Doug Four Quarters 1

Jim Fassel, John Swofford, Rhode Island Basketball Ball and The California Wildfires Top This Week's Four Quarters

Quarter I: Jim Fassel’s Request is a Real Head Scratchier
It has become news in recent days that Jim Fassel wants to become a head coach again. An accomplished head coach, Fassel took the Giants to the Super Bowl during the 2000 season. However, he has not had a head-coaching job since his dismissal from the Giants in 2003, as his most recent job was being the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Fassel’s desire to be a head coach isn’t a surprising. What is surprising is that of all teams he is reaching to Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders.
I am aware that Mr. Fassel wants to coach once more but contacting the Raiders is the wrong move in the effort to launch one's career. First, one has to deal with perhaps the worst owner in football that has absolutely no idea how to construct a football team and does not have the patience to undergo the rebuilding process successfully. Second, this is a team in disarray with little player leadership or talent. Essentially, Mr. Fassel would be starting with a bare cupboard and expected to make a full thanksgiving dinner in two hours. Mr. Fassel, coaching the Raiders is a no win situation. You take all of the blame yet you are unable to control personal and coaching decisions. Out of all the coaching the positions that expect to be available this off-season, I’m sure Mr. Fassel could have picked a better team to reach out to.

Quarter II: John Swofford Tops This Week’s Worst Persons
3. Ben Watson Tight End New England Patriots for his inexcusable fumble in last week’s loss to the Jets. When you are stripped of a pass on a key drive in a key drive it is bad enough but Watson’s play was simply inexcusable. He fumbled the ball with out any player contact killing the Pats momentum early in the second half of last week’s game against the Jets.
2. Mark Cuban for being taken to court for illegally using confidential information to avoid more than 750,000 dollars in loses on Wall Street. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse in today’s financial mess you have one sports’ most active owners involved in an illegal sell off.
1. John Swofford, BCS Commissioner for his load of bologna that he put out Tuesday afternoon. In response to President-Elect Obama’s push for a college playoff system Swofford said "For now, our constituencies -- and I know he understands constituencies -- have settled on the current BCS system, which the majority believe is the best system yet to determine a national champion while also maintaining the college football regular season as the best and most meaningful in sports." Mr. Swofford, to say that the BCS system is best method to determine the national champion shows how in the tank you are for the sponsors. The BCS creates nothing but confusion and frustration while tournament style playoffs provide excitement and stories that are both meaningful and inspiring. Shame on you Mr. Swofford for thinking otherwise. John Swofford, this week’s worst person in the world.

Quarter III: Rhody Hoops Tops This Week’s Best Persons
3. Albert Pujols for winning his second MVP award Tuesday. Has there ever been a quieter 37HR 116RBI season? Not only that but he did it with a sore right elbow all season long.
2. Jimmy Johnson for winning his third straight NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship. Winning a sports title once is impressive but to win three times is downright amazing.
1. Rhode Island Rams Basketball Team for the game they played at Duke on Sunday. Teams not named North Carolina simply do not win at Cameron Indoor and these Rhody Rams nearly pulled a shocker of an upset. Looks like in will be an exciting season for Rhody Basketball. The Rhody Rams, this week’s best persons in the world.

Quarter IV: Game of the Week: Rhode Island Versus Duke.
Here was a classic example of a team that had no business playing with another team. Beating a team like Duke is hard enough on one’s home floor but with the raucous crowed of Cameron Indoor it’s nearly impossible. Yet the Rhody Rams nearly pulled off this year’s greatest upset and stuck with the Blue Devils the whole way falling short at the end on a missed Jimmy Barron fade away. Keep your heads up Rhody. You played a heck of a game.

Overtime: 10 Random Pieces of Sports Knowledge
10. Jeremy Affelt is the first free agent in Baseball to sign inking a two-year deal worth 8 million dollars
9. Over 100 million dollars was bet on the San Diego - Pittsburgh game last Sunday.
8. The Yankees sold Darrell Rasner’s rights to Japan for 1 million dollars
7. Matt Cassel set a career high for yards thrown with his performance against the Jets
6. Novak Djokovic won the ATP Masters Cup last weekend
5. Here’s an impressive stat for you. The Celtics played 8 games in the past 12 days. Their record you may ask is a cool 7-1.
4. The Cleveland Cavaliers have won seven consecutive games
3. The Tennessee Titians are 10 and 0 and have a fan in Mercury Morris.
2. The Ravens gave up 100 yards to a team for the first time in 28 games last Sunday against the Giants
1. The Bruins are unexpectedly in first place in the Northeast Division.

Double Overtime: California Wildfires Make up This Weeks Non Political Story of the Week
I feel sorry for those in California these days. Three major fires have burned 41,000 acres. Fueled by winds of over 70MPH these fires are wreaking havoc across California destroying homes and other buildings in their path. Governor Arnold Swartzenegger has declared state of emergencies in four California counties. Fire Fighters are trying the best they can to control the flames but their efforts are at the mercy of the weather. Hopefully a series of favorable conditions comes into the area where these fires are burning so that firefighters can get them under control.