MVN: Most Valuable Network

A recent survey named the 5 managers players would least like to play for.  Number one on the list?  My personal favorite...Lou Pinella.  Now, you all know of my antipathy for the Cubs, but I'm a huge Pinella fan, as he brought the Reds the only World Series title of my life.  What's hilarious is that the list consists of Pinella, Ozzie Guillen, Tony LaRussa, and Joe Torre (and the horrible Eric Wedge).  That list of managers is responsible for EIGHT championships. 

Why is that significant?  It is impossible to put together a list of four other active managers that have more titles than those four do.  The closest you can get is six by taking Terry Francona (2) and Cito Gaston (2) and throwing in any two of Bobby Cox, Charlie Manuel, Mike Scioscia, and Jim Leyland.  In fact, if you took all 6 of those guys together, you only get 8 titles.

All that is to say, it doesn't matter much if players like a manager or would perceive him as a great guy to play for.  The most popular list?  It was populated with great managers as well:  Cox, Torre (again), Sciosca, Joe Maddon and Francona...all combine for EIGHT championships.  I'd say that qualifies the most/least popular question as utterly insignificant.

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The Reds continue to linger like a stale fart.  Cueto and Votto.  Some days, that's all you need.

A word about BBS: 
We've said from day one that we are a general Indiana sports blog.  It's in our very first post.  We never claimed we would only talk about the Colts.

We are Colts centric, but I hate offseason blather.  Personally, I don't find it that all that interesting. 

So...We  blog about other stuff.  As much as possible.   If BBS or anyone else doesn't like it, don't read it.   I could care less what annoys BBS.

We write for us.  We always have.  I'm trying to entertain one person:  my brother. 
If anything, 18to88 is more Colts centered than we ever envisioned it.  We haven't varied from our mission at all.  Again, we state it in our Authors page:

This is a football blog primarily, but we also follow IU, the Pacers, the Reds, and IRL racing religiously. You can expect a heavy dose of all these throughout the year.

BBS's hatchet job on the Star was unfair.  The whole league is on vacation. When the team is playing, the Star coverage is very solid and useful (except for most Kravitz columns :)).  There is nothing going on right now.  The reporters are getting a much deserved vacation.  Calling them "Crap.  Pure and utter crap" just because they are getting a short break is below the belt.  The joke is that if they were writing about the Colts right now, it would just be blather, bluster and opinion.  They'd have to make stuff up to talk about.  I would much rather the Star say nothing than just yak endlessly about opinion and speculation.  Sometimes, taking a break and talking about other things is healthy.  They mentioned they would be on vacation.  Give them a break.  Do we really want more Matt Painter stories to satisfy our urge?

I wake up every day and think,  "Is there going to be a Colts' story today?  I hope so."  When there isn't, I'm faced with three choices:  I can write about other things that interest me (movies or sports), I can write nothing, I can write some made up crap about some insignificant topic to stir up trouble.  Some days I choose the first.  Other days, I choose the second.  I try to never chose the third (at least not on purpose).  That's why both my original comments, and this response didn't get their own "post". 

Trust me.  Whenever there is real Colts news to discuss, we'll be there to talk about it.  For now, the team has hung the 'gone fishin' shingle up, and everyone will just have to chill out for a week or two.  It's better than stirring up fake fights and controversies.

Ok, next topic...Sign me up for this NCAA Football playoff.  Simple.  Perfect.  I love it.

The Colts are 14th in ESPN's ultimate franchise rankings after being #1 last year.  Why the drop?  Tony Dungy retired.  The Pacers improved to 96th.    My Reds finished surprisingly high at 36.

Schrager likes the Colts.  But someone needs to explain to the guys at Foxsports.com that Moore and Mudd are coming back.  I'm not sure what is so confusing about the situation now.

Buenísimo.  Es una decisión inteligente. Los hispanos representan un pueblo con pasión (y plata). Un aplauso.

Demond Sanders:  A couple of points.  This site is primarily about analysis rather than news gathering.  So unless Peyton is out there tossing touchdowns in some obscure Japanese summer league... there isn't all that much to say right now.  We are Indiana sports fans.  I'd rather see DZ write something about the Pacers/Reds/Indy 500/Irish etc. than make something up about how Lance Ball is making great strides. 

