Shanoff’s Wake-Up Call: Pettitte, Kidd, More

By Dan Shanoff
Today’s Calls: Andy Pettitte vs. Eric Gagne, Jason Kidd vs. Ron Artest, Texas vs. Texas A&M, Xavier vs. Indiana, Memphis vs. Tennessee, Muhsin Muhammad vs. Stacy Andrews, Curt Schilling vs. K-Rod, Jason Taylor vs. Monica Seles and More!
The Opening Pitch: Andy Pettitte wins. With his apologetic turn yesterday, Pettitte offered the first successful model for all MLB cheaters who want to avoid being permanently tainted by the scandal:
Step 1: Cooperate with investigators.
Step 2: Apologize publicly.
Step 3: Keep apologizing.
Step 4: Watch your rep get salvaged by fans and media desperate for anyone even to BEGIN to own up to their behavior.
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Andy Pettitte is a cheater, even if he argues he isn’t one. But he will sidestep the fates of Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and the rest by copping to his mistakes. Hopefully, other players take notice.
Compare Pettitte to Eric Gagne, who Monday admitted NOTHING and said the only thing he might feel “bad” about is what his family and friends “had to go through.”
Gagne answered no questions: “I don’t want to look back.” (How McGwire of him.) For his defiance of the “Pettitte Plan,” Gagne can be lumped in with the rest of the players whose reps are obliterated.
NBA 2nd Half Begins: (Yes, it’s more like a 30-game sprint than a true “half.”) Here are my Top 5 Storylines to Watch:
(1) How does Shaq fit in with the Suns?
(2) More Balance-of-Power Trades in West?
(3) C’s vs. Pistons battle for East home court advantage?
(4) Hornets on top: How long can it last?
(5) Gil returns (3/2?); Wiz East spoiler?
(6) Miami vs. Minny: Battle for Michael Beasley?
Kidd to Dallas a done-deal? Seems that way, now that Keith Van Horn is willing to be a “team player” in a way Devean George wasn’t.
The Mavs counter the “go-big” moves of their conference rivals with the best PG in the game; the Nets’ “go-Brooklyn” rebuilding effort begins.
More Trade Rumors: Ron Artest to the Spurs? As long as all of the other West contenders are making splashy moves, why not the champs?
CBB Last Night: 27 was the magic number for Texas. The Longhorns thumped rival Texas A&M by 27; UT star PG D.J. Augustin scored 27.
After being humiliated in College Station a few weeks ago, Texas hasn’t lost -- and is playing as well as any team in the country.
I keep insisting this team is better than the one with Kevin Durant a year ago; am I willing to back it up by picking them to the Final Four?
More: Xavier holds off Rhode Island. Are the No. 10 Musketeers for real as a Tournament contender? I’ll view a 4-point escape in Kingstown as a “character-builder” in the tough A-10 rather than a sign of weakness.
CBB Tonight: Purdue at Indiana. A loss in Bloomington to an in-state rival (no matter how sizzling) could be Kelvin Sampson’s final result as the Hoosiers’ coach, if IU gets smart and boots him by the weekend.
CBB Top 25 Rankings: The state of Tennessee rules. Memphis is No. 1, the Vols are 2. Something’s gotta give: They face off Saturday.
Pats vs. Matt Walsh: Let The Great Discrediting commence! The only problem is that most fans are already prone to not trust the Pats.
(Oh, and as predicted in this space the morning after he was cut, Zach Thomas was offered a contract by the Patriots.)
NFL Cuts: So who wants Muhsin Muhammad? Something tells me he won’t draw the same type of fascination as Chad Johnson.
Meanwhile, the Bengals gave the “franchise” tag to OL Stacy Andrews and the Chiefs “franchised” DE Jared Allen.
CFB: LSU’s presumptive 2008 starting QB Ryan Perrilloux suspended indefinitely. If LSU wants any shot at successfully defending its national title, “indefinitely” will mean “until spring ball starts.”
Curt Schilling Watch: My Strat-O-Matic “1986: Take Two” colleague says his doc insists surgery is the only way he pitches this season. But the Red Sox say he has to rehab the shoulder without surgery.
So Schilling says he is going to follow the team’s directive (then presumably say “told you so” when it doesn’t work and the team falls short of a title repeat).
(Meanwhile, if K-Rod really is done with the Angels after ‘08, which contender will acquire him mid-season in a potentially pennant-capturing move?)
Finding out which athletes will appear on “Dancing With the Stars” has become a bit of an event, given that jocks are 3-time defending champs.
Obviously, the DWTS producers know that athletes are incredibly popular: Jason Taylor, Monica Seles and Kristi Yamaguchi are the athletes headlining this year’s lineup.
The Last Word: Hank Steinbrenner on baseball being “singled out” in the steroids scandal. “Everybody that knows sports knows football is tailor-made for performance-enhancing drugs. I don’t know how they managed to skate by. It irritates me. Don’t tell me it’s not more prevalent.” The New Boss makes an excellent point.
Dan 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.
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