When the Saints Came Marching In….

Just how successful was the New Orleans Saints return to the Louisiana Superdome last Monday night?

According to Bayoubuzz.com, the re-opening of the Superdome for the Saints-Atlanta Falcons game drew the largest audience in ESPN history, drawing bigger audiences than any of the broadcast and cable networks. The dome was a sellout with nearly 70,000 fans, and the event generated nearly $20 million revenue to the city.

Oh, and the Saints won the game, 23-3.

This is just a start for the Crescent City. The city will also host three collegiate football contests later this fall: The Bayou Classic on Nov. 25, The New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 22 and the All-State Sugar Bowl Classic on Jan. 3, 2007.

New Orleans will also host the NBA All-Star game in February 2008.

Bullying Up to the Nets

Remember Jay Williams? He was the Chicago Bulls’ first-round draft pick in 2002 and played for one season for the Bulls. Williams was in a motorcycle accident in June 2003, and spent nearly four months in the hospital recovering from a crushed pelvis, torn ligaments in his knee among other injuries. Assuming Williams' career was over, the Bulls bought out his contract.

This week, Williams signed a non-guaranteed contract with the New Jersey Nets, hoping to keep alive his dream of playing in the NBA. He will be competing for the backup point guard position.

Where Owens Goes, Trouble Follows

It seems no matter where Cowboys’ wide receiver Terrell Owens’ goes, trouble seems to find him. He’s not happy just to play football; he has to play with the media, his teammates and coaches, fans and anyone else who is willing to give him the attention he craves. I’ve never seen an athlete who was so self-absorbed.

In this latest “attempted suicide” story, Owens may well be telling the truth about mixing too many painkillers with his supplements thereby causing his accidental overdose. But was this a cry for help, as some sports reporters suggest, or was Terrell Owens simply being Terrell Owens?

TO is not someone who gets depressed or suicidal. He is a man who loves attention and, if he’s not making the news on the field, he has to find a way to create news off of it.

He certainly enjoyed facing the media yesterday to explain his “suicide” story. There he was during the press conference, all smiles, relaxed and happy as can be. While the overdose might have been an accident, the publicity that followed certainly wasn’t.

Hockey Already?

Is it my imagination, but didn't the hockey season just end a few months ago? It seems like yesterday that the Carolina Hurricanes captured the Stanley Cup in a thrilling series against the Edmonton Oilers.

Here it is September, a mere three months later, and pre-season hockey has already begun. It’s hard to fathom a nine-month season in any sport, yet a new hockey season is just around the corner.

Locally, the Chicago Blackhawks are playing well, posting a 6-1 pre-season record with one more pre-season game to go. Not bad for a team that will require fans to carry a score card to find out who is playing each position. Supposedly, Hawks management improved the team in the off-season, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

The Hawks begin the regular season October 5th at the Predators.

For more info, visit www.nhl.com

Replay This

Michael David Smith of FootballOutsiders.com has some interesting opinions about instant replay and offers some suggestions for improving it.

I agree that instant replay isn’t perfect and probably needs some tweaking, but I disagree with Smith's suggestion that referees challenge anything they want to or have unlimited time to challenge a play call. The games are already too long as it is, and Smith's proposed changes would only extend the games further. Besides, what would stop coaches from challenging every call they disagree with?

The problem I have with instant replay is the process to review a challenge takes too long. There are too many people involved and too many rules that coaches must follow to challenge a play. It also depends on the referee’s review of the play, which is based on his personal judgment, knowledge and interpretation of the rules. Let’s face it – instant replay in the NFL isn’t very instant.

Perhaps the NFL can learn a thing or two from the 2006 U.S. Open tennis championships completed last month, which used instant replay for the first time with positive results and few problems. If a player wanted to challenge a call, he or she would notify the official who would signal to the replay booth. Almost instantaneously, (yes, there’s that word again), the play appears on a video screen in the stadium so everyone – players, fans and officials – all see a video simulation of the play in question at the same time. The quickness and immediacy of instant replay during the tournament kept the games moving along the way they’re supposed to.

