For a guy who steps in front of more than 2000 frozen pucks a year, it's ironic that Roberto Luongo couldn't come up with the biggest save of his life....and that is why he's now headed to Vancouver. A place that is the polar opposite of South Florida, both literally and figuratively.

The problem for Roberto was that he never trusted the organization. He conducted negotiations like a paranoid bank robber holding someone hostage. The demands (1) Publicly announce to the people of South Florida that he would never be traded. (2) Fire the Panthers current goaltending coach and bring in the guy who has coached Luongo since he was a child. (3) Re-sign Luongo's good friend/backup goalie Jamie McLennan who went 2-4 last year and has a career record of 77-104. Can you imagine asking your boss to re-sign your best friend? In what other line of work would you include in your contract "Make sure Bob from accounting will be an employee here for a long time to come." The boss would laugh you out of his office. Roberto Luongo needed a wakeup call and now he's got one. His demands were ridiculous. Re-hiring a best friend, bringing in an old family friend, having the team make public declarations about him. It's absolutely absurd. But the crazy thing is the Panthers were willing to do all of that and they actually were set to re-sign Luongo. But at the 11th hour, Luongo and his agent decided to ask for even more money. And that's when the Panthers said enough is enough. The Panthers were already willing to pay him $6 million per year. Nobody gets that! The winningest goalies in hockey this year were Marty Turco and Martin Brodeur. Turco made just over $3 million this year and Brodeur made just over $5. The goalie with the best Goals Against was Mikka Kiprusoff. You know how much he made?? Just under $3 million. And finally, the winning goalie in the Stanley Cup was a 22-year old rookie, Cam Ward, who doesn't even make $1 million per year. Yet Luongo wanted $6 million and the Panthers were willing. Luongo asked for more and that was the last straw. You know how many playoff games Robert Luongo has won? 0. Let me spell it out for you: Z-E-R-O.

Luongo didn't trust the organization and in the back of his mind, he never believed they'd be a contender. That was the fatal flaw. So he probably thought, "As long as I'm here I want to be comfortable. So let me surround myself with substitutes for winning: friends and money." But the problem was trust.

In return the 'Cats get a former 40-goal scorer who needed a major change of scenery, Bertuzzi, and a young goalie who actually has more playoff wins than Luongo: Alex Auld. And oddly enough, Auld was originally drafted by the Panthers back in 1999. Vancouver also threw in a solid defenseman for good measure. Remember, the Panthers were not just one player away. They needed to add pieces.

Yes, Luongo was a fan favorite and yes, a goalie is the most important position in hockey. But when said-player starts making outrageous demands that humiliate the franchise, and when he loses complete trust in the team, then it's time to go. And as good as Luongo is, the Panthers had more than one hole to fill and Luongo's salary wouldn't have allowed them to be a better TEAM. He's not a bad guy but it was not meant to work here. He's a stellar goalie who just needs to mature. It's easy to get caught in your comfort zone. But things had to change. And I'm sure years from now, Roberto will agree.

So this is what's it's all about! But for as truly special as Dwyane Wade has been, my thoughts keep gravitating back to Pat Riley because this was all about him. Vintage Riley. From the moment he traded Eddie Jones to just last week when the Heat were on the verge of going down 3-0 in the Finals, the Heat have been critiqued, criticized, bashed, analyzed and ripped. But I am a first hand witness to Pat Riley and the power of positive thinking. You see, all that stuff he says in the media isn't just rhetoric. It isn't just something he says when the cameras are rolling. He not only believes in it 100%, he lives it. The man absolutely lives it. Constantly positive, if you give him an inch, he'll make a mile out of it. Give him anything that could be different from the norm and he'll use it as motivation. From Dallas planning a victory parade after 2 games, to just sensing players and what buttons to push. The guy absolutely and truly believed his team would come back to win this series. And when you're around somebody like that all day, everyday of your life, you start to believe it.

Pat Riley is a changed man. He is humble. By his own admission, he used to be horrificly hard on players. Ripping into them without any mercy. But losing changed him. When he hit rock bottom a few years ago and stepped down as head coach, he changed. Just like the Heat changed after they lost to Detroit last year. Just like Dallas is bound to improve after coming so close. You have to lose to know how to win. That's just the way life works. Pat Riley began to appreciate things more. He began to appreciate people more. In the pursuit of winning, he had taken some things for granted. Treated some people, maybe the way he shouldn't have. But at 61 years of age, he has changed. He's matured, he's mellowed (slightly) and he has started enjoying the journey. It's not just about the end anymore, it's about the means. And it has shown. He's still as passionate as ever about the game, but he enjoys it more. It's the same metamorphosis Bill Parcells has gone through. Maybe it just comes with age.

Pat Riley is just a great life coach. One of those guys that if you hung around with him for a few months, you would come out of it feeling great, organized and focused. He's always had the passion but nowadays the hair isn't so dark, there are a lot more wrinkles, and a limp from a sore hip and now we see Riles for what he is. A winner. A winner in life. If you always believe, 100% of the time, you can't go wrong in life. 9 out of 10 people would have had serious doubts once the Heat went down 2-0. But he believed. After Game 3 and "The Comeback", Riley was more relaxed and happy as I've ever seen him. And yet his team was still down 2-1. But he knew they would win it all. Despite not having the best roster in the league, he knew. He's just a believer. It's a joy to watch because he savors the richness of it now. He's not the same guy who appeared flashy at times for making bold predictions, giving amped up motivational speeches to corporations and fronting the slicked back hair.

As great as Dwyane Wade is, without Pat Riley, this wouldn't have happened. Riley honed Gary Payton's ultra-competitiveness to play within the team game, he got Antoine Walker to take a backseat role and he even helped Jason Williams eliminate flashy mistakes. How coaches could have done that? In one season, nonetheless. Pay attention to Riles. Take notes. He's a winner. A legend. One of the greatest coaches in the history of sports. And I have a feeling he's not done yet.

Just a few things I picked up after watching Game 1.....

-Gary Payton completely outplayed Jason Williams for 2 reasons:
1). The Mavericks had trouble scoring with Payton in the game. The Heat went on their late run to cut it to 3 when Payton replaced Williams. Williams defense is so bad, he was getting burned by Terry constantly (as evidenced by Terry's 32 points).
2). On offense, Payton did a much better job of getting the ball to Shaq. He was constantly trying to feed the Big Fella. Not only was Williams not finding Shaq, but he wasn't being aggressive with his shot. He has to take advantage of Terry's mediocre defense and drive to the hoop. Otherwise Williams brings nothing to the table right now. They must wear out Terry.

-Not only are the Mavs talented but they are extremely well prepared. Dallas knew that Dwyane Wade loves to go to his right and there were two crucial sequences late in the 4th when Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki exaggerated heavily to Wade's right. Wade went left and turned it over on one play and took a bad shot on the other.

-Avery Johnson pulled a Bill Belichick. Find the other team's biggest weakness and eat away at it, relentlessly. Jason Williams' defense was a glaring weakness waiting to be exploited. Detroit and Chauncey Billups didn't take advantage of it but Dallas did. Jason Terry worked Avery Johnson's plan to perfection.

-Antoine Walker has to know when to pass up a shot and feed it into Shaq. The Heat were within 3 in the final minutes when Walker took a somewhat open 3 and missed. But 'toine's got to play the percentages. There's a 60% chance Shaq will score. There's a 30% chance Walker will make a 3. Worst comes to worst, Shaq can always pass it off of a double team. The Heat do not want to live and die off the shot of Antoine Walker. Just way too inconsistent

That's my prediction. The Heat are just playing too well, they're peaking at exactly the right time. You almost get the feeling that they've already cleared the real hurdle, the Pistons. Kind of like when the Red Sox came back to beat the Yankees in the playoffs. Once they got to the World Series, you knew it was over. And sure enough they swept the Cardinals. That scenario happens a lot in sports when a team gets over a certain hurdle...they become mentally unbeatable and it shows in their play. I'm not saying the NBA Finals will be a blowout, but I just don't see this team losing. They have one of the greatest players of all time (Shaq) who is being coached by one of the greatest court generals of all time (Riley) and a guy who looks like he may go down as one of the greatest of all time (Wade). Yes Dirk Novitzki is playing MVP-ball but the Mavs just don't have the Finals experience. Avery Johnson may have won a title with the Spurs but Shaq and Riley have been to a combined 15 NBA Finals winning 9 of them (that includes as a player, assistant & head coach). Those numbers are astronomical. The Mavs are a very good team and Avery is one heck of a young coach but the Heat are playing too well, too focused, totally zoned in, disciplined, gritty, tough and after beating the Pistons....deep down inside...... they know they are going to win this thing. Heat in 6.

What a difference a year makes. It's a role reversal from last season. Last year Detroit had that swagger, that no matter how much they were losing by, they would come back and win. This year, Miami gives us that feeling. That unmistakable confidence. Here's a few reasons why:

-Dwyane Wade keeps improving every year to the point that it has become routine to watch him make absolutely ridiculous plays. Not only that, the guy steps up in the biggest moments of the game when everything is on the line. That's what separates superstars from good players. His scoring average has increased in each round of the playoffs this year from 24 to 27 to nearly 31. He's shooting an absurd 69% against the Pistons and his outside shot has finally come around (hitting 50% from downtown in the playoffs, up from 17% during the season).

