Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction Was Osama Bin Laden’s Fault

As Janet Jackson gets inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Friday night, it’s worth revisiting something she has in common with other members of the Rock Hall such as Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Prince and Tom Petty. That’s right, we’re talking about the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

It’s interesting to note that at this time 15 years ago, Jackson was still reeling from that night – Feb. 1, 2004 – when the world saw a little too much of her during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

The New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in that game, their second title in three years. The game was memorable … though not as memorable as the halftime show. Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” was seen by an international audience, and it created a backlash against the NFL and a hefty fine from the Federal Communications Commission levied against Viacom, parent company of CBS, which broadcast the game, and MTV, which produced the halftime show.

When Justin Timberlake, accidentally or not, grabbed a piece of Jackson’s dress to reveal her left breast, the FCC received more than half a million complaints. The FCC fined Viacom $550,000. Several years later, courts overturned that ruling and FCC officials admitted they had overreacted. But that was of little consolation to Jackson, who for a time had been blacklisted by Viacom and MTV following the incident.

Who was to blame for this fiasco? Osama Bin Laden, of course.

Here’s why: If not for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Janet Jackson would have been the headliner in the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show, and as a solo act, not with Timberlake. “She was booked prior to 9/11,” said Jim Steeg, the NFL’s VP of Events at the time. “But she wanted out after 9/11. She was afraid to be in the building, with all the security concerns.” Things turned out just fine for the NFL with that scenario, as they got U2 to perform the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show at the Louisiana Superdome, a show that became one of the most patriotic moments in sports history.

Two years later, MTV was producing the halftime show for the NFL, and they were pushing a hip-hop agenda that the league wasn’t eager to embrace. In addition the Jackson, MTV favorites P. Diddy, Nelly and Kid Rock were scheduled to be on stage.

“Janet was the tame act,” Steeg thought at the time. “Timberlake was a completely late addition. We thought those were the acts that were gonna tone it down.

“Little did we know.”

Cy Young or Not, Jacob deGrom Has Cemented His Place in History

Mets fans have agonized over the lack of run support that Jacob deGrom has received during his stellar 2018 season. DeGrom currently leads the majors with a 1.77 earned run average, yet his record sits at a mediocre 9-9. As the season winds down to a merciful end, a study of starting pitchers over the last 70 years that have cracked the 2.00 ERA barrier shows how truly historic – and tragic – deGrom’s season has been.

DeGrom’s final start of the season is Wednesday night, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Cy Young Award? That’s been a hot-button topic that will not be resolved with one more start.

What is at stake is this: A loss would make deGrom the first starting pitcher in the modern era to finish with an ERA under 2.00 and a win-loss record under .500. A no-decision would make him the first in the group with a non-winning record and also the first with fewer than 10 wins. And considering he’s had 13 no-decisions already this season – 42 percent of his starts – the odds say he’ll finish 2018 with a .500 record.

Again, these numbers in no way reflect badly on deGrom. It’s all about his historic lack of run support.

A few more nuggets that put this feat in historical perspective:

• In the last 70 years, a total of 27 starting pitchers have posted an ERA under 2.00. Sandy Koufax did it three times; Luis Tiant, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Clayton Kershaw have done it twice.

• Of the 34 times it’s been done in that span, 17 of those seasons ended with a Cy Young Award. The sub-2.00 ERA helped produce a 20-win season 18 times.

• In 1968, six different pitchers had an ERA under 2.00 – led by Bob Gibson and his incomprehensible 1.12 ERA. Think about this: Tommy John, who allowed 1.98 runs per nine innings pitching for the Chicago White Sox that season, finished sixth in ERA.

• Tommy John went 10-5 in 1968 – the lowest win total among the 27 pitchers who had a sub-2.00 ERA.

• The closest any of these pitchers has come to a losing record was Sam McDowell, who went 15-14 for the Cleveland Indians in 1968, despite a 1.81 ERA. Unlike the 2018 Mets, the 1968 Indians finished with a winning record. That said, their team batting average was a paltry .234 (the ’18 Mets currently sit at .236.

• In 25 of the 34 sub-2.00 ERA seasons, the pitcher won at least twice as many games as he lost.

• The average win-loss record for these 34 seasons: 20-8. So in terms of history, deGrom is right about on average in terms of losses. But he’s a long way from the average win total.

Of course, Mets fans know that’s not deGrom’s fault.

Here’s a breakdown of the sub-2.00 ERAs over the last 70 years:

