Add another list of numbers to show how much has changed in the world of Tiger Woods.
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Geoff Ogilvy ran across a bookmaker’s odds for the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, when he noticed Woods at 20-1. This would only be startling because Woods hasn’t competed in three months while letting injuries to his left leg fully heal. In this case, however, Ogilvy considered that Woods has won a record seven times at Firestone, and until last year had never finished worse than fifth.

“Did you think you could ever get Tigerbalklänningar online at Firestone at 20-1? Ever?’’ Ogilvy said to one of the caddies. “He was 2-1 for a while.’’

Then he paused on the putting green, which was filled with players getting ready for the World Golf Championship event that starts today.

“It’s been an odd year,’’ Ogilvy said.

The goal for Woods is to restore some normalcy, at least to his own game. He is coming up on the two-year anniversary of his last win on American soil. The last time he faced any competition inside the ropes, it lasted no more than nine holes at The Players Championship until he withdrew because of leg injuries.

Now, he claims he is as healthy as he has been in years - he wouldn’t say how many years, just “plural.’’ He has looked solid in a nine-hole practice round alone on Tuesday, and with Hunter Mahan and Arjun Atwal yesterday.

What to expect today? Not even Woods knows.

“I still haven’t been in a competitive environment yet, so that’s a totally different atmosphere,’’ he said.

The Bridgestone Invitational features a 76-man field, which includes only four past champions in the 11-year history of the WGC event - one win each for defending champion Mahan, Stewart Cink, and Darren Clarke, and seven titles for Woods.

But that was the old Woods, the guy who won at least one World Championship every year since 1999.

The recovering Woods?

He said his expectation was to win, just like always.

Whatever the expectations, the level of curiosity about Woods is close to what it was when he returned from his sex scandal at the 2010 Masters. There was something about the way he left The Players Championship on May 12 that made it look as though he would never be the same, that the four surgeries on his left knee would keep him from dominating the way he once did.

Return engagement
US Open champion Rory McIlroy loves playing in America so much that he wants to join the PGA Tour again.

McIlroy spoke to tour officials yesterday and said he was leaning toward taking up his tour card next season, meaning he would play at least 15 events on the PGA Tour in 2012.

The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland said he would start looking for a place to live in Florida - either Orlando or the West Palm Beach area - after the PGA Championship next week.

“I feel I play my best golf over here,’’ McIlroy said. “I’m very comfortable in this country. Yeah, I’m definitely looking toward coming back and playing a full schedule.’’

McIlroy has three career wins, the biggest two in America - a 62 in the final round at Quail Hollow in 2010, and his record-setting performance in the US Open.

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Erik Spoelstra doesn’t always (or even often) sound like the Pat Riley disciple that he is. But on Sunday, when Spoelstra’s Miami Heat coughed up a playoff series-clinching win, the wisdom of his boss’ years definitely came in handy.

Thus, Spoelstra’s first words after the 76ers were done hitting the Heat in the face with their own brooms, 86-82, were: "The bottom line is, it’s never easy in the playoffs. It never is."
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soccer Jerseys
And, later: "We have to collect ourselves, learn from this, and move on."

This wasn’t the first time a team with championship aspirations whiffed on its first try at closing out a series. It wasn’t even the first team this weekend, after the Chicago Bulls stumbled at Indiana on Saturday. Most famously within the last decade, the first of the Shaq-Kobe-Phil Jackson Lakers teams, in 1999-2000, constantly seized up when they tried to go from that third win to the fourth. In particular, the West final against Portland, which the Lakers led 3-1 and nearly threw away, was enormously entertaining.

And educational, as this had better be for the latest Superteam -- for all of their sakes.

No one knows how the Heat will handle this until wholesale jerseys Wednesday night in Miami, when they play the Game 5 that they figured they wouldn’t have to play. Spoelstra doesn’t know. The players think they know. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been through this a lot, on separate teams, in recent years, and have fared well. In Test No. 1 as teammates, they flunked.

"We’re not gonna hang our heads all the way to the ground about it," James said. Under better circumstances, he would be in the spotlight for knocking down 31 points in a close-out game on the road. Or it would be Wade, who during a 22-2 run (or surge, or explosion) in a five-minute span of the first half, looked like the best player alive.

