This constant crashing or near crashing of your private party by Boise State, TCU and Utah is ugly.  You really should have put the Pac 20 together and the Big 10-50 or whatever they will be called when you had the chance.  I know you guys are all about the student athlete and care only about the fine tradition of college football.  You had this championship thing set up nicely in that only the biggest conferences could play for a National Title.  It was so sweet, all of that extra money and recognition.  You convinced everyone that those weak WAC teams and Mountain West Conference teams could not be on the same field as the real college football teams of the SEC, Pac 10 and Big 10.

Boise State beats mighty Oklahoma and most said it was a great game and Boise was lucky to beat the Sooners.  Utah beats Alabama and the tide apologists say, well, you know, Alabama really did not want to be there because there was a let down after they thought they would be in the championship game.  I cannot wait to hear the pundits crying about what may lie ahead after the Broncos beat the Hokies in their backyard.  They don’t play anyone!  They are not qualified to be in the final game.  No one would watch a game with Boise State playing for the title.  My favorite of course will be, the system is not fair!  Wha, wha, wha and ha, ha, ha.  No need for playoffs and when the system works for your conference, well everything is fine.

Non BCS teams have been on the outside looking in and maybe this year they will strike pay dirt.  Suddenly the system will not be fair.  Keep your ears open this week and listen for the cries!  Speaking of not playing anyone, VA Tech must regroup and play James Madison next week.  I knew they had a basketball team but did not realize they had a football team.

My quick run down of those weak Mountain West and WAC teams this opening weekend.  Utah beat Ptt, Fresno State beat  Cincinnati, BYU beat Pac 10 Washington, TCU beat Pac 10 Oregon State and Boise State finishes off Virginia Tech.  Speaking of the SEC how about Ole Miss getting beat by Jacksonville State.  Show me the hands of those that like me thought Jacksonsville State had to be from Florida.  Turns out they are from Alabama.  They are in the mighty Ohio Valley Conference.  Other Ohio Valley Conference winners were, Austin Peay and Tennessee State.  Southeast Missouri State did not win but they are an Ohio Valley Conference member as well.  How could an Ohio Valley Conference team even dare to step on the field with the so called Big Boys of the SEC.  I am cheering for Boise State, TCU and Fresno State this year.

Finally let me give you the California connection as I like to do in college sports.  There are 37 players on the Boise State roster that are from California.  I think that is a good reason to be a Bronco fan.  Their head coach is Chris Petersen and by all accounts he is a classy person.  He has a 50-4 record so far as the head coach and twice his team has gone undefeated.  Special note, Joe Paterno had five undefeated teams and his Penn State teams were denied three times a title because they were an independent and ” did not play anyone.”   Coach Petersen played quarterback at UC Davis and before that he played quarterback at Sacramento City College.  Austin Pettis from Orange Lutheran scored two touchdowns and Tommy Gallarda from Brea Olinda High School scored a touchdown against the Hokies.  All good reasons to cheer for the Broncos this year.

One last note on the Monday night game.  Was anyone else curious about the final Boise State drive when Pettis was hit out of bounds.  It looked like to me he was out of bounds and then kept running and the late hit came after he had already stepped out of bounds by Tech’s Bruce Taylor.  Can you have a late hit if the guy was out of bounds and the play should have been blown dead?  Just asking because that was a huge 15 yard penalty.  This season may be even better than last season.

After watching the Hall of Fame Game, it is safe to say, the season is over!  I expect there will be little argument because it was pretty clear the Dallas Cowboys will be NFL Champs this coming February or  has the season been extended to March?  The Cowboys have it all now.  Great starting talent on both sides of the ball.  They have pretty good depth and the Super Bowl in their home stadium.  They have great assistant coaches and they have a great, okay make that a good….all right they have a somewhat good head coach.

So let me know all of you in the NFC, which of you will be playing for second place?  Over in the weaker league, which of you will choose to get whipped in the Super Bowl?  Those of you that are behind the San Diego Chargers I want to remind you that Norv Turner is still your head coach.  So take it from me now and save yourself a lot of hours on Sundays, it is over.  If you insist on watching pro football anyway then help save yourself many headaches and frustration and lower your expectations.  There is only one way this season can end.  The Dallas Cowboys are the Super Bowl Champions, print the caps and shirts now!

