THURSDAY MUSINGS: MARCH MADNESS, KIDS IN LOCKER ROOMS AND SO LONG, JOE

Sweet Sixteen: Well, so much for the Cinderellas. The limos to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament turned into pumpkins for the likes of Little Rock, Northern Iowa, Yale and Middle Tennessee State. Sure, we have a couple of double-digit seeds remaining, but they're Syracuse and Gonzaga, hardly Hawaii or Stephen F. Austin. For all of the talk of parity and the strength of the mid-majors, we have 15 of the teams left from the Power 5 conferences, six of the them from the ACC. And that league was without what many people believe to have been the team with the best chance to win it all, Louisville. In the case of the ACC, I guess one could argue that the seeding was advantageous, but outside of UNC grabbing the top of the bracket in the East and Virginia getting a gift at number 1, the rest of the teams were probably fairly seeded, with a three, a four, a six, and two tens. Will they be able to continue their dominance? With Gonzaga advancing, Syracuse ended up with a very winnable game. Virginia faces a beatable Iowa St. squad, Notre Dame dodged West Virginia and Xavier to face Wisconsin, not quite the team that almost won it all last year. Miami and North Carolina have their hands full with Villanova and Indiana, but Duke can probably give top-seeded Oregon a run for their money. So I guess the answer is yes, they can. An intriguing game to me is Texas A&M - Oklahoma, with the Aggies surviving by virtue of an almost impossible comeback against Northern Iowa. With all four top seeds remaining, it's getting more difficult to envision a huge surprise, let alone a glass slipper.

Adam LaRoche Retires: There has been a lot of conversation among sports journalists about Chicago White Sox player Adam LaRoche's decision to retire after his son's access to the team's facilities was limited by his team's management. The fact that the issue advanced to where it did, with LaRoche's son apparently in the locker room and in the dugout on an almost daily basis, probably a mistake by the White Sox. No reasonable person would think that having a thirteen year-old in an adult environment on a regular basis is ideal. I can see an occasional visit, but there are places for adults and there are places for children. What if every player with a kid brought them to the locker room every day? It would be a very difficult situation at best, especially since these guys are professional athletes who have virtually grown up in very masculine and very non-child friendly environments. I can understand that LaRoche feels like he might have had an agreement with the team, but to be fair to the White Sox, they probably did the right thing. Of course, it didn't help his cause that he's a career .260 hitter coming off a season where he batted only .207, with 12 homers and 44 RBI. It won't be too difficult for Chicago to replace that production, especially at what they were paying LaRoche. If he was a .300 hitter coming off 30 homers and 100 RBI, I'm guessing the White Sox would have had a little more difficult decision to make.

Rest in Peace, Joe Garagiola: I grew up in an era when there was only one, or maybe two, baseball broadcasts every week. For a number of those years, former player Joe Garagiola, who passed away yesterday at the age of 90, was behind one of the microphones. His smooth voice and positive demeanor were refreshing, especially for a game that at its best can be poetry in motion. Along with Tony Kubek and the legendary Curt Gowdy, Garagiola brought the national pastime from places like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis and Chicago to my living room in Virginia. When I heard of his passing, it felt like a part of my sports past had gone with him. As I'm writing this, there is a small tear in my eye, thinking back to a day when we weren't inundated with games and announcers who have never heard of the saying "less is more". I know Joe Garagiola was also known for his time on "The Today Show", but for me his memory will always take me back to the days, yes day games, featuring Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Lou Brock, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Reggie Jackson, Juan Marichal and the long list of great players from the sixties and seventies. All I can say is to Joe is "Thanks for making baseball enjoyable to watch."

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords.  Tune into www.WPFLRADIO.com at 8:40 am EST every Friday for my Beyond the Commentary segment on "Lou in the Morning" with Lou Vickery and Jonathan McMath.

MARCH MADNESS: WHEN DOES IT REALLY BEGIN?

It's March and there is tournament basketball being played. The question is are we yet at madness or is it all just maddening? In an era when teams play sixteen to eighteen conference games, do we really need them to add another two or three on top of that? Does it make sense to do away with the conference tournaments, seed all 351 teams and just add a week to the NCAA tournament? Okay, let's take these questions in order.

