THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Show-Me state got its second new NFL general manager this week when Scott Pioli, longtime vice president of player personnel for the New England Patriots, was hired by the Kansas City Chiefs. This comes on the heels of Billy Devaney being elevated recently to the same post with the St. Louis Rams. Both GMs inherit teams that went 2-14 last year and neither has his head coach locked in for next season. Which of the two do you think will be first to lead their team back to the playoffs?

JIM THOMAS
There’s a lot of hype surrounding Pioli, but a once-in-a-generation type of quarterback like Tom Brady makes a lot of people look like genuises. Even with Denver hiring a new coach and LaDainian Tomlinson showing signs of wearing down in San Diego, the AFC West remains a tougher division than the NFC West. So we’ll go with Devaney and the Rams, barely.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
The Chiefs have an edge with Pioli, who is the No. 1 “catch” of the offseason. There is less work and rebuilding to do in Kansas City, and fewer questions about ownership stability.

BILL COATS
Devaney has a slight edge here. The Rams’ roster, while badly in need of an overhaul, actually is a bit stronger than the Chiefs’ roster. Plus, the NFC West is arguably the weakest division in the NFL — not that the AFC West is filled with juggernauts. So if the right buttons are pushed, the Rams could make a move up pretty quickly.

KATHLEEN NELSON
I’ll give the edge to the Chiefs because the Hunt family seems to have a better football sense than Chip and Lucia. Scott Pioli also comes from a recent winning tradition with the Patriots, the closest thing the NFL has had to a dynasty in the last decade.

****

MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

STILL GLAD TO BE A CUBBIE? When Aaron Miles signed with the Chicago Cubs on Dec. 31, most folks thought he would be penciled into the starting second base job with Mark DeRosa leaving Chicago. Well not so fast. According to the Chicago Tribune, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said this week that Miles will compete with Mike Fontenot for the job during spring training.

Fontenot hit .360 after the All-Star break last year and showed he can play at a high level. “I think when we all got done, and all the things that got batted around in the last couple of months, we forget how good a player he was last year,” Hendry told the Tribune.

Miles, 32, averaged 134 games played and batted .263, .290 and .317 over the last three years with the Cardinals. But he sure sounded like he thought his future was bright when leaving town. Who can forget the following comments he made to Chicago beat writers: “I’m excited to be a Cubbie. Being a Cardinal was great, and that part is over now. Now I’m ready to be a Cubbie and play the game the right way.”

Well, it looks like the right way might be another stint as a utility player … but this time for the Lovable Losers, not the 10-time world champs. I’m just sayin’.

To be fair, Miles didn’t totally slam the Cardinals on his way out of town. In fact, he told P-D writer Derrick Goold the following: “It was still the toughest decision I’ve had to make because St. Louis was the greatest experience I’ve ever had in baseball. Being with the Cardinals made my career happen. I started in Colorado, but I made a name for myself in St. Louis.”

If you missed it the first time around, you can check Goold’s interview with Miles in the Birdland blog.

THE END OF AN ERROR? Say it ain’t so. Chemistry problems in the Dallas Cowboys locker room? Nah, can’t be. Surely the Cowboys had to be convinced they could control Terrell Owens when they signed him … after he had already worn out his welcome in Philadelphia and San Francisco. What convinced them otherwise? Perhaps it was T.O. calling out golden boy quarterback Tony Romo late this season. But that’s just history repeating itself, as we all know T.O. trashed his QBs in Philly and San Fran — Donovan McNabb and Jeff Garcia, respectively.

But Owens may not be the only problem, reports ESPN’s Ed Werder. He says improving locker room chemistry is the highest priority for the Cowboys this offseason. “I think we all know that chemistry is the problem with this team more than the schemes or anything else,” a Cowboys source told Werder. “Are we going to continue to allow talent to outweigh everything else in the decisions we make with players and putting the roster together? … There’s more to it than talent. It has to be more about the team. … “The big one [Owens] didn’t get discussed yet, but I’m sure it will and real hard.”

This one is about as surprising to me as “Dog bites man.”

****

SOMETHING TO PONDER

THE DEVILS MADE HIM DO IT: So the Brendan Shanahan “sweepstakes” are over as the three-time Stanley Cup champion has finalized a contract to play out this season with the New Jersey Devils, the team that selected him No. 2 overall in the 1987 draft. This may prick at the hearts of some Blues fans — the Blues had expressed interest in Shanahan returning to St. Louis — but I think the Blues benefitted by Shanahan’s desire to finish out his career on the East coast.

