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The game plan they followed to secure the AFC's final playoff spot looked eerily similar to the blueprint used a year ago, when Baltimore reached the AFC Championship game—limit the amount of time an opposing offense has the ball by putting together a successful running attack. 

Ravens fans all over the country were hoping Baltimore would return to this proven formula that worked so well, especially during the Brian Billick era.

Now it looks like the team finally listened to their toughest critics, as the Ravens have ranked second in the NFL in rushing over the past six weeks.

As Baltimore clinches their second consecutive playoff birth, they will head back to New England to face the 10-6 Patriots, where in Week 4, the Ravens came up ten yards short of what could've been a game-winning touchdown. 

Baltimore dropped that contest 21-27, in what turned out to be one of their more bitter defeats of the season.

In order for the Ravens to topple the Patriots for the first time in franchise history and move on to the Divisional round of the playoffs, they must stick to their roots in the running game. 

Baltimore's third ranked defense, which has improved vastly during the second part of the season, must limit penalties and mental errors if they want to slow down Tom Brady and company, and ultimately limit the time the Patriots' offense is on the field.

Everyone knows the Ravens become a very dangerous team when they make it to the postseason. The last two teams that defeated Baltimore in the playoffs, ended up being crowned Super Bowl champions; Pittsburgh in 2008 and Indianapolis in 2006.

Let's examine some other key things the Ravens must do in order to be successful this Sunday against one of the toughest teams in the playoffs this year.

Revisiting Baltimore's running attack, they need to duplicate what they did last week against Oakland. 

Both Ray Rice and Willis McGahee need to carry the load behind an offensive line that's finally healthy again, with the return of Jared Gaither. 

Le'Ron McClain might be the best blocking fullback in the NFL, which is why he's headed back to the Pro Bowl this year. 

If McClain can repeat the success he's had this season, against the Patriots on Sunday, both Rice and McGahee should get the opportunity to spring loose for some big gains in the running game.

Depending on how the running attack fares for the Ravens this Sunday, will ultimately dictate how much Cam Cameron decides to utilize Joe Flacco.

Baltimore's passing game has been an entirely different story throughout the regular season. 

Flacco started the 2009 season on fire, but eventually his role running the offense was reduced, due to the fact that the Ravens were labeled as a "pass-happy" team. 

Opponents started to figure out that Derrick Mason was Flacco's favorite target nearly 70 percent of the time, so John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron had to draw up new schemes on offense.

One player that came on strong during the last six games was Todd Heap. As the Ravens' offensive line started to heal, Heap returned to a more traditional role. 

Heap has racked up four touchdowns in just three games, averaging over 11 yards a catch.

Heap must be utilized as a traditional tight end in order to create more mismatches with the Patriots' defense. 

With Jared Gaither healthy, the probability of Heap making a few key catches in this game is highly likely. 

Heap is always a threat to score inside the red zone, and Flacco needs to go through his progressions in order to find Heap, who does a great job of creating separation from defenders inside the end zone.

When it comes to the Ravens' third ranked defense, they just need to come out and play penalty-free football. 

If Haloti Ngata and the rest of the Ravens' front four can apply pressure on future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady, the improved Baltimore secondary should be able to successfully play their zone coverages.

However, with the injuries to Fabian Washington and star rookie Lardarius Webb, Baltimore must find a way to put two bodies on Randy Moss, the Patriots' main deep threat.

Dawan Landry and Domonique Foxworth have stepped up their game, but they will need to play as close to perfect as humanly possible to slow down the Brady to Moss connection.

Ed Reed, also back from a groin injury and a neck problem that has plagued him for two years, looks primed to help Landry and Foxworth over the top. Reed hasn't played as sharp as in recent years due to injuries, but he always poses a threat of making a game-changing play. 

If Reed is up to task, Tom Brady won't be throwing in his direction.

If Sunday's game turns out to be a close one, as all indicators point to it being one, special teams might be the difference once again.

The Ravens have a solid punter in Sam Koch, but the place-kicking game has been atrocious this season. The virtual carousel of kickers Baltimore played this season cost them a few wins in 2009.

So with that said, the utter lack of consistency from Billy Cundiff has to have the Ravens a little worried, especially in a game that could come down to three points or less.

John Harbaugh, being a special teams coach for so many years with Philadelphia, has to be disappointed with the play of Cundiff. And quite frankly, Harbaugh has failed to address the issue to the satisfaction of Ravens fans.

If there's one area that Baltimore can't match the Patriots in, it's the kicking game, so let's hope the Ravens don't have to rely on a clutch kick to win the game.

With all of the above taken into consideration, the Ravens do match up well with New England. 

And, with Week 4 maybe still on the team's mind, they'll be looking to redeem themselves for the mistakes that cost them a close game last time in Foxboro.

One more noteworthy tidbit of information Baltimore must take into consideration—Tom Brady, although dealing with rib and finger injuries, will be at his best in the playoffs. 

You can't take a player like Brady lightly, no matter what condition he's playing in. 

So John Harbaugh and the rest of the Ravens' coaching staff must convey this message to the defense. 

I'm sure Ray Lewis will do his part to get this prideful squad fired-up and prepared for what Brady and the rest of the Patriots' offense will do.

