Should Mark Davis move the Oakland Raiders back to L.A.? [Poll]

Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis wants a new stadium for his team. The Raiders still have a large fan base in the Los Angeles area, where there could be one or more new facilities built in the near future.

Sounds as if it could be a natural fit, an observation that is not lost on Davis. The Times' Sam Farmer reported Tuesday the Raiders organization has had conversations with L.A. stadium groups about a possible relocation back to the city the team called home from 1982-94.

The Raiders are already in a state of transition with a new owner (Davis took over after the death of his father, Al Davis, back in October), a new general manager (former Green Bay Packers front office man Reggie McKenzie was hired this week) and soon a new coach (Hue Jackson was fired Tuesday after one season).

Of course, L.A. isn't the only place where a new stadium could be built. Plus, Commissioner Roger Goodell has already indicated that no team will be relocating to L.A. in 2012.

And Davis really wants that new stadium ASAP.

"The timetable is yesterday," Davis said. "So that's where it is. We've got to get a stadium. We've got to get that done."

What do you think? Would you like to see the silver and black back in L.A.? Vote in the poll, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Mark Davis. Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press

BCS championship: Who's really the best team in college football?

The Alabama Crimson Tide beat the LSU Tigers, 21-0, in the BCS championship game. And Coach Nick Saban's team also finished atop the final Associated Press and USA Today polls.

But is the Crimson Tide really the best team in college football?

Alabama and LSU finished with one loss each, with the Tigers beating the Crimson Tide, 9-6, in overtime during the regular season. That win clearly wasn't as dominant as the one Alabama claimed Monday night in the title game, but technically the season series between the two teams is tied.

That may be why one AP writer saw fit to cast his No. 1 vote for LSU, which finished second in both polls. The USA Today poll is is contractually bound to name the BCS winner its national champion; the AP poll is not.

Then there's Oklahoma State, which finished third in both polls with four first-place AP votes. The Cowboys also finished with only one loss and never got the chance to place either LSU or Alabama. Many people felt OSU deserved Alabama's spot in the title game since the Crimson Tide already had its shot at the Tigers and lost. Instead, the Cowboys beat Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl, 41-38.

Oregon and Arkansas, a pair of two-loss teams, rounded out the top five of both polls. Both teams lost to LSU, and Arkansas' other defeat came at the hands of Alabama.

The Ducks' other loss was to USC, which finished sixth in AP voting but was not eligible for the USA Today poll due to NCAA probation. The 10-2 Trojans lost to Arizona State and Stanford but were playing as well as anyone by the end of the season.

So with no playoff system in place, there's plenty of room for debate. Who do you think is the best team in college football? Vote in the poll, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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Congrats to a half-great Alabama team

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Alabama Coach Nick Saban holds the Coaches Trophy after the Crimson Tide beat LSU in the BCS championship game Monday night. Credit: Jonathan Bachman / Cal Sport Media

Can Tim Tebow lead the Denver Broncos to the AFC Championship?

Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos past the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wild-card game Sunday afternoon, throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another score. But can he do it again Saturday against the New England Patriots with a trip to the AFC Championship on the line?

Writers from around the Tribune Co. discuss the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and join the discussion by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own.

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times

Can Tebow lead the Broncos that far? Yes, with the unpredictability of the NFL, any of the remaining teams could conceivably get that far. But will it happen for the Broncos? I have my doubts.

The Patriots are far from invincible, and they need to spackle a lot of holes in that defense. But Tom Brady & Co. has averaged 34.2 points a game, two touchdowns per game more than the Steelers, and the Broncos aren't built for shootouts, where they're drawn into that pass-first mentaility. New England beat the Broncos, 41-23, three weeks ago, and that was in Denver.

There's nothing to suggest the Patriots will take a step backward. Then again, the Patiots' defense is ranked 31st overall and 31st against the pass, so there's always hope for more Tebow Time.

NFL playoffs: Who will advance from the wild-card games? [Poll]

Eight teams enter this weekend's wild-card round of the NFL playoffs, but only four will continue on to the divisional round. Two of the games look to be pretty tough to call, while the other two appear to be blowouts in the making -- although appearances sometimes can be deceiving.

The AFC South champion Houston Texans (10-6), making their first-ever playoff appearance, are three-point favorites over the visiting Cincinnati Bengals (9-7). The game features a pair of rookie quarterbacks in Houston's T.J. Yates and Cincinnati's Andy Dalton.

Yates started the year behind the now-injured Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart but has delivered solid play in his six games this season. Dalton has been the starter in Cincinnati since Week 1 and has led the surprising Bengals to only their third playoff appearance since 1990.

The NFC South champion New Orleans Saints (13-3) routed the Detroit Lions (10-6), 31-17, back in Week 13 and are expected to do so again, entering Saturday's game as 10-point favorites. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for an NFL record 5,476 yards, but Detroit's Matthew Stafford wasn't far behind with 5,038, which was third-best in the league this year and fifth-best all-time.

