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 Monday, November 23, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Prediction Time
Posted by Tuff Stuff
From time to time, I like to check out the sports world and make a few
bold predictions and then check back at a later date and see how I
fared. With six weeks left to go in the NFL season, I'm going to step
out on the limb and let'em fly. Although to be fair, I'm not really
stepping out on any limbs because there are no real consequences to
being wrong but my pride is at stake and that has to count for
something, right?
In the NFC, three of the four division winners seem to be locks, with
Minnesota, New Orleans and Arizona all cruising along without much of a
challenge. The true race remaining is in the NFC East where Dallas
(7-3) holds a one-game advantage over the New York Giants (6-4) and the
Philadelphia Eagles (6-4). A quick look at the teams' remaining
schedules points out the fact that Dallas has the toughest road, with
games against the Giants and Philly, not to mention the defensively
sound Redskins and the surging Chargers. The Cowboys will finish off
the season with a road game against the Saints but could catch a break
as New Orleans might be sitting its starters for the playoffs.
In addition to its games against Washington, Dallas and the Giants, the
Eagles will also square off against Atlanta, San Francisco and Denver,
all three still in the playoff picture. The Giants face Denver next and
couldn't be facing the Broncos at a better time, as they've dropped
four straight and starting quarterback Kyle Orton continues to mend his
injured ankle. After its three straight games with its division
opponents, New York will close out the season at home against Carolina
and on the road against the Vikings, who should also be resting many of
its starters in the finale.
Because of the fact that their the more experienced playoff team and
because of their favorable schedule, I'm going with the Giants to win
the East with a 10-6 record. Don't fret though Philadelphia fans, the
Eagles still make the dance with a 9-7 mark, good enough to grab one of
the Wild Card spots. I see the other Wild Card spot going to the
Atlanta Falcons. Despite being a game behind Green Bay (6-4), Philly
and the Giants, Atlanta has four games remaining against bottom
feeders, including two against Tampa Bay, another against the
struggling Jets and also face the very erratic Bills. While the Falcons
do face the Eagles and the Saints, both games are at home so I see them
finishing at 9-7 as well and sneaking into the postseason. Despite
looking very solid in its last two games, Green Bay's hopes were dashed
Sunday when starting OLB Aaron Kampman and starting CB Al Harris were
both lost for the season with severe knee injuries. Those injuries and
a suspect offensive line will prove to be too much to overcome and the
Packers will be forced to try again in 2010.
In the AFC, I see New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Diego
all cruising to wins in their respective divisions, with Pittsburgh and
Houston snatching the two Wild Card spots.
The posteason will be broken down like this. NFC: No. 1 seed: New
Orleans (15-1), 2. Minnesota (14-2), 3. Arizona (11-5), 4. NY Giants
(10-6), 5. Atlanta (9-7), 6. Philadelphia (9-7).
NFC Wildcard
Philadelphia 34, Arizona 31
NY Giants 27, Atlanta 16
NFC Divisonal Playoffs
New Orleans 38, Philadlphia 21
Minnesota 30, NY Giants 13
NFC Championship
Minnesota 24, New Orleans 21
The AFC postseason will break down as follows: No. 1 seed: Indianapolis
(16-0), 2. New England (12-4), 3. San Diego (12-4), 4. Cincinnati
(11-5), 5. Pittsburgh (10-6), 6. Houston (10-6).
AFC Wildcard
San Diego 27, Houston 17
Cincinnati 34, Pittsburgh 24
AFC Divisional Playoffs
Indianapolis 38, Cincinnati 17
New England 38, San Diego 13
AFC Championship
Indianapolis 27, New England 21
Super Bowl
Minnesota 30, Indianapolis 24
While these picks may have been a little bolder if they were made
prior to the start of the season, they're still bolder than making them
once the playoff picture is cleared up. Good luck and here's hoping the
final six games of the NFL season will be as enjoyable as the first 10.
We'll check back in February and see how embarrassed I should be by
these.
Monday, November 23, 2009 5:43:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
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Beat the Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
It was an unprecedented week in the Beat the Blogger contest.
