple Leafs don't want to share revenue with those teams.

The 2013 Winter Classic would have been part of a larger revitalization of Detroit sports that's been happening for several years now. The Detroit Tigers are very good, the Lions are no longer the joke they once were. The NHL could have been a part of that. Opportunity lost.

Furthermore, Michigan is a hockey hotbed. And not just the Red Wings. There's an AHL team in Michigan, an ECHL team, 7 Division-I college teams (that's about 1/8 of the country's total), even a pair of junior teams in the Ontario Hockey League. It's a state that loves hockey, and hockey has screwed them. Some of those teams would have played at Comerica Park in Detroit. This Winter Classic would have involved two venues, two outdoor rinks, a bevy of games, a multitude of events, and an entire state's attention. Opportunity lost.

It's just sad. This lockout is killing the game, not just the League. People and places once interested in the game are finding other things to do and to watch.

Michigan will likely "be awarded" the 2014 Winter Classic, but do you think they'll be as excited, as enthused about it? Why would they be? Why should they be?

Imagine if this had happened to Boston, and how we'd treat the next year's Classic.

And what if you're a city and considering hosting a Winter Classic the year an NHL CBA expires. What city would want to sign that deal? Winter Classic 2014: Grand Forks, North Dakota.

I'm tired of the NHL, and I hope this Lockout either destroys the League or brings about dramatic, sweeping changes. Jeremy Jacobs needs to be visited by three ghosts Ebeneezer Scrooge style, Gary Bettman needs a lobotomy, and hockey needs to be banned in Florida and Arizona, thus forcing the collapse of failing NHL franchises.

Red Sox Pay Big Bucks to Keep Big Papi

The Red Sox and David Ortiz agreed to a 2 year deal worth $26 million. With incentives, it could be worth $30 million.

Did the Red Sox have to pay so much? What is David Ortiz's actual value? He turns 37 in a few weeks, he missed over 70 games last year, he can't play the field, can't be signed by an NL team. Was he going to get that much on the open market?

There were rumors that the Texas Rangers had interest, and that would make sense. I just don't like assigning $26 million to a player who could very likely only play 200 games these next 2 seasons. Perhaps even fewer than that.

It's not a gross overpayment. However, I am extremely paranoid about the Red Sox possibly signing someone for PR reasons more than on-field reasons.

Think about it. "Sources" leaked to the media that the team and Ortiz were close to a deal. The fans then voiced their opinions and the general attitude was that they wanted Ortiz back. Hours later, the Sox sign Ortiz. Leak, then fan reaction, then personnel decision.

These events might not have caused each other. But this is the Red Sox, and they have cash to spend. Theo Epstein's "Monster" did the same thing a few years ago: spend because they could, not because they should.

People seem happy, though. Red Sox mouthpiece Peter Abraham was especially optimistic. My favorite argument in support of Ortiz is this:

"Ortiz also adds an intangible element that the Red Sox valued. He is a clubhouse leader, active in the community, and brings consistency to what has been a team in chaos for a year."

Do you really want to be called a leader of one of the most dysfunctional and despicable clubhouses in modern sports history? Isn't that like being CEO of Enron or Captain of the Titanic? Is that something to be praised?

Jen Slothawer from NESN.com wrote an even more absurd piece praising Ortiz:

"On Friday, the Red Sox weren't re-signing a designated hitter, a 36-year-old slugger or a cleanup man. They were taking care of the heart of their franchise -- the one player who links past success to future hope, who carried the team through its worst season in recent memory, and whose leadership and spirit are far beyond anything this team could hope to buy with its millions in new spending money."

Ortiz is not a leader. We learned that fact in 2011 as he kept his distance from the turmoil and worried about his hits being scored as errors. I really don't know what to say about Ortiz's "spirit" and "consistency" but those things didn't seem to affect the Sox in September of 2011 or all of 2012. These are not assets worth millions of dollars. They're childish concepts bandied about by sportswriters who can't use logic to justify their support of a personnel decision, and therefore resort to sentimentalism.