This match up Sunday has the potential of being one of the best playoff games in many years. 

No predictions will be made on my part, out of respect for my fellow friends who happen to be Patriots fans, and all-around good people.

All I can say is get excited about the game, and make every effort to watch it on TV, or attend it in person. 

It could be one for the record books!

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It’s not his fault he was so good at it.

Martinez, eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time this year but nowhere near election (he was named on just 32.6 percent of the ballots; 75 percent is needed for induction), pretty much did one thing and one thing only:

He swung the bat.

Maybe he didn’t even own a glove. Or if he did, perhaps it was covered with cobwebs.

Martinez was the first player in baseball history who seized the DH rule—an abominable rule but again, not his fault—and genuinely made a living out of it. Before him, the DH was there for the aging and the infirm. Rolaids sponsored the relief pitcher award. They should have called the Geritol people for the DH.

But Martinez changed that. And he made things easier on his managers in the process. It was with no resistance that Martinez allowed his name to be penciled into the lineup with “DH” next to it, instead of a position number. For many players, being a DH is tantamount to being emasculated.

Gary Sheffield, himself a bona fide Hall of Fame candidate, despised being a designated hitter. He felt himself to be "half a player" when he didn’t have a glove secured onto his paw. He was akin to a caged lion during games in which he DH’d. Too much down time.

So Sheffield, with the Tigers in 2007, bothered his manager, Jim Leyland so much about it that Leyland finally let Sheff play in left field. It was Gary’s binky, so that Leyland could worry about other matters, like actually managing the games.

Sheffield, at the time of his re-masculation—just past the All-Star break—was tearing up the league. His average was well over .300. He was shooting lasers over the left field walls with eye-popping frequency. He put the Tigers on his back for awhile, and the team had the second best record in baseball by mid-July.

But then Leyland kowtowed and after only a few games in left field, Sheffield dove for a ball and messed up his shoulder. He wasn’t the same when he returned to the lineup, and the Tigers fell out of contention like a shot down fighter plane.

Edgar Martinez wasn’t smarter than Gary Sheffield, nor was he any less of a player. He was just a different person. He accepted his role and made peace with it. Oh, and he just happened to be the best who ever did it in the process.

Martinez was, essentially, strictly a DH for the last 10 years of his 18-year career with the Seattle Mariners. Starting in 1995, Martinez played in no more than seven games in the field in any of his remaining ten seasons.

Some players were born to do what they did in the game. (I’m about to show my age again).

Guys like Dave Philley, Gates Brown, and Manny Mota were born to pinch-hit. They could roll out of bed, stride to the plate bleary-eyed, and slap a base-hit to keep a rally going in the ninth inning.

Brooks Robinson was created by God to make life miserable for right-handed pull hitters. What he did to Lee May in the 1970 World Series—if you did that to a person in life outside of baseball, you’d be arrested for grand theft and be sentenced to 10-15 years.

Roberto Clemente was fitted for a cannon for an arm by the big guy upstairs, and did more erasing than a 12-year-old in his first Algebra class.

And Edgar Martinez perfected the art of hitting, sitting, and hitting.

You could do entire chores in the time it sometimes took between Martinez’s at-bats. And his games weren’t always played in the comfort of the Kingdome; the Mariners moved outdoors in 1999. And it wasn’t always sunny and 80 degrees—especially in Seattle, where the sun is often just a myth; a tall tale to tell the kiddies.

You think it’s easy to go up to the plate, swing, and then sit down for 30 minutes? Or even longer? Other players had the opportunity to compensate in the field. Struck out with the bases loaded? Just go out and steal a run defensively. At least while wearing a glove, you had other things to think about.

But again, Martinez turned his inactivity into a positive. When you have nothing else to do, why not study pitchers more? Why not swing the bat and take some extra hitting—during the game?

From 1995, when he first became the Mariners’ full-time DH, through 2001—seven straight seasons—Martinez batted well above .300 every year. He drove in 100 or more runs in six of those years. He clubbed anywhere from 23 to 37 home runs every season. He slapped 291 doubles—more than 40 per year—all over American League ballparks. He hit the gaps better than Jim Brown or Emmitt Smith.

He was Jekyll and Hyde in the postseason, though. In 64 Divisional Series at-bats, Martinez had 24 hits (.375 BA), seven homers, and 20 RBI. In 64 LCS at-bats, he had only 10 hits (.156 BA), one home run, and four RBI.

But Willie Mays had zero home runs in 71 World Series at-bats, so there you go.

The Commish, Bud Selig, has called Martinez the greatest DH in the history of the game. In fact, the award for Best DH is named after Martinez. And you’d leave him out of the Hall?

Apparently, yes—for 2010, anyway.

The Baseball Hall of Fame is there to honor the best who ever played the grand old game. The designated hitter, no matter what you think of it (I place it just below death and taxes as far as the inevitable goes), is nonetheless part of the game. You can crab all you want about guys who predominantly DH not being “real” baseball players. But they’re just playing the game within the rules set forth. Even if the people who impose them are idiots.

You don’t want to let guys like Edgar Martinez into the Hall? Then I want there to be a march on Canton, Ohio and a fervent demand to strip the Pro Football Hall of Fame of all kickers. They only did one thing, after all.

