COWBOYS AND RAIDERS, I know it's just the preseason!

I have covered the Raiders for many years now and they usually play pretty well in the preseason and not so well in the regular season. I have covered the Cowboys for a few years but been a fan for a life time, and they usually don't win many preseason games but in the past few years, don't play well in the playoffs either. To the extent that they have not won a playoff game in ten years.

Both held true last night when the Cowboys took on the Raiders in Oakland loosing
31-10. Tony Romo continues to worry me. I don't see the Aikman like leadership or arm from Romo. How many chances does this guy get? The Cowboys felt that releasing T.O. who was the best wide receiver in football last year, was a better move for Romo and the Cowboys, I hope they are right but I don't see it. At best this is going to be a rocky road for the Cowboys this season. Barber looked good but can he stay healthy? What is more unbelievable is that Tony Romo's back up is Jon Kitna? Let me refresh your memory. Kitna was on the 0-16 Detroit roster last year. This is a disaster. Even the kicker looks bad!

The Raiders will do better. McFadden looks great. Russell looks like he is learning how to throw down field to a player who wears the same jersey that he does. Tom Cable WANTS to be there as a head coach for the Oakland Raiders and he has made some changes in the way this team is preparing for the season. What is also good for the Raiders is the AFC West is bad with the exception of San Diego.

For the Cowboys, the NFL East is always competitive. The pressure this year is clearly on the QB and coach. You got what you wanted, T.O. is gone. Hope Jerry Jones got rid of the right Cowboy.

VICK''S BACK IN EAGLE GREEN

Today the Philadelphia Eagles held a press conference and announced they have signed Michael Vick to their roster. The sooner that Mike Vick starts playing football, the sooner the circus will end for him and the Eagles. He is not the distraction, the media is making his presence a distraction. If Tony Dungy thinks that Mike Vick is ready to the extent that he has lobbied for him to return to the NFL, THAT is a huge positive.
You can harp on past indiscretions that Mike Vick committed but he paid his debt to society. He is doing charity work for animal rights groups. Only time will tell if he is truly on the right track in life but the fact that Tony Dungy is behind him, tells me alot. Dungy is a man who has integrity, faith, sense of community and happens to know the game of football.
I am not an Eagles fan but they did the right thing by giving Mike Vick a second chance. Donovan McNabb also fought for him to be a part of his team. I don't see any problems at QB. McNabb won't play forever and if Vick is still Vick on the field, that could be a very good thing for the Eagles.
Roger Goodell will fully reinstate Vick by week 6 which gives Vick time to get back into football shape. He also wants to see if Vick will continue on the right road as far as being a good person.
We shall see. I am just glad we are not talking about Brett Favre returning today!

Dodgers Hit a Bump, Fans Hit The Panic Button

I love covering sports in Los Angeles. I love the fact that everyone panics when the Lakers, Dodgers or Angels loose more that three games in a row, especially when they are all in first place in their divisions.

You see, sports franchises here are suppose to always win, no matter what or they are out of contention. Now people are a little more positive about the Lakers, a little more. When it comes to baseball, this is another story.

Before the All Star Break, the Dodgers had not lost three games in a row since September of last year. Quite an amazing stat. The Dodgers also had the best record in ALL OF BASEBALL. They also had a huge lead, eight games in the National League West. Now in the dog days of August, they hit a bump. Even after Manny Ramirez hit the most amazing Grand Slam on his bobblehead night, the Dodgers are in a slump. They are still five games over the Giants but they are playing them in San Francisco this week so everyone has hit the panic button. That is right before anyone even picks up a bat, the Dodgers are in trouble.

I am glad that Joe Torre does not think that way. Do they need another starting pitcher to make it in the playoffs? Of course. I do know that Ned Colletti is looking for a starting pitcher. I am still not completely sure why one of our many relievers can't be made a starter but that is for another day.

Everyone wants to know who is the leader on the Dodgers? Which player is the leader of the team? One thing I have learned in baseball unlike football who has a clear cut leader, (usually the QB) is that in baseball you have to have a strong organization behind you. Individual players, even star players don't lead. And no one even asks who the leader is when the team is winning. The leader in the Dodger locker room is Joe Torre. After loosing three out of four from Atlanta, Joe called a team meeting, he actually called two. They were private. Joe and the players. I always get a kick out of the writers who ask Joe what was said in the team meeting and he politely responds with, "If I had wanted you to know what was said, I would have invited you in".

Everyone needs to take a deep breathe and realize the Dodgers are still in first place. Even if they loose all three games in San Francisco, they will still be in first place. But I will tell you this. if the Dodgers do loose all three games, Dodger fans in Los Angeles will be counting down the days till the Lakers season starts...because the start of the season is the only time these fans seem to have any faith!