Both Abraham and Slowather point out that the Sox have money to spend. But as Ian Malcolm argues in Jurassic Park, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

In plain, factual, adult terms: the Sox spent $26 million on a 37 year old DH who can't play defense and missed almost half the 2011 season with an injury that took forever to heal. If this wasn't someone Red Sox fans knew and already loved, they'd be pissed and perplexed. But it's Big Papi, so smiles all around.

And Ortiz is smiling too. He finally got that respect he's so vocally yearned for. Unfortunately, he plays his best when he feels disrespected.

BC Football to Play Ohio State

Silver helmets against gold. Maybe we can call this the Precious Metal Bowl? Yukon Cornelius can't decide which helmet he prefers. Though he seems to favor silver.

Boston College and Ohio State have agreed to play a home-and-home series in 2020 and 2021. The Buckeyes would host the Eagles on September 19, 2020. And Ohio State would come to Boston on September 18, 2021.

I'm sure new BC Athletic Director Brad Bates already knew Ohio State AD Gene Smith from Bates's days as the Miami (Ohio) AD. Miami played Ohio State in 2005 and 2012. This previous relationship might have helped get this deal done, or at least start the conversation.

This being a home-and-home series is great news for BC. Not every team is able to lure BCS powerhouses out of their lairs for non-conference games. And games like this one, and the series with USC (who will host BC in 2013, and come to BC in 2014), help entice recruits.

Hopefully by 2020 BC will have a team capable of keeping up with Ohio State.

David Ortiz and Cody Ross Likely to Hit Open Market

Both David Ortiz and Cody Ross are going to test the waters of free agency. The exclusive negotiating period ends at midnight tonight (which is technically midnight tomorrow morning).

Ortiz wants a 2 year deal worth $25 million. Sources say (leaks from the Red Sox say) that the Sox are willing to give him a 2 year deal and aren't too far off on the money. But that's subjective isn't it? They might think $1 million a season isn't far off, but that's a decent chunk of cash.

There are rumors that the Texas Rangers are interested in Ortiz.

I don't think the Sox should get into a bidding war over a 37 year old DH who can't play the field and takes a long time to recover from injuries. $12.5 million isn't much for Ortiz in 2013, but it could be a burdensome amount in 2014.

I like Cody Ross, but let's keep his value in perspective. He's a career .262 hitter with a .324 OBP and .460 SLG. Last year he had decent power with 22 homeruns and 34 doubles. And that's about his ceiling. For the $3 million the Sox paid him in 2012, he was a bargain. But he's not worth a long-term, expensive deal.

Ross is smart to test free agency. There will be teams interested. He's 31 years old so this might be his last chance to sign a long-term, big money deal.

Ignorant College Football Picks*

Be advised, this post includes pictures of young, scantily clad ladies showing school pride. This might not be safe for work.

My picks last week were an abysmal 6-13, dropping my overall record below .500 (46-48-1). Here are my picks for this week's game:

Washington +4 @ California
Washington has a better record.

Minnesota +12 vs. Michigan
Gophers at home, with a good sized spread, why not?

Florida -17 vs. Missouri
Mizzou only has 1 SEC win.

Mississippi State +7 vs. Texas A&M
Game is in Mississippi. Advantage Bulldogs.

Georgia Tech -8 @ Maryland
No faith in Maryland's QB.

NC State -10.5 vs. Virginia
UVA, once again, is rubbish.

Stanford -28 @ Colorado
The Buffaloes might be one of the worst teams in the FBS.

West Virginia -5.5 vs. TCU
Pair of Big XII newcomers in Morgantown, I'll take the Mountaineers.

Wake Forest -3 vs. Boston College
BC is dreadfully bad.

Nebraska -1.5 @ Michigan State
Slim spread.

Purdue +3.5 vs. Penn State
More scandals for PSU, more distractions.

Northern Illinois -34.5 vs. UMass
The NIU Huskies are 8-1, and UMass are 0-8.

Texas +7 @ Texas Tech
Always believe in the Longhorns over the Red Raiders.