-Pat Riley has made such a huge difference on this team. He just always has that air of confidence about him. He's got the championship rings. He's got the knowledge of 20 NBA seasons in his back pocket. He's got the swagger. And all that stuff rubs off on his players. They live it and breathe it everyday and eventually, which has become now, they have taken Riley's persona for themselves. Just look at game 2. They were down and out yet never lost that Riley swagger and ended up scoring 17 points in the final 2 minutes to nearly comeback and win it. Riley is a legend like Phil Jackson, Bill Parcells or Vince Lombardi and we are seeing why. 16 division titles and 4 NBA championships and he's still going strong.

- The supporting cast has finally come around. If either one of Walker, Payton, Williams, Posey or Haslem have a good game, the Heat will win. Plain and simple. You can always count on Shaq and Wade. Anything else is gravy.

-The Pistons are lost without Larry Brown. They just don't play defense. They're not gritty enough on D. Even Flip Saunders said a few days ago that they weren't playing "grimy" enough on defense. But part of that is his fault. Flip's known as an offensive coach and all he focused on during the season was offense. But offense doesn't win championships, just ask Peyton Manning. Not only that, but because they don't play defense, they lose offense because they're not getting transition buckets. They're soft on D and on offense. Jump shots and that's it. They never push it inside for long periods of time. Soft and flashy. All offense, no defense. Defense equals heart and the Pistons have none. You can tell just by listening to them. Through the series first 4 games, they've complained about officials, complained about being fatigued and even complained about their own coach. But they've never said "You know what, we're just getting outplayed right now and that's it. We've got to work harder." They've never accepted the responsibility and put it squarely on their shoulders.

-And they don't respect Flip at all. As long as they were winning it was fine. But when the losing starts, that's the true test. And the Pistons have failed. Flip had a reputation for underachieving in the playoffs while with Minnesota. That's because defense becomes more important than offense in the postseason. And that's Flip's weakness. You think he would have caught on by now. He's like a poor-man's Don Nelson. And as much as the Pistons players hated Larry Brown (yep, they despised him) he got the most out of them. He kept them on edge, which kept them from getting complacent. This year they got way too much freedom on offense and they became complacent and lazy. You can get away with that during the regular season but not during the playoffs.

-Former NY Knicks Hall of Fame coach Red Holzman once said "If you play good hard defense, the offense will take care of itself." Poor Red would be rolling over in his grave watching the Pistons. And proud of the Heat. Offense comes and goes, you can't rely on it for 48 minutes a game. But if you play defense, that will not only stop the opposing team, but it will also lead to transition buckets. Before this series started I though the Heat would win in 7. But because Miami is playing the best ball in the history of this franchise while the Pistons are whining instead of working, this series is already over.

Everyone else has. No one, from the top national prognosticators to the local media to Pat Riley was sold on this team earlier in the year. Riles admits he had his doubts about the team he assembled. Charles Barkley called the Heat's supporting cast "slugs." But you can't blame anyone for their early analysis because up until now, Miami had not played to their potential. But that's the beauty of sports and it's why we keep getting hooked. The Heat were not the best team in basketball (heck, not even the best in their own conference) after 82 games this year. The Pittsburgh Steelers were not the best team in football after 16 games last year. The Texas Longhorns weren't the #1 ranked team heading into the Rose Bowl. Two years ago, the Detroit Pistons were David-type underdogs against the Goliath-Lakers. The point is we never know how it's going to play out and most of the time it doesn't go how we expected it to. Kinda like life.

In going through the ups and downs of the regular season and the opening rounds of the playoffs, the Heat found themselves. Antoine Walker was ripped for a reason. He was trying hard but showed no signs of fitting in with the Heat. But after trying for 90 games, struggling through the poor shooting, unwise decisions and merciless pressure from the media, the press and himself, Walker finally got it. It just clicked. After hitting rock bottom, averaging 5 points per game in the first two contests against the Nets, Walker arrived. He poured in 16, 20 and 23 over the next three games. It was just the 2nd time all season he has scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games. We've been looking for that consistent 3rd scorer for the last two seasons and now we have it. If Walker can keep this up, the Heat will be just about impossible to beat.

Dwyane Wade is finally taking over and making this solely his team. The guy has hit nearly as many 3 pointers in the playoffs (9) as he hit the entire regular season (13). In 64 fewer games! His 3-point shooting percentage has gone from 17% during the season to 50% during the playoffs. His assists, steals and blocks are up from the regular season. And so is his decision making. He's looking to pass just about everytime he gets double teamed. Of course, it's easier to knowing that his teammates will consistently knock down the shots. At 24 years old, Wade is no longer forcing it....he's letting the game come to him. He's maturing. His ceiling is infinite. He's becoming wiser, his shot's getting better and his confidence is growing. However the ultimate test of that will come in the Eastern Conference Finals and possibly the NBA Finals.

And now Pat Riley is in his element. You could sense, earlier in the year, that some of his swagger was missing. He was unsure about his offseason moves, publicly questioned his coaching abilities and probably wondered when and if things would turn around. Well they have and now the master motivator is doing what he does best. Knowing exactly when to press the right buttons. Keeping his team loose when they're too tight.... getting them to focus when their too lax. Perfect example: When the Heat were getting ready to face the Pistons during the regular season, Riley could tell that the atmosphere in the locker room was way too heavy. So he busted into the locker room dancing to the Doobie Brothers "Long Train Runnin'" and proceeded to boogie around to each and every player's locker for the next 10 minutes. They grinned, they laughed, they loosened up...and they won. Fast forward to just a few days ago..... With the Heat leading the Nets three games to one, and everybody talking about the series already being over, Riley reminded everyone about how the Yankees had a 3-0 lead over Boston in the ALCS a few years ago and that reminder quickly brought everybody back to Earth. He knows exactly when to apply pressure or loosen things up. The guy is a world reknowned motivational speaker for a reason.

So here we are again. The Eastern Conference Finals. With the Heat peaking and the Pistons struggling. Shaq was absolutely devasted by last year's collapse in Game 7 so the Big Fella' already has his much needed motivation. The Heat have been here before. They know what's at stake and they know how bad it felt to come so close last year, yet fall all the way back down the mountain. The last time a Pat Riley-coached team won an NBA title, Dwyane Wade was just 6 years old. Riley can't afford to wait any longer.

What's going on with the Knicks is the most ridiculous thing in recent sports memory. It's a cross between Days of Our Lives and The Three Stooges. Like a soap opera acted out by complete buffoons. The fact that the Knicks are reportedly going to get rid of Larry Brown is the latest in a line of unbelievably comedic, surreal and just absolutely mind boggling moves. Isiah Thomas is dangerously close to going down in history as the worst executive in the history of sports (especially now that Elgin Baylor and the Clippers finally are winning). Before completely wrecking the Knicks, Thomas was an Executive V.P. of the Toronto Raptors in the late 90's and not once did they go to the playoffs. Thomas quit after he failed to buyout majority ownership of the team. He then became owner of the now defunct Continental Basketball Association. The reason it is now defunct is because of Thomas' Enron-like mismanagement and wild spending that forced the entire league to fold (according to owners in the league). He then went on to coach the Pacers for 3 years but the team could never get past the first round of the playoffs (including a final year flop when his 3rd seeded Pacers got upset by a 6 seed).

Since joining the Knicks, Thomas has devasted the team in two areas....the payroll and the lineup. He went and acquired the absolute biggest team/coach killer of all time, Stephon Marbury. All the talent in the world, but completely selfish, doesn't play within the concept of the team and therefore puts up major stats but never wins anything. Heck, the guy even calls himself Starbury!! In the 3rd person! The Knicks also acquired mini-Marbury, Steve Francis. Most people would be ecstatic to be the #2 overall pick in the draft, but back in '99 Francis was so upset to be drafted by Vancouver that as the cameras panned to him when the pick was announced, he was nearly in tears, pouting and demanded to be traded. His stats are nearly identical to Marbury's and so is his attitude. So that's $30 million on just those two players. How about a guy who got paid $9 million this year, and he only started 13 games!! We're talking about Maurice Taylor, another guy who is unwilling to play team basketball and would rather hoist up shot after shot. He's averaging almost as many fouls as he is rebounds. And then last offseason they brought in a guy named Jerome James for $29 million over 5 years. And he has sat on the bench the entire year. He started just 9 games!! Why did Isiah even sign him in the first place? He averaged only 5 points and 3 rebounds per game before the Knicks signed him.

But at least since the Knicks had such a bad year, they'll get a high draft pick, right?
Wrong! They traded away this year's AND next year's first round draft picks to Chicago for a guy with the heart of a 70 year old. And I don't mean figuratively. Literally, Eddy Curry has a heart condition. The poor kid managed to play this season but his health is a major concern. And even when he plays, he's decent, not great. The team is also still paying $40 million dollars over the next two years to a guy who has retired, Allan Houston.

The NBA salary cap is currently $49.5 million. The Knicks team salary is $123 million this year, $125 million next year and $65, $62 million for the following 2 years. Four years way over the cap. Not to mention the roster is filled with guys who all play the same position. So the guy in charge has been Isiah Thomas. He's the one who's made bad move after bad move. He has a great roster for a video game or fantasy basketball, but in real life...it's absurd. But it's his boss, James Dolan, who has ok'd all the moves and they both reportedly want to force the 4th winningest coach in NBA history out the door. Larry Brown is known as a guy that will turn around bad teams but his history has shown that he needs time to do it. The Knicks need to rebuild but the guy they need at the helm is Larry Brown. Of all the horrific moves they've made, this would rival any one of 'em. Except the hiring of Isiah Thomas.