None of it happened, though, because of how that final stretch played out. They’re going to have to live with that. Wade, to his credit, does know that.

"It’s the last minute and 30 we’ll learn from, as a unit," he said. "It’s unfortunate. We feel we should not lose games at that time. No loss is good. No moral victories, no nothing. We will only learn from this and get better. It’s only gonna make us stronger."

Wade, no one needs reminding, is the elder statesman on these issues, as the one with the ring. Chris Bosh, in his very first playoffs, said aloud what really goes on and what really must be conquered: "I think sometimes you get a little tight. It is a little tougher to execute down the stretch."

It’s true. Why not be honest about it?

The 76ers, who really have only played poorly once in four games, do deserve credit. Down 82-76 with 1:36 left, they decided, as Jrue Holiday put it, that they "didn’t want to go home." Next thing anybody knew, they were indeed fulfilling coach Doug Collins’ last words after the Game 3 loss: that the Heat might be headed south Sunday night, but his team would be going with them.

Yet Miami had handled the same pressure-packed situations late in Games 1 and 3. Miami is the better team. The Heat will go on to play in the Eastern Conference semifinals, eventually; they won’t make history by blowing a 3-0 series lead.

But there is this little obstacle, seeming so innocent and harmless until you actually are facing it. And the truth is, not everybody scales it, right away, or ever. That loud grinding noise you just heard came from the teeth of Knicks fans who remember the 1994 Finals against Houston, and Kings fans who recall the 2002 West final against the Lakers. From a 3-2 series lead to suffering for the rest of your life, because the next chance never comes.

The Heat might very well face it again in the next round against the Celtics, who handled their business in sweeping the Knicks. Making sure there is a "next" depends on handling the round you’re in now. America saw how they handled this one, against a No. 7 seed.
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Now, the Heat for three whole days will hear about how they let Philadelphia score the game’s final 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers right between their collective eyes (or, specifically, on both shots, Wade’s eyes).

And, possibly worse, they’ll have to hear another chorus of the Last Shot Blues. James took it. Drove into multiple defenders in the lane. Got it blocked by Elton Brand. Without Wade touching the ball. Discuss among yourselves.

Of course, Wade touched it on the possession before that – and missed ugly, a jumper with 25 seconds left and the shot clock running down that never looked good from the moment he forced it up. Discuss that, too.

Quite a blend there. Bad shooting. Bad decisions. Soft defense. No urgency. Too intent on throwing the dagger instead of simply making it too hard for the other team to come back on you. What more could a team do wrong at the end of a playoff game?

And what do you do to make sure it never happens again? This isn’t an exaggeration; no need to pretend it is just because it’s the first round.

"We’re gonna have to learn to trust each other," Bosh said, adding that they did that very well as the season wore on. Plus, James pointed out in returning to a theme of this series, "Most – well, all – of our regular-season games have felt like playoff games."

Expect that to be the last time any of the Heat compares this to the regular season again.

Four former Auburn football players will say they received cash from boosters on an HBO special that airs tonight.

Chaz Ramsey, Troy Reddick, Stanley McClover and Raven Gray will appear on an “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” episode and say they received money during their time at Auburn, according to a transcript from an advance copy of the show published by the Web site Sports by Brooks.

All four played during Tommy Tuberville’s time as Auburn’s coach.

McClover, an All-SEC defensive end who played for the Tigers in 2003-05, said he received “money handshakes” from boosters of Louisiana State, Auburn, Ohio State and Michigan State during the recruiting process, getting slipped a couple hundred dollars to consider their school.

He also said that during his recruiting trip to OSU, he was told by a player already on the team to pick out any girl he wanted at a party. McClover did, and received sexual services from her.

In a released statement, Michigan State spokesman John Lewandowski said, “Our compliance office was never alerted to this alleged handshake.”

Ohio State spokeswoman Shelly Poe said the school had no comment because the “the report is so far back and so many years ago and he’s just coming forward with it.” She said the incident described would have violated “our policies in the NCAA.”

After committing to OSU, McClover said he switched to Auburn after asking for and receiving an unspecified amount of money from a booster.