The New York Giants (9-7) needed a Week 17 win over the Dallas Cowboys to clinch the NFC East and a playoff spot. They are three-point favorites over the visiting Atlanta Falcons (10-6), although the game basically is a toss-up, with the Giants going 4-4 at home and the Falcons 4-4 on the road.

Quarterback Eli Manning has carried much of the load for the Giants this season, passing for 4,933 yards with 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, while the Falcons have a balanced offensive attack featuring running back Michael Turner (1,340 yards, 11 touchdowns) and quarterback Matt Ryan (4,177 yards, 29 touchdowns, 12 interceptions).

The Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) are eight-point road favorites over the AFC West champion Denver Broncos (8-8), who enter the playoffs on a three-game losing streak and with quarterback Tim Tebow seeming to have lost the magic that carried him through most of the season. But the Steelers are riddled with injuries, with running back Rashard Mendenhall out for the playoffs with a torn ACL and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger attempting to play with a badly sprained ankle.

Writers from around Tribune Co. will try to predict which team will make it out of each game. Check back throughout the day for their responses. You can join the discussion by voting in the polls and leaving a comment of your own.

N.Y. Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: Who's going to win?

The Dallas Cowboys at the New York Giants in NFL Week 17 with the NFC East title on the line. It's the kind of scenario the league must have dreamed of when the schedule came out months ago. The winner gets at least one playoff game at home; the loser has to watch the playoffs from home.

Writers from around the Tribune Co. will preview Sunday night's winner-take-all game. Check back throughout the day for more responses and join the discussion by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own.

Ron Fritz, Baltimore Sun

Fortunately, I was able to see a fair amount of both teams’ games this season, and to me it looks like the Giants are gaining some momentum while the Cowboys are sinking quickly. Based on that, you’ll see the Giants in the playoffs and the Cowboys sitting at home. Jerry Jones will have all off-season to come up with reasons why he isn’t the problem with the Cowboys. He may even throw some people under the bus.

Unfortunately, if you’re a Giants fan, does making the playoffs mean you have to put up with Tom Coughlin for another year? It might be worth losing just to get him out of there. With young playmakers on offense (Victor Cruz) and defense (Jason Pierre-Paul) and a quarterback coming into his prime (Eli Manning), it would be nice to see what a new coach could do with some of New York’s talent.

But it looks like we’ll have to wait until their first playoff loss to see if the Giants bring back Coughlin.

Tim Tebow or Kyle Orton: Who would you rather have at QB?

Tim Tebow or Kyle Orton? The question was asked early and often this season when both players were quarterbacks for the Denver Broncos. The fans seemed to have their minds made up from the beginning -- they wanted Tebow.

The Broncos organization did some flip-flopping, first going with Orton after a terrific preseason but switching to Tebow after a 1-4 start. We all know what happened next -- Tebow leads Denver into the playoff hunt (although the team now has lost two straight) and Orton gets shipped off to Kansas City, where he helped the Chiefs knock off the previously unbeaten Packers two weeks ago.

Well, here we are at Week 17 with another opportunity to ask the question about the two quarterbacks. Only this time it's because Orton is coming into Denver as the Chiefs starter, with a chance to prevent Tebow and the Broncos from completing their miracle turnaround with a postseason berth (Denver is in with a win; otherwise, it needs an Oakland loss to keep from watching the playoffs from home).

So who would you rather have at quarterback, Tebow or Orton? Writers from around Tribune Co. will be discussing the topic. Please check back throughout the day for more responses. And join the discussion by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own.

Steve Svekis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

This is like trying to select the valedictorian of summer school. I'm taking Orton if my idea of success is non-spectacular but decent production, enough to get a team to 9-7. If I want to put fans in the seats, you have to go with Tebow, despite the disconcerting transformation of his Bronco-propelled crystal carriage into a smashed pumpkin the last 10 days.

Poor John Elway and John Fox are in a no-win situation Sunday. Either former Bronco Orton rubs their nose in it by leading the Chiefs past the Broncos in Denver, possibly eliminating the Mile-Highers, or Tebow's bandwagon is refueled by an AFC West-clinching win, further marrying the team president and coach to a QB they really want no part of.

Did Ohio State get too light or too tough a penalty? [Poll]

The Ohio State football program received a one-year bowl ban and lost nine scholarships over the next three years after a yearlong investigation by the NCAA's Committee on Infractions ended Tuesday.

Among the violations, eight players were found to have received substantial cash payments or preferential treatment from the owner of a tattoo parlor. One player also received a loan and discount on a car, according to the committee.

Overall, Ohio State was cited for failure to monitor, but not lack of institutional control, which, as any USC fan knows, is a more serious finding. Columnist Bill Dwyre addresses the topic in Wednesday's Times:

Out here, USC loyalists can feel Ohio State's pain. Except that most would testify that theirs has been worse. Most would also wonder aloud, again, why they took such a hard hit when other situations, certainly including Ohio State's, seemed similarly egregious.

The comparable pertinent details are that the