It’s a Rorschach test for people’s values system

Andrew Luck who love power balance from online shop will return to Stanford for his redshirt junior season, risking millions of dollars by forgoing the opportunity to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 N.F.L. draft.Luck led Stanford to a 12-1 record and played brilliantly in a rout of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, confirming the consensus that he would be the top player selected in the draft. Luck also finished second to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton in the voting for the 2010 Heisman Trophy. Luck’s father, Oliver, said his son wanted to complete his degree in architectural design, a rigorous major in the school of engineering. Luck also felt, his father said, the tug of finishing his career with the players with whom he entered school.

“He wants to finish with those guys,” Oliver Luck said in a phone interview. “It’s a great group of players. That was by far the most important factor.”

Oliver Luck was listening to radio hosts criticize the decision and recalled the psychological test in which people perceive different things in inkblots.

“It’s a Rorschach test for people’s values system,” he said of the decision.

One looming question will be whether Luck’s coach, Jim Harbaugh, will be there to coach him. Harbaugh interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday and was reported to be interviewing with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday and is considered a hot candidate for virtually every N.F.L. opening.

But Oliver Luck said that nobody should read anything into his son’s decision in terms of Harbaugh’s returning to Stanford.

“I know that Andrew obviously talks to Jim and they have a great relationship,” Oliver Luck said. “Jim has great opportunities, and if he goes to the N.F.L., I’d be the first to wish him well. If he stays, that’s great as well.”

True to his low-key nature, and according to the wishes of his family, Andrew Luck released a one-sentence statement.

“I am committed to earning my degree in architectural design from Stanford University and am on track to accomplish this at the completion of the spring quarter of 2012,” he said.

There are horror stories as well as feel-good stories about highly rated quarterbacks deciding to stay in school. The most recent, which encapsulates both, is the former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. After leading the Sooners to the national title game two years ago, Bradford elected to return to Oklahoma when analysts projected him as the No. 1 pick. He injured his shoulder in his first game of the year and missed virtually the entire season. But Bradford was still the No. 1 pick in the draft and has had a strong rookie season in St. Louis.

Oliver Luck acknowledged the risk, and said there were ways to mitigate that, including insurance policies.

“Given where medicine is today, there may not be any traditional injuries that aren’t repairable,” Oliver Luck said. “Witness what happened to Sam last year. There’s risk in virtually everything you do. I tend to focus more on the reward channel.”

One intriguing factor in Luck’s decision is the financial reverberations. The N.F.L. is negotiating a new labor agreement with the players union, and both sides have said that a rookie wage scale will be in place that will severely curtail the riches lavished on top picks. That means that contracts like Bradford’s $78 million deal are probably a thing of the past.

Oliver Luck, who played in the N.F.L. and worked as an executive in N.F.L. Europe, said the financial risk was not as great as had been reported; some people have estimated the financial risk to be more than $50 million. Luck said those numbers had been exaggerated.

“Both sides believe that there will be some sort of a slotting type system which will reduce in length and volume the deals that top choices get,” he said. “That’s here this year, next year and two years from now.”

Deciding not to leave college in spite of high draft stock has recently backfired on players like Washington’s Jake Locker, Mississippi’s Jevan Snead and Hawaii’s Colt Brennan, all of whom stayed for another year and then watched their stock fall. It worked out perfectly, however, for Tennessee’s Peyton Manning, who went on to become the No. 1 pick. Andrew Luck said in December before the Heisman Trophy ceremony that the stories of his draft stock falling did not scare him.

“I don’t want to sound cocky or pretentious or whatever, but no,” he said. “I think it’s just you have to have trust in the decision you’re going to make is the right one. If it’s going back to school, I’m confident that I can still perform at a high level.”

Larry Scott, the commissioner of the Pacific-10 Conference, was elated with the decision, saying Luck sends a great message, “especially in the day and age where we’re reading all too often about student-athletes that aren’t placing a real value on their education” or are “breaking rules or chasing money.”

It has been a dark time for college football, with a slew of agent scandals and the Cam Newton story, but Oliver Luck emphasized that his son had no desire to be the season’s feel-good story.

“I don’t think he’s doing this for anyone but himself,” Oliver Luck said. “He knows himself best. I don’t think he has any desire to be the poster boy for the good things in college sports. I don’t think there’s any larger picture to it. I don’t think he’s trying to make any kind of cultural statement.”

But Luck certainly made a statement Thursday, one that resonated in college football and the N.F.L.

