THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: What a night Thursday was. Cards lose in the bottom of the ninth. Mizzou gives up 27 points in the fourth quarter and falls to Nebraska. Blues give up 1-0 lead to lose their home opener. In your time covering sports here in St. Louis, what has been the most devastating loss you’ve witnessed?

DAN O’NEILL
What happened Thursday night was bad, but not close to being the most disappointing for this scribe. There was the Cardinals losing Game 7 of the 1968 World Series to Detroit, with Bob Gibson on the mound and Curt Flood misplaying a ball in center field. Gibson losing Game 7 — unthinkable. …There was Missouri’s overtime loss to Nebraska in 1997 when the Cornhuskers caught a bogus tipped pass in the end zone to stay alive. … Missouri’s basketball loss to UCLA in the 1995 NCAA Tournament when Lollipop Guild member Tyus Edney went the length of the floor with six seconds remaining. … the Don Denkinger call in the 1985 World Series. … Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Rams in the Feb. 2002 Super Bowl. … Neil O’Donoghue’s miss from 50 yards as time expired in Washington, denying the Football Cardinals a playoff spot in 1984. … all were more disappointing than Thursday.

JIM THOMAS
Well, that’s a lot of ground to cover. I was in Oklahoma that sunny day in 1986 for the Norman Conquest: Sooners 77, Missouri 0. LB Brian Bosworth — The Boz — eating a hot dog, standing near the stands in the second half. … I covered a succession of Missouri basketball losses to the likes of Northern Iowa and Rhode Island in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. … And I’ve seen the Rams lose in just about every manner conceivable. But I have to go with Super Bowl XXXVI, New England’s stunning Super Bowl triumph over St. Louis. The Rams, Mike Martz, the Greatest Show on Turf were never the same after that one.

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
For sure, the Rams’ 20-17 Super Bowl loss to New England in 2002 was the worst in recent memory. Watching the Rams tie the score and then seeing Tom Brady march the Patriots 53 yards on six completions for Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal was tough. But I’m going to throw another heartbreaker into the mix for the hockey fans. … It happened on Dec. 6, 2006. With a sellout crowd in attendance at Scottrade Center, where a lavish pregame ceremony took place to retire Brett Hull’s No. 16, the Blues laid a complete egg in a 5-1 loss to the Red Wings. To me, that was rock bottom of the Blues’ freefall. I’ll never forget Hull doing an interview with a few us during the game, and he made a comment about it being a great night despite the debacle on the ice. A few days later, Blues coach Mike Kitchen was fired, and the Andy Murray era began.

BILL COATS
Game 7 loss to the Tigers in the 1968 World Series. Cardinals were up 3-1 in the series, then Curt Flood slips in center field, then Mickey Lolich shuts down the bats. That took a while to get over.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Game 7, 1985, the game after the Denkinger fiasco against KC. The Cardinals lost 11-0. For goodness sake, it was the seventh game of the World Series and the Cardinals totally flopped. Their inability to rebound for the biggest game of the year was far more disheartening than losing because of a blown call.

THE WATERCOOLER

THE SHOWDOWN: Break down this Sunday’s Missouri-Kansas matchup in Lawrence and tell us who wins and why.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
This will be a difficult setting for the Mizzou Tigers. The team is obviously playing with a lot of confidence these days, and that will help the cause. This should be a terrific game: a renewal of a wonderful rivalry that will showcase two ascending teams. I have to give the edge to KU. The Jayhawks haven’t lost at home in a long time, and Allen Fieldhouse is one of the most imposing and impressive settings in college basketball. The young Tigers are almost ready to snatch a game at KU, but not quite yet. The Jayhawks should have won in Columbia but discovered that this was a different kind of Mizzou team: one that won’t back down. It’s almost as if KU, accustomed to so many recent surrenders by MU basketball, was caught off guard by Mizzou’s resilient comeback. I don’t think that will happen this time. Kansas won’t be surprised by MU’s aggression. And KU’s floor leader, Sherron Collins, will finish strong. He faded down the stretch in the first encounter.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas 82, Missouri 76.

