Tipsheet would like to congratulate the Marlins for creating a stir between the 2011 and 2012 seasons. A franchise known for its periodic title runs – and long stretches of irrelevance in between – is at it once again.

“Sunday, they wrapped up negotiations with Jose Reyes,” wrote ESPN’s Jayson Stark. “Monday, they marched their new closer, Heath Bell, up to the podium to introduce him to the masses. So at this rate, by the end of these winter meetings, they'll have Albert Pujols signed, they'll have traded for Justin Verlander, and Yoenis Cespedes will have announced he wants to be adopted by Ozzie Guillen.

“OK, so most of that last sentence was written for comedic purposes. But one out of three ain't bad, especially if the one in question starts with ‘Albert’ and ends with ‘Pujols.’ And the more energy the Marlins expend, honing in on the biggest free-agent fish of them all, the less laughable this all becomes for the rest of the NL East.”

Signing Albert would cause a stir and create some serious discomfort for their spring training co-tenants, the Cardinals.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is finally spending some money on his team. He is doing it all at once, fueling the excitement over his franchise’s move into a new stadium and gaudy new uniforms.

What could possibly go wrong? Many things, actually:

• Pitching will still decide the National League East. The Phillies and Braves have strong starting rotations. Can the Marlins keep up, especially with ace Josh Johnson fighting a sore shoulder? Miami’s new ballpark appears hospitable to pitchers. Rather than sign Pujols for his twilight years, the Marlins should invest in top-of-the-rotation starters.
• The South Florida fan base remains unproven. The move to Miami challenges the franchise to maximize its appeal to Latin American fans. Maybe that will happen, maybe it won’t. Fans will flock to the new ballpark to check it out, but what will attendance look like four, five, six years down the road? Will fans support a $110 million to $120 million annual payroll or will the Marlins go back into sell-off mode as their top young players move toward arbitration and free agency?
• Guillen became cartoonish toward the end of his White Sox managerial run. His on-field results were not good. He will energize the fan base with his colorful ranting and raving, but can he lead a team with strong veteran personalities? Or will he remain focused on all things Ozzie?
• Hanley Ramirez used to be the face of the franchise. Then he tanked last season, inspiring the Marlins to sign Jose Reyes. Would Ramirez cheerfully move to the third base? HanRam didn’t do anything cheerfully last season. Should the Marlins opt to deal him, the team will put him into the marketplace while his trade value is at low ebb.
• Reyes is an amazing talent. But he is also brittle. He has suffered a mind-boggling array of injuries and illnesses since his earlier string of four seasons of 700-plus plate appearances. He is NOT Cal Ripken. If he spends long stints on the disabled list -- and if his base-stealing ability erodes as he enters his 30s -- Miami could feel buyer’s remorse three or four years into this contract.
• Pujols is well into the second half of his career. He would offer a significant upgrade over 20-homer, 80-RBI producer Gaby Sanchez at first base, but the LeBron James comparisons could fade as Albert got deeper into his 30s. The Cardinals can reward Pujols for past glory because he has lifetime marketing power in St. Louis. In South Florida, he is just another big sports name starting from scratch with fans. Shaquille O'Neal could become the more apt comparison.

The big Marlins push is great for Our National Pastime and very exciting for folks in Miami, who have never really caught baseball fever.

But will fans still be buzzing about the Marlins in 2014 and 2015? Or will the franchise revert back to its familiar low-attendance, small-payroll model?

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering what will become of Albert’s Westport statue if he moves to Miami:

So how, again, did the regular season lead us to LSU-Alabama?

Say, is Tiger Woods all the way back?

Shouldn't Oklahoma State be in the BCS title game just so we could see Mike Gundy dance again?

Will the Cardinals have a more outdoorsy look in the post-La Russa era?

Shouldn't sporting event tickets feature more comprehensive disclaimers on the back?

In a season full of epic mistakes, can you believe the Rams somehow missed this one?

Which of Green Bay's remaining foes have the best chance of beating them?

With Aaron Rodgers tearing it up, have Packer fans officially moved on from Brett Favre?

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: “I've actually heard the Jacksonville Jaguars Kool-Aid drinkers who still insist the team did the right thing by not drafting Tim Tebow. Their claim is Tebow will turn out to be a one-hit wonder. My claim: So what? One hit is more than the Jaguars have had in 10 years. Hey, Jags fans, would you rather be the Baha Men or some Holiday Inn lounge act nobody's ever heard of?”

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “Hey, Old-School: So you don't like the weekly costume changes in college sports? Better subscribe to ESPN Classic, because the new uniform deal is toothpaste out of the tube. You'll get used to it. Remember when you could order your new Ford Model-T in any color, as long as it was black? That era ended in 1925.”

Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports: “Detroit should be a feel-good story. Even with the predictable mid-to-late season fade they are still on track to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Just three seasons ago they went 0-16. They play a fun style. Instead, this is simply infuriating to watch. Every step forward comes with a crushing mental mistake. While none of the Lions had a specific example, none would rule out that the Saints were eager to bait them into bad penalties.”

MEGAPHONE

“Everybody is just very tired of the BCS. I think that's the bottom line. Everybody is frustrated. Everybody doesn't really know what to do anymore. It doesn't make sense to anybody. I don't think anybody is happy anywhere.”

Boise State coach Chris Petersen.