Moss stance... scratch that, he could win a ring

As is customary, it's been a while since my last post. In this case, it's been almost two years. Anyhow, regarding my last post, Randy Moss is now a San Francisco 49er. Being that the Niners came two wins within a Super Bowl last season, you might think this would alter my stance on Moss never winning a ring. Right? Right! With Moss on the Niners, I can legitimately see him winning a Super Bowl in 2013. Take a look at the NFC. The Saints will be in shambles thanks to head-hunting gate and spygate. That leaves the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers as the three legitimate contenders. I realize it's early, but c'mon. The Redskins won't contend. The Bears won't either. In fact, I can see the Giants being mediocre as many defending Super Bowl Champions often are. We'll see. But the point is this, I'm changing my stance on Moss, assuming he can stay healthy and keep his head on straight. If he starts going all Ochocinco or T.O. on San Fran's locker room, it will likely be a different story. Until then, he's talented, fast and can still jump. He's only 35. I know, 35 is old but it's not ancient. Keep an eye on the former Marshall Thundering Herd. The Niners will mark Moss' fifth team (six if you count the second stint he had with the Vikings). I'd like to think he has his head straight. He won't be the team's No. 1, but he can be a viable deep threat for sure. Here's to enjoying the show.

Moss would be perfect on the Bengals

A little less than a month ago, I blogged about how I was sticking with my prediction that Randy Moss will never win a Super Bowl after he was traded back to the Minnesota Vikings. At this point, I think it would be very difficult for Moss to win a Super Bowl since he is not currently a member of an NFL team.

I realize he'll get picked up on waivers, but that will likely be by a team like the St. Louis Rams or the Cincinnati obnoxious receivers club... I mean Bengals. Maybe he'll get his wish and get to play for the almighty Belichick again. Judging from his post-game comments the other day, Moss may be realizing he kinda shot himself in the foot.

For the record, I'm sticking with my Moss prediction. See earlier blogs for reference.

While I'm mentioning the Bengals and making predictions, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens will also never win Super Bowls. I don't care if the Bengals pick up Moss, which they likely won't. Either way, after Owens got so close with the Eagles and not as close with the Cowboys, stints with Buffalo and Cincinnati are proving to diminish his chances. As for Ochocinco, he's four years younger than Owens, so he may have a slightly better chance, but after the way those two, particularly Owens, blasted Donovan McNabb on the "T.Ocho Show," I can't help but see how their careers are heading down the drain.

Seriously guys? You're 2-5 and about to face the Steelers on "Monday Night Football" and you're sitting around talking crap about McNabb?

"Well, I don't really want to start anything, but I did play in the Super Bowl and there were rumors where he couldn't get our two-minute offense going at the end of the game, I'm just saying," Owens said.

You're just saying? You gotta be kidding me. And you're not trying to start anything? Again, kidding me!

It seems to me Owens is relishing McNabb receiving negative press. What really lit me up though was that he said something to the effect of Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan being the coach and making the right decision as the coach and so on.

What a load of garbage. You're telling me that he's ever said to himself after a questionable call by one of his coaches, "Well he's the head coach so that must be the right decision." What a joke. Evidently Ochocinco wasn't as critical as Owens during their pathetic rant, but still. Their show is a joke.

When I see things like that, it makes me think that Randy Moss would be perfect on the Bengals. And again, he'll never win a Super Bowl. Neither will Owens or Ochocinco.

Staying with my Moss prediction

On my first post ever for this blog, back when it was titled Don't Worry About It, back when the Giants had just defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, back on February 8, 2008, I wrote that I didn't think Randy Moss would ever win a Super Bowl. At that time, I only based it off Moss coming so close with the Pats and coming up short, but now, two seasons later, I'm standing firm on my belief.

With Moss now back on the Vikings, I still don't see him winning a Super Bowl. The Vikings, at 1-2 and facing the Jets in a Monday Night matchup, may not even make the playoffs this year. Moss certainly boosts their chances, but nothing is a lock. With Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, and now Moss, some have referred to the Vikings as the Miami Heat of the NFL. I'm really getting sick of that analogy.

Either way, since my "Moss won't win a Super Bowl" prediction is still intact, I'm gonna stick with it. It's almost three years old. It will be fun to watch him and Favre, a solid threat, but win a Super Bowl? I'm just not seeing it. I really don't have much to support why I'm sticking with this prediction, I just am.