Can such a system work in the NFL? I think a lot has to do with the technology involved. It could be that the technology used for reviewing replays is outdated and not as effective as it once was when instant replay was first implemented. Perhaps it’s time for the NFL to evaluate newer technologies, including the one used during the U.S. Open, to determine if they would work more efficiently.

Imagine if a similar system were implemented in the NFL. The referee would receive the challenge request from the head coach and signal to the official in the replay booth to start the replay process. With a press of a button, a simulation of the play is shown on the stadium screen. Officials, coaches, players and fans all see the play at the same time. It also removes the subjectivity that comes with the referee’s review. The process would take seconds, not the five minutes or longer that we’re used to today. Imagine how quickly the games would proceed on Sunday afternoon.

No review process will be perfect. But if instant replay is to continue in the NFL, then the league must re-evaluate the process and the technology to make sure that plays are reviewed more efficiently. Make instant replay live up to its name.

Cubs’ Pierre Moving to the South Side?

One of my baseball buddies recently suggested that Cubs’ centerfielder Juan Pierre might play for the White Sox next season. Pierre is a free agent and would love to stay in Chicago.

I scoffed at the notion, insisting that the Cubs really need a speedy lead-off man and Pierre has played well for the Northsiders. The Cubs have been looking for a speedy lead-off guy for years, and now that they found one, I don’t think they’ll let him go without a fight.

Sports writer Chris DeLuca suggested the same thing in his column in today’s Chicago Sun-Times. Pierre played for the champion Florida Marlins in 2003 when Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was the Marlins' third base coach. And Guillen likes stockpiling players that he knows well. Pitchers Freddie Garcia and Javier Vazquez are two examples of that.

Pierre could fit in well in the Sox future. Current lead-off man Scott Podsednik has not performed up to expectation this season and has split time i n left field with Pablo Asuna, who is better suited in a back-up role at third base. Brian Anderson has played a solid center field position all season long, but has struggled offensively. Podsednik may be traded to bring in some needed bullpen help and make room for Pierre, who would play center Anderson would move to left field to give him one more year to develop.

Pierre says a lot depends on what happens with manager Dusty Baker, that Baker is the best manager he has ever played for. Without the Cubs’ skipper, Pierre may seek to play for another team. And that team could well be the White Sox.

Sox Playoff Hopes Die

This has been a sad day for me. The dream of the White Sox repeating as World Champions came to a screeching halt last night as the Cleveland Indians crushed the Sox 14-1, thanks to five Sox errors. At the beginning of this season, this series looked to be a promising competitive battle for first place. Instead it served as a requiem for the 2005 World Champs.

The White Sox are done for 2006. Stick a fork in them.

The Sox will be lucky if they finish with 90 victories, good enough only for third place. If they played in the National League, they’d be in first place in two of the three divisions. They’d have a three-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the West and a seven-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the Central (with the Cubs bringing up the rear).

While the Sox season overall has been disappointing, a few things do stand out:

1) Jermaine Dye emerged as an offensive leader in the American League;

2) Dye, Jim Thome and Paul Konerko in the three, four and five spots became one of the league’s best offensive “three-headed monsters,” especially in the first half of the season.

3) Third baseman Joe Crede became a stronger offensive force in the lineup and continued to play outstanding defense. We always knew what Crede was capable of. This season he came into his own.

4) Attendance surged at U.S. Cellular Field this summer, a tribute to the success of the 2005 team. The Sox had 52 sellouts, smashing its previous record of 18 in 2005. The team drew 2.59 million fans, surpassing last season’s total by 23,000.

5) Continued dominance in inter-league play. The Sox saved their best games for match-ups with National League teams, finishing 14-4. Of course, you can’t forget the intense rivalry between the Sox and Cubs, made even more intense by the now-famous base-brawl last May when Cub catcher Michael Barrett punched A. J. Pierzinski after a collision at home plate.