Forbes list of the Fortunate 50 is out.  This is the list of the 50 highest earning athletes in the USA.  It combines salary, winnings, and endorsement deals.  What's fascinating is that it reveals exactly what is wrong with the NBA, and why people need to ease up on football players.

NFL players put their bodies on the line, but earn comparatively little when juxtaposed with stars from other sports.  The list is dominated by NBA stars, many of whom are not very good.  The top ten reads:
Woods
Mickleson
LeBron James
ARod
Shaq
Garnett
Bryant
Allen Iverson
Jeter
Peyton Manning

The fact that Shaq and AI are among the 10 highest earning athletes in the USA is appalling.  People joke about Manning's endorsement deals, but Shaq actually earns more in advertising $.  Manning does very well for an NFL star, as the next ten spots are owned by SEVEN more NBA players including Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury and Jermaine O'Neal.  That makes 12 of the top 20 NBA players.

The NFL doesn't see another player on the list until Tom Brady checks in at 28th.  Meanwhile, the NBA racks up 6 more players between 21-30 including "mega-stars" Steve Francis, Vince Carter, and Rashard Lewis.  The NFL fares better in the next 10 spots, with three more players including Dwight Freeney at 40th. 

Finally, the list finishes out with Mike Bibby making more money than Roethlisberger.

The perception is that the NBA is a league of overpaid loafers.  It's hard to argue that based on this list.  NFL players must produce or be cut.  In the NBA, once a player signs a big deal, he's set for the next several years regardless of how he performs. 

You could argue that no one is worth the big money, and it's all ridiculous.  Maybe so, but in some cases, it's a good deal more insane than in others.

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You called it, Shake.  It's June!  Time for Fukudome to start his slide to oblivion.  His OPS has dropped 220 points in the last 6 weeks.  Soooo predictable.

Clark behind Witten and Winslow?  Not sure I'm buying that...

We all have those indelible moments in life that forever mark us as people.  They shape our personality and character, and in some cases, alter our destinies.  As I think over my years as a sports fan, the moments that stick with me were not always the most incredible (though some were), but the ones that formed me as a fan.  The cheers and groans of those memories still reverberate through my life today.  So here they are, the 18 most important moments of my life as a sports fan (in chronological order).

1.  Rick Mears wins the 1984 Indianapolis 500. 
I was just 7 years old, but the yellow and black Pennsoil Special already caught my imagination.  The Rocket won his second Indy 500, and I was there.  Racing thrills me to this day. I'm still waiting for the next Rocket.

2.  The Bears win the Super Bowl (1986)
Like most kids in Indiana at the time, I loved the Bears.  I didn't know any better. I had a Bears jacket, which was my most prized possession.  The Super Bowl Shuffle, the sun glasses, the Fridge...all of it.  It was my first memory of football.

3.  Jack Nicklaus wins the Masters (1986)
At 9 years old, I didn't understand that Jack was making history.  All I knew is that everything was green and the player named "the Bear" was making everyone in my grandparents' house cheer like children.  How could I not love golf after that?

4.  Hoosiers is released (1986)
If you don't think this was a sports moment in the strictest sense of the word, you weren't there on opening night.  The theater was packed for the second time in my childhood (opening night of Return of the Jedi was the other).  The theater cheered and groaned every shot as if it was happening live.  During the final timeout, a woman in the back stood up and shouted, "You hit that shot, Jimmy!", and everyone cheered wildly when he did.   People were hugging and crying when it was done.  I was there with my dad.  Some things, you never forget.

5.  Game 6 of the World Series (1986)
My first baseball memory is game one, when Clemens pitched a 1-0 shutout.  They put up a graphic that said, "The last 1-0 shut out by a Red Sox pitcher  in the World Series was thrown by Babe Ruth in game one of the 1917 World Series".  I had no idea what that meant, but I remember thinking it was the most important thing I had ever heard.  I pulled hard for the Sox that whole series, and my mom let me stay up late as we watched the ball go through Buckner's legs together.  I was 9.  Baseball had me forever.

6.  Indiana Wins the NCAA Championship (1987)
If these were ranked by order of importance, this would be number one.  Every IU game was an event in our house.  I remember every game of the tournament. I paced around the kitchen table as Calloway grabbed the ball for the putback to beat LSU.  I played 'Around the World' on the pavement out back, and named each spot on the court "Auburn, Duke, UNLV".  We bought our first VCR the night of the UNLV game, and watched the tape of the two final four games literally dozens of times.  When Smart hit the shot, Dad grabbed his rifle and opened the back door and started shooting.  It sounded like war broke out in the streets of Indianapolis.  It was my first and best sports miracle.