Year	Pitcher, Team	ERA	W-L
1955	Billy Pierce, White Sox	1.97	15-10
1963	Sandy Koufax, Dodgers	1.88	25-5
1964	Dean Chance, Angels	1.65	20-9
1964	Joe Horlen, White Sox	1.88	13-9
1964	Sandy Koufax, Dodgers	1.74	19-5
1966	Sandy Koufax, Dodgers	1.73	27-9
1966	Gary Peters, White Sox	1.98	12-10
1968	Bob Gibson, Cardinals	1.12	22-9
1968	Luis Tiant, Indians	1.60	21-9
1968	Sam McDowell, Indians	1.81	15-14
1968	Dave McNally, Orioles	1.95	22-10
1968	Denny McLain, Tigers	1.96	31-6
1968	Tommy John, White Sox	1.98	10-5
1971	Tom Seaver, Mets	1.76	20-10
1971	Vida Blue, Athletics	1.82	24-8
1971	Wilbur Wood, White Sox	1.87	22-13
1972	Luis Tiant, Red Sox	1.61	15-6
1972	Gaylord Perry, Indians	1.92	24-16
1972	Steve Carlton, Phillies	1.97	27-10
1972	Gary Nolan, Reds	1.99	15-5
1978	Ron Guidry, Yankees	1.74	25-3
1985	Doc Gooden, Mets	1.53	24-4
1985	John Tudor, Cardinals	1.93	21-8
1990	Roger Clemens, Red Sox	1.93	21-6
1994	Greg Maddux, Braves	1.56	16-6
1995	Greg Maddux, Braves	1.63	19-2
1996	Kevin Brown, Marlins	1.89	17-11
1997	Pedro Martinez, Expos	1.90	17-8
2000	Pedro Martinez, Red Sox	1.74	18-6
2005	Roger Clemens, Astros	1.87	13-8
2013	Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers	1.83	16-9
2014	Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers	1.77	21-3
2015	Zack Greinke, Dodgers	1.66	19-3
2015	Jake Arrieta, Cubs	1.77	22-6

Take the Quiz: Which Oscar-Nominated Sports Movies Are Based On True Stories?

For those too young to recall the events chronicled in "I, Tonya," which is nominated for three Academy Awards this year, raise your hand if you saw the movie and thought, "No way is this based on a true story!"

There have been several sports movies good enough for Oscar consideration over the years -- some based on true stories and others pure fiction. So... here's a quiz to see if you know the difference.

We’ll provide a brief description of 10 sports movies that have been honored at the Academy Awards -- five that are based on true stories and five that are total fiction. Can you guess which is which?

First, a few movies that we will not include here:

Rocky: Sylvester Stallone had always maintained that Rocky’s story was fiction – until recently admitting that it was “loosely based” on the career of real-life New Jersey boxer Chuck Wepner.

Heaven Can Wait: Los Angeles Rams QB Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) is killed in a car accident, but when his guardian angel realizes that Pendleton was taken too soon, he returns to Earth in a different body. (This story is almost as unbelievable as a backup quarterback leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their first NFL title in 78 years.)

Field of Dreams: If the story of Shoeless Joe Jackson and other long-dead Hall of Fame baseball players coming back to life in an Iowa cornfield isn’t true, why do so many fans visit that field every summer?

So, yeah, it’s too easy to guess that stories involving reincarnation and ghosts are not based on true stories. Let’s see how you fare with these:

1) Million Dollar Baby: The 2004 Best Picture also earned Hilary Swank the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a tough female amateur boxer being mentored by grizzled trainer Clint Eastwood.

2) Chariots of Fire: The 1981 Best Picture honoree tells the story of two runners competing in the 1924 Olympics. As the movie poster says, “This is the story of two men who run … not to run … but to prove something to the world.”

3) Raging Bull: Martin Scorsese’s 1980 masterpiece about the turbulent life of a retired boxing champion. Many people think it was a crime that “Raging Bull” lost out to “Kramer vs. Kramer” for Best Picture, but the movie did earn a Best Actor Oscar for Robert DeNiro.

4) The Hustler: The story of young pool star “Fast” Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) taking on the champ, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason), was nominated for Best Picture in 1961 – and it’s also credited with sparking a resurgence in the sport.

5) Jerry Maguire: Tom Cruise was nominated for Best Actor, playing the super-agent. Cuba Gooding Jr., who won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Cardinals receiver Rod Tidwell, had one of the best Oscaracceptance speeches of all-time.

6) The Blind Side: Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for this 2009 film about the white family in Tennessee that takes in an African-American high school football star from a broken home.

7) Hoosiers: In this 1986 classic, Gene Hackman plays coach Norman Dale, who leads a tiny Indiana high school to the state basketball championship in 1954.

8) Breaking Away: In this 1979 Best Picture nominee, a group of blue-collar teens from Bloomington, Indiana, enter the Little 500 bicycle race.

9) The Wrestler: Mickey Rourke was nominated for Best Actor for this 2008 portrayal of a down-and-out former professional wrestler battling health issues and internal demons.

10) The Hurricane: Denzel Washington was nominated for Best Actor in 1999, playing Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a middleweight contender who is wrongly convicted of murder.

---

How’d you do? Like “I, Tonya,” here are the five movies that were based on a true story: 2, 3, 6, 7, 10

Some

How Bill Parcells and I Helped the Saints Win the Super Bowl

Saints coach Sean Payton, talking on Radio Row Friday morning, mentioned that he still speaks to Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells regularly. Which got me to reminiscing about the famous meeting these two coaches had prior to Super Bowl XLIV – right after I thought Parcells had busted me.

Here’s how it went down…

It’s Monday of Super Bowl week in 2010, and the Saints are getting ready to play the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida. As senior editor of NFL.com, I was getting ready to moderate a live online chat with Parcells, then president of the Miami Dolphins. Before leaving the media center to meet Parcells at the Dolphins’ facility, one of our NFL.com writers was telling me that he was having a hard time reaching Parcells. Since Payton was a longtime assistant Parcells, the writer wanted Tuna’s take on how the Saints coach might approach the big game.

