HARSH REALITY by ST

No, this is not about New Mexico heading back home after losing by 72 points, though dealing with that fact is probably not so pleasant. Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter's contract is up after this season. Next June he turns 37. I've been following sports as a diehard fan for well over 40 years and DJ is pretty much my all time favorite. Rumour has it he and his agent are seeking a big $$ contract in the neighborhood of 4 years for 100 million. Sorry Jeets, no way. If you're a big bopping 1st baseman or DH, the ability to bounce back from a sub-par season exists. Not for a shortstop. The range doesn't return and the contribution with the wheels will continue to sink. It's like a running back whose productivity dips after age 30. That's it. The days of being elite are gone. It's a cold, hard business but Derek has earned more than 200-million dollars from the franchise just in salary. Nothing to be sorry about on either side. He's been well paid and delivered like a champ to the tune of 5 championships. They give him anything above 2 years for a discounted salary, they're nuts. He needs to seek out one of the newest New York jocks, Ladanian Tomlinson of the Jets. Left San Diego with the understanding his best days were in the rear view mirror and accepted a lesser, albeit important role. I'm hoping and thinking Jeter will take the high road.
Prior to last night's Boise State/Virginia Tech game I was kind of rooting for the Hokies to end all the BSU for BCS title talk. But as Kellen Moore led his Broncos downfield for the winning TD my distaste for the powers that be kicked in. I'm seriously rooting for them to win the rest of their games, qualify for the BCS title game and knock off Ohio State or some other monster program. This would shine a big, bright light on the ineptitude of the system used to determine a champ. Go Broncos.
As for Oregon/Tennessee, sure both demolished inferior opponents, and by a combined score of 122-nothing. New Mexico plays out of the high quality Mountain West Conference so the Ducks whooping rates a tad higher than UT taking out Tennessee-Martin. They play out of the Ohio Valley Conference which is really a hoops league. That said, the team who upset Mississippi, Jacksonville State, is also an OVC school so make of that what you like. The oddsmakers say Ducks by 13. Pretty impressive considering where they're going. Much more on this all week long.
Here's a chance to win one of 2 $25 certificates to Big Town Hero of Eugene/Springfield. E-mail the answer to stevetannen@live.com or text it to 653-3098. When the Ducks marched into the Big House and tore up Michigan in 2007, what was the betting line?(Be within a point). Good luck.