Are we at madness or is it all just maddening? Yes. What I mean is it's a little of both. If we're talking about the Colonial Athletic Association or the American East, then March Madness begins with the conference tournament because only one school gets to the dance and that is the tournament champ. So in essence, the NCAA tournament begins with the tipoff of the conference tourney. If it's the Big Twelve or Pac-12 or any other power conference, it's just plain maddening. So a .500 conference record turns a little better and an Alabama ends up beating out a Minnesota for an NCAA tournament berth. Big deal.It's a zero sum game with very little overall benefit for the basketball fan. None of them really have a prayer of winning the national championship, just a shifting of number eight and nine seeds from one power conference also-ran to another.

In an era when teams play sixteen to eighteen conference games, do we really need them to add another two or three on top of that? Probably not. I would rather see more games between top non-conference opponents than another round of games involving opponents that are familiar with each other. In the era of eight team conferences, maybe the tournaments were a welcome addition to the regular season. But the glut of conference games and the myriad of tournament formats has added confusion and frankly, an overload of meaningless contests.

Does it make sense to do away with the conference tournaments, seed all 351 teams and just add a week to the NCAA tournament? Okay, maybe it's far-fetched, but think about it. Most conference tournaments require teams to win at least three games to capture a conference crown and the ticket to the dance. So why not just eliminate the conference tournaments and use those sites as NCAA tournament locations and include every team? I know this isn't an original idea, but it's one that I think merits genuine consideration. No one watches the Western Athletic Conference tournament from start to finish. But if the last place team in that league is playing Duke in a first round game, it'll definitely generate interest. Just think about this. We could actually expand the NCAA tournament to 256 teams and only add one more round, if you count the play-in games to get from 68 to 64 teams as a full round. So even though it sounds a bit extreme, it really wouldn't take all that much to pull it off. In fact, you'd end up with the top 160 teams or so getting a first round bye. Now talk about your March Madness!

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords.  Tune into www.WPFLRADIO.com at 8:40 am EST every Friday for my Beyond the Commentary segment on "Lou in the Morning" with Lou Vickery and Jonathan McMath.

SPORTS: SUBSTANCE OR HYPOCRISY?

It seems to me that we seem to be expecting a lot from our professional athletes. They need to fit a certain mold, project a particular personality and meet all of our expectations both on and off the field, court or ice. We justify those potentially unrealistic expectations by asserting that their high salaries and even higher public profiles demand that they should somehow be held to a higher standard. Yet there are a lot of people in this country and throughout the world that make a lot of money and frankly, have far more influence over our those things that really impact us on a day to day basis, that somehow escape the scrutiny through which we put our athletic achievers. In fact, the very media that reports every minor indiscretion would probably be hard pressed to undergo the same level of evaluation. I'm not talking about the criminal activities, which is generally inexcusable no matter who it is. But for some reason Robert Downey, Jr., Miley Cyrus and Charlie Sheen, to just name a few, can demand millions of dollars for their talent despite outrageous behavior, yet Cam Newton comes across a little surly in a post-game interview and all of a sudden he's no longer worthy of our respect as an exceptional athlete. Are you kidding me?

We have CEO's of major corporations that could buy and sell these supposedly highly paid athletes and not even worry about how to pay for their mansions, cars and other toys. Athletes, particularly football players, have prime earning years of maybe five or six years if they're lucky. Soccer is longer, so are basketball and baseball. But unlike the players that play the game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is making in the $30+ million range, yet the guys who actually do all of the work are prohibited from making that amount of money. As much of a sports fan and commentator as I am, there is a certain amount of hypocrisy that pervades the entire industry. Owners complain when a player tries to "maximize" their value, yet those same billionaires think nothing of holding a community hostage when trying to get the best stadium deal available. In college, coaches can jump from school to school, yet the athletes have to sit out a year if they want to transfer, even if the coach that recruited them bails for greener pastures. Really? How can anyone possibly argue that there is justice in that scenario?

And what about the NBA,  that for no apparent reason, has chosen to ruin not just their own game, but the college product as well by making kids go to college for a year before they're eligible for the draft. Really? Who exactly, other than John Calipari, is this benefitting? The kid who would otherwise get drafted right out of high school gets denied a year of earning power while the college coach that signs him has to figure out a way to build a team knowing that the kid won't be there beyond his freshman season. If a school pays a kids room and board for a few months, clearly knowing that they won't ever aspire to earning a degree, it diminishes the entire scholarship argument. I don't know the exact best solution, but I can certainly tell when the current one isn't even close. From the AAU programs killing high school basketball, to the one and done's killing college basketball and to the fundamentally unprepared players entering and killing the NBA, there is really no good level exhibiting solid and entertaining basketball. One of the reasons I believe the Golden State Warriors are so dominant is that they, along with the San Antonio Spurs, are one of the few teams that actually play basketball the was it was intended to be played.

