Now THAT'S Egg On Your Face

Gary. Gary, Gary, Gary (shaking my head). 

The Coyotes have been losing money at an alarming rate, and each year you've insisted that the team can operate successfully in Glendale. 

Now, with Uncle Jim trying to move the team North, you say the relocation fee would bee close to $200 Million? 

So, if you're keeping score at home, that's minus $200 Million to operate in Phoenix, plus $200 Million upfront to operate in Canada. 

So he's basically admitted (again) the team would be far better off in Canada, and yet he so dearly clings to keeping the southwest expansion alive. It took Uncle Jim forcing him into a corner to admit another Canadian team would succeed. 

How long can Bettman keep up the charade? I don't know many CEO's or COO's that would openly admit to their board of governers that they know a way the business could make more money, but he just feels like trying to make it work where he's losing money hand over fist. 

How long will the owners continue to back Bettman when he's costing them money? Remember, the NHL owners work under the profit sharing system; a team in Hamilton would do well for all the struggling owners out there as well. 

PRACTICE...We Talkin About PRACTICE

By now I am sure you have seen Brandon Marshall's decidedly non "all business" approach to practice (if you haven't here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jWm1lak8NQ ) which led to his recent suspension from the Denver Broncos.
 
In a stunningly childish spectacle Marshall refuses to run, purposely punts the ball away from the ball boys and drops passes thrown to him instead of catching them. Perhaps he thought it was opposite day.  
 
Either way, Marshall's actions are the result of his unhappiness with his contract situation which has led to his request to be traded.  Ironically, I have no problem with him asking to be traded.  I don't have a problem with anyone asking to be traded, as long as you do it in a professional manner and continue to function as a good teammate in the meantime.  That clearly isn't happening here and as such I have a bit of a beef.
 
The real problem I have here is the lack of respect Marshall shows to everyone associated with the Denver organization and basically football in general.  By showing up to practice and deliberatly creating a disturbance he disrespects the team's management (probably intentional), head coach Josh McDaniels (definitely intentional) and most of all his soon to be former Denver teammates (probably not intentional).  That last group is the one that gets me the most.  No Bronco players have spoken out against Marshall.  If anything they would probably have supported his quest to get a new contract. And yet his little charade at practice might as well have been a saliva shot to the face of everyone wearing the orange and blue.  His actions say: "Your practice time is less important than me and my quest for personal attention."  Is this someone you'd want on your team?
 
Make no mistake, Marshall is an outstanding player.  Some people might say he is a star acting like a star.  However that wasn't always the case.  There was a time when Marshall was a 4th round draft pick out of little known UCF who probably attacked training camp drills with the ferocity of a starved white tiger in an effort to secure an NFL roster spot.  Now he has a job, which he cleary has taken for granted, while a new group of Bronco receivers are in camp maxing out on every drill just hoping to make the practice squad.  It is these players that Marshall disrespects the most.  Think about how they must view him.  Here is a man that doesn't want to be there, is TRYING to cause problems and practicing with the fervor of a man walking to the front door to fetch a Sunday newspaper.  Yet he is assured an NFL roster spot and most of these undrafted free agents or late round picks likely will never have one.  Marshall may as well have said to them, "Look!  I don't even need to try and I've got a job in the league!"  He has the gift of talent and knows it.  It's too bad he can't remember where he came from.
 
In the end Marshall will get his wish.  He will be traded and will probably post exemplary statistics once again.  But ask yourself this.  Would you want him on your team?  Do you want stats or substance?  Name value or character?  I know if I was a GM and someone gave me a Brandon Marshall, I'd punt it away and let the ball boy go get it.  

The Hunter Becomes The Hunted

Shock of all shocks, little-known Y.E. Yang not only held off Tiger, he overcame him on Sunday at the PGA Championship. 

Woods, as it has been well-documented, had never lost when holding a 54-hole lead in a major. 

I suppose there is a first for everything, but have we ever seen Tiger that befuddled? He couldn't find a shot, never looked comfortable, and every time you thought to yourself, "he'll get it done, he'll make this," a funny thing happened; he didn't. 

Y.E. Yang becomes the first Asian-born player to win a major, and more importantly, exposed a side of Tiger we've never seen. The one man that everyone thought would never lose, the best player in the world, took a 2-stroke lead into the final round, and lost by 3 shots. 

Does this change golf? Does Tiger's vaunted mental toughness, always celebrated by his peers, take a hit? Y.E. Yang clearly believed he could win, and now, do the others players on Tour follow through?

Ozzie Guillen Is All Business

After the Cleveland Indians plunked three different White Sox batters, Ozzie issued the following decree: 

"I know for a fact they're not throwing at nobody, but enough is enough. I have Konerko bruised all over the place. Around the league, be careful because we're going to hit people. I don't care if I get suspended because I need to protect my players."

Fair enough, you say. He acknowledges that they weren't throwing at his team, but he's upset.  You can't blame Ozzie for being upset about Konerko's bruises. That's his job, to worry about Paulie's bruises. 

But Ozzie, at the height of his Don Corleone retaliation rant, also let the world know what happens if you do throw at his Sox on purpose: 

"If I see someone hit my player, and I know they hit him on purpose, it's two guys going down," Guillen said. "I don't care if I get suspended. I rather have me suspended for two games than have my players on the DL for 30 days."

Congratulations Ozzie, you are officially ALL BUSINESS. 

Do You Believe This Man?

One of the things I love about sports is great leadership. When one man does anything and everything in his power to will his team to victory. The great leader is a gladiator, the man who can stare adversity in the face and not give an inch. 

As of the last time we saw Vince Young on the football field, he is not that man. 

But if you ask Vince Young, he'll tell you he's that man. In fact, he'll go further:

 

"I don't knowwhen I'll start again. But I will be the next black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. And I will be in the Hall of Fame."

Dave thinks Vince is laying the groundwork for a fabulous comeback; I think a man in Vince Young's situation has got a lot to prove before he goes around shooting his mouth off. 

After all, once you've taken care of business, you can say whatever you want. Until then, it's just noise and air.