General comparison: baseball's economics are poor

Without getting too deep into legal jargon, most casual fans would find it hard to disagree that football is, and will continue to be, a more popular sport than baseball. There may be a million and one different reasons why, but perhaps the most prominent is the salary cap. In baseball's case, the lack thereof. Think about preseason football versus spring training for baseball. There are 32 NFL teams and 30 MLB teams. Each year, about 75% of NFL teams go into the season with legitimate hope of making the playoffs. Baseball? Try about half -- if that. Now I don't want to turn this piece into a complete Yankees/Red Sox-bashing, as fun as that might be. But with combined payrolls topping $300 million dollars, how can one not? Consider this disturbing fact -- four Yankees are currently making more than the ENTIRE Florida Marlins team. Need a double-check? This is not a misprint. It's cold, hard, sad fact. Then consider this: Alex Rodriguez, making roughly $25 million a year, could tear his ACL tomorrow and be lost for the season, yet continue to earn that money. Conversely, Peyton Manning does not earn paychecks for games that he misses (save for signing bonus money, the only guaranteed money in the NFL). There is always talk about the big market clubs versus the "small-market" clubs. In football, league officialls generally consider the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, owned by Ralph Wilson and Mike Brown, respectively, to be the two lowest-revenue teams in football. But the difference in football is poor seasons result in a couple of things: high draft position and an "easier" schedule the next season. The former "Bungles", a one-time laughingstock, were 2-14 in 2002 and earned the first pick in the '03 draft. They used it on Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer. Two years later, they were back in the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The Bills, though scuffling of late, made four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990's and have continued to field competitive teams over the years despite geographic anonymity and a crummy stadium.
Okay, I think you see where I'm going with this. But let me just pad this article with a few more keys that make football more competitively balanced that Bud Selig's MLB. 16 games versus 162. Hence, more significance in each game. More than half-full stadiums (try consistent sellouts), as opposed to MLB, where you'd be hard pressed to find any stadium (save for perhaps New York and Boston) more than two-thirds full. In many cities (i.e. Tampa, Kansas City), more than 2/3 of the stadium comes disguised as empty seats. And what, prietel, could that be attributed to? It couldn't be because those teams have no chance in you-know-what of competing on a yearly basis, could it? Hmm...
I'm going to hold off on telling you that in football, scheming, coaching, and gameplanning actually matter, as opposed to oversized, juiced players like Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds hovering over home plate scaring the Bejesus out of the pitchers, who in turn are too afraid to throw a strike. Did we mention baseball had a faulty drug-testing system? Oh, well, maybe another time. Anyways, that's all she wrote for now. Meanwhile, you baseball fans (sadly, I remain one of them) sit back and watch the Yankees and Red Sox square off for the 76th time in the ALCS, then the winner goes on to buy (excuse me, win) another championship. Or, just let these three-hour yawners tide you over until September 7, when the 2006 NFL season finally kicks off -- at long last.

Jags' Smith leaves game, mark on franchise

It wasn't always a smooth ride for Jimmy Smith, but the leading receiver in Jacksonville Jaguars history was a class act throughout. Smith, 37, announced his retirement Thursday following a 13-year career spent primarily in Jacksonville, where he made his mark as one of the game's all-time great receivers. Smith ends his tenure 7th on the all-time receptions list with 862 and 11th with 12,287 yards. But what Smith may be remembered for best was his quiet leadership on a team that garners very little fanfare.
Smith began his career in Dallas, where he played just seven games in three years, when the Cowboys won two Super Bowls. But in 1995, he caught on with the then-expansion Jaguars and began his legacy. In 1999, Smith led the NFL with 116 receptions for a career-high 1,636 yards while helping lead Jacksonville to its second AFC title game in four seasons. In 2001, Smith caught 112 balls for 1,373 yards and tied a career-best with 8 touchdowns while starting all 16 games for the sixth time in seven seasons. He was the only remaining member from the inaugral '95 team.
Smith, though, encountered his fair share of rough spots along the way. In November 2001, Smith was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, when tests later reveal Smith had cocaine in his system. Smith denied ever using the drug. Then, Smith was suspended for the first four games of the 2003 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, when he admitted that he had previously spent time in rehab for a drug addiction. And early in his career he was derailed by leg and stomach injuries, when it was thought he may not even play again. But Smith overcame the odds, and became of the all-time greats, all the while keeping a professional attitude.
(The Associated Press contributed to this article)