And going back a few years, the best example of total hypocrisy was the steroid era in Major League Baseball. Are you kidding me? In an effort to rebound from the lost 1994 season, MLB decided to turn a blind eye to the performance enhancing drugs permeating the game. Instead, they promoted the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, two obvious juicers, which eventually forced more talented players like Barry Bonds to join the fray so they could remain competitive. And in the ultimate insult, the league then leaked drug testing results which ultimately villified Bonds and others, including Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens, for alleged acts that at the time weren't even against the rules. If you think that's insane, it only gets better. Then we have the Hall of Fame voters who arbitrarily decide who gets in and who gets left out based on unsubstantiated claims of innocence when it comes to PED use. How do they know who juiced and who didn't? Okay, Bonds ended up looking like a Zika virus baby, but most others didn't have quite so obvious a manifestation of the effects. I don't believe John Smoltz, Dennis Martinez and some of the others in the latest HOF classes were PED users, but how do we really know? In the prime of their careers, there was no testing and by the way, as I mentioned before, it wasn't against the rules. So how does anyone really know, and great players like Barry Bonds and roger Clemens, both HOF caliber players even before the steroid years, get left out.

And yet, despite of or perhaps because of all of the hypocrisy, we still watch, we still listen and we still comment on the action. Because at the end of the day, it's what happens on the field, on the court, on the ice and on the course that holds our interest. Athletes come, they play and they retire, to be replaced by the next wave. And still we cheer, groan, cry and rejoice at what happens. It's sports and it endures.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords.  Tune into www.WPFLRADIO.com at 8:40 am EST every Friday for my Beyond the Commentary segment on "Lou in the Morning" with Lou Vickery and Jonathan McMath.

A LITTLE 19TH HOLE CONVERSATION: STATE OF THE PGA TOUR AND MISSING TIGER

Spring training has started, the NFL Combine is in full swing and the Golden State Warriors have made rest of the NBA look like their very own version of the Washington Generals, the longtime whipping boys of the Harlem Globetrotters. March Madness is still a couple of weeks from captivating us, the Masters at Augusta won't begin until the azaleas are in bloom, the Stanley Cup playoffs won't get started for a couple of months and even tennis' next grand slam, the French Open won't get underway until May. If I sound a bit bored by the entire scene, then you're doing a good job of reading my mood. We're only three weeks removed from the Super Bowl and it feels like months ago that the Broncos held off the Panthers. So maybe it's time to talk about golf.

The world's top ranked player misses a cut at a prestigious tournament, fan favorites Ricky Fowler and Phil Mickelson blow final round leads in consecutive weeks and the previous next big thing, Rory McIlroy is once again trying to find his consistency. Last I heard, Tiger Woods was playing with his kids in Florida and hiding in football luxury suites, far removed from the lush landscapes where he once dominated his sport. Maybe he and Peyton Manning are sitting around drinking beer, lamenting injuries and falls from grace, discussing the pros and cons of calling it quits. 2007 began with Manning leading the Colts to a Super Bowl title and ended with Tiger Woods winning seven times on tour, including the PGA Championship (his 13th and next to last major), FedEx Cup Championship and PGA Tour Player of the Year. Now Woods is a Ryder Cup assistant captain, all but forgotten as the 2016 season ends it's run on the wast coast and heads to Florida in preparation for the first major of the year at Augusta, and Peyton Manning is probably headed into retirement after a Super Bowl victory and revelations of a potentially ugly episode most likely attributed to the stupidity of youth.

Jordan Spieth, the golden boy of the last couple of seasons, seems to be struggling to adjust to the fame and fortune that have come his way. Is he the next Tiger Woods? Hardly. Catch this stat: in almost twenty years on tour, Woods has missed fifteen cuts, with many of those coming in the last few years as he's battled back from injury. Spieth, at the rip old age of 23, has already failed to qualify for the weekend 13 times. What always set Tiger Woods apart from his peers, if you could call them that, was his ability to grind out a good score even if he wasn't playing at his best. That trait contributed greatly to his unbelievable record of making cuts. Do I sound like I believe the players of today don't share the same trait? I hope so, because the money that is generated, partially due to the popularity of the game that can be attributed to Woods, has made the top professional golfers a little soft and seemingly spoiled. Spieth, in a desire to capitalize on his popularity, went globe trotting this past winter and while his bank account is probably pretty hefty, his game seems to have suffered a bit. Look, I'm not begrudging Spieth, or for that matter McIlroy, Watson, Fowler, Day, Dustin Johnson or any other good players from cashing in. But what most of them don't do enough of to win me over is to compete and win.

