US – Saturday, March 20
Published 00:14, February the 9th, 2010
Send
 
 

HOPKINS IS TRUE CHAMPION

DON’T BLAME IT ALL ON PEYTON

Before we condemn Peyton Manning to eternal damnation in Super Bowl hell, let’s consider what really happened.

Yes, Manning’s interception late in the fourth quarter was a fatal mistake, and yes, it does mean Manning’s postseason record is a disappointing 9-9.

But the real story in Miami is getting buried under an avalanche of empty words spouted by empty heads. The real story is that Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell’s conservative (some would say gutless) strategy was the real reason for the loss, just as New Orleans coach Sean Payton’s daring tactics won his deserving city a championship.

Caldwell had already displayed his yellow streak when he sacrificed a perfect season and handed a playoff berth, to the Jets. And then, with his ultimate goal on the line, he somehow managed to keep Manning off the field for all but three plays over a 70-minute period — three sad, little running plays near the end of the first half.

Payton outmaneuvered Caldwell at every turn, and never more glaringly than when a bold onsides kick at the beginning of the second half caught the Colts by surprise. Caldwell coached as if it was a foregone conclusion that his team would win. Payton coached as if he had nothing to lose.

 
No topic over the past decade better illustrates the divide between the fans and the Philadelphia media than the feud between Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and boxing champion Bernard Hopkins.

Nothing better shows how clueless most of the sports writers and broadcasters are in their own city. Hopkins revived the endless war of words again last week when he toured Radio Row at the Super Bowl and said this about McNabb: “At the end of the day, you have a guy that is a front-runner. You have a guy that doesn’t even give a hint that he’s upset. He smiles. He doesn’t show any type of feeling of ‘Damn. We’re so close and we kicked the bucket.’”

As always, the response of the mainstream (and butt-kissing) media is to urge Hopkins to shut his mouth. Well, there’s one tiny issue that remains unaddressed every time Hopkins directs his wrath at No. 5: The champ is right. As someone who speaks to fans every day, and has done so for a generation, I know for a fact that it is not just the substance of McNabb’s maddening play that frustrates the fans, it is also the nauseating style in which he ultimately fails.

Philadelphia fans can tolerate defeat much better than their image suggests, but not if it is accompanied by an inappropriate smile or show of affection directed at an opponent after a tough loss. The media has never grasped this basic concept because they don’t bother to understand their own audience. Hopkins gets it because he has lived here his entire life, been a champion for 20 years and — above all — is a fan.

McNabb failed for the 11th consecutive time to win a championship here, but the one prevailing image of those two catastrophic losses to Dallas isn’t of his many errant passes or damaging turnovers. The image that sustains is that embarrassing air-guitar dance he unveiled in the playoffs.

What exactly did Hopkins say was wrong? That McNabb doesn’t seem to take losses as hard as he should? That he still seems to lack the heart of a champion when the pressure is greatest? If Hopkins is not in a position to make those comments, exactly who is?

There’s one basic difference between Bernard Hopkins and Donovan McNabb. Hopkins is a champion. McNabb is not. And until McNabb does something to change that — here or elsewhere — he deserves every jab that Hopkins throws.

– Angelo Cataldi is a Metro columnist and host of WIP’s Morning Show, which airs weekdays from 5:30-10 a.m.
Tough spot for Phillies

Here’s a tantalizing little dilemma to ponder as we count down the final days until pitchers and catchers report next week in Clearwater: If you could afford to keep only one of two impending free agents, would it be Jayson Werth or Ryan Howard?

A no-brainer, right? Howard is the best slugger in Phillies history, a player who intimidates opponents and fills the seats. If Howard leaves after the 2011 season, how could the Phillies ever hope to replace his 50 homers and 140 RBIs?

Hey, I love the home run as much as the next guy, but my vote is for Werth, and a majority of Phillies fans seem to agree. Follow the logic: If Werth is re-signed before he walks after this season, the Phils will keep the core of this great team intact for at least one more year. Also, Werth figures to earn somewhere around $18 million a season in his next deal, compared to $25 million for Howard. That extra $7 million could buy another really good player.

Both players are 30, both are playoff-tested, and both have suffered no major injuries. So the question becomes, who will age better during the span of their huge new deals?

And that’s my second reason for favoring Werth. He’s built to last — fast, agile, lean. Howard is a typical slugger, and his tendency will be to gain weight and lose agility as he ages.

 
 
 
Share
 


 
Metro Life Panel
Read more