Random thoughts this Christmas season.............

I did a little Christmas shopping today - my first time out in the consumer jungle - and I have to admit the crowds were far smaller than usual for this time of year. People are cutting back, period. I know we are in my household. It would simply be impractical and imprudent to go out there and spend, spend, spend when so much is still uncertain. By the grace of God, I have a job and am still able to pay my bills, but that could all change in the next few months. Who knows, right? Just amazing to me how quickly things have gone south.

But enough about real life.....................we are here to talk sports and here are a few random thoughts for this week:

*As I have said numerous times on this blog, I have no problem with CC Sabathia taking his time with this choice. The man is about to make the most important career decision of his life. If I were confronted with such a situation I would take all the time I needed to make sure it was right.

But the word is that Brian Cashman is set to meet with CC Sabathia tomorrow, before the winter meetings officially start up, and I think it is about time for this situation to be resolved, at least from the Yankees' point of view. Sabathia has no obligation to play in the Bronx or to take the big contract. He has every right, EVERY SINGLE RIGHT, to decide that he doesn't want the stress of playing in a large market like NYC and dealing with the hassles that come with such an existence. Some people, no matter how competitive, want to live a more peaceful life and, perhaps, Sabathia is such a person. I have no problems with that whatsoever.

Sabathia, however, needs to tell Cashman the truth tomorrow. That is quite frankly, the right and just thing to do.

Sure, keeping the Yanks in the mix helps keep the price tag up, but the fact remains that the Yankees will be the highest bidder for CC's services, hands down. So the big man has to make a choice; yes or no?

If Sabathia doesn't want to come and play for the Yanks, he should have the decency to tell that to Cashman's face so that both can move on. This is going to be a VERY rich man, no matter where he goes, so, eventually, you have to take a little pride in your own credibilty, do you not?

A lot has been made of how the money isn't the only determinate for a guy like CC, who, according to some of his more adoring (or perhaps hopeful fans in other parts of the country), is a family man who likes the quiet life. If he is such a great man of intergrity (which, I guess equates to leaving money on the table) then he should prove as much by being upfront with Brian Cashman on Sunday morning.

If he is simply taking his time and weighing all options, fine. If he intends to sign with the Yankees but wanted to see if other teams were willing to become involved, fine. And, if he just doesn't want to come to NYC, fine. Just be honest CC. Let Cashman know. It is unfair to the Yankees to string them along if they have no true chance of signing you. Your agents might tell you it is all good strategy, but when the GM of that teams sits you down and asks you, man to man, what your intentions are, that's when things get very simply; you are either going to tell him the truth or lie to him. Pure and simple. You can convince yourself all you want that it is simply "good business" to deceive one party or another, but it is lying and, deep down inside, you'll know it.

My belief is that Sabathia will NOT leave that money on the table. It has been my belief the entire time. However, now, on Dec. 7, is the time to make that decision once and for all.

*I know Stephan Marbury is an impossible person to defend. He's a "me first" player that represents everything wrong with the NBA. While guys like Dwayne Wade and LeBron James and Dwight Howard represent the promise of the league, Starbury reminds people of the last decade of stars who have so soured many fans on the sport.

Having said that, you can't help but blame the Knicks for much of this current Marbury drama. Let's review for a second: new coach Mike D'Antoni, in the offseason, evidently encouraged Marbury to come to camp in shape and ready to play. Marbury did exactly that and, in the preseason, playing a significant amount of minutes, showed that he still has talent in that body of his. But, when the regular season came around, Marbury was relegated to the end of the bench. In fact, I believe the Knicks extended their bench just so Marbury could be placed even further away than normal. As Starbury pointed out, 2008 draft pick Gallanari, who had praticed little during the preseason and was still suffering from an injury, was placed higher on the depth chart than Marbury. That would seem to be a message rather than a roster move right there.

So the Knicks essentially embarrass Marbury in a way that would anger ANY player, let alone one with the mentality of Stephan, and then, when the Knicks trade their two best players and need warm bodies on the court, actually expected him to be "professional" and play despite that shotty treatment?

Don't get me wrong, I am not defending Marbury's actions at all. He is being paid millions of dollars whether the coach plays him 30 minutes of zero minutes a game. Considering what Marbury would be forced to do for a career without basketball (I doubt he has any multi-million dollar ideas floating around in his head) he should be thankful for such a blessing and just suck it up and play.

But the Knicks could have handled this the right way and, instead, they showed that while Isiah Thomas might have been sent packing, the Knickerbocker organization is just as unprofessional and petty as ever. Despite his shortcomings Marbury should have been shown more respect upfront. If D'Antoni and new Knicks President Donnie Walsh never intended to play him come the regular season, that should have been expressed to him immediately, no matter what his reaction might have been. That is just the right thing to do. To pursuade him that his starting role on the team was there for the taking if he proved himself in the new offense, only to make it clear that was never an option once the season began, is gutless and somewhat childish. And then to expect that Marbury woul act any differently was even more foolish.

Take a good, hard look at the Knicks right now LeBron because, in two years, a BUNCH of teams may be throwing big money at you, including one that may still be moving to Brooklyn. That team puts a premium on class and responsibility. The Knicks? Not so much.

*Why can't I wrap my brain around college football? Because Alabama, the last undefeated team in the country, was beaten by Florida yesterday in the SEC championship game, meaning that eight of the top nine teams in college football have one loss and Utah has no losses at all. So, who plays in the championship game? Well, let's plug that into a computer to decide. What a joke.