No problem, I told my writer. The chat was going to be me asking Parcells questions submitted by fans. I’ll just slip in your question, couched as a fan’s query, and you can use the answer in your story. Easy.

It was a rainy Monday when we arrived at the Dolphins facility. The Saints were on their way as well – they would be practicing later that afternoon on the Dolphins’ practice field. I’m with my friend and colleague, Gil Brandt, who helped set up the chat. We meet with Parcells and set up in the PR director’s office. The live chat begins.

After getting a couple of questions in, I’m ready to get my writer his quote. Even though it’s not technically a fan-submitted question, I decide to keep it semi-authentic by using the writer’s first name and hometown when asking the question:

“Steve from Atlanta wants to know, How will Sean Payton …” I don’t remember the exact question, but that’s irrelevant. I ask it and get ready to type in the answer. Parcells pauses, then turns to Gil sitting next to him.

“That guy’s been trying to call me all week,” Parcells says.

Oh, shit. “Steve from Atlanta” was all he needed to hear to know we were pulling a fast one. I’m busted… by Bill Parcells. I froze.

Parcells continued his aside to Gil: “Well, his team is coming over here now for practice, so I guess I’ll talk to him then.”

Ohhhh… He wasn’t talking about Steve from Atlanta calling him all week. He was talking about Payton. Not sure if my sigh of relief was visible to the others in the room, but it felt like I just got a death row pardon.

The rest of the chat went smoothly. Steve from Atlanta got his quote and wrote a great story, as usual. But here’s the other significant follow-up…

As we were leaving the facility, the Saints had just arrived. Parcells met in private with Payton after the team practice. And it was there that Parcells told Payton something that arguably gave the Saints a Super Bowl victory. Parcells told Payton he should be bold on special teams and think about doing something to steal a possession.

That was the spark that led Payton to call for an onside kick to start the second half of Super bowl XLIV. The Saints recovered and never looked back, capturing the franchise’s first and only NFL crown.

Parcells can officially take credit for winning two Super Bowls with the Giants, and he can take a little credit for the Saints’ win.

Me? Not so much. But who knows? The facts are these: Parcells was talking to me for half an hour, then he gave Sean Payton advice that helped the Saints win the Super Bowl.

Sounds like I can take a little credit, right?

Why the Philadelphia Eagles Will Win Super Bowl LII

When it comes to sports, fate can be a funny thing. In this day and age of analytics, where numbers tell the story and there is no shortage of information at one’s disposal to predict the outcome of a sporting event, is there any room left to fate?

Hell yes.

It’s really all a matter of fate, since fate can be interpreted in any direction. Super Bowl LII is the ultimate example.

After all, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles are fairly evenly matched. They had identical 13-3 records during the regular season. They finished tied for second in the NFL in scoring offense (28.6 points per game). The Eagles were fourth in scoring defense (18.4 ppg) while the Patriots were a tick behind in fifth (18.5).

Statistically, the biggest difference is in defensive yards allowed. The Eagles ranked fourth overall, allowing 306.5 yards per game, while the Patriots ranked 29^th (366.0). Philadelphia’s top-ranked run defense allowed just 79.2 yards per game, while New England came in at 20 (114.8).

We’ll concede that the mere presence of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at least balances out the Eagles’ edge on defense. Okay, maybe they more than balance the spreadsheet.

So let’s bring fate into the mix. Not only are the Eagles long overdue to win it all -- they haven’t been crowned NFL champions since 1960 – but the Patriots have captured the Lombardi Trophy five times in the last 16 years. That’s downright obscene.

But here’s the thing: It’s not just that the New England Patriots are due to lose. It’s that they have been creeping ever so close to getting that comeuppance. Give Brady and Belichick all the credit in the world, but there’s no denying this basic truth: Their opponents did plenty to help them win their last two Super Bowls.

The Seahawks gave them Super Bowl XLIX with a terrible call at the goal line, allowing Malcolm Butler to make a game-saving interception instead of letting Marshawn Lynch run for a game-winning score with 20 seconds left.

Last year, the Patriots amazingly came back from a 28-3 deficit to upend the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Sure, the comeback was magnificent. But it’s wrong not to pin that loss on Atlanta’s inability to kill the clock.

The Patriots are truly one of the best teams in NFL history, a dynasty of the 21^st Century. It would be totally unfair to call them lucky… but isn’t it fair to say that they’ve had some good fortune in those last two Super Bowl wins?

Even this season, fortune smiled on them. Shouldn’t they have lost that Week 15 game in Pittsburgh? First, the Steelers had a game-winning Jesse James TD catch overturned. Then safety Duron Harmon picked off a rushed Ben Roethlisberger pass at the goal line to seal the win. Without that victory, Pittsburgh would have been the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the playoffs might have been different.

That’s as far as I’ll take it. The Jaguars didn’t choke in the AFC title game. The Patriots more than earned their fourth-quarter comeback win over Jacksonville.

Still, it was yet another case of New England tempting fate. How many lives does this cat have?