“I almost passed out,” he said. “I literally almost passed out; I couldn’t believe it was true. I felt like I owed them.”

He said he also received money from boosters for his performance on the field, getting anywhere from $300 to $400 per sack. For one Iron Bowl performance against Alabama, he said he received $4,000. Asked whether it was more money because it was a rivalry game, he said, “Definitely. No other game matters.”

Reddick, an offensive lineman in 2001-04, said he was contacted by a local alumnus in Auburn during the recruiting process and offered a large sum of money, but he did not take it.

Later in his career, he was unhappy at Auburn and wanted to leave but stayed after he said he was given an envelope from one of the coaches containing $500. He said that happened two or three more times that year and seven more times his senior year.

Gray, a highly touted defensive lineman who signed with the Tigers in 2008 but never played because of an injury, said he received $2,500 to $3,000 from boosters trying to convince him to go to Auburn coming out of junior college.

Ramsey, an offensive lineman who played for the Tigers in 2007, said he received “money handshakes” from fans after games, totaling $300 to $400 per contest.

“You walk out and all the fans are waiting for you to sign autographs and everything and some random guy just walks up to you and shakes your hand and there’s a wad full of money,” he said.

Ramsey also said he made about $5,000 to $6,000 by selling game tickets provided by the school. balklänningar

Ramsey’s career was cut short by a back injury. He filed a lawsuit against the school for mismanaging the injury that was recently thrown out of court, but he said he doesn’t have a vendetta against Auburn.

“I’m not out to get anybody,” he said. “I want high school athletes to know what they’re getting into. This is what college football is really about it, it’s a business.”

McClover and Reddick’s claims fall outside the NCAA’s statute of limitations. http://www.balklanningaronline.com

The transcript said all the schools named in the report denied any wrongdoing.

Former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez will be part of a roundtable discussion about college sports issues on tonight's show.

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The entertainer. The icon. Cam Newton.

Newton is an outright SUPERFREAK. 6'6" and 250lbs with speed and a rocket arm, he steamrolls linebackers and outruns safeties. Dominated the SEC,wholesale jerseys which is just as good if not better than the NFC West. Heisman Trophy winner. National champion. Newton is the best QB since Tim Tebow.

Buffalo, a team on the verge of extinction, cannot afford to pass on a player of this caliber.

In addition to his freakish physical tools, Newton is already an icon. In a hype-filled AFC East, against media machine Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchize as well as Tom Terrific and Belicheat, its time for Buffalo to get their own superstar. Fitzpatrick is about as exciting as trip to the DMV. Cam Newton would finally get Rachel Nichols and all the other ESPN slaves up to Buffalo, and steal some headlines from media whores, Jets and Pats. Newton is the type of icon that can save a franchise. For a team on their way to Toronto, Newton can sell tickets, sell jerseys, bring the hype. After all, this is the NFL. Owners and players alike have shown us...its all about $$. Straight cash homey.


Haters and Right 53ers will call Cam Newton a liar, a cheat, a thief. All of the adversity he has faced has only strengthened his resolve. Newton did not steal the laptop. He was merely in possesion of stolen goods. And who hasnt intimidated a witness or two before? Everyone knows snitches get stitches. Newton was not unlike thousands of people when he was arrested for driving on a suspended liscense. And if he was kicked out of Florida for cheating, it just shows he is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.

There is also the issue of the Pastor Pimp, Cecil Newton, whoring his son out for $180,000 in a pay-for-play scheme. A major concern with drafting QBs high is what a huge paycheck will do. You dont have to worry about what money will do to Cam Newton because he has already been getting paid for years, and had proven it will not affect him. His dad may be sleazy, but is no different than the sleazy agents he'll be dealing with his entire career. Under intense scrutiny all year, he never cracked under the pressure. Newton is prepared to deal with all of the off the field aspects of being a top pick. Chan Gailey is the key to the Bills taking Newton. Gailey made chicken salad out of chicken shit, and put up points with Tyler Thigbones.