JEFF GORDON
Missouri is rolling. The Tigers have 11 guys playing with confidence. Their kids aren’t kids anymore. It’s easy to build a scenario where they upset the Jayhawks on the road. If they take care of the basketball and hit their shots, they can use their superior depth to beat anybody anywhere. But . . . Bill Self is a great coach, KU will be jacked up at home and the Jayhawks will hit their shots this time. The Jayhawks had a chance to blow the Tigers off the court in Columbia and they blew their opportunity. Sunday, the shots go down.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas 91, Missouri 84

VAHE GREGORIAN
The game figures to have a totally different complexion than the first. The Jayhawks won’t commit 27 turnovers again, the Tigers won’t be held to 16 points in the first half and MU also won’t be able to overcome repeated double-digit deficits again. If KU gets up big early, the Tigers will keep playing but KU will stiffarm them away and win comfortably. If MU keeps it close in the first half, the ending should be similar to the sizzling one in Columbia. I think the Tigers are too good at this stage to let it get out of control and should be another great game.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas 73, Missouri 70

DAN O’NEILL
It’s an interesting game to analyze based on the crazy last meeting, which Missouri won 62-60 at Mizzou Arena. On one hand, Missouri was fortunate to win at home, benefiting from a late Kansas meltdown. On the other hand, Missouri won despite playing poorly for two-thirds of the game. Soooo … if the Tigers play well from the get-go this time, what happens? Here are some factors:

• Good start: Hard to believe the Tigers won last time after scoring just 16 points in the first half — they trailed 30-16. Hard to believe they could have a similar start this time and still be in the building for the second half.

• Missouri’s defense: It caused 27 Kansas turnovers in the last meeting, and it will have to be at its chaos-creating best to disrupt the Jayhawks and quiet the Allen Fieldhouse crowd. Missouri had 13 steals in the last game, they will need at least that many this time.

• 3-point shooting: MU leads the Big 12 in 3-point shooting defense, and that will be important. Like many teams, KU tends to struggle offensively without 3-point injections. The Jayhawks were just 2 of 15 from the arch last time. Meanwhile, Missouri was 2 of 14, and it must do better, must get Matt Lawrence (0 for 2) more involved.

• Rebounding: Missouri was outrebounded 48-28 last time — yikes! A lot of that had to do with shooting the ball poorly. The Tigers were 7 of 29 from the field during the first half in the last game.
• Free Throws: The first meeting, Mizzou was 1 for 4 from the line in the first half, 17 of 23 in the second. The Tigers have to hope DeMarre Carroll can wear out a path to the line this time.

• Sherron Collins: KU’s excellent guard is coming off a 26-point performance against Oklahoma and is fourth in the Big 12 in scoring average (18.3). Hear that J.T. Tiller? That’s your man.

Both teams have momentum, with KU coming off a big win at Oklahoma and Missouri riding a seven-game streak. But winning at Kansas will be a tall order for the Tigers.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas 87, Missouri 79

TOM TIMMERMANN
First off, show of hands: How many people expected the Mizzou basketball team to be ranked higher than the football team? Mizzou won the last meeting because Kansas came apart down the stretch, and still, if one or two iffy calls had gone the other way, the Jayhawks would have won in Columbia. KU, no doubt rattled by what the Tigers threw at them, committed gobs of turnovers. They’ll be better composed in Lawrence. If KU hangs on to the ball, that will be a major difference.