Now I know many of you are going to quickly respond to the thought of, “Mark have you not watched March Madness or any other NCAA Championships?” YES I HAVE. But there is a word that bothers me here:  PARTNER: a person associated with another in some common activity, one of two or more persons who together own a business, a person playing on the same team as another, an ally, associate, colleague, or confederate.

People, I have worked in an industry for years who has cried about the type of association above, be it SAG, AFTRA, WGA or the DGA. For years, in the film industry, you have had producers who have also been writers, directors, actors or all of the above. When the time came to renegotiate labor agreements between management (producers) and the worker (actors, writers, directors) people have screamed conflict of interest. How can you have the board of any major union negotiate with the producers who work hand in hand with that union when you, the actor, are sitting across from the very production companies you own, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Pierce Bronson?

So, someone explain to me how the two-faced NCAA is partnered up with a major network and looks out for the best interest of ALL the colleges, not just the major ones it supposedly represents. There is no way when you are sitting across from your BUSINESS PARTNER that you play hard ball and properly represent the third party, the colleges. Maybe that is the point, maybe they help produce revenue for the colleges in general, but do they truly represent the colleges?

If they represent the colleges, then why do they not try to better protect the colleges? When the Reggie Bush incident surfaced at USC and we the public were informed about it, I cannot believe that the NCAA did not hear about it before us. If we suppose they did, then why would they not step in and TELL the UNIVERSITY, the COACHES, the PUBLIC, the PARENTS and the PLAYERS that as of this day you are on NOTICE and THIS PLAYER shall stop X, Y and Z as of today if not…then words would spell it out. The NCAA is like the doctor who makes a public statement about drinking, smoking, sugar, and fats, but when you are present ignores the fact that you may be abusing all of them, and when you DIE says “Well, we suspected this all along and now we can prove it.” How idiotic is that?

The NCAA is an entity of big business sports television and there are those who find much more glamour, attention and overall recognition in pulling down top programs rather than trying to prevent top programs from tumbling. Plus, is there not that attitude in big business to pick and choose who can win and who can lose. We have seen that in the Bowl Championship Series, the picking of the regional’s in the NCAA baseball and softball tournaments. Yes, the NCAA is nothing more than an extension of getting into bed with outside of college big businesses. Sort of like the student athlete accepting an apartment from a local businessman not really associated with the college. I guess that is why the NCAA stands for No Crud Accepted Anytime!!!

YEAH RIGHT.

The ESPN special was what I expected.  Pretty poor and it all just looked poor and badly planned.  That didn’t really bother me.  Jim Gray was there, LeBron looked nervous and there were nervous fans in Miami and Cleveland.  In Miami there was great celebration and in Cleveland there were tears and the burning of James’ jersey.  All of this will make a good book some day when all of the behind the scenes start to become known.  I have really enjoyed seeing which side certain people take.  Marcellus Wiley of ESPN said the other day that LeBron cannot be expected to take on all of Cleveland’s sports failures over the last forty years or so.  I would agree Marcellus except and this is what drives me crazy with some athletes, he did take it on.  I cannot stand it when athletes take all the money, fame and advantages but then cry when things don’t work out.  LeBron took on the nickname King.  He took the Nike contract and the advertisement spots.  He took on the ” We are all Witnesses” campaign and allowed the mural on the building.  He encouraged the hero worship with those campaigns and that pose.

Dan Gilbert’s claims that LeBron quit and was narcissistic were very entertaining to me.  Many said that Gilbert went too far, and yes he probably did.  Well for sure he did when he predicted the Cavs would win a championship before the former King would.  The odds are not in Gilbert’s favor.  There are those that say James should have called Dan and told him personally what he was going to do.  Hey these things get messy and James was just being a business man.  In his show he made it very clear that he understood this is a business.  It was obvious from Cav fan reaction that it is more than a business to them.  That is always the toughest point for fans, it is not just business for fans like it is for owners and players.  So fans boo all you want and root against James and his team as hard as you can.  Mr. Gilbert say what you want and figure out now how to keep your guarantee.  Everyone please remember not to take it overly seriously and breakups are just hard and the villain here is in the eye of the beholder.