It's easy to forget that even before Tiger Woods turned pro, he won six consecutive USGA titles, all in match play. Beginning with the 1991 U.S. Junior Amateur, he won 36 consecutive matches, an unbelievably impressive feat. No one before him or since has come close to that kind of dominance. I believe that his match play mentality is what made him such a fierce competitor and enabled him to continue to stay focused even when he wasn't at his best. If it appears that I'm a big fan of Woods, it's because I am and have been for almost twenty-five years. Can any of the players of today aspire to the kind of career he had? Perhaps, but only if they stay laser focused on their game and on winning tournaments. From 1997 to 2008 (12 seasons), Woods won fourteen majors, ten player of the year awards and eight Vardon Trophies for the low scoring average. That's an incredible run that I just don't see being duplicated anytime soon. It's bad enough that football season is over,  but I don't even get to look forward to turning to Tiger Woods to fill the gap between February and September.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords.  Tune into www.radiobookshelf.com at 8:40 am EST every Friday for my Beyond the Commentary segment on "Lou in the Morning" with Lou Vickery and Jonathan McMath.

DENVER DEFENSE SHUTS DOWN THE MVP TO WIN SUPER BOWL 50

As I predicted last week, the Denver Broncos were able to contain, and in most cases, shut down the Carolina Panthers' MVP quarterback Cam Newton and win an ugly Super Bowl by the score of 24 - 10. Newton saw a lot of white shirts virtually from start to finish, becoming increasingly frustrated, ultimately to the point of ineffectiveness. I thought that the Panther offense would be better than they played, but in the end, the relentless pressure was just too much for a team without a legitimate deep threat.

Peyton' Legacy: I was asked during a radio appearance this morning what I thought the win did for Peyton Manning's place in football history. It's an excellent point of discussion and I feel it just solidified him as one of the top five or six QB's ever to play in the NFL. Now he can stand with Brady, Montana, Unitas and a few others with multiple championships. Unlike Marino, he was able to put the "can't win the big one" commentary behind him. Manning's career postseason record of 14 - 13 isn't particularly glossy, but it does include four trips to the Super Bowl with four different coaches and two different teams, a pretty stunning accomplishment. It also means he led his team to fifteen playoff appearances, no small feat in a league where just over a third of the teams qualify for postseason play. I would have to think that Manning will stroll into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, secure with a lasting legacy.

More Manning: Is The Ride Over? I'm going to have to predict that it is. His behavior after the game, referring to drinking some beers and having a good time is a stark contrast to his normal demeanor. He has little else to prove to himself, the fans and the media. There's almost no way he will be able to return to the Broncos, whose only motivation in having Manning in the first place was to do just what they did this season. They were built for the short term and accomplished their collective goal. It was a great one, but every career comes to an end. It would be nice to have the final Peyton Manning memory one of him standing on stage, smiling and holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Can the Panthers Make a Return Trip? It's going to be difficult. The stars aligned for Carolina, with a favorable schedule and a weak division that will certainly be tougher next season. The Seahawks are probably not going away, the Rams might be more focused with a new home in L.A., the Redskins played well at the end of the season, the Packers look poised to make another run if Aaron Rodgers gets healthy, the Cowboys might be a force if they can get 14 or 15 starts out of Tony Romo and the Cardinals will contend again if they can get solid quarterback play from an aging Carson Palmer or his replacement. Obviously, the Panthers could make another run, but history is against them. It's just very difficult to do it in back-to-back seasons, making the Buffalo Bills' appearance in four consecutive Super Bowls quite an accomplishment, even if they weren't able to pull out a win.

Commercials, Halftime Show, Cam Newton's Press Conference: I'm an avid football fan and commentator, so anything outside of the action on the field isn't that interesting to me. I certainly understand the appeal to many casual fans or observers who tune in for the side shows, but I don't tend to pay a lot of attention to it. That being said, I thought the Beyonce - Bruno Mars choreography was cool, there were a few entertaining commercials and in the end, Cam Newton could have handled himself better in the aftermath of a devastating loss. It's not necessarily fair that the losing team's players have to face the media so soon after the game, but that's the world we live in and if you're going accept the money, fame and glory, then you need to be prepared to handle the unpleasantness as well. I'm sure Cam Newton will learn from the experience.

