I must admit, I love when a piece I write generates a lot of comments. The Pitt/Penn State debate and 55 Things That Annoy Me About Sports are two recent examples. I think collectively, the audience of Mondesi's House has a very high sports IQ.
With that in mind, I'd like to try something new. As much as you read for what I say, I read for what you say. And I've always thought of Mondesi's House as somewhat of a talk-show format in blog form. So today, I turn the keys over to you. The inmates will run the asylum. I'm going to introduce a few hot topics and give you my two cents, and I'm hoping to get yours as well.
Welcome to The Mondesi Show!
Today's topics to stir the pot:
1. The New York Giants. Everyone is talking about them after the Strahan meltdown. I always thought they had a dangerous mix of chemistry, at least for a team with Eli Manning running the show. I've seen junior high QBs with more poise. At this point, not only is this experiment blowing up, the lab is burning down. I don't think the majority of Giants have ever bought into Tom Coughlin's philosophies. I think there is a tremendous amount of players with their own agendas, not buying into the team philosophy. When you mix in a ton of injuries and players who are healthy dogging it like they have in the past (Plex, I'm looking at you), I'm not surprised at their tailspin of late. Obviously, this team is better off than the Steelers, because at least they're still in the race. But what do you think about this daily soap opera of me-first malcontents?
2. John LeClair and Andre Roy placed on waivers. These are two more examples of how far Craig Patrick had fallen in his final year. Ryan Malone, "The Midnight Mayor of the South Side" (Mark Madden's brilliant nickname), is due back soon. So unless he breaks his arm again, someone has to go. Any thoughts on Pens roster moves?
3. Is this the year Pitt takes the next step in the NCAAs? With their team hovering in the top five, expectations are high for the Panthers. After Aaron Gray pummeled Bobby Mo for 21 and 15 on Wednesday, Pitt moved to an early 7-0. What is your gut---do the Panthers get past the Sweet 16, or will this be another year of disappointment?
4. Michael Vick. Vick grabbed a lot of attention this week for a one-fingered salute to the loyal dopes who still think he'll be great in the future. I don't think that day will ever happen. Yes, he'll always be exciting, but excitement alone doesn't win Lombardi Trophies. There's a strong contingent of footballers in the know who believe Matt Schaub would be a better choice at QB. Do you think Vick will ever will a championship in his career?
5. The Buccos. What are your expectations of the 2007 squad? Any suggestions for Dave Littlefield outside of jumping off the Clemente Bridge?
6. Wild Card. No, I'm not talking about the Steelers chances. Although you can if you want to. Feel free to open up a discussion on any topic on your mind.
7. The BCS. Do you think Michigan deserves a rematch, or would you be content watching a team that lost to Oregon State in their place?
30 comments:
as far as the pens go, there's been rumors about markus naslund coming back.
we mentioned it on the pensblog.
when does that backup QB for Atlanta get a crack at free agency?
1. The G-Men won't win until they hire a new coach. Coughlin is a train wreck. His message gets old very quickly and the players eventually revolt. See the last 3 weeks.
2. John LeClair - once a Flyer, always a Flyer.
3. PITT wins it all this year. I've already booked my trip to Atlanta.
4. Remember when Michael Vick "passed" his way to victories over the Steelers and Bengals in late October? In response to a question about defenses inviting the Falcons to beat them with the pass, Vick responded, "You might git what you aks fo." OK, coach-killer.
5. The Buccos will be Succos in 2007. I want the record. 3 more losing seasons gives us 17 in a row. I'm sure someone will make t-shirts. I'm sure I'll buy one.
6. One of my fondest Wild Card memories is from the 1991 AFC Wild Card game between the Houston Oilers and NY Jets. Jets D-Coordinator Pete Carroll made a choking gesture with his hands following a Warren Moon interception late in the game. Fittingly, the Oilers rallied for the win. I may be the only person who remembers this. Please tell me I'm not alone.
7. Michigan deserves a second shot at The Ohio State Penitentiary. Of course, if they get that 2nd chance and they win, we'll need a 3rd game to break the tie.
Damn that BCS.
Adam, You Are Under Arrest!
This is a fantastic idea! Hopefully, this becomes a regular feature. Anyway, here are some thoughts...
