Tiger not Desperate for His First FedEx Cup

Imagine if the Red Sox won the AL East but chose to sit out the playoffs. Or if the Colts decided they had better things to do than contend for a second straight Super Bowl. What if Tim Duncan and the Spurs announced they'd be resting in lieu of the playoffs?

The respective leagues and their fan bases would be devastated.

Tiger Woods has dealt a similar blow to the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup, a brand new, playoff-like competition to wrap up the golf season. Though Woods is still eligible to win the Cup and claim the $10 million prize, he won't be participating in the first of four events.

The playoff, which is loosely based on NASCAR's Nextel Cup, features the top 144 point-earners from the 2007 golf season. Four events, the first of which is next weekend at the Barclays in Harrison, NY, determine a Cup champion.

I admire the PGA Tour for attempting to stage a playoff-like environment, and they obviously believe that the idea has both money-making and a sport-changing possibilities.

It's certainly a good enough concept, if everyone buys in.

But by choosing to abstain from the first event, the world's top golfer is proving where his priorities lie. It's hard to imagine anything keeping Woods away from a major, but it appears that he can do with or without the FedEx Cup.

Can the NFL Forgive and Forget with Michael Vick?

Many doomsayers have predicted jail time and the end of Michael Vick's career as a consequence of his involvement in dogfighting.

Now that all three of his co-defendants have plead guilty, the former is certainly looking inevitable.

So say he does a year, maybe two in jail. What then?

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto writes that just as Don Imus and Marv Albert have been given second chances, Vick will do his time and be back on the field before long.

I'm not so sure.

Michael Vick has already been found guilty in the court of public opinion. Just about everyone in this country has a dog or has had one at some time or another, and we can't imagine how anyone could hurt poor Fido. The evidence is grisly, though, and Vick's hands appear to be very dirty.

Without any admission of guilt, -- in court or otherwise -- Vick is building a reputation as a thug, a hardened criminal. And America has a tough time forgiving people like that, especially ones that can't say they're sorry.

A plea bargain of some sort would be a step backward of course, because it would confirm Vick's involvement in dogfighting and would almost certainly mean time in jail. But sometimes you have to step backward before you can move forward.

Michael Vick probably doesn't understand the concept, but that's why he has lawyers. Hopefully he hired the right ones.

Jose Offerman's Final Hit

Jose Offerman's final swing as a professional did not strike a baseball, but a human head.

Offerman, who was attempting a comeback with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League, charged the mound with bat in tow Tuesday night. Very bad idea.

Offerman was arrested after the game and later charged with second-degree assault.

Ironically, it all started with a home run by Offerman, who in 15 seasons in the Majors hit only 57. Bridgeport pitcher Matt Beech drilled Offerman in the leg to retaliate, and something in Offerman erupted.

Catcher John Nathans took a blow to the head on one of Offerman's backswings, while Beech escaped with only a broken finger on his non-throwing hand.

The incident likely spells the end of a once-admirable comeback story for the 39 year-old Offerman, who along with a handful of other former Major Leaguers had hoped the Ducks would be a stepping stone back to the Bigs.

If indeed Offerman is banned from the Independent League, it will be interesting to see if the event becomes a precedent for other professional leagues, including the Majors.

It's a black eye on the sport when something like this happens at any level, but what will Bud Selig do if Delmon Young goes on a bat-wielding rampage at Yankee Stadium? It's scary, but it could happen.

Beckham Bums off U.S., Much Adu about Europe

Freddy Adu knows where the action is.

The 18 year-old soccer phenom had his wish to play in Europe granted two weeks ago, when he was transferred to the Portuguese team Benfica. Today he made his debut to the applause of 55,000, or roughly the number of soccer fans in the entire United States.

After several frustrating years in the lackluster MLS, Adu had had enough. It seems that Adu isn't the only young American soccer star that feels that way. (And yes, I know that Adu was born in Ghana).

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Galaxy have signed aging European soccer star David Beckham to a contract projected at $250 million in salary and endorsements over five years. Since arriving on U.S. soil, Beckham has sold jerseys and sold out stadiums, but he's only played eight minutes.

That's hype, not substance, and hype without substance tends to fade pretty rapidly.

Thousands of soccer moms waste millions of dollars every year driving Chase and Bridgette to practices and tournaments in their Ford Excursions, but at a professional level, soccer is in big trouble.

Young, talented guys like Adu that lose interest in playing here represent a major wound to the sport, and the import of a big name, tired game guy like Beckham is just a Band Aid.

Problem is, the Band Aid won't stick long, and U.S. soccer will remain irrelevant.

Vince Young Loves His Simmons Beauty Rest Mattress

As punishment for breaking team rules, Vince Young was benched for Saturday night's preseason game against Washington.

We'll probably never know exactly why.

When asked about the incident, Young kept saying "Next Question, Next Question," before the first followup question had been posed.

That's a clear violation of rule #1 for avoiding suspicion: Try not to blurt out your answer before a question has been asked. Seems simple enough, right?

To make matters worse, Young later offered a feeble explanation for his indiscretion. "I really feel like I'm not a bad guy, but I made a bad decision to try to go home and get some rest in my own bed and should've told coach."

That in response to the question of if he'd let down his teammates. Hmmmm. The reporters were ready to move on without discussing the specifics, but Young couldn't let it go.

Rule #2: If you're not going to talk about it, stick to your guns. Reversing course mid-interview only makes it worse.

If Vince Young loves his Simmons Beauty Rest Mattress that much, don't you think he would have turned in a permission slip before leaving the hotel? Perhaps Young was in bed with the lights out by 10:00 Friday night, and that's the whole story.

Young's bumbling interview makes it seem unlikely.