Don’t penalize Martinez because the DH rule stinks and has made a bunch of “half” ballplayers. Martinez was so good at his half, you almost forgot that he didn’t play in the field. Instead, you just couldn’t wait till he came up to bat again.

Unless you were a pitcher.

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Often considered the best pitcher without a plaque in Cooperstown, the right-hander will remain just that for at least another 12 months, and it's not right.

In my recent slideshow ranking the 50 best baseball players of all time, Blyleven came in tied at 32nd (T-18th best pitcher).

He ranks ninth on the all-time shutout list with 60, which is rather impressive considering the fact that the hurler was putting up four or five a year in the 1980s, when relievers were becoming a bigger part of the game.  Blyleven is the only pitcher in the top 20 of that statistic who is not in the Hall of Fame.

The longtime Minnesota Twin racked up 3,709 strikeouts, fifth on the all-time list.  Among eligible players in the top 17, Blyleven is the only one not enshrined.

In the end, it may be 13 wins that separate the pitcher from induction.  His career total of 287 victories rank him 27th all-time, but 300 is the magic number for the Hall.

Blyleven didn't dominate an era like Warren Spahn or Tom Seaver.  The native Dutchman was only selected to two All-Star Games and never won a Cy Young, although he did finish in the top four of the voting three times.

Instead, the 22-year veteran pitched with a consistence excellence for his entire career, finishing with a 3.31 ERA and 1.198 WHIP.

Ten times, Blyleven had one of the top 10 ERAs in the league.  He was among the leaders in WHIP on 11 occasions, winning the crown with a 1.065 mark in 1977 with Texas.

The 1969 third-round Draft pick pitched for five different teams from 1970-92, but he may have enjoyed his most success in those two seasons with the Rangers.  Blyleven's 2.74 ERA with the club is a franchise record, and he threw a no-hitter against the California Angels on Sept. 22, 1977.

But the righty really stepped up his game in the postseason, where he amassed a 5-1 record and 2.47 ERA, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1979 World Series title and the Twins to a championship in '87.

Blyleven only has two years of eligibility remaining before his fate will be left up to the Veterans Committee, but hopefully it won't come to that and the writers will vote in this very deserving candidate.

 

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's New York Yankees Community Leader. His book  Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

 

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Both McGrady and the Rockets front office have agreed to work out a deal, one that will likely come within the next week or so, with the intentions of landing McGrady in a new home before the All-Star break.

McGrady may not be the same player he was two years ago, and whether he can still carry a team on his back is definitely in question. However, he is fully healthy, and did show in limited action this season that he is still a capable scorer if given the opportunity.

The question is, who wants him?

Considering his price tag ($23 million), McGrady will likely be taken by a team that will get him off the books after this season in an attempt to get rid of their own bad contracts. This makes it very likely that T-Mac ends up with a bottom dweller.

Here's a look at the top teams that will either be a good fit for McGrady, have something the Rockets could use, or would pull the trigger on the deal simply for cap relief in 2010.

 

New York Knicks

New York is actually the most logical landing spot for McGrady, and with a number of young, talented players to move around, Houston would be doing themselves a great service to work something out with the Knicks.

McGrady would go into an offense that would immediately utilize his remaining strong suits, and he'd still be an elite scorer, regardless of whether or not his skills and athleticism are deteriorating.

Houston would likely have its picking of a few players, but to land any serious talent like Nate Robinson, David Lee, or Al Harrington, they'd have to throw in another player or two.

Rookie Chase Budinger would appear valuable to the Knicks, as he has the athleticism and outside shot to thrive in an up-tempo offense, while Aaron Brooks would arguably be better suited to run the Knicks' point than Chris Duhon.

A swap of McGrady and Brooks for Nate Robinson and Al Harrington is just one of the many logical, and quite realistic trade scenarios, which could (and likely would) include other players that hold expiring contracts.

Outside of an ugly deal with New Jersey, New York has to be the top team Houston is considering making a deal with, judging by available talent.

 

New Jersey Nets

The Nets are said to be hanging on tight to their "core" of Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, but have apparently left the remainder of their roster open for bidding. 

And why wouldn't they? The Nets have three wins at the time of this article, and very few of their pieces are players that would make a significant dent in a contender's rotation.

However, Chris Douglas Roberts would certainly hold some value, as would the crafty Courtney Lee. Houston wouldn't want to give up more than McGrady to pull off a deal, but if it involved either of the "core" players, talks could quickly become more serious.

 

Philadelphia 76ers

No, Philly isn't going to trade Allen Iverson for McGrady. In fact, making a move for McGrady could make them relatively competitive right away, and then set them up for some big moves with Iverson and McGrady coming off the books next season.

Regardless, the Sixers are disappointed with Elton Brand, and rumors are swirling that they feel they've seen all that Andre Iguodala can do, which could make him available.

Needless to say, there really aren't any 76ers players that are "untouchable" these days, and that includes center Samuel Dalembert.

No deal is imminent, but the chatter between the teams hasn't been quiet.

 

The Wild Card: Milwaukee Bucks

No one is talking about Milwaukee as a participant in any potential deals with Houston, but it's no secret that the Bucks are trying to rid of their own veteran shooting guard in Michael Redd.

