Dexter's Vantage Point!

CLEVELAND – The team, formerly known as the Cleveland Browns (Baltimore Ravens), marched into their old city and claimed a victory over the current Cleveland Browns. Starting quarterback Brady Quinn over Derek Anderson didn’t help the anemic offense as the Browns were shut out 16-0. The Cleveland defense played solid but the offense stunk. I could barely stand to watch. The Browns have scored just five offensive touchdowns this season. That’s horrific. In the press conference Browns head coach Eric Mangini had this to say when asked about the offense: I’ve tried a lot of different things and obviously it’s not been successful enough. We’re going to have to keep trying things until we get to the point where we need to be.” Quinn didn’t try throw downfield at all. Was anything over a ten yard pass off limits for Quinn? Sure looked that way to me but Mangini suggests, “It’s not like we were avoiding that part of the field.” What game was Mangini watching? The first half was like watching ...

Byron Scott has been fired as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets. Yeah, I’m shaking my head too. One of the first things that popped into my mind was who was going to replace Scott. Enter New Orleans Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower. You know who he is right? Bower use to be the head coach at. Oops, sorry. Bower has never been a head coach in the NBA. Is Bower really the right man for the job? Please. This move makes absolutely no sense. The Hornets fire a man who has rings on his fingers as a player and two NBA Finals appearances with the New Jersey Nets as a coach. Scott gets canned at the beginning of the season for a guy who has never coached? Scott was Coach-of-the-Year during the 2007-2008 campaign. He nearly took the Hornets to the Western Conference Finals. Last year the Hornets lost to Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. It’s hard to understand why the team decided to part ways after a 3-6 start. The season just got under way. Why make a change so early? He...

When Weis was introduced as Notre Dames’ head coach five years ago at his press conference he suggested, “Well, guess what folks you are a 6-5 football team and that’s not good enough.” Before the Pittsburgh game Weis was on life support. After dropping another game to a ranked opponent it seems the time is nearing to pull the plug on the Charlie Weis era at Notre Dame. Weis’ record stands at 6-4 after losing to Navy last week and Pittsburgh today 27-22. The Panthers outplayed the Irish and rightfully so because they were simply a better team. Weis came into this season with a schedule weak as water. The Irish had high hopes in trying to restore the once proud tradition at Notre Dame. Instead the season has been an utter debacle. What’s going to be the excuse for keeping Weis now? Costs too much to fire him? He’s a great recruiter? He just needs more time? Sorry Charlie. Those excuses are old now. It’s about winning. All other things are secondary at this point. The time has come to pu...

The US team lost in the Fed Cup final 3-0 to the Italian team. Venus and Serena Williams decided not to participate. Young American Melanie Oudin surely wanted to represent her country though. Oudin, who lost to Flavia Pannetta which gave the Italians an insurmountable lead of 3-0 in a best-of-five series stated: “I wanted to come here. I wanted to play for my country. Other people choose different things.” Oudin continued, “Some people I guess didn’t want to play as badly as I did. But I think that the team that we had here really wanted to be here,” Oudin said. “You don’t want people here that don’t want to be here. Even if you lose, if you give it everything you have, then that’s the best you can do.” Who is Oudin referencing when she states, “you don’t want people here that don’t want to be here?” Without question Oudin is referencing the Williams’ sisters. Perhaps if Oudin was winning Grand Slams, was No. 1 in the world and representing her country her words would have more sting ...

Charlie Weis’ Notre Dame fighting Irish played Navy at home and lost 23-21. The embarrassing loss puts Notre Dames hope for a BCS game in serious jeopardy as Navy literally ran all over the Irish defense. Two seasons ago Navy beat the Irish 46-44. Before that loss the Irish beat Navy 43 consecutive times. Now Navy has won 2 of the last 3 contests against the Irish. What’s the excuse now for keeping Weis as head coach? Based on the teams performance today Notre Dame must make some changes starting with Weis. The team has played a bubble gum schedule to ensure they’d have good record but not necessarily a good team. Bottom line: Weis hasn’t met the high expectations he set for the team when he took over for Tyrone Willingham five seasons ago. All the excuses must cease. No more benefit of the doubts. Weis must go. How can folks continue to think Weis is the coach that gives the Irish the best chance to win? Was Weis even qualified for this prestigious job to begin with? Yeah, he was an o...

