The Sports Monitor

Rashard Mendenhall had the look of a pro running back while he was slicing through Big Ten defenses at Illinois. He looked so good that the Steelers thought highly enough of him to use a first-round pick to draft him. Then came The Game. That's when Mendenhall talked smack before a Monday night meeting against the Ravens and got smacked down by their defense. Mendenhall injured his shoulder and didn't play a down after that in the Steelers' Super Bowl season. Today, just a couple weeks before the start of their title defense, the Steelers are searching for answers about their former No. 1 pick. It certainly can change, but right now, Mendenhall looks like a player that doesn't want to get hit in that shoulder again. Call it soft, scared, timid or whatever, Mendenhall looks different. And that's a shame because Mendenhall was projected as the Steelers' goal-line back, someone able to get the tough yards, absorb contact and give Fast Willie Parker a breather. I wo...

I knew it was too good to be true. Not too long ago Brett Favre said he wouldn't return to the NFL. Well, he had a change of heart. Again. On Tuesday, Favre announced he's back for more, signing a deal to play for the Minnesota Vikings. I'm tired of the Favre roller coaster. It has more ups and downs than the Phantom's Revenge. And I'm guessing this season ends on a down note, like Favre's comeback with the Jets last season. Vikings fans thinking Favre will recapture his old magic are mistaken. He's not the answer. Favre was once a great player, having won a Super Bowl and played in another. He turned John Madden into a gushing schoolgirl. But the key word here is "was." Favre's not even a good quarterback any more. And he quite possibly can hurt the team more than help. When Favre retired the last time, Jets teammates spoke about what a distraction it was. I'll bet it'll be more of the same this time. Why can't athletes just retire...

Tiger Woods lost. That was a couple days ago and I'm still stunned. That's not supposed to happen -- at all. Anytime Woods has the lead in a major, he's supposed to win. It's predetermined. It's automatic. Well, tell that to Y.E. Yang. Woods' battle with Yang was one to remember on Sunday at Hazletine. I'm still a bit perplexed by how many people have reacted following the end of the PGA Championship. It seems not many people want to say Tiger Woods choked. It's hard to suggest, let alone believe. But, think about it for a second. If the roles were reversed, and Woods shot a 70 and Yang a 75, what would people have said about Yang gagging on a lead entering the final round? I'll bet there would be a mention or two of Yang choking. That doesn't diminish what Woods has accomplished to date. He's his generation's greatest golfer, and likely the best of all time. But he still didn't close it out when he should have. What do you think?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been taking a lot of heat lately for their string of trades in order to build a winning team. Many people think it's purely based on saving a buck. In their criticisms of the franchise, pundits are quick to point out that the Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992. They're right, of course. How could any Pirates fan forget? But it hasn't been a total disaster since '92. In all of the negative comments about the franchise -- and I've heaped my share in the past -- no one likes to remember the season of 1997. I like to think of it as the last time the Pirates were competitive, not 1992. They weren't expected to compete in '97, as their payroll in the neighborhood of $9 million. They proved many people wrong. The Bucs were in first place as late as mid-July and were .500 or better as late as August. They finished in second place in a weak NL Central. One of the highlights that season was the combined no-hitter from Franc...

It's usually bittersweet for me to end a vacation. About half-way through it's time to countdown the number of days when I have to return for work. That wasn't much the case last week at Allegany State Park in New York where I had five relaxing days with no encounters with bears. If you like the outdoors, Allegany is a great place to check out. There's plenty to do there, or you can do nothing at all. Now, I can post other entries on football and baseball news that I missed.