I would love to see the Heat make a serious run but after Game 1 against New Jersey, a few glaring questions come to mind.....

I just don't understand why Antoine Walker is in the game. Right from the outset he was turning over the ball, letting the Nets run right past him and missing shots. During the playoffs he is shooting a horrific 37% and 26% on 3-pointers. He just doesn't bring anything to the table. I'm not saying he's not trying but it's just not happening. He's also averaging 2.5 turnovers per game. And we know Antoine has never played defense. If his offense isn't working, he's useless. This is a guy who hold the NBA record for most 3-pointers taken in a game without making one (0-11 vs Cleveland during 02-03 season).

Jason Williams is another guy struggling. His shooting stats are just about the same as Walker's. Also, for a point guard, he's averaging a meager 3.5 assists and 2 turnovers per game. And once again, no defense. Jason Kidd made him look like he had cement shoes on.

If either Dwyane Wade or Shaq don't have monster games, the Heat don't win. Plain and simple. The rest of the guys aren't getting it done. James Posey hasn't been the defensive stopper that we expected. Not even as good as Eddie Jones. It's all about Shaq and Wade. And no wonder Pat Riley is getting so frustrated by Shaq's foul troubles. He knows that they have no shot to win without the Big Fella because the Nets can then just focus on Wade. However the Heat may have caught a break, for this round, if Richard Jefferson's injury is serious. Stay tuned......

There has never been an enigma like Kobe Bryant. As talented as any athlete that ever lived. But also just as maddening. I'm not saying he's the reason the Lakers lost Game 7 to Phoenix but what in the world happened to him in the 2nd half of that game? After halftime, Kobe took just 3 shots. You would never see Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky or Jim Brown back out of the spotlight in the clutch but that's exactly what Kobe did. Kobe is keenly aware of his image and he knows how often he's been bashed for being a selfish player, a ballhog, a self-aggrandizing baller who is not a team player. He hoisted up 35 shots in Game 6 and his team lost. So what did he do in the second half of Game 7? The complete and utter opposite. Almost like he was doing that just to prove a point that he wasn't selfish. The same reaction an immature child has when you get mad at them for doing something, so they go and do the complete opposite just to get a reaction. That's what Kobe did. There was no reason to just stop shooting in the 2nd half. Yes, you want to get your teammates involved but not to the point where you completely take yourself out of the game. But Kobe knows this and that's what makes him so maddening. He's not a rookie who didn't know any better. He's in his 10th year in the league and he knew exactly what he was doing to his team. Why? Why would he take himself out of the game? To prove a point. That he can't win with the team around him and Kobe needs a better supporting cast. That Kobe can't do it by himself. Hmmm....maybe he could use a guy like......Shaq. Oh wait, he already had him and ran him out of town.

Could you ever imagine Michael Jordan taking just three shots in the second half of a Game 7? I don't care how big the deficit is. Could you really see MJ feeding Bill Cartwright and Horace Grant over and over again if they kept missing shots?? No way. Jordan would have taken over the game by himself. Same thing with the greatest of all-time in hockey, Gretzky. There's no way he would have constantly fed the puck to inept teammates who kept missing the net in a Game 7. It just wouldn't happen. See the beauty of those guys was that they knew when to give their teammates the ball, and they knew when to take over the game themself. At heart Kobe knows that but his arrogance instead led him down the path of proving a point rather than actually trying to win. It's almost as if he said "Phil wants me to feed them the ball? I'll feed 'em the ball. Every time down the court. No matter what happens." But Kobe has a brain and he knew what the result would be. Tons of missed shots and the blame going on his teammates rather than him. And therein lies the paradox with Kobe. His ego is bigger than his will to win with a team. You can argue that he was trying to get his teammates involved but sooner or later, a true champion would have taken over the game himself. That's what makes them great. But Kobe just took himself out of the equation. He gave up. At least go down swinging, Kobe! He put his guns away and quit on his team. Did you see how red hot he was in the first half of that game?! He had 23 points, 4 3-pointers and hit on 8 of 13 shots. It was looking like one of those patented MJ games where he was just gaining momentum and pacing himself for a 2nd half explosion. But it never came. And rather than put his neck out on the line, Kobe didn't even try.

Phil Jackson said that Kobe sat on the gameplan. Which, in Phil-speak, basically says that Kobe refused to takeover the game, even when they needed him to. Steve Nash was shocked by Kobe's 2nd half behavior...."I don't know what to expect from him. Sometimes it's a little strange." Like or dislike Kobe, if he wanted to, the guy could be as good as anybody to ever play the game. But he's not and he won't be because there's something holding him back....himself. His ego. He's always been his own worst enemy. His fued with Shaq was ridiculous and never should have happened. The Lakers would have been a dynasty. Do you really think that they're better without Shaq? That they wouldn't have eliminated the tiny Suns without The Daddy? But it's all Kobe's doing. He made his own bed and in Game 7, he lied in it. Again can you ever imagine the NBA's true legends Jordan, Bird, Wilt taking just 3 shots in the 2nd half of any Game 7? Never. But that's Kobe. He's never had to be accountable. Never got humbled by seniors and juniors in college because he never went to college. He was Jerry West's golden child in L.A. from day one. He got too much handed to him at a young age. He won his first NBA title at the age of 21. What were you doing at 21? I'm sure it didn't involve having millions of people worshipping you, asking for your autograph, wearing your jersey and calling you the next Michael Jordan. And now you see why Kobe has evolved into what he is. A 27-year-old who is as talented as any NBA player that ever lived. But you also see a young man who has been spoiled by his fame. Kobe is content. He's already won his championships. He's won his scoring title. He's won his fans back. If only basketball wasn't a team game.

-No one outside the coaches and GM's has any solid idea how any of these guys will pan out. That's because it's all about the intangibles. Work ethic, character, poise and intelligence are the keys to predicting a player's success, more-so than skill. Just look at the difference between Joey Harrington and Tom Brady. Harrington has the better physical tools but Brady's poise is the complete opposite of Harrington.

-If Jason Allen's healthy, he should be a stud at free safety. And by the looks of it, he's healthy. He worked out for a number of teams and the Dolphins medical staff cleared him. Before the injury he was a Top-10 pick and one of the best defensive players in the country. He won't get burned deep, has great speed, size and intangibles.

-Watching what the Broncos did last weekend, that's the way you maneuver a draft. They were shrewdly aggressive. Some people complained that Denver didn't address their need at running back but I don't care who you stuck in there...there's no way they're winning a Super Bowl with Jake Plummer at quarterback, point blank. Jay Cutler could end up being a bust but I don't think so. I think he's a player. And don't think Mike Shanahan didn't take note of what happened in Pittsburgh when Ben Roethlisberger replaced Tommy Maddox in his rookie season. Don't be surprised, at all, to see Jay Cutler jump in there when Plummer struggles and replace him, this season! And what a move getting Javon Walker. Yes, Walker has had only one good season and is an injury risk. But he's definitely worth the pick that they gave up. And at least he's proven he can excel in the NFL. The Broncos one major weakness was their passing game and playing from behind. They now just became a very dynamic team and a dangerous contender. That is the way drafting is supposed to be done.

- On the other side of the spectrum, what in the world were the Bills, Lions and Raiders thinking?! I'm not saying Matt Leinart's gonna definitely gonna be a great quarterback but when your QB's consist of J.P. Losman, Kelly Holcomb, Jon Kitna and Aaron Brooks....you've got problems. For 7 straight years, The Lions have used their 1st round pick on an offensive player, yet this year they decide to pass on one.....Matt Leinart! I just don't get it. Their quarterback is Jon Kitna!! It's just continued and consistent mismanagement by Matt Millen. Actually the real problem is owner William Clay Ford. Who has always hired bad personnel and refused to part ways with them. And can you imagine the Raiders offense with Randy Moss, Lamont Jordan and Matt Leinart? Now they're stuck with perennial underachiever Aaron Brooks. Terrible decision by Al Davis. At the very least, it would have boosted ticket sales by having Cali-boy Matt Leinart stay out west. Even if Matt Leinart turns out to be a bust it was a bad decision by Buffalo, Detroit and Oakland to at least take a chance because it is an absolute, written-in-stone guarantee that those 3 teams cannot win a Super Bowl with the quarterbacks they have now.

-Good for the city of New Orleans for getting Reggie Bush. He's given so much for people there to look forward to. Even if he doesn't pan out, at least he's boosted morale.

-You can already see the Patriots influence on the Jets. Ex-Pat Eric Mangini and new GM Mike Tannenbaum did a great job, drafting two offensive linemen who should be starting for the next decade. You have to build your team from the inside out, starting with the offensive and defensive lines. Joe Gibbs won 3 Super Bowls that way and so did Bill Belichick. Start with the trenches.

-I like Green Bay's pick of AJ Hawk. He seems like a guy that's not just a player, but he's a leader who makes the rest of the defense better. And I don't know how, but Green Bay's defense was ranked 7th last year , so Hawk should make them even better. I still think their offense stinks though and Favre is done. His skills are fading and he has absolutely no receivers anymore. That being said, it's possible this team could have an interesting year. Might be terrible but might be surprising. The 7th ranked defense added AJ Hawk and Charles Woodson (overrated at corner but should be at good safety). If they can find a running game to take pressure off of Favre, they might surprise some people. Might.

