Seems we’ve had a very inquisitive group of readers the last couple of days. So without further ado, you’re friendly neighborhood Bloggerman will answer a few of your questions:

The Other Ted has a question and a statement; “Ted whats your opinion on jim rice not being in cooperstown at a time when my 3 year old nephew can hit 500 homers out as long as he`s on the juice, it upsets me that jims power and leadership dosent count when it actually meant something to hit 40 roundbaggers ,jims getting screwed and its probally cause of a few nearsighted and stubborn sportswriters much like yourself who don`t remember when baseball was actuaaly fun and not something just to compete in some idiot fantasy league�

My opinion on Jim Rice is the same as yours. He belongs in the Hall of Fame and I’m actually quite shocked he didn’t make it this time around. With the steroid factor bringing newfound appreciation for the legitimate sluggers of days gone by, I thought for sure Jim Ed would finally get the honor he so richly deserves as the top power hitter of his era. I do believe he will eventually get to Cooperstown, if not by sportswriter’s vote, then definitely as a seniors committee selection.

As for your cheap shot against “idiot fantasy leaguers� like myself, I can only respond the way a mature adult would…..by taking an even cheaper shot at your spelling and grammar. I take great pride in having intelligent readers and commentators on my blog (well, except for the guy that called me a moron!) and I must insist that in the future you capitalize the first letter of each sentence, use punctuation where necessary and try using a spellchecker every now and then.

Plus, if you’re who I think you are, you’re just jealous cause your fantasy sports teams stink!

Louis Cypher inquires: “If you expect a skater to pull off maneuvers like that without falling, then you should have no patience for a pro athlete making millions not hitting a foul shot every single time. What do you think about that Ted??�

Good question. That’s something I thought about when writing that little critique and exactly the “devil’s advocate� point of view I’d expect from Mr. Cypher. My response to that is that these figure skaters are the cream of the crop. In no other sport do I recall the best of the best continuously choking when a title is on the line. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan….do you ever recall them missing a foul shot to win a game? Can anyone name one instance of a top of the line player missing a free throw to cost his team a championship? I can’t, but I can sure rattle off a list of women requiring the Heimlich maneuver at the Winter Olympics.

And finally, ALP asks; “Ted, What is your take on the status of the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations?� She then went on to compare my intelligence favorably to that of WEEI’s Big Show panelists, which is a backhanded compliment if I’ve ever heard one!

As for the question, I think this one could get messy. Football players are by far the most mistreated athletes of all the major professional sports. In my mind, they have every right to demand as big a piece of the pie as they can get. The NFL is the most lucrative sports league in America, and a large part of that is due to the physical sacrifices of its players. I can’t stress enough the pain these guys endure, and after my first post-game visit to the Patriots locker room, I understood exactly why so many former NFL players have to undergo knee and hip replacements, and why their bodies often end up a mangled mess.

Now I know the salary cap is based on revenues, but my understanding is that over the last decade, owners have greatly increased the amount of revenue generated in areas that aren’t included in salary cap calculations. The players appear to have dug in their cleats on this one, and unless there’s some give and take (probably more give than take on the owner’s part) the players association seems intent on blowing up the entire system.

For our sake, I hope the current system stays as is (with increased money going to the players, of course) because the Patriots seem to have mastered the salary cap and how to build a champion with one in place.

Hope that answers your questions……Keep them coming!!!