Titans should start '06 with Volek, not Young

Think back a few years to when the Bengals made Carson Palmer the first overall pick in the draft. The Bengals entered 2003 coming off the worst season in franchise history, not to mention 12 straight non-playoff seasons, and the assumption was that the Heisman Trophy winner would start right off the bat. But Marvin Lewis resisted the temptation to throw the rookie to the wolves, instead allowing veteran Jon Kitna to play the entire season. Kitna responded with a Pro Bowl year, but the Bengals failed yet again not he make the playoffs. Palmer finally earned the starting job in 2004 and struggled through the first half of the year before turning the corner, leading the Bengals to a second-straight 8-8 record. In 2005, the move paid dividends as Palmer led the Bengals to an 11-5 record and a division title while Cincinnati has finally re-established themselves as legitimate playoff contenders.
In 2006, the Tennessee Titans will be facing a similar dilemma. With Steve McNair likely on his way out, the Titans selected Texas quarterback Vince Young with the number 3 overall pick in this year's draft. Young is undoubtedly the most talented quarterback in the rookie class, but that talent is mostly raw at this point. The Titans, meanwhile, are coming off two seasons in which they have a combined record of 9-23. So the big question is, when does the Vince Young era officially begin the Music City?
The logical choice for the Titans would be to start the season not with young, but with sixth-year backup Billy Volek. Volek joined the Titans in 2001 as an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State, where he backed up current Houston Texans starter David Carr. Although he has only started 10 games in his NFL career, he has posted impressive numbers. In ten games, including eight starts, in 2004, Volek completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,486 yards and 18 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. That season included a two-game span in which Volek threw for a combined 918 yards, both Titans losses.
Volek may not be the future in Nashville despite his relatively young age (30), but he gives the Titans stability and veteran leadership while the Titans groom Young. Odds are that Vince-anity (sorry for the corny label) will begin some time around mid-season in Tennessee, barring injury to Volek of course. But don't be surprised if the Titans offense shines under Volek, as the team has brought in several reinforcements to an already solid offensive unit. The worse-case scenario for the Titans would in fact be a Volek injury, but if he is healthy, there is no need to throw Young into the ring of fire and salvage the 2006 season.

Browns already making a splash in free agency

Free agency for the upcoming 2006 NFL season is finally underway, and the Cleveland Browns are wasting no time trying to build on a disappointing-yet-progressive 6-10 season. The Browns entered free agency with approximately $27.1 million to spare under the salary cap, and immediately went to work, signing LeCharles Bentley, arguably the best offensive lineman on the market, right off the bat. They also added four others, including two with Super Bowl experience. WR Joe Jurevicius, who has participated in three of the past six Super Bowls, returns to his hometown, while the Browns also acquired mammoth DT Ted Washington, who was a member of the Patriots' second world championship team in 2003. Also in the mix are punter Dave Zastudil and offensive lineman Kevin Shaffer.
For the Browns, there should be a sense of renewed optimism heading into '06. In 2005, they found their quarterback of the future in Charlie Frye, and got their first 1,000-yard rusher since 1985 in Reuben Droughsns. Add in a pair of potent receivers in wideout Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow, even though both have serious injury concerns, and the Browns may be able to make a move in a rock-solid AFC North that includes the Super Bowl-champion Steelers. It certainly is too early for predictions, but the beleaguered Browns now appear headed in the right direction -- finally. Credit Romeo Crennel, architect of the Patriots' fierce defense during their Super Bowl, with getting things turned around so quickly for an organization that has had more than their fair share of disappointment and heartbreak.

Super Bowl quick hits

Super Bowl XL is now only a day away, as the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers get set to square off in Detroit. While some feel this game lacks the intrigue of games past, it figures to be a hard-hitting, physical affair. Some fast facts about this year's game: Both of these teams lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular season, meaning this year will mark the first time a team has lost to the Jaguars and gone on to win the Super Bowl. Only the Buccaneers, Panthers, Texans, and Ravens have yet to beat an eventual Super Bowl champion -- but the Ravens could come off that list if Pittsburgh wins tomorrow ... Ben Roethlisberger looks to become the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, supplanting nemesis Tom Brady, who did it in 2001 ... Despite success in recent years, Pittsburgh has only one player with previous Super Bowl experience: former Seahawks' CB Willie Williams, who went to the Super Bowl in 1995 in his first stint with Pittsburgh. The Seahawks have five active players with previous Super Bowl experience: WR Joe Jurevicius (2000 NYG, 2002 TB), DE Grant Wistrom (1999, 2001 STL), Chuck Darby (2002 TB), John Howell (2002 TB), and P Tom Rouen (1997, 1998 DEN). LB Jamie Sharper, who is on IR, won a ring in 2000 with Baltimore ... 2005 marked the ninth consecutive season that at least one of the two road teams has won on Championship Weekend ... Only six teams (Arizona, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, and New Orleans) have failed to reach a Super Bowl, but five of them (all except Cleveland) have at least hosted Super Bowls in their cities ... Opinion: the "dark week" needs to go. Having two weeks between the championship games and the Super Bowl is too much; the media overhypes the game, and I personally get antsy waiting an extra week for the season's premier game.