Milwaukee also isn't picking up the option on second year forward Joe Alexander, so it's a faint possibility that the Bucks could package the two for McGrady.

Both McGrady and Alexander would come off the respective teams' books after the season ends, and Redd would get his wish to play for a team that will likely be in the thick of the playoff race.

Luke Ridnour is another piece that could be added to the puzzle, as his solid play the past two months has his value quickly rising.

 

For more NBA news and Fantasy advice, go here.

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He must have won awards; they tell us he was among the best in his era.

Rookie of the Year in 1977. National League Most Valuable Player in 1987 – on a last place team. Eight-time All Star, eight-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger.

His offensive numbers must be superior; baseball is a statistical game, and without big-time stats you can’t get into the Hall of Fame.

He hit 434 home runs, which ranks 36^th all-time. Cal Ripken, Billy Williams, Al Kaline, Duke Snider, Johnny Bench and Jim Rice are a few of the Hall of Famers that hit fewer long balls.

He ranks 24^th all-time in extra base hits with 1,039. Some notable names that follow him on the list: Mike Schmidt, Ernie Banks, Honus Wagner, Kaline, Mickey Mantle, Billy Williams, Harmen Killebrew, Joe DiMaggio and Rickey Henderson. In fact, he had 24.5 percent more extra base hits than Jim Rice, who was the sentimental favorite at 2009’s ceremony.

Ranks 34^th all-time in runs batted in with 1,591. Some names that follow: Rogers Hornsby, Killebrew, Kaline, Willie McCovey, Joe DiMaggio, Mantle, Eddie Mathews and Rice.

He also ranks 25^th all-time in total bases with 4,787. Some notable names that trail that number include Hornsby, Billy Williams, Henderson, Mantle, Roberto Clemente, Schmidt, Brooks Robinson and Lou Brock.

Ranks tenth all-time in sac flies.

Only ten outfielders have won more than his four Silver Sluggers.

He is one of only six players in baseball history to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases. The others: Barry and Bobby Bonds, Mays, Reggie Sanders and Steve Finley.

His Power-Speed number ranks seventh all-time. Who ranks eighth? Hank Aaron. Only Barry Bonds, Henderson, Mays, Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Bonds and Joe Morgan rank higher.

One of the largest arguments against him was that he didn’t walk enough. And yet his career .806 OPS ranks ahead of, to name a few, Carlton Fisk, Ryne Sandberg, Ripken, Robin Yount and Pete Rose.

Yes, he did strike out – 1,509 times in fact. But Mays, Barry Bonds, Dave Winfield, Henderson, Killebrew, Mantle and Schmidt are among the 46 names that rank higher than his total.

But did he pay defense? Offensive numbers mean little if he was a liability in the field.

Only Clemente, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr, Andruw Jones, Kaline, Torii Hunter and Ichiro won more Gold Gloves as an outfielder. That’s it.

Only Mays, Schmidt, Griffey, Barry Bonds and Dawson have 400 home runs and eight Gold Gloves. How’s that for elite company?

So how on earth is this guy not in the Hall of Fame?

From 1976 to 1986, the prime of his career, Andre Dawson was playing in Montreal. How much of a black hole was Montreal? The franchise existed from 1969 to 2004 and only appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated three times. Even though Dawson made three All Star teams and won six Gold Glove Awards while with the Expos, he didn’t receive the national exposure, and recognition, he deserved until he landed in Chicago as a free agent before the 1987 season.

And even the circumstances surrounding his signing were disrespectful.

In a back-and-forth that has become urban legend, Dawson wanted to prolong his career and save his knees by getting out of Montreal, and wanted to play for the Cubs. Dawson and his agent approached then-Chicago GM Dallas Green with interest in joining the Cubs before the 1987 season, but Green refused to offer the All Star a contract. In fact, it wasn’t until Dawson and his agent presented a blank contract to Green two weeks into Spring Training that year, allowing him to dictate the salary and bonus amounts, that Green finally relented and added Dawson to the team.

Of course the 1987 Cubs were 76-85, a last place team. That didn’t stop Dawson from leading the National League in home runs, starting the All Star Game, and being named the league MVP. His base salary for the great season? Only $500,000.

But now a baseball odyssey that has been filled with disrespect finds its proper resting place. Finally, after a wait that was entirely too long, Dawson received the phone call he deserved on Wednesday and will enter the Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2010 – a subtle irony that Dawson’s number, 10, was retired by the Montreal Expos.

As a Cubs fan born in 1980, Dawson was the first superstar to join the Cubs as a free agent that I can remember. I wanted to wear his number, eight, on my Little League team. When we played stickball in the street, we all used to imitate his batting stance; he always had his back leg bent at the knee, and his high follow-through always left us looking to the sky for the long fly ball we had hit, again imitating Dawson. He had a great arm and led one of the most memorable Cubs teams of the past 50 years in 1989 when the Cubs came up short against Will Clark and the San Francisco Giants.

ESPN’s Jayson Stark voted for Dawson. “What those of us who covered the National League in the '80s are still wondering, though, is this: How come it's taken this long?” said Stark in his HOF blog this week. “He, Mike Schmidt and Dale Murphy towered above the rest of the National League in their time.”