There’s no denying the impact of Shanahan’s career. He has tallied 650 goals and 1,340 points in 1,490 NHL games. He ranks 11th on the career goal list and 24th in points. Again, unmistakably a star.

Now for the flip side: First, Shanahan turns 40 next week. He’s clearly nearing the end of the road. This is not the same guy who the Blues signed in 1991 in a trade that sent defenseman Scott Stevens to the Devils (where Stevens helped lead New Jersey to three Cup titles.) No, this Shanahan is coming off a 23-goal, 46-point season with the Rangers in 2007 — the lowest total since his rookie season. Shanahan’s last truly great year came in 2005 with the Red Wings, when he put up 40 goals and 81 points. That’s three years ago, or 21 in dog years (and since Shanahan has played 21 seasons, I think the comparison works.)

For my ticket money, give me the Baby Blues and the future on the ice rather than Shanahan and the past. Sorry, Shanny, but I just would hate to see you taking ice time away from the guys that are going to lead this team for years to come.

****

STAT OF THE DAY

102 — Points Shanahan put up for the Blues in 1993. 52 goals and 50 assists. Wow!

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

Question: Does Mizzou stand any chance against Oklahoma in this Saturday’s Big 12 title game? Why or why not? And how about a final score?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Mizzou is facing a long night at Arrowhead. No chance. OU is highly motivated to advance to the national championship game. And on top of that, coach Bob Stoops and the Sooners will want to shut up critics who insist that Texas should be in this game instead. On the Mizzou side, Gary Pinkel has never beaten a team of Oklahoma’s caliber, and the Tigers are hopeless on defense. At least the parking lots will empty early. Final score: Oklahoma 62, Missouri 28.

BRYAN BURWELL
Of course they have a chance. It’s a slim one because the Sooners are playing as good as any team in the country right now, and Mizzou historically does not do well against OU’s bigger and more physical players. But under Bob Stoops, OU does have a habit of losing at least one big game that they shouldn’t, so maybe this is that one. Final score: Oklahoma 61, Mizzou 35.

JOE STRAUSS
Mizzou has an outstanding chance if Jeremy Maclin’s hip heals, Chase Daniel finds a cure for happy feet against the Sooner defensive front, the Tiger special teams go crazy, Coach P. doesn’t leave timeouts on the clock, Sam Bradford can’t hold the ball and Benny Hinn lays hands on the secondary. Oklahoma is good enough to compete in the SEC, maybe even beat Alabama (but not Florida). It’s going to take more than a few “nifty ball plays” for the Tigers to avoid tumbling from the Top 25. In a closer than expected outcome: Sooners 41, El Tigres 27. Remember the Alamo!!!

JIM THOMAS
When I watch the Mizzou defense, I feel like I’m watching the Rams. Namely, blitzes that don’t get there and lots of blown coverages in the secondary, complete with defensive backs pointing aimlessly into space, wondering what happened. Can’t see Mizzou hanging with this bunch. Final score: Oklahoma 52, Mizzou 24.

****

MIDDAY HEADLINES AND QUESTIONS TO PONDER

PLAX SURRENDERS: New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress surrendered to police in Manhattan today to face a charge of handgun possession. Burress turned himself in three days after a gun he was allegedly carrying discharged and wounded him in the leg while he was at a New York nightclub. According to the New York Times Web site, Burress didn’t have a license to carry a gun in New York or New Jersey, where he lives. New York state law carries a sentence of up to 15 years for anyone convicted of carrying a weapon without a permit if it’s determined the person was going to use the weapon to harm someone, and up to seven years if intent to use can’t be proved. (More on Plax below)

MORE MASON TO COME? As reported by Jeremy Rutherford in today’s Post-Dispatch, Blues goalie Chris Mason has allowed just four goals on 134 shots in his past four games, lowering his goals-against average to 2.29 from 3.59 and improving his save percentage to .928 from .878. Against Atlanta on Sunday, he surrendered two goals on 30 shots, perhaps making a case to be the regular starter. Blues management and coaches were not happy with comments regular starter Manny Legace made after Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Edmonton. “I need some help out there,” Legace said. (Now I know the defense hasn’t played great of late, but I’m thinking a goalie needs to be worried more about what’s getting behind him than what’s going on in front of him.)

FAN FOR LIFE, AND DEATH: According to the Associated Press, lifelong Red Sox fans can now take their love of the team to the next level — eternity. A Massachusetts funeral home recently took delivery of the first Red Sox casket, which features the team logo on the exterior as well as the inside. Bob Biggins, co-director of Magoun-Biggins Funeral Home in Rockland, told The Boston Globe that families in mourning often want their loved ones buried with favorite items. In the past that’s included Red Sox paraphernalia; the casket takes it to the next step. (How long until the Yankees offer a similar casket with the words “Boston sucks even here” on it in an effort to continue taunting Bosox fans on the Other Side.)