Normally, I say pick against the team coming off a big win, like KU’s at No. 3 Oklahoma. But, 1) almost a week has passed since that game; 2) Oklahoma didn’t have Blake Griffin, so that takes some of the luster off the win; and 3) what the Jayhawks have been hearing around campus all week hasn’t been, “good job against Oklahoma,” it’s been, “Beat Missouri.” I think Sherron Collins will do better than the 9 points he had last time and Tyshawn Taylor will do better than his 11.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas 64, Missouri 56

KATHLEEN NELSON
Two factors work against Missouri. The Tigers will need a more consistent performance than the spotty effort they mustered in beating the Jayhawks in Columbia. In addition, KU’s tough at home.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas 82, Missouri 78

MIKE SMITH
Coach Self will sell this one to his players as being the equivalent of a national championship game. Feeding off the fan frenzy, the Jayhawks will respond accordingly. And if I’m Self, or any other coach with a physical post man like Aldrich, I pound it inside against Mizzou for 40 minutes. Lyons will back off soon as he sees that’s the strategy, saddling Carroll with the impossible task of singlehandedly stopping the inside game. Translation: He’ll foul out.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas 69, Missouri 57.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

MANNY REJECTS TWO-YEAR, $45 MILLION OFFER: You saw my thoughts yesterday that Manny Ramirez would be crazy to turn down the Dodgers offer. Still, it appears his agent Scott Boras has done just that. And I’m not the only one who thinks he’s nuts. Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes today: “This week, by every stretch of the wildest imagination, the Dodgers made Manny Ramirez a no-lose proposition. By rejecting it Thursday, Ramirez has officially lost it. He’s lost his dignity. He’s lost his perspective. He’s lost his marbles.”

Plaschke also has some pointed words for Boras. You should check out his column today.

REDSKINS AT IT AGAIN: Redskins owner Dan Snyder desperately wants to win. He just hasn’t figured out yet that throwing money around isn’t always the way to get it done (See: New York Yankees.) Still, Snyder pulled out the wallet Thursday night and kept it out until the wee hours Friday in an attempt to build a winner in Washington.

First, Snyder ponied up a six-year, $54 million deal ($22.5 million guaranteed) to retain DeAngelo Hall. The deal made Hall one of the league’s highest paid cornerbacks. But at that point Snyder was just getting started, because as soon as free agency opened around midnight, he signed DT Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100 million deal ($41 million guaranteed.)

It’s not Snyder spending money that I find surprising … it’s just how he spent it. Hall was actually cut by the Raiders last season after eight games. Cut. By the Raiders. He ended up with Washington and finished the season on a high note. But a $54 million high note? I don’t know. As to Haynesworth hitting the free-agent jackpot … I know he was one of the most coveted free agents on the market this year, but do you really spend $100 million on an interior defensive lineman?

Snyder has swung and missed on many big-name free agents in the past, but who knows, maybe this is the year he gets it right. Time will tell if it was money well spent.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

WEDNESDAY ROUND 2 REDUX:
WILL TKACHUK BE A HALL OF FAMER?

My friend Kevin Wheeler, who hosts “Sports Open Line” on KMOX, stated his case earlier this week in this space for why he thought St. Louis Blues forward Keith Tkachuk is unquestionably a Hall of Famer. Not everyone agreed. In the spirit of debate, Kevin went back to work and offers up the following to support his case:

FROM KEVIN: After giving this subject a little more thought, because I’m a sports guy and that’s what I do, I decided to do a little more research on the subject of Keith Tkachuk and the Hall of Fame. The raw numbers I presented in Wednesday’s Round Two were pretty compelling, but what I found when I dug a little deeper was even better.

With a little extra time on my hands I sat down and compared Tkachuk to Hall of Famers Glenn Anderson, Bernie Federko, Dale Hawerchuk, Joe Mullen and Peter Stastny. What I looked at was the number of goals each scored per game compared to the number of goals scored per game overall in the NHL during their respective careers.

Even the least-experienced hockey fans recognize the fact that offense in the NHL is not what it used to be. Goals are harder than ever to come by, even after a bunch of rules changes, but I don’t think people truly understand how much scoring has decreased over the last 15 years.