General Manager Kenny Williams has a lot of decisions to make in the off-season. Which players will stay? Which will go? I have my thoughts on that, which I will share in the next few days.

In the meantime, congratulations to the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers for clinching playoff spots, although which one will go as the wild card and which as the division champion remains to be seen. Give both teams credit for busting their butts and playing with a hunger and intensity that we saw from the Sox last season. For a change, it’s nice to see two teams from the AL Central be represented in the postseason.

Sox Painful Slide

Along with many other Sox fans, I have had to endure watching a White Sox team for the past few weeks that seems to have given up on this season. I have no doubt that they are trying as hard as they say they are. But still the fire, intensity and excitement that comes with being in the middle of a divisional race seem to be lacking. Instead the players seem tired and unfocused.

Yes, they won today with some late-inning heroics by Paul Konerko after a two-hour rain delay, but is it enough? The Sox need to run the table and hope for help from other teams playing the Twins and the Tigers.

When you watch a team or athlete, you can tell when they're just running through the motions and when they're giving it their all. The Sox seem to be doing the former when they should be doing the latter.

This season's version of the White Sox have forgotten the grinder rules, the rules made popular last season and with best describes the style of play and winning attitude that typified the 2005 team. Someone should remind the 2006 players of the following three grinder rules:

* Rule #5: Play as if every pitch is a full count. Every inning, the ninth. Every game, game seven.

* Rule #23: When all is said and done, make sure you've "done" more than you said.

And the most important one:

* Rule #61: There is no "i" in team, but there is one in quit.

Could Girardi Manage the Cubs?

The rumor mill is spinning over the possible firing of Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi at the end of this season. In only his first season as a big league manager, Girardi has helped rebuild a Marlin ball club that was dismantled in the off season. The team has a 76-79 record with one week left in the season. The problem has been his relationship with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and general manager Larry Beinfest.

Girardi is a former Cub and could be a popular choice to replace Dusty Baker as manager of the Cubs if Baker is fired. Many fans in Chicago believe Baker will be fired when this season ends, and I'm inclined to agree. Of course, with a week left in the season, it's too early to say what the Cubs will do, and they're keeping mum on the subject.

Girardi could be an interesting choice. He has had to work with a lot of young players in the Marlin organization to get them to perform at a major league level. He'd be asked to do the same with the Cubs.

Chicago Reveals Revised Olympic Stadium Plan

Chicago's Mayor Daley and his Olympic task force revealed a revised stadium plan for the 2016 Olympic Games. This plan calls for a two-tiered 95,000-seat stadium to be built in Washington Park on the city's south side. The stadium would be used for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as track and field events. When the games end, the top tier will be removed. What will remain is a 10,000-seat facility for local track and field events, and other community activities.

The previous plan to have a collapsible stadium built between Soldier Field and McCormick Place had too many loopholes and did not make a positive impression with the USOC. This one does a better job of fulfilling the USOC's requirement of having the stadium as part of the city's long-term civic and economic plan. It certainly will help our south side neighbors by bringing in jobs and revenue. Plus the community will have a facility they can use for many years to come.

The location of the proposed stadium could cause some problems. Is there enough public transportation and parking lots available to accommodate the crowds that would attend events there? Would people be willing to travel several miles south of downtown?

Opponents of the plan have suggested that the mayor is presenting the south side stadium plan as a political ploy. What else is new? Aren't most of these major developments politically motivated?

They also say that because the stadium is so far south, viewers will lose sight of the lakefront skyline as a backdrop. That may be true, but with so many camera crews expected to cover the Olympics, we'll likely see alternate views of the city anyway.

Any way you look at it, the new stadium plan is a huge improvement over the previous version.

Pro Football Returns to New Orleans

All eyes will be on the city of New Orleans this Monday night.