7.  The Indiana Pacers draft Reggie Miller (1987)
I was listening to the draft when they announced the Pacers had picked some spindly shooter from UCLA instead of my beloved Steve Alford.  I was crestfallen.  The next night, I watched the local news and Ed Sorensen showed clips of Miller, telling the people of Indy that he was an incredible player they were going to love.  It made me feel better.  I did what any 10 year old would do.  I pledged to root for him as hard as I could.

8.  Eric Davis hits the wall at Wrigley Field (1987)
In 1987, I became a Reds fan, and started watching for them on TV.  Eric Davis was in the middle of one of the greatest seasons in history, having already gone 30-30, and had 37 HRs in August. He was a lock for the first 40-40 season.  Then late one afternoon, he hit the cursed ivy in Wrigley field, and went down in a heap.  He was badly hurt, and would miss the rest of the season. The Cubs' fans poured beer on his face and mocked him.
I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM.  NEVER.  EVER. 

9. The Colts trade for Eric Dickerson (1987)
I was vaguely aware of the Colts before this, but for my friends and I to see a Colt on the cover of Sports Illustrated and hear that everyone was buzzing about them, sealed it.  I watched every game the rest of the year, and went to the division clincher (my second ever game).  The Colts became my team the day Dickerson came to town.

10. Chris Sabo wins NL Rookie of the Year (1988)
1988 was the first summer I listened to baseball every night.  I was a huge fan of Buddy Bell, and when Sabo took his job, I felt obligated to root for him.  He was a base stealing, doubles hitting machine, and the fact that he was battling with Mark Grace for RoY made the summer seem more intense. I begged my folks to go to my first MLB game, because I wanted to be there for Baseball Card Set day.  It had the first Chris Sabo card in it.  Later that fall, I had him autograph it.  That autographed Chris Sabo Team Rookie hung on my wall for years.

11.   Pete Rose is suspended from baseball (1989)
The long summer of 1989 ended in misery as Rose was exiled.  I actually called bookstores asking if they carried the 'Dowd Report' which listed all the evidence against Pete.  I was glad when Giamatti died.  Whatever, I was 11. Give me a break.

12.  Damon Bailey wins the State Title (1990)
Bailey was headed for IU.  He was the greatest scorer in state history.  His team won the title in a huge comeback victory in which he scored the final 11 points.  He was all of our hero.  He was everything that it meant to love basketball in Indiana. 

13. The Cincinnati Reds win the World Series (1990)
By the time I was 13, there was no bigger baseball fan in Indiana.  I snuck my Reds hat into my school picture.  I wore my Reds Starter jacked everywhere.  I stayed up late listening to Barry Larkin's game winning triple on opening night with the radio under my covers.  My grandfather called Paul O'Neil's game winning home run against the Cardinals at the game we went to that summer.  I even had a ticket to the World Series...Game 6.  Davis stunned Goliath, Billy Bates scored, Sabo payed off my every hope and dream, and Rijo rolled the Reds to a sweep.  None of my teams would win another title at any level until the Colts after the 2006 season. 

14.  Reggie Miller lights up the Garden (1994)
By the time the Pacers made their huge run in the mid to late 90s, we were already die hard fans, and listened to every game on the radio.  The night Reggie made us believe he could do anything still managed to change everything.  We had never seriously thought about a title until that night.  Demond was a mess because the Pacers were playing so poorly, and I told him, "Calm down.  Nothing in the NBA matters until the fourth quarter".  By the time the night was over, Miller was a legend.  Yet somehow he still got called for a flagrant foul with under 10 seconds to play in Game 7.  My hatred of David Stern and his crooked ass league began that week as well.

15.  Pike High loses the County Baseball Title (1995)
My senior year, the Pike Varsity Baseball team was unparalleled.  We set scores of school records in every major category.  We played in the county finals against Lawrence North.  Down 5-4 with runners at second and third and two outs in the sixth, I came up to pinch hit.  I looped a ball down the right field line that hit about 6 inches foul.  I turned to head back to the plate to see both runners standing at home.  Eventually, I ground out.  In the seventh, we lost on a line drive double play with the tying run at second.  I'll never get over it.  I was sure that ball was going to hit fair.

