I recently used part of my income tax refund check to purchase a netbook, so that I could have something lightweight to tote around whenever I felt the urge to record a thought. Usually when I record a large volume of material I insure against disaster by backing it up to a flash drive. But you should at least expect a brand new device not two weeks in use not to be of immediate concern, shouldn’t you? Wrong, wrong, wrong. There I was, typing away when the system inexplicably froze, and up came the dreaded blue screen. The device automatically rebooted into system repair mode, where it hung for two hours before I decided to do a forced reboot into Safe Mode, except that it hung at classpnp.sys. Then I tried to reboot using the “last known good boot.” But instead of doing that, it went into checkdisk mode. After nearly three hours slogging through 76 unreadable file record segments, it dumped two “orphan” segments, and then spent another two hours processing “bad file records.” When it finally finished that, it started deleting about a hundred or so index entries. Then I was told that first it was recovering orphaned files, and then insufficient disk space to recover the files. Then it rebooted. Fixed? It just hung forever on Starting Windows before at last the desktop appeared. First thing I did was back-up my document files. Verdict: Lesson learned.
Hard as it is to believe, there are also lessons to be learned from the engagement in sports; there is indeed some slight resemblance to reality, in that those who participate perform a service in return for a salary, which in turn is either recycled into the economy--and if prudence is present--invested for post-sports life. Unfortunately, during this process some athletes lose sight of the fact that a lot of money brings great temptation and “friends” willing to exploit them. Now, depending upon how someone was raised and the posse they ran with, it is quite easy to fall into the trap of living the life of an irresponsible gangster Peter Pan, never understanding that the acquisition of money and fame gives one an opportunity to escape that cycle, instead of bankrolling it and then allowing that lifestyle to spin further and further out of control. Verdict: Lesson not leaned.
But some of our “heroes” can disappoint us without resort to thuggery. I grew-up a Milwaukee Brewers fan, but after Robin Yount’s retirement, the revolving door method of stocking the roster--that virtually guaranteed mediocrity--left me disinterested and dispirited. That may change, after the Brewer organization decided that Ryan Braun was that “franchise,” Hall of Fame player who had the talent and personality that fans could viscerally connect to, and thus fill seats—worthy of an investment in a long contract (stretching to 2020). But when the reigning NL MVP tested positive for an extraordinarily high level of PEDs, fans were crestfallen over the apparent evidence that their new hero was a fraud. Braun claimed innocence from the start, based upon the “improbability” of elevations three times that ever recorded. Now, it is possible (and a more likely scenario) that Braun had never taken PEDs before (he had never tested positive previously), but wanting to perform his best to give the team a shot at the World Series that might not come again (it was almost 30 years since the last—and only time—the Brewers played in the Series), he foolishly decided to use something without first reading Lance Armstrong’s instruction manual; it is also likely that he never expected to be tested immediately after the regular season was over. Fortunately for Braun, the courier who handled his sample bungled the delivery just enough to give the arbitrator of his appeal just enough wiggle room to squirm through the door of “reasonable doubt.” Upon listening to his press conference after his “vindication,” I suspect that Braun may be an exception to the rule: A player implicated in a PED scandal who escaped with his reputation largely unscathed. Verdict: Lesson learned.
