Thought #1

Sometimes in life you stick your foot in you mouth and sometimes it ends up darn near your stomach when its all said and done. Think about the time you were feeling pretty high and mighty and dogged a girl, claiming there was no way anyone would date her. Then you remember how you ran into her about 3 years later? Remember how she spent those three years on a treadmill while you spent them throwing down brews and nachos? Yeah, suddenly she ain't looking like a bad option.

That's probably the same feeling Jason Taylor got yesterday as he signed with the New York Jets. Now Taylor will attempt to be supported by the fans he has called "ignorant and classless." He will attempt to gain the cheers of the same people whose J-E-T-S chant he refereed to as "dumb."

From Taylor's perspective the fans will just have to get over the emotional side of this and realize it is a business. The Jets are the employer, and apparently the only one interested in hiring Jason.

When it comes right down to it, this wasn't about Jason finding a good fit, or finding the team that gives him the best shot to earn it ring. No it was much more simply than that; Jason needed a job and what the hey, this was better than bagging groceries or waiting tables down at Applebea's. Nice to know you were the result of that, "well crap, gotta work somewhere I guess," attitude, huh Jets' fan.

Thought #2

As I'm sure you know by now, Ben Roethlisberger will be sitting out somewhere between 4 and 6 games this coming season, depending on his ability to break his college bar bathroom stall addiction. Now Big Ben of course won't get paid for any of this and stands to lose about 3 million bucks.

This got me to thinking though, who is really getting punished here? Sure Ben is losing a little coin and doesn't get to play the game he loves, but really, how does that really hurt the guy?

If the team does well while he's gone he gets to step under center with fresh legs and no bruises for a team with a good record and poised to make a playoff run. If the team struggles, he comes back in the potential savior role ready to prove that they really did need him to win.

So who is really serving a punishment here? Might it be the thousands of fans who will drop hundreds of dollars to watch Brian Leftwich? Or worse, Charlie Batch? Dear Lord, what did you do to deserve that Pittsburgh?

My problem with this whole situation is that it ends up being the fans, the city, and even the other members of the team who are really punished in all this. Your favorite team starting the season 0-4, seems to hurt you a little more than it stings the player who is being punished.

If the league really wants to send a message to Ben, send his tail to Oakland, make him spend every waking moment with Al Davis, wear a similar jogging suit, and do the whole thing for free. Heck, Ben acts like a dirty old man already, no reason Al shouldn't teach him to dress the part.

Thought#3

Tim Tebow is not going to be at the draft Thursday night, which is a completely good call on his part. There is no worse looking person than the guy sitting in that little room, starting at his pre-poured glass of water, all alone around pick 20.

Even worse this year is the fact that only the first round will be Thursday night. Can you imagine the walk of shame Friday morning back into that room? Going back to that same table, with that same batch of fake flowers. Heck, do they even put out the water on day two?  That would be like being stood up for a date on a Friday night and then being forced to return to that same restaurant Saturday and continue to wait. Not exactly the memory you want at the beginning of your career.

Thought #4

Did I miss something? When did Dwayne Wade start borrowing clothes from M. Bison? Remember, that head bad guy in all the Street Fighter video games.

Wade showed up at Tuesday night's press conference dressed like he was about to jump on a Soviet tank and go on a tear through the Checkoslovakia. Dude, the Cold War is over. The Russian lost, remember? Time to lose the shoulder pads and fancy trim buddy. After all, nothing says your team has to dress as ugly as they played.