THE WATERCOOLER

Question: What was Jay Zygmunt’s best move and worst move with the Rams?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Jay’s best move was his work on the trade that brought cornerback Aeneas Williams to St. Louis on the day of the 2001 draft. There were a whole bunch of bad moves including the phasing out of Charley Armey, his role in the demise of Mike Martz, any number of bad draft picks, the decision to let middle linebacker London Fletcher leave as a free agent, and the Drew Bennett debacle. Just a disastrous reign of error. But his worst move was reaching to grab a job that he wasn’t qualified for. A man’s got to know his limitations and Zygmunt wasn’t a football guy. That didn’t stop him from making himself the football czar at Rams Park.

BRYAN BURWELL
His best move was packing his office up and heading towards the door. His worst move was believing that he was a football man and accepting the GM job, which sent this franchise on this downward spiral.

JIM THOMAS
Following the disappointment of a wild-card berth in 2000 — yes, expectations were much higher back then — Zygmunt went into full Trader Jay mode. He helped engineer the trade of franchise player Kevin Carter to Tennessee in March, and on draft day sent quarterback Trent Green to Kansas City. As a result, the Rams had three first-round picks in the 2001 draft. As a topper, he completed a deal on Day 2 of the draft that brought Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl cornerback Aeneas Williams to St. Louis.
The worst move? Allowing his relationship with Mike Martz to deteriorate to the point where one of them had to leave the organization. Obviously, Martz left after the 2005 campaign. Granted, Martz was high maintenance, but also one of the league’s most creative offensive minds. The offense has disintegrated since he’s left.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Before the 1999 Super Bowl season, in the days before anyone claimed to be a mastermind, Zygmunt played a major role in reorganizing the staff of coach Dick Vermeil, in particular the hiring of Mike Martz as offensive coordinator. Among Zygmunt’s worst moments was the 2001 draft, in which the Rams whiffed on three first-round picks: Damoine Lewis was a bust, Adam Archuleta flamed out after a couple years, and the team gave up on Ryan Pickett, who blossomed in Green Bay.

JEFF GORDON
Best move: Not letting Kevin Carter manage the salary cap for him back in 2000. King Kevin moved on to Tennessee in 2001 and had a mediocre season for the Titans. The Rams kept their other cornerstone players, won 14 games in ‘01 and went to the Super Bowl.
Worst move: The massive Marc Bulger contract. This gift keeps on giving. The Rams can’t really move Bulger out now, so the team can’t throw much money at that position for next season. Pity the next coach in 2009.

BILL COATS
Although other front-office folks were involved too, Zygmunt’s best move was his role in the trade that brought Marshall Faulk to the Rams in the 1999, arguably the key cog in the Rams’ improbable march to the Super Bowl championship. His worst move was letting free agents London Fletcher and Ryan Pickett walk. The Rams sure could use a solid middle linebacker and a stout defensive tackle these days.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

INTERESTING TAKE ON FUENTES: Buster Olney at espn.com has an interesting look at the Brian Fuentes derby and how the Angels’ could get involved if they don’t end up with Mark Teixiera. Olney has the Cardinals at the top of the list for now but a lot of others who might spend more are now included.

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STAT OF THE DAY

229 — The Rams have been outscored by 229 points with only one game left in the season. Since 1990, only four teams have been outscored by more points over a full season. Thank goodness the Lions are just as bad. They have been outscored by 239 points. This week, the Rams are at Atlanta and Detroit is at Green Bay.

THE WATERCOOLER

Question: The Cardinals have offered closer Brian Fuentes a two-year deal believed worth $16-$18 million. Is it fiscally responsible for the Cards to give Fuentes the three-year, $30 million-plus deal he’s seeking, or are there other options the team should be exploring right now, perhaps even handing over closer duties to Chris Perez or Jason Motte to pursue starting pitching?

JOE STRAUSS
Money and term are secondary as long as the Cardinals don’t include no-trade language in any deal. The Cardinals likely will have to reach a $10 million annual average value if another team such as the Los Angeles Angels becomes involved. Kerry Wood’s 2-year, $21 million deal with the Cleveland Indians raised the floor for Fuentes, but the Cardinals are ill-advised to raise their offer before another team enters the fray. Shorter term, less costly solutions are still available (Takashi Saito, Izzy), but there is a strong preference for Fuentes among several corners of the organization. Pace for a deal will accellerate once Mark Teixeira signs somewhere. I frankly don’t think dollars are the most significant element of a deal.