-Romeo Crennel is just stacking his defense. They drafted Kamerion Wimbley and D'Qwell Jackson who is an absolute stud at LB

-Joe Gibbs put it best when he said the Steelers are very successful at building through the draft while the Redskins choose to use free agency instead. ie: This year the Steelers perfectly replaced Antwan Randle-El by drafting Santonio Holmes. Meanwhile the Redskins gave up way too much (including a 2nd rounder next year) to move up and draft UM's Rocky McIntosh. McIntosh was solid but not great and probably would have been drafted later anyway.

-How do the Patriots do it? They were able to grab arguably the top RB and WR in the draft. Both Denver and New England had Laurence Maroney as the #1 RB available. Now whether he and Chad Jackson amount to anything is anybody's guess but at least the Pats were able to get both.

-I like Indy's pick of Joseph Addai. He can run and catch extremely well and is a do-everything back. At least he was in college.

Every championship team needs at least two very good players to win a title. One great one, and one complimentary very good one. Jordan had Pippen, Shaq had Kobe, Duncan has Parker and Ginobili and the list goes on. But all the Heat has is Dwyane Wade. That's because Shaq is no longer an elite player. Dwyane Wade is great and that's all the Heat has. After coming up with 8 points and 7 turnovers in Game 2, Shaq said he was embarrassed and humiliated and would rebound in Game 3. Now when a great player gets motivated and embarrassed, 90% of the time they respond with a monster performance the next time out. But Shaq didn't and couldn't in the next contest. He only played 24 minutes in Game 3 and again looked slow and ineffective. I have never seen Shaq look as slow and ineffective as he has in this series. Never. He is no longer a great player. He is no longer a very, very good player. He's just a good player and that's it. Unfortunately, that's not enough for the Heat.

Shaq is averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game in the playoffs. That is very ordinary for a guy who used to be dominant. You know how many guys averaged 18 points or more during the regular season? 25. And as far as rebounds...O'Neal was outrebounded by the likes of Erick Dampier and Tim Thomas this season. That should tell you something. But we should have seen this coming. Shaq is now 34 and a guy standing 7'1, 325 lb can only last so long before wearing out. Shaq's just getting old. Plain and simple. It happens. The problem is the Heat ignored the problem for too long. Last year was not an aberration, Shaq is just aging pretty quickly. Now the Heat consist of Dwyane Wade and bunch of complimentary guys and that's not enough to win a championship. Shaq's stats have been steadily declining for the last 3 years. Add to that, for such a big guy, Shaq has never been a dominant defensive force. This year he is averaging less than 2 blocks per game. I'm not ripping Shaq, if anything I'm defending him by saying look....he's just getting old like any other player and you couldn't expect him to be great forever. But now it's the Dwyane Wade show and that's it, and the Heat better realize it very soon. Wade should be taking at least 25 shots per game. And this is Shaq struggling against Tyson Chandler. What happens when he goes up against Ben Wallace?

And how about Pat Riley's offseason additions: Antoine Walker needs 20 shots a game. Jason Williams is totally inconsistent offensively (1-9 in Game 3), has a fragile psyche and even more fragile knees and is no better than Damon Jones on defense. James Posey hasn't lived up to the hype about his defense and apparently doesn't have much poise either. Riley's pieces just don't fit, they haven't worked. I'm not saying Eddie Jones and Damon Jones were gangbusters, but Riley didn't fill their positions adequately. Now this has turned into a typical Pat Riley team that he had with the Knicks and the prior Heat teams. Slow, not athletic enough and just scraping to get by. But at least those teams played defense. This team does not. It's sad but this is the state of the Heat. They look old, slow and if Dwyane Wade wasn't on this team, they would be an afterthought in the league. That's why Wade has to take over like never before. He is truly one of the greatest players in the game since MJ retired. By the way, how much of a team-killer is Gary Payton. There is a reason the guy has never won a championship. Michael Jordan once said that his good friend, Charles Barkley, never won a title because he was too selfish. And just like Barkley, Payton will be a Hall of Famer but he is too selfish to win. Everywhere he has played, he has bickered with teammates. After he argued with Wade in Game 3, he said it was like when Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens used to argue. He couldn't have put it any better. Payton is T.O.-light. Not has as devastating but Payton does a heck of a job of ripping his team apart. And now he can't even back it up with his play. Payton is having the worst shooting season of his entire career and still, even at the age of 37, continues to believe he can score on a 1-on-3. I love the Heat as much as anybody but this is the state of the team. They've got to go out and get a stud to go with Dwyane Wade. Can you imagine Wade and Kevin Garnett together??

Nash MVP

I was blown away when the reports came out about Steve Nash winning the MVP again and after watching Game 4 of the Lakers-Suns series, I just can't understand what the voters were thinking. Even before the playoffs started I though Kobe deserved the MVP. He led the league in scoring, he dropped 81 points in one game, but more important than all of that, he helped an absolute garbage team get into the playoffs. I have never been a Kobe fan but give the guy his due. If not him then definitely Lebron. James is another guy with no supporting cast and somehow he guided his team to the #4 seed and dished out nearly 7 assists per game. 7 assists!! It's not like he was playing with Kareem or Wilt. As for Steve Nash, he's a good player. A very good player. Who absolutely does not deserve the MVP.

No MVP would have a series like he's had. First of all, he's never played a lick of defense in his life. He lost the ball at the end of regulation and OT (and I watched him complain about getting fouled but just seconds earlier he nearly tossed Sasha Vujacic into the front row with getting whistled). Yes, he's averaging 22 and 10 in the playoffs but there's just something missing. He's not the type of guy who can take over a game and win it for you like Kobe, Lebron or even Wade. There is a reason the Suns are 0-8 this season in games decided by 3 points or less. It's because they have no go-to-guy. Nash's game is passing not scoring. He makes the guys around him better, but he cannot be counted on to carry a game with his scoring. They've never won a close game this season in the final seconds because Nash will either drive down the court and pass it to some unproven player or hoist up a 3. An MVP has to be a guy who can take over a game, make his team better and be relied upon to win a game by himself if necessary. Larry Bird made his teammates better, but when it was time to take over a game, he could and would do it. The Lakers have been forcing and actually allowing Nash to score all he wants. And in Game 4, all he could come up with was 17 points. Can you imagine a team allowing and actually forcing Kobe, MJ, Lebron, Wade or Bird to score?!?! Those guys would be scoring at least 40 points a game. Definitely more than 17. See Nash is unselfish to a fault. Great passer, solid scorer, poor defender. An MVP needs to be a great scorer, good/solid defender and a good/solid passer. The NBA is the most individual sport among the major mainstream sports. There are only 5 guys on the court. One of those guys needs to be able to score, at will, for that team to be successful. Nash isn't that guy. He's a good player, a really good player...but not an MVP.

After two playoff wins, a few things come to mind.....

-It's good to see Dwyane Wade dominating again like he did in last year's playoffs (before he got injured). A big concern this year was that with all the big names Riley brought in, Wade wouldn't get enough shots. But he's getting them now. And I can't put my finger on it but Wade seems more comfortable in the leadership role than he did last year. Last playoffs, he was the go-to guy but it also was his first year with Shaq. Now they both agree that Dwyane is the man and it shows. He looked so much more aggressive in Game 2 against the Bulls than I've ever seen him. And the Kojak-look just adds to the aura of him not caring if the spotlight's on him. He's ready to carry this team.

-For the past two postseasons, Shaq has been explosive in the first half of games and then worn out as the games have gone on. He must stay effective into the 4th.

-James Posey has suddenly stepped up as a strong 3-point shooter. During the regular season he lead the Heat while shooting 40% from downtown. But during the playoffs he's shooting 50%. He's the anti-Damon Jones! His shooting actually improves during the playoffs. Also, so much for the Heat going to Derek Anderson. Posey has been the gunner so far.

-Antoine Walker's shooting percentage may not be that great but he's doing the other little things that have been impressive. In Game 2 he had 10 rebounds. In Game 1 he had 4 steals. This is the most focused he's ever been in his career on hustling and doing everything possible to make sure his team wins.

-No one roots for injuries but keep an eye on the Detroit's Richard Hamilton. For the first time in 3 years, one of the Pistons key players is hurt. Rip injured his ankle in Game 1 and it may not be serious, but if it is, we know firsthand how injuries can alter a team in the postseason.

-Pat Riley's playoff and championship experience is absolutely invaluable right now. Guys like Jason Williams and Antoine Walker can go up and down with their confidence but Riley's constant swagger has kept an air of confidence around the entire team.

-Everybody has been saying that if the Heat play the Nets in the 2nd round, look out for New Jersey but they are completely overrated. They are a great fantasy team but not in real life. They don't play good enough defense and they have no big man whatsoever. Plus, karma is coming back to haunt Vince Carter. For all those games he tanked in Toronto, he ends up shooting 12-33 and 1-8 on 3 pointers in Game 1. Will he ever step up in the playoffs?

The playoff run for the Heat is underway and here are the most pressing issues facing the team:

1. Who is their 3rd scorer?
It's the same question we've asked all year long and unfortunately there's still no answer. Antoine Walker needs 20 shots a game to score 20 points. He's not the right fit for this team. With Wade and Shaq, Walker can't afford to take 20 shots. And he's not efficient enough to take just 8-10 shots a game and be effective. Jason Williams has had his moments, when healthy. But he missed 23 games with injuries and is battling tendinitis in his knee. Gary Payton started the season off hot but has cooled off considerably. He still forces bad shots and is too selfish at times (not to mention he's 37). My vote for the guy the Heat should turn to is Derek Anderson. He's a streaky shooter but when he gets hot, he can absolutely win games for you. Heck, he did it against Washington and Toronto earlier in April. He's also been in playoff battles before and has played under pressure. You need that experience from a scorer.