Chan is one of the few coaches with the balls big enough to draft Newton.With Spiller and Newton, he can tailor an offense to have Newton playing from day one, and bring the razzle dazzle like the league has never seen. Newton has got next QB Eagles written all over him.
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Freaks like this cannot be passed up. Ask the Portland TrailBlazers about passing on Durant. Cam Newton would instantly make the Bills relevant. Not only is he the best athlete in the draft, he is the biggest superstar. If the Bills ever hope to fund a new stadium and stay in Buffalo, they will need some noise in upstate Buffalo. Cam Newton is the once in a generation type of player that can save the Bills.

And if he busts, the team moves to Toronto. But I think they like hockey better balklänningar anyway.

The Blackhawks will begin a crucial two-game road trip against Western Conference opponents without two key players.

Defenseman Brian Campbell and center Dave Bolland won't accompany the team to Dallas for the Hawks' game against the Stars on Thursday night. Campbell, who balklänningar has missed Monday night's victory over the San Jose Sharks with a left leg injury, could join the team in the Phoenix area for Sunday night's game against the Coyotes.

The news on Bolland doesn't sound as encouraging as the center remains sidelined with a concussion and Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said following Wednesday's practice there's been no progress in the recovery.

Corey Crawford will make 16th consecutive start in goal for the Hawks against the Stars.
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"He's a young kid that's going along here at a really nice pace," Quenneville said of Crawford. "He's really absorbing a lot of responsibility now and some important games for us. He's won us some big games and he's kept us in some big games. We like how competitive he is and we like the way he's developing as a young goalie. His upside is one of these guys who can be a No. 1 (goaltender) for a lot of years."

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Darwin, very good question! People are so excited about the present Nuggets (or, Knuggets), that they've overlooked the future. When you look at the Nuggets' summer, Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri will have a lot of decisions to make.

Two players that are seemingly adored by the franchise are both restricted free agents: Wilson Chandler and Arron Afflalo. With the looming lockout balklanningar2012.wordpress.com and new collective bargaining agreement, we're all in the unknown right now about how salaries will be structured and such. But, as of now, this reporter believes that if the price is right, Denver will try to lock up "Chandler Bing" and "Spellcheck" for years to come.

As columnist Mark Kiszla recently wrote, there is going to be a big, big decision that needs to be made at the point. Realistically, can the Nuggets keep both Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton, two true "1s" who are on the shorter side?

Rightthissecond, Felton is a better PG than Lawson. But what about in two seasons? Felton is due to make $7.5 million next season (and then becomes a free agent after that). Lawson will make $1.6 next season, with a team option after that.
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Like Kiz pointed out, if efficient spending is important to the Nuggets (and, yes, it is), then Lawson makes more sense, especially if you can get another contributor for Felton (and besides a true center, point guard is probably the most-enticing player for needy teams to nab).

Gallo will make around $4 million next year (a steal, I say) and has the ability for a qualifying option the following year.

Really, the biggest money decision (for now) that the Nuggets must make is in regard to Nene. They want the big man locked up, but it's got to be in a situation that benefits the Nuggets long-term (and doesn't hurt the payroll). Nene has a player option for next season, around $11.7 million.

Of course, the Nuggets will have a bevy of cap space to deal with this summer, something that could be fun for the front office and fans. There's a lot of time between now and the summer, but it's never too soon to start talking about the future.

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MIAMI — When he dropped the idea of fixing his own swing and decided to take on a new teacher, his third since turning professional in 1996, Tiger Woods warned everyone who would listen: there is no quick fix. That was last August, and he was telling the truth.

The process, as Woods calls the continuing work with Sean Foley, has been slow, even arduous. Some would say tortuous. Some have said worse. wholesale jerseys Through it all, Woods has not wavered, has stayed on message and has stayed mired in a winless streak that has reached 16 months.

As Woods prepares to bring his game to a course Thursday where he has won three times in seven starts, things have begun to heat up around him. On the Internet, it is getting hotter than the 83-degree morning on Wednesday at Doral Resort and Spa where Woods stood sweating in a small tent.

As his current teacher and former teacher took online shots at one another, Woods was talking about not winning and not playing all that well, but seeing small steps of progress where fans, some members of the media and even some of his peers see none.
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“I still get asked a bunch of questions about winning,” Woods, 35, said on the eve of the first round of the W.G.C.-Cadillac Championship. “Whether I was winning or not winning. Still got to do press conferences and everything is still the same. The only difference is I just haven’t won tournaments.”