1. The Giants...wow. They couldn't do anything about the injuries, and any team in that spot was bound to take a step back. You can gauge the level of tension in the locker room by the fact that you have some players calling out other players, and other players calling out the coaches. Strahan's tirade was ridiculous. If you call someone out and then act surprised that the media asks you about it the next day, you're a bigger moron than I thought.
Coughlin's "Gunnery Sgt. Hartman" act seems to fail at this level - maybe it works with college kids, Tom, but not with egomaniacal pros. I don't think he's back next year.
Thanks to a 6-2 start, they're in better position than the Steelers but I'd rather be in the Steelers' shoes coming back next year. Manning has not progressed as a QB to this point over last season, and he looks overwhelmed (apparently, the "Manning Face" isn't just restricted to Peyton).
2. John Leclair and Andre Roy - Good guys both (Roy moreso than Leclair), but this spotlights the lunacy that was Craig Patrick last year. Roy just didn't bring enough to the table to justify playing him in front of guys like Thorburn or Petrovicky. Leclair proved incapable of both skating and carrying a puck at the same time most of this year. If you read between the lines of some of his comments the last few days, there was some potential there for this to cause a problem (remember his "I-can't-believe-I'm-still-here" tirade to the media last year after he didn't get traded at the deadline?). I think Shero will recall Leclair right away and expect that he will get picked up by someone else on re-entry waivers.
3. Pitt hoops - We'll know more for sure when the Big East schedule kicks in, but what every Pitt fan hoped would happen and what every other Big East team feared would happen looks as if it may have happened. Namely, Aaron Gray improved as much from last year to the year as he did from 2004-05 to 05-06. He looks much more polished than he did last year, and that can't be good news for Big East teams. This Pitt team is easily eight or nine deep this year and that's usually the recipe for success.
4. Vick - Has a more mediocre player ever been forced on the NFL public as a superstar more than Vick? After torching the Steelers and Bengals in consecutive weeks, media boobs like Peter King were ready to build the Michael Vick Wing in Canton. In four games since beating the Bengals, he's thrown for 3 TDs, rushed for none, and thrown four picks. His completion percentage over that span is 45.3%. His completion percentage for the year is 51.2%, good for THIRTY-FIRST in the league. For some perspective there, Jake Plummer's is 55.6% (good enough to get him benched) and Andrew Walter's is 48.4%.
5. Buccos - I think Littlefield has done well to NOT get involved in this ridiculous free agent market (Chacon at $3-4 million might not be a bad idea considering what some other mediocre pitchers have been getting). Winter meetings are coming up this weekend, and we'll over the next week if Littlefield has the stones to pull off a gutsy move to try to make this team better. I'm not holding my breath for Mark Teixeira. I have a feeling he addresses the power hitter by plucking that 1B/RF prospect who is blocked on his current team by a veteran under a long contract. Can't say I'd complain about that.
The problem with a BCS rematch is that it forces Ohio State to beat Michigan twice to win the national title, while Michigan only has to beat Ohio State once (in two tries) to win the national title. How is that fair?
If Michigan were to win a rematch, and it was another close game, that wouldn't prove who is the better team. I would probably still vote Ohio State #1 if I were a voter.
Despite the fact that he has scored a ton of goals today's NHL game has zipped by John Leclair. Andre Roy adds nothing so I think both moves are positive.
Mondesi,
You've obviously mistaken us for having high IQ's.
I want you to know that there is a strong contingent of your readership, myself included, which proudly wears our stupidity on our sleeves.
As always, Let's Go Bucs.
I don't really blame CP for John LeClair...Afterall, he was the team's 3rd leading scorer last year and scored 25 points in the last 27 games in a stretch where they finished strong.
As far as Roy, he got pushed out by all the Thorburn's, Petrovicky's and Ruutu's that Shero's assembled. Lower line wingers are pretty much a dime a dozen. Who would have known with the new rules that the enforcer would become practically extinct? I'm glad Roy was signed, he still could be useful on the 4th line. But so can Petro and Thorburn.
And by the way, to stoosh: the PG was wrong this morning. LeClair falls under the so called 'Wade Flaherty rule' and has played enough games where he is exempt from re-entry waivers. The purpose of the Pens placing him on waivers, to me, seems to be to give him a chance to let anyone pick him up that could fit him in. But with his salary, it's not going to happen.
