The world is not perfect, even I realize that. And the sports world is even more imperfect than the real world, but as a fan I believe I am entitled to a few things working correctly. "A commitment to excellence" has been replaced by a commitment to stupidity. I do blame the fan for some of the incredibly ridiculous things that have transpired in the world of sport. Fans are constantly harping that ownership doesn't spend any money. That ownership doesn't make any moves. That ownership should sell the team to someone who knows what they are doing. The owners hear our pleas, and because they truly care about the fans and not just the bottom line they do things like signing Gil Meche to a five year, 55 million dollar contract. They respond by signing Bobby Wade to a five year, 15 million dollar contract. They respond by trading for Allen Iverson to combine with Carmelo Anthony and an already chemistry challenged Denver Nuggets.

    In my mind there are a few cardinal rules when it comes to putting together a team that wins a championships. One guy can't make more money than everyone else. Prime examples for this scenario are the Detroit Pistons, or the Minnesota Timberwolves. Remember the Danny Ferry contract that hamstrung the Cleveland Cavaliers until, well just about until he became their GM, the T-Wolves are stuck in the same situation. Kevin Garnett can not be moved, can not win by himself, and he and his franchise are stuck in limbo until that contract expires. Meanwhile the Pistons still have enough flexibility to be able to bring in Chris Webber, ostensibly to replace Ben Wallace who wanted more money than he was worth compared to the rest of the team. If you have a reliable scorer, someone willing to eat the glass, and a solid distributor of the ball, and all concerned are willing to play a modicum of defense, you win.

    Never ever sign a pitcher as a free agent, unless he has had four or five consecutive pain free, productive seasons and he is under the age of thirty three. The age thing may change with the advancements in conditioning, but for every Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, or Greg Maddux signing, there are several Kevin Brown, Mike Hampton, Denny Neagle, David Wells fiascos waiting to happen. Pitchers are fragile no matter what age, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior come to mind, and it seems to make more sense to get yourself some stud corner infielders, maybe a gold glove centerfielder, consistent middle infielders, and a decent closer and you may actually win. Like the St. Louis Cardinals.

    If you want to win in the NFL, pay the guys that do not touch the ball. Skill players get all of the glory, put up gaudy combine numbers, and make all of the commercials, but if you have the chance to grab an academic all-American with a twenty inch neck and the wingspan of a condor pull the trigger. Every offensive innovation has been designed with the idea of either blocking, distracting, or eliminating defensive linemen and linebackers. The H-Back, the No-Huddle, the Run and Shoot, the Wishbone, were all designed to eliminate the natural advantage that a strong defensive line has. On the flip side the 46 and the zone blitz, were designed to confuse the offensive linemen to allow the defense to pressure the offense. Teams have made it to the Super Bowl with David Woodley and Vince Ferragamo at quarterback. But they also had Dwight Stephenson and Bob Kuechenberg, and Jackie Slater and Jack Youngblood. It's a simple game. If you have holes to run to and time to throw the ball you win, if you close those holes and eliminate that time they lose.

    History tells us that the smart moves are the safe moves, generally speaking. For every Lebron James, there is a Bill Willoughby, Leon Smith, or Ousmane Cisse. For every Kenny Rogers there is a Chan Ho Park or Mike Hampton. For every Marshall Faulk or Peyton Manning, there is a Blair Thomas or Heath Shuler. Don't trade John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander, don't sign Quentin Richardson for six years and $43.5 million after one decent year with the Clippers, and don't let Steve Hutchinson go anywhere.