Lone Reader Wedding Weekend Wrap: Take Two

Sunday, the day after The Lone Reader's wedding was a day of mixed emotions indeed. The festivities were over; it was time for friends and family to go their separate ways, and TLR was likely happy and sad for more reasons than this. His two playoff-contending teams saw polar results in that his precious, not-just-Lebron Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs at roughly the same time that Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. These results again embodied highs and lows in sports-related emotion as the Cavs failed to get as far as they had last year, while the Pens have now advanced two rounds further than last year's post-season efforts. Because the concept of dissecting TLR is so enthralling, we'll have a bit more of it after the jump. Instead of basketball and hockey, however, the focus will be one of his favorite pigskin figures.

As I mentioned yesterday, newspapers are still cool. So much so that The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland-area-based publication sent reporter Tony Grossi on assignment to cover the so-called progress of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. For the sake of the not-exactly-flourishing print journalism, I'll spare any links and quote directly from the hard copy, the way Wilford Brimley would read as he eats oatmeal and tends to his dia-beetis in the morning. The interesting twist on the story is that it comes, via Grossi, from the perspective of Cleveland attorney Fred Nance, one of the four five finalists not selected as the next commissioner.

Nance's take on Goodell's efforts in a nutshell allegedly receive praise for his role in the task of "mission impossible...the ultimate pressure cooker." He also added:

Not that it wouldn't be fun to be the eye in the storm, but I think Roger, in many respects, was bred to that position and I can't see anybody doing any better.

Nance's opinion regarding the New England Patriots and spying is summarized as overblown in that it is not an issue to be dealt with by the government, but rather the league. Nance also admits that the stricter dealings with player conduct have been warranted, another indicator that Goodell has handled issues well. On the contrary, Nance admits that two major issues lie ahead for the commissioner, and how they're dealt with could be the major labels associated with Goodell's time in office. The first deals with the next labor agreement that will be signed. Grossi reports that Nance's understanding of the 2006 extension hosted a mix of owner pressure to get a deal done regardless of tendencies that suggested it too heavily favored the players.

The other is that of former NFL athletes. Nance discusses the vast amount of revenues associated with the NFL, and how those dollars, coupled with franchise appreciation set the total dollars associated with football far greater than those of other sports. That side of today's game, contrasted with that of yesterday, wherein certain players "can't afford their meds and are dying in poverty," suggest that the worst is yet to come in terms of challenges Goodell will face.

The grade on the commissioner's work thus far, Grossi's article suggests, would be well above that of a passing mark.

Other tidbits of interest from Sunday's Plain Dealer...

I can't agree more about the noise, smoke, and terribly loud music at the Cavs and other NBA games. I believe there is a large number of fans who honestly don't know the sound of a basketball on a wood floor or the squeak that sneakers make...

(compiled by Bud Shaw, Plain Dealer reporter) What? These kids never played Double Dribble?

Bernie Kosar is 1-1 against John Elway in the Arena Football League. Kosar's Gladiators defeated Elway's Colorado Crush, 50-46, Saturday night at Pepsi Center in Denver.

(attributed to staff reports) Man. I thought I was bitter.

Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto said that the Browns, in their never-ending quarterback controversy "had the ridiculous coin flip before (last year's) preseason opener to decide if Frye or Anderson starts."

Man. I thought the Chiefs had bad coaching.

(Update: Breaking NFL news regarding...No, not bad Chiefs coaching, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The owners have unanimously opted out of the current CBA set to expire in 2001. For reasons I cannot explain, Bob Kraft and Jerry Jones were among the selected owners to explain. Check it here. WhoeverthefuckScottHansonis shares the details here. Of course the commish checks in, and NFL Players Association President Gene Upshaw counters.