The Weak Ender

Congratulations to the Anaheim Angels of St. Louis for reaching the World Series. Jeff Weaver deserves to be the most valuable player in the American and National Leagues. Weaver is the only player in baseball this year that determined the fate of two teams. Weaver's pitching was the reason the Angels (the Los Angeles of Anaheim variety) didnt make the playoffs in the AL, but his game 5 start was the reason the Angels (of the St. Louis kind) will open at Detroit on Saturday. Yeah, baseball if pretty fair.

Weaver's presence on the AAoSL has made it necessary to root against David Eckstein, Scott Spiezio, Jim Edmonds and the Molina brother who never played in Anaheim. Of course, watching 50,000 New Yorkers eat a piece of humble pie is kind of cool, too. Especially when you consider that the Mets most celebrated fan, ESPN�s Sports Dork Bill Simons must have been agonizing inside, it was kind of a pleasant evening.

Pity, though, for Alyssa Milano who really, really loves the Mets.

• The notion of Tiki Barber being elected to the Hall of Fame has picked up steam. Peter King has said that he would likely vote for Barber. But a mocha latte will garner King's vote. And really, let this be a lesson to all budding sports superstars. If you remember reporters names, they will support you for the Hall of Fame or to be the NFL commissioner.
  
  Barber has had five solid seasons with the Giants, after shaking off an early career platoon. But have you ever considered Barber one of the best backs in the game? Really? He has never achieved the class of say LaDainian Tomlinson? Do his five season really stack up against a guy like Terrell Davis who was the undisputed best back during his (albeit short) era, won two Super Bowls, one Super Bowl MVP and rushed for more than 2,000 yards in a season? No. Barber has benefited from playing in a major media market, combined with an engaging personality. Barber really is a good guy. But the Hall of Fame is about being better than your peers. Barber has never reached that status.
  
  But as you are likely aware, THN are Hall of Fame snobs.

• How pissed are you right now if you are an Art Monk fan and King will vote Barber into the Hall, but won't give Monk any consideration?

• The Giants are believed to be in the market for Chargers back up Michael Turner, should Barber retire. The Chargers received Philip Rivers and Shawne Merriman the last time the two clubs got together for a trade. And they got rid of Eli Messiah, too. Can't wait to see who the Giants would give up this time. Frank Gifford's stewardess?

• Who do you pick in the Cardinals and Raiders game? It is hard to imagine the Cardinals rising to the occasion after that Monday night debacle. But it is even harder to imagine the Raiders actually winning a game. Matt Leinart is not going to lose to the team that he grew up idolizing and passed on him in the draft for some defensive back he torched in the Rose Bowl. Leinart is a winner. And the Raiders are not. Besides, you don't want to get into the game of picking the Raiders each week, thinking this is going to be the one that turns them around. As bad as the Cardinals are, at least they have talent and are trying to win. You don't always get that impression from the Raiders. THN pick: Cardinals.

• Rumors had it that the Raiders were interested in Jim Fassel as their head coach. What a great match for the Raiders. Not so much from the coaching aspect. Fassel is a good coach, but he is no miracle worker. No, Fassel would be a perfect fit for the Raiders because his weekly meltdown of "putting the chips on the table" would make Dennis Green's rant look tame by comparison.

• Remember when Mike Shanahan was considered an offensive genius? Now he has turned into Marty Schottenheimer as the Broncos are now employing "Shannyball" to keep the ball out of Jake Plummer's hands. Shanahan is now turning into a defensive coach, just like Brian Billick before him. That is what Plummer will do to you.

• But if you want real Jake Plummer bashing, you need to check out Divealanche.

• Brett Favre criticized the NFL drug policy this week saying that Koren Robinson should be allowed to hang out at the Packers complex. Uh, sure. The last place Robinson should be is hanging out with a group of enablers. Remember how Favre circumvented his drug suspension? By renting out a private room during the Super Bowl so he could have a few beers. It�s hanging around with NFL players that led Robinson to believe that he was above the law. Maybe Robinson should be allowed to hang out with the St. Louis football team so he and Leonard Little can crack jokes.

• Florida State will wear its all-black uniforms this weekend. No word on how this impacts Cowgirl's wardrobe. The only college pick you need this week is that Notre Dame is going to boat race UCLA. Badly. Alabama (+12) and Boise State (-21) are worth a look, too. If you are feeling saucy, try Tulane also. Poor Fresno State is going to get murdered on Saturday at LSU.

AND FINALLY
Analyst and player columns tend to be a little bit on the boring side. Cris Collinsworth's was great for years, but has really fallen on hard times this season. Although, this was a refreshing change. Still, these player blogs are about as entertaining as a Cowgirl mailbag column. The lone exception might be Dat Dude, Marcellus Wiley. When pressed for the best interviews during the NFL.com era, Wiley was always at the top of the list. Funny, creative and as a DJ, he was a hell of a defensive end. It should come as no surprise that his blog on NBC is the best players blog, like ever. It's that good.

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