“The character clause in the Hall of Fame voting is invoked now more than ever given the steroid scandal, but be assured of this: There has never been a better character guy than Dawson,” wrote ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian. ”And that is why you have to look past some numbers. With Dawson, look at the intangibles, look at the era, and understand that in 1987, in a time of collusion, Dawson gave the Cubs a blank contract and told them to fill in any amount, and he'd sign. It wasn't about the money, it was about playing the game the right way. No one did that better.”

Bruce Levine, who covers baseball for ESPN’s Chicago radio affiliate WMVP, said: “The Hall of Fame reminds voters to consider a player's career, his numbers, whether he was a dominant player for at least a decade or more, and whether he he showed outstanding character on and off the field. Dawson passes with flying colors in all these areas of judgment.”

Fox’s Ken Rosenthal said, “[Dawson] was a model player, an all-around marvel revered both by teammates and opponents not just for his playing ability, but also for his ability to endure through relentless knee pain.”

Baseball Hall of Fame journalist Peter Gammons wrote of Dawson, “There are strong arguments by baseball scholars that Dawson's numbers are hollow… But 1,500 RBIs, 400 homers and 300 steals have been accomplished by The Hawk, Willie Mays and Barry Bonds. Teammates named kids after him.”

I find a personal satisfaction in Dawson finally getting into the Hall. In this era of tarnished heroes and questioned legacies, Dawson is one of the great Cubs that I look back on without reason to doubt (cough, Sammy Sosa, cough). Baseball needs to celebrate quality men like Dawson, and when the stats are as sound as his are, there’s no reason to keep him out of his proper company with baseball’s all time elite.

Congratulations, Hawk!

 

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I’m as straight laced as they come. I’m a twenty-six year old white guy who doesn’t have a gun, a tattoo, a piercing, or a rap album (Limp Bizkit doesn’t count right?).

As a matter of fact, you’ve probably seen loaves of white bread with more street cred than I have. I’m the exact type of person that is suppose to hate the NBA  because of its “culture”.

Guess what, I don’t.

As a matter of fact I love the game and know that not even a majority of the NBA  players are, what many call, thugs. The fact that Gilbert Arenas brought handguns into the Washington Wizards’ locker room doesn’t change my mind.

When Arenas decided to use his locker at the the Verizon Center as a safe deposit box by storing four handguns in it, regardless of what story you believe about the events that followed, he not only broke NBA  rules and District of Columbia laws, he opened the flood gates for the “NBA  is overrun with criminals” debate.

Don’t believe me? Check out Michael Ozanian’s article on Forbes.com . He point blank says “Many NBA  players carry guns and the league is full of thugs” because of Arenas’ actions. That statement is from a respected media outlet like Forbes, a website and magazine that prides itself as a place for the ” World’s Business Leaders” (although that does translate to “old, rich, white men”, so I guess it makes sense). Ozanian’s area expertise? It’s not as an NBA  insider or a Socioeconomics expert. He is a “corporate earnings, economics and sports team valuations” expert. I guess the “thugs” in the NBA  neighborhood must be dropping the property value for the owners.

Ozanian wasn’t alone in his assessment of Arenas and the NBA , he just happened to be one of the first to express it. He along with numerous other writers, cable news talking heads, and commentators on radio and blogs, championed the “just another example of the NBA  lifestyle” argument.

The problem is, it’s an example of complete and utter stupidity, not an indictment of the NBA .

This isn’t a race issue, an NBA  issue, a professional sports issue or a societal one. It is an issue of personal intelligence and how much of it Arenas is lacking.

Arenas’ explanation is he took the four guns out of his home and to his place of work because he didn’t want them near his children (ever hear of a gun safe, you can get them for $100). Apparently he forgot that the NBA ’s collective bargaining agreement expressly prohibits players from bringing guns to team facilities. Not to mention the federal and state gun laws he broke. Both things are extremely dumb but not as dumb as deciding to use unloaded guns to play a “joke”, as he called it, on a teammate.

His Twitter messages, jovial comments to the media and nonchalant attitude about the situation just solidify the assertion. Rather than seriously addressing the situation he continues to crack jokes and act like, well like Gilbert Arenas. The act is cute but wears quite thin in the midst of a serious and criminal issue.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is photographic evidence of how serious he’s taking the situation. Would an intelligent man in the midst of a gun controversy be photographed doing this?

(the picture was taken earlier this week)

The ironic thing is, this event doesn’t even make Arenas a “thug”. By definition a thug is an aggressive and violent young criminal. Arenas only seems to fit the young part and will soon fit the criminal part.

To use Arenas’ situation to define the NBA  is like using it to say myself and every other person to attend the University of Arizona is as unintelligent as him by association. Regardless of what those who attended Arizona State say, it’s isn’t true.

Dissect the Arenas situation all you want. Criticize him every chance you get. Arrest him and suspend him. Just do it for the right reasons and not for being a thug.

Arenas took the guns away from house so they weren’t near his kids. Now the NBA  and law enforcement have to take them from him for being one.

Apparently zero isn’t just his number of choice, it also about as much thought as he puts into his actions.

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And how interesting that they’re going to be in direct competition with Mike Holmgren, the man who turned down Seattle’s low-ball GM offer in order to be The Big Show in Cleveland.