At the NFL combine over the weekend, John Clayton spoke to former Colts president Bill Polian. Polian, who admitted he hadn’t seen Peyton Manning throw since the end of December when he was still limiting his throws to 25-30 yards—and was visibly exhausted after throwing just 30 passes—nonetheless expressed endless enthusiasm for Manning’s return to the NFL. This shouldn’t come as surprise; after all, Polian and his son were fired by team owner Jim Irsay, and of course Polian had a motivation to put Irsay in the worst possible light by inflating Manning to god-like status. Nevertheless, Polian—and those who expressed the same opinion—stretched credibility when he suggested that Manning’s elevation of team play was the difference between a two-win team and a 12-win team. The fact of the matter is that it was evident that Manning’s performance was in decline last year. During a three-game stretch he threw eleven interceptions, and the team fell to 6-6; although the Colts won their final four games to edge into the playoffs, each of these games were decided by a touchdown or less. The outcomes could easily have been in the Colts disfavor. Had Manning played this year with his nerve degeneration, his play—and the team’s—would have declined together; a losing record would not only have been possible, but probable. And for these who seem to believe that Manning’s presence is a guarantee to a Super Bowl run, let us remember that Manning’s Super Bowl record is the same as the much maligned Brett Favre: 1-1, and his playoff record is worse—9-10 compared to 13-11. Many “lesser” quarterbacks—like the Raiders’ Jim Plunkett—have more Super Bowl rings than he has. Local sports personalities like Brock and Salk seem to think that Manning will re-emerge as the Six Million Dollar Man; the reality is that his decline may become even more precipitate than Favre’s. Verdict: A seat after school in detention.
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Meanwhile, my opinion on Matt Flynn has not shifted one iota after the Packers signed Jermichael Finley to a two-year deal, freeing the franchise tag for possible use on Flynn. I had to work the Sunday he played, but I managed to obtain the complete telecast, and I’ve watched it from start to finish several times, and not just because of its historical significance in Packer lore. Flynn came into the game cold, having thrown 3 passes all season. Despite early adversity, Flynn never looked anything but in control of the situation. Green Bay was resting some of their starters, including three of their best defensive players, and Mathew Stafford was having an easy time of it. It was clear from the Lions body language that they wanted to win this game badly, having lost 20 straight on the road against the Packers. But Flynn never flinched, matching Stafford throw for throw, and you saw him throw a perfect long ball to Jones with a minute left on third down, and Flynn acting as if it was no sweat; he remained cool and confident from start to finish. You can say that he had all these weapons, but you have to put the ball in their hands first. He completed 21 of his last 24 passes for 380 yards and 5 TDs. I think that because he threw a softer ball it made it easier to catch; in subfreezing weather against the Giants, Rodgers zipping a rock-hard ball at receivers was one reason why there were so many dropped passes. Flynn’s performance demonstrated talent, not luck. None of those quarterbacks he is compared to, like Kevin Kolb, Matt Cassell or Rob Johnson, has done anything even remotely similar. If you hope that T-Jack can do that, well I feel your pain. If you think that Manning will still be capable of that, go ahead and fantasize. If you want to do a Ricky Williams deal for RG3 (Mike Ditka traded the entire 1999 draft plus the first and the third picks in 2000 for Williams) be prepared for the consequences if it goes bad. If you want to draft someone else, you only have the Seahawks past QB draft history to go on.
I don’t know if Flynn should be bartered for this year's first round pick, but if the Seahawks made that deal I wouldn’t feel any angst over it. I’d probably go for lower picks or perhaps a player on the roster, but regardless I think Flynn is the Seahawks best option. General Manager John Schneider has been mum about the specifics of what direction the team is looking to in acquiring a quarterback, and in a story in the Green Bay Press-Gazette, in response to a question concerning obtaining a quarterback through a trade, Schneider said “You better be really sure he’s the guy. Otherwise it’s a double whammy: It’s draft choices and it’s cash.” Schneider has also said that the team would not be “pressured” by media and the fans in regard to who they would target, and this would certainly include Peyton Manning. Schneider did let slip the following comment about Flynn, according to Eric Williams of the News-Tribune: “We all liked him as a player. Ted (Thompson) had gone there (to LSU to scout him) and he really liked the competitor. We’d actually drafted (Brian) Brohm in the second round. He (Flynn) was just a guy that came in on Day 1 with a swagger.” The Dolphin’s new coach, Joe Philbin, was mum on Flynn but the description of what he was looking for in a quarterback seemed to fit Flynn’s skill set. Flynn may not be the physical specimen of some other quarterbacks, but there is no doubt in my mind that he has the position down cold.
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