Packers/Cowboys Recap

So, I knew right away it was going to go wrong when Charles Woodson was ruled out. That meant that they would try and move Terrell Owens around because they were afraid of Al Harris mauling him.

Plus, after the stupid play where TO didn't have possession and Al Harris ripped the ball out, but the referee who couldn't actually see the ball ruled the play dead, I didn't care anymore.

Any time the Packers go down to Dallas, bad things happen with the refereeing. I can't explain it, but it's just bad. For instance, how about the second pass interference? I mean, when Cris Collinsworth, a former wide reciever, is questioning the call, it at least has to give you pause.

So I watched MythBusters instead. They shot at fish and also found out that elephants really are scared of mice. They also made Tory and Grant try hot sauce and see what worked to cool it down, including using Vaseline. It was really awesome.

I Reevaluate The Wii

So, last time I tried the Wii controller, I said I didn't care for it. It was too clunky, too touchy.

Well.

I have now played Wii Sports and a little Super Mario Galaxy and can say with total confidence that the Wii controller is one of the best I have ever seen.

However, this begs the question: What's next for Nintendo? I mean, when you have the DS, and you have the Wii, what's the step AFTER this generation? It's a question that they're certainly asking at Nintendo HQ, and it's valid.

The logical answer is to just do what you did THIS generation, and improve the graphics. However, Nintendo hasn't really done that since the NES to Super NES days. They also did the same with iterations of the Game Boy, but I don't think those count as much. Plus, the important thing to remember is that the Wii is revolutionary. There's been nothing else like it on the market, ever.

So, if you take something revolutionary, and just make the graphics better, won't it start to get old hat? Won't we start whining about yet ANOTHER motion-sensitive controller? Or is this more than a gimmick?

We haven't been whining about using the same basic template set down by the Atari 2600 and it's ilk for about 30 years (geez, I'm old). Is the Wii where EVERYTHING is going, or is it only a step for Nintendo? These are important questions that I'm sure they're hard at work on at Nintendo.

Sean Taylor Dead at 24

This was way out of left field.

Does anyone else feel guilty for hearing that it was Sean Taylor and going, "Well, no surprise there." By all accounts, he was turning his life around and trying to make things right. He leaves behind a fiancee and a little girl.

I don't think there's really a precedent for this: A young All-Pro with his career ahead of him on a prominent team dies in the middle of the season suddenly and tragically. The closest thing I can think of is Len Bias, but that was before the season, so it doesn't really compare.

Anyway, the 24-hour news cycle will move on, and people will get tired of this story by next week Sunday, complaining, "Enough already! So he died! Big deal!" But the family and friends of Sean Taylor will never be able to move on that way. My condolences go out to the family and friends of Sean Taylor.

Awesome Story From ESPN.com

Now, I know that getting rid of Ahman Green was the right thing to do for the organization, but after reading this story from ESPN.com you can't help but like the guy.

Click Here.

Have a great weekend. See you all on Monday.

Reds + Francisco Cordero = 4-year, $46M Contract

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

For that sort of money, there's no way the Brewers could have kept Cordero. Sure, closers aren't necessarily a dime-a-dozen, but they're not worth $10 mil either. Heck, there's not a lot of guys I'd pay $10 mil for.

Who on the Brewers would you pay that kind of money to? Fielder, yes. If Braun keeps up his pace, yes. If Gallardo keeps it up, yes. Other than that, who else? You can't argue for Jenkins, so don't even try. Sheets is injured too often. Corey Hart? Not really.

Plus, the Reds are now weighing down the rest of their roster all to have a really good closer. It's like skimping on product at your local Walmart in order to pay the best-of-the-best cashiers. What does it matter how good the end of the sale is when there's nothing to buy? Likewise, when there's no lead to protect, how can you close?

Now we need to talk options for closers. Go back to Turnbow? Only if we don't mind pee stains on the mound every couple games. Maybe they could make like Papelbon and convert a starter. My best option for this would be Capuano.

"But Capuano is great for the first half of the season!"

Yes, for the first half. Then he tails off or has injuries. He's not a reliable starter. Out of the bullpen, though, he might be great, although he lacks the blazing fastball that would really make a closer.

Some people will argue for Sheets, but you're paying him $8 million. You're not going to take him out of the rotation, no matter how often he gets injured, because you can't justify an 8 million dollar closer any more than you can justify a $10 million closer.

Frankly, though, I'm not too concerned about the closer situation. Every year, closers come and go. Once again, look at the Rockies. Manny Corpas was lights-out for the last 1/3 of the season. He wasn't the day one closer. Just the same, even if a day one closer is selected, there's no guarantee that he'll be the closer on the last day of the season.

So, I'm not too worried about this decision. It'll work out much the same as the Carlos Lee decision: Don't overspend when you can get something just as good for cheaper. Let other teams waste money and destroy their lineup.

Sports and Things

Checking in after a long absence...

So, Johnny Estrada traded for Guillermo Mota and a bag of magic beans. It's a shame really, because Estrada looked like a keeper at the beginning of the season. As it wore on, though, he just plain broke down. There's talk of Jason Kendall, which might work out, but why bother? A catcher that can hit isn't that big of a deal.

Just look at the Rockies. They had Yorvit Torrealba. He batted .255 with 8 HRs. He batted .234 in September. They somehow made it to the World Series, even without a hard-hitting catcher.

Look at the Red Sox. Jason Varitek batted .255 as well. In September, he batted .222, although he had 5 HRs. He's a career .255 hitter, though.

I guess the lesson is, don't overspend on someone who might give you production at the catcher spot. Just focus on their defense and how they call the game and you should be okay. Hard hitting catchers are a rarity nowadays, and unless you go out and get Jorge Posada, you're just not going to get much.