The Seahawks and Holmgren are both interested in Philadelphia general manager Tom Heckert (pictured), and the Seahawks reportedly have also asked for permission to interview Eric DeCosta, Baltimore’s director of player personnel. Heckert and DeCosta were the top two potential candidates on the preliminary list we came up with in November (before just about anyone else was talking about candidates).

The Hawks also reportedly want to talk to John Schneider about leaving Green Bay and coming back to Seattle where he served as Holmgren’s director of player personnel in 2000. Of course, Holmgren might have some interest in Schneider himself because of that connection.

Heckert, DeCosta, and Schneider are three of the 10 men who were listed as Seattle’s top candidates a couple of weeks ago by ProFootballTalk.com .

The Seahawks can interview any of the men now, with permission from the candidate’s team, but once the Hawks decide on a guy, they have to wait until his team’s season is over to hire him unless his team lets him go early. For now, that means the Hawks would have to wait for all but two of the 10 possible candidates.

Here’s a quick scouting report on the 10, with the top four reportedly the clear favorites :

Tom Heckert
Philadelphia general manager
Scouting report: Heckert has been the Eagles’ general manager since 2006, but he plays second fiddle to Grand Poobah Andy Reid, so he probably could be lured to another franchise. The Eagles are one of the top teams in the league at drafting, developing, and retaining good, young players, and they have been the most successful NFC franchise this decade.

Holmgren obviously is aware of this, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Heckert off the market before Seattle even gets a chance to talk to him. However, if Heckert thought he would be just second fiddle again in Cleveland, he might be more inclined to come to Seattle where he would have complete control over football operations.

Eric DeCosta
Baltimore director of player personnel
Scouting report: DeCosta, 38, has been with Ozzie Newsome for 14 years. He was Baltimore’s director of college scouting for six years before being named director of player personnel last January.

Newsome is one of the very best general managers in the NFL. He built one of the greatest defenses in NFL history and has kept it strong for most of this decade despite losing players to free agency every couple of years. DeCosta has been with him every step of the way, learning from a guy who might deserve merit in the Hall of Fame someday as a personnel evaluator if he weren’t already there as a player.

DeCosta would seem to be the clear pre-interview No. 2 choice to Heckert.

John Schneider
Green Bay director of football operations
Scouting report: Schneider has a brief history in Seattle having worked as director of player personnel in 2000 under Holmgren. That might have taken him out of the running in Seattle if Holmgren hadn’t focused on Heckert right away.

If Heckert joins Holmgren, Schneider could give DeCosta a good run for Seattle’s GM job. Schneider, 38, has been around the league for 17 years, and he’s been the No. 2 guy for a while now.

The one drawback is his affiliation with Packers GM Ted Thompson, the one-time Seattle exec who hasn’t had the smoothest run in Green Bay. Schneider has been around, but he doesn’t seem to come from the same personnel pedigree as DeCosta.

Steve Keim
Arizona director of player personnel
Scouting report: Keim came to prominence with the Cardinals’ Super Bowl run last season, and a few media folks in Seattle have pushed hard for him already. He has been with the Cardinals since 1999, steadily climbing from scout to college scouting director to his current position.

He has been a key figure in building the Cardinals into the Super Bowl contender they are today, drafting Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Darnell Dockett, Adrian Wilson, Karlos Dansby, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Steve Breaston. He doesn’t have much of a track record in pro player evaluation because the Cardinals are never much of a factor in free agency, so it’s hard to say what Keim might do with Paul Allen’s deep pockets. Would he spend too freely as Ruskell did? Or would he be more judicious?

Given Arizona’s ongoing success over the past two years, Keim is now a hot commodity. Hiring him would be a double bonus for the Hawks, who would be stealing a key figure from their top division rival.

Jimmy Raye III
San Diego director of player personnel
Scouting report: Raye, the son of offensive assistant Jimmy Raye, has climbed the ladder since joining the Chargers in 1996, from scout to director of college scouting (2000) to his current position (2008). Raye and general manager A.J. Smith have put together one of the best rosters in the NFL, making them a perennial Super Bowl contender.

Raye has been part of a decade of unparalleled drafting success. Because the Chargers have drafted so well, they haven’t had to sign many free agents, so—as with Keim—it’s hard to evaluate that part of Raye’s job. Raye was looked at by the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason, so he is already starting to get some nibbles as a GM candidate.

He figures to get an interview with Seattle, if only to satisfy the Rooney Rule. But he should definitely be more than just a token candidate. His résumé is as strong as those of DeCosta and Keim and might be better than Schneider’s.

Floyd Reese
New England senior football adviser
Scouting report: Not sure why Reese was on the Seahawks’ radar, per PFT, but it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Reese lobbied for inclusion on their list. Ever since being forced out of Tennessee, he has been angling to get back into the league, and the Patriots did him a favor as he and Bill Belichick have known each other since they both coached in Detroit in the 1970s.

Reese, 61, has been in the league for 32 years including 13 as the GM of the Oilers/Titans, whom he helped build into a contender. He was forced out in the same exact manner that Ruskell was, resigning just before his contract was up because he knew the team wouldn’t re-sign him. Reese had some good success in Houston/Tennessee, but there always seemed to be underlying conflict within that franchise. It might not have been Reese’s fault, but the Hawks have better options.