Simply put: The Eagles are overdue to win a championship, and the Patriots are due to come up short.

Eagles 23, Patriots 20

Here Are 3 Great NFL-Related Odd Couple Episodes

Happy Odd Couple Day!

That’s right, you know what we’re talking about:

“On November 13th, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence… That request came from his wife.”

There have been many iterations of The Odd Couple, from stage to screen to television. The movie version with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau was a classic, but it’s hard to top the original TV series that aired on ABC from 1970-75, starring Tony Randall as Felix and Jack Klugman as Oscar.

As the show gained popularity, it featured some notable guest appearances. And having one of the main characters be a successful sportswriter made it easy to incorporate big names from the sports world into storylines.

There was the episode where they tried to set up Oscar’s secretary, Myrna (Penny Marshall). One of the potential suitors is a European placekicker played by former Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian. Appropriately, the only English word he speaks is “Kick!”

In “That Was No Lady,” Felix falls for a woman he thinks is single. Turns out she’s married to a jealous pro linebacker played by Alex Karras. This was three years after Karras retired from the NFL and one year before his memorable turn as Mongo in “Blazing Saddles.” (Karras, of course, went on to play a not-so-tough guy as the dad in ‘80s sitcom “Webster.”)

Howard Cosell appeared twice in the series. In the final season, Oscar hired real-life comedian Jack Carter to write him some good Cosell insults (thus the episode title, “Your Mother Wears Army Boots”). But it was Cosell’s first appearance, in 1972, that was among the best Odd Couple episodes ever.

In fact, three episodes with NFL cameos are among the best in the series. Here they are:

“Big Mouth” (air date, Sept. 22, 1972) – The first of two appearances by “Monday Night Football” play-by-play man Howard Cosell. This one establishes the feud between Cosell and Oscar, and it also features a cameo – at least in highlight form – from Roger Staubach.

The episode includes two visits to the “Monday Night Football” booth. The first time, Felix suggests to Cosell that there are some things he can do to fix his nasal twang, to which Cosell fires back: “That nasal twang is the single most identifiable voice in broadcasting!”

The second visit comes during a Cowboys-Giants game, and Cosell aims to embarrass Oscar by handing him the mike to call a play. When Oscar freezes, Felix grabs the mike and pretends to be Oscar, proceeding to make one of the greatest play-by-play calls in football history:

“Staubach takes the snap from center. He fakes a handoff to Duane Thomas elegantly and fades back to pass. He’s looking for a receiver. He can’t find one. He’s scrambling… He’s scrambling with the dexterity of a lizard. … And now he looks to run with it himself. And he’s stopped cold at the line of scrimmage. No gain on the play! … No gain, but a lesson for us all. And what is that lesson? It is the lesson that is the message of all sports. Try, try again. For all men, no matter what their race, creed or color (looking at an African-American in the booth), no matter who they are, more than money is the love of fair play… And speaking of fair play, this is Oscar Madison signing off and reminding you that a quitter never wins and a winner never quits.”

Cosell then takes back the mike and says, “Ladies and gentleman, I’ll recap the three plays you just missed right after this announcement.”

Here’s the full episode (skip to the 22-minute mark to see Felix’s play-by-play)

“Felix’s First Commercial” (Nov. 3, 1972) – Felix gets to direct a commercial, but only if Oscar can get his friend, NFL star Deacon Jones, to be in it. And Deacon will only do it if Oscar can be in the commercial with him.

(Full disclosure: I once interviewed Jones for NFL.com, I think around 2002 or so. When I got him on the phone, I prefaced the interview by telling him that I was a big Odd Couple fan and his appearance on the show was one of my favorites. “Goddamit!” said Deacon. “I’m in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, one of the most feared pass rushers in football history, and all anyone wants to talk to me about is when I was on the Odd Couple and the Brady Bunch.” I think he was half-kidding, not sure. My instinct was to say I didn’t really want to talk about his appearance on the Brady Bunch, but instead I skipped the whole thing and went straight into football questions.)

Watch a clip from the episode

“Take My Furniture, Please” (March 9, 1973) – Felix sets out to redecorate the apartment. The whole episode is so great that Bubba Smith’s cameo is almost an afterthought. Smith, playing himself, is in Oscar’s office for an interview when Felix shows up seeking Oscar’s approval on samples of their new drapes. As a precursor to his future comedic work in the “Police Academy” movies, Smith is great as football-star-turned-interior-decorator -- “I’ve tackled that color before,” he says.

When asked about his formal dining area, Smith deadpans, “I just did mine in blue and white, trimmed in gold. Looks great and the chicks love it.”

Here’s the full episode (go to the 9-minute mark to see Bubba’s part)

Sad State of Web Editing

It was a Friday morning, and I was putting the finishing touches on a manuscript about NBA star Kevin Durant. This was for a youth publication -- 9,000 or so well-crafted words geared toward high school-aged kids.

It was for a series of books being written about the Golden State Warriors’ triumphant 2016-17 season, in which they defeated LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Championship. Durant’s story was of particular interest. He was already an established superstar last summer when he signed a free-agent contract to join the Warriors, who had already been to two straight NBA Finals without him, winning it all in 2015.

