Name Change...
The Basketball Pipeline will henceforth and forevermore be called "The Game", to reflect my sad ability to write worthless minutae about a number of athletic pursuits. Such as:
Your All-NFL Edition, Issue #1: The NFL and Gambling
The NFL has rejected a promotional ad for the city of Las Vegas, which was to air during the Super Bowl. Although the spot only shows a montage of Vegas attractions (Sigfried and Roy, the place where Tupac got shot, that piece of Evander Holyfield's ear on the MGM Grand floor), with no mention or images or gambling, the NFL rejected the spot. According to NFL talking puppet Greg Aiello, "The NFL has a long-standing tradition of simultaneously encouraging gambling but never explicitly mentioning it. If we were to run that ad for Vegas, people might get the idea that it's fun to go to a desert town with legalized prostitution and free drinks, and potentially make an A S S L O A D of money while working with one of the friendly sports books in town that do so much to promote the NFL. And we wouldn't want to send that kind of message. By the way, can you believe the Raiders are favored by 7.5? I'm gonna get stupid rich on that one."
Issue #2: Trading Picks for Coaches
Was John Gruden really worth the Bucs giving up two first first-rounders and two other decent picks? He will be if he gets them past Philly this weekend. Going forward, though, teams will not be able to offer picks for another team's coach. I think it's a good move. For one thing, it undermines the purpose of the draft. For another, it blurs a lot of lines. I can give up a pick to get a coach? Can I give up a pick for a coordinator? A GM? Salary Cap space? How about cheerleaders, TV rights, or broadcast territories? I never really understood why teams would give up talent to get a coach. There are a lot of coaches out there, but talent is your lifeblood. Talent can make a mediocre coach good a lot more often than vice-versa.
Issue #3: The Worst Stadium EVER!
This weekend represents the last game of any kind for Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia. The Vet was commonly believed to be the worst stadium in the NFL, due to its cookie-cutter design, the treacherous turf (in various forms) and all the Philadelphians that go to see games there. Now that it is gone, what is the next "Worst Stadium" in the NFL? I humbly submit the HHH Metrodome. Now, I've never seen a game there, but I have it on good authority that it sucks. Hell, I've seen plenty of baseball games there, and I can sure vouch for the suckitude in that context.
Doesn't that mean that the Metrodome is the Worst Stadium Ever? Has any venue held the title in two different major sports? I would be surprised if it did.
But let's purge the negativity from our minds, and take a walk down Veterans Stadium Memory Lane. So many great moments. I remember:
The Royals falling behind 2-0 in games to the Phillies in the 1980 Series. The Royals also lost the Game 6 clincher at the Vet. That sucked.
I remember Game 4 of the 1993 World Series, a wild 15-14 thriller that saw the Blue Jays come out on top.
Let's see...That's about it. I can't remember anything else. Good riddance.
Finally, courtesy of Pipeline reader Chris Z. (and Bill Simmons), check out Peja Drobnjak's webpage. It's worth the trip...
2:59:59 PM 
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