JEFF GORDON
The Cardinals should buck up and pay $33 million over three years, if necessary, to fill their most glaring need. That is not an enormous jump over the per-year dollars paid to Jason Isringhausen in his twilight years as the closer. Fuentes might be no more than an above-average closer, but strong left-handed relievers are scarce. The Cards farm system has no such commodity on the horizon. If Tony La Russa had Fuentes to mix in with Perez, Franklin, Kinney and Motte at the end of games, he could move Kyle McClellan to the rotation and lessen the need to sign another expensive starting pitcher. There is your win-win scenario.

RICK HUMMEL
I don’t think it’s fiscally prudent for the Cardinals to go to $30 million for three years for Fuentes as their closer. I don’t want to push Perez/Motte back that many years. But is either ready to assume that role now? Probably not.

DERRICK GOOLD
For several years, the Cardinals have held a hardline stance that they dictate the market for the players they sign. Once the bidding for a player sweeps him out of their preferred price range (i.e., A.J. Burnett, Alfonso Soriano), the Cardinals then take the following stance: We tried. We gave them our best offer. Other teams put a higher value on the player. … That’s swell, and they have hit more than they’ve missed (see: Kyle Lohse, Mark Grudzielanek, David Eckstein). But when it comes to a luxury item — like a lockdown closer — the Cardinals cannot afford to be handcuffed by their refusal to play the market. It’s arrogant to believe that the price the club attaches to a player is the price the club should pay. Sorry, this isn’t Priceline. This is eBay. Demand dictates. There is ample evidence that the Cardinals could have been a legit contender with a lockdown closer last season. Tony La Russa called Fuentes and the ninth inning a “No. 1 priority.” If they believe the Kid Closers aren’t ready, then they should be prepared to pay for the best (and healthiest!) option available. Three years, $30 million? If closer is the priority, that may be the pricetag of contending.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

SO YOU THINK IT’S BAD NOW: Decimated by injuries, the Blues have lost four in a row and fallen into the cellar in the Western Conference with a 12-15-3 record. I hate to say it, but it can — and likely will — get worse. In fact, with the Blues’ remaining December schedule this team could be looking toward next season as soon as Jan. 1. Take a look at what’s coming and tell me you don’t see a Blue Christmas:

Dec. 18 @ Washington: The Capitals are 19-10-3, good enough for third place in the East.

Dec. 20 vs. Minnesota: At 15-13-1, the Wild is the only remaining December opponent that would not make the playoffs today. They are one point out of 8th place in the West.

Dec. 21 vs. Boston: The Bruins are steamrolling teams. They are 21-5-4 and in first place in the East.

Dec. 23 @ Detroit: Hey, it’s the Wings. 20-6-4 puts them in second place in the West.

Dec. 27 vs. San Jose: The best record in hockey at 25-3-2 is good enough for best in the West.

Dec. 28 vs. Anaheim: Cheese and quackers, the playoff contenders keep coming. The Ducks are in sixth place in the West at 17-12-3.

Dec. 30 vs. New Jersey: The Blues close out 2008 against the 16-9-3 Devils, who hold the seventh spot in the East.

That, my friends, is a tough row to hoe. You could bring back Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie AND Erik Johnson and be lucky to get more than a handful of points in a stretch like that. Here’s hoping the team can get healthy soon and stay competitive enough that we’re not discussing the 2009 draft by New Year’s day.

PATERNO NOT DONE YET: 81-year-old Penn State coach Joe Paterno (he turns 82 Sunday) received a contract extension this week that runs through 2011. That means the Rams can scratch JoePa off their list of potential head coaching candidates as he’ll still be stalking the sidelines (or be seated comfortably in the coach’s booth) in Happy Valley until he’s 84 or 85 years old. Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer had a funny take on Paterno’s extension, saying, “Sometime in 2019, the holographic Inquirer that beams directly onto the tabletop in your breakfast nook will feature a story about Joe Paterno’s frozen head coaching Penn State football from a cryogenics lab in Phoenix. … Joe Paterno is going to coach Penn State football for as long as he lives, if not longer.”