Serena Williams is assured of being the No. 1 player in the world after beating her big sister in the final of the WTA Championships in Doha, Quatar 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). Serena’s next formidable opponent could come from the tennis hierarchy as she now faces the possibility of not competing in the 2010 Australian Open. Why? The tennis establishment is trying to penalize Serena for something she’s already been sanctioned for. The Grand Slam Committee is considering punishing Serena for her outburst at last years’ US Open. Here’s what went down at the US Open. Serena was defaulted from her semifinal match against eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Serena was serving 15-30 down in the second set when she was called for a foot fault. Replays indicated it wasn’t a foot fault. Serena got very upset. She said the following to the lines person: “I swear to God I’m (expletitve) going to take this (expletive) ball and shove it down your (expletive) throat, you hear that? I swear to God!” Serena was fine...

The whitening of the Indiana Pacers continues. Now it’s extended beyond the court and into the front office. The Indiana Pacers recently fired Director of Player Personnel Mel Daniels. Reportedly Daniels had problems with the general manager, Larry Bird and head coach Jim O’Brien. President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird issued the following before showing Daniels the door. "Mel was a great basketball player who helped make the Pacers a well-known basketball franchise. We wish him well." Daniels has been involved with the Indiana Pacer franchise for the last 40 years. To be fired in this manner is simply classless by the organization. With the firing of Daniels coupled with a roster that includes Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts, Travis Diener, Jeff Foster and first-round pick Tyler Hansbrough one has to wonder if the Indiana Pacers are meticulously making the organization too white. Are they? The Pacers drafted Tyler Hansbrough with the 13th pick overall. Was ...

ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips has reportedly been suspended for a week amid allegations of an affair gone wrong with a 22-year old production assistant named Brooke Hundley. Phillips, who is married, tried to keep his infidelity quiet but to no avail. Phillips recently decided to end his dealings with the young lady who invariably lost control. Burkes’ erratic, which included writing a letter to Phillips’ wife prompted him to get the police involved. This situation reminds me of another ESPN baseball analyst who was unfairly accused of sexual harassment Harold Reynolds. Reynolds wasn’t suspended for a week like Phillips though: he was promptly fired for an incident which happened in 2006. Why was Reynolds fired? Reynolds was accused of sexual harassment because he gave a female production assistant “an improper hug” at an Outback restaurant. Charges were filed by the woman. Before any of the allegations could be thoroughly substantiated by ESPN Reynolds was gone with the wind af...

The St. Louis Cardinals surprisingly made Mark McGwire their next hitting coach yesterday. Despite alleged steroid use the Cardinal family has lured McGwire out of hiding and welcomed “Big Mac” home with open arms. Ever since his career ended in 2001 McGwire has been in extreme incognito mode. The only significant appearance he’s made was when he pulled a Fred Astaire and danced around the question of whether he took steroids as he stood before Congress March 17, 2005. This is obviously a ploy to get the Paul Bunyan look a like into the Hall of Fame. Giving McGwire a job puts him back in the limelight. It also allows him a chance to subliminally seduce writers into forgiving him with his mere presence. Remember Alex Rodriguez lying on national television about taking steroids in an interview with Katie Couric? During spring training he called a press conference and kind of apologized for lying about his steroid use back in 2003 while a Texas Ranger. We don’t remember that now. We ...

Though the final score was 34-27 it doesn’t show how thoroughly the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was dominated throughout most of the game by the USC Trojans. The Trojans came from the sunshine of California to frigid weather in Indiana to a once Golden Dome and claimed another victory. The tough-talk from the “Great White Hype” surely hasn’t translated into victories hasn’t it? Yesterdays loss brings head coach Charlie Weis’ record to 0-5 against the Trojans. Has the time finally arrived to show Weis the door? Weis hasn’t won a meaningful game since he’s been at the helm. Weis softened his schedule to a point this year where he’d really had a one game that meant anything which was against USC. True to form Weis’ Irish lost the game like most knew they would. So what’s the excuse now? Weis was brought in to restore dominance to a once proud institution of higher learning with a tradition of playing great football. The Irish now sport a 4-2 record. Looks good on paper but they just got exp...