16.  The Colts lose the AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh (1996)
I don't want to talk about it any more.

17. The Colts draft Marvin Harrison (1996)
We knew he was great from the go.   From his rookie year, he represented the Colts' best hope at any explosive offense.  He played with a young Marshall Faulk, but still everyone knew that Harrison was special. It was love at first sight.

18.  The Colts draft Peyton Manning (1998)
I wanted them to trade the pick and take Griese.  I wasn't thrilled about the pick of Manning, but certainly wanted Leaf even less. I was there for his first game against Marino.  I was there for his first win against Ryan Leaf.  I was there for his first great comeback against the Jets.  Nothing was every the same after that.

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I couldn't disagree more.  I found this piece to be tacky and classless. There is nothing going on with the Colts right now.  The players are all on vacation.  There are no interviews to be had or done.  I'm making up crap every day to talk about.  Phil B hasn't posted on his blog because he has to cover other things in the offseason.  The beat guys at the Star work freaking hard all year.  Now is the PERFECT time for them to take a vacation.  I don't begrudge them that at all. 

Honestly, I hate all the offseason chatter (says the pot to the kettle).  I hate hand wringing over minor roster details.  I hate pointless speculation.  There isn't anything constructive for the Star team to do right now.  Let them have some time to recharge with their families before they jump into another long season.  When there were stories to cover, and the Star didn't do it, I called them on it.  Now...there's nothing happening.  Ease up.  The Star fared just fine during minicamp.  Don't rip on guys for taking a break during the time when they most need one.  The season is coming, and the press needs to be rested and ready too.

 I like SB and think BBS is a nice guy, but his rant today was out of line.  It's fine to point out that the Star hasn't had a lot of new info, but the conclusions were unfair.  What should they be covering and writing about these days?  They'd just have to make up stuff or give endless commentary and over analysis...then what would the rest of us have to do?

Here's a nice piece on Phil Wheeler by Kuharsky.  I am pumped about the LBs this year.  Then again, I was last year too.   

Just because there is nothing going on right now in the world of football is no reason Demond and I can't shoot the breeze anyway.  Yes it's true, 18 Plays is back!  Well, sort of.  This time we are discussing the 18 biggest issues from this offseason.  As always, you can subscribe to 18 Plays via Itunes, or download it manually right here. 

In other news of note, I want to say a special thank you to the Brewers, Cards, and Cubs for managing to keep my club in the race.  Votto is back now, and thanks to your generosity, the Reds sit just a game back in the loss column.  Brilliant.  I can't thank you enough.

I also want to repost a chart that I sloppily included in the comments section a few days ago.  A word of explanation.  These are footballoutsiders line rankings for the Colts during the last four years of Tarik Glenn's career.  They show that the Colts were good at running left during those years, and ranked higher on runs to the left than runs to the right.  Now, this doesn't prove that Glenn was a great LT, but they do show that he was apparently very good.  Note the 2006 numbers.  The Colts ran very well left, but were only mediocre right.  If nothing else, this shows that Glenn was better at run blocking than his line mates.  Go back and read the discussion if you are confused.  The first number is the 'adjusted line yards per carry' for runs that direction.  The second number is the Colts' ranking in the NFL for that category.  So, in 2006, runs around left end went for 4.55 AYPC, good for 10th in the NFL.  Runs around right end were good for 3.64 AYPC, good for 21st.  As you can see, the Colts were always good running left, and just ok running right.  I think that speaks to Glenn's ability as a run blocker.

	Left End		Left Tackle		Center		Right tackle		Rightend
2006	4.55	10	5.62	1	4.72	5	4.39	10	3.64	21
2005	5.28	1	4.75	5	4.45	5	5.24	1	4.58	10
2004	5.42	3	5.05	4	4.87	1	4.2	15	4.39	7
2003	4.8	7	4.91	6	4.12	18	4.29	16	4.5	6

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I hope Vaden sticks.  I'm betting he does.

Should the Reds deal?  I'm not sure Holliday is the right move.  Honestly, I would like to see them move Arroyo if they can get something for him.  This team is a year away still.  Make one more move and set it up for a big run next season.

This dude says that Edge is OLD.

Jim Irsay is a great owner.  He shells out the green.

