Spreading the Wealth

I realize I haven't posted in some time but lately I've felt inspired ... to which....

Just read in the paper that the St. Louis Cardinals are trying to decide if it's worth signing Albert Pujols to a new, multi-year deal (something in the neighborhood of eight years) for about $300 million which would account for about two-thirds of the team's payroll.

For those not in the know, Pujols is widely considered one (if not the best player in baseball.

Question is, is he worth it? You know what? Even though that's an insane amount of money, yes, he is.

But, here's the problem I have with the contract...Pujols doesn't have to make this kind of deal. I would love to see him pull a move like Tom Brady of the New England Patriots who, until this past year, always took less than what he was worth so that the team would have more money to go out and sign other players to make the team that much competitive.

Granted, MLB doesn't operate under a salary cap the way the NFL does, but the point remains the same ... Pujols could go to the Cardinals brass and offer to take less in salary so that the team can sign better players and thus field a better team.

If a professional athlete on Tom Brady's level can do it, so can Albert Pujols.

Just saying ...

Record day in the snow

It's October, but yesterday it looked like December at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA, home of the New England Patriots, who hosted the Tennessee Titans.

Sixty minutes of football later and the game wasn't even close: NE 59 - Tenn. 0.

Ye gods.

The Titans are the worst (or at least one of the worst) teams in the NFL this season and yesterday's game did nothing to change that perception. New England fans have been waiting for QB Tom Brady to come back to full form since missing last season with a knee injury and this game could very well be the game in which he shook off any remaining rust.

The best thing to take away from this game is that for the first time this season, Brady was razor sharp with this throws ... he hit his receivers with his trademark zip and accuracy, which was great to see.

Needless to say, it was a record-setting day for the Patriots, to which:

• The Patriots posted the largest shutout in the NFL since Dec. 4, 1976, when the Rams beat the Falcons by the same score.
  
• Brady threw for 380 yards while tying a career high with six touchdown passes.
  
• New England set team records for points (59) and total yards (619) in a single game.
  
• Receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker combined for 21 catches for 279 yards and five touchdowns.
  
• The Titans were held to 186 total yards as QB Kerry Collins completed just 2-of-12 passes for -7 yards ... minus seven yards!
  
• This was the Titans largest margin of defeat in franchise history. The previous record was 54 set in 1989 when the Oilers lost to Cincinnati, 61-7.
  
• Patriots improved to 11-0 all time in snowy games in Foxborough (7-0 under Brady).

And a few more random stats:

• Most points in a game - 59
  
• Most points in a half - 45 in the first half
  
• Most points in a quarter - 35 in the second quarter
  
• Most total net yards in a game - 619
  
• Most net passing yards - 426 (tie)
  
• Most touchdowns - 8 (tie)
  
• Most passing yards in a half - Tom Brady, 345
  
• Most passing touchdowns in a half - Brady, 5 in first half
  
• Most passing touchdowns in a game - Brady, 6 (tie)

So the Pats are now 4-2 for the season. Here's hoping they can build on this win and make a serious run through the rest of their schedule. Could be a fun winter here in New England!

News from the gridiron

It maybe nearing Spring, but news from the NFL keeps coming.

The Patriots have signed WR Randy Moss to a three-year, $27 million deal ($15 million guaranteed). Thank the football gods ... with WR Dante Stallworth signing with another team and talk of Moss listening to other offers, I was beginning to think QB Tom Brady wasn't going to have anyone to throw to deep next season.

Also today, Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre announced he's retiring after 17(!) seasons of slinging the pigskin on Lambeau Field. I have to admit that I'm a little bummed by this. Favre was an amazing QB and after a disastrous 2005 season really brought his game to a new level in the last two seasons, especially last year in which he set the record for passing TDs (442), passing yards (61,655) and wins by a starting QB (160) and interceptions (288). Including the playoffs, he played in 275 consecutive games. Damn.

Still, he's going out on his out terms, not because he's being forced to (like from injuries). Cheeseheads everywhere will be crying in their Pabst Blue Ribbon and Old Style beers tonight.