De-Unit-ised

Staggering like a behemouth beneath its mighty weight, the gargantuan trade between the Yankees, Dodgers and Diamondbacks continues to maintain its fragile equilibrium between teetering on the brink of collapse and standing up on its own hindlegs.

It appears not only that the deal is still on hold, but that Dodgers GM is getting slightly cold feet and is holding up the mega-trade to bring the Unit to New York.

This isn't a devious plot against the Yankees, although it would be a joy to watch the joy of Yankee fans shrivel, but DePodesta has been holding up the trade because, for the Dodgers, the deal is only part of his mysterious master plan.

"We have to make sure the trade is in the best interests of our '05 club," he said. "As it stands, the only way it's attractive is if we do other things alongside. As a standalone, it's not helping our Major League team. It isn't a done deal at this point."

It is reported that DePodesta indicated that he will not pull the trigger until his other deals are in place.

One deal that MIGHT be in place shortly is the deal on the DC Nats.

In the other staggering deal that can't seem to fully conceive itself, it is being reported that there might be a possible agreement between DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams and district council chair Linda W. Cropp on a stadium financing package that they said will satisfy Major League Baseball by guaranteeing construction of a permanent home for the Washington Nationals.

If you aren't Republican and still believe what you read in the Washington Post, you can read that an accord has been reached.

Hoorah for the fight against small-minded stupidity and Hip Hip for baseball in DC!

An excellent prism through which to view the story ulimately, comes via, yet again, the Post's Sally Jenkins who writes:

"The baseball controversy had a funhouse mirror effect on the District. Everything was distorted and inverted. The skinny looked fat and the fat looked skinny, and common sense was called ridiculous, and all the wrong people were blamed. It's time to bust the funhouse mirror, preferably with a baseball bat, and look at this thing straight on. Place the blame for the uncertainty of the past weeks where it belongs, on a mayor who was a cheerleader for a bunch of extortionist Major League Baseball owners, and give credit where it's due, to a lone council head who did her job and stood up to them."

Hmmm. Well, one way or another, it's Play Ball! anyway....

*****

Iggles Doomed Again

Well, I guess this let's the air out of the Philadelphia Eagles bandwagon AND narrows the NFC potential Super Bowl Champions down to zero.

The only decent team in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles, announced that their primary superstar, Terrell Owens, will be lost to the team for the last two games of the regular season and probably the playoffs because of a severe ankle sprain.

Seriously - why will the NFC send a representative to the Super Bowl this season?

Even the 5-9 Redskins still have a chance to reach the playoffs in the NFC!

Meanwhile, in the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers just landed a step closer to hosting the Super Bowl (otherwise known as the AFC Championship) when the Staggering Genius Patriots Mysteriously Lost to the Dolphins this morning (or, last night if you live in America) - the loss means the Steelers now have the best record in the AFC and if the song remains the same, they will also have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

This still doesn't mean that the Buffalo Bills won't win the playoffs thereby writing the most improbable story in NFL team history, but it does mean that anything is still possible.

Maybe even Beltran to the Mets, hehheh.