IRISH WAKE: Can anyone explain to me what the heck has happened at Notre Dame? How does a school with that much history and tradition finds itself a mediocre-at-best program? Charlie Weis has seven years remaining on a 10-year contract and it’s looking like the ax could fall on him any day. Bob Davie obviously wasn’t the guy to follow Lou Holtz. Ty Willingham did alright but got chased quickly from South Bend. Are there any logical reasons this school can no longer recruit like it once did? And is there a high-profile, successful coach out there that would come to a school where so much is demanded from the football program and so much needs to be done to get them on course? I’m throwing this one to the masses because all the experts I listen to sure don’t seem to have the answers.

ALL HAIL THE CHIEFS: Rams fans should be elated with the Kansas City Chiefs victory on Sunday. That brings the Chiefs record even with the Rams at 2-10 — for those keeping track for 2009 draft purposes. Better yet, the Chiefs are showing signs of improvement, so the Rams may yet move ahead of them in the draft order. Since the Rams still go head-to-head with the 2-10 Seahawks, it’s a toss-up who wins that draft battle. I think it’s safe to say the 0-12 Lions have secured the No. 1 pick (with Matt Millen gone, any chance they still take another WR?). And at 1-10-1 and showing no pulse, the Bengals would have to be the frontrunner for the second pick. So the Rams could be looking at anywhere from picks 3 through 6. If they do as well at next year’s draft as they did with Chris Long at No. 2 last year, perhaps there is a ray of light.

*****

SOME THINGS I THINK I THINK

ANQUAN’S THE MAN: There are players who want to tell you how good they are (think T.O., Ocho Stinko), and then there are players who just show you how good they are. One that clearly falls into the Show Me category is Arizona WR Anquan Boldin.

Boldin, you may recall, showed up at training camp this year and lashed out at the club for failing to follow through on what he said was a promise for a new deal. (Notice though, that he SHOWED UP at camp.) No new deal was forthcoming. Boldin, one of the league’s most consistent receivers in recent years, didn’t sulk like many of today’s athletes are apt to do, vowing instead that his unhappiness with his contract wouldn’t affect his play.

And you know what? It hasn’t. Through this weekend’s games Boldin leads all WRs in the NFL with 11 touchdown receptions (his more heralded teammate Larry Fitzgerald is tied for second with four other receivers at eight), he ranks fourth in receptions at 78 and ranks seventh in total receiving yards at 942.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Boldin is doing his job weekly with eight plates in his face and wiring in his jaw. Boldin missed two and half weeks after he suffered a fractured sinus and other facial injuries following a fierce hit by the New York Jets’ Eric Smith on Sept. 28 — a hit that cost Smith a $50,000 fine and a one-game suspension. Boldin underwent surgery, with doctors inserting eight plates to repair his face and wiring to align his bite — yet he has still found a way to play.

“I’m still in awe of what he does on a weekly basis, and what he’s done since he’s come back from that injury,” quarterback Kurt Warner said. “Just a special individual.” I couldn’t agree more, Kurt.

Teams can come up with marketing campaigns like “Bring It” all they want — and every club in every league does it — but I contend that if you had more players that “bring it” with the heart and skill that Boldin does week in and week out, perhaps you’d put fannies in the seats without the catchy slogans. Boldin should provide gut-check fodder for every player in the NFL.

If I could have one WR to build a team around, Boldin would be the man. You got somebody better? Make your case.

POOR PLAX: If someone were seriously injured after an incident like this, I wouldn’t touch it. But since Burress apparently walked into court Monday without as much as a limp, according to reports, I can’t help myself. It’s easy to become immune to news about athletes smacking women around or spitting in their faces at nightclubs, or athletes involved in shootings that leave people paralyzed, or even athletes convicted of murder. It’s all happened in recent years, some times repeatedly. So I guess the only thing I can say about the alleged Plax shooting is this: At least he hurt no one but himself … perhaps that kind of self-policing can be the best thing for sports’ bad boys.

****

STAT OF THE DAY

GUESS THAT QUARTERBACK: A former Pro Bowler put up these numbers yesterday — 15 of 21 passing for 125 yards, two interceptions, and zero TDs. No, it’s not Marc Bulger. Those are the stats of once-mighty Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning. RB Joseph Addai can’t stay healthy (sound familiar?) and WR Marvin Harrison is getting old (sound familiar?) And in the wake of that, Manning is starting to look rather ordinary.