We are well into year two of local sports talk radio armegeddon here Indianapolis.  As you know, I follow the scene pretty close.  Here's where we currently stand:

JMV of The Drive on 1260 WNDE.  JMV is the most experienced of the three hosts and from what I understand has a comfortable lead in the ratings. 

What JMV does well:  JMV is a radio pro and it comes through when he's on the air.  He has an admirable knowledge of small town Indiana.  He isn't afraid to name-check obscure Hoosier restaurants and attractions, the kind of places that make this state special.  He won't shy away from an opinion, but is pretty fair.  JMV realizes the Colts are on a special run, but seems to be a realist.  He can spot a team's fatal flaw.  JMV has a big following of hard working guys in their 30's and 40's.  He's fostered this in part by supporting and referencing his very active online forum.  He's always gone out of his way to help 18to88.             

What JMV can improve on:  JMV is stuck in the 80's and proud of it.  He's got his share of current pop culture references (East Bound and Down), but his bread and butter is old school stuff like the Karate Kid and Roadhouse.  It is often relatable and funny, but sometimes the references get a little out there even for a child of the 1980's.  The other day he and Chris Hagan were debating whether the deceased singer of INXS was the best front man ever.  Dude.  Come on. 

My take:  JMV is king of Indy's sports talk scene and I frequently listen.  He breaks a lot of the local sports talk guy stereotypes which is a good thing.

 

Bob Kravitz of Kravitz and Eddie on 1070 the Fan:  Bob and Eddie are both relatively new to the radio game.  1070 has a very powerful radio signal and is an ESPN affiliate.  As a result they often get high caliber guests.

What Bob does well:  Bob is very good on the air.  His opinions are usually well reasoned, whether right or wrong.  He appears to do quite a bit of research.  Eddie is... on the show, too.   

What Bob can improve on:  I think Bob would fare better with a different co-host.  I happened to catch him the other day with guest-host Greg Rakestraw.  It was suddenly a different, much smarter show.  I'm honestly not sure if intelligent exchange is what station managers are looking for, but if it is then we'll see Rakestraw in this role fulltime in 2010.  I don't see Eddie as a long term partner for Bob.  His personality is over the top, and he likes to talk about Playboy and strip clubs.  He seems like a swell guy, and apparently knows just about everyone in the sports world.  But, unlike blogging, radio is a business.  Paging Kent Sterling...

My take:  You can breathe easy.  Bob definitely has a career lined up after newspapers, whether here or somewhere else. 

 

Derek Schultz of The Zone on XL 950:  Schultz, 26, has had a quick rise from his behind-the-scenes role on this lower-budget station.  Less than a year ago he was promoted to co-host alongside Greg Rakestraw.  With Rakestraw's recent departure, Schultz was named The Zone's solo host.

What Schultz does well:  I think Derek is doing a good job so far.  I can't even imagine trying to do a live three hour show, five days a week.  At 26?  Ridiculous.  He's very knowledgeable on a wide range of topics, which is a must for a sports talk host.  He may not be as encyclopedic, but he does a fair Rakestraw impersonation with his ability to cover football, baseball, basketball and beyond.  I've really enjoyed his self-deprecating style of humor, and he is laid back and easy to relate to.  It doesn't hurt that he's a huge Hoosier fan and was in B-town at the same time as me.   

What Schultz can improve on:  Derek lists LJ's four point play as one of his favorite sports moments.  Jackass.

My take:  Derek Schultz is on an uneven playing field because of 950's much weaker radio signal.  But he's funny and I usually agree with his takes.  So far I like his version of the Zone as much or more than the partnership of Rakestraw and Wochomurka.  If anyone else is an XL 950 listener I'd love to hear your opinion.

DZ Comments:  Since I'm out of market right now, my knowledge is limited.  Schultz (who is a frequent commenter and chat participant) and JMV have been beyond cool to us, and I've always been more than a little partial to XL 950 ever since Rakestraw helped us out early on.  I've been down on Eddie White for quite some time.  A couple of years back, I sat in on a focus group with 1070 and suggested Rakestraw for the job.  It would be awesome to see him finally get it.

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We'll get a banner up soon, but we have a great deal today from Big Fly Sports.  Head on over and buy some sports memorabilia and we can offer you a 10% discount on NFL gifts.  Just use the code 1888BLOG to get a discount.  We get a cut of the sale, so maybe you can be the first person to actually make this blog pay off! 