The consensus is that Florida, who defeated Alabama, will play Oklahoma in the big game. Because? It seems the only explanation is that Florida got their big win at the end of the season, essentially saying that, for the big teams, the last two weeks of the season are all that count. Look at Florida right now: They lost to Mississippi, a team that was 5-3 in the SEC and 8-4 overall. Their big wins? Beating LSU was considered big at the time, but considering the fact that the Tigers went 3-5 in the SEC, it is pretty obvious LSU was simply ranked on name only when they played. South Carolina? Nope. Florida State? Sorry, no chance. Nope, before Alabama, Florida's win over Georgia, AT Georgia, was by far their most important win of the year. That's enough to jump from #4 to #2 and play for the title? It doesn't count against them, I guess, that, on the third to last week of the season Florida scheduled the Citadel and beat them 70-19? Should you get that kind of gimme at the end of the year in a sport where the regular season is king and not have it count againts you? And, PLEASE, explain to me why Florida jumps Texas, who beat Oklahoma, which is equally as impressive as the Florida win over Alabama, and Missouri, who is comparable to Georgia? Evidently, what separates the two is that Florida's big win came yesterday while Texas' win came on Oct. 11. Sorry Longhorns, no one cares what you do in October.

I understand that CFB is very popular, but for a fan like myself I will NEVER take the sport seriously until they have some sort of playoff. This year, Oklahoma and Florida will match up. Are those two teams better, and more deserving of a chance to play for the title than Texas, USC, or Penn State? Nope, not in my book.

Team sports allow you to settle such questions on the field. The fact that CFB allows its champion to be crowned in a similar way as figure skating or gymnastics at the Olympics is shameful.

*In case you haven't noticed, there have already been more upsets in college basketball this year than there have beem in college football all year long. I know, I know, the NCAA Tourney, the big dance, kills much of the regular season, but the competitive balance in CBB is DRAMATICALLY better than in CFB. Yesterday, Michigan, a middle of the road team, beat Duke, a top five team. In CFB, Oklahoma played #20 Missouri and won 62-20. They beat them by 42 points in a sport where points are suppose to be difficult to come by. Come on now.

I am a huge CBB fan, mainly because I went to Uconn and love me some basketball. However, I can admit that only diehard CBB fans like myself care about the sport until February, when you begin talk of bubble teams and start preparing for the conference tourneys and, ultimately, the big dance. But I would still rather watch a CBB game where ANYONE can give someone else a game (my Huskies were given everything they could handle by a plucky Buffalo team the other night) than a CFB game where 8 times out of 10 the game has ultimately been decided before anyone steps on to the field.

*I love football in the snow, I really do. There will be snow on the ground at the Meadowlands, in Pittsburgh, and, I'm sure, in a lot of other places today. It just seems right. It just seems like it fits.

Now, I understand that it can never happen again, but how great would it be to see a Super Bowl played in one of these classic, cold weather stadiums? Wouldn't you love, as a fan, to see the two best teams from each conference sqaure off in Lambau for the big game?

Again, I understand that it could never happen and, honestly, if I were heading to a Super Bowl myself, I would probably not want to go watch the game in sub-zero weather either. But, as a fan sitting in my house, watching on television, I would LOVE it.

*I can't bring myself to say anything about the Plaxico Burress situation because, to me, it just isn't all that important. This really isn't as big of a "scandal" as everyone wants to make it out to be. Burress is a schmuck. We all know that. The guy has been fined $200,000 for being late, not attending practices, and just simply acting as if the rules don't apply to him. He threatened a hold out to get a new contract and won. That sent him in to a tail spin where, evidently, he decided his new-found fortune allowed him to disregard the rules. It was only going to cost him money if he did, and, evidently, it was worth the price.

Now, the idiot decides he is going to be cool and go to a club packing a loaded gun that isn't licensed in New York State. Don't believe, for a second, that Plaxico was carrying that Glock because he was concerned for his safety. NFL players have the opportunity to hire PROFESSIONAL, former law enforcement officials to protect them on a night out on the town if they so choose. If you were going to choose a way to protect yourself, would you slap on your gun and jump in the car or would you hire some big, former Marine who knows how to handle any situation? If it were me, there would be no choice.

But Burress, wanting to be some kind of character straight out of a Biggie Smalls song, strapped on and went out. Of course, Dirty Harry shot himself in the leg - what a sharp shooter.

Look, Burress didn't go and hold up a liquor store. He didn't kill anyone (even though he could have) and he didn't threaten any one. This is not Ray Lewis, with his murderer friends jumping back in to his limo and driving away after killing someone. This isn't Pac Man Jones, beating up a stripper and watching as one of his "posse" shot someone and put them in a wheel chair for the rest of their life. This isn't OJ Simpson. This is a moron whose arrogance has landed him in a world of trouble.

Do I think Plaxico should go to jail? No. I understand he didn't register his gun and I understand that is a very, very bad thing. However, we have serious overcrowding in jails as it is, and what would it accomplish to put Plaxico away for 3 years?

However, if I were the Giants this would be it for me with Plax. I know how talented the man is, and no matter how impressive Domick Hixon is, he has yet to show that he can be near the offensive threat as Burress. But sometimes enough is enough.

This isn't a guy hooked on drugs destroying his life and looking for a way out. This is simply an a**hole who thinks the world revolves around his needs and desires. This gun incident was more indicative of a Barry Bonds attitude than a Adam Jones attitude. I don't think Plaxico is a dangerous guy. I think he's just a jerk and the Giants have done an amazing job of ridding themselves of such players and moving forward. The time has come to do just that with Plaxico.