A question that was asked was when did James know he was leaving Cleveland.  He says it was the day of his TV show.  I don’t know but he did not play that well towards the end of the Boston series and I found his exit off the court very curious.  If you have a chance to check it out he walks off the court and heads to the tunnel.  He took his jersey off and flung it overhead.  His body language looked to me like he knew he was out of Cleveland.  He may not have known where he was headed but it do not look like Cleveland was the spot.  I wonder if the King will do those pre-game shenanigans.  You remember the team picture taking pantomimes.  The baseball games and whatever else these fun loving team guys did.  Man that was just so cute and clever, hard to believe they did not win a championship.  That would be a great tradition to carry to Miami.

Did you witness the day or two after when Miami introduced the three new Kings?  That was far worse than the Decision Day.  The MC for the Heat was being overly clever and smug.  I understand he was playing to his Heat fan base much like a politician playing to their party base.  LeBron said he came there not to win just one championship, not just two…no he stopped at seven.  Wade said he felt sorry for the guys that were going to have to guard them.  He also said something about the three best players to ever play on one team.  There were even Beat LA chants at that rally.  So these three guys yucked it up for the crowd and the camera.  They stopped short of predicting an undefeated season.

Finally what can we draw from this.  First thing is, LeBron thought he would have multiple rings at this point in his career.  Second thing is, he looked at his team and thought he could maybe win one title with those guys if he were lucky.  I wonder if he had some deep talks with Kevin Garnett?  Remember Kevin was loyal to the Wolves and it never happened.  LeBron had to be fearful of repeating that story.  It is obvious that he did not think he could win with Bosh alone.  It is obvious that Wade did not think Riley could put guys in place along side him to win either.  He did not think he could win with Bosh alone either.  So these three did the best they could to put the odds way, way in their favor.

We have all been in pickup games where guys do the old, okay it is us five over here against you five over there.  You know what I mean.  The five best against the five worst.  Vegas has made them the favorites and on paper you have to give it to the Heat they should win multiple titles.  But here is hoping they don’t.  I for one will be rooting against them, nothing personal you three Kings, just business.  No you guys did nothing wrong and I don’t blame you for it.  Count me in the business of hoping it does not quite work out they way you three Kings think it will.

LeBron James is gone.  The King has left his castle.  I never thought he would leave you, his beloved city, but don’t hate the man.  Everyone has to leave home sometime.  When you have a treasured possession you have to do what you can to take care of it.  Quite frankly Cleveland, you did not.  You didn’t treat the King the way he needed to be treated.  Mr. James said it best during his made-for-TV special: “you become a superstar individually, but you become a champion as a team.”  Individually, LBJ did all he could for you.  Afterall, it was his hometown too.  But what kind of team did you supply him with?  Even the great Michael Jordan played with another superstar in Scottie Pippen.  Which superstar did you get to co-star with Mr. James?  Don’t worry I’ll wait ….

A past-his-prime Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t count. Mo Williams and his disappearing acts get the boot as well.  I’m sorry but Anderson Varejao, Daniel “Boobie” Gibson, and Anthony Parker don’t quite fit the bill.

Dan Gilbert, calm down why don’t you.  Don’t compound things buy calling LBJ’s acts “narcissistic” and “self-promotional.”  Afterall, he did raise over $500K for charity and scholarships for underprivileged kids.  It can be said the midseason acquisition of Antawn Jamison was absurd and preposterous.  Did anyone really think that was a good move?  Did anyone really think that would be enough to keep the King happy?  Sure, the Cavaliers had the best record int NBA during the last two REGULAR SEASONS.  The playoffs, however, are a different ballgame.  Just ask the Phoenix Suns teams that failed to reach the Finals or the Mavericks from ‘07.  You can’t fault the guy for wanting to win.  James gave you every opportunity to put a winner around him and you didn’t. 

So, Cleveland, while you’re out wiping your tears, burning his jersey, and labeling him Art Modell II, don’t forget about the good he did.  James made basketball in Cleveland relevant for something other than “The Shot.”  While he regrets he didn’t bring you a championship, he did manage to make it to the Finals once, which was nothing short of a miracle when you consider the team he had around him.  After it was all said and done he even injected millions into your economy.  It’s ok to be hurt, but time heals wounds Cleveland.  Long Live the King!

