Ruminating on Stevie's contract, CC's weight, Melo & Lin's compatibility and John Glenn

DOWN-AND-OUT-OF-BUFFALO? Apparently there isn’t good news out of One Bills Drive regarding the Stevie Johnson contract negotiations. I know many Bills fans would like to see Buffalo part ways with the talented but immature receiver because of his costly end zone celebrations. Hey, I didn’t care for his selfish theatrics either, but the guy is a super productive player (158 receptions, 2,077 yards, 17 touchdowns) and the Bills don’t have many of those. I agree with General Manager Buddy Nix’s decision to eschew putting the franchise tag on him – Stevie isn’t worth that kind of money – but I think the Bills really need to get him signed if they are truly serious about becoming a playoff contender again. Letting him fly will send another message to players in Buffalo and free agents considering Buffalo that the franchise isn’t willing to pay the price to win. Again, I understand there’s risk involved here, but the Bills cannot continue this trend of letting talented players flee.
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A WEIGHTY TOPIC: That’s great that CC Sabathia reported to spring training considerably lighter than last season. But the same thing happened last February and look how that turned out. The Yankees ace wound up putting on all the weight he had lost plus several more pounds during the season, which may explain his late summer swoon. CC won 16 games through the first four months of the season, then went from Cy Young to sayonara with a 3-3 record and a 4.30 earned run average down the stretch. And he was even worse in the post-season with a bloated 6.75 ERA in two forgettable starts.
I like CC. He’s been a horse for the Yankees. Seems like a good teammate and a good guy. But it bothers me when a professional athlete making more than $20 mil a year doesn’t stay in shape. Hey, I’m intimately familiar with the struggles to maintain a healthy weight, but if I was making that kind of jack and had that kind of talent, I would hire a nutritionist and personal chef to ensure that I ate right.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says he doesn’t believe in weight clauses in contracts. I disagree. If an athlete doesn’t do all he can do to stay in shape – particularly during the season – that should result in fines, and, in extreme cases, a voidance of his contract.
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HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY? Going to be interesting watching how the beer-and-chicken wing faction of the Boston Red Sox roster responds to new manager Bobby Valentine’s strict edicts. The days of the patients running the asylum are over at Fenway. But I wonder if Sox pitcher Josh Beckett really understands that. He hasn’t apologized for his actions last season, but did concede that he is going to spend more time in the dugout cheering on his teammates in 2012. Wow! What a sacrifice!
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NOT BACK FOR MORE: Talk is heating up that Syracuse sophomores Fab Melo and Dion Waiters will bolt following the season and declare themselves eligible for the NBA draft. I think both have NBA talent and great upsides, but neither is ready yet to make the quantum leap. Another season of college ball would benefit them greatly. Melo, a raw 7-footer from Brazil, needs to become much stronger, and Waiters needs to become more consistent.
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“LET’S GO PLATINUM!” Not looking forward to SU’S platinum uniforms for the South Florida game at the Carrier Dome tomorrow night. Again, the school colors are orange and blue. This is what happens when you Nike gets a hold of tradition.
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MELO-DRAMATIC: Like every else, I’ve been loving the Lin-sanity story, and I’m intrigued about how this next chapter is going to unfold. Carmelo Anthony could wind up being the fall guy if the Knicks crash back to Earth, which is entirely possible. I don’t agree with those who believe Melo is too much of a shooter and ball-hog to be compatible with Jeremy Lin. In fact, I think Melo will become a more efficient player, with nearly as many points on fewer shots, and, most importantly, more wins. But it’s going to take a little time for Melo to shake off the rust after being sidelined seven games with a groin injury, Anthony was the go-to guy on SU’s 2003 national championship team, but he also was a great team player. Don’t forget, Gerry McNamara was on that team, and took his fair share of shots, but that worked out well. I think it can work for the Knicks. It just might take a little time for Melo and Lin to develop chemistry. But we know patience is not a virtue among New York sports fans, radio sports talk show hosts and callers and tabloid headline writers.
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GOD SPEED, JOHN GLENN: Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of John Glenn becoming the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth. I remember the excitement we all felt at the time, particularly in the Air Force Base town where I grew up – Rome, N.Y. I became enthralled with the idea of space travel and began spending more time gazing at the moon and the stars at night and thinking about how magnificent it would be to fly in a rocket ship. Just seven years after Glenn’s flight, we would feel even greater excitement about new frontiers and limitless possibilities when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. Those were seminal moments to be sure.