2. How's the outside shooting?
The Heat have the 4th worst shooting percentage from 3-point land in the Eastern Conference. As great as Dwyane Wade is, he still has yet to master the outside game (which is fine, he's only 24). But his 3-point shooting has actually gotten worse every year! This year he shot a horrific 17% from downtown. With Wade and Shaq most effective inside, where does the perimeter shooting come from? Damon Jones shot 43% from downtown last year and this year nobody comes close. Most efficient has been James Posey at 40%, then Williams at 37%, Walker at 35% and Payton a meager 28%. Their best hope in the playoffs lies with Posey, Williams and Derek Anderson. If Anderson and Williams can get hot, look out. Especially if Williams gets confidence (which is a key to his game). But again these are streaky shooters.

3. Who's replaced Eddie?
I wasn't a huge fan of Eddie Jones but now that he's gone, I realize how much I miss him. Everybody got down on Eddie because of his offense but his defense was his strength and it has not been adequately replaced. James Posey has not done, so far, what was expected of him. Hopefully his defense will kick up a notch in the playoffs. It scares me that some of the Pistons recently said that the Heat are a much easier matchup for them now that Eddie Jones is gone. Antoine Walker tries but can't D-up and Jason Williams is just as ineffective as Damon Jones was. Payton, at 37 years old, also doesn't have that same extra step he had when he was known as the Glove. With all that being said, Pat Riley is one of the best court generals of all time so you can guarantee he'll maximize his matchups.

4. Health?
So many injuries. Shaq, Zo, Williams and Posey missed a combined 78 games with injuries. Pat Riley said at practice the other day that the Heat were 21-7 when all their main guys were healthy and playing. Unfortunately that stat works both ways. It's a great record...but they only played 28 games together fully healthy? Out of 82 games? Even if they do stay healthy in the playoffs, did they play enough games together during the regular season to gain that on-court cohesiveness? I hope so because nobody on the Pistons even has so much as a paper cut.

These are the things to keep an eye on as the Heat enter the playoffs. I'm not saying they can't overcome any of these but they are the main issues at hand. They will have to overcome most if not all of these hurdles if they want to win the NBA Title.

Josh Beckett is now where he belongs. Pitching for one of baseball's best teams, in one of baseball's finest parks. He was a hell of a pitcher down here but pitching for the Red Sox is on a whole 'nother level. He looks like a kid in a candy store and is thriving in Beantown. Not everyone can handle the pressure of pitching in a big city (before Kenny Rogers went "Mike Tyson" on a cameraman, he was known as a very good pitcher....except when the pressure was on. Two of his worst seasons came when he pitched in New York for the Yankees. Before and after that, he was very good.) But Josh Beckett thrives on it.

He lives for pitching in front of sold out crowds. He loves pitching for one of the game's most storied franchises. And he's one of those guys that wants to be on the mound when the game is on the line. The type of guy that pitches even better in the postseason. You remember....... 2003, going on just 3 days rest, Beckett shuts out the Yankees in Game 6 to win the World Series. At age 23! So it should be no surprise that Beckett is an early candidate for the Cy Young Award this season. He's 3-0 with Boston, with the 2nd best ERA in the American League. But not only that, it's the attitude he's pitching with. During the Red Sox-Mariners game on Sunday, Boston was hanging on by a run in the 6th inning, Seattle had a man on 3rd. And Beckett ate it up. He struck out the next two batters to end the inning and gave a fist pump that nearly sent the crowd at Fenway through the roof. He was just as excited as the fans were. And that's what's so great about Beckett: He's a 25 year old pitcher with as good a stuff as anybody in baseball and he loves the pressure. And simply put, you don't trade guys like that. Period. In baseball, pitching is so much more important than anything else, it's insane. You should never ever ever ever trade young, talented pitchers who love to compete. It's a killer. The Marlins will regret this trade forever. (It's different than letting Pavano or Burnett go. Those guys had more physical problems than my 90 year old grandmother and neither has a career winning record).

Now I do think the prospects the Marlins got in return for Beckett will be fine. Hanley Ramirez looks like a stud and that's all fine and dandy but I would rather have a superstar pitcher over a superstar hitter any day of the week. Here's a perfect example: Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols. The game's top offensive superstars and what do they all have in common? They've never won a World Series. Pitching is so much more important in baseball. The Texas Rangers won 3 division titles in the late 90's.....but after they mortgaged the farm for A-Rod, what happened? They finished in last place every single year A-Rod was there. After they traded A-Rod to the Yankees? They finished just 3 games out of first place. And what has Ken Griffey Jr. ever won? Offense can only take you so far in baseball. Just like in every other sport, good defense can stop a good offense. Just ask Peyton Manning. Don't get me wrong, hitting is important but just not as important as pitching. So like proud fathers, let's watch Josh Beckett prosper and have a great career in Boston. He may have grown up with us but he's wearing red socks now and I have a feeling we'll be watching him again in the fall. But at least we have Hanley Ramirez....who will eventually be traded when he becomes a superstar. It's tough to "Get Hooked" on Marlins baseball when they keep releasing the fish back into the water.

It may be only April but it's never too early to start thinking about the NFL. With that being said, let's take a look at the Fins schedule. And it's not a bad one at all, considering 10 of their 16 opponents didn't even make the playoffs last year. Here we go.....

Week 1 @ Pittsburgh:
Yea, it's a tough draw going against the defending champs, in their yard, in front of a national audience. The good news is that Pittsburgh only got worse during the offseason. They lost half their offense in Jerome Bettis and Antwan Randle-El. If he's healthy, we'll find out what Daunte Culpepper's made of in a tough opening game.

Week 2 vs Buffalo:
The Dolphins should dominate this game. It's the home opener and they're going against a team that's flat out not very good. Buffalo has absolutely no quarterback and Nick Saban will really pressure that spot immensely. JP Losman is now on the bench while Kelly Holcomb is the starter. But they also lost longtime WR Eric Moulds. He may have been a bit overrated but he was still a threat. Their team will rely solely on Willis McGahee but it's hard to keep running the ball when you have the 29th ranked defense in the league. Fins should definitely win.

Week 3 vs Tennessee:
First off, Jeff Fisher deserves a plaque simply for keeping this team competitive. Their horrendous cap situation has left this team in shambles. Miami should beat them but if either Vince Young or Matt Leinart is starting, Miami should crush them. 95% of rookie quarterbacks get slaughtered that first season.

Week 4 @ Houston:
The Texans are a really interesting case. They suddenly got a lot better on offense. They added Eric Moulds, will add Reggie Bush and now have a Head Coach who knows how to run an offense. I still believe David Carr is a very good quarterback and under Gary Kubiak he should flourish. Look at this offense for a second...David Carr, Domanick Davis, Reggie Bush, Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds. But this is still a game Miami should win because the Texans defense was terrible last year. 2nd worst "D" in the league.

Week 5 @ New England:
Even though the Patriots are not the team they were a few years ago, you still can't overlook them. Bill Belichick always has his guys competitive and this will be a tough matchup. Belichick will definitely try to confuse and pressure Culpepper (who can be mistake prone at times) and may be successful with that.

Week 6 @ Jets:
The Jets are just a bad team.......that probably got worse. Their defense was actually respectable last year (12th ranked) but they lost Ty Law and John Abraham and on offense they lost two very good offensive lineman in Kevin Mawae and Jason Fabini. So they have no offensive line, no RB (Curtis Martin is done) and who's their QB? Patrick Ramsey? Ramsey's got talent but he's a turnover machine. Add to that no running game and no protection and the Jets could be in for a long, long season. Miami should definitely win.

Week 7 @ Green Bay:
The Dolphins have one of the easiest first half schedules of any team in the league. After facing the Jets they go to Green Bay? Green Bay is an absolute disaster. This Brett Favre situation is ridiculious. I don't care how much the franchise supposedly owes him for all he's done for Green Bay. At some point, the 49ers were forced to get rid of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, the Cowboys got rid of Emmitt Smith and the Packers shouldn't be afraid to make a move with Favre. Release him or trade him. He's a shell of his former self anyway. He threw 29 INT's last year and has 67 over the last 3 seasons. He's still got that gunslinger mentality that he can throw a football threw a keyhole...but the problem is he can't. And then he has the nerve to keep pushing back deadlines about whether or not he'll return. Here's the cold hard truth about Green Bay: Favre is over the hill, their best player Javon Walker says he'll never play for them again, their running backs are all coming off of injuries and their new coach is a total unknown quantity. After this game the Dolphins should be, at the very least, 5-2.

Week 8 Bye
Week 9 @ Chicago
This will be a tough physical game. Chicago simply relies on a very effective running game and a battering defense. How is it that no matter who's coaching the Bears, they always play the same style? Run and play great D. And that's what they do best. The wild card here is Brian Griese. If he ends up starting and plays like he was playing in Tampa, Chicago could be a very tough team to beat. Remember that. Their one glaring weakness is at QB and Griese could be the answer. Could be. This one is a toss up.