This would be a little bit like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant saying, Everything’s cool, but the difference is, I’m just not scoring any points.

Woods has always been about winning. He said so in his first interview as a pro, using colorful language to express his opinion about second place to a shocked Curtis Strange. Woods might be loath to admit it, but second would not be terrible right now.

He has not won in his last 19 tournaments. He threatened at Dubai in February, shooting a second-round 66 that was the best score of the day, pulling to within a stroke after three rounds and then fading to a tie for 20th. He has had one second place, when Graeme McDowell beat him with three consecutive one-putts, the last in a playoff, and won the limited-field Chevron Challenge in December.

Two starts this year on the PGA Tour have produced a tie for 44th at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and a first-round loss to Thomas Bjorn in the W.G.C.-Accenture Match Play.

Four days ago in Dallas, the Hall of Famer Lee Trevino said that Woods’s reliance on golf teachers was the reason for the drought and that Woods needed to look at old tapes from when he was winning and “get rid of these people.”

Jack Nicklaus, who used to fix his own swing during the season when he was competing, said last week that his instructor, Jack Grout, never came on the practice range at a tournament as most other instructors do. But he added, as did Trevino, that he thought Woods would find his way out of the downturn and would break his record of 18 major championship victories. Woods has 14.

“It’s nice to have Jack say that,” Woods said. “That’s something that is very humbling. I respect the heck out of Jack, and what he’s done and the person he is. And for him to still believe that I can still play top-notch golf, it certainly is a confidence booster, there’s no doubt.”

Woods undertook two previous major swing changes as a professional. The first was from the end of the 1998 season into 1999 with the famed instructor Butch Harmon. The second was from 2003 into 2004 with Hank Haney.

He had slight performance downturns during those periods, followed by huge gains. Under Harmon, his best came in 2000, when Woods won three majors, into 2001, when he held all four major championship titles simultaneously, and had compiled a record 32.4 points in the World Golf Ranking — the equivalent of the Dow hitting 14,200.

In his last 30 months with Haney, Woods won 44 percent of his tournaments and six majors.

Now Woods is in his eighth month working with Foley, and critics, like NBC’s Johnny Miller, say he has never appeared as lost as he has recently. For a smoking gun, many, including Miller, have cited the poor tee shot Woods hit on the 19th hole of his loss to Bjorn at the Accenture two weeks ago, a miss way right of the fairway with his 3-wood that landed beneath a bush.

“Miller compared Woods’s situation to that of Mike Tyson in 1990, after Tyson, the much-feared and undefeated heavyweight champion, was knocked out by the lightly regarded Buster Douglas in Japan.

Foley, meantime, is working with Woods on a swing technique best described as a modified version of the stack-and-tilt. It is similar to work he has done with his other tour players, Sean O’Hair, Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan and Stephen Ames. Foley has come under fire from critics who question the soundness of his methods and who do not mind sending the critiques to Haney via Twitter, who then posts them and adds his own comments.

A Q. and A. this week with Foley in Golf Magazine has provided much of the fodder for the barbed Haney-Foley exchanges. In it, Foley said of Woods’s swing while under Haney’s tutelage: “There was nothing about what he was doing in his previous swing that made any sense to me.”

Woods had about half his tournament victories during his years with Haney, which ended in May 2010 after a loud disagreement on the range at the Masters. Woods used his short game to salvage a tie for fourth and never spoke to Haney again.

Count Ernie Els, 41, among the tour players who believe Woods will be back. He does not know when and at what level of proficiency, but he said he saw the best, has now seen the worst and smiles knowingly when asked if Woods is a lesser player.

“I don’t know, man,” Els said. “I played for 10 years when that guy dominated, so it’s tough to get a different mind-set on things. Tiger was the dominant player. He won 14 majors. Think about it, 14 majors, in such a short period of time. Who is ever going to do that again?”

Els told reporters that players like himself, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and Fred Couples “took a beating, not only from him, but from you guys, too.”

Bubba Watson watched Woods dominate and said he thought he might yet see it return.

“I would say he would get back to No. 1,” said Watson, “but not to that many wins in that short a period of time. We’re learning how to practice, learning about training, learning about preparing yourself for a golf tournament. We’re getting better at understanding the game, so we’re gaining on him.