You can say what you want, but James has built a brand that rivals that of Michael Jordan.  The top story in the world of  sports this summer has been anything dealing with LeBron James and his free agency.  In a time where NBA free agency is not supposed to be able to compete with the World Cup, King James has ruled the airwaves.  Tuesday he opened a twitter account.  In the first 24 hours, he accumulated over 208,000 followers, despite having just one tweet.  He’s made “The Most Interesting Man In The World” look like a mere mortal.  You know the bearded guy in those ads.  Everyone wants to know the answer to one question: “Where is LeBron going to go.”

I think the serious candidates are Cleveland, New York, and New Jersey.  The Nets have thrown everything at James, including off the court endorsements such as a clothing line and a fragrance line.  On the court, I don’t think teaming up with Brook Lopez and Devin Harris are enough to entice James.  It would have to include a sign and trade with Chris Bosh, which doesn’t seem likely because he appears headed to Miami with Dwyane Wade.  New York is in the mix.  LeBron has always been intrigued by the big stage and bright lights NYC has to offer.  What NYC also has to offer is the possibility to go out and get another big name next off-season.  Such as a Carmelo Anthony or Tony Parker.  The newest Knick, Amare Stoudemire, has said he will do what he can to recruit LeBron.

There’s been talk about a super team with Bosh, James, and Wade all teaming up to play together.  The only two possible destinations for this are Chicago and Miami.  I don’t see James heading to South Beach to become the second fiddle and joining Wade’s team.  The Bulls seem unlikely, to me, as well.  Can you imagine being LeBron James and every time you go work, you have to pass by “His Airness’” statue to get into the building?  James respects MJ for all he’s done, but I don’t think he would want to immerse himself into that shadow. 

I believe once the smoke clears, after all this talk, and all the speculation, all the ads are sold, and the announcement is made, LeBron will end up back in Cleveland.  Had the Cavs won an NBA Title, I believe James would have been more willing to leave.  But I believe he really wants to win in Cleveland.  Combine that with the fact that no team can pay him more than the Cavs.  Although I don’t think he’ll sign a max deal, I think he’ll take a 2-3 year deal from his hometown team.  They have a new coach in Byron Scott, who won championships as a player, made a Finals appearance as a coach, and is a no-nonsense kind of guy: all things James wanted in a head coach. 

We shall see.  I’m sure we’ll all be tuned in.

First though I would like to toss out some thoughts for consumption.  What if Kobe Bryant was doing all the things that LeBron is doing now?  Would the coverage be totally different?  I think it would.  Bryant is a polarizing figure much like Brett Favre is and those two would be blasted for this.  LeBron has been able to skate through for the most part.  Let me be clear.  I like LeBron and I do not blame him for working the system.  I do not know him but he carries himself well and seems like a likable guy. 

Ah, I guess that is the difference.  We like to think we are people that live by principles and guidelines.  What it really comes down to is if we like someone.  If we like someone or he plays for our team.  Like hating Danny Ainge as a player on the other team but loving him if he is on our team.

I say if Kobe were acting like and doing the things James is he would be killed.  If Kobe’s nickname were ” King”  you would hear derision.  Oh, that Kobe is so arrogant he calls himself King.  I have hardly heard a peep in regards to James.  The Cavs fired their head coach and general manager after they were favored to win the title and failed.  If that happened with Kobe, the Sports Center question every day would be, ” Did Kobe get his coach and GM fired.”  There would be outrage about how a spoiled and loser Kobe pushed ownership and threatened to leave if there weren’t changes.  I have heard no one suggest that maybe LeBron pushed those guys out.

If Kobe were traveling all over the country and courting different teams you know the screams would be that he is selfish, disloyal to his city and his teammates.  Danny Ferry went after every guy that LeBron said I need this guy and they still did not win.  The Cavs had the best record in the regular season the past two years and fell when favored in the playoffs.  If Kobe did this you would hear things like he is blaming his teammates for his failure.  I have not heard that coming from anyone.  The only guy that criticizes LeBron is Skip Bayless and I think Skip is way out of bounds.  Why though does James get a pass.  Can you imagine if it were Kobe saying he would like to hook up with Wade in Miami?  It would be all over the place that Kobe knows he can’t win by himself  and he is not a leader and all of the other garbage.  Not a peep is said about LeBron, it is just where is he going?

So you see, it is if you like a guy not what principles you claim you have.  Kobe is not that likable and LeBron is.  Therefore he is covered differently, just like Magic used to be covered differently and heavens knows Michael Jordan was covered differently.  He still is today.