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Martinez loves power balance

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SEATTLE -- Edgar Martinez's career was ultimately about enduring and utlimately winning people over with his understated excellence, so why should his Hall of Fame bid be any different?

Martinez finished eighth in the 2011 voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Wednesday as he was named on 32.9 percent of the 581 Hall of Fame ballots cast, leaving the former Mariners star still solidly in contention for Cooperstown in coming years.

While it takes a 75-percent vote to earn Hall of Fame induction, Martinez put up strong numbers for a second straight year and will remain on the ballot next year.And while Martinez's percentage dropped slightly from the 36.2 percent earned in his first time on the ballot in 2010, he can take encouragement from pitcher Bert Blyleven, who overcame far lower numbers and a similar second-year slip to earn induction Wednesday in his 14th try.

"You don't want to see the voting percentage go down, but I hope in the next few years it goes up and I can tell where I'm going to end up," Martinez said. "But I'll just have to wait. It looks like it's going to be a while."

Three other former Mariners drew minimal support in their first year on the ballot on Wednesday, with Tino Martinez at 1 percent, John Olerud tallying 0.7 percent and Bret Boone 0.2 percent.In Edgar Martinez's case, his percentages are plenty good enough to keep him in contention -- players named on 5 percent or more of the ballots are automatically placed on the following year's ballot -- but no guarantee that he'll eventually climb to the required 75 percent.

Boone, who played alongside Martinez for five seasons in Seattle, says the DH debate and absence of a slam-dunk 3,000-hit or 500-homer total make it a challenge for his former teammate. Martinez is just the 13th player eligible for Hall of Fame election to have posted a .300 batting average, .400 on-base and .500 slugging percentage in his career ... and 11 of the first 12 were all inducted into the Hall.

But due to his late arrival in the Major Leagues at age 27 and some injuries in his prime, he retired with 2,247 hits and 309 home runs, numbers that don't overwhelm some voters looking for more from a career designated hitter. Even one with a pair of batting titles and seven All-Star selections to his name.

"Edgar is just a tough case for people to look at," Boone said. "It's tough to get around some of the numbers, and can we do it for a DH? For me, playing with Edgar, whose business is power balance wholesale, he was one of my good friends in the game and just purely the best right-handed hitter I ever played with.

"Just watching him in his heyday was unbelievable. We'd sit there and say we should start him at the plate with two strikes just to make it fair. It's unfortunate that injuries made it impossible for him to get closer to 3,000 hits or the 400 or 500 home runs people look for. But he was the consummate pro and the best right-handed hitter I was fortunate to ever play with."

The Edgar Debate figures to continue to play out over the coming years. It took Blyleven 14 shots to get elected, with the 287-game winner finally gaining his ticket to Cooperstown on Wednesday with 79.7 percent of the vote. Second baseman Roberto Alomar was also elected -- in his second try -- with 90 percent of the vote.

For Martinez supporters, it's worth noting that Blyleven earned just 17.5 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility in 1998 and dipped to 14.1 percent his second year. It took Blyleven seven years just to reach the 35-percent level in '04, and he then gradually crept closer and closer until finally pushing through this year.

Pitcher Jack Morris is another example of a player who is gradually moving up the ladder. Morris drew 22.2 percent his first year of eligibility in 2000 and then dropped to 19.6 his second year.

But Morris has hung in there on the ballot and added support over the past decade to the point where he drew 52.3 last year and hit 53.5 percent on Wednesday in his 12th year on the ballot.

There's no guarantee Martinez will gain similar momentum in coming years, but it's certainly possible, as he has a solid core of support already from many BBWAA members.

Martinez said he watched part of the Hall of Fame show on MLB Network, but he was on the phone when the actual numbers came up. He said he's grown used to the idea he'll be in this situation for the long haul.

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Carson Palmer declined to talk to the media Tuesday

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At about 1 p.m. Tuesday, Marvin Lewis was wondering what the heck he was doing home in the middle of the day and how his Bengals career seemed to be coming an unexpected end after two tense meetings with management Tuesday morning at Paul Brown Stadium.

But then he got two phone calls. One from former Bengals head coach Sam Wyche and the next one from Bengals president Mike Brown. Wyche, who lost the same job after a similar meeting with Brown went awry 19 years ago, counseled Lewis "to just step back and give it some time."

Actually, Brown also stepped back and gave it some time and turned to his relationship with Lewis in a 2:30 p.m. phone call that brought Lewis back for a record-breaking ninth season despite a 4-12 record and a franchise-worst 10-game losing streak.