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THINGS TO PONDER

DON’T BELIEVE IT, GIBBY: A bit of satire from the folks at eTrueSports.com, where they say that The Detroit Tigers have signed Iraqi right-handed pitcher Muntader al-Zaidi, 29, to a minor league contract. Zaidi, is the Baghdad television reporter who recently threw his shoes at President Bush. The Web site sources a scout who compares al-Zaidi to former Cardinal Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, saying, “He throws angry. There won’t be any comfortable at-bats against him, I guarantee that.”

RIGHT FROM THE HORSES’ MOUTHS: According to the Associated Press, a commission has begun work to review drug controls in equestrian in response to six horses testing positive at the Beijing Olympic Games.

The riders couldn’t explain the positive tests for their mounts, but a few of the horses spoke out, with comments ranging from “I’m not here to talk about the past” to “The ‘roids weren’t for me, they were for my wife” to one horse who brazenly waved a hoof at the press while shouting, “I have never used steroids, period.” Reportedly another of the horses simply said, “No habla” and dismissed questions on the grounds they were not in his native tongue … which is “horse,” of course.

No word yet on whether or not the U.S. Senate will get involved.

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STATS OF THE DAY

44-61-21 — That’s the punting average (44 yards), longest punt (61 yards) and punts inside the 20-yard-line (21) for Giants punter Jeff Feagles, who was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team yesterday.

50.2-68-18 — That’s the punting average, longest punt and punts inside the 20 for Rams punter Donnie Jones.

Other than landing three less punts inside the 20, Donnie Jones was clearly the better punter this year. And even that stat seems easily explained, as one would assume much better field position for the Giants this year over the Rams. Jones got the shaft.

THE WATERCOOLER
(Post-Dispatch columnists and beat writers share their thoughts on a question of the day.)

Question: Is there anything that the Cardinals did or didn’t do at this year’s winter meetings that surprised you?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
No surprises here, because I had low expectations, but I was caught a little off guard by their interest in Brian Fuentes. I assumed he’d be out of their price range. We’ll see what happens. But I do think GM John Mozeliak made good use of his time. He takes a methodical approach and the winter meetings were a prime opportunity for Mozeliak to set the table for deals to come later.

JOE STRAUSS
I’m surprised to the degree the Cardinals have shown their willingness to deal Rick Ankiel for pitching help. Likewise, it’s surprising the market is so tepid for a player of Ankiel’s talent, but the explanation can be found in the overabundance of outfielders in the free agent market.

DERRICK GOOLD
On Monday evening, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak dismissed his team’s chances of signing Brian Fuentes and doubted they would even engage the lefty in talks. At the same time, the market was pushing them together. I wasn’t so much surprised by what the Cardinals did or didn’t do at these winter meetings, but I am surprised by what these meetings and this market could allow them to do. The closer they needed and couldn’t afford has dropped into their bidding bracket. The starter they must have for depth will still be around in January. The Cardinals may have had a best-case scenario calculated for this offseason, but even their rainbow dreams and pigs-fly aspirations couldn’t have looked as good for them as what has actually happened. Now, all they have to do is pull it off.

RICK HUMMEL
I’m not surprised that nothing major happened for the Cardinals. Sometimes the meetings serve more as groundwork. They’ll get a closer sooner than later but there will be plenty of starting pitchers out there, even into spring training when needs can better be identified.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

BIG APPLE BITES BACK: If CC Sabathia had landed in St. Louis, I think folks here would be doing cartwheels. Not necessarily so in The Big Apple. In fact, New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica takes the Yankees to task today about the $161 million deal. Lupica points out that though the Yankees like to talk about their farm system, that’s just talk. He adds that the team shelled out the richest pitching contract ever just a year after they didn’t make the playoffs and right before they are about to move into a new ballpark … and they’ll ask the fans to pay for it. “The Yankees panhandle like this in broad daylight, by the way, and without a hint of embarrassment,” Lupica says.