Bill Simmons wrote in a column about how he loved the Moss trade that Moss could be another Ewing theory, a great player who never wins big. I don't think it's about his attitude, something I don't see as a problem. His work ethic, now that's a different story. But Moss is one of the most talented receivers to play the game. He's unbelievable. A specimen to watch, even at 33.

Favre and Moss though, that's a lethal combination, so maybe I'll be proven wrong. To be totally honest, I wouldn't mind being wrong if Moss and Favre won the Super Bowl this year. It's probably their first, last and only chance together. But then again, Favre may never actually retire.

In light of bringing up old blog posts, I wrote about Favre's first retirement -- in March of 2008.

Pats back?

Within the last year, I posted a blog about how the New England Patriots weren't what they used to be when the Brady and Belichick machine won Super Bowls like it was their job -- oh wait. It was during a Monday Night Football game against the eventual Super Bowl-champion New Orleans Saints.

I said how they weren't the same, but how they still stood a chance. Later that season, against the Baltimore Ravens in Foxboro, the game ended seconds after the opening kickoff -- a touchdown run back. Clearly they didn't stand a chance last year, but this year they do.

They just trounced the Miami Dolphins, 41-14, and they did it with such style and grace. A single player, safety Patrick Chung, a 23-year-old who is actually younger than me, blocked two field goals and returned an interception for a touchdown. For the first time in league history a team (Patriots) scored a touchdown five different ways -- on the ground, in the air, pick-six, kickoff return and blocked FG return.

That's impressive.

Bill Belichick showed emotion. He was smiling, laughing even, on the sidelines as the clock ticked down. As the two division rivals met at midfield, the camera looked up at Tom Brady.

"That is a man on a mission," said Mike Tirico.

"And I'd hate to get in his way," John Gruden responded.

Belichick drafted three Florida Gators and they're all starting for his defense. Like I said in my last blog, Brady, Belichick and Moss. They're good, and now with an injenction of youth, I fear the possibilities that they may be better than they were as Super Bowl-winning addicts.

I'm just saying.

What summer is all about

So last night I went down to Baltimore to see the Orioles play the Yankees with two friends. Walking into the Eutaw Street entrance, and even just walking down Pratt Street reminded me that I hadn't been to a game down there in quite some time. I didn't make it to Camden Yards at all last season. In fact, I don't think I made it to a single baseball game last season.

It was good to be back though. I love watching the Yankees in Baltimore. The attendance is pretty respectful for an O's game and half the fans are Yankees fans. I heard more "Let's go Yankees!" chants than crowd-inflicted Orioles chants. (It doesn't count when the public address horn gets 'em going.)

We paid for cheap seats and proceeded to sit behind the rightfield foul pole -- just outside of fair territory -- in front of some New Yorkers. It was great talking to them. Hearing that accent really brought me back to my college days on Long Island, and more sentimentally to some of my family that is from and some of which still reside in Brooklyn, NY.

We talked about sports and got to know each other a little. It was neat to have three people from a town of not more than 10,000 talk with guys from a city of more than 8 million. But we got along, shared some common ground and enjoyed nine innings of pure summer ecstasy as the sun set on Baltimore, Md.

Boog's Barbecue -- the only food I'll eat at Oriole Park -- hasn't changed a bit and is still as delectable as ever. I captured on my phone the baseball plaque commemorating Ken Griffey Jr.'s home run that hit the warehouse on the fly, the only home run ball ever to do so. It was the 1993 All Star Home Run Derby, and I've seen the thing on the wall there plenty of times, but I guess in light of The Kid's retirement it just felt appropriate to snap it for my phone.

I've seen Griffey play at Camden Yards, a playoff game back in 1997. It was exciting to say the least. That was the year the Orioles lost to the Indians in the ALCS. The Marlins eventually won the World Series. It snowed in Cleveland during one of the games.

I realize I'm rambling about senseless nostalgia at this point, so I'll tell a story about the game last night. One of my friends I was with had on a cheap, rubber bracelet that was shaped like a crown when she took it off. One of the guys behind us was wearing an O's hat, one of the freshly new, flat brim fitted caps. The really nice ones. He wanted the bracelet and she wanted the hat, so early in the game they bet each other. If the O's won she got the hat, if the Yankees won he got the bracelet.

Final score: 4-3, Orioles.