Week 10 vs Kansas City:
I just don't have a good feeling about Herman Edwards. He seems like a Steve Mariucci type coach in the fact that he's a great motivator but not a great X's and O's guy. Edwards has been outcoached in a number of games but his teams always played hard for him. KC lost offensive coordinator Al Saunders so I believe the Chiefs will morph into a Herm Edwards running team. They'll run and only throw when they have to. But with Saunders innovative playcalling gone, KC will have trouble with their weak WR corps. They may eek into the playoffs but their not going far. This game could go either way.

Week 11 vs Minnesota:
This is a very strange situation because on paper, the Vikings have a strong defense but they just didn't play like it last year. They also have no go-to RB and no go-to WR on offense. They're planning on starting Brad Johnson at QB. He's savvy and won't make a lot of mistakes but how far can a 37 year old QB take you? They also lost Nate Burleson. But the thing that's so weird is that new head coach Brad Childress has just been spouting off nonstop. I just can't get a read on him. I've never seen a first-year head coach talk so much smack through the press. That will eventually be a problem. He's ripped Daunte Culpepper continually through the press. Players don't respect that. No players do. I have a feeling he's gonna' end up being the type of coach that players eventually tune out. He brags and gloats in public but that act will wear thin eventually. Especially for a guy who's never done anything at this level as a head coach. When things go bad, he'll start ripping players through the press, they'll start tuning him out and it will snowball. The Dolphins should definitely win this game.

Week 12 @ Detroit:
I don't like Mike Martz as a head coach but I think he was the perfect man for the offensive coordinator's job in Detroit. That offense has a lot of talent and an extremely underrated back in Kevin Jones, waiting to explode. I'll still never understand why Mariucci constantly made Jones share carries with Shawn Bryson and Artose Pinner. I love that Detroit got rid of Joey Harrington because he was the anti-Tom Brady. No poise at all, very jittery in the pocket and too hyper. The best game I ever saw him play was when he had the flu. And that's because he was so out of it, he wasn't jittery for once and played with a calm he's never displayed. I was never a fan and he reminds me of Kyle Boller. They have the physical skills but not the intangibles. The question now for Detroit is can Jon Kitna or Dan Orlovsky do any better? That remains to be seen. Miami should pick up another win.

Week 13 vs Jacksonville:
I like Jacksonville but they have a glaring lack of explosiveness. Jimmy Smith and Fred Taylor are over the hill. Other than that, they're a very good team. Byron Leftwich, when healthy, is a stud. Greg Jones is a brutal, punishing back who can absolutely grind out yards. Jimmy Smith is a decent possession WR. Matt Jones can make plays at times and their defense is rock solid. I like Jacksonville a lot and this one could go either way.

Week 14 -16 vs New England, Buffalo, Jets
See above comments

Week 17 @ Indianapolis
A tough one to figure out. Not only did Indy lose Edgerrin but they also lost a few key players on defense. A game Miami could win but one thing I'm interested to see is how the Miami secondary is this season. They lost Sam Madison and Lance Schulters (who led the Fins in interceptions and was their 3rd leading tackler). That being said, Nick Saban used to play defensive back in college and that is one of his strengths as a coach. I mean heck, he took Travis Daniels, a rookie CB who nobody knew anything about, and turned him into a solid starter. So Saban knows how to coach up DB's and Will Allen is also a solid addition. This one's a toss-up.

I see the Fins going right around 11-5. At the very worst they should still be 10-6. But remember this is April, the season doesn't start until September, so we'll see what happens. The key factors for the Dolphins to worry about are:

A) Daunte Culpepper. Will he be healthy by the beginning of the season? If not the Dolphins are in trouble. And then when he is healthy, will he be less turnover-prone than he was in Minnesota?

B)Defense. This team ranked right in the middle of the pack defensively and if they don't improve, we may see a lot of Culpepper to Chambers shootouts. Good for the fans, but it won't get you to the Super Bowl.

C)Running game. If Ricky loses his appeal and is gone, then Ronnie Brown will have to carry the load. And while Ronnie looked good last year, he has to prove he can do it over 16 games, staying healthy. He shared carries in college and did the same last year with Ricky. If Ricky's gone, the pressure on Brown becomes immense.

All that being said, I think Nick Saban is a heck of a coach and he will always have the Fins playing to their max. Should definitely be an exciting year.

Remember Matt Walsh? You know, the guy who left the Florida Gators a year early because he said he owed it to himself to turn pro. This despite his then-head coach, Billy Donovan, saying that if scouts didn't think Walsh would go in the first round, he would return for his senior season. Well, he didn't return. And not only was he not drafted in the first round, he wasn't drafted at all. He signed on with the Heat as a free agent but only managed to play 3 minutes this season before getting cut. Walsh is currently working at the IMG Academy in Sarasota helping young athletes improve their game. Not only that, but here's a guy who has to sit and watch the team he left prematurely, Florida, advance to the Final Four and maybe more. He then flips the channel and sees the Heat advancing towards the playoffs. Or he could simply look at the New York's and Charlotte's of the league and wonder how in the heck those terrible teams couldn't use him on their roster. Such is life for the 23-year-old kid who used to be the Toast of the Town in Gainesville. A guy that was All-SEC twice. Heck the guy even dated a Playboy Playmate. In college!!!! But now, after getting some bad advice and being too stubborn to return to school, it is a very different March Madness for Matt Walsh this season. There's no last second shots, no cheerleaders, no roaring crowds. Hopefully for Walsh's sake, this isn't the end of the story.

Daunte Culpepper!! Daunte Culpepper?? It's easy to go back and forth on this topic but I'm not a fan of the trade. Yes the guy puts up video game numbers but that doesn't necessarily equate to championships (ie: Peyton Manning). To me, Daunte Culpepper is a better fantasy QB than he is in real life. If you've actually sat down and watched a Vikings game (not checked their game stats on the computer or looked at the boxscore in the newspaper) you will notice the following: Culpepper is as physically talented as anybody on the planet. You'll also notice that he makes a number of mental mistakes. He also has a bad case of fumble-itis. Baaad. He has 81 fumbles in 81 games!!! A fumble every game! That's not to mention interceptions (although he hasn't thrown a ridiculous number of picks). The Dolphins meanwhile have neglected to fill their needs on offensive line and in the secondary. The offensive line overachieved last year and they better do it again this year. Otherwise they'll have a QB with 3 repaired knee ligaments and a fumbling problem, sitting back in the pocket like a sitting duck. Don't get me wrong, Culpepper is more than capable of throwing for 3500 yards and 35 TD's. He's one of the most talented QB's in the league and has an absolute cannon for an arm. He is a weapon. But when you get deep into the playoffs and a defense has specifically planned to confuse you, I worry that Culpepper won't be able to overcome that. Smart intelligent defenses usually ravage QB's that make questionable decisions and turnover the ball. And he's one of those guys. The knock on him coming out of college was that he had trouble learning the playbook.

As for Drew Brees, nobody except Drew and his doctor actually know how healthy his arm is. But injuries aside, I would rather have Brees. He doesn't turnover the ball as much as Culpepper. Two years ago Brees threw just 7 INT's. And if you say he threw a lot in '05, just look at Daunte's numbers from last season. Brees protects the ball better and doesn't fumble. If you don't agree, then how come the Dolphins went after Brees first? It's not because they had to give up a draft pick for Daunte, it's because they liked Drew better. He's less mistake prone. Culpepper was their consolation prize. Heck Bill Parcells even went out and personally vouched for Brees.

Yes, Culpepper is a steal for a 2nd round pick and yes they are definitely better with him than with Cleo Lemon starting. However my point is, even though the Culpepper trade made a big splash, that doesn't guarantee the 'Fins a ticket to the big game. Hopefully he'll prove the skeptics wrong.

Alright, it's time to hit up NFL Free Agency.....

Let's start with Edgerrin James going after fool's gold in Arizona. Edge obviously doesn't care about winning considering he's going from a team that won 14 games last year, to a team that has won 15 games.....over the last 3 years!! The Cardinals have made the playoffs once in 13 years. In that same time span, the Colts have been to the postseason 9 times. This whole signing happened for one reason: The Cardinals have a brand new cozy stadium in the desert and they needed a marquee name to draw fans into that shiny piece of architecture and bring owner Bill Bidwell more money. This is the same Bill Bidwell who, when he first moved the team to Arizona, was charging the highest ticket prices in the NFL, even though he had one of the league's worst teams. All he cares about is the bottom line. And if you noticed my wording earlier, I didn't say Edgerrin James was a marquee player, I said he was a marquee name. Yes he'll rack up the touchdowns and make fantasy owners salivate. And yes, he'll do fine while being surrounded by a pair of talented receivers and a decent QB in Arizona. But make no mistake. Edgerrin is not a Ladanian Tomlinson, he's not a Shaun Alexander and he's not an elite back. Ever since he tore up his knee a few years back, he has not been the same runner. He went from being explosive, to more of a grind-it-out runner. But I've also witnessed how he runs out of bounds more often than taking the hit on the sidelines. At times, he seems to be taking plays off. I watched Edge play in college and I thought he was the next great back. But ever since he tore up his knee, he's been really good....but not great. He's not a gamebreaker. He won't rip off the huge play. His numbers would not have been as good if he were playing in another offense. He'll do fine in Arizona but don't expect him to be the savior. They will make a push for the playoffs but they're not nearly the Super Bowl contender Indianapolis was with him. By the way, Indy could have stretched their money and kept Edge but they simply chose not to. Don't you find that a little weird? It's because they felt Edge would take off some plays and had a bit of an attitude. Check out what's going on in Arizona already - Edgerrin is working Dennis Green to implement "Victory Mondays," where the coach gives the players a day off following each win.
"I can't go play for a coach that's going to be killing me through the week, " James said. Interesting. He's already talking about taking days off rather than winning Super Bowls. By the way, Bill Polian is the Colts GM (and the guy who decided to let Edge go) and is also the same guy who built up the 4-Super Bowl Buffalo Bills. He's the same guy who brought in Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. And he's the same guy who wisely chose Edgerrin James instead of Ricky Williams in the draft a few years ago. I would say he's a pretty good judge of talent and he knows exactly what he's doing.