Durant received plenty of criticism for signing with Golden State, but he played through it, helped his new team recapture the title, and was named MVP of the Finals.

Anyway, I was just browsing the web in search of some information for one last sidebar when I came across the following headline:

Kevin Durant recants Golden State Warriors’ season, title run in new video

Wait, what?

The longest chapter in my manuscript is all about “that championship season.” All that work I put into detailing the events that led to winning the title … Durant is disavowing it?

How was this not front-page news?

Of course, a quick perusal of the article confirmed what I really thought: The person who wrote that headline doesn’t know what “recant” means.

From the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Recant: to withdraw or repudiate (a statement or belief) formally and publicly

The Warriors’ season and title run doesn’t qualify as a statement or belief, so the headline wouldn’t make sense even if there were some weird, negative angle. No, it was simply a story about this video in which Durant was looking back on last season.

Reflecting.

Reminiscing.

Recounting.

Yes, that’s what the headline was supposed to be: Kevin Durant recounts Golden State Warriors’ season, title run in new video.

Should we give the editor the benefit of the doubt? Maybe he or she meant to write “recounts” but misspelled it. Autocorrect -- not having any context -- changed it to “recants.” Of course, then it’s just a terrible editing job.

I know what you’re thinking… It’s way too easy to pick on digital media outlets for their shabby writing and editing skills. But there are two aspects of this egregious error that really stick out:

For starters, this likely wasn’t just a careless typo or bad grammar. It wasn’t a millennial who thinks text shorthand – like thru instead of through -- is okay for headlines. No, this was a vocabulary-related offense. It was just ironic that the wrongly used word completely reversed the intended meaning of the headline.

On top of that, it should be noted that this story was originally published on a major media site that actually employs writers and editors. Because my intent is not to shame any particular source, there’s no need to call them out here. But make no mistake, the headline was not written by a blogger in a basement.

That said, you can easily find the source by dropping that headline into your browser. And therein lies another problem. If you Google that headline you’ll find the original source – plus a dozen other blogs and/or newsfeeds that picked it up. Some are clearly feeds that automatically pick up the original headline, but a few are blogs created by humans who lazily re-ran the original headline and didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

Either way, it’s a sad state of affairs. And it’s not simply a matter of us grumpy old journalism school grads making too big a deal out of grammar and spelling (and vocabulary, for crying out loud).

Last week, I was talking to a buddy of mine who is an NFL reporter for a major sports website. His work is read by millions. Recently, his boss asked him to add a new person to the distribution list when he emails stories to the desk. It was the new editorial intern, he was told, and there’s a chance the intern might be the one editing your story.

Good for the intern, I guess. At most major sports sites, the editorial intern might get to edit wire stories or game recaps. But the only set of eyes on the NFL insider’s news stories?

I repeat, It’s a sad state of affairs.

And that is a statement I will not recant.

Gil Brandt for the Hall of Fame

Well, that was depressing... On the one hand, I'm glad that when Peter King invited his readers to submit their 250-word essays on why their candidate should be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, two people saw fit to write essays about the great Gil Brandt.

The MMQB published the best essays here, and one of the Brandt essays made the cut. Sadly, and shamefully, it wasn't mine.

Yup, I took the time to submit an essay. Brandt may never make it to the Hall -- as an inductee, at least -- but he deserves to be recognized for his tremendous achievements and contributions. Not only to the Dallas Cowboys but to the National Football League as a whole.

So anyway, nothing against Henry Martinez of Ennis, Texas (I'm glad he and I share our affinity for Gil), but I'm just a little bummed MMQB didn't run my essay.

So, of course, I'm happy to share it with you here...

The case for Gil Brandt

Die-hard Dallas Cowboys fans know and appreciate Gil Brandt for his role as the architect of what became known as America’s Team. But Brandt did more than just scout and draft the likes of Roger Staubach and Bob Hayes and Randy White. As a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame under the “Contributor” category, Brandt fits that description better than anyone.

Owners and GMs “contribute” to the game in fairly specific ways, but Brandt blazed a path that did not exist before he joined the Cowboys in 1960. The scouting methods and strategies that he implemented have become commonplace throughout the NFL.

Whether it was paying closer attention to the small schools and historically black colleges, recognizing that track stars and basketball players might succeed playing football, projecting the ability of a player to switch positions, or being the first NFL organization to incorporate the use of computers into its scouting process, Brandt was ahead of his time.

Brandt was an important part of the triumvirate, along with Tom Landry and Tex Schramm, that made the Cowboys what they were. Landry and Schramm are both in the Hall. Brandt’s relevancy cannot be denied. Even after his days with the Cowboys, the NFL has employed him to identify the college prospects they invite to New York for the draft every year.

Can the history of the NFL be written without Gil Brandt? Probably, but it would be very different, in many ways.

This week's ultimate fantasy sleeper

How's this for a ballsy pick in daily fantasy football: Seahawks backup RB Robert Turbin gets the start!

Why not? In my weekly "Value Picks" article for DFSEdge.com, I undertake the following exercise: Build a roster each week that includes the most expensive QB, RB, WR and TE ... and then try to fill in the rest of my roster with underpriced guys so I'm still under the salary cap.