Preview of Next Year: As I alluded to earlier, I think the NFC is going to be crowded at the top next season. In the AFC, Oakland is a potential team on the rise, as are the Jets and Texans.  The mainstays will also stick around, with Indianapolis probably returning to form behind Andrew Luck, New England doing what New England does, Denver contending again if that defense stays healthy and Pittsburgh making a case with their multi-faceted offensive power.

The Hard Part: We now face that long stretch of almost seven months with no meaningful NFL or college football games. It was a great season, with a lot of story lines on which to comment and two deserving champions in Denver and Alabama. For me, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be on WPFL radio and the Radio Bookshelf with my Beyond the Commentary segment every Friday morning at 8:40 am EST. In addition, I begin a Thursday night broadcast from 8:30 - 10:30 pm EST on MRN in February.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords.  Tune into www.radiobookshelf.com at 8:40 am EST every Friday for my Beyond the Commentary segment on "Lou in the Morning" with Lou Vickery and Jonathan McMath.

FRIDAY'S SUPER BOWL THOUGHTS AND MY LAST PICK OF THE SEASON

ESPN's Media Blitz: I like the Super Bowl as much as the next person, but ESPN seems to like it a lot. I'm surprised they don't have a show airing from a cable car or a studio hanging from the Golden Gate bridge. One of their shows actually took place in the general's residence at one of the army posts in the area. I don't think anyplace was safe from the ESPN invasion. How much can one game possibly be covered? I mean, it's the Broncos and the Panthers. Peyton Manning and Cam Newton. Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, Von Miller and Demarcus Ware. Wait a minute, I think I just boiled it all down to six guys. A full week of coverage from San Francisco for about 237 shows? Really?

Manning's Swan Song, Cam's Disrespect? Of course, about 236 of those shows have focused on two issues. Is this Peyton Manning's last game and has Cam Newton been portrayed unfairly? Let's take the Manning one first. It's pretty simple. Either he knows already or not, and at this point, he's not talking about it. I would suspect that at the age of 38 and facing the prospect of preparing for another season, and with a new team at that, he is probably going to call it a career. But we might not know that for a while. Regarding Cam Newton, I like him and I think his antics on the field are refreshing. If you're an opposing team and don't like it, then the best way to stop him from celebrating is to keep his team out of the end zone. Is there a racial component to all of this? Possibly, but I think most fans have gotten past all of that. It's really interesting to me that people will bash the NFL for not allowing celebrations, but when someone displays genuine exuberance, they're vilified for it.

Santa Clara is not San Francisco: I heard a number of commentators talk about the lack of Super Bowl vibes in San Francisco. What do you expect? The game is being played almost 60 miles south of the City by the Bay, much closer to San Jose, where the teams are staying. When the Super Bowl was played up the road in Palo Alto at Stanford stadium, it was fifteen miles closer to San Fran, about 45 minutes in California traffic. What did these guys expect from a game that is drawing 70,000 fans to a metropolitan area that numbers almost 9 million people?

Can the Broncos Contain Cam Newton? This game really hinges on the ability of the Broncos to limit the Panthers' dangerous QB's big play chances. In the AFC championship game, Denver repeatedly put Tom Brady on his back, a difficult place from which to make plays. It'll be harder for the Broncos to do that to a bigger, stronger, more mobile quarterback, but Newton has the same problem Brady had: Outside of a talented tight end, there isn't a Panther receiver that can truly stretch the field. The Broncos are the toughest defense the Panthers have played, with the talent to rush from the outside and inside. The first quarter will be the key to this football game. If Denver can withstand an early push by the Panthers and take the game into the second half, they have a chance to put Cam in pressure situations.

Does Young and Brash Beat Old and Seasoned? It's a mixed bag in Super Bowl history. Namath beat Unitas, but Plunkett beat Theismann. Wilson beat Manning, but Brady beat Wilson. Two years ago, Peyton Manning's Broncos were absolutely humiliated by a talented and enthusiastic Seattle Seahawk team led by a tenacious defense and multi-faceted quarterback. Sound familiar? Yes, with one exception. The Denver defense this time around is built for post-season football and Wade Phillips is a terrific defensive coordinator. Manning gets two weeks to get healthy and Phillips gets two weeks to game plan for Cam Newton. Two years ago the Broncos were gashed by the running of Russell Wilson. I'm not so sure Newton will have the same success, but if he does, the Panthers will win.