Brett Favre takes his time deciding whether to retire and he gets ripped all over.  I actually heard people on ESPN say they were tired of talking about Favre.  I have not heard anyone saying they were tired of talking about LeBron.  Favre is criticized for being a media sponge (nicer word than what I have actually heard) and yet I have not seen anything directed towards James.  They were talking about where James might wind up more than the NBA Finals.  What if Kobe where hanging out with Jay Z?  It would be said that he was not dedicated to winning and had to many outside issues like they said about Shaq.  I have not heard any of this directed towards LeBron.  My question is why?  Why if certain behaviors are demonstrated by one athlete and then you see those same behaviors in another, why different coverage?  I can only come up with, that one player is well liked and the other one is not.  Is there something I am missing?  I think not?  Am I wrong?

If LeBron does go to Miami then I have some advice for coach Eric Spoelstra.  You need to practice your speech about needing to spend time with your family.  Since you are not married you need to say you need to spend time with your future wife so you can prepare to spend some time with your future family.  Come up with something creative because I am thinking you will not be the head coach any more.  I see the old great one coming back in Pat Riley.  He would be a good coach for LeBron as he seems to be beyond criticism as well.  You know they say Riley is a winner and he moves around a lot on the sidelines.  I know he likes to coach when he has the players especially a player like LeBron.

Big free agent dollars were unheard of in the NFL until White moved from the Eagles to the Packers in 1993.  The Vikings were relentless, but they probably didn’t have to fight too hard considering Favre’s thirst for revenge.  Prime Time left Atlanta after six seasons and had one of the best seasons in NFL history in his one year in San Francisco in 2004.  It was another example of a star player taking advantage of a huge year and a thirsty owner. Haynesworth

Who cares?  The team was named after his dad. There’s no way Junior could leave DEI.  After back-to-back titles with the Benetton team in 1994 and 1995, Schumacher defected to Ferrari for a two-year, $50-million deal.  Come one who really cares?  In 2001, it was the richest deal to which the Sox ever signed a player. Three years into it, the team placed him on waivers and would have sold him for a few packs of Upper Deck cards. Instead, he stayed in Boston and got two titles before officially wearing out his welcome in 2008.

Back before Barry was Barry, he was a quality hitter with an incredible eye and decent power. The Pirates were beyond him by 1993. The Giants swooped in with a then-record six-year, $43.75-million deal. He helped keep the team in San Francisco and build a new ballpark. So it would seem the money was worth it.  The five-year, $2.9-million deal in 1977 was revolutionary money at the
beginning of free agency. Of course, once Reggie became Mr. October in the Bronx, no one was hemming or hawing.  Giambi was an icon with the A’s from 1995 to 2001, as he won the MVP in 2000.  Steroids, injuries, and ineffectiveness plagued him in the Bronx. When he finally left, the Yanks won another title in 2009. But for seven years and $120 million, would you have turned down the money? I’m just saying.

Blasphemy. Garvey was Mr. Los Angeles. So when he took his Gold Glove and can’t-miss-a-pitch bat 120 miles down the freeway to San Diego, it killed Dodgers fans. How could Charlie Hustle ever leave the Reds?  And of course those who really care make free agency the most important aspect of their sport:

He is easily the most talked about and most coveted free agent in the league’s history. A player seemingly at the height of his skill, fame, and marketability is up for grabs. The signing could change the complexion and the balance of power in the NBA for the next decade.  By 1996, Shaq had become more than just a basketball player. He was a multi-faceted marketing machine that craved both a title and a spotlight big enough to hold him. The Lakers offered the perfect combination. It wasn’t until Phil Jackson was hired in 1999 that the $121-million deal paid off with an NBA title.

Tim Duncan literally saved the San Antonio Spurs when the Celtics lost the lottery. He became Mr. Alamo, so the idea of him leaving town was seen as a long shot.

Yes, LeBron James’s free agency is that big. And for many sports fans that have been touched by the players that have left their teams, free agency has made them moan, groan, cheer, or sneer at where players have gone. Yes, it has changed sports, because as a fan, there are players that have been hated because of the colors and logos that they have worn. But as soon as they become part of your team, they are suddenly transformed into beloved member of your family.

SO WHO CARES?? If your team wins it all or bites the bullet, you don’t. As for the rest of us WE DO NOT CARE.