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Watching Tony Romo and the Cowboys' drama unfold was pure entertainment.
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Last weekend reminded me why I prefer the football postseason over baseball’s.
The NFL gets it right by rewarding teams for their regular-season play. The best teams get a first-round bye, so they have more time to heal the inevitable injuries. In each matchup, the team with the better record (or higher finish) hosts the game, a significant advantage. The wild-card teams never host a game.
Baseball has struggled with the postseason scheduling ever since the leagues were divided and spots were awarded to three divisions plus a wild card. The original scheduling for the first round of play, with two home games at the wild card’s park, followed by three at the park of the team with the better record or higher finish, sometimes favored the wild-card team; by winning the first two at home, the wild-card team got momentum. The Giants got ambushed that way by the Florida Marlins in 1997.
Television also plays too important a role in the baseball postseason. To fit into the television schedule, teams sometimes have no travel days, and other times have too much time between games. In 2006, the Detroit Tigers were clearly the best in baseball, but lost their edge when they had to wait two weeks between the last game of the AL Championship Series and the first game of the World Series. They lost the Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, who won only 83 games in the regular season. A travesty.
Television isn’t a factor in the NFL postseason because the games are played on the weekend, as almost all games are during the regular season.
As a result, the best teams usually advance to the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. No NFL team as weak as baseball’s Cardinals in 2006 has won the Super Bowl.
There are occasional blowouts in the rounds leading up to the championship games. The only real interest in the Green Bay-Seattle game after the first half was the snow which blanketed the field.
But the Sunday games were both terrific, and each had compelling story lines.
In Indianapolis, the San Diego Chargers were trying to shed their reputation as a talented team that could not win in the postseason and Norv Turner was trying to prove he was a good coach, not just a pumped-up offensive coordinator. Turner’s critics had claimed he won this year only because of the great individual talent on the team, but the Chargers drove for the go-ahead touchdown with their three best offensive playmakers — running back LaDainian Tomlinson, tight end Antonio Gates and quarterback Philip Rivers — out with injuries. That was more character than talent.
In Dallas, the quarterbacks were the pregame focus. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, a free spirit, was under fire for taking a short margarita-fueled vacation in Cabo San Lucas with Jessica Simpson. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was trying to shake his reputation as a choker in big games.
In the end, though, it was the injury-weakened Giants defense that saved the win, holding off the Cowboys twice in the closing minutes despite being on the field for an incredible 36½ minutes.
Great stuff. In both cases, two good teams were slugging it out, with the outcome decided by the players, not by a scheduling fluke determined by TV schedules.
Major League Baseball, take note.
Glenn Dickey has been covering Bay Area sports since 1963 and also writes on www.GlennDickey.com. E-mail him at glenndickey@hotmail.com.
Comments from Examiner Readers
1:50 PM MST on Mon., Aug. 4, 2008 re: "Frantz: Davis blew chance to use get-out-of-jail-free card"
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Spencer said:
This article is disgusting! Frantz, you have zero ethical or moral wherewithal, and you have reached a new low. Try having your best friend die in your arms, and see how it affects you on a day-to-day basis for the rest of your life you jerk. As a veteran who has experienced that kind of personal loss in combat, I can honestly say, shame on you sir, you should be fired, or at the very least suspended for insensitivity and stupidity.
4 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
great analusis...especially the qb position of the Raiders...very excellent
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
If someone came from the hood and makes it big in the NFL, for sure they know all he gang signs, except for the road signs they speed up into with their flashy cars and jewelry to go.
5 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
favre is much too perfect for a quarterback, it's very tiring to see him win all the time. even though football is about winning, but it gets awfully tiring. let's go for jeff garcia, he's denying he's not gay. from the lispy voice of his, i'm sure it's false. he can't fool genetics or a burrito stand.
