This day of love is supposed to have excitement and surprise for everyone. There is jewelry, flowers, chocolate and lace. And don’t forget that sultry scent of sexiness in the air.
But let’s be honest. Some will be getting down more than others this Valentine’s Day.
Those that are not feeling the love, whether it is romance or respect, deserve some attention. Right now there are currently four instances where an extra splash of affection is needed.
4. Everyone that watched Super Bowl XL.
The viewers need to be soothed for having to watch an obnoxious act. This was the fifth consecutive year where a trip to Disneyland and the Pete Rozelle Trophy were not enough for the Super Bowl MVP.
Cadillac has been providing the MVP with a brand new Cadillac. Disgustingly, the athlete places a check in the box on a poster-sized board next to the Cadillac of his choice at the Super Bowl MVP press conference.
The only thing that would make this choice exciting and less sickening is if the player had been getting around town on a bus pass or bicycle all season.
The athlete should not be blamed for taking the car, but the NFL should remove this ceremony and try to work something else out with Cadillac.
3. Carmelo Anthony
You had a feeling it was probably going to happen, but it is just plain wrong that Anthony wasn’t selected to the 2006 NBA All-Star game.
Up through Sunday night’s win over Seattle, Anthony is averaging 25.8 points per game, 2.7 assists per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.
But what gives Anthony the edge over all the other snubs is that he is the best player on a team that is in first place in its division.
Tracy McGrady, who through Sunday averaged 26.1 points per game in 15 less games than Anthony, is a starter for the West, but should not be there.
Great player, but the problem is the Houston Rockets are in over their heads as the last place team in a tough Southwest division.
2. The National Hockey League
The NHL is going to need a little more than a little TLC after an alleged betting scandal was uncovered recently. Bets not concerning sports other than hockey have allegedly been placed through Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet.
The greatest player to ever step skate on NHL ice, current Phoenix Coyotes Head Coach Wayne Gretzky, has recently been thrown in the mix. But the main focus on the investigation is his wife Janet Jones.
Wiretaps released last Thursday apparently have recordings of Gretzky talking to Tocchet about how Jones could be caught up in charges.
Nobody has been formally charged, but it is rumored that the supposed betting ring is in cahoots with organized crime on the East Coast.
Regardless of what happens, this is not the right time for salt to be dumped into the still healing wounds of last season’s lockout.
1. Al Michaels
In one of the funniest trades in sports history, Al Michaels was happily traded last Thursday to NBC from ESPN/ABC/Disney so he can call the new NBC Sunday night football games.
In return for Michaels, NBC gave ESPN/ABC/Disney the option to show more Olympic highlights on its newscasts, the rights to broadcast the next four Ryder Cups and the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character.
Oswald returns to Disney, where his ears where chopped off to spawn the popular Mickey Mouse many years ago.
The only other trade possibly more hilarious was portrayed on an episode of Seinfeld when Yankee owner George Steinbrenner dealt Assistant to the Traveling Secretary George Costanza to Tyler Chicken for a full-blown conversion of all concessions in Yankee Stadium to chicken products.
Nonetheless, the best sports caster in the nation was traded for a character that has not starred in a film since 1928, the majority of which were silent.
I think that Michaels’ talents warrant at least the rights to Sebastian the crab from the Little Mermaid, the genie from Aladdin and the chance to pick up the contract options of two of the seven dwarfs of their choice from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The only thing to be learned here is to appreciate Valentine’s Day no matter how bad you think you may have it, because somebody will always be worse off than you.
When I get an earful tonight for attributing the reservation I made at the Country Buffet to the great food selection and being chivalrous (financially), all I will need to do is allude to Oswald the Rabbit and Al Michaels.