“So he might only get 60 wins instead of 80. He’d still get a lot of wins. I think he’ll be back for sure.”balklänningar

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SALT LAKE CITY — When the Jazz waived Darrell Griffith, there were tears on Larry H. Miller's pillow. When Thurl Bailey was traded, it was a cheap jerseys regular weep fest. And when Mark Eaton retired, it was a two-hankie press conference.

None of the above came close to the tears shed when Jeff Hornacek, Karl Malone or John Stockton retired.

But when the Jazz traded once-in-a-generation guard Deron Williams this week past, it was all business. Not quite business as usual — you don't trade a two-time All-Star every day — but clearly it was an unsentimental decision.
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Six seasons of brilliant play, and D-Will didn't even get a box of apples as a parting gift.

The Jazz are in a different place than they were two years ago. If one thing was clear Wednesday, it was that CEO Greg Miller is not your father's (or his) team owner. With the new Jazz, there will be fewer personal relationships and less emotion to cloud the issues. And there certainly won't be any signing players to long-term contracts because of friendships.

In this era, it's all about the return.

While the late Larry H. Miller was emotional and sentimental, his son is stolid and businesslike. Even when Jerry Sloan resigned two weeks ago, it was the coach who did the choking up. Greg seemed moved, but not enough to wear dark glasses or get out a handkerchief.

It's a hard business world nowadays, and nobody knows better than Miller. He got handed the reins by his ailing father, just as the economy was heading south. So he set about maximizing the team's value. His management team traded Eric Maynor, Matt Harpring and Ronnie Brewer, worked the sign-and-trade on Carlos Boozer and declined to match Portland's offer for Wesley Matthews. Then came the granddaddy of all Jazz trades: Williams to New Jersey.

Most or all of those moves were based significantly on finances.

Cost notwithstanding, Larry usually went with his heart.

With Greg, you wonder if he has one.

Larry was fiery, gregarious and tender-hearted, Greg is distant and cool. Larry was a quote machine, Greg is careful and guarded. Larry was an auto parts guy in a golf shirt and sneakers. Greg is moussed hair and silk ties.

It's not as though Larry never fired anyone. He OK'd sending Adrian Dantley to Detroit after it became clear Dantley and Frank Layden didn't mix. He also approved dozens of other player moves. But overall, Larry Miller had close personal relationships with his players.

Those days are largely over. Greg doesn't have his own locker in the Jazz dressing room and you'll never see him shooting warm-ups with the players.

At the same time, he might actually be better equipped to deal with today's NBA than his father.

Larry could rant, but he was also a locker room buddy. Greg goes in, but not to swap stories or share pizza. So when he called Williams with the trade details last Wednesday, there was no teary farewell. Miller said the conversation lasted 30 seconds.

Over and out.

Larry used to talk about certain untouchable players. Greg says "anyone could be traded if we felt it would make the organization better" and he backed it up on Wednesday.

Larry was in it for business, but mostly for philanthropy. He was emotionally invested, which always made trades hard. Greg points out the Jazz are the fifth-smallest market with the sixth-highest payroll.

"I don't see any player as being sacred," he said.

Williams didn't show much emotion when he was traded, but then again, neither did Greg. There was no reminiscing over the good times, just talk just about moving forward. Is that wrong? Probably not. This is an era of player self-interest and super-team buildup.

A more distant approach could be just the management style the Jazz need.

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The Indianapolis Colts are keeping Peyton Manning — no matter what it costs.

Manning, the only four-time MVP in league history, balklanningar2012.wordpress.com has been given the exclusive franchise tag, a move that could cost the Colts $23 million US next season. Team owner Jim Irsay announced the decision Tuesday night on Twitter.

"We have placed the franchise tag on Peyton while we continue to negotiate a long term deal," Irsay wrote.

The move is hardly a surprise.
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Last year, Irsay promised to make Manning the NFL's highest-paid player. He has reiterated that position many times since then with one caveat — if the Colts couldn't reach a new deal with Manning before free agency started they would use the franchise tag.

The Colts did the same thing in 2004 before eventually agreeing to a seven-year, $98 million deal. The Colts then pulled the tag.