Super Bowl Prediction: I've picked the Broncos in their first two playoff games, going with my heart and definitely against the grain. I'll go out sticking with Peyton Manning to do what John Elway did for the same team, win a title in his last game and ride off into the sunset, humming the Nationwide theme song with a saddle bag full of Papa John's pizzas. Why the Broncos? I just think their defense will disrupt the Panthers enough to give Manning a chance to engineer a few effective drives. Could Carolina do the same thing the Seahawks did? Sure, especially if they jump out on top like they did against Seattle and Arizona. Will they? I don't think so.  

Denver Broncos (14 - 4) 24  Carolina Panthers (17 - 1) 23

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. 

NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: CLOSE PICKS AND BRADY-MANNING FOR A FIFTH TIME IN THE PLAYOFFS

New England (13 - 4) 24 @ Denver (13 - 4) 27: Is this the final time we'll see Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the two best quarterbacks of their generation, facing off in a playoff game? It certainly feels like it, not because Brady is nearing the end, but more that Manning's physical abilities seem to be diminishing to the point that we can legitimately question whether he can return for another season. Certainly both the Broncos and the Patriots are fully capable of putting playoff caliber teams on the field for years to come. But it's doubtful that future Denver squads will be led by Peyton Manning. Overall, Brady holds a significant edge in wins over Manning. In the playoffs, however, both have won twice on their home fields. In this game, what Denver needs to do to get Manning to his fourth Super Bowl in pretty simple. They can't give Brady time to find TE Rob Gronkowski or WR Julian Edelman open for short passes, like they were able to do last week against Kansas City. On the other side of the ball, the Bronco receivers can't drop passes like they did against the Steelers. For the Patriots, they just have to do what they do, and that is to consistently find a way to move the chains on offense and make Manning sustain long drives, something he hasn't been able to do on a consistent basis. For me, I'm struggling with whether to make this pick with my head, or go with the heart. I'm a long-standing Manning fan, partially because he played for the Colts, the team that preceded the Redskins as my favorite NFL team. I was probably more a John Unitas fan than I was one for the team with which he played, and the same was true of Manning's time in Indianapolis. When he moved on to Denver, my allegiance followed. Now, nearing the end of his illustrious career, his long-time nemesis stands between Manning a a potential career-ending Super Bowl victory. If the Broncos can't get to Brady, his receivers are healthy and the Broncos make a mistake or two, then the Patriots will be headed to Santa Cruz for Super Bowl L. My head says that's more likely than not, but every once in a while things work out the way they're supposed to in sports and that would surely be Peyton Manning getting rewarded with a second Championship, a la John Elway. So the heart it is.

 Arizona (14 - 3) 27 @ Carolina (16 - 1) 31: Is there more pressure when you represent an entire state as opposed to just a city? And in the case of Carolina, it could be that they are carrying the hopes of a couple of states, even though they play in the northern one. Anyway, I digress. Regardless of geographical details, these two teams own the top records in the NFL. They both performed consistently well throughout the season, with the exception of Arizona's abysmal game against the Seahawks to end the regular season. The biggest concern for Panther fans is going to be their inability to hold some big leads late in games. It didn't actually end up costing them any wins, but eventually that can come back to haunt a team. For the other team, Cardinal fans should be concerned about the back-to-back lackluster home performances and now the team needs to find a way to go on the road and get back to the level of play they had during a nine game winning streak that included four victories over playoff teams, the same number the Panthers recorded during the entire season. Overall, these teams are very evenly matched, and the three point spread in Carolina's favor is due only to the home field advantage. As we saw last week, west coast teams heading east can be difficult, but the Seahawks had to be ready to play at 10:00 am PST. With the 5:40 pm start, the Cardinals have the advantage of a more normal kickoff from a body clock perspective. If Arizona can click again on offense and slow down Panther QB Cam Newton, they have a good chance at the win. But there is just something about this Carolina team that seems destined to get to the Super Bowl. Their defense is tenacious and even though Seattle got to within a touchdown last week, it never seemed as if the Panthers were in danger of getting caught. Did they get a little conservative on offense? Sure. Did they have a breakdown or two on special teams? Absolutely. But in the end, are they playing for a spot in the Super Bowl? Yes. Can they take the next step? I think so.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. 

A TRIBUTE TO GLENN FREY AND THE EAGLES

For those of us fortunate to come of age in the 1970's, the music of the Eagles was a virtual soundtrack of the decade. Beginning with Take it Easy and ending with Heartache Tonight, the band went through transformations, both in their membership and musical style. But at the core always remained Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Their first studio album was released in 1971 and their last, at least before a recent resurrection, in 1979. Truly, they were a group of the '70's.