Emerging from under the radar, 'Hawks finally going Bowling

Mike Holmgren has done this before. It was just nine seasons ago that Holmgren and Brett Favre helped lead the Packers to a world championship. One year later, the Packers captured their second straight NFC title. But after a heartbreaking loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1998 NFC playoffs, Holmgren parted ways with Green Bay and headed to the pacific northwest to coach the Seattle Seahawks, 15 years removed from their last playoff win. But after a division title in his first year, the Seahawks went three straight years without a postseason berth, then suffered through two more disappointing playoff losses in 2003 and 2004. After a home playoff loss to the Rams last January, many people began to question whether Holmgren was still the man to lead Seattle. 12 months later, no one is questioning Holmgren or his coaching abilities. The Seahawks' 34-14 win over Carolina in Sunday's NFC championship game helped propel the 'Hawks to the first Super Bowl berth in franchise history. Yet despite a 13-3 season (including an 8-0 home mark) and sporting the league's MVP in running back Shaun Alexander, who set an NFL record with 28 touchdowns, the Seahawks have still toiled in relative anonymity playing in the state of Washington. While Alexander and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck have become household names, the Seahawks have also gotten major contributions from the likes of savvy veteran receiver joe Jurevicius, who has played in two Super Bowls in the past five six years with New York and Tampa Bay, defensive end Grant Wistrom (who also has been a part of two NFC title teams in St. Louis), and one of the most unheralded offensive lines in football. Prior to the 2004 season, the 'Hawks were the chic pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, only to go 9-7 and yet again fail to even with a playoff game. But heading into 2005, the expectations seemed to be somewhat mellowed, as many experts predicted Arizona to contend for the division crown. After a less-than-stellar 2-2 start, Seattle reeled off a franchise-record 11-game winning streak to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, then followed with two more playoff wins to finally reach the Big Game. Now, the Seahawks will finally get the attention that has been lacking for many years in the Pacific Northwest. And although they may not have quite the following that the Steelers do in terms of fanbase, the Seahawks have thrived at home in large part because of their own fans, something they will count on two weeks from now in Detroit.

Colts, like others prior, waste terrific season

It was a lock. Finally, at long last, Peyton Manning would take his Colts to the Super Bowl. After all, they established themselves as the NFL's most dominant team in 2005, winning a league-best 14 games. And with New England out of the picture, nothing would stop the Colts from finally reaching the Big Game. But apparently the Pittsburgh Steelers never got the message. Yes, the same Pittsburgh Steelers team that Indy thrashed, 26-7, on a Monday night in Week 12. But perhaps the Steelers can sympathize in one sense with the team they beat, 21-18, in Sunday's Divisional round game at the RCA Dome. Last season, the Steelers won an AFC-record 15 games, including 14 straight after a Week 2 loss. But when the smoke cleared after the AFC Championship Game, the Steelers were left scratching their heads as New England celebrated a 41-27 romp at Heinz Field. But both teams are classic examples of how it isn't always the best team that wins the Super Bowl, but rather the team that simply plays its best football down the stretch.
Just ask the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, who also went 15-1 in the regular season, not to mention scored a league-record 556 points. Like the '04 Steelers, the Vikings made it 16 wins with a victory in the Divisional round, only to fall short on their home field in the championship game. The heavily favored Vikings lost, 30-27, in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons, coming up one game short of Super Bowl XXXIII.
This year's Colts team looked like it was the real deal. After flirting with perfection through the first 13 games, Indianapolis had clinched home-field advantage was well-rested with the Steelers coming to town. Yet they were rusty, falling in a 21-3 hole that proved to be too much to overcome. And now, at 30 years old, the pressure is mounting on Manning to finally reach the Super Bowl after almost unparallel regular-season success over the past three years.