Jason Licht
New England pro personnel director
Scouting report: Licht is a Heckert protégé. He got his start in scouting with Heckert in Miami in 1995, spent 1998 with Carolina, was with the Patriots from 1999 to 2002 and then rejoined Heckert in Philadelphia in 2003. Licht was fired by the Eagles in 2008, joined Arizona for a year and then returned to the Patriots last offseason.

That’s a lot of bouncing around, probably too much to get much of a gauge on whether Licht is capable of running his own show. At 38, Licht is probably a little light on upper-tier experience to be seriously considered. However, if Heckert were to come to Seattle, he might try to make Licht his right-hand man.

Ruston Webster
Seattle interim GM
Scouting report: Webster has been with Seattle for three years having arrived from Tampa Bay to serve as Ruskell’s vice president of player personnel. He now finds himself serving as the team’s interim GM, although that won’t last for long.

Honestly, if the Seahawks retain him, it will say two things: (1) They are staying with the status quo, and (2) Ruskell was made the scapegoat. Nothing against Webster, who might be a good choice under other circumstances, but the Seahawks can’t promote him without looking like complete fools.

Randy Mueller
San Diego consultant
Scouting report: Like Reese, Mueller is trying to work his way back up the chain. He was Seattle’s general manager when Paul Allen bought the team, and he made a number of good moves—such as getting a first-round pick for Rick Mirer, signing Chad Brown, and drafting Walter Jones and Shawn Springs.

In 2000, Mueller left Seattle for New Orleans, and he was promptly named NFL executive of the year by The Sporting News . But his star faded quickly and he was out of the NFL by 2002, serving as an analyst for ESPN for three years. He got back into the league with Miami in 2005 but has yet to regain the power he once had with Seattle and New Orleans.

In Miami, he played second fiddle to Nick Saban and then was fired by Bill Parcells in 2007. He joined San Diego in 2008, probably hoping his affiliation with a good front office would return some of the shine to his badge. But if the Seahawks hired him it would almost seem like a return to the lost decade of the 1990s.

Trent Baalke
San Francisco director of player personnel
Scouting report: Baalke works under Scot McCloughan, who once was Holmgren’s trusted college scouting director. Baalke spent four years (2001-04) as a scout for the Washington Redskins before joining the 49ers. He was put in charge of player personnel in 2008. He is definitely more than a little unseasoned to be leading an NFL franchise.

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First off, Jeremy Bates is the 33-year-old son to recently fired Bucs defensive coordinator, Jim Bates. Jeremy began his coaching career with the Bucs in 2002 as the offensive quality control coach. By the way the Bucs went on to win the Super Bowl that season. He spent two more seasons in Tampa and then spent one year with the Jets as the quarterbacks coach.

From 2006-2008, he was the quarterbacks for the Denver Broncos. Those three years he spent with quarterback Jay Cutler. This offseason he bolted for USC to be the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach.

This guy knows football. He knows quarterbacks and most importantly he knows Jay Cutler.

Jay Cutler trusts this guy a lot and that is a good thing to have between your quarterback and your offensive coordinator.

Cutler said this when he heard Bates was heading to the college ranks back in January:

“Jeremy is one of the best offensive minds in football. He was extremely innovative with our offense and took our playbook to the next level with some of the things he did, keeping defenses off balance and changing our look but at the same time keeping it simple for us players. Some of the things he did were amazing to watch. He was always watching other teams and coming up with new ideas for our offense.

"He helped me grow into my third NFL season and helped me reach the Pro Bowl along with some of the other goals I set for myself. As a unit, our offense became one of the most productive in the league with Jeremy calling plays. He brought a lot of excitement to the meeting room and on the field.

"He made me want to come to work every day and get better. Jeremy will do great things in his new role, and USC couldn’t have picked a better guy.”

If the Bears decided to hire Jeremy Bates as their new offensive coordinator I would be all for it because of his strong relationship with the Bears future star Jay Cutler.

The comparisons to Rex Grossman and Jeff George should come to an end next season, if the Bears decide to hire Bates. In 2008, the Denver Broncos offense (w/Jay Cutler & Jeremy Bates) ranked second in NFL overall.  The passing game was ranked third and the rushing attack was ranked 12th.

This addition could already be in the works, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears have reached out to USC offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates about succeeding Ron Turner in that role for them. The firing of Ron Turner who didn’t know how to use Jay Cutler correctly and the hiring of someone who is smart and capable of working with Jay Cutler again is the greatest idea the Bears could have.

I hope the Bears strike a deal with Jeremy Bates before someone else snags him away. The offense is what’s going to help this team win games not the defense which could get better with some adjustments, but who knows.

Mike Martz or Charlie Weis are not the answer for the Bears, Jeremy Bates is because of unique relationship with the Bears most important piece to the puzzle Jay Cutler.

all quotes from The LA Times

Jake Perper is the creator of www.BearsBacker.com and also covers the Bears for www.NFLTouchdown.com.

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Don’t get it twisted, Mr. Stern. The two are unequivocally related.

I’m not going to hold Gilbert Arenas over a bonfire and act like he is the poster child of guns, violence and warped behavior in the NBA.