As for the Dolphins, I love the fact that it looks like they're going to get Drew Brees. I read an article earlier today that ripped Brees, saying the cause of his success was LaDanian Tomlinson. I don't buy it. While it does help to have a great running game, keep in mind that Brees also had one of the worst receiving corps in the league. People seem to forget that. Here's why I love Brees, because of his intangibles. He's an intense competitor who has worked for what he's gotten. He didn't have his job handed two him. He outworked others. He's been a winner in high school, college and the pros and he's the type of QB who not only won't kill you with mistakes, but he will also make plays to win the game. He's is an extremely smart QB. In a nutshell, when is the next time you're going to see a 27 year old Pro Bowl QB on the market who doesn't make mistakes, is smart and has no obvious flaws? And you have to give up nothing to get him!! It's a no-brainer. You don't have to waste a draft pick on him and you don't have to trade anything for him. All you have to do is pay him. Look at the other options. The Dolphins have no shot at getting a Leinart, Young or Cutler, and Daunte Culpepper is not even worth a look. Culpepper is a better fantasy QB than his is in real life. Sure he'll make some highlight reel plays, but he'll also make some of the most boneheaded decisions you'll ever witness. Over his career, he's fumbled the ball 81 times in 81 games. He has a knack for turnovers and making bad decisions at crucial times. You may take one step forward with Daunte but he'll invariably take you one or two steps back. As for Brees, he'll always move you forward. And as for his arm, I'm obviously not a doctor but his surgeon has cleared him and Phil Simms even said he had the same injury and recovered from it fine. Drew Brees is capable of taking this team to the Super Bowl, not carrying this team, but he's good enough to be their QB. If his arm is fine, this is an absolute steal. And not only that, I think it could be one of the best grabs in the history of NFL free agency. Quarterback is the most important position on the team. And it's so hard to find the right mix of intangibles and talent. Brees has it all. (and please don't question his arm strength like some people use to foolishly do with Tom Brady). If he recovers, he should be here for the next 7-10 years. You may think it's a big if , but I say it's definitely worth the risk. I do think the Dolphins have some issues in their secondary, however. Even though Sam Madison was a little bit overrated, he was still good. Now you have some major holes at a crucial position on defense. This is where we'll find out how good the Fins scouting department is. Can they pull a Bill Belichick and get find a guy like Asante Samuel later in the draft? It will be hard. And necessary.

Elsewhere in free agency, look out for the Redskins and the Broncos. The one thing that kept Washington from going to the Super Bowl last year was the lack of a passing game besides Santana Moss. So they go out and not only get Brandon Lloyd, but they also snag Antwan Randle-El. While neither is great, they are both very dynamic creating big plays. Heck, Lloyd will go from being the #1 WR on the 49ers to being the #3 guy in Washington. The Redskins also have Al Saunders as their new offensive coordinator. The same Al Saunders who turned KC into one of the league's best passing offenses, despite featuring arguably the worst receiving corps. In a weak NFC, Washington has to be a favorite considering they're also looking to add Adam Archuleta, John Abraham and Andre Carter on defense. Their only competitor this offseason is the Denver Broncos who, with an Edgerrin-less Indy team, are making a serious push to get to the Super Bowl. Right now the Broncos are looking to add Jamal Lewis, Terrell Owens, John Abraham and Andre Carter to their team. Jamal Lewis could be monstrous in that offense. And Terrell Owens....well....he's a punk, he's a cancer in the locker room, he's a brat and a baby.....that being said, all they need him to do is play for 5 months. Otherwise Mike Shanahan will crush him like the Emperor from Star Wars. And whichever team gets John Abraham will add double digit sacks to their defense (even though his character has also been questioned at times).

Make no mistake, free agency never determines who will win the Super Bowl but it truly makes football a year-round event.

As you may have heard by now, top NFL prospect Vince Young reportedly recorded one of the lowest scores in the history of the Wonderlic Test, a quiz used to measure an athlete's intelligence. Out of 50 possible points....Young scored a 6, (which has been verified by three sources). The creator of the Wonderlic says a score of 10 simply shows literacy. Many of you have asked what kinds of questions are on this test so, without further ado, here are a few of the questions provided by the good people at Wonderlic Inc. It should be noted that these are almost identical to the questions on the actual test (they are not the exact same questions).


WPT Sample Questions

1) When rope is selling at $.10 a foot, how many feet can you buy for sixty cents?


2) Assume the first 2 statements are true. Is the final one?
The boy plays baseball. All baseball players wear hats. The boy wears a hat.

Is the final one:
1 true,
2 false,
3 not certain?


3)Paper sells for 21 cents per pad. What will 4 pads cost?


4) The ninth month of the year is?


5)How many of the five pairs of items listed below are exact duplicates?

Nieman, K.M. Neiman, K.M.

Thomas, G.K. Thomas, C.K.

Hoff, J.P. Hoff, J.P.

Pino, L.R. Pina, L.R.

Warner, T.S. Wanner, T.S.


Answers
(1) 6 feet
(2) true
(3) 84¢
(4) September
(5) 1

So there you go. On the real Wonderlic, there are more questions and it is timed. Here are how some NFL players & prospects have fared throughout history:

Pat McInally(former Bengals punter) = 50....the only NFL player ever to do so
Drew Bledsoe = 37
Matt Leinart = 35
Steve Young = 33
Troy Aikman = 29
Brett Favre = 22
Dan Marino = 16 (reportedly a 13 on first attempt)
Kellen Winslow Jr. = 11
Roderick Green (Ravens LB) = 3
Willie McNeill (UNC '05) = 0

Not that everyone has been glued to the Olympics anyway, but I think somebody has to address the issue of what is going on with American athletes and the lack of class many (not all) of them have shown. In fact, it seems to be a sign of an increasing American attitude. Let me preface this by saying this doesn't refer to all American athletes in the Olympics, but rather just the ones I mention.

Bode Miller spent plenty of time spouting off before the Olympics, then (as of February 22nd) fails to win even a single medal. He admits he hasn't been training much for the Games and then goes and injures his ankle in a pick-up basketball game. Hey Bode, you're at the Winter Games, not the Summer Games. Stay off the basketball court. Then Miller says he doesn't care at all about winning gold medals. Who ever heard of an Olympic athlete, from any country, say they don't care about winning gold?!?! That's like hearing the Seattle Seahawks say they didn't care about winning the Super Bowl. If Bode doesn't care, why is he there? Why should we care? It's a lazy, arrogant attitude that shouldn't be tolerated. If he doesn't care, don't send him in the first place.

How about Lindsey Jacobellis? The snowboarder who was seconds from the finish line, assured of a gold medal, when she decides it's a good idea to start showboating. Needless to say, she ended up falling on her butt and lost the gold. But what happened afterwards? Instead of saying, "Yea, I got a little cocky out there and it cost us the gold," her coaches said she was simply having fun and anybody who can't understand that, just doesn't understand snowboarding. Excuse me, but is this Aspen or the Olympics? You have fun in Aspen. You play to win at the Olympics. Why are her coaches making excuses for her? It's okay that she lost, if she understands why it happened. But to have her coaches come out and make bogus excuses?? No wonder so many kids are spoiled these days. They need to teach her how to lose gracefully because no one wins all of the time. No one. And if for some reason the sport of snowboarding is only about having fun and not winning, that's fine......just don't put it in the Olympics.

And finally, how about the U.S. Men's Hockey team. If they wanna' go out on the ice and stink up the joint, so be it. They weren't one of the favorites going into the Games and they showed why. The North American style of physical rock 'em- sock 'em hockey is no match for the smooth, superior skating of the Europeans (not to mention a lot of the foreign teams showed more heart). The problem I have is with the Americans behavior off the ice. After getting eliminated, superstar Mike Modano refused to take the blame. Instead he blamed the U.S. support staff because he said the players were "on our own as far as arrangements, flights, hotels, tickets. Normally, that's something you don't have to think about."

Are you kidding me? He's blaming their wretched performance on the fact that he actually had to click on Orbitz to book a ticket?? It was 26 years ago that an American team of blue-collar amateurs pulled off the "Miracle on Ice." Those kids would have walked, swam or jumped a train to play hockey. And now Modano is mad because he didn't get a King size bed at the Ritz? C'mon Mike! Motel 6 always leaves the light on for you. And do I need to remind you how the hockey team reacted after getting eliminated in 1998 in Nagano? They trashed their rooms in the Olympic Village. Hey Mike, maybe that's why they let you book your own rooms this time.

It's been a recurring theme for the Americans in these Olympics and it's sickening. It wreaks of arrogance, lack of class, and ego. Kind of resembles professional sports in America. But it kind of seems to be a reflection of an overall American attitude and maybe that's why a lot of people outside of this country don't like Americans. At times, it seems like we don't care about other countries or anything besides ourselves. I'm hoping these Olympics are just an aberration. But I think it's a sign of the times. Want to see something refreshing? Watch how other countries like Italy or Sweden celebrate. They're up on the medal stand, singing their countries national anthem with pride. You don't see that much from the Americans anymore. We used to be that way. But now it's more about the me than the we. The I and the $. American athletes have to understand that it's okay to admit you failed. Handle it with grace. We're human, nobody wins all of the time. And the only way to succeed is to learn from your mistakes. Maybe that's why we aren't succeeding in these Games.