A little over a year ago, hurricane winds and flood waters pounded New Orleans and the surrounding gulf coast. While much of the region is still recovering and many of its residents are still displaced, locals have one thing they can look forward to in the next few days -- the return of pro football to New Orleans.

The New Orleans Saints finished their 2006 season away from the city, splitting time between Baton Rouge and Texas. The New Orleans Superdome housed thousands of residents during the height of the storm, suffering some minor damage in the process. But now, the roof is fixed, the debris is cleared away, and the Dome is ready for a prime-time showcase on Monday Night Football when the Saints host the Atlanta Falcons.

The team is celebrating in a big way, with pre-game performances by the Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day and U2. Local musicians Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint witll perform the national anthem.

When tragedy strikes, getting back to any kind of routine seems impossible. After more than a year, the city of New Orleans is ready to take another step toward normalcy.

Sox Release 2007 Schedule

I suppose it's never too early to look ahead to the 2007 baseball season, especially considering that one, and likely both, Chicago teams will not make the postseason.

The White Sox released their tentative schedule for 2007. Thank goodness they don't play a series against the Oakland A's in September, but they do play a bunch of games against their Central division rivals during the final month of the season.

Other highlights: the Cubs May 18-20 at Wrigley Field and June 22-24 at U.S. Cellular Field

Home games against the New York Yankees, May 15-17 and again June 4-7 (yes, that's seven games against the Bronx bombers); Boston Red Sox, Aug. 23-26; Houston Astros, June 6-8 and the Florida Marlins, June 18-20.

By the way, if you're a fan of the Grinder Rules, the Sox have them posted on their site.

When Packers Lose, Fan Arrests Rise

What do you do when your favorite football team loses a game? If you're a Green Bay Packer fan, you get yourself arrested.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette analysed post-Packer game arrests between August 1996 and January 2006. When the Packers win, an average of 5.8 people are arrested compared to 9.08 when the team loses.

When the Bears go to Lambeau Field, arrests average 9.1 per game -- regardless if the Packers win or lose.

LA to Host 2009 World Figure Skating Championships

American skaters will have a huge home ice advantage in 2009 when Los Angeles hosts the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships at the Staples Center. LA beat out Budapest, Hungary and Helsinki, Finland for the honor. The last time a U.S. city hosted the World Figure Skating Championships was 2003 when Washington, D.C. had the honor.

This will be a significant competition for American skaters. As the last international competition before the Olympic year, how our skaters finish in the final standings at Worlds will determine how many skaters the U.S. will send to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Also, the 2009 World Champions are often considered the favorites for Olympic gold.

With so much at stake and home ice advantage, I look for our American skaters to do very well.

More on this story

Cubs' Lee Done for Season

These days you need a score card to find out who's playing for the Chicago Cubs. They've had so many players start this season, it's been difficult to keep track. And the majority of injuries have been odd, to say the least.

In less than a week, the Cubs have lost two key players, one to a serious health ailment and one to a family crisis.

Several days ago, pitcher Glendon Rusch complained of chest pains and was rushed to the hospital where doctors found a blood clot in his lung. He's done for the season.

Before today's game, first baseman Derrek Lee announced that he would not play in the remaining games this season in order to care for his three-year-old daughter, Jada, who has lost vision in one eye. Lee has already been on the DL twice this season after breaking his wrist in a collision with Rafael Furcal of the Dodgers last April.

You have to wonder if there's some big dark cloud hanging over Wrigley Field.

Sox to Host One-Game Playoff

With two weeks left in the baseball season, only one thing is clear about the playoff picture: both New York teams will make the postseason.

The remaining playoff spots are up for grabs.

The League did their usual coin tosses to determine home sites in the event a one-game playoff needs to be played to decide postseason berths. In the American League, the White Sox would host the one-game playoff against Minnesota for the Wild Card and Detroit for the AL Central.