1. The Giants are a mess. Tony Romo puts the nail in the coffin this week. Coughlin gets a college job where his act might not wear as thin.
2. LeClair didn't have the speed to play in the "new NHL". I remember watching a game this year and seeing a player laboring on the ice, and thinking it was a player at the very end of a long shift. Nope, it was just LeClair beginning his shift.
3. I think this if Pitt's best team, but the tourney is such a crapshoot. One bad shooting performance and you could lose. They win the big east, and have about a 40% chance of making the final four.
4. Michael Vick never wins anything, unless it happens as a rb. Unless he can play the Steelers 16 times a year, then every qb record will fall.
5. The Buccos of 2007....groundhog day again.
6. How old is Greg Oden? He sure as hell isn't 18.
7. There is no way that Michigan deserves a rematch unless both USC and Florida lose this week. Even then I would rather see Louisville play OSU. Rematches in bowl games suck, and should never happen. Michigan had their chance, and really, the game wasn't even that close. Michigan won the turnover battle 3-0, and it still never felt like they were going to win.
What happen if they get a rematch, and Michigan wins? How can they be crowned champs over OSU?
I'm going out of order here but:
1. Pitt Hoops - I like them a lot. They are actually better off without Krauser. This is classic Bill Simmons Ewing Theory here. They're playing better team basketball without Carl. If Ramon and Graves can stay hot from 3 point land, I don't think there's any reason they can't make it deep in the tourney. Also, this Cook character interests me. I'm waiting for Sam Young to come around though. After last year I thought this guy would be a beast, but he hasn't shown it yet this year. If he does, watch out.
Also, anyone else read that the Pitt Hoops is going to concentrate more on greater-D.C. and less on NYC for recruiting? Wannstache appears to want to do more greater-D.C. recruiting in football too. Good move I say. I've always said that there are plenty of talented guys in Florida (which outside of the WPIAL, was Pitt's target area for recruiting in football), but you can actually OVER recruit FL and over-value players just because they are from FL.
2. Pens - Not much to say here. Leclair is way past his prime, and Roy was a guy more suited to make his living in the old NHL. I did think Leclair at least brought good veteran leadership to the team. But that's a role that Recchi can fill PLUS it appears that "The Wrecking Ball" still has something in the tank.
3. Giants - This happened last year. Plax and Eli looked like Montana and Rice early... but they dissappeared late in the year. Plax used to pull this every year with the Steelers. No surprise there. And Strahan's a jackass. If these guys all played for San Diego no one would care. Stupid NY media machine.
4. The Buccos - Same old shit. Move along, nothing to see here.
5. BCS - A lot of NFL teams get knocked out of the playoffs by a team they beat in the regular season, thus making them 1-1 against that team. So that aspect of a rematch doesn't bother me too much. I do think that they are the two best teams... but my question is, was this issue already settled in Columbus a few weeks ago? I mean, Mich. has a great defense, but Ohio torched them for over 500 yards. I don't think USC fares much better.
Honestly, I'd like to see the Florida Gators get a crack at them over everyone else. Sure they won a lot of squeakers, but the only game they lost was a squeaker to Auburn. And Auburn's a pretty good team, which is more than I can say for Oregon State. PLUS, that game was a lost on an extremely controversial fumble call. PLUS, the SEC is a much tougher conference than the Pac-10. Sadly, I don't see the Gators sniffing the National Title game even if they win the SEC Title game by a blowout and USC gets upset by UCLA.
But honestly, in the end none of it REALLY matters because OSU is going to beat the ever-loving shit out of whoever they play IMO.
1) Tom Coughlin definitely looks like a guy you could get sick of real easy. His team is obviously at that point with him and each other.
2)John LeClair was a feared name in the NHL but unfortunately, that was about a century ago when they used rocks for pucks and milk crates for goals (goalies also wore no masks then).
3)Pitt looks absolutely awesome this year. They really could win their first-ever national title this year. If Grey stays healthy that is.
By the way, Kudos to Robert Morris. They have a great looking team and should win a ton of games this year.