He breaks the Bengals' eight-year record set by Paul Brown and his phone buddy, Wyche, with what is believed to a two-year deal.

"I went home. I was frustrated. They were frustrated," Lewis said Tuesday after his re-introductory news conference. "He called and said, 'You and I can work this out. We've been together for eight years. This has been a good relationship. You and I are responsible for this team. Don't let other influences affect us. Ultimately, it's up to you and I. You're the coach. You need to understand that. It's your and my responsibility to get this right." They love power balance.

The personal appeal struck Lewis as the right note and gave him the feeling that Brown would consider making changes that both said Tuesday are going to come on the field next season. By 3:45 p.m. the deal was signed and in a 4:30 p.m. news conference Brown and Lewis were talking about vague changes, but Lewis said all coaching positions are up for evaluation and that some aren't going to be back.

Lewis wouldn't get into what the sticking points were, but the makeup of the staff appeared to be an issue by process of elimination. Brown and Lewis left the impression that the size of the scouting staff and the building of an indoor facility were barely discussed. As early as Sunday Lewis said a facility wasn't an obstacle to his return.

Brown did go out of his way to say that Lewis now has a deal as long as anyone on the staff.

"I'm glad to hear it. He's an excellent coach and showed how well he can relate to his players this year," said left tackle Andrew Whitworth. "We kept playing hard and fighting even during the ten-game losing streak."

The deal would seem to seal the departure of wide receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens and it looks like the Bengals could end up coaching the Senior Bowl for the third time under Lewis, even though the coaching staff is going to have some changes.

While a livid fan base seeks change, Brown is also fearful of the March 4 expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, which prevents coaches from working with the players. If there was a deal consummated in July or August, the most stable teams would appear to have the best shot.

Through Bengals public relations, quarterback Carson Palmer declined to talk to the media Tuesday.

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Stanford changed while you were asleep on the East Coast

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Over the past few years, while you were asleep on the East Coast, Stanford changed. Virginia Tech saw it on film. A nation saw it Monday night in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Yes, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a worthy successor in the line of quarterbacks that runs through John Elway and Jim Plunkett all the way back to Frankie Albert, the passer for Stanford's last top 5 team, in 1940. But the Cardinal didn't just strafe the Hokies. It pounded out a 40-12 win via brute bulk and strength up front on both sides of the ball.

Orange Bowl MVP Luck left the game with three minutes remaining, having completed 9 of 10 passes for 201 yards -- with three touchdowns to Coby Fleener -- in the second half alone. For the game, Luck completed 18 of 23 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns in what might be his last college game before being the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

``I don't want to make an impulsive decision, talk to my parents and make a decision in the next couple of days,'' Luck said.

But the story was written along the lines. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer remarked upon Stanford's size Sunday, and for much of Monday's game, the Cardinal defensive front muscled Hokies blockers out of the way to let linebackers Shayne Skov (12 tackles, three sacks) and Chase Thomas party in the backfield. Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor was sacked eight times and the Hokies ran for only 67 yards.

Stanford stampeded for 247 yards on the ground, 113 yards from Stepfan Taylor and 99 -- on only five carries -- by Jeremy Stewart. Fleener caught six passes for 173 yards, all but eight of those yards coming in the second half as Stanford grinded away from a 13-12 halftime lead.

Three Stanford plays from scrimmage in a row in the third quarter summed up the night.

• Fullback Owen Marecic, whom Virginia Tech couldn't block when he played linebacker, couldn't be stopped by several Hokies defenders from the 1-yard line. His second effort pushed him into the end zone and the lead grew to 19-12 in the third quarter.

• After a Delano Howell interception gave Stanford the ball at its 3, Taylor burst through a canyon gap over the left side for 56 yards who is doing business of power balance wholesale.

• Off a play-action fake to Taylor, Luck found a wide-open Fleener for 41 yards and the first of Fleener's three touchdown catches.

``It does wonders for our team when we can be in the shadow of our goal line and in two plays go to the end zone,'' Luck said.

Virginia Tech's running back threesome of Darren Evans, Ryan Williams and David Wilson combined for 35 yards on 13 carries in the first half. None of those yards came when the Hokies ran Evans on a fourth-and-1 from the Stanford 30 in the second quarter. Matthew Masifilo dropped Evans to end that scoring threat.