Pitt +17 @ Notre Dame
One of these weeks my anti-ND picks will work out.

Clemson -12.5 @ Duke
Tigers are good.

USC +8.5 vs. Oregon
Should be a fun game to watch.

UConn +8 @ South Florida
UConn needs to win if they want to make a bowl game.

Kansas State -8 vs. Oklahoma State
Can't not pick K-State.

LSU +8.5 vs. Alabama
I think Bama wins, but by a small margin, so LSU covers.

Patriots Trade for Aqib Talib

It's rare that NFL teams make much noise at the trade deadline, so even a whisper can seem deafening. Aqib Talib is a solid cornerback, who will become the top CB on the depth chart once he's able to play. He's currently serving a suspension for taking adderall without a prescription. He can return on the 18th.

Talib's status as the Patriots' #1 CB is more of a statement about the current stable of defensive backs as opposed to Talib's prowess at the position. Although when he stays out of trouble, Talib is a decent coverage corner. And the Patriots haven't had one of those for a few years.

It will be nice to have a smart CB for once. Someone who doesn't find themselves out of position. Someone who knows to turn their head when the ball is coming, in order to avoid PI penalties.

The Patriots gave up a 4th round pick for Talib, and received a 7th round selection.

Talib might not get the defense, as simple as it is. One never knows. And he could be charged with aggravated assault again. But to me this is low risk, medium-to-high reward. He can be a solid coverage corner, and Alfonzo Dennard is looking good. Devin McCourty can be shifted to safety.

He's a serious player in a defensive backfield full of jokes.

And if you're feeling depressed, just yell out "AQIB TALIB!" and you'll feel better. Trust me.

Just a Coincidence or Buffalo's Bad Luck?

The Patriots have a week off after returning from London. Their bye week falls right between the first 8 and last 8 games on their schedule. That's good fortune.

Good fortune is something those in Buffalo know little about. Especially when it comes to scheduling. Because for some reason, after the Patriots have their bye week, they very often face the Bills. Who will come to Gillette Stadium a week from Sunday.

In the 13 years Bill Belichick has been the head coach in New England, the Bills have been the post-bye-week opponent 6 times. In that same span of time, no other team has faced the Patriots after their bye more than once. And as far as the other AFC East teams go, the Dolphins were the opponent in 2009. The Patriots have not faced the Jets after a bye since Belichick has been here.

It's just bad luck for Buffalo.

The Patriots under Belichick are 9-3 after their bye, 9-2 since the Super Bowl year in 2001. It makes sense. An extra week to rest, more time to prepare for an opponent, more time away from the grind of practice and preparation.

So the poor Bills, who are 12.5% of the Patriots schedule every year are 46.2% of their bye week opponents. The poor Bills get to face a rested Patriots team that's had 2 weeks of film study and practice.

Life isn't fair, is it?

Meanwhile, in the NHL

Just some token news and lack of good news from the NHL. Rumor has it that if the League and NHLPA can't agree to a CBA by Thursday, the Winter Classic will be cancelled. At the very least, HBO's 24/7, which is a nice little promotional tool for the NHL, won't be made leading up to the Classic.

In suburban Chicago, 12,000 fans gathered to watch a team comprised of Blackhawk players compete against a team of NHLers from other teams, including Jordan Staal and Bobby Ryan. Patrick Kane scored 5 goals for the Blackhawks team, but they lost 16-15 in a shootout. Proceeds from the game went to charity.

A group of Montreal Canadiens are fighting the lockout in a Quebec court. I don't know much about the case, or the Canadian legal system, nor do I care to learn. It's just a shame that we're seeing the abbreviation "vs." used in a court-room setting and not to describe an actual game.

Philadelphia Flyer Wayne Simmonds, who is black, was the target of racial chants when the Czech team he plays for faced the Chomutov Pirates. People don't realize how racist some Europeans are. Simmonds had a banana thrown at him in London, Ontario last year. People don't realize how racist some Canadians are.

And Tim Thomas sits in Colorado and smiles at all of this.