Not that any of this matters at this point. After this weekend's three-game sweep courtesy of the Oakland A's, the Sox find themselves five games out of first place, and four games behind Minnesota for the wild card. They have a lot of work to do in a short time if they are going to make the postseason.

Chicago Sky Loses Coach Cowens

After only one season as coach for the Chicago Sky WNBA team, Dave Cowens is leaving the team to take an assistant coaching job with the Detroit Pistons. In its inaugural season, the Sky went 5-29.

Can't say I blame him. If I coached a team that won only five games, I'd want to find another job too.

Bears Win Again -- Guaranteed

If you want to get the Bears fired up for an upcoming game, all you have to do is start trash talking.

Earlier this week, Detroit Lions' receiver Roy Williams opened his mouth and "guaranteed" a Lions victory over the Bears, even after the Bears had just shut out the Green Bay Packers and the Lions had just lost a close one to the Seattle Seahawks. Today the Bears made Williams pay for his trash talking by trouncing the Lions 34-7 at Soldier Field.

The Bears capitalized on two early turnovers and numerous penalties by the Lions as they took an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bears never looked back.

Grossman had another strong performance, completing 20 of 27 pass attempts for 289 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. After this weekend's action, the Bears' offense is in the top 10 in several categories. What a difference a healthy and confident Rex Grossman makes.

The defense was their usual dominating selves, although the Lions helped out by making so many mistakes.

Give the Bears credit for not returning the trash talking in the media. That shows a mature football team. It's a good thing the Chicago Bears prefer to do their talking on the playing field.

Kwan to Skip 2006-07 Season

Several weeks ago, I reported that Sasha Cohen may take the year off from competitive skating, and I predicted that her hiatus may be permanent. Michelle Kwan may be right behind her.


Most athletes usually skip school to pursue their pro careers. Michelle Kwan is doing a "reverse commute" by skipping the skating season to concentrate on school.

A big part of her decision is her health. She is recovering from recent hip surgery. But in the meantime, she'll be attending the University of Denver. Kwan missed most of last season with a groin injury that forced her to withdraw from the Olympics in Torino last February.

That makes two complete seasons with no skating for Kwan. At age 26, it will be even more difficult for her to come back to compete at the level that is required under the current judging system. Really, she has not been the same skater since she left her long-time coach Frank Carroll.

While she has left the door open to return after next season, it is obvious to almost everyone -- except Kwan -- that retirement is just around the corner.

OSU and Notre Dame Dominate Opponents

Two top college football teams showed why they are at the top of the college rankings.

It was odd to see the top two teams in the nation battle it out so early in the season, but that's exactly what we got when No. 1 Ohio State played No. 2 Texas.

It was no contest. Ohio State' won 24-7 with a defense that dominated the game. Texas could get nothing going offensively. With their defense, Ohio State will be difficult to dethrone.

In another matchup, Notre Dame trounced Penn State, 41-17. They were No. 4 going into the weekend, and with Texas' loss to OSU and USC idle, Notre Dame moved to No. 2. They face Michigan next week. Some experts say if the Irish can get past Michigan, they could conceivably go undefeated.

Bears Shut Down Packers in Season Opener

I must confess I was a bit concerned by all the hype over the Bears' season opener against the Packers. Everyone seemed to think the Bears had this game in the bag.

I was not so sure. How many times have I seen so much hype over how good one team is over another only to see that team be defeated by the one they were supposed to crush?

After all, we are talking about a historical rivalry that stretches back to early last century. We're talking about a Packer QB who seems to have more lives than a cat. And we're talking about a Bears team that has a tendency to be a bit full of themselves.

At times like this, I'm glad to be wrong. The 2007 version of the Packers is no better than last year's team. Favre is as competitive as ever, but has definitely lost a step as well as his touch.

More important, the Bears just seem quicker and more hungry than I've ever seen them.