4)Atlanta should create a hybrid offense for Vick. Bring in his backup to start and play Vick in a slot/receiver/passer/running back role. That's how you'd make him more dangerous. The plus would be that you'd have a more consistent arm at quarterback too.
5)The Pirates have a lot better of a team than they've had in years...right now. However, they haven't made a single move in the offseason to fill any needs. Anyone they get will have to come from trade and not via the lunacy called free agency in baseball.
6) Wild card: That ship has sailed, let's start talking draft.
7) Michigan had their shot. How many times should Ohio State have to beat them before they're considered National Champion? USC looks pretty impressive (again) but I don't have enough of a handle on Florida to make an educated comment.
8) Mondesi's good at getting work out of his readers!
I agree, Worstavid. I like this "serve up a list of topics and listen to the masses" concept.
Good work, Mondesi.
P.S. Burt Grossman needs to appear on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" more often than once per decade, don't you think?
1.Coughlin is not the problem in NY, how could he be? You have what is possibly the biggest collection of douches in the NFL on that team. It not the coaches fault that the natural process of inflated egos is running it's course.
I knew Eli was going to suck the second he refused to go to San Diego. Who refuses to go to San Diego? "I don't want to go to a place with perfect weather every single day of the year. A place where you can't throw a rock and not hit five hot girls." To be fair, maybe Eli could throw that rock and miss hitting every one of those girls.
2. What a sad way to end a great career. 5-6 years ago we would have been drooling at the thought of having Leclair on the Pens. Now we just wish he would go away. This serves as a reminder to all great athletes that when it's time to retire just go ahead and do it while you still have some dignity left.
4. Vick can catch a ball can't he? Then why doesn't he just become a RB/WR combo. He would be amazing at it, and wouldn't have to live with the "huge bust" tag that he rightfully carries around while attempting to be a QB. He would just be an awesome RB/WR and people would love him for it.
5. I'm another person who is glad that DL has been quiet while this ridiculous hot stove of free agency has gone down. He should save his money this offseason, almost every single penny of it.
Any improvements to this team will be made through trades and we've heard some interesting names like Dunn, Jacobs, and that big pollack 1B from the Rockies org, but to make things retarded, which is this team's specialty, DL has said that he isn't going to trade a single starter.
Also, I'd like to say a word abut Pirate fans who bulk at the idea of getting guys like Dunn because of his strikeouts. If I remember correctly this team was either last or next to last in the NL for HRs. When you hit that few HRs you're not really in a position to be too picky about a guy who can hit 40+ a season. Stikeouts are kind of exagerated IMO. I'd rather have a guy strike out than hit into a double play, which is something we've seen a lot of in the past few seasons.
As long as Aaron Gray stays healthy and in shape and the rest of the team plays as well as they have so far (even considering the type of talent they've played so far, I think we've looked great).
1. Who cares?
2. Lex and Roy will solidify the Baby Pens Calder Cup run.
3. Pitt will choke. NCAA tournament is, indeed, a crapshoot.
4. Who cares?
5. The Pirates will never win until MLB institutes a salary cap and they can bring in overpriced, washed-up free agents. Wait.. That didn't work for the Pens, either. And the Pirates have been failing at it for years.
6. Who cares?
7. Let Boise State play for it. They beat better teams than USC lost to.
Pitt basketball- To paraphrase the Wolfman, "Let's not start sucking each other's popsicles yet." Remember they were losing to Robert Morris in the second half. I wonder if Robert Morris is as good as Drake/Pacific/Kent State.
1) A Giant bunch of losers. Would lose to Pitt.
2) Couldn't play for Pitt's hockey team (they don't have one)
3) Of course a national title is on the way.
4)Panthers routinely beat him.
5)Pitt baseball...they'd give the pirates a run for their money.
6) There are some kinda wild games of strip poker in the Pitt dorms.
7)Pitt will be BCS eligible very soon. Wanny forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So as you can see, the whole world of sports evolves around my beloved Pitt Panthers!!!!!
The only way Vick ever wins a Super Bowl is if his D goes all "2000 Ravens" on other teams. I doubt that happens. And if he he gets receivers who quit dropping balls that are right in their chest.