The Blogger posted a perfect card with 10 correct picks and even nailed
the tiebreaker (44) but still came up short to two contestants because
he failed to remember to designate his "Doubler" pick. Lesson: never
underestimate the power of the doubler.
The Blogger's blunder allowed a pair of contestants to sneak in and claim the weekly prize, with both Keith Sorenson and Dana Boisvert
posting perfect cards, hitting their doublers and nailing the
tiebreaker total for the first two exactly perfect cards in the history
of the contest. For their efforts and because the Blogger isn't bitter
about his mistake, each will be receiving a bonus in addition to the signed photo typically award to the weekly winner. Congrats.
This week's matchups are posted below so make sure you get your picks posted before the start of the first game to be eligible to win this week's prize. As always, good luck and have a great Thanksgiving.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his  choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups
Saturday, Nov. 28
College Football
Illinois at Cincinnati
Alabama at Auburn
Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma
Utah at BYU
UCLA at USC
Sunday, Nov. 29
NFL Football
Miami at Buffalo
Carolina at N.Y. Jets
Indianapolis at Houston
Jacksonville at San Francisco
Arizona at Tennessee
Tiebreaker: Total Points in Arizona-Tennessee game
Tie-breaker: Total points in game
Monday, November 23, 2009 3:49:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Beat the Blogger results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
It was an unprecedented week in the Beat the Blogger contest. The Blogger posted a perfect card with 10 correct picks and even nailed the tiebreaker (44) but still came up short to two contestants because he failed to remember to designate his "Doubler" pick. Lesson: never underestimate the power of the doubler.
The Blogger's blunder allowed a pair of contestants to sneak in and claim the weekly prize, with both Keith Sorenson and Dana Boisvert posting perfect cards, hitting their doublers and nailing the tiebreaker total for the first two exactly perfect cards in the history of the contest. For their efforts and because the Blogger isn't bitter about his mistake, each will be receiving a bonus in addition to the signed photo typically award to the weekly winner. Congrats.
This week's matchups along with the Blogger's picks will be posted later today so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups (with winning picks in parenthesis)
Sunday, Nov. 22
Cleveland at Detroit (Detroit)
Washington at Dallas (Dallas)
San Francisco at Green Bay (Green Bay)
Atlanta at NY Giants (NY Giants)
Buffalo at Jacksonville (Jacksonville)
Indianapolis at Baltimore (Indianapolis)
Seattle at Minnesota (Minnesota)
NY Jets at New England (New England)
San Diego at Denver (San Diego)
Philadelphia at Chicago (Philadelphia)
Tie-breaker: Total points in Philadelphia-Chicago game (44)
Monday, November 23, 2009 3:02:52 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Beat the Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
For the second straight week, Steve Emerick won the Beat the Blogger contest. Last week Emerick posted a score of 9 to easily Beat The Blogger's
total of 6 and run away with this week's prize. This week, Emerick did
himself one better, posting a score of 10 to Beat The Blogger and the
field.
This week's matchups along with the Blogger's picks are posted below so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups (with Blogger picks in parenthesis)
Sunday, Nov. 22
Cleveland at Detroit (Detroit)
Washington at Dallas (Dallas)
San Francisco at Green Bay (Green Bay)
Atlanta at NY Giants (NY Giants)
Buffalo at Jacksonville (Jacksonville)
Indianapolis at Baltimore (Indianapolis)
Seattle at Minnesota (Minnesota)
NY Jets at New England (New England)
San Diego at Denver (San Diego)
Philadelphia at Chicago (Philadelphia)
Tie-breaker: Total points in Philadelphia-Chicago game (44)
Thursday, November 19, 2009 7:47:04 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Coaching Error
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Before I get into the following rant about Bill Belichick's coaching blunder in the Sunday night showdown in Indianapolis, I will say that I think the Patriots' veteran coach is one of the best in the business and I would welcome him taking over the reigns of my favorite team any day of the week.
But, and this is a big but, he took a calculated risk and it was the wrong move given the circumstances and he cost his team a victory. Don't let any of the blow-hard TV analysts or newspaper writers tell you any differently either because some Belichick supporters claim it was the right move no matter the outcome. I beg to differ.