Welcome to New York, CC.

WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES: Blues goalie Manny Legace is day-to-day after being kneed in the head last night; here’s Chris Mason’s chance to show he’s the man … The Rams game will be blacked out locally this week; local football fans should now have the chance to see a good game on TV Sunday … The Cardinals appear to be leaving Las Vegas without pitching help; that just means the top of the tree hasn’t been pared enough yet … The Mets land closers Francisco Rodriguez AND J.J. Putz; that should clear away some of that pesky primo fruit … The Avalanche’s Joe Sakic breaks three fingers in a snowblower accident; it doesn’t affect the back injury that was supposed to keep him out until mid-January anyway … Pacman Jones’ is likely out for season due to a neck injury; at least no one else got hurt … Three Heisman finalists are announced; Chase Daniel is spared a trip to New York and can go ahead and start packing for San Antonio.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

DROPPING THE GLOVES: When Blues enforcer D.J. King went down with an injury earlier this season, I didn’t know if hometown boy Cam Janssen had the size needed to keep other teams honest. But the intensity Janssen brings to a brawl is something to behold and I’ve seen him bring the Scottrade crowds to their feet on many nights. Janssen may look small compared to some of the league’s other enforcers, but so far he has seemed to hold his own — and then some. And when the fight is over and he skates toward the box, Janssen just has this crazy-eyed expression that says, “Wow, that was fun.”

But how good is Janssen as a fighter? To answer that question I called up former Blues enforcer Reed Low and ask him to share his thoughts with me on the subject. Below is what he had to say:

REED LOW: Cam Janssen is pound-for-pound one of the toughest kids I’ve seen or played against since Tie Domi in his early days, when Domi used to beat down the biggest and toughest guys in the league. One of the things that makes Cam special is that his punching power is so much better than I have seen on a lot of guys twice his size. Mix that with his unusually long reach for a shorter guy and he can catch the big guys when they think they have him.

Before I retired, Cam and I used to train together boxing, and he hit the bag so hard it reminded me of Ivan Drago (Rocky IV). When Cam throws a punch in games, he pulls with the other hand to bring the opponent into him. That works for him because he is so strong that most guys can’t fend it off, and if they try and go toe-to-toe, Cam is willing and most likely to put the guy’s nose in line with his ears.

The biggest asset Cam has is his love of fighting. I had it too, and I loved to scare the other team and was a little crazy just to make sure that they knew I could go off. Cam has this burning in his blood and it is what makes him so good at what he does. He loves it … and I mean he loves it. Cam dreams about kicking people’s (behinds). He is working on his timing this year and he’s getting some ice time and trying to balance both jobs — which is by far the hardest job in the league.

But the best thing about Cam is that off the ice he has a huge heart and would do anything for anyone. He is the first to charity events and the last to leave. This is how most tough guys in the league are because they appreciate what they have and that people enjoy what they do. I hope that the league will recognize this instead of trying to eliminate it. This breed of player is far more that just hockey fighters, they are the fight in hockey. And without the Cam Janssens of hockey, it is nothing more than another Olympic sport.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In case you’ve forgotten how Reed Low patrolled the ice for the Blues, I nabbed this highlight video off of youtube. Enjoy.

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STAT OF THE DAY

11,271 yards — That Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor will miss the rest of the season because of an injury is not all that surprising given his injury history. What is surprising is that his 11,271 rushing yards ranks 16th all-time in the NFL. That’s pretty exclusive company. A look at Taylor and those above him in all-time rushing yards.

1. Emmitt Smith — 18,355
2. Walter Payton — 16,726
3. Barry Sanders — 15,269
4. Curtis Martin — 14,101
5. Jerome Bettis — 13,662
6. Eric Dickerson — 13,259
7. Tony Dorsett — 12,739
8. Jim Brown — 12,312
9. Marshall Faulk — 12,279
10. Marcus Allen — 12,243
11. Franco Harris — 12,120
12. Thurman Thomas — 12,074
13. Edgerrin James* — 12,002
14. LaDainian Tomlinson* — 11,535
15. John Riggins — 11,352
16. Fred Taylor* — 11,271

* active players