Michigan had their chance, and the only reason that game was close was because of 2 fumbles by the OSU center. Who was wearing a freakin' cast on his snapping hand. Michigan loses by 14-20 pts if that guy could snap the ball properly.
Though, I can't argue for USC or FLA all that much either. I guess FLA since their only loss was to a ranked team at the time.
1. Giants: I almost feel sorry for them. But then I realized that they are such asses.
2. Vick: the falcon team will always be hovering at .500 if they have Vick. They should try to acquire an QB that can actually throw the ball, like charlie batch or Kitna.
3. Pirates: Boy am I excited for 2007 season! Even if we don't trade anyone or make any moves, it will still be fun too see the players develop.
ok here it goes,
1. The Giants suck. The I-95 sports media has made them 10 times better than they are. The same with the cowboys. that division is mediocre at best. The bengals and ravens are both far more solid in my mind (as hard as that is for me to say) than those bums in the NFC east.
2. I liked the Leclair signing at the beginning, but hes just lost a step, thats all. as for Roy, he is a Craig Patrick bum. they brought him in to protect crosby last year, and he couldnt even do that. Ive seen colby take on more guys than him. Roy is a pussie.
3. Pitt basketball- Did anyone watch the OSU carolina game the other night? well if you did, you know the answer to the question. No, Pitt may be good, even as a regular season team, but i think once they get into the middle rounds of the NCAAs, theyll fizzle. The just dont seem fit for tournament ball outside of the Big East. Htey just arent in Carolina or duke's league. period.
4. no.
5. Unlike most, I'd give suppan 10 mil for 3 years. thats the market now mind you, and there isnt much out there that is available for the Buccos. plus, maybe giving up one of those arms in a deal mite not be so hard.
6. who knows.
7. being a big 10 homer, of course i want to see OSU-MU again. That game was an instant classic, and for crack pots like mark may to sa that there absolutely should not be a rematch is absurd. Michigan lost by a field goal to the #1 team. Southern Cal lost to unranked oregon state. Michigan finished of ND early and painlessly, while SC let them hang around a bit. its to bad that it has to come down to style points, but, because it does, Michigan wins in my mind.
Pitt Hopes:
Some Anonymous person included Drake as a team that beat Pitt. It was Bradley..get your mid-major teams right.
This is definitely the best Pitt team of the Dixon-Howland era. Hopefully they will play a little more up-tempo than the grind-it- out style that works in the Big East but usually sputters in the tourney. I think they will make it past the Sweet 16 but a team with an athletic big man like Florida or possibly OH. St (Oden) will give Gray problems. A 6'4" player from Robert Morris blocked his shot!! He just isn't athletic enough to be a premier player. Better teams than Pitt have not made the Final Four in the past. The tourney is indeed Madness and with the three point shot anything can happen. Remember Maryland won the championship in 2002 but almost lost in the first round to Georgia St!!
Adam (whom I believe is the PSU fan that started the whole Pitt-Penn State thing last week isn't he?), the Michigan v. Ohio State game was NO instant classic despite the hype it got on ESPN.
It was merely a good game. Michigan's cosmetic TD and two pt conversion near the end made it look A LOT better than it was.
I still think Florida should get the shot at OSU, even though they won't. Like I said, 1 loss on a controversial call to a good team, Auburn. That's basically what stood between them and the BCS title game. And they're from a much better conference than USC. I don't care if all of their wins came by 1 point, or 100 points. They beat the teams put in front of them and that's all that matters to me.
As for Pitt b-ball, yes I did see the OSU v. UNC game, and no it's not TOO far fetched to think Pitt could beat them. They probably wouldn't be the favorite, but don't let the PSU homerism blind you, Pitt deserves to be on the court with any of those teams.
(Oh wait... I forgot... you Penn State types don't care about Pitt anymore so there's no reason for your PSU homerism to blind you... right?)
Louis,
I agree with you that OSU/Michigan was NOT an instant classic. An "instant classic" has a big play at the end decide the game. For instance, Vince Young's TD run against USC last year.
