A stream of consciousness on local and national sports headlines.
- Twenty-four hours later and the “Hackgate” reaction has been…
…about what I expected. Many national media members have written that the punishment was too light, yet most don’t offer what an appropriate penalty would have been for the Cardinals. One of the more absurd takes I’ve seen is how this punishment won’t prevent something like this from happening again. Really? Chris Correa is in federal prison. If the prospect of living in a six-by-eight-foot cell constructed of steel and cement won’t stop someone from stealing proprietary information, then what makes anyone believe stripping a baseball team of another draft pick will? How ridiculous.
- Chris Correa’s claims make…
…little to no sense. Via a statement on Twitter Tuesday morning, Correa claimed that he was simply hacking into the Astros’ database because someone in Houston’s organization had done the same to the Cardinals on “December 11, 2011.” While he said he’s accepting “responsibility for my wrongful actions,” he also likened the crime to breaking into a neighbor’s house “to find out if they were stealing your stuff.” Two wrongs don’t make a right, and if what Correa is saying is true then he should have notified his bosses instead of going rogue. Plus, as outlined in court documents, the U.S. attorney noted that Correa hacked the Astros’ internal database 48 times during a 2 1/2-year period. Let me get this straight, he thought his neighbor was stealing his stuff, so instead of notifying the proper authorities, he not only broke into his neighbor’s house once, but 48 times over 2.5 years? Sounds reasonable. Correa committed a crime and he’ll serve his time, but his reasoning for doing what he did are flimsy at best.
- The rest of the American League West should be ticked off…
…that the Astros were handed the Cardinals’ two draft picks. I’m in the minority, but I didn’t have a problem with Rob Manfred and MLB giving the Astros the Cards’ selections. If my car is broken into and my stuff is stolen, I would be happy if perpetrator was caught but that still doesn’t make me whole again, especially if my property is never returned. This is a very unique situation, but I don’t blame Manfred for at least attempting to compensate the Astros after their database was hacked. That said, if I’m the Rangers, A’s, Mariners and Angels, I’m furious the Astros now have five picks in the first 100 selections of this year’s draft. They now have an opportunity to supplement their farm system in efforts to give them an edge in the division after years of tanking for top selections. Suddenly the rest of the AL West wishes Correa hacked them, too.
- For all the talk about the Patriots having an edge in the Super Bowl…
…because of experience, the Falcons looked calm on Monday night. NFL Network was airing its “Super Bowl Opening Night” coverage from Houston and Atlanta’s players hardly seemed happy to be there. In fact, nearly every Falcon that faced the media said the same thing: ‘We still have one more game to go.’ There’s no question the Patriots have an advantage after dealing with the Super Bowl media circus just two years ago, but an edge? I’m not buying it. This is the third time Dan Quinn has coached in the Super Bowl over the past four years. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Alex Mack are seasoned veterans. The young defenders Quinn hand-selected over the past two years have already proven to be mature behind their years. If Atlanta loses Sunday, it will be because the Patriots made more plays than the Falcons over the course of 60 minutes of football, not because of experience. Besides, this should be an excellent game throughout.
- No one player can change their legacy more Super Bowl Sunday than…
…Matt Ryan. It’s a lazy argument to size up a quarterback’s career based on how many Super Bowl rings he’s collected. Then again, there isn’t a better way for a signal-caller to silence his remaining critics than by winning a Super Bowl, so at least there’s one redeeming quality to the argument. Ryan completed 69.9 percent of his passes during the regular season, threw for 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns to go with only seven interceptions. His 730-7-0 stat line bests any quarterback in this year’s playoffs, including Brady. He’s on the verge of winning the MVP award. Ryan has even had postseason success before this season, lighting up a great 49er defense for 396 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the 2013 NFC Championship Game. That said, because the Falcon defense blew a 17-point lead in that game, Ryan is the one saddled with the postseason loss. Perspective gets lost when it comes to judging quarterbacks. Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning put together dud performances in Super Bowl victories but that fact goes to the backburner in larger discussions. It’s always, Big Ben, two-time Super Bowl-winner. Peyton Manning, two-time Super Bowl winner. For Ryan, if he wins, he’s not only a Super Bowl winner but suddenly all of his past accomplishments become more appreciated. It’s not fair, but it’s reality. Brady’s legacy is secure. Ryan can rewrite his with just one more victory.
- Most St. Louis fans don’t want the Patriots to win but if they do…
…at least Chris long will, too. The Rams saved $23 million by cutting Long, James Laurinaitis and Jared Cook last February. After injury-marred 2014 and 2015 seasons, I understand why the Rams moved on from Long when they were attempting to re-sign some of their younger players. This isn’t a, ‘boy the Rams really screwed the pooch with not keeping Chris Long’ diatribe. That said, if anyone deserves to win on that New England roster, it’s Chris. As a former member of the Rams Radio Network, I can speak personally about how genuine Long is. What you see is what you get from Chris, who never ran from the media while the losses continued to pile up, and who never made excuses for his play. It’s safe to assume most football fans in St. Louis will be rooting for the Falcons on Sunday. If the Patriots win, at least Chris will get a ring after eight long, frustrating seasons with the Rams.
Read More: John Mozeliak: People Want to See the Cardinals Get Kicked