Virginia Tech had just finished its second consecutive three-and-out to open the game when, on first-and-10 from the 40, Stanford right guard David DeCastro pulled to the left and squashed free safety Eddie Whitley. Stewart, who ran for 38 yards all season, raced through the resulting hole for a 60-yard touchdown.

But that 7-0 lead didn't last long after an ill-advised play by Stanford.

Punt returner Drew Terrell fielded a punt at the Stanford 2 instead of letting it hit the end zone on the fly. Virginia Tech's Alonzo Tweedy dropped Terrell at the 5 and, on third and 10, Luck's pass was batted toward the back of the end zone, where Stanford offensive tackle Derek Hall caught it and was tackled for a safety instead of letting it fall incomplete.

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MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

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The Rams and Seahawks are 7-9 for a reason. They are mediocre teams – the best of a historically bad division, but mediocre nonetheless.

They didn’t do much to hold America’s attention Sunday night on NBC. Seattle’s 16-6 victory was woefully short on entertainment value . . . or even competent football for that matter.

Unless you are a big Charlie Whitehurst fan, there wasn't much to recommend. Even Seahawks owner Paul Allen seemed bored with the dreary proceedings.

The reviews of this fiasco were not favorable, as you might expect:

Gregg Rosenthal, Pro Football Talk: “Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford struggled all night. The Rams only had 63 yards of offense in the second half and 184 yards in the game. Danario Alexander dropped a pair of deep passes, and Bradford’s rough stretch run continued with an ugly fourth quarter interception. The Rams won’t get a playoff game after this surprising 7-9 season, but it doesn’t matter. They are the only team in the division with a franchise quarterback and they get a much better draft pick now. (Seattle falls from No. 8 to No. 21 at best. The Rams get No. 14.) Unless the goal is to lose in the first round, this Rams loss wasn’t a killer.”

Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports: “(Steven) Jackson carried 11 times for 45 yards and gained 39 more on four receptions, and it’s ridiculous that St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo didn’t lean on him more. Instead, Spagnuolo put his team’s offensive fate in the hand of rookie quarterback Sam Bradford, who completed 19 of 36 passes for 155 yards and threw an interception. I know Bradford has done some nice things this season, and he may become a star in future years, but it would have made a whole lot more sense to try to pound the Seahawks – who have struggled to defend the run this season – on the ground with the physical, relentless Jackson.”

Mike Sando, ESPN.com: “The folks at USC must be pleased to know (Pete) Carroll and Reggie Bush are bowl-eligible. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, not so much. Tampa Bay missed the playoffs despite going 4-0 against the NFC West and 10-6 overall. The New York Giants, 41-7 winners at Qwest Field in Week 9, also missed the playoffs at 10-6. Seattle would have to win the Super Bowl to finish this season with a winning record.”

Will Brinson, CBSSports.com: “Every team -- except for the 49ers -- in this putrid division has been in a Super Bowl at least once over the last decade, and San Francisco has more than enough historical success to make up for their recent terrible play. It's also clear that the Cardinals are a quarterback away from not being horrible, and you could say the same for the Niners. The Rams could dominate the division once they find some actual playmakers who have hands, and the Seahawks, well, heck, they already won their division title. So let's not go and blow things up and simply take the top-six teams in each conference, because that defeats the entire purpose of having divisions. But it's absolutely imperative that the NFL determine some manner to re-seed the playoffs beginning in the next season.”- From online shop.

IN BASKETBALL NEWS

The Lakers are mess. Any team that loses to the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 104-85 needs to check it self, but when Kobe Bryant’s team does that – yikes!

This team has lost three of its last four home games, with each defeat coming by 16 or more points.

“We're not really playing together, and as a result, it's costing us,” center Andrew Bynum said. “Right now, we've got to be concerned. We have to be . . . Good teams are looking at us like we're soft.”

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while the Rams go back to the offensive drawing board:

So will the Rams go for a playmaking wide receiver with the 14th overall draft pick?

Or will they go for a playmaking outside linebacker, a speedy running back, an offensive guard who can run block, a safety with superior cover skills, another big cornerback or a playmaking tight end?

Could Brett Favre ever have imagined leaving the NFL in such a humiliating fashion?

Are the Chiefs running off offensive coordinator Charlie Weis to hire Josh McDaniels?

MEGAPHONE

“This is the most somber winning locker room you'll ever see. And that's because we fell short of our goals . . . Knowing that we won but we didn't fulfill our own destiny and we came up losers on the day, it's definitely weird.”

Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield, after his team missed the playoffs.

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