Of course, that means my lineup includes Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, Jimmy Graham and either Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning every single week. I can live with that.

Depending on the daily site being used, there are different combinations of rosters. I prefer sites like FantasyAces.com, since they have spots for two quarterbacks. So after you splurge on the highest-priced guy, you can still find a nice value pick to select.

Anyway, after doing pretty well last week by picking Dolphins RB Lamar Miller (who had 10 carries for 3 yards the previous week), I decided to really push the envelope in Week 3 -- taking a chance that Seattle will give backup RB Robert Turbin a good chunk of action this week against the woeful Jacksonville Jaguars.

Here's the line of thinking: Marshawn Lynch was a true beast last week, carrying the ball 28 times against the physical 49ers defense in a divisional grudge match on national TV. Next week, the Seahawks travel to Houston for a marquee matchup -- Super Bowl preview? -- against the Texans.

So a home game against the worst team in the NFL is a perfect opportunity to give Lynch a breather and let Turbin -- who had six carries for 30 yards himself last week -- have a chance to shine.

Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Sure, it's a little risky, but I love the potential here.

For all my value picks this week, check out my DFSEdge.com article.

Countdown to Kaepernick injury

Peter King had a note in MMQB a few weeks ago about how Colin Kaepernick was working with a speed trainer during the offseason. This was supposed to strike fear into the hearts of NFL defenses. More likely, defensive coordinators are saying to themselves, “Bring it on.”

Speed wasn’t exactly a weakness for Kaepernick, already one of the fastest quarterbacks in the NFL. He took over the starting gig for the San Francisco 49ers midway through the 2012 season and led them to the Super Bowl by making big plays with both his arm and his feet. He earned a place among the league’s exciting new breed of QB, alongside Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson, running the read option and pistol, and whatever else you want to call it.

Problem is, Kaepernick's time would have been better spent studying opposing defenses or working out with his receivers. I’m not saying he didn’t do that, but it should have been a much greater focus than speed training.

Because unless Kaepernick runs out of bounds or scores a touchdown every time he ventures out of the pocket, he will certainly get hit more than the average NFL quarterback. And he WILL get injured this season.

For all of Robert Griffin III’s exciting play as a rookie last season, he didn’t make it all the way through. Close, but not close enough. Kaepernick made it, but he didn’t become the starter in San Francisco until Week 11.

In his seven regular-season starts last year, Kaepernick averaged six rushing attempts per game and overall for the season he finished with 31.9 rushing yards per game. That was good for fourth among quarterbacks. Two of the three QBs who rushed for more yards per game – RGIII and Michael Vick – missed some playing time due to injury. The third was Cam Newton, who’s got 15 pounds on Kaepernick.

Maybe Kaepernick would have been better served building muscle mass during the offseason as opposed to working on his speed.

It will certainly be interesting to see how offenses evolve this season after last year’s success with the read option and pistol. No doubt, defensive coordinators have been working hard throughout the offseason to devise a plan to stop the spread of the passing attacks that have moved rapidly from the college landscape to the pros.

The one thing they know they can do: When the QB is out of the pocket, hit him. New rules that protect ball carriers will not prevent running quarterbacks from being hit hard by linebackers who smell blood.

Will the extra speed make a difference for Kaepernick? At times, absolutely. There will be occasions when his added speed and quickness helps him buy more time – in or out of the pocket – to find an open receiver and make a big play. There will be times when he is forced to scramble and that extra burst helps him elude a defender and make a big run.

Kaepernick is certainly a rising star in the league. And he is a strong passer. The concern isn’t his skill set – it’s his mind set. Great quarterbacks – all great players, for that matter – constantly strive to get better.

Kaepernick is already good but there’s always room for improvement. Alas, speed was not an area he needed to improve upon.

Deacon Jones was a force of nature on and off the field

Deacon Jones passed away Monday night. The NFL has lost a legendary player and a legendary character.

I remember the first time I spoke to Deacon Jones. As a fanatical fan of “The Odd Couple” – every sportswriter’s favorite TV show – I was compelled to tell Jones how much I enjoyed the episode in which he played himself and helped Oscar and Felix film a TV commercial.

“Goddammit!” Jones shouted through the phone. “I’m in the goddam Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the only thing people want to talk about is 'The Odd Couple' and 'The Brady Bunch!'”

Of course, that’s not entirely true. The reason I was talking to him in the first place was for a story about the Hall of Fame. Plus, I really didn't care about his turn on "The Brady Bunch."

The irony of Jones’ stellar appearance on “The Odd Couple” is that he was portrayed as a stoic figure, a man of very few words. And as everyone who knew Deacon Jones could attest, the Hall of Fame defensive end was anything but stoic.

After Jones takes control of the Multiblade commercial that Felix is directing in the show, Felix congratulates him on his performance by exclaiming, “That’s speakin’, Deacon!”

When it came to “speakin’,” Jones was an all-star. In fact, the only thing he was better at doing was terrorizing NFL quarterbacks as a member of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome." In addition to coining the term “sack,” he remains the unofficial career leader in that category – a stat that was not kept when he played. The bottom line: Few defensive players could disrupt an opposing offense like Deacon Jones.

