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This Nickname Isn't Sweet

Sun, 20 May 2012 10:22:33 PM

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Being a Good Host

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 8:34:10 PM

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Melt the Ice, Pack Up the Floor

Sun, 8 Apr 2012 8:41:20 PM

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Low Expectations for the Astros

Sun, 1 Apr 2012 10:19:57 PM

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Troy's Take on Tony

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 8:53:38 PM

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Surprise! Your Bracket Is Busted

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 8:55:19 PM

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'Til Death Do Us Part

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 8:02:45 PM

'Til Death Do Us Part

The climax of the college basketball season is coming. This week marks the start of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, an annual affair that strikes joy in the hearts of millions of fans across America. At the same time, your employer is fretting over a conflict between work and recreation. We all know about the brackets and the thrill and agony that comes from bracket busting each year. But, what you might not think about, is the impact Thursday and Friday day games will have on the American workplace.

An annual study, and even the authors use that word loosely, from the outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc. predicts that while March madness will not be the downfall of the American economy, it could result in millions of hours of lost productivity. Some employees will find their attention will be split between work tasks and basketball.

It is no longer required to have a television to be able to watch the games of the tournament. In today's world, the latest highlights and scores can be found at an office desk with a computer and the world wide web. A good Internet connection, readily available in most businesses, can provide live streaming action of the games in progress. The problem is streaming video takes a toll on an Internet connection. The company's Internet connection. It slows things down. Lunch and break hours can be stretched to follow the games. More lost productivity.

Based on last year's data, online March madness coverage could attract 2 1/2 million visitors each day, with each spending an average time of 90 minutes watching games. The study estimates that employers will end up paying distracted workers about $175 million over the first two full days of the tournament.

There is a caveat within the study that readily admits this is not a forecast of gloom and doom. Instead, it should be taken with a grain of salt, as a tongue-in-cheek look at how technology blurs the line between our professional and personal lives. But, it is a good reminder. In this time of high unemployment, respect should be shown for an employer that provides a reliable paycheck. Moderation is the key. And while you shouldn't expect bosses to look the other way if tasks take a bit longer to complete, there is a case to be made for looking the other way.

The divorce court setting surrounding the continuing break up of the Big 12 conference can only make most fans shake their heads. There is a growing bitterness between those who are staying and those who are leaving. The most recent example came from Big 12 women's basketball. Just before a game between the current top-ranked team in the country and the defending national champ, there were words that proved this is no longer business as usual. Baylor coach Kim Mulkey admitted her anger over the Aggies bolting the Big 12 for the SEC. Mulkey said it was like a divorce. And that even though it was a strong rivalry, she didn't plan to schedule A&M in the future.

Aggies' coach Gary Blair responded. He said, if somehow Duke and North Carolina ended up in different conferences, and didn't have to play each season, they would still find a way to play because of the significance of the rivalry. Besides, Blair added, the A&M move was only about one thing: football.

This is also an example of how things evolve. A couple of years ago, when the Big 10, Pac 10 and SEC were trying to gut the Big 12 of any significant parts, there was little talk about Baylor. The Bears were an after thought. Funny how a national championship in women's basketball, a winning revival from probation and sanctions in the men's basketball program and a Heisman trophy winner and bowl success in football can raise a school's stock. Now when Baylor speaks about athletics, people listen.

And that's a good thing given what's left in the Big 12. Most of you know my alliegance to TCU. So, I'm going in with the assumption that the Horned Frogs will pull their weight. I just can't get on board with Morgantown, West Virginia. Conferences are about rivalries and geography. It will take years, maybe generations, for West Virginia to become a good fit in the mid and southwest.

The main consideration is that the Big 12 lives. It survived because of Texas and Oklahoma. And because of Baylor and Kansas, as well. The ten schools are all in this together now. As they say in the marriage vows, "Til Death Do us Part." With no room for any divorces, of any kind.

Dave Brown serves as a special contributor to Channel Five Sports and produces his Overtime blogs on a weekly basis for www.krgv.com/sports.

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Mutiny on the Bounty

Dave Brown — Sun, 4 Mar 2012 7:24:22 PM

Mutiny on the Bounty

There was a television show back in the late 1950s, starring Steve McQueen, called "Wanted: Dead or Alive." The soon to be movie superstar played a Civil War veteran who made his living as a bounty hunter. How is this relevant today? We may have a revival on our hands. NFL coach Gregg Williams would be playing the McQueen role. He is the guy who reportedly has been saying," Wanted: Dead or Alive" for several years.

A scandal has emerged, after several years of investigation by the NFL, that a bounty program has been running in the shadows and outside of league rules. It's not about bringing someone in. It's about taking someone down. Williams is accused of setting up an illegal bounty system that rewarded players not only for big plays, but for knocking players out of games.

The NFL announced on Friday that it had discovered a program involving more than 20 Saints' defensive players, administered by assistant coach Williams, from 2009-2011. New Orleans won the Super Bowl in 2010. It gets worse. The league is now investigating the Washington Redskins, where Williams was an assistant coach, between 2004-2007. And it is even looking into the three years Williams spent as the head coach in Buffalo from 2001-2003.

For his part, Williams apologized late last week for his role in instigating the bounty system. Now the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, he said it was a terrible mistake. He also called it a pay for performance program. By whatever name, it is illegal under NFL rules.

A pool of money was built through several sources, including player fines. Players were paid for big game defensive performances. They were also paid on the basis of knockouts and cart-offs. If a defender hit someone so hard that they had to be taken off the field, with assistance, they would receive $1000 from the pool. If the player was knocked out of the game and didn't return, they would claim a $1500 bonus. Reports have the pool swelling to $50,000 or more during the run through the 2009 playoffs. There are also allegations of special bounties placed on opposing playoff quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner.

Player reaction has gone about as I would have expected. Favre and Warner, now both retired from the league, understand that the game is a collision sport. They expect to be tackled and know that injuries are a part of the game. Their post-revelation comments have been in line with that kind of thinking.

Former players, like Matt Bowen, defend the former defensive coordinator. He told the Chicago Tribune that it was motivation to play tough and carry a swagger. In short, it was about developing an image. Other players around the league are saying bounty programs exist on a much wider basis. Trevor Price, a former defensive lineman with the Jets, Ravens and Broncos called it "standard operating procedure."

My response, when I first read about this, was a lack of shock. I've never spent any time considering this possibility. It's football. I can't believe that anyone who follows sports would be naive enough to think that this couldn't take place in a violent sport where the toughest often rule the turf.

League rules prohibit bonus systems that pay-for-performance outside of a league approved contract. Player safety and the integrity of the game are challenged under this situation. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell now has the findings and will ultimately decide the disciplinary action that will face not only Williams, but the teams under the microscope.

I hope the league won't be in a hurry to judge. No sound-thinking person can condone a system where opposing players wear a bulls-eye. At the same time, upon further review, the NFL may find that Gregg Williams is just the poster child for this scandal. The bottom line may be bigger than any of us can imagine.

Dave Brown serves as a special contributor to Channel Five Sports and produces his Overtime blogs on a weekly basis for www.krgv.com/sports.

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