After my incessant hand wringing over the state of Joey Votto for the last several weeks, many of you may have doubted how important one player could really be.  One guy  actually laughed when I said he was better than Aramis Ramirez.  Last night, just two days off the DL playing in his home town Toronto, Mr. Votto single handedly carried his team to victory.

Votto was 4-5 with a double, two singles, and the go ahead home run to give the Reds the lead after they blew a 5-1 margin earlier. 

He's clutch.  He's good.  He's back.  For the all the time he's missed, the Reds sit just 3.5 games back of the Cardinals.  Now that he's in the line up every day, it's time for the Reds to make a move heading into the break. 

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Can anyone tell me who is passing around  88 Reasons to Hate the Pats again?  The comments and my inbox are filling up with crazy Pats fans again. 

Here's a nice piece on the two Pike boys.  I'm crushed the Pacers passed on Vaden.

The Pacers draft is scored well

Simmons is on to something when it comes to the Pacers.  Our dad, a 55 year old white guy, is strongly considering buying Pacers season tickets for the first time ever.  Psycho T may sell tickets.  He hasn't been this excited about the Blue and Gold in a LONG time.

Prisco goes with 18 at #1 (and Freeney at 18).  Listen, right now (not discussing all time) there is no debate.  Manning is the MVP.  Brady is coming off of knee surgery.  Any one who flips these two right now is crazy.

This guy hates on Hansbrough, because Blair was still on the board.  Blair was STILL on the board at 37.  Hard to take that kind of analysis seriously.

Here's an awesome look at how the camera angle affects the viewers' perception of balls and strikes.

Brackett and Tarik Glen make FO's list of the 25 most underrated players this decade. AV made the list as overrated.

Tyler Hansbrough is the newest Pacer.

At least he's accomplished something.  You have to figure at the 13th pick, you're probably not getting a franchise changer anyway.  You might as well get a guy who won't get shot at at 3 AM.  Best case, you get a young Jeff Foster, worst case, he's a young Troy Murphy.  I can live with this...

Our boy Teague went 19th. 

ESPN offers many excellent podcasts.  The Football Today show is rarely one of them.  Jeremy Green is the normal host, and I cannot listen to him.  He's painfully unintelligent.  For the past few weeks, however, they've been shuttling in different people to have arguments.  Recently, they asked two of the divisional bloggers to debate Phil Rivers vs Eli Manning.

This is an interesting debate, as the two players were essentially traded for one another.  The version on the podcast, however, jumped the rails quickly as Bill Williamson continually repeated a bold faced lie as one of his chief selling points for Rivers.

He said several times: 

Phillip Rivers beat the Colts in the playoffs twice.

Let's be very clear about something.  That never happened.  The Chargers beat the Colts twice, but Phil Rivers didn't have much to do with it.  In fact, he wasn't even in the game in '07 when the Chargers took the lead.  Billy Volek "won" that game (if you call throwing a couple of screen passes for 40 yards 'winning').  Rivers deserves no credit at all for that playoff win.  His team was losing.  Another QB engineered the game winning drive. 

Technically, I suppose you could argue that he "won" the game this past January.  Of course, you'd have to forget what actually happened in the game to say that, but there is at least some level of accuracy for the statement.  For the game, he posted a QB rating of 61.2.  In regulation, he lead three scoring drives ALL of which began on the Colts side of the field.  He botched the two minute drive at the end of regulation, only getting a field goal, when his team got the ball at the 38 yard line.  In overtime, he completed one third down pass, but it was a screen to Sproles.  His passing DYAR for the game was -7.

So, Mr. Williamson, it's fine if you love Phil Rivers, just don't credit him with beating the Colts.  He didn't.  His team did.

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Prisco's best, numbers 25-50.  Reggie Wayne at 27.

Freeney loves Richard Dent.  He had a nice contribution for the Colts, once upon a time.

More nonsense.  Who cares.  There are two years left to settle this issue.  It is ridiculous.

88 to the Vikes?  I could live with that.

Funny how that goes.  Manning and AV rank 3 and 2 on a list of the most clutch NFL players.  You can guess who the rank number 1.  I'm telling you all, the massive historical rewrite that will take place when the Colts win the Super Bowl will give you all whip lash.  Suddenly, people will realize that the Colts last three playoff losses had nothing to do with QB and everything to do with the rest of the team.  I'm not even going to fight the crazy for now.  It's all about to take care of itself.  Fix the run game, Mr. Caldwell, and all our lives will get a lot easier.

