A forgivable mistake, a New England idiot, the weight is over 
and Michael's rag

A forgivable mistake, a New England idiot, the weight is over and Michael's rag

Codding Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home

There are a handful of athletes out there who earn the respect of fans worldwide because of their work ethic, their competitive nature, their respect for the game and its fans, or simply because of the people they are off the field. Walter Payton, Cal Ripken, Joe Montana, Larry Bird, Wayne Gretzky and Kirby Puckett all fell into this category. They were hard-nosed competitors who worked their asses off to improve themselves, their teams and their respective sports, all while honoring the integrity of the game and the respect of their fans. Today, while the number of athletes who uphold these standards has dwindled, there are still a few who fit the description: Jerry Rice, Tim Duncan, Edgar Martinez, Emmitt Smith, Curt Schilling and Warrick Dunn all come to mind.

Randy Moss and Carl Everett do not.

And despite what happened last Sunday in the Meadowlands, Brett Favre also comes to mind. When Art Modell bolted for Baltimore in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns in tow, I needed to find someone to root for; I was instantly drawn to Favre's style of play. He's a winner, the guy you'd want leading your team down the field with time winding down and a six-point deficit to overcome. He's not afraid of anyone on the field and he never backs down from a challenge, leaving his heart between the sidelines every Sunday, win or lose. For the past several years, that's the way thousands of football fans thought about Brett Favre -- whether you liked him or not, on the field he gave you every reason in the world to respect him.

Then last week against the Giants, Favre did the unthinkable. He took a dive. With time winding down, the Packers in control and New York defensive end Michael Strahan needing one sack to break the NFL record of 22 held by Mark Gastineau, Favre rolled right on a naked bootleg with less than three minutes left to play. Waiting for him was Strahan, Favre's buddy. A few seconds, one slide and some congratulatory hugs later, Strahan and his 22 ½ sacks found themselves in the NFL record book. But because Favre apparently called for a run in the huddle and failed to hand the ball off to Ahman Green -- giving Strahan the easy road to history -- everybody, from Favre's own offensive linemen to the typical football fan, jumped all over the Green Bay quarterback, questioning his own integrity and competitiveness.

Look, I'm not going to sit here and say there was nothing wrong with what Favre did last week, and I'm certainly not a believer in random acts of kindness on the football field just because a particular opponent happens to be your buddy -- friendship ends the moment you strap on your helmet and shoulder pads and step out of the locker room. But I'm not ready to condemn Favre for this one act of indiscretion either. When you've got athletes on trial or in prison for murder, rape, drugs, assault and battery, and drunk driving, it's pretty easy to forgive someone like Favre for one mistake on the football field. Sure, he's no saint -- I remember his problems with pain killers and alcohol a few years back -- but give me Favre's gift sack over Nate Newton's Pot Parade and Sebastian Janikowski's dating strategy any day of the week.


And the award for Surprise of the Week...

... does not go to New England Patriots wide receiver Terry Glenn. After already serving one suspension this season for violating team policy, Glenn again found himself in coach Bill Belichick's doghouse after missing a team meeting and light practice this week. Only days before the NFL playoffs begin, Glenn's decision to skip the meeting and practice has forced Belichick to suspend his thick-headed receiver for the rest of the season, meaning the AFC East champion Patriots will be without their #2 wide out for the entire postseason. Brilliant move, Mr. Glenn. You'll no doubt be a free agent next season -- this is the perfect way to boost your league-wide shoddy reputation. 

Kudos to Belichick, though, who despite Glenn's undeniable talent and what his presence could mean to New England in the playoffs, made without question the right decision for his team. You sort of get the feeling that if Belichick had been in Minnesota this year, Randy Moss would have found himself on the sidelines for at least a couple games... . 


Will the ring survive the fight?

Get ready, boxing fans -- on February 2 at the Grand Casino in Gulfport, Eric "Butterbean" Esch will take the ring against former Chicago Bears defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry. What a bout! What a match up! What a battle!

What a joke. In one corner, you've got the six-foot Butterbean, weighing in at just under a metric ton, and in the other you've got the Fridge, a guy who, when he was in shape and in uniform with the Bears, tipped the scales at over 300 pounds. I'm sure we'll see the true definition of "The Sweet Science" when these two portly fellows, who'll most likely weigh in at just about 700 pounds combined, start wailing away at each other. My advice to those of you who plan on attending this match: When one of these guys starts to fall, get as far away from the epicenter as possible.


Dear Michael...

Nike announced this week that, with the help of Hearst Magazines, a new publication entitled Jordan will be released to newsstands and subscribers beginning February 12. The latest product to carry Michael Jordan's name will come in an oversized format and will have a cover price of $3.50. Theresa Tran, public relations manager for Jordan Brand, said the magazine will contain opinion pieces and features and will be, "very much a branding piece for us that certainly reflects the inspiration of Michael Jordan."

Tran later said, "Michael wanted to do his own marital advice column in every issue, but we axed that idea rather quickly."


QuickQuote:

"He has never been in jail before, and he's afraid of the unknown. He'd rather be by himself."

-- Samuel Weiner, defense lawyer for former 
Ohio State quarterback Greg Bellisari, explaining 
why his client requested a single cell while 
serving his three-day sentence for drunk driving.

 
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