What made Jones so great? He certainly had the skill and the physical ability. I once got to see Deacon personally demonstrate his patented head slap – a move so devastating it became illegal in today’s NFL.

But probably what made Jones a dominant force on the football field, more than physical talent and technique, was what made him such a dominant force in life: his passion. Listening to Jones speak, it was easy to understand what drove him in everything he did.

It’s that passion that made him a fixture in Canton, Ohio, when Hall of Famers gathered every summer to welcome a new class of enshrinees. Along with the late Ray Nitschke – another fiery defensive stalwart whose character led him to be a hit in TV and movie cameos – Jones was among the most vocal Hall of Famers. Nitschke and Jones were the driving forces of the Friday luncheon during Enshrinement Weekend, where they would hammer home to the new HOF class what it meant to be part of the Hall.

According to Hall of Famer Willie Lanier, it was Jones who first talked to his fellow members about how being a part of the Hall of Fame meant you were now a member of the only team from which you can never be cut – even when you die.

Indeed, Deacon Jones will be missed… but he can rest in peace knowing that he will always be a member of the greatest football team of all-time.

The Curious Case of Rams WR Chris Givens

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Chris Givens turned in one heck of a bizarre statistical anomaly last season.

While doing some research for a stat-based feature in the 2013 Lindy’s Fantasy Football preview magazine, I came across the record-tying stretch that Givens enjoyed during his rookie season in the NFL. The record is impressive enough. Upon further review, however, it’s remarkable because of what he did the rest of the season.

After being drafted in the fourth round last year out of Wake Forest, Givens began his rookie season quietly, catching two passes for nine yards in his first three games. Then, in Week 4, he caught a 52-yard pass in the Rams’ upset win over the Seahawks.

That long haul was the first of a five-week run in which he caught a pass of at least 50 yards in each game. The five straight games with a 50-yard catch tied a record that had been set by one-time Olympics sprinter Willie Gault with the Bears.

Here’s the anomaly: If a receiver has one catch for 50 yards or more, you’d think that’s a good foundation to produce a 100-yard game. And yet, Givens did not have a single 100-yard game in this stretch. The most yards he had in any of those five games was 85, in a Week 6 loss at Miami. Givens had a 65-yard catch in that game, but only had two other receptions for a total of 20 yards.

Over that five-game stretch, Givens caught 11 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. While five of those catches accounted for 274 yards, the other six receptions produced a paltry 50 yards.

Adding to the question over whether Givens is a budding big-play star or a flash in the pan: After that wacky five-game stretch, he fell off the map.

Givens had amassed 324 yards in that five-game run. After the bye week, he missed the next game with a toe injury, then started the last seven games of the season. But he only had 29 catches for 365 yards in those seven contests.

From Weeks 4-8, Givens averaged 29.5 yards per catch.

From Weeks 11-17, he averaged 12.6 yards per catch.

So which Chris Givens will we see in 2013?

Richard Sherman is an expert on ADHD (not)

It’s one thing to take a professional athlete’s quotes out of context. That’s unfortunate. It’s another thing to take what a professional athlete says about, oh, science, and assume without question said athlete knows what he’s talking about.

We are alluding to the curious case of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman – and it’s curious for many reasons.

It started last season when Sherman was suspended for allegedly taking Adderall – a drug used for ADD and ADHD patients that is banned by the NFL without a doctor’s prescription. Sherman’s suspension was overturned upon appeal. Sherman adamantly denies ever taking Adderall. And since he obviously doesn’t know why NFL players might use Adderall as a “performance enhancer,” I tend to believe him.

Sherman appeared on NFL Network’s “NFL AM” Thursday morning to explain that a Vancouver newspaper had taken his quotes out of context when he said “half the league” takes Adderall.

That’s fine. We get that he was exaggerating. Problem is, he went on to explain to “NFL AM” that the reason players take Adderall is because it helps them get ultra-focused, thus enhancing their performance. This is wrong on two levels.

For starters, people with ADD and ADHD do not take Adderall to get ultra-focused. For these patients, Adderall is not a “performance enhancer,” but rather a performance enabler. I know this because my 12-year-old son has a severe case of ADHD. He takes a different drug, but it’s in the same family as Adderall. It helps him stay focused enough to get by. It doesn’t give him an advantage over his peers. It merely gives him a chance.

But here’s the real issue: Adderall has a different effect on people who don’t have ADD or ADHD. Adderall is a stimulant. Instead of asking Richard Sherman about it, maybe ask a doctor… like the psychologist who’s been treating my son for years:

“When people without ADD or ADHD take these meds, they act as a stimulant, like speed.”

Speed. Yeah, that’s always been a popular performance-enhancing drug for professional athletes, right? That would make it easier to understand why many players might want to find a way to have Adderall prescribed.

There’s no simple medical test for ADD and ADHD, so it’s conceivable an athlete can talk his way into an Adderall prescription. The resulting perception is not that it’s a growing epidemic; the perception is that many ADD and ADHD patients don’t really need medicine but use it to get an edge. That’s a terribly unfair depiction for someone like my son, who would not be able to keep up in middle school without the drug, let alone play organized sports at any serious level.