She couldn't believe he actually let her keep the hat, but he did. As we passed the standing room area and walked onto Eutaw Street, I heard one of the ushers say, "Major league debut against one of the best hitting lineups in baseball and he won." He was referring to Baltimore's Jake Arrieta, who did in fact make his major league debut and beat the Yankees. Rodriguez left the game with a groin injury before he even got a chance to bat though. I know, excuses, excuses. But a one-run game, you're telling me A-Rod wouldn't have made a difference?

I gotta say though, it really just felt great to be there.

Missing History on a Holiday

So another Memorial Day weekend has passed and with it so has another birthday. I turned 23 on May 27. Put simply, it was the best birthday of my life. I'd say the only other one that comes close was when in sixth grade I had some friends sleep over and my parents took us to play laser tag. That was pretty sweet, but now that I'm entering into what people refer to as the "adult world," birthdays are measured on a much different scale.

I got to go to my family's cabin up in Huntingdon, Pa., by Raystown Lake. There's nothing quite like enjoying a holiday weekend up there in the Pennsylvania mountains. (I don't care what anyone from Colorado says, they'll always be mountains to me.) Anyways, my girlfriend's parents came up and finally got to meet my parents. It only took 19 months of dating. Anyhow, I told my girlfriend that as soon as her parents got up there I was going to disregard my cell phone. Either turn it off or just leave it in the bedroom.

I didn't turn it off, but I didn't check ESPN or even messages/e-mails for that matter. I believe that's the proper way to enjoy a weekend away from the daily grind of the work week. We were up at the lake from Saturday afternoon until early Sunday evening, and returned home to relax by my girlfriend's parents' pool Sunday night, toasting to America and the holiday weekend. I'm going somewhere with this...

We awoke Monday morning and went into town to see my girlfriend's grandmother and watch the United States' oldest running Memorial Day parade. While chit-chatting with her, we learned that Roy Halladay had thrown a perfect game Saturday night against the Florida Marlins.

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

"How did we miss that?" I asked my girlfriend, an avid Phillies fan. We both get text alerts on our phones, but they don't mention a perfect game, they just tell you the score.

Up at the lake, we don't watch television or check the internet. We relaxed on the boat, had some beers out at the fire after a delicious meal of ribs on the grill, and simply missed baseball's 20th perfect game of all time. I'd have to say it was worth it, and believe me, I'd be saying the same thing had it been Sabathia rather than Halladay.

Feedback

I'm not sure of when the last time was that I posted on this thing two days in a row. Come to think of it, I don't know if it's ever been done in the history of this blog. While Sports Romance is now a day old, the blog formerly known as Don't Worry About It... has been around for a little more than two years.

I was browsing over some past posts earlier today and noticed that I've made mention of my teams. I've not only done it, but quite a few times. My apologies for adding that in yesterday's post. It felt necessary at the time.

I've been a staff writer at The Gettysburg Times for about three months now and I'm beginning to receive reader feedback via e-mail. As you can probably imagine, much of it is negative. What's ironic about the whole thing is that when I first started I couldn't wait to get e-mail feedback from readers, and then the first negative e-mail I received had me all bent out of shape. I guess I should be careful what I wish for.

Regardless, I enjoy feedback whether it's positive or negative. I welcome comments, questions, concerns and all things relevant. It's the comments and feedback that keeps this job interesting. It is why I love writing. A good friend of mine who until recently wrote for The Center for New York City Affairs told me back in February that the beauty of our job is that it's there everyday. Our names are on our work, and people read it. That's our work. I like it because thousands of people read my work everyday. Certainly not on this blog, but my articles in the paper, whether in print or online, are viewed by a whole county and then some.

It's something that tickles me. I love what I do. I love writing.

Since this is Sports Romance, I had better put something in here about sports. The NCAA men's lacrosse tournament reached its final four teams this past weekend, and we got Cornell going up against Notre Dame and Duke vs. Virginia. Cornell reached the title game last year, so I think they're going to beat Notre Dame, but Notre Dame has been playing with a chip on its shoulder, having been one of the teams that many people thought shouldn't have been selected among the field of 16. Evidently they deserved to be there, even with a 7-6 record. They beat no. 6 Princeton and then 3rd-ranked Maryland. Cornell may be no. 7, but the Big Red brings an experience to the table that can't be coached. I like Cornell against Duke in the final, based on what Duke did to Johns Hopkins in the first round. Hofstra is out of it, having lost to Maryland in the first round. I was ecstatic that the Pride made it with its 9-4 record. Either way, I think the team will be pretty solid next year, not losing too much from this year's roster.

Now I had better get to work, on the stuff that people actually read.