OSU/Michigan was merely a game that Michigan kept close. They were never in danger of winning.
thats rite louis lipps. I gave an honest answer to the question. UNC and OSU and their likes are just too good. Pitt doesnt have that one player that can score that one bucket at the end of the game to win it for pitt. If hes is on the team, i havent seen him yet. Florida has brewer, duke has mcrobets, osu has oden, and pitt has aaron gray. anyone in the right mind would pick the aformentioned players over dear old aaron gray. sorry, but Pitt needs 1 more big time player to be that elite team. if they get him (or who know? her), then maybe i could put them in the same breath as the guys on tobacco road.
Well, you can go with star power and ESPN-hype... but did you see any semblance of defense in that UNC v. OSU game? In all sports, solid team defense is the one thing that can even the playing field if one team has slightly more big name talent than the other one. By the way, unless something goes terribly wrong, Aaron Gray is probably a lottery pick.
But I guess what you're saying basically is that Pitt needs that one McDonald's All American that will play one year for them and bolt to the NBA, correct?
Oh well, either way we're always gonna be better than Penn State at hoops!! (couldn't help myself)
Also, after today's games I think that now more than ever, Florida should get that national title shot.
well buddy,
its obvious who the real homer here is. and yes, typically to be the best team YOU NEED TO HAVE THE BEST PLAYERS! Pitt doesnt. Ill take corey brewer or rayshon terry anyday of keith freaking benjamin.
as to your point about defense. Listen, that wasnt an NBA game. hose kids were out there gutting it out. offenses just prevailed on that night. and besisdes, carolina is putting up 100 on EVERYONE so honestly, i dont think pitt would do any better. one thing you have to understand is that pitt is built for the big east, and not the NCAA tournament. thats my biggest problem with this team. even if i am a PSU fan (more on that in a moment), that has nothing to do with my basketball opinion of Pitt. im sorry, but i just dont think Pitt basketball is NCAA basketball. until pitt unseats a major non conferance team (and no none of the teams on yer schedule count) im not gonna put them in the same breath as the perenial powers. period. o and aaron gray as a LOTTERY pick? uh yea fat chance. middle to late first round. may i remind u of this years freshman class that...best in decades...
Ah and yes, PSU basketball haters. take all the shots u want, but we are getting better. 5-2 after the win today. im not saying were THAT good, but mark my words, program on the rise. Ed Dechelis did a great job last year. We beat Illinois (#6) in Champagne and ended their 33 game home winnign streak (longest in the country at the time). If i recall, thats i higher ranked opponent than pitt beat last year...hmm....listen PSU basketball isnt on pitts level, but using them as the butt to a joke just isnt funny anymore, cuz now, there IS a program in happy valley. by the way, i guess pitt has a policy of only scheduling non conferencs games with teams with losing records, cuz last season PSU was 15-15 and arent on pitts schedule....hmmmmm....
as for florida going to glendale...im sorry, but Michigan you cant punish Michigan for coming up 3 points short on the road against the only team ever to get a perfect BCS score. Florida lost to Auburn who was out of the discussion a month ago. I dont care how tough the schedule is, Michigan is #2.
Gold for free in Monaco...?
Yes!
Monde, Thank you for letting us voice our voices. You are a real hero of sorts. We can count on you. Therefore, I mandate that Monde, you need a curfew and you are not allowed to celebrate holidays or have a life of your own. You need to spend ALL your time and days in front of your computer given us entertainment and input.
Well with that said, it is only a couple hours until the Giants tear apart Coughlin like a pack of angry wolves. Strahen said he might actually put Plex over his knee and paddle him if he acts like Roger Dorn today! As for Vick and his sign language issues, he could be the next TO in a year or two? I might be the only one, but I love TO, he is fun to watch and it is amusing to follow all the hub-bub! Hail Hail to Mighigan deserves another shot!
The Gators (basketball version) got beat by the same Florida State team that we kicked the crap out of just a little while ago.
Still think we don't belong on the same court as teams like the Gators? Anyways....
WOW, when I wrote that thing about how the Gators (football version) should be in the BCS Championship game last week, I never thought it was actually going to happen.
And the Steelers out-sucked the Buccaneers.... ummm... yay.
I didn't hear almighty God Penn State and Joe Paturdo Christ being mentioned for a BCS spot, did any of you?
If they are so superior to Pitt, why were they not a BCS team?
Oh, I get it, they're in the Big 10 so they're automatically superior to Pitt. I see now.
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