Fire from the Hip: Thoughts on Sports & Real Life

So, I think it is understood by the general populace of this country that late Sunday afternoons are all together depressing. Watching the sunset conclude an all too short weekend, thoughts turn toward the work week. But musn't we also reflect on the doings of the weekend in sports?

• First, did anyone, anyone at all, see the roughing the passer call made in the Panthers/Browns game during the second quarter on Jake Delhomme? Alvin McKinley grazed Delhomme's helmet with his outstretched hand, incurring the most horrendous personal foul I have ever witnessed. Sickening.

• The Lions utterly collapsed in the fourth quarter this afternoon in the Metrodome, surrendering twenty-three unanswered points to the Vikings in another devastating loss. I would have looked really intelligent if they had managed to hold on.

• I have been meaning to write a column about why Albert Pujols is my National League Most Valuable Player hands down. I haven't gotten around to it and probably won't. If anybody is moved to debate Ryan Howard, I'll write my article because the vote will be extremely close as both players are very deserving.

• I suppose I will produce a piece about the American League MVP because that is a heated topic with many realistic possibilities: Derek Jeter, Justin Morneau, Johan Santana, Jermaine Dye, David Ortiz, Grady Sizemore, etc... No, but seriously, Sizemore will get a couple of votes, I guarantee it.

• Well, once again, another successful postseason for American League baseball fans, living outside of New York. Rarely one to defend a Yankee, I do however think Alex Rodriguez is receiving way too much criticism for his postseason failures. Also, the firing of Joe Torre by George Steinbrenner would be a ludicrous knee-jerk reaction that would do very little to improve this team. Maybe, New York should try producing some homegrown pitching prospects instead of buying overpriced, over-the-hill starting pitchers. By the way, their lineup isn't even as good as any of those of the mid to late nineties Indians. I can't pick one so I will take the 1995, '97, or 2000 Indians lineup over the current Yankees. Now, that ought to raise some eyebrows.

• In my column earlier, I said that the Lions and the Raiders were the only two winless teams in the NFL. I was mistaken. The Titans are also without a win, despite a superb effort today in Indianapolis.

• Final thoughts: I thought the Browns special teams today proved that they are the best unit in the league. Dave Zastudil, the punter, kicked the ball tremendously today in windy conditions; Dawson was successful on four field goals; the returners, Joshua Cribbs and Dennis Northcutt, are showing teams around the league that they are a threat to break one each time they touch the ball. A pleasant surprise. The defense also surprised me, keeping the Panthers passing attack in check, and more impressively: holding the Panthers without a third down conversion. Despite my rosy picture, we did in fact lose.

• Ohh, I almost forgot. An Associated Press writer used the word genuflect in his recap of the Browns/Panthers contest today, making it good enough to be the word of the day. I thought it might be just a little bit beyond his audience. He used the term to describe Keyshawn Johnson's reaction when Julius Pepper was introduced. It means "to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship."