Beyond the (716)

This is my inaugural installment of a column called Beyond the (716). I will discuss topics not related to Buffalo Sports. Not only am I a follower of Buffalo Sports, I am a follower of ALL sports. So here its goes.

-I’ve had it up to here with the Tiger Woods love triangle (or is it a pentagon at this point) saga. I just don’t care! Sorry, but if media types and fans of golf (which I am not) get into whom Tiger is on the prowl for, then you seriously need to analyze your own life.

Put this on my tomb stone; I do not care what athletes do in their spare time, unless it affects their playing status Monday through Sunday.

If Travis Henry wants to have unprotected sex with 30 girls or Matt Leinart is in a hot tub having an orgy, that is their business. Do not give me crap that these guys are role models! Maybe growing up and being a 13-year old Bills fan, who had older relatives telling me how the 90’s Bills were at bars and other fine dinning places (strip clubs), just did not really faze me. BTW, I am being polite when I describe those fun endeavors. Bottom line, if the Bills were making Super Bowls, they were heroes in my book.

Now, if you’re sucking up a storm like Terrell Owens and he is going to Cabo or Dallas during this season, then I have a problem with you. I just do not care to judge these guys outside of the playing field. Maybe, when I have kids and they look up to the 30th version of the Bills franchise quarterback, I shall change my tune. But till then, do what you gotta do-

-I still cannot believe it took Allen Iverson this long to get a starting job in the NBA. The guy can still ball and score at least 20 points a game. However, save your tears for when you actually retire from the game-

-The UFL lost a little north of 30 million dollars for their first season in existent. Memo to whoever runs the UFL: Become the complete opposite of the NFL. For starters, get rid of punting! Yes, you heard it hear first. Who the hell wants to see punting? While we are it, get rid of all the kickers in that league. How about this for a suggestion, whenever a player commits a penalty, you send them to a penalty box for one play, giving the opposition the man advantage. In other words, smoke & whistles baby! No professional football league will ever compete with the NFL. You want to know why the Arena League survived over 20 years? It’s because they were different. Hell, if you want to market the UFL, hire a camera crew to follow the players around. When I mean follow them around it’s called watching a DVD of the ESPN show Playmakers, and mix a little of Tiger Woods in that. Hey, I may not care what people do in their spare time, but judging by ESPN’s coverage of off the field stuff, they may as well be the US Weekly for men-

-Speaking of ESPN, do we really need to have Herm Edwards come out on TV about 30 times on Friday to state, that Mark Sanchez has to slide whenever he takes off with the football. I am sorry, but when did the art form of whether a quarterback should slide or not become must see TV? Was ESPN that desperate to find a “Controversial” story line? God forbid, ESPN talking about the lack of buzz the Thursday night game had in Toronto. As usual, New York City rules all of ESPN-

-So you think the halftime show at the Super Bowl stinks? How about looking at what the originators of “futbal” had to endear. Did you see the World Cup drawing festivities? I was just waiting for Yolanda Vega or that pip squeak little dude to come out for the lotto drawing. Seriously? The competitive balance of the World Cup is determined in some sort of giant fruit punch bowl? BTW, loved the Flock of Seagulls look from David Beckham. Rea
lly happy that he takes his fashion more seriously than trying to nationalize MLS. At least Beckham’s suit looked good, some dude who looked like Webster came out sporting a golden vest. So that’s where the material came from to make the Wonka Golden Ticket. After watching the fashion show, I felt like I just watched the Griswald’s go shopping in National Lampoons European Vacation–