With the Patriots holding a six-point lead and facing fourth-and-2
from their own 28-yard line, Belichick did the unthinkable, he went for it. It wasn't an attempt to draw the defense offsides with a hard count and it wasn't an attempt to take the delay of game penalty to give his punter more room to punt. The Patriots not only went for it, but prior to the game-changing gamble, Belichick burned his team's final timeout with more than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, a move usually reserved for guys named Saben or Kotite, not by future Hall of Famers. The move backfired not once but twice, as the Patriots came up short on the 4th-down play and weren't able to challenge the spot of the ball because the team had no time-outs left. Talk about double trouble.
Belichick supporters claim that because the team goes for it on fourth down more than any other team ever makes the decision acceptable but that argument compares to driving home after you've had one-too-many beverages. It's a gamble that we've all pulled off without issue many times but the one time it doesn't work out, there's going to be major repercussions.
Sure the Patriots are the best at converting fourth-down chances (I believe it's something like a 80-percent conversion rate) but there's a time and a place for everything and your own 28-yard line is definitely not the place. Punt the ball and make Peyton Manning march 75 yards for the winning score always trumps risking it and affording him a chance to only need 28.
The move also questions Belichick's belief in his defense. How are the guys standing on the sideline supposed to feel when they watch their coach decide against a punt in that situation? Belichick's bold move not only lost the game but it will likely take weeks, if not longer, before those guys on the defensive side of the ball will be ready to sell out for him again. Those type of confidence-related issues tend to fester and I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see a drop-off in productivity on that side of the ball in New England for several weeks.
I've always said Belichick is the ballsiest coach around and I've applauded his bowling-ball sized onions on many occasions. But let's not candy-coat this one. He f-ed up and he f-ed up big time.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:27:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
For the second straight week, Steve Emerick won the Beat the Blogger contest. Last week Emerick posted a score of 9 to easily Beat The Blogger's
total of 6 and run away with this week's prize. This week, Emerick did
himself one better, posting a score of 10 to Beat The Blogger and the
field.
This week's matchups are posted below so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups
Sunday, Nov. 22
Cleveland at Detroit
Washington at Dallas
San Francisco at Green Bay
Atlanta at NY Giants
Buffalo at Jacksonville
Indianapolis at Baltimore
Seattle at Minnesota
NY Jets at New England
San Diego at Denver
Philadelphia at Chicago
Tie-breaker: Total points in Philadelphia-Chicago game
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 2:16:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
For the second straight week, Steve Emerick won the Beat the Blogger contest. Last week Emerick posted a score of 9 to easily Beat The Blogger's
total of 6 and run away with this week's prize. This week, Emerick did himself one better, posting a score of 10 to Beat The Blogger and the field.
This week's matchups will be posted below on Wednesday so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups (With winning picks in parenthesis)
College FB
Saturday, Nov. 14
West Virginia at Cincinnati (Cincinnati)
Michigan at Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
Iowa at Ohio St. (Ohio State)
Utah at TCU (TCU)
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
NFL Football
Sunday, Nov. 15
Tampa Bay at Miami (Miami)
Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets (Jacksonville)
Buffalo at Tennessee (Tennessee)
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (Cincinnati)
New England at Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
Tie-Breaker total points in New England-Indianapolis game (69)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:24:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Last week's college matchups proved costly for many of us, as a couple
of underdogs came through and rendered our picks useless. But for one
player, the college game were no problem. Steve Emerick posted a score of 9 to easily Beat The Blogger's
total of 6 and run away with this week's prize. This week's matchups
are split right in the middle with five college matchups and five NFL
matchups.
This week's matchups are posted below along with the Blogger's picks so you know what you're up against so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups (With Blogger's picks in parenthesis)
College FB
Saturday, Nov. 14
West Virginia at Cincinnati (West Virginia)
Michigan at Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
Iowa at Ohio St. (Ohio State)
Utah at TCU (TCU)
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
NFL Football
Sunday, Nov. 15
Tampa Bay at Miami (Miami)
Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets (NY Jets)
Buffalo at Tennessee Tennessee)
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (Cincinnati)
New England at Indianapolis (New England)
Tie-Breaker total points in New England-Indianapolis game (51)
Thursday, November 12, 2009 5:22:05 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Last week's college matchups proved costly for many of us, as a couple
of underdogs came through and rendered our picks useless. But for one
player, the college game were no problem. Steve Emerick posted a score of 9 to easily Beat The Blogger's total of 6 and run away with this week's prize. This week's matchups are split right in the middle with five college matchups and five NFL matchups.
