Viva Sports!

Before we start this week’s blog, I need help getting this jingle out of my head. I don’t have much free time to think, and when I do, I like to dream about movie stardom, Redskins victories and how much I want to eat raw clams.

But I can’t anymore because this jingle occupies those moments now. This week, I’ll focus on a little show-and-tell and a little trivia. Let’s get started.

This link provides possible evidence on how the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick cheated. The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 Thursday night. The Patriots also will forfeit a 2008 first-round draft choice if they reach the playoffs or second- and third-round picks if they do not qualify for postseason play.

Honestly, I think the punishment is too light. Belichick was caught last year doing the same thing and warned not to do it again. So how does he respond? He cheats in the first game of the season.

I would have suspended the coach for four games and taken away all the team’s draft choices for next year. And I would have fined them. Apparently, Philadelphia Eagles players, who lost to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX, are questioning whether Belichick spied on them. It seems every time the Eagles defense blitzed, the Patriots responded with a screen pass or a quick hitter. Hmmmm.

This definitely taints Belichick’s legacy, and I believe it’s as damaging to the game as steroids.

I’m not sure what the next link says about our “alleged” national pastime. The Marlins-Nationals game Wednesday drew a crowd of 400 at Dolphin Stadium. That’s 74,600 empty seats if you’re keeping score. What the???

The stadium was so empty that a season ticker holder was thrown out for heckling the umpire too loudly. Again I say, “what the???”

The fan could be heard saying “you don’t make more than me” on the television broadcast before he was escorted away. According to the Washington Post, “The three-day series between Florida and Washington at Dolphin Stadium drew a total of perhaps 3,000 fans, though the announced attendance was reported to be more than 10,000 every day. Monday’s and Tuesday’s games, both at night, drew about 1,200 each.”

At least it would be easy to get the beer man’s attention.

The next link has a photo midway down that should come with a warning. It shows my nominee for worst broadcast team in the history of professional football. Mike (Greenberg), Mike (Golic) and Mike (Ditka) were the broadcasters for the late Monday Night Football game on ESPN pitting San Francisco against Arizona. Rating for the second game was down 19 percent from the previous year.

Greenberg and Golic are funny when they are talking about milking a cow or being tasered. They aren’t amusing when analyzing Frank Gore’s cutbacks or Alex Smith’s development or Matt Leinart’s noodle arm. Ditka had some entertaining moments on Saturday Night Live and the soccer movie with Will Ferrell.

Speaking of Ditka (here’s the warning part), what the??? is he doing in that photo? I thought I saw it live, but assured myself I was seeing things. Unfortunately, I was indeed correct. Wonderful!

OUT AT HOME: For crying out loud!!!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Actually two videos. The first has a European flavor and is for a Richmond magazine employee. The second is fast becoming one of my favorite songs. The video is pretty cool too.