By now you are most certainly aware of Arenas’ mess, so I’ll spare you all the details. The rumors that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other appear to be false, but the reports that Arenas brought unloaded firearms into the Washington Wizards’ locker room and set them out on a chair for Crittenton to see are true.

In no way am I letting Arenas off the hook. What he did was so incredibly stupid and unfathomable for a guy who signed a contract worth more than $100 million, is supposed to be the face of a franchise, and has much more to lose than most people in the world.

Arenas’ subsequent one-liners, jokes and his pre-game mock of the situation Tuesday suggest he isn’t taking this issue nearly serious enough. Of course, he said all the right things in his statements, but really it’s a non-issue to him. He’s finding humor in an act that’s not at all humorous, not to mention the Washington, D.C. gun laws he broke in the process.

Whatever punishment David Stern deems necessary will be justified.

But, honestly, an occurrence like this was bound to happen eventually. It’s shocking, but it’s not that surprising.

It is human nature to test boundaries and push authority. When young, wealthy and famous adults have access to guns and other temptations, there will be some lines crossed. In honor of the league, you can tattoo that on your forehead.

Stern wants to better address the issue of players carrying guns, and that’s great. But the nature and history of violence doesn’t sprout from thin air. What Stern needs to pay equally as much attention to is the issue that caused much of this debacle in the first place.

Arenas and Crittenton allegedly disagreed on a gambling debt, which led to Arenas laying out his firearms. Given the NBA’s rich culture of gambling extravagance, it only made sense. If the league wants to cut down on violence off the court, it must address its history of gambling.

Gambling has been around forever, so this is nothing new. The fact that Arenas allegedly lost somewhere around $50,000 playing cards on a team plane is in line with the behavior of decades of NBA players. Every team has players that play cards and partake in other forms of gambling during their down time.

We don’t have to dig deep for anecdotes. Google “Michael Jordan” and “gambling,” and you can entertain yourself for hours. Jordan infamously found himself in controversy when, on the night before a playoff game in 1993, he was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Jordan’s tales of reckless blackjack binges in Las Vegas are legendary, and his thirst for gambling may have been even greater on the golf course. We are talking millions and millions of dollars won and lost through wagers.

In ’06, Charles Barkley admitted he’d lost approximately $10 million from gambling, including an outrageous $2.5 million in six hours in one night. Barkley refers to his gambling ways as a “problem.” Jordan does not.

The problem doesn’t begin and end with NBA players. Tim Donaghy forever placed a magnifying glass on referees when he spent time in jail for betting on games he worked.

Peruse the annals of baseball, football, golf, whatever, and you will find connections to gambling.

The issue is tricky to address because society wants you to believe that gambling itself is bad. I don’t buy that. I don’t blame athletes, or anyone with a lot wealth, for wagering big. Financial responsibility is on you.

For athletes, gambling is to be expected because the bets really aren’t about the money. What is $50,000 to Jordan? Nothing.

Gambling, for athletes, is about the obsession for competition. If there is a way to win something, you can expect athletes to join in.

I’d argue that it’s this exact nature that makes professional athletes what they are. Jordan, Barkley, whomever, don't need to win. They have to win. It’s their nature.

When most people’s minds would say, “It’s OK, back off, get ‘em next time,” an athlete’s mind says “Never.”

Athletes are born and bred with the mentality to win at all costs. Americans demand that of their sports heroes. On the court, on the field, winning is their livelihood. Win at all costs.

When that is the nature of a competitor, gambling is merely an outlet for that fire.

Problems arise because the culture that comes with gambling is one of greed, power and criminal behavior.

Matters of money quickly deteriorate any semblance of common sense, and that is when fights break out and guns break loose. Include the elephant in the room—alcohol—and you can easily see how “fun with the boys” turns volatile and, sometimes, fatal.

There’s a reason why the Mafia is forever linked with the evolution of Las Vegas: Mob bosses run casinos and hotels because they fall prey to wads of greenbacks.

There’s a reason why organized crime doesn’t operate out of your local used bookstore. Who wants a battered, $3.50 copy of Moby Dick ?

Where large sums of money can be quickly made is precisely where criminal activity will live. That’s Las Vegas, that’s gambling, and that’s where we find many of our athletes when they are away from practice and games.

The chain of gambling, guns/violence, and professional athletes isn’t a difficult one to connect.

I love to shoot pool as a hobby. I enjoy the game and, like competitive athletes, I relish the competition of it. But you watch catch me dead even in a family-run pool hall at 1:30 a.m. It’s not billiards that’s the problem; it’s the culture.

Just because Gilbert Arenas made a stupid mistake doesn’t mean all athletes are waiting for their opportunity to self-combust. The vast majority of athletes that own guns are responsible and take the responsibility of owning a weapon very seriously.

We all have the right to bear arms, and the NBA has done a good job with protecting against issues like this one. I’m not sure that there is much more David Stern can do on the matter of guns in conjunction with NBA players.

But what Stern can do is look at the culture that leads to such issues.

Once Stern recognizes, and admits, winning wagers tempts athletes as much as winning games, then he may be on the path to further cleaning up his sport.

You can reach Teddy Mitrosilis at tm4000@yahoo.com.

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