This week's matchups will be posted below later today so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups (With winning picks in parenthesis)
College FB
Saturday, Nov. 14
West Virginia at Cincinnati
Michigan at Wisconsin
Iowa at Ohio St.
Utah at TCU
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
NFL Football
Sunday, Nov. 15
Tampa Bay at Miami
Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets
Buffalo at Tennessee
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
New England at Indianapolis
Tie-Breaker total points in New England-Indianapolis game
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:55:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Not So Deep Thoughts: Opening Up with Andre Agassi
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Let me preface the following by saying I'm a mild tennis fan at best
and I have yet to read (plan to) Andre Agassi's new book, "Open: An
Autobiography." After I do read it I will be better equipped to defend
him or pile on like so many others are already. But until then, I'll
just throw in my two cents on the incredible admissions he makes in the
book such as using crystal meth, being forced to play tennis by his
overbearing father, wearing a hairpiece to cover his rapidly balding
head and even tanking some tennis matches early in his career.
Those admissions have been met with mixed reviews in the tennis and
sports world. Several current and former players have been slamming
Agassi for the drug use and even more so for lying to a tennis official
about the reason behind a failed drug test. One such player, Marit
Safin, has gone so far as to say that Agassi should give back all the
money and trophies he won during that stage of his career, while others
have applauded his brutal honesty.
I won't have a strong opinion either way until I get my hands on a copy
of the book but as far as the Safin comments go, I initially thought it
sounded like sour grapes, jealousy and an uninformed opinion. We've all
had that rival that has simply owned us at something. You know the one,
the guy who just seems to always win, whether it's playing golf or
fantasy football, he just has your number. But after some research, I
found out that isn't the case here, as Safin has squared off against
Agassi six times with each player winning three times.
So I wasn't exactly sure why Safin was so incensed by the revelations
in the book but after digging into his comments some more it could be
because in the process of "coming clean" to his mistakes, Agassi
willingly threw several tennis officials and ultimately the integrity
of the game itself under the bus. Agassi claims in the book that once
the officials made him aware of a failed drug test, that he talked his
way out of it ever becoming public by lying about it. He told officials
that somebody had slipped something into his drink and because he was
one of the most popular and charizmatic players on a Tour that needed
about 12 more players of similar makeup to make it semi-interesting,
the bought his story and never went public with the news. That's the
jealous aspect I mentioned. Perhaps Safin wondered aloud if he would
have been treated the same way under the same circumstances. Unfair or
not, Safin likely would not have met a similra fate. As we all know,
image is everything, and Agassi's image is and was at the time, far
more compelling than the Russian with the high-powered serve.
Other players have bashed Agassi for his now admitted drug use, saying
that his career is now tarnished in much the same way that Roger
Clemens was after it was proven that Clemens used Performance Enhancing
Drugs. But those same people should check the facts before making such
an assanine statement because using steroids does in fact provide
athletes with an advantage over those that don't while snorting crystal
meth is only going to provide an advantage to Agassi's dealer. If
anybody can increase their performance at any sport by using crystal
meth, I'd love to see it. If we're talking about a competitive
drinking contest perhaps, but not playing tennis against the best
players in the world that's for sure.
Because Agassi's book is fresh and full of shocking news, opinions
right now are strong to defend him and feel sorry for him and equally
strong in the opposite spectrum. My guess is that once the storm
subsides a bit, Agassi will again be looked at as the same great
ambassador for the game he was two weeks ago before the book came out.
Until then, we'll all likely continue to serve and volley on the topic
and lob our opinions all over the place making a case for whatever side
of the net your opinion falls on. And because a book like this illicit
those type of heated responses, blog entries and sports radio
comments by the thousands, Agassi's book is already a winner, game,
set, match.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 3:25:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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