Here’s how Tkachuk’s goals per game rate stacks up against the aforementioned Hall of Famers:

Goals per game
Tkachuk - 0.47
Anderson - 0.44
Hawerchuk - 0.44
Federko - 0.37
Mullen - 0.47
Stastny - 0.46

Tkachuk scores more per game than anyone on that list except Mullen, which kind of surprised me. Even in an era where fewer goals are being scored on a nightly basis, Walt’s scoring rate compares favorably with five guys who were no-brainers for the Hall.

I also looked the points per game rate:

Points per game
Tkachuk - 0.93
Anderson - 0.97
Hawerchuk - 1.19
Federko - 1.13
Mullen - 1.00
Stastny - 1.27

He’s at the bottom of the barrel here but within a whisker of Anderson and Mullen.

The numbers below signify the average goals scored per game in the NHL from the first year each player stepped into the league until the day they retired.

Total goals scored per game
Tkachuk era - 5.51
Anderson era - 7.28
Hawerchuk era - 7.25
Federko era - 7.48
Mullen era - 7.17
Stastny era - 7.35

In other words, there were roughly 25% more goals scored during the careers of the five Hall of Famers than there were during Tkachuk’s career.

Tkachuk has played in the NHL equivalent of baseball’s “Dead Ball Era” yet he still scores goals at the same rate as Hall of Famers who played in the high-flying offensive years.

Voters may or may not consider these kinds of facts when the time comes, preferring to fall back on lazy critiques that are more about the teams Tkachuk has played for than on what he’s accomplished as an individual, but they should at least do the amount of digging I was able to do between the 2nd and 3rd period of the Blues-Stars game Thursday night.

Nothing can “prove” that Tkachuk will he in the Hall someday because voters are human and humans can be a little goofy, but I think his case is outstanding even if has yet to play for a team good enough to win the Stanley Cup.

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STAT OF THE DAY

548 — Most career homers hit by a player who played his entire career for only one franchise. Philadelphia’s Mike Schmidt leads the list. Here’s the top 20, along with their HR totals and the team they played for:

1. Mike Schmidt, 548, PHI
2. Mickey Mantle, 536, NYY
3. Ted Williams, 521, BOS
4, Ernie Banks, 512, CHC
5. Mel Ott, 511, NYG
6. Lou Gehrig, 493, NYY
7. Willie Stargell, 475, PIT
8. STAN MUSIAL, 475, STL
9. Carl Yastrzemski, 452, BOS
10. Jeff Bagwell, 449, HOU
11. Cal Ripken, 431, BAL
12. Chipper Jones, 408, ATL
13. Al Kaline, 399, DET
14. Johnny Bench, 389, CIN
15. Jim Rice, 382, BOS
16. Joe DiMaggio, 361, NYY
17. ALBERT PUJOLS, 319, STL
18. George Brett, 317, KC
19. Todd Helton, 310, COL
20. Edgar Martinez, 309, SEA

(SOURCE: Baseballreference.com)

THE WATERCOOLER

Question: Are the 2008 Detroit Lions the worst team in the history of the NFL? If not, who is?

JIM THOMAS
Humbly speaking, I’m probably the area’s foremost expert on bad football. I covered the “Woody’s Wagon” Missouri Tigers in the mid ’80s. (I was on press row for the Norman Conquest, the 77-0 loss at Oklahoma. Yes, the Sooners did send a note to the Mizzou locker room at halftime saying: “You’re in the wrong defense.” And yes, Brian Bosworth was eating a hot dog on the sidelines near the end of the game.) And of course, I now chronicle the weekly pratfalls of the St. Louis Rams. But in this age of NFL parity, with the salary cap, free agency, the ability to draft high after bad seasons, to be able to navigate an entire NFL season without a single victory is an incredible feat. If the Lions manage to finish 0-16, I’d rate them as the worst team in NFL history. Hands down.

BILL COATS
I think that “honor” goes to the 1980 New Orleans Saints, who became known as the “Aints” and whose fans showed up with paper bags on their heads. Only a one-point win over a so-so Jets team avoided 0-16.