Irsay hasn't backed down on either promise, and Manning, as he usually does, has remained silent about the contract.

Three weeks ago, the Colts put their first formal proposal on the table. It was an offer Irsay and team president Bill Polian wanted to make last October, but Manning informed the team then, through his agent, that he did not want to start negotiating until after the season.

The current offer is believed to be richer than the four-year, $72 million contract that New England quarterback Tom Brady signed in September. Brady's contract also included $48.5 million in guaranteed money, and Irsay has called that deal the standard.

"It's not a normal negotiation, his legacy and our relationship, it's very unusual," Irsay said last month.

On Tuesday, Indy decided not to wait any longer to make its decision.

By "tagging" Manning, no other team can negotiate with the Colts' franchise quarterback.

How critical is Manning to the Colts' success?

In 13 seasons, he has broken all the franchise's career records for quarterbacks and has never missed a start. He's taken Indy to the playoffs 11 times, captured seven AFC South titles in eight years, won two AFC championships, one Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP Award.

And the Colts won more regular-season games in the past decade (115) than any team in NFL history.

The move does free up the Colts to work on other contracts before the collective bargaining agreement expires March 3.

The list of their potential free agents includes running back Joseph Addai, kicker Adam Vinatieri; Charlie Johnson, Manning's blind side protector; Melvin Bullitt, a key backup at safety who is ready to start; starting linebacker Clint Session and starting defensive tackle Dan Muir.

Irsay also has promised "significant" announcements in the coming weeks.

But, of course, none would be bigger than giving Manning the richest deal in league history in what could be his final NFL contract.

"It's important," Irsay said when asked about the importance of reaching a new deal with Manning. "But it's something that you don't totally control, so I think you have to be prepared to work on your roster while you're doing that. That's a big part of the equation, but I think you have to be able and ready to shape your roster."

A correspondent passes along the latest Internet rant, with approval. It purports to be a letter from an irate American to former Sen. Alan Simpson of the deficit-reduction commission. The relevant part goes like this:

Hey Alan, let’s get a few things straight…http://balklanningar2012.wordpress.com

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole for FIFTY YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).

3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme...

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission is proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay the bills.

It goes on from here, but you get the idea. I wrote the following reply:


This screed is fun to read, and yeah, the politicians have voted themselves some rich beneifts and I smile to see them kicked in the pants for it. I smile at the guy's attitude. But he doesn't have all his facts right. For example, he says:

My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades.

Mostly not. Social Security is mostly pay-as-you-go. Most of this guy's money was paid out immediately to his parents' generation. The rest of it went into Treasury bonds, which I guess is what he means by "interest bearing account." But the interest on T-bonds is paid by the taxpayer. It's not a benefit to the taxpayer. The principal is spent by Congress.

This guy says he's paid into Social Security all his life. That's nice, but it does not mean he's fully paid his way in an economic sense. In a contractual sense, he did; he paid what they told him to pay. But the first few generations in Social Security got a really good deal. My dad paid in at the 2% rate in the 1940s and the fairly low rates in the 1960s, retired in 1969 and got inflation adjustments for the rest of his life. It was a great deal for him. It will be an OK deal for me (I'm 59), and it will be a poor deal for my son, who is 20. This is not becase the politicians spent the money, but because of a change in the ratio of people at work to people retired. People are having fewer kids, and old people are living longer. That's the problem.http://balklanningar2012.wordpress.com

The same problem affects Medicare. It's not that politicians spent the money from the Medicare tax. It's the birthrate problem plus the cost-of-medical-care problem. The cost of medical care is a whole subject by itself, but consider this. We have an industry in Seattle--biotech--to come up with new drugs and treatments. It's a wonderful industry; it employs lots of educated people at high salaries; it fills up the buildings in South Lake Union, near where I work, and it extends life. It's latest success is a new treatment for advanced stage prostate cancer. The treatment increases life by an average of 4 months and costs several thousand dollars a month. It has to cost that much, otherwise investors won't put up the money for the companies and the people and the buildings; but the cost of this and similar new treatments is raises the cost of medical care, and Medicare has a problem.

It's fun to kick Alan Simpson, but I think he's mostly right.