Super Bowl XL will be remembered for the refs. But they weren't the only ones who didn't have their "A" game. Pittsburgh was supposed to be the best team in the AFC, Seattle was supposed to be the best team in the NFC and these were supposed to be the best refs in the NFL. All three struggled in the biggest game of the season. The Steelers didn't play their best game but still won. Seattle didn't play well at all and lost. And the refs had a terrible game. Like the players, some make the biggest mistakes in the biggest games. Ben Roethlisberger had a bad game. Matt Hasselbeck had a below average game. So did Mike Holmgren. And so did the refs. It's as simple as that. Yes, the refs should definitely be under review during the offseason and the NFL must look at the tapes of the games with those very same zebras but don't tell me the refs stole the game and here's a perfect example why:

4th Quarter..... Seahawks down by just 4.... ball at the Pittsburgh 27....3rd and long...if Seattle kicks a field goal on 4th down, they're within one point! So, all Seattle has to do is not turnover the ball. Even if they don't gain a single yard, they're set up for a great field goal. And if they gain just a few yards, it's a chip shot. But instead Hasselbeck throws a foolish INT. The ref didn't throw it, Hasselbeck did. Now everyone can complain that the refs made a bad holding call a few plays earlier to put the Seahawks in bad position. But here's the difference between Seattle and Pittsburgh. Seattle became mentally rattled by the penalties and totally lost their poise. A few weeks earlier Pittsburgh did not. You remember........when Pittsburgh was on the wrong end of a bad call against Indy. Troy Polamalu intercepts Peyton Manning but for some reason the refs blow the call and give it back to Indy. But you know what Pittsburgh did? They didn't sulk, they didn't choke. They sucked it up, overcame the bad call and won. They remained poised. Seattle totally lost their poise Sunday. They didn't know how to deal with bad breaks.

Pittsburgh may not have played great but Seattle flat-out didn't deserve to win. Three Jerramy Stevens dropped passes. Two missed field goals. Absolutely terrible clock management by Holmgren and Hasselbeck. Maybe if Seattle played well and lost by one or two points, maybe then I could sympathize more. But instead they lost by 11 and didn't deserve to win. For everyone who thinks the game was fixed, then the Seahawks must have been in on it because they played their worst football in the Big Game's biggest situations.

Heck even the day after the game, Mike Holmgren said he didn't want to make excuses but then kept complaining about the refs. And then he had the nerve to say it was unfair there were so many Steelers fans at the Super Bowl!!! You know what, the Seahawks are an exact reflection of their coach. When some unfair things happen, they become completely rattled and lose their poise. Instead Mike should critique his own clock management in the past two Super Bowls. You know the saying when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade? Obviously Holmgren doesn't.



aloeb@local10.com

I'm taking Pittsburgh 24-13.

Defense wins championships and the Steelers had a better rush defense and pass defense than the Seahawks this season. The Seahawks have a good D but it's a small, fast defense. I think Pittsburgh will be able to push them around. And nobody's calling a better gameplan right now than Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. That being said, it still wouldn't surprise me if this game swings Seattle's way simply because the big games always come down to turnovers. ALWAYS! (for effect).

p.s. this game will be Shaun Alexander's defining moment. Hero or goat.

National Signing Day has come and gone but looking at the big picture, what I find pretty fascinating is one simple fact about college football: you don't even have to be a great X's and O's coach to win at the college level.....you just have to be a great recruiter. This is totally foreign from the NFL. Just look at Pete Carroll and Mack Brown as examples. They have won the National Championship the last 3 years. But Pete Carroll was never an X's and O's guy. He had a very average tenure as a head coach in the NFL (33-31 lifetime) and his record declined every year in New England. Look at Mack Brown before Vince Young got to Texas. Before Young, Brown couldn't make it to the National Championship game and couldn't beat Oklahoma. All of a sudden, Vince Young helps Texas beat Oklahoma for the first time in 5 years and carries Texas to a National Championship.

But here's the crazy thing about it. Brown and Carroll would not succeed in the NFL but they're still two of the greatest coaches in the college game. And all because of recruiting. Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, Roy Williams, Chris Simms (even though he's better in the NFL than he was in college) and Derrick Johnson. Just a few of Brown's recruits. When he was the head coach at North Carolina in 1997, he had three of his players go in the first round of the NFL Draft! When's the next time you'll see UNC have three first rounders in a year?

And look who Carroll brought in. Three Heisman Trophy winners in Palmer, Leinart & Bush (which sounds like a tremendous law firm). But as evidenced in this year's Rose Bowl, Carroll had some trouble with game management calls (like calling a timeout during a 2-pt conversion when the clock is stopped anyway). But it doesn't matter, because if you can recruit you will win at the college level.

And as easy as that sounds, don't think just anybody can recruit. Do you know how many years Bill Parcells spent as a head coach in college??? One year. It's because he admitted he hated recruiting and he wasn't good at it.

Isn't it interesting how after making stops in Portland, Las Vegas and San Antonio the Marlins are now talking about Hialeah as a possible home. No matter what happens from here on out, this is a no-win situation for the team. You see, they're not going to find anything better than South Florida for one simple reason. Miami-Ft Lauderdale is currently the 17th largest TV market in the nation. Portland is 24th and doesn't want to use taxpayer money to build a stadium. San Antonio is 37th and Las Vegas is is 51st. Those numbers mean money. The higher the market number, the higher the revenue potential. And guess what, South Florida gives the Marlins the most opportunity to make money.

But the problem is, even if the team does stay, would you pay to go see a bunch of guys who I'm sure are really nice guys, I'm sure they work really hard and they're just trying to make a living like the rest of us....but would you actually pay to see the group of prospects and minor leaguers this team is going to field for the foreseeable future? That's why they have a minor league system in baseball! Why should we be expected to pay major league prices to watch a minor league team? Let's go through this quickly: the Marlins lost their starting first baseman, 2nd baseman, shortstop, 3rd baseman, right fielder, center fielder, catcher, last year's opening day starting pitcher and their closer. Poor Joe Girardi.

You see the Marlins will never get this town back. Not unless David Samson walks back over the very same bridge he just burned. And if the team says it's just business, then they should get up and go already. Don't trade off the team, go shopping around the country and then come back and tell South Florida that you want to stay. They just stripped the entire team of everything except Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle. Who's gonna be left to ride the D-Train? The waterboy?

Pat Riley loves telling his team about the old scorpion and the frog story. A tale about self-destruction. You may remember, the scorpion that can't swim needs to get across a river. So he asks the frog for a ride. He assures the frog that he will not sting him and that they would both drown if he did. So what happens, the frog buys into it, gives the scorpion a ride, and in the middle of the river, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog asks why he would do such a thing considering now they're both going to die. And the scorpion's classic response is "I couldn't help it. It's my nature." Which leads us to the AFC championship game. On Sunday, the entire country witnessed a scorpion kill his own team. His name was Jake Plummer. But don't blame Jake. It's just his nature. Instead blame a coach who thought his ego could mold Plummer into something he's not. This has been going on since the beginning of football. Jake Plummer is just the latest in a long line of strong-armed, turnover-prone QB's who make their coaches drool but ultimately prove one thing over and over: you will almost never win a Super Bowl with that type of a quarterback.

Coaches get a glimpse of a guy's physical talent and they are hooked. Even the great Bill Parcells was enamored with Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe and look what happened. These are guys that have immense talent but they can't help but make bad decisions at crucial times. Yet ever since first the American football team, the Oneida Football Club, hit the field in 1862, coaches and scouts have drooled over strong armed QB's. But Jake Plummer is like Vinny or Drew. You see it's not a great arm that makes a quarterback. Ryan Leaf and Jeff George had two of the strongest arms in NFL history. However what defines a winning quarterback is how you respond in the few seconds during the big game when the pressure's on and you've got to stay poised. It's the intangible. Joe Montana had it. Johnny Unitas had it. Tom Brady's got it. Jim Kelly didn't. Warren Moon didn't. Peyton Manning doesn't..yet. And people shouldn't get offended because that doesn't mean those guys are bad quarterbacks. In fact in my book they're all Hall of Famers. But they're gunslingers. In fact, it's funny how when the NFL draft rolls around, everybody wants the next gunslinger. But history has shown that it's not those guys that win Super Bowls. Just look at the list of the top 20 QB's of all time (for either TD's or yardage). Only 6 of 20 have won the Super Bowl. Congratulations to the guy who tosses 40 TD's but I'd rather take a guy that doesn't turnover the ball. It's all about quality not quantity. Some of you may say, "Wait a minute, Brett Favre is a gunslinger and he won the big game!?" But for as wild and undisciplined as he looks these days, Favre turned over the ball just once in two Super Bowls. As for Jim Kelly, he had 7 turnovers in 4 Super Bowls.

As for Jake Plummer, he's just another victim of a coach trying to fit a square peg in a circle. If he's a gunslinger, you can try to round off the rough edges but don't expect to change him completely. Those poor Broncos fans. Like being in a dysfunctional relationship, they were looking for Plummer to provide what he wasn't capable of providing. You see, a player can change his jersey throughout his career, but he can almost never change his stripes.