Joey Votto returned to the diamond for the Reds last night, but not before opening up about what has been plaguing him for several weeks.  The young star has been struggling with depression arising from the death of his father (only 52) last fall.  Votto gave a lengthy interview in which he courageously revealed the depth of his pain.

His father was "The guy who listened to every Reds game, the guy who taught me the game, the guy who played catch with me every day."

After the bereavement, Votto came back to the Reds and he said today, "The first day back I put it all on the back burner and just played baseball from August all the way to the end of September. I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

"Taking the time away from baseball and recovering from being sick was the first time all my emotions that I had been pushing to the side, that I had been struggling with in the winter, nailed me and hit me, a hundred times more than I had been dealing with in the off-season," he said.

"I came out of three separate games," he said. "The first one (in Arizona) was a combination of me being ill, but I could tell something was going on because I couldn't recover. I had this feeling of anxiety in my chest.

"Then the second time I came out (in San Diego) and it was similar, but the third time was in Milwaukee and I was just totally overwhelmed. Doctors told me I was dealing with being depressed with anxiety and panic attacks.

"It was overwhelming me where I had to go to the hospital on two occasions, once in San Diego," he said. "Nobody was told about it, but I went to the hospital when the team was on the road (Milwaukee-St. Louis) but it was a very, very scary and crazy night. I had to call 911 at 3 or 4 in the morning -- probably the scariest moment I've ever dealt with in my life.  Because I really though I might die"

"The days I was taken off the field were miniature versions of what I was dealing with by myself. Ever since late May I have been struggling with this in my private life. I'd go on the field and try to play well, but I couldn't do it any more because I was overwhelmed physically with the stuff I was dealing with off the field finally seeped its way onto the field and I finally just had to put an end to it. I really couldn't go out there. I physically couldn't do my job."

I posted the entire quotes because I found them telling. Votto is a forthright and upstanding young man, and it could not have been easy to share what he was going through.  Millions suffer similarly with depression and never have to stand in front of the media to answer questions about why they couldn't show up for work.  They can suffer in privacy, and not have their manhood questioned on the radio.

There are many causes of depression.  In some cases, it is an actual illness with physical causes and medical solutions.  Often it arises out of a real life crisis and stress.  I consoled a woman who was undergoing a difficult time at home battling illness of children, an out of work husband, ect. and I told her, "You are depressed because your life is difficult and depressing.  It's no mystery why you feel this way; there's no shame in being overwhelmed when your life is actually overwhelming."  There are times when life is simply too much to handle.  There are often spiritual factors at work in depression that as moderns, we are too quick to dismiss.   There even occasions when depression is used a crutch to avoid dealing with life.

Because 'depression' is not an illness like the flu, we can't ever point to any one thing and assume it is the cause.  For the person suffering, the pain is real, and he or she needs more than to just swallow a pill and 'hope it goes away'.

The most offensive thing I've ever read in the comments on this blog, and the only thing that ever got someone banned, was when a 'reader' (a Pats fan) suggested that Tony Dungy was a bad father because his son killed himself.  It was an evil and ignorant thing to say.  Depression and suicide are specters that lurk in the hearts of a great number of people, and I have seen both of them up close, even in my own life.  When I was a teenager, I had moments where my thoughts were so dark.  Had I taken my own life, it certainly would not have been my parents fault.  They were loving and engaged.  They also had no idea how I was feeling.  They couldn't know.  I would certainly have never told them.  I can barely talk about it now, years later.

When a person is profoundly depressed, he can lose perspective and forget a lifetime of truth.  To ever blame a parent for his child's suicide is beyond cruel.  It implies that there was something that could have been done to prevent the tragedy, and that is often untrue.

Joey Votto is a healthy, successful young man with the world on a plate.  By all accounts, he is as nice a guy and a good a person as can be asked for.  None of that mattered when the darkness came.  I'm proud the team helped him through this spot in his life, and applaud his courage in talking so frankly about what was happening to him .  It's not an easy thing to do.

Links:

Quotes are back 

Oehser on Brady V Manning.  Again, as I said in the comments yesterday, I've said my piece on this for now.

If my team was playing Moss twice a year, I would do this too.