SO MUCH FOR CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Week two of the playoffs is now history, and once again we see that the pundits and all of their conventional wisdom have not a clue. That's because they have to play the games, and once they do that, then things will happen that the pundits just don't believe will happen.

Who would have thought that the top seeds in both conferences would be joining the Eagles in front of their TV's to watch the conference championships this coming weekend? Certainly not I, and certainly not the pundits on all of the pre-game shows. Why, if the players and coaches listened to what had been said by such gurus as Chris Berman or Tony Dungy, the Jets and Packers would have stayed home. They didn't and, as a result of their showing up, Tom Brady was made to look pedestrian, Bill Belichek was outcoached by a guy who likes feet, and the Pac slaughtered those Falcons who everybody said could not lose at the Georgia Dome.

The results of yesterday's games set up what could be some great games next weekend. Wow, George Halas and Vince Lombardi's spirits will almost certainly be on the sidelines at Soldier Field when the Bears and the Packers clash for the 4,127th time (or so it seems). Both of these teams play defense (get that Andrew?) and I expect some hard hitting. That isn't to sell the AFC game short since both the Steelers and Jets know how to play defense as well. By the way, please tell Buddy's son Rex that Pittsburgh plays it better than the Pats.

Especially nice to this long suffering fan is that both games will be played on GRASS, and none of the teams involved wear silly uniforms. No accent piping or stripes going nowhere will be worn this weekend. I can't wait, and I'll have more to say later in the week.

Given that today is Martin Luther King Day, and that spring training is just around the corner I thought I would see what kind of team we would have if we composed a team of the first black players from each team. These players come from the 16 teams playing when Jackie Robinson broke the modern color barrier in on April 15, 1947. There had been black players before Robinson, but we'll have that discussion at a later date. Also, if a team moved to a new city a la the Browns, only the first black member of the Browns gets on the team, not the first black Oriole. Same goes for the Senators/Twins. Expansion teams also don't make the cut because by the time baseball expanded starting in 1960 every team had broken the race barrier.

Some of the names you have heard of, and there are several HOFers on the squad. Most were journeymen whose stay in the show was brief. Most of the great black players came to the show in the "second" wave of integration which occurred in the early 50's, so guys like Mays and Aaron don't make the cut.

Our Team:

1B: Monte Irvin - NY Giants 7/8/49
2B: Jackie Robinson - Bkln Dodgers 4/15/47
3B: Hank Thompson - StL Browns 7/17/47
SS: Ernie Banks - Chi Cubs 9/17/53
C: Elston Howard - NY Yankees 4/14/55
LF: Minnie Minoso - ChiSox 5/1/51
CF: Lary Doby - Cle Indians
RF: Sam Jethroe - Bos Braves 4/18/50

P: Bob Trice - Phi A's 9/13/53
P: Satchel Paige - Stl Browns 1948 (Not first on Browns, but first in the AL)
P: Don Newcombe - Bkln Dodgers 1949 (Not first black Dodger, but first in NL)

Reserves:

2B: Curt Roberts - Pirates 4/13/54
1B: Tom Alston - Cards 4/13/54
OF: Nino Escalero - Reds 4/17/54
1B: Chuck Harmon - Reds 4/17/54
OF: Carlos Paula - Senators 9/6/54
3B: John Kennedy - Phillies 4/22/57
3B: Ozzie Virgil Sr. - Tigers 6/6/58
2B: Pumpsie Green - BoSox 7/21/59