Recently several NFL players have been very outspoken against Russ Limbaugh becoming an owner in the NFL. Players have suggested they’d never play for an owner who has racist attitudes towards African Americans. New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott stated the following about Limbaugh, “It’s an oxymoron that he criticized Donovan McNabb,” Scott said. “A lot of us took it as more of a racial-type thing. I can only imagine how his players would feel. I know I wouldn’t want to play for him. He’s a jerk. He’s an (expletive). What he said (about McNabb) was inappropriate and insensitive, totally off-base. He could offer me whatever he wanted, I wouldn’t play for him……I wouldn’t play for Rush Limbaugh. My principles are greater and I can’t be bought.” Then there’s defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka of the New York Giants. Kiwanuka was very forthright about his feelings about Limbaugh. He stated, "All I know is from the last comment I heard, he said in (President) Obama' America, white kid...

Rush Limbaugh wants to become the owner of the lowly St. Louis Rams. Yes, you read that correctly. Are you kidding me? How can the NFL allow someone like Limbaugh to own a team when he’s against all the great concepts that American sports stand for? Sports are about inclusion, harmony, teamwork, and rallying around a common goal. Should someone who is divisive be allowed to become an NFL owner? Limbaugh is a flaming conservative racist who doesn’t have high regard for African Americans in society or sport. It would be a serious conflict of interest for the NFL to allow a devout racist to become owner of a franchise where approximately 75 percent of the leagues players are African American. If I were a player I wouldn’t play for St. Louis Rams if Limbaugh was an owner. If I became a free-agent and they offered me the moon I wouldn’t play for the St. Louis Rams. In short, there wouldn’t be any set of circumstances where I’d associate with a franchise with a flaming conservative racist as...

Let’s see. This past summer the Cleveland Cavaliers were picked by many experts to win the NBA Championship last season. Instead they got beat in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic. No LeBron versus Kobe. A dejected LeBron James stormed off the court and acted like a sore loser instead of being humbly professional. Then there’s Cleveland wide receiver Donte Stallworth, who gets hammered in Miami Beach and kills a man who was crossing a busy street in the wee hours of the morning. Stallworth was partying with teammate Braylon Edwards before the unfortunate incident took place. Now Stallworth sits at his place on house arrest. Last week, after a woeful baseball season Cleveland Indian manager and Fort Wayne, Indiana native Eric Wedge gets a pink slip from management because the team wasn’t able to live up to expectations. Days ago I witnessed the Cleveland Browns drop an overtime game to the Cincinnati Bengals putting their record at 0-4. Head coach Eric Mangini was broug...

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Browns fell to 0-4 after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on their home turf in overtime. Despite the loss and playing their best game of the season it wasn’t enough to stop head coach Marvin Lewis and his Bengals from getting the win. Browns quarterback Derek Anderson threw the ball well. He completed 28-46 passes for 269 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Running back Jerome Harrison rushed for 121 yards on the ground. Muhammad Massaquoi caught 8 passes for 149 and the defense played better. Even with the marked improvement it wasn’t enough to win. Some of the Browns faithful have requested owner Randy Lerner replace Eric Mangini. Probably not likely to happen to soon but if the Browns continue to lose Mangini’s seat will continue to get hotter. Typically when there’s a coaching change organizations look to upgrade the franchise. Was Mangini the best guy for this job? Is Mangini doing a better job than the guy he replaced? Shakespeare once wrote, ...

There’s a flicker of hope that suspended Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount will play this season. Blount was suspended for the entire season after punching a Boise St. player Byron Hout a month ago. As Blount was walking off the field Hout taunted Blount who in turn decked him. After “the punch” all hell broke loose with verbal sparring from fans, players and the coaches. Blount was so angry he had to be restrained by security and teammates. After Blount calmed down he promptly issued an apology in the locker room but it wasn’t enough. Public pressure all but ensured his fate was sealed. Many think Oregon head coach Chip Kelly pulled the trigger too quickly and made the wrong decision to suspend Blount for the season. Is it too late to right a wrong here? Kelly reportedly has had recent talks with Jon Gruden and Tony Dungy about Blount’s situation. Kelly outlined that Blount must take specific academic and behavioral steps if there’s a chance for him to play this season. It’s good ...

Bruce Pearl utilized his stature as head basketball coach of the Tennessee Volunteers recently to raise money for charity. Pearl delivered a passionate speech to potential donors for charity. During his speech he resorted to the use of racial stereotypes to humor the crowd. Here’s what Pearl stated, "I've got a tough job. I've got to put these guys from different worlds together, right? I've got guys from Chicago, Detroit. I'm talking about the hood! And I've got guys from Grainger County, where they wear the hood!" Pearl said. After a pause, he added, "That wasn't part of the script." Pearl’s choice of words was rather poor. This country that has a ugly legacy of racism, lynching and hate. To use such remarks wasn’t necessary or warranted at a fundraiser. Of course damage control quickly ensued. Here’s Pearl’s scripted apology, "This morning while speaking at a private kick-off event for a great organization that benefits many local cha...