One of my first concerts featured the Eagles and the opening act was Linda Ronstadt. Looking back, I had considered it just another rock show, but now I realize how special it was. As I'm writing this I'm listening to the Eagles, and at this very moment it's Take it Easy, and tears are filling my eyes as Glenn Frey recites the lyrics that for all of us are forever embedded in our memories.


This space is usually reserved for commentary on sports, but even the Duke - Syracuse basketball game that is muted on the television screen takes a backseat to the passing of one of the truly influential singer-songwriters of our time. The Eagles, along with Jackson Browne and a few others, collectively created a genre of music that even to this day has not really been replicated. From Take it Easy to Desperado to Already Gone to Take it to the Limit to Hotel California and Life in the Fast Lane, they told the story of a generation maturing from young and carefree to one that was assuming responsibility, and not always willingly.

For me, the early college years were difficult, and there were many a night where the only way I could persevere was to put the Eagles albums on the turntable, place headphones on my ears and listen my troubles away. The passing today of Glenn Frey brings back some of those memories and stirs feelings that only music can revive. Perhaps it's because his death brings us closer to realizing our own mortality or it's just the sadness that comes with knowing that another great artist has left us. Whatever it is, it's powerful and it's real and it's worth noting.

As many of you, I will spend this evening listening to the music and voice of Glenn Frey and I will fondly remember what was, miss what could have been and be grateful for what is. God bless and prayers for those that knew and loved Glenn Frey. For now, I'm just going to go back to my youth and just try to take it easy.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first two, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel" and "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. 

NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND PICKS: CAN STEELERS BEAT THE BRONCOS WITHOUT ANTONIO BROWN?

After all four road teams recorded victories in the wild card round, the Pittsburgh Steelers head to Denver this week without the services of Wide Receiver Antonio Brown, who is generally responsible for a significant portion of their offensive production. In addition, they're down two running backs and QB Ben Roethlisberger is still banged up from the Cincinnati game. In Foxboro, New England is hoping to end Kansas City's eleven game winning streak as the Chiefs try to build on the beat down they put on the Texans last week. Carson Palmer, at the age of 36, is still chasing his first playoff victory and to get it, he'll need his Cardinals to outscore a Packers team that suddenly found some offense last week against the Redskins. And after escaping with what can only be described as a lucky win in frigid Minnesota, the Seahawks head to Charlotte to avenge an earlier defeat by the Panthers.

Kansas City (12 - 5) 27 @ New England (12 - 4) 24: The Patriots faltered down the stretch, partially due to injuries to key skill players and the offensive line. Justin Edelman and Rob Gronkowski will play, but neither one is necessarily 100%. The keys to the game will be the Chiefs being able to generate a pass rush against the Pats, forcing Brady to get rid of the ball quickly, and New England pressuring Chiefs QB Alex Smith into making some sloppy plays. The Patriots are 5 point favorites, but I like the momentum the Chiefs have. Their defense is stout and even though they have some guys back, the Patriots are still nursing some injuries. Have the Pats continually found ways to win these games over the years? Absolutely. But not today.

Green Bay (11 - 6) 17 @ Arizona (13 - 3) 30: Until the Cardinals stunk it up against the Seahawks in their regular season finale, most experts agreed that they had the most talented roster in the NFC, if not the entire league. But it was an ugly and uninspired 36 - 6 loss, prompting many to question their earlier assessment. Meanwhile, the Packers feasted on an inexperienced playoff team in Washington and head to the desert with some renewed confidence. Unfortunately for them, the Cardinals' personnel hasn't changed from the team that drubbed Green Bay 38 - 8 to cap a nine game winning streak just three weeks ago. Can the Pack change that outcome? Possibly. Will they? Probably not.

Seattle (11 - 6) 20 @  Carolina (15 - 1) 31: In week 6, the Panthers went to Seattle and pulled out a come from behind victory to run their record to 5 - 0. They've only had one loss since, but after falling to 2 - 4 after the loss to Carolina, Seattle is almost as hot, winning nine of eleven to get a chance at revenge. Despite their appearances in the division round and 26 wins between them, these two teams each recorded only four W's against teams with winning records, and two of Seattle's were against the same team, the Vikings. That means the Seahawks only beat three teams with winning records. I think a rested Panthers' defense, led by cornerback Josh Norman and linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, will make it difficult for what is probably a tired Seattle offense to make many big plays. On the other side of the ball, Cam Newton has blossomed into an elite quarterback and probably the leader for the MVP. Even though Carolina hasn't traditionally had a big home field advantage, the biggest edge they get this week is that their stadium is almost 3000 miles from Seattle.