BRYAN BURWELL
The Lions are the worst ever. Their only competition for “worst ever” would be the winless 0-14 Tampa Bay Bucs. Those Bucs were dreadful with their ugly orange uniforms and a 12-game streak the following season that extended their futility to an NFL record 26 games. But they had an excuse. They were an expansion team in 1976 with a roster full of NFL rejects. The Lions’ only excuse is lengthy managerial incompetence.

TOM TIMMERMANN
While Detroit may lose more games, I don’t think anyone can match the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers for being flat out bad. They were outscored 412-125, shut out five times, averaged 214 yards of total offense. Other than Lee Roy Selmon, they had nobody. I’d make Detroit a 6-point favorite if the teams met. Then I’d plan to be doing something else during the game.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOSTON AND ST. LOUIS: Boston owner John Henry shocked Red Sox Nation last night when he issued a statement saying the Bosox we’re out of the running for prized free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. “We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him,” Henry said in an e-mail, according to the Boston Globe. “After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor.”

Although the other teams pursuing Teixeira include the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Nationals, many in Boston believe Henry’s statement is purely a negotiating ploy. Who knows, perhaps Henry just doesn’t want to bid against himself … the same tactic apparently being applied by the Cardinals right now with Brian Fuentes.

Did I just compare an 8-year, $180 million deal to a 2-year, $16-18 million deal? Kind of puts it into perspective though, doesn’t it … the kind of money that causes hand-wringing in Boston and the kind that causes it in St. Louis? Oh, to have such problems.

THE PRIDE OF POPLAR BLUFF: Missouri native Tyler Hansbrough broke the all-time scoring record at the University of North Carolina last night when he fought through two defenders to score his 2,291st point, passing all-time leader Phil Ford. It’s an impressive feat at an elite basketball institution like North Carolina. One columnist from the Raleigh News & Observer points out that a key factor in Hansbrough breaking the record is that he decided to stick around for his senior season, as Ford had done. The Observer column says that, “Conservatively estimated, Antawn Jamison, Joseph Forte, Michael Jordan and Rashad McCants were all on pace to break Ford’s record had they stayed for a fourth year (or in Forte’s case, third and fourth years).”

I say it’s too bad more “college” athletes don’t make the decision to finish up their four years of schooling, but that’s an argument for another day.

Hansbrough needs to make no apologies for the hard-working style and determination that now has him at the top of Carolina’s scoring list. Congrats to Hansbrough on the record and to all the folks of Poplar Bluff who must be celebrating the achievement of their native son.

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THINGS TO PONDER

THANK YOU, RAMS: No sellout for the Rams game Sunday means a TV blackout. But the Rams are still delivering a holiday gift to us all: By virtue of the blackout, the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) vs. Tennessee Titans (12-2) game will be aired at noon instead. This is a huge game with homefield advantage for the entire AFC playoffs on the line. And now all those fans not attending Sunday’s game at The Ed can stay home and watch football as it’s meant to be played. In the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone.”

LOOSEN UP, IT’S THE HOLIDAYS: It’s Friday and many of us will be taking a few days off in the coming weeks. I thought I’d end today on a lighter note, so I went searching online for some funny Rickey Henderson quotes and anecdotes. Who doesn’t love Rickey? I know Rickey loves Rickey. I found what I was looking for at chiefsplanet.com. Here are five of my favorites, but you can check out Chiefs Planet’s Top 25 by clicking on the link above. Well, onto Rickey:

1. In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”

2. Trying to get back into baseball, Henderson reportedly called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message on his answering machine: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

3. A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”

4. Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”

5. When he was on the Yankees in the mid-1980s, Henderson told teammates that his condo had such a great view that he could see, “The Entire State Building.”

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STAT OF THE DAY

6 — Number of NBA coaches fired in the season’s first seven weeks. The teams with new coaches: Kings, 76ers, Thunder, Timberwolves, Raptors and Wizards. On one hand you feel bad for the guys losing their jobs. On the other hand, you wish we could all be guaranteed the kind of severence packages they probably received.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.