Dave Smith

Can someone please explain something to me? I’ve always thought throwing a game was a serious offense and any player, organization or official involved would be subject to fines, suspension or a prison sentence….

Just look at what happened to former NBA referee Tim Donaghy. When it was determined he was making bets on games and allegedly giving tips to members of organized crime, all hell broke loose. He was thrown out of the league, publicly disgraced and even went to prison….

A panicked David Stern then organized a cover up, laughably stating that Donaghy “acted alone” and was a “rogue offial.” Stern refused to have independant investigatos look into the matter and wrapped up his “investigation” in about 10 minutes….

Everyone was outraged and Donaghy’s name will forever be remembered as “disgraced.”….

So here’s what I need explained: Why isn’t the Indianapolis Colts organization under investigation for “compromising the integrity of the game?”….

Last Sunday, the undefeated Colts held a 15-10 lead over the Jets and certainly were going to win. With Peyton Manning at the controls and the Jets struggling offensively, Indy was going to pull away in the second half, go to 15-0 and give Manning a chance to make history….

Instead, head coach Jim Caldwell, reportedly under orders from GM Bill Polian and owner Jim Irsay, removed Manning, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and other starters from the game….

The result was comical, as backup QB Curtis Painter was terrible and the Jets pulled away for a tainted victory….

In my book, that’s throwing a game….

So why isn’t the NFL launching an investigation, along with the FBI, and getting ready for trial?….

Here’s what I would do if I were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:

-Order the Colts to give full refunds to every fan in attendance, since all of them were expecting to see a competitive game with both teams giving an honest effort. In these tough economic times, it is reprehensible to give anything less than your best, especially with the exorbitant prices they’re charging. Throwing a game is a slap in the face to your fans and transforms the NFL into nothing more than the WWF….

-Colts management should issue a formal apology to their fans, players and every NFL fan. But the biggest apology should go to Manning, who might have lost his only chance for the greatest season in NFL history. Sure, he’s a lock for the Hall-of-Fame and might go down as the greatest QB of all time, but winning the Super Bowl and going undefeated would have sealed his legacy with a million dollar bow. He’s been politically correct and said all the right things, but must be furious about his organization throwing a game. He works so hard to be great, studying film and preparing himself; so losing on purpose must eat away at him. What a disgraceful way to treat the gretaest player in franchise history.

-Fine the Colts organization millions of dollars for “compromising the integrity of the game” and take away at least one pick from the upcoming draft. I’d make it a first round pick, just to set the bar high for anyone else thining of tanking a game.

-Hold a press conference to announce you’re hiring independant investigators to look into the matter. I’d also contact the FBI to look into possible federal violations and prison time. .

I know this sounds harsh, but an example needs to be made of people who cheat the fans. Every time an NFL team takes the field, there needs to be an honest effort to win and anything less should be met with swift and tough penalties….

Of course this won’t happen, because Goodell has a pattern of giving slaps on the wrists to white management types, while penalizing black players to the fullest extent of the law….

Bill Belichick should have received at least a four game suspension, without pay, plus the $500,000 he was fined, for Spygate. And the Pastriots organization should have been hit with much more than a million dollar fine. Instead, Belichick didn’t miss a game and Goodell let him and the organization off the hook….

Raiders coach Tom Cable was accused of breaking the jaw of an assistant coach and beating two different women, but didn’t miss a game and as far as I know hasn’t been fined. I know charges weren’t filed against Cable for punching his assistant, but Pacman Jones has also never been convicted of anything; yet he was suspended, fined and run out of the NFL….

So if Goodell holds to form, he’ll give a pass to Irsay and Polian while making Caldwell the scapegoat….

If he does anything at all….

After USC played in something called the Emerald Bowl, I turned on the TV yesterday afternoon and saw UCLA was playing Temple in something called the Eagle Bank Bowl….

I understand UCLA won the game, but I have a totally different feeling about their participation….

While USC should have rejected the offer from the Emerald representatives and then found a cave to hide in for a few months, a second-rate program like UCLA was correct to participate in a rinky-dink bowl….

USC has set a standard of excellence which should never include playing in garbage bowls, but UCLA is a school which doesn’t care about their football program and has been a non-entity for decades….

The Eagle Bank Bowl would be a humiliating experience for USC, but for UCLA it’s a reason to celebrate the end of an outstanding season….

So when I saw the Bruins celebrating their win, it didn’t offend me; because when you’re used to failure, a win over Temple is a great thing….

But when you’re used to success, an Emerald Bowl win over Boston College is an embarrassment….

It really doesn’t matter anyway, because once basketball season started there wasn’t a soul involved with the Bruins who watched football….

I’m not nearly the college basketball fan I used to be and hardly watch anymore, for three reasons: 1) The officiating is awful, with the zebras making ticky-tack calls almost every time down the floor and changing the outcomes of games. 2) The commercials have gotten to the point where the games are unwatchable; including March Madness. With eight TV timeouts and six coaches timeouts per game, in addition to fouls being called every second, there’s no way possible to sit through a game. 3) With all the elite players leaving after a year, there’s no continuity and not much reason to be a loyal fan….

But I did catch Kentucky yesterday and came to two conclusions: 1) The Wildcats have to be the best team in the country and 2) John Wall is one of the best players I’ve ever seen….

I’ve been reading about Wall and watching the highlights, but seeing him play live was something special….

This kid is spectacular and would be a household name had he played 20 years ago….

Not only is he a talented scorer, he’s also a brilliant playmaker; unselfish and finding his teammates in the right spots. He had 16 assists yesterday, breaking the all-time UK record, and is uncanny in his ability to penetrate, draw a defender and find an open teammate….