5 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Mike McCarthy must see something fans don't see, that maybe Favre has more downside than upside, and better to retire close to his peak -- like the way Bill Walsh used to prefer his players retire before their peak than after. Farve doesn't seem to worry too much about his legacy with the Cheeseheads -- wasn't he annointed by Terry Bradshaw as being the second coming of, well...Terry Bradshow - now that seems to make a little more sense. As for Montana, of course he would have won a few more SBs (had he been starting that last year, that possibly "3-peat" year). Montana might not walk on water, but he comes pretty darn close. When you have a once-in-a-generation player (how long before Tom Brady came along?), you keep him playing until he decides he should go - and that's exactly what he did, when the pounding got too great at KC. But had he been with the Niners, with that supporting cast of players at their prime -- you know he'd win a few more.
5 agree | 6 disagree
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examiner reader said:
Saying that Farve is a drama queen is like saying the Titanic was "leaky".. Poor Rodgers, four hours in the green room and now he is made the bad guy on this hill billy soap..
5 agree | 3 disagree
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Sam in Reno said:
The best thing the Packers can do is trade him. Then some other team can deal with his annual retirement game. This incident has shown his flakey egotistical outlook. I am surprised that so many national sports figures have backed Favre. The Packers have a business to run, they can't be waiting until August each year for Favre to decide if he feels like playing. If they take Favre back I hope Rogers asks for a trade.
4 agree | 5 disagree
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mark said:
Dickey, your act is getting tired too. just be a reporter, you are not special, you are just a reporter, be proud of who you are. Don't bring up Joe into this article because you already done so much already, talking crap about Joe. just be a reporter
3 agree | 10 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Frantz, I did not know you write for this paper. Up until now I am still missing the show with you as host on 1050. As far as the article, I agree with you. But I dont think Walkers problem is really an issue. When you see players in the news just last week, you see them going to jail, bar fights, dui etc.. Walkers issue was he partied hard ans supposedly got robbed. Being a Raider I guess in the medias eyes this is a crime. Good to see you around here Frantz
10 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Frantz, I completely agree with you on the disgrace of Jevon Walkers action (spraying the Domi P) on total strangers and acting like a clown, I do not condone. Broken orbital socket and concussion wish him well for recovery, thats on him. Frantz you are a punk-ass bitch to think the Raiders deserve this, you sound and are a girl Clown..! Raiders Rule....V-Man
7 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Like the Raider players of the past never partied....
8 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I guess you're perfect and never made a few mistakes twice. Should I bow down before you, the Almighty Bob Frantz? Walker is a victim, like it or not. You're just a piece of garbage because you're making a living off of bad mouthing his mistakes.
9 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Has it ever occured that atheletes wear that type of jewelery all the time and that Walker had money before he signed the contract? We just want to say he was wrong for having the bling, and he was wrong for spraying the bubbly like that was the first time someone has done that. People get Jacked and robbed everyday and we dont even talk about it but becasue it was a guy who we think is over paid and makes bad choices. He got what he deserved, Please!!! The guy was a victim of a voilent crime no matter how you spin it. Stop being so judgmental that could be you getting robbed one day in Vegas or getting Car jacked one day. Have a Heart America Walker is lucky to be alive.
7 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Im the biggest raider fan there, but I do agree with this guy. He just said what we are all thinking. Give it a couple weeks and the real story will come out then we will see what really happened.
7 agree | 7 disagree
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ShadyRaider said:
Walker was talking to 12 teams when the Raiders nabbed him...12 as in almost half the teams in the league. 12 as in 10 more than "not having many suitors" He will make the pro bowl...we will win the west...nothing else really matters..GO RAIDERS!!!!
8 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Horrible, horrible story! What is with kicking a victim whilst he is down and injured. Bob Frantz, you should be a shamed. Nobody is denouncing the criminals here or anywhere else. Bob thinks that if you go to Vegas you deserve to wake up in a hospital. Nice, real nice. Sorry to bother you Bob, I'm sure you are making fun of fuuny car fires as we speak..... Maverick Portland, Oregon
9 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why don't you give your negative remarks a rest. The Raiders will be a lot better this season. And i guess you can't deal with that!!! GO RAIDERS
9 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Bob, The Army's been allowing this for years in Olympic Sports, just not in professional sports. How do you think all those Olympians were able to train?