But go ahead, sports media, let the athletes have their say and take what is said as gospel. That’s good for business.

Rutgers' most famous alum chimes in

What would the school’s most famous alum say about the current Rutgers scandal?

“Oh, Rutgers, you’ve done it again!”

Okay, well that’s a reference to Rutgers’ most famous fictional alum – Mr. Magoo.

You remember, Magoo, right? One of the early stars of animation. One of Magoo’s traits was that he was blind as a bat, even with those giant spectacles. Had he been shown the videotape of Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice physically and verbally abusing his players, Magoo probably would have reacted the same way school president Robert Barchi did – ignorantly.

Another black eye for college athletics. More importantly, though, any big news about Rutgers is an opportunity for me to fondly recall my experience with the Rutgers/Mr. Magoo connection:

Back in the summer of 1985, I was an intern at SPORT Magazine (like Magoo, a classic that’s no longer around). Working in the research department, I was enlisted to help writer David Whitford with a story he was doing on the seemingly perennial woes of Rutgers athletics. Whitford wanted to reference Magoo, who was often pictured in the cartoons sitting alone in the bleachers, waving a pennant and chanting “Rah, rah, rah for Rutgers!”

My mission: Find out why Mr. Magoo was a Rutgers fan.

Funny thing is, this was long before the internet made such research easier – yet the information I got cannot be found in a cursory web search today.

I started making calls to anyone associated with United Pictures of America, the company that produced and distributed Magoo. It was going nowhere. Then, out of the blue, I found myself talking to a man named Millard Kaufman – the creator of Mr. Magoo. Paydirt!

Why is Mr. Magoo a Rutgers’ fan? I asked. “Because he’s an alum, of course,” was the reply. Which led to my next question: Why did he go to Rutgers?

Kaufman explained that it made sense that a lovable loser like Magoo would be from New Jersey, and he would surely stay close to home for college.

“And,” Kaufman explained matter-of-factly, “Magoo wasn’t smart enough to go to Princeton.”

Five final thoughts, including a Super Bowl prediction

Five thoughts as we close out Super Bowl week and get set for the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens to square off in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on Sunday (and yes, we have a prediction):

1) The brother of all press conferences. Did you catch the presser Friday morning with Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh? Great move by the NFL to switch up the traditional Friday plan in which the two Super Bowl head coaches hold their final media availabilities in separate pressers at the media center.

Pretty cool, eh? But here’s the thing: Why can’t they do that every year? Think about how cool it would have been last year if Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin were sitting next to each other as they faced the media together. (Or next year, when it will be John Fox and Pete Carroll.) C’mon, NFL, let’s make this happen.

2) Moss ado about nothing. It doesn’t take much to throw NFL writers, bloggers and talking heads into a frenzy. That was never in question, but Randy Moss just hammered it home.

It’s one thing to report on the fact that Moss declared himself the best wide receiver of all-time at Media Day. And it’s okay to take him seriously. But it’s ludicrous to take Moss’ comment and use it to launch into a lengthy statistic and analytical breakdown on the subject.

While Moss might very well be the second-best receiver of all time (because he is), he’s not worthy of Jerry Rice. Simple. Done. So many great stories and angles were either overshadowed or just ignored in favor of piling on the Moss remarks. What a waste.

3) Social misfits. I’ve always enjoyed following my old friends from the NFL media world on Twitter, but this week has been tough. More than gaining solid insight into the game, this week’s Twitter experience has been all about seeing and hearing who is dining at what famous N’Awlins establishment or gallivanting down Bourbon Street. Am I jealous? Yes, I am. I’m also intrigued about what Twitter will have in store for us next year, when the Super Bowl comes to the New York area. With so many varied opportunities in Manhattan, I fully expect more interesting food choices, celebrity sightings and questionable nightlife decisions to be broadcast via Twiiter next year.

4) Most underplayed stat. Between the Harbaughs, Ray Lewis, Colin Kaepernick and Joe Flacco, there wasn’t much room to focus on lower-profile players who could make a big impact in this game, but the one player we oughta keep an eye on Sunday is Jacoby Jones. The Ravens led the NFL with an average of 27.3 yards per kickoff return. Jones averaged 30.7 yards per return and scored twice. And considering the fact that John Harbaugh was a special teams coordinator before taking the job as Ravens head coach, it’s fair to think this game could be decided on special teams.

5) And the winner is… When the Super Bowl matchup was set two weeks ago, I felt the 49ers would be solid pick. I started to hedge earlier this week and now I’m solidly picking the Ravens. Here are the reasons why:

• Colin Kaepernick is and will continue to be an exciting and successful NFL quarterback. But still, this is just his 10^th career start – and the first time anyone has had two weeks to prepare for him. The Ravens defense is not the dominant force it once was, but I expect them to capitalize on facing a relatively inexperienced QB. There will be turnovers, and I anticipate at least one defensive touchdown for Baltimore.

• It’s not so much that the Ravens are a team of destiny; it’s that the Ravens players believe they are a team of destiny.

• Groan if you want about this one, but it’s legit: The 49ers are 5-0 in the Super Bowl. Simply put: They are due for a loss.

The pick: Ravens 24, 49ers 14