He not only finds his teammates, he gets the ball to the one who’s in position to catch and finish. And that’s what makes a great point guard….

He can knock down jump shots from distance, finish drives with spectacular dunks and has pure point guard skills. Unbelievable….

There’s no doubt he’ll be the first pick in the draft, it’s just a question of who’s lucky enough to get the right ping-pong ball….

He reminds me a lot of Derrick Rose, except Wall is a much better shooter….

Memo to my old friend Kurt Rambis: If your Timberwolves get the first pick, take Wall. I don’t care if you already have Johnny Flynn and possibly Ricky Rubio, you have to take Wall. Hell, if I already had Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Steve Nash and Chris Paul I’d still draft Wall….

A player like him doesn’t come around very often, and Kurt can’t be thinking he already has two promising PG’s and draft for need….

You know what drafting for need gets you? Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan….

I’m a believer in taking the best player available, regardless of your roster. And John Wall is by far the best player available….

On Saturday, I was sitting in my father’s house watching something called the Emerald Bowl, only because USC was playing. To be honest, I’d never heard of the game and had no idea it existed; but decided to watch to see how Troy would react to participating in such a meaningless and degrading event….

As the clock wound down and the Trojans were going to defeat Boston College, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing: Pete Carroll and his players actually celebrating and acting as if they’d accomplished something….

Instead of being embarrassed about finishing 5th in the Pac-10 and accepting a bid to this humiliating event, they acted as though they’d just won another Rose Bowl….

To put it in perspective, if they’d finished higher in the Pac-10 they would have gone to the Sun Bowl….

Yes, Christmas in El Paso is an upgrade over the Emerald Bowl….

That about says it all….

I would have hidden my head in shame and declined a bid to San Francisco, but I guess Carroll wanted the extra practice time and the chance to end the season with a win….

Maybe he’s right, but in my opinion the Emerald Bowl is beneath a great program such as USC and I would have stayed home and left it to the UCLA’s of the world….

As time ran out and the Trojans reacted as if another National Championship trophy was going to Heritage Hall, I turned to my dad and said “Can you believe this? This is like North Carolina, Duke or Kentucky celebrating winning the NIT.”….

My father responded with a great point: “No, winning the NIT takes five wins. USC winning this piece of crap bowl is like winning a first round NIT game. An NIT championship is much more prestigious than winning the Emerald Bowl.”

A brilliant observation and an example of how wisdom comes with age….

Than, after actually being happy about winning a game absolutely nobody cares about or watched, Carroll and the players were presented the fabled Emerald Bowl trophy, which they proudly carried around the field….

If I were in charge, as soon as the team returned to Los Angeles I’d dismantle the trophy and give it to the janitor to use for spare parts. Just the thought of that monument to failure sitting in Heritage Hall next to Heisman and National Championship trophies sickens me….

Please, Mike Garrett and Pete Carroll, if you decide to put that testament to mediocrity in Heritage Hall, at least have the decency to keep it in the basement or in a case with the women’s field hockey titles….

Wait, I have a better idea: How about keeping the Emerald Bowl hardware in the locker room, raised on a platform and surrounded by bright lights? This way, every player and coach would get a daily reminder of how much they embarrassed the university this season….

I don’t blame Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao for threatening to pull out of the Floyd Mayweather fight over Team Mayweather’s grandstanding attempt to disrupt Pacman. Forcing him to submit to Olympic-style drug testing; which means random, unannounced blood tests at any time of the day or night, including the day of the fight, is simply an attempt to rattle and unnerve Pacquiao….

Sure, Floyd would be subject to the same tests, but he’s used to the showmanship trash talking that’s going on. He knows Manny is already furious at Floyd Sr. for accusing him of steroid use and this is another attempt to rattle him….

So if I were Pacman, I’d call their bluff and cancel the fight unless they backed off. The Pretty Boy needs this fight a lot more than Manny, so I’d give them an ultimatum and then fight another opponent if Team Mayweather stood firm….

But my concern is this: Why in the hell is Paulie Malignagi going to be the replacement, instead of Shane Mosley? I know Mosley has a fight against Andre Berto on January 30, but this can easily be resolved….

Just give Berto some step-aside money and promise him the Pacquiao-Mosley winner….

Mosley-Pacquiao would do big box office and Shane would have a great chance to win, so why not?….

Malignaggi is a very good boxer with good hand speed and boxing skill, but has no chance against Pacman….

Paulie was overpowered by Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, neither of whom has the hand speed, skill or power of Manny. If this fight happens, Malignaggi would not be able to keep Pacquiao off of him and get stopped in the middle rounds….

This fight is a waste of time and if Pacquiao-Mayweather isn’t going to happen, we need to see Mosley-Pacquiao….

Of course, we all hope common sense prevails and Floyd-Manny can be saved; but if not let’s get another competitive fight ready….

If Mayweather sticks to the drug testing nonsense and actually gives up this fight, where does he go next? If the Pacquiao-Malignaggi fight is made, why not Mosley? Shane has been calling out the Pretty Boy for years and this is another big money, big box office, big PPV fight….

In reality, though, Floyd needs this Pacquiao fight for two reasons: 1) He claims to be the greatest fighter of all time, but his resume’ of opponents doesn’t back that up. He needs to step up to this challenge, tell his people to drop this whole drug testing thing and make the fight happen. Team Mayweather people work for him, not the other way around. 2) With his rumored IRS and money problems, Floyd simply cannot turn down a potential $30M payday….

I believe both fighters and the promoters realize how important this fight is for the sport and we’ll see the two of them in the MGM Grand Garden ring come March 13….