Pittsburgh (11 - 6) 23 @ Denver (12 - 4) 27: The Broncos are one of the unlikeliest and least dominant conference front runners in a long time. They have an awesome defense, but Peyton Manning looks, well, how can I say it? He looks like a 38 year old guy trying to play what is probably the most important position in professional team sports. He led Denver to a big win against the Chargers to end the season, but he only threw the ball for 69 yards. When these teams last met in week 15, a balanced Denver attack had them in the lead after three quarters, before a Steeler comeback secured the game in a must win situation for Pittsburgh. Antonio Brown had 16 catches for 189 yards and a pair for scores, but he won't be in Denver Sunday night. A more troubling stat for the Steelers is the 24 yards they were held to on the ground by the Broncos defense. With Brown out at receiver, running backs Bell and Williams on the sideline and Big Ben nursing an injured shoulder, it doesn't look good for Pittsburgh. I've been saying for weeks that if the Steelers got into the playoffs they would be dangerous, but not this group. Too many injuries and a rested Peyton Manning for Denver point to a win for the home team and hope for one last season of glory for their fabled QB.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. The third installment, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier" is due out on  January 18.

HUE JACKSON TAKES NFL'S CLEVELAND BROWNS HEAD COACHING JOB: DOES HE KNOW SOMETHING WE DON'T?

2 - 14, 3 - 13, 7 - 9, 9 - 7 (lost to the Steelers in the wild card round in their only playoff appearance in this run), 5 - 11, 4 - 12, 10 - 6, 4 - 12, 5 - 11, 5 - 11, 4 - 12, 5 - 11, 4 - 12, 7 - 9, 3 - 13...In case you haven't guessed it, those are the records of the Cleveland Browns since they regained the franchise that was taken to Baltimore by Art Modell following the 1995 NFL season. That's thirteen double digit loss seasons out of the last seventeen, in a league that's designed to promote parity. Are you kidding me? How bad can an organization get? Why, when opportunities exist in San Francisco with five Super Bowl titles, including an appearance with their current starting QB, and with the New York Giants, winners of four titles, two of which came with much of their current roster, would former Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator Hue Jackson take the Cleveland head coaching job? The QB situation is a circus, the front office is a train wreck and the team is in total disarray.

Jackson is now the Browns' ninth coach since 1999. That's triple the number that Pittsburgh has employed since 1969. Butch Davis is the top of the heap, winning a whopping 41% of his games at the helm. The NBA has the 76ers and the NFL is stuck with the Browns. Talk about perpetual ineptitude, these guys would have passed on Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Andrew Luck and anyone else that might have been able to help in resurrecting this crappy franchise. Why the fans still show up to watch this team is a mystery to me. And now Hue Jackson, with opportunities still available in San Francisco and New York, chose a job that will be his for maybe two years if he's fortunate. Of course, the last head coaching job he accepted was with the Oakland Raiders, so maybe he's just a glutton for punishment. He lasted one season where he went 8 - 8, not a bad record in the other city by the bay. He has no chance for that kind of result in the next couple of years with the Browns.

Cleveland needs a quarterback, and party boy Johnny Football isn't the answer. The problem is there is unlikely to be a franchise signal caller in this draft. So why did Jackson take on this almost hopeless reclamation project? Maybe owner Jimmy Haslam sold Jackson on the changes he's made in the front office, much like the displays at his truck stops that funded his purchase of the Browns. Call me crazy, but I'm pretty skeptical about Haslam's chances of putting a winning football team in Cleveland. Just ask Jerry Jones how it's worked out for him in Dallas since the advent of free agency. Ditto Daniel Snyder in the nation's capital and Arthur Blank in Atlanta, despite what amounts to unlimited funds. Maybe they should consult the Rooneys in Pittsburgh, the Maras in New York and Robert Kraft in New England about hiring good football people, then getting out of the way and letting them do their job. The last time I checked, they've won eight of the last fifteen Super Bowls.

I wish Hue Jackson much success, even if there is probably a greater chance that I won the $1.5 Billion Power Ball drawing tonight. Some organizations are toxic, and unfortunately for football fans in Cleveland, the Browns are one of those. You can't fire the owner. Just ask me, I'm a Redskins fan.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. The third installment, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier" is due out in January.