WATERCOOLER CHAT: WARNER STAYING AND T.O. OUT

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

A lesson to never sleep when playing a ‘slightly’ inferior opponent.  #5 Oklahoma and Blake Griffin traveled to Missouri to play the #12 Tigers.  The game was expected to be close, but Griffin is so dominant that any game in which he’s featured and healthy is, in theory, a win for the Sooners.  Well… not last night, as the Tigers came out strong behind DeMarre Carroll.  He had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a game that saw Mizzou taking advantage of all Oklahoma’s careless turnovers.  Blake Griffin had 16 points and 21 rebounds on the night, but also… 6 turnovers.  Missouri 73, Oklahoma 64.

NFL

The Arizona Cardinals have officially decided to keep Kurt Warner.  He cost them a pretty penny, as $19 million of his contract is guaranteed money, but the Cardinals figure that… hey, he knows the offense, we can win with him, and maybe he will lead us to another Super Bowl.  And at the very least, the Cards will be relevant coming into next season, which will definitely improve their previously horrid ticket sales.  At the same time, the 49ers are bummed today, as they were hoping that Warner might suit up for them next year.  Now, they will have to look to a stable of average QBs or the draft for an answer.

At the same time, Edgerrin James, the Cardinals running back, called up the general manager yesterday and pleaded to be released.  He was benched midway through last season in favor of rookie Tim Hightower, and he stated earlier in the season, “I didn’t come here to block”.  Only thing is, there aren’t many open positions in the NFL.  Cedric Benson locked up the starting job in Cincy.  Derrick Ward took a job with Tampa Bay, and Fred Taylor signed with New England as an offensive option.  So it will be interesting to see where James lands.  Someone has to have use for him.  But he’s entering the final stages of his career.

Finally, the biggest news of the day — Terrell Owens was released by the Dallas Cowboys.  The primary reason… he’s a chemistry-killer.  In the locker room, he has been known to become enraged and throw tantrums.  He attracts drama, and always puts the Cowboys in a bad light.  Releasing him cost them a lot of money, but Jerry Jones thought it was for the overall good of the team.  Now they can focus on being a cohesive unit.  So two questions remain.  (1) Where does T.O. go now?  Who wants to absorb the headache?  (2) Whom will the Cowboys get to replace Owens, because Romo is going to need somebody to throw to deep? For Owens, the problem is that no serious contender will pick him up because they don’t want the trouble. He’s more likely to end up on a team like the Raiders, who will do anything to give their team a new look.

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