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Shanoff’s Wake-Up Call: Pats Mute Doubters

Oct 21, 2008, 12:47 PM UTC

Today’s Calls: Pats vs. Doubters, Rays vs. Bandwagon, Mike Singletary vs. Mike Nolan, Pacman vs. LJ, Tim Tebow vs. Colt McCoy, Derek Jeter vs. Lyla Garrity and More.â†µâ†µThe Opening Pitch: Wow, were we all just saying the Pats were finished?â†µ

â†µâ†µIt’s like Bill Belichick lives for these moments — when the conventional wisdom is that his “genius” ended with Tom Brady’s season and that his team is toast.â†µ

â†µâ†µThen they go and beat — no, obliterate — a very good Broncos team. Belichick’s genius has been re-affirmed.â†µ

â†µâ†µHere is more updated conventional wisdom:â†µ

â†µâ†µ— Who needs Brady? The D is intact, creating +5 turnovers (including two Cutler INTs) and holding Denver to 106 yards rushing.â†µ

â†µâ†µ— Who needs Brady? Matt Cassel has found his groove, completing 75 percent of his passes for 3 TDs and 0 INTs.â†µ

â†µâ†µ— Who needs Brady? The RB-by-Committee produced 257 yards and 2 TDs on 6.8 ypc (without Laurence Maroney, deactivated for the season yesterday).â†µ

â†µâ†µBottom line: Who needs Brady? If the Pats were finished a week ago, with the AFC an unpredictable free-for-all, would you really pick against the Pats when it counts? â†µ

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â†µWorld Series Lead-Up: It's a shame no one will watch this World Series*, because there have been few stories in all of sports — let alone baseball — like the Rays turnaround this season.â†µ

â†µâ†µMore on this tomorrow, but the Rays are America’s Team. (Did you hop on the bandwagon at any of the points I recommended you to over the course of this season? Because now it is officially full.)â†µ

â†µâ†µ(* Game 7 of the ALCS set a new record for audience size of an MLB game on cable, but I suspect that was a function of Boston.)â†µ

â†µâ†µ49ers fire Mike Nolan, hire Mike Singletary: Beyond his sub-sub-.500 career record, Nolan felt like a weird fit from the start, with his focus on gameday wardrobe. Singletary enjoys the reputation of having the players’ respect; we’ll see if that translates to Ws.â†µ

â†µâ†µSounds like this Favre-turncoat story won’t go anywhere, which is a shame. The NFL says if it happened, no rules were broken, but fans know it is a betrayal of the unwritten rules. (At least Mike Florio is with me on this one.)â†µ

â†µâ†µPacman enters rehab: It is now officially safe to call Adam Jones the “Amy Winehouse of the NFL.”â†µ

â†µâ†µ(Bad day for the Joneses: Matt Jones will reportedly get a three-game ban for his offseason dalliance with coke and credit cards.)â†µ

â†µâ†µNFL Crime Blotter: Ah, Larry Johnson ... spitting on someone? That’s not just rude; it’s kind of gross.â†µ

â†µâ†µNFL in London: OK, Londoners, it’s not like this is your first time with this. (Remember the giant-sized Jason Taylor last year?) ... So I don’t want to hear any “We don’t understand your ‘foot-ball.’” (But sound smart by saying, “Eh: Reggie Bush was overrated anyway.”)â†µ

â†µâ†µHeisman Watch: Tebow backs McCoy. Tim Tebow is taking his new responsibility as a Heisman voter seriously, and he agrees with the rest of us that Colt McCoy is the clear front-runner right now.â†µ

â†µâ†µSpeaking of Texas, Mack Brown has the quote of the day: “I do not think we’re a great team right now.” ... That would be news to Oklahoma, Mizzou, poll voters and BCS computers. Brown is sort of right: Texas in ‘09 will be even better. Scary.â†µ

â†µâ†µ(How is Oklahoma State handling their game-of-the-week Saturday match-up? With enthusiasm typical of a Gundy-led team.)â†µ

â†µâ†µCFB Injury Watch: Terrence Cody. No player’s status, figuratively or literally, is bigger than the Alabama NG. He is reportedly out “two weeks” with that knee injury — coincidentally, just in time to return for ‘Bama’s make-or-break game at LSU. Tracking.â†µ

â†µâ†µCFB Name to Know: Wilbur Hackett, the SEC ref turned YouTube sensation after his “hit” on South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia prompted the most universal “WTF?!” reaction of the year. (Reviewing the tape, I personally think that Hackett absolutely meant to hit Garcia, but he didn’t intend it maliciously — he simply forgot he was working and had a momentary flashback to his old playing days.)â†µ

â†µâ†µCBB Top 25 Countdown: No. 21 Tennessee. The Vols were just picked by SEC media to win the league; Tyler Smith was preseason POY. Is it possible the SEC’s best team isn’t even among the 20 best in the nation? Hmm: Haven’t seen Florida in this countdown yet. ...â†µ

â†µâ†µNASCAR: I have dinged the Chase “playoff” system before. Here is a reasonable argument against the system — and a possible solution. (I still contend the Chase should include a “knockout” component, where the Chase driver finishing last each week is eliminated.)â†µ

â†µâ†µNHL: Will Toronto get a second franchise? They could certainly support it, no less than Chicago or New York does in baseball.â†µ

â†µâ†µNBA Preseason: There is no trendier pick this season (and over the next, say, 10 seasons) than the Blazers. Last night, the Blazers beat Sacto, and you saw reasons for the enthusiasm: Oden 13 and 9; Aldridge 24; Roy 21; Rudy 16 off the bench.â†µ

â†µâ†µMore NBA: Wow, remember when Darius Miles was relevant? The “KG Lite,” the jazzy Jordan TV ads with BFF Q Richardson? That’s so over.â†µ

â†µâ†µMLB Award Season: Sporting News is rolling out their picks, including Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum as A.L. and N.L. Pitchers of the Year. (I’m sympathetic to CC — or at least Lidge — but OK, I’ll accept it.)â†µ

â†µâ†µMMA: EliteXC is going out of business, just a few months after it debuted its product on CBS in primetime, which was supposed to be a big deal for the sport. Apparently not. Now, maybe EliteXC is simply a poorly run business. Or maybe this is the signal of a larger MMA bubble. Consequently, it feels like a moment for industry consolidation, likely under MMA impresario Dana White. â†µ

â†µâ†µGossip: When Derek Jeter was spotted by TV on the Texas sideline during the Mizzou-UT game, I chuckled at his fair-weather-ness ... Right up until I rewound the DVR and recognized he was standing next to Minka Kelly (or “Lyla Garrity” from “Friday Night Lights”).â†µ

â†µâ†µYes, they are rumored to be an item, which shouldn’t surprise you in the least. Derek Jeter: “Making your fantasies his reality since 1995.”â†µ

â†µâ†µMedia: More on the Oilers-Bloggers showdown, in a sensible from a member of hockey’s mainstream media.â†µ

â†µâ†µThe Last Word: If I could be anyone in America yesterday, it would have been John Abel, who was caddied at Torrey Pines by ... Tiger Woods. â†µ

â†µâ†µI’ll settle for trading parenting tips with Tiger. I can’t compete with Woods on the links, but I’ll go toe-to-toe on diaper theory anytime.â†µ

â†µâ†µDan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com.â†µ

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