The Bears shut out the Pack 26-0 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Impressive by anyone's standards. It's a great start, but I have to wonder. Are the Bears that good, or are the Packers that bad?

Welcome Back, Andy Roddick

Despite losing to Roger Federer in the U.S. Open finale on Sunday, Andy Roddick has no reason to hang his head. He played well in this tournament, the first major since teaming up with Jimmy Connors as his coach.

The coaching change made a huge difference. Roddick has always had the talent. But it was his drive and consistency that was questionable. Under Connors' watchful eye, Roddick is finetuning his game and playing with more confidence. He is finally turning into the player everyone knew he could be.

Even Federer in his championship speech took note of Roddick's performance, saying "It's nice to see Andy back at the top." High praise from the world's top player.

In this case, by losing to the number one player in the world, Roddick can see how far he has come in a short time -- and how much farther he can go.

Working Out with Kimmie Meisner

If you think figure skaters are wimps, guess again.

One reporter recently found out just how tough figurer skaters are when he followed along with Kimmie Meisner's training and conditioning program.

I know it's not the same as training for hockey, basketball or football. But when you watch these young men and women skate, you realize that there's more to skating than meets the eye.

Woman's Eye Returns

I'm baaaaack!

It seems my hiatus from Woman's Eye on Sports was much longer than anticipated. A lot has happened in my absence.

The WNBA concluded their season while the NFL began theirs.

In tennis, Andre Agassi said a tearful, emotional good-bye while Andy Roddick re-emerged as America's best player.

In baseball, the White Sox inched closer to the division lead despite not playing its best games while the Cubs sank to last place in their division.

The sports world keeps turning, and that's why there are bloggers like me to tell you about it -- at least when I'm not on a holiday.

Woman's Eye Takes a Break

Woman's Eye on Sports is taking a short break while I spend a few days visiting friends in Minneapolis (also enemy territory for baseball and football) for the Labor Day weekend. I will return next week with new insights and news about the world of sports. Have a safe and relaxing weekend.

Agassi Continues to Amaze

All eyes are on Andre Agassi. The veteran tennis star is playing in his final U.S. Open before retiring. Many fans (including yours truly) are hoping that his final match will wait just a few more days.

After last night's thrilling five-set victory, Agassi moved to the next round at the U.S. Open. With every game, he shows the heart and intensity that so typified his style of play. Yes, he is slower and yes, he is inconsistent. But what he brings to the court is a fire and energy that will be missed.

Is Contreras Ailing?

After watching Sox pitcher Jose Contreras suffer through his third straight loss tonight -- and look very bad doing so -- I am beginning to wonder if the right hander is ailing. Naturally, the team isn't saying anything, and some players would rather work through whatever problems they're having than reveal that they have health issues, especially in the stretch run. Contreras has had shoulder problems in the past, and I wonder if those problems are recurring.

What's also troubling is that the Sox are not getting key hits when they need them, especially with men in scoring position. Tonight they left the bases loaded in both the eighth and ninth innings. A key hit here or there might have bagged another victory for the Sox. Instead, they lost 7-5 to the KC Royals, the worst team in the majors.

Let's hope they can turn things around quickly.

Bears Ready to Defend Division Title

I think most Bears fans are relieved to see the pre-season end. The Bears concluded the pre-season last night with a resounding defeat of the Cleveland Browns, 20-7. Finally, this team played the way I know they're capable of. The defense dominated, and the offense played with greater efficiency than I've seen from them since the end of last season.

I know a lot of fans would prefer to see veteran QB Brian Griese as the starting quarterback, but the fact is, this is and always has been Rex Grossman's team. The Bears are committed to playing Grossman as long as he stays healthy. Griese is a solid backup who can provide veteran leadership when called upon. I doubt that the Bears will switch QBs mid-season or even mid-game unless Grossman gets injured or the team loses several games in a row.

In any case, the Bears look ready to repeat as division champs. The season opener begins September 10 against Green Bay.