Sports Week in Review: News, Notes and Nuggets

TO Tops Himself Once Again

Terrell Owens needs more attention than a three-day-old puppy. He's proven it time and again, with the latest chapter being this week's supposed "suicide attempt." Did TO mix his painkillers and supplements with the intent to kill himself? Probably not. But you can bet he didn't mind all of the media coverage the loopy cocktail garnered him.

There he was, smiling away at the camera yesterday afternoon, like the whole thing was some big joke. Like it was actually funny, for crying out loud! Clearly, Owens is imbalanced. He's just not all there in the brains department, never has been. Hence, the need for a publicist and entourage to explain and spin his every move. Although TO did a poor job in picking the publicist. Kim Etheridge, or whatever the overmatched lady's name is, not only placed the 911 call that triggered the whole police report, she also showed a complete lack of vocabulary and perspective in her speech to the media. A few of the highlights from Etheridge's ramble:

Statement #1: "A man of TO's statue would never do something like that."

My take: The word you were looking for was "stature." With an 'r'. A statue being an inanimate object, stature being a level of prestige and achievement.

Statement #2: "This whole is being overblown. Nothing happened, and that's the bottom line."

My take: If nothing happened, then why'd you call 911 in hysterics, then tell the police that TO was "swallowing a lot of pills" despite your telling him to stop? Because it was nothing? Ah, now I understand . . . except not.

Statement #3: "Terrell Owens has 25 million reasons not to kill himself."

My take: So money is the source of all happiness then, right? And rich people never get depressed or try to hurt themselves? Uh, yeah. Okay, Ms. Etheridge. The fact of the matter is that you are the most incompetent publicist in the history of publicists. Every thing you said at TO's press conference should be put on DVD and played back in public relations classrooms across the country for aspiring students as an example of everything you don't want to do.

But I digress. This whole story boils down to the fact that nothing Terrell Owens says or does should surprise anyone ever again. He is the poster child for the phrase "cuckoo for cocoa puffs." And the Dallas Cowboys knew this ahead of time and signed him anyway. Have fun reaping what you sow, Big 'D'.


Bye Week for the Hogs

Still basking in the afterglow of Leigh Tiffin's kicking meltdown, the Razorbacks enjoy a much needed bye this weekend. A 24-23 double overtime win over Alabama has Arkansas at 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1998. Call it luck if you want, but it doesn't change the fact that Arkansas is now on course for a really good season.

There are concerns about this year's team, for sure, but none are overwhelming: Highly touted freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain needs to be way better than his three interception performance against the Tide, but he will be . . . It's just going to take more SEC game experience for him to adjust to the speed of the games.

Tailback Darren McFadden continues his active recovery from a broken left toe. He's not 100% yet, but still leads the SEC in rushing with over 400 yards. As he gets healthier, the offense will undoubtedly improve its time of possession.

Defensively, it'd be nice to see all three units on the same page. Week in, week out, it seems like the defensive line, linebacking corps and secondary are improving, but one group still finds its way to a struggle. Last week it was the secondary (outside of Randy Kelly) and that was against a lackluster passing attack in Alabama. It would be nice to see the defense play with more cohesion against Auburn.

A bye week give the Hogs a great chance to rest up and get well. Auburn looms a week from Saturday and we'll have to wait until then to see just how much better Arkansas has gotten.


Cardinals Gunning for Historic Collapse

No team in baseball history has ever blown a lead of seven games or more with less than two weeks to go in the season. This year's Saint Louis Cardinals may be the first to do just that.

Up by 8 1/2 games over Houston with 12 left to play, the Cardinals' lead had shrunk to a whole 1 1/2 games by this morning. Surely, Albert Pujols' game-winning eighth-inning home run versus the Padres last night was a shot in the arm, but the fact remains that the Cardinals have been fading for the past two months. Whether or not they make the playoffs doesn't change the fact that this year's team is poorly constructed. Mark Mulder's terrible season has exposed Chris Carpenter as the only arm you count on in the starting rotation, and even Carpenter's been unreliable of late. Jason Isringhausen is hurt and likely done for the balance of the year, leaving the bullpen in shambles. And Albert Pujols has next to no help in the Cards' lineup. Chris Duncan is a promising young hitter, but Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds are battling injuries on the wrong side of the age slope.

Clearly, GM Walt Jockety needs to retool his club after the season, or at least change his approach to free agency. We'll know by the end of this weekend whether or not it's a playoff team he's overhauling. My guess is it won't be. The Astros are coming on like a torpedo and I think they'll win out.

Fasten your seat belts, Redbird fans, this weekend's action will have you gnawing your fingernails right till the final out on Sunday.


-JAB