8 agree | 14 disagree
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Reggie said:
Eddie Royal was actually timed at 4.22 in the 40 at Virginia Tech. That was after a high of 4.17 and a low of 4.25 were dropped in favor of the 4.22. I've seen the certificate of proof from the coaching staff.
64 agree | 74 disagree
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Raidersfan since 67 said:
A pats loss is almost as sweet as a Raider win.
98 agree | 105 disagree
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John, Lafayette said:
I think you nailed it with your description of the game and its aftermath....as good as I've read. I would love to watch a video of Montana's game against Philadelphia in '89...now that's a great quarterback!
93 agree | 96 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
U talk about Brady's team this year and how good the supporting cast was, how about the other teams they won with they weren't so good were they.On the other hand the 49ers didn't have the salary cap and could keep that team together.Which had some great players on all the SB teams not just one
104 agree | 99 disagree
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Al Klumpp said:
Glenn: I think you're a little off base here. The problem wasn't Brady's inadequacies; it was the Giant's defensive ferocity which didn't allow the Patriots' offense to get untracked. Reminded me of the time the Giants and Lawrence Taylor killed the 49ers in a championship game, injuring Montana in the process. It didn't prove that Joe was any less of a quarterback; just that in that particular year the Giants were an immovable object. Joe and the 49ers returned to win more Super Bowls; the Patriots will probably do the same.
95 agree | 105 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Sometimes it really about when you peak. The Patriots were clickingand peaked in the first half of the season. The second half, against NYG, Ravens, SD, you saw the cracks. NYG started slowly and peaked through the playoffs. The diff between Brady and Joe, mobility. That extra element would have made the difference. Glad to see you remember the Eagles game. Fantastic. Joe was sacked 8 (?) times and still made plays.
107 agree | 103 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
As a long time fan of the NFL, it saddens me to see how the maker's of the game are left behind. I, along with probably 1,000+ fans stood in line for hours to honor John Mackey at Martin's West in March of 2005. We all seem to forget that Mackey and hundreds like him made the NFL what it is today. John Unitas was a bitter man at the end of his career because the system in place would not work for disability issues tht all employee's of companies in this country are entitled to. God bless the Bruce Laird's of this world who say it's not right let's do the right thing and help each other... It's not about a Welfare System for retired players. The fact that it is a small step that the NFL has taken with the announcement of the new NFL Alliance. It is hundreds of retired players in need of assistance. Such a desperate cause is finally getting the attention it deserves...who would doubt that this outreach would start in Baltimore, the most storied francise in NFL history. Thank you
307 agree | 235 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I don't care what Congress has to say about this issues ... Congress once supported Black Slavery & getting FREE slave labor.
285 agree | 370 disagree
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Kelly Ramsey said:
My father, Raymond L. Ramsey, "Rocket Ray", first played for three seasons in the old All-American Conference with the Chicago Rockets in 1947, Brooklyn in 1948 and the Chicago Hornets in 1949. He was with the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League for five seasons, through 1953, before that team moved to St. Louis. He then played for three years in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, finally retiring after the 1956 season. A long career of teaching and coaching followed, until that was interrupted by dementia. Around 1990, my father was diagnosed with dementia "of the Alzheimer's type." Since that time, the burden on our family has been tremendous, financially, physically, and mentally. After my mother passed away in 2002, it has been an everyday battle to provide for him. Today, we received word from the NFL that my father qualified and was approved for benefits under the new NFL 88 plan. All I can say is that this plan has saved my father and
294 agree | 263 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Josh wilson was not the highest ever drafted cornerback out of university of maryland. chad scott was selected in the first round with the 24th pick in 1997 to the pittsburgh steelers.
312 agree | 266 disagree
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