One of the biggest travesties in American sport that flies under the radar in mainstream media is the lack of African American head coaches in Division IA football. Of the 119 head coaches in big time football just four are African American. Randy Shannon of Miami, Kevin Sumlin at Houston, Mike Locksley at New Mexico and Turner Gill Buffalo are it. According to statistics gathered by Richard Lapchick at University of Central Florida 48 percent of the players and just 3 percent of the head coaches are African Americans. Are you kidding me? This is blatant racism yet few are willing to consistently put this matter in the forefront to ignite constructive dialogue that will induce change. The few African Americans who have been extended opportunities to coach have been held to higher standards then their white counterparts. The preeminent example of latter is how Notre Dame handled Tyrone Willingham five years ago. After Willingham’s third year as head coach of the Irish he posted a 6-5 re...

Life is a funny thing. It seems like yesterday Plaxico Burress was dominating the Green Bay Packers cornerback Al Harris in the NFC Championship game. It seems like yesterday Burress was catching the winning touchdown and hoisting the Lombardy trophy in defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. But today Burress awakened from spending his first night in prison as he begins the long journey of coming back from a place he really doesn’t belong. After saying an emotional goodbye to his family in a Manhattan courtroom Burress was whisked off to Rikers Island prison to begin his 2-year sentence. Mayor Michael Bloomberg made certain Plax nearly got the max when he made his public plea Burress should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. I’m sure Bloomberg is pleased with getting such a hardened criminal like Burress off the streets. Wouldn’t you agree? Say what you wish but Burress is not doing a prison bid because he’s a menace to society or a hardened criminal: he’s do...

It was just announced today embattled outfielder Milton Bradley will be suspended for the remainder of the season for comments he made about the Chicago Cubs organization. General Manager Jim Hendry made the call with the blessing of Cubs manager Lou Piniella. Piniella said, “Jim made the decision and I support it. I really do.” The suspension resulted from comments Bradley recently made. According to the Daily Herald of Illinois Bradley stated, "You understand why they haven't won in 100 years here." Bradley also suggested there’s a lot of negativity in the in the club house. "I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment," Bradley told the newspaper, "There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly. Bradley continued, "Everything is just bashing you. It's just negativity." The Cubs needed a scapegoat for underachieving and failing to make the playoffs. The comments didn’t warrant s...

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs have played well as of late in keeping their slim hopes at a wildcard alive. After dropping two straight at home to the Milwaukee Brewers it may be too little too late. What started out with so much promise and a possible run at the World Series has turned into a season of disappointment. Marred by injuries, inconsistent play, poor pitching and consistent lineup shifts the Cubs are winding down their lackluster season. The Cubs entered yesterday’s final game of their 4-game series with the Brewers with a slim chance of gaining ground in the wildcard race. But after losing to the Brewers 7-4 it may be over soon. Even though the fat lady hasn’t begun to sing she’s certainly on deck warming up those vocal cords. In front of 39,158 fans at Wrigley Field starting pitcher Randy Wells found himself with the same pitching woes which have plagued Cubs hurlers all season. Two days ago poor pitching by Rich Harden led to the Cubs losing to the Milwaukee Brewers 9-5. Har...

Michael “Air” Jordan has finally landed where he rightfully belongs and that’s in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. But during his acceptance speech Jordan suggested it may not be over just yet. He implied he may come back at age 50. Jordan stated, “But one day you might look and see me playing the game at 50. Oh don’t laugh. Never say never. Because limits like fears are often illusions.” If anyone can play in the NBA at age 50 it may be Jordan. There’s no need to go into Jordan’s numbers. Everyone knows about the six championships, scoring titles, dazzling dunks and last minute shots. Everyone knows about the shoes, endorsements and how we all wanted “to be like Mike.” Why regurgitate the obvious. Let’s examine the intangibles. I’ve always admired Jordan’s lazar-like focus. He put his mind on a task and didn’t stop until he achieved it. Even when he tried baseball after his first retirement many deemed it a failure. How? Jordan put himself out there, chased a dream to find ...