Weekend thoughts...

...while refusing to do work.

The line at this very moment in the UCLA @ Arizona game is between 3 and 1 1/2 (UA as the dog). Apparently Vegas wasn't informed that it is homecoming here in Tucson and as we all know coming into Arizona Stadium...on homecoming...favored, never ends up well for that team. UCLA should be relatively aware of that after the dismantling of the then #7 team in the country. I think we all know the outcome of this game. GO CATS!

Onto the greatest football game to ever be played, the most important game of all time, and the first time the Super Bowl has been played in November. That's right Pats - Colts. In case you live under a rock, that doesn't get good radio reception, you have heard about this...at length...to a sickening level. So I figured I would pile on. I hope for a few different outcomes namely for the Colts to completely destroy the Pats. Sit Bob Sanders down right in the middle of the field about 13 yards away from the line of scrimmage so finally someone stops letting Brady throw that toss across the middle to a wide open receiver, am I the only one who has noticed this. All day long, right down the middle. That is the easiest pass for a QB and Receiver to connect on. Why is no one covering it. If the Colts can't win I hope for a lopsided blowout where Bellicheck does what he does best and runs up the score, only the Colts keep playing and the fact that Bellicheck is going for it on 4 and 3 up by 19 with 3 minutes left sets them into a rage where Tom Brady drops back and gets his leg snapped off in a Theisman-esque fashion. Then Bellicheck can have that self-actualization scene from many movies where he realizes he has become so infatuated with himself that a loved one has died. And lastly, and I feel the most improbable is for the Colts to win and during his post-game press conference Rocky err Peyton manning looks at Bellicheck and tells him "if I can change and you can change, maybe we all can change" and Bellicheck's heart grows like the Grinch's three sizes.

Onto Baseball and Barry Bonds. Not going to the HoF. That's right, initially I was for the asterisked ball, then I realized that it's emblazoning an image on a piece of history like it or not, but now I am definitely back on the Asterisk the ball bandwagon. Reports released today stated that Barry will not go into the hall if the ball is there. This is the answer we've all been waiting for. A legitimate excuse to keep Barry out of the Hall. Also, in the same article Barry said he still wants to play and can be a good "part time player" for any organization...What?... Part time player? You want to make millions of dollars to play 3 games a week in between the flax seed oil and B12 shots. This is sad. And I think the Yankees are already calling him. Another baseball note, Joe Torre in the NL, this should be good. The man is notorious for napping off the last 3 innings, that's when an NL manager does all his work. I think he might be able to make things work in a fresh new organization, as long as the Dodgers are willing to spend another 120 Mill on player acquisition.

Quick update, Mr. Paxson read my letter and realized that I had a very valid argument and cut off all Kobe trade talks. Thank you for seeing it through our eyes Number 5.

Well it's back to the grind of staring at my cubical wall. Till next time Sports Fans.

More after the jump...

An Open Letter to John Paxson

Dear Mr. Paxson,

I first must go on record that you have been an amazing man in the sport of basketball. You played for my beloved Irish years ago and after a short stop in San Antone you landed in Chicago and helped create one of the game's best backcourts in league history along with Michael Jordan. You were the definition of a team player sitting back and letting Mike be Mike while holding the rest of the team together. Leading them down the court. You took the shots when they needed to be taken, and brought your game to a whole new level in '91 against the Lakers. And who can forget that beautiful shot in Phoenix to clinch the Three-Peat. You sir are one of the greatest Bulls players of all time. But it did not stop there. You coached under Phillip after retiring but decided it was too time consuming so you moved on to the upper offices and made some of the best moves in Franchise history (the best move being Portland selecting Sam Bowie with the 2nd overall pick). You traded away age and experience to acquire draft picks. All of whom continue to astound and amaze. Bring in guys like Deng, Gordon, Hinrich, Thomas, Thabo, Nocioni, and beyond. You have created an amazing corps of young talented individuals who get better together each year and are approaching a serious opportunity at bring back the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Eastern Conference and more importantly, it's rightful home amongst 6 of its' brothers at the United Center.

With all of that said, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN DEBATING TRADING FOR KOBE. He is the quintessential me-first guy, look at how he is handling things in LA. He chased away Shaq, top 5 center of all-time and what happened a mere 2 years later? Shaq went right through the young Bulls in the playoffs and won a championship. Shaq did it with a younger Kobe (named Dywane) who was able to be the guy who worked with Shaq not against him. What did Kobe do that same season? Put up a career high 35.4 ppg and took his team right to the first round of the playoffs to get bounced by Phoenix and officially end the Lakers stretch of bringing fear on their opponents.

Why would you spend the last 4/5 years planning and plotting gaining draft picks and making smart moves. Even signing Scottie back in the 2003 season so he could end his career the way he was meant to. Wearing Red, Black, and White and being Scottie. You pulled off not one but two trades on draft days little over a year ago getting Thomas and Thabo, both have worked out nicely for Chicago. Hinrich has improved in almost every statistical category each year and Deng is about to have his breakout year and make the leap to All-Star. Ben Wallace will earn that paycheck this year (wearing the almighty headband) and having some post help in a more experienced Thomas and the Signing of yet another ultimate TEAM first guy Joe Smith who KG recently said is the best teammate he ever played with. This is the Bulls year to get out of the Eastern Conference and make a run in the Finals. By the end of an 82 game season added to the stifling tiring defense of these Bulls, none of those run & gun offenses of the West have a chance. Why would you completely disassemble what you've been building since you began in Chicago. You had a brilliant master plan going for you, and it was not to develop young talent and trade them for a declining ego-maniac, me first superstar.

Sincerely,

Dom

More after the jump...