No-nonsense Sapp no sap in TV booth

Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp have long had reps as party boys, but they must be getting their sleep on Saturday nights in L.A. The transition from the game to the TV booth has shown these two are more than genetic freaks with egos to match their many physical blessings. They're smart, quick and fearless and it makes for great sports television.Irvin, Sapp, Marshall Faulk and ex-coach Steve Mariucci hit the airwaves on NFL Network bright and early Sunday morning with the lights going up at 8 a.m. and they're bright and tight from the opening credits on.

Irvin struggled during his early days on ESPN but has found his niche on NFL Gameday. Maybe it's the changes he's made in his off-camera life, but the Hall of Fame receiver clearly does his homework and adds a personality dripping charm.

Faulk works at the craft and provided a compelling interview with Ravens backer Ray Lewis this week that only a former player could have extracted. Faulk has developed enough news sense to know what questions to ask, but can still lean on his ex-player status to get inside where few reporters can operate.

Mariucci provides the coach's perspective, which is always interesting, and he sort of acts like a traffic cop to keep his three amigos in line.

But the show really gets its zip from Sapp, who has a very keen baloney-meter and allows no sacred cows. If he doesn't like where Irvin or Faulk are going or thinks they're giving someone a break -- zoom -- he's on them. As for giving players a pass because he used to be one, no chance.

Sunday he blasted Bears tackle Orlando Pace. We paraphrase: "I love O Pace but it's over. He's a T-Rex and he should be in the museum with all the other dinosaurs. It's been a good ride but it's over," slapped Sapp.

Great stuff, hard to find anywhere else from a credible viewpoint and well worth rolling out early for on a Sunday morning.

Here's our look at Week 9:

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO: Hello midway point of the season. Nice to see you. That's right, we're undefeated at a shiny 8-0. Both the Colts and the Saints can say this and it's tough to argue with either clubs' claims as the kings of their conferences.

New England comes to Indy next weekend and that's a big test, while the Saints travel to St. Louis next week and Tampa the following week.

YO ELI, WHAT'S UP? The Giants won five in a row to open the season and have now lost four straight. Eli Manning has been ordinary over that stretch, but even worse has been the Giants defence. At 4-0 the Giants looked like NFC contenders but that ship has sailed. Fans of the Big Blue might want to look around for another club to cheer for this season.

Monday night madness: The Steelers hope to join the Mile High club this week with a win over the Broncos in a nice AFC matchup. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin has been taunting his team all week with remarks about needing to go into Denver and compete against the league's best defence.

The Broncos are statistically the best defensive unit in the league, but the Steelers believe they know a little about that side of the ball as well. The Broncos will look to add credibility to their fine 6-1 record while the Steelers need to let the rest of the world know whether they're going to defend their title or fold their tent.

CEDDY B AND THE BENGALS: At 6-2 with wins over both Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the NFC North, it's time to say the Bengals are contenders. Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis spewed a lot of noise this week about not allowing Cedric Benson to run for more than 100 yards, but couldn't back up the talk as the Cincy running back had 117 yards on 34 carries.

INJURED IN INDY: The Colts learned this week both safety Bob Sanders and corner Marlin Jackson were done for the season. No doubt that's a heavy blow, but Indy showed its mettle as they went out and beat an improving Houston Texans team. Lots of folks looked at this as an AFC South upset, but Peyton Manning would have none of it.

Manning and Dallas Clark were sharp late and the reliable tight end had 14 catches for 119 yards, including several third-down grabs that resulted in first downs. This is one of the best tandems in the game.

MANGINI MADNESS: Browns owner Randy Lerner is now saying he's going to let head coach Eric Mangini -- he of the 1-7 record -- play a major role in the hiring of the team's new GM. What a clown show. Lerner needs to decide if he wants to be the owner of a team with a hope or buddies with his vastly over-rated coach. Mangini is often featured in our 'fire that coach' segment but there's a new wrinkle in Cleveland -- fire that owner. Lerner is the real impediment to success on the shore of Lake Erie.

BUYING AND SELLING: We'll buy the Bengals, the Colts and the Saints after another winning weekend. The Falcons and Texans -- yeah, we know Houston lost, but they hung tight with Indy until the bitter end -- are soft buys. Sell the Lions (you were a donkey if you had them in your portfolio to begin with) and dump the Ravens and the Bears.

BAY OF PIGS: We expected Green Bay to stomp into Tampa Bay and give the Bucs a lesson. A pair of losses to the Vikings this season, however, has taken an emotional toll on the Pack that they have yet to recover from.

Mike McCarthy is going to have to figure out a way to motivate his team and get them over their belief that whatever they do is irrelevant because they can't get past Brett Favre and the Vikings. A team has to have hope and in the NFC North, the Packers don't believe in themselves anymore. That's no way to live.

FAN RANT: Send us an email at the address below, keep it clean, lean and mean (by lean we're saying under or real close to 100 words) and we might print it in this space next week. Here's a little 'getting it off my chest' from reader Darrell Cole...

"After reading your article (last Monday), I thought I would take you up on your invitation for your readers' thoughts. It's bad enough when I have to listen to our friends to the south say it all the time, but when I have to read someone like you proclaiming the Pittsburgh Steelers as the "world champs," it is just too much.

There are only two countries that play professional football; us and them, and they don't play our champs. How low is a country's self esteem when they have to say that winning their domestic league makes you a world champ. That's why we have "world" championships and if your sport doesn't have a "world" championship because no one else plays it, then maybe your country should be a little quieter.

It's like proclaiming yourself the world hot-dog eating champion and you're the only person eating. If they want to be world champs in a sport with only two countries playing, they should at least come play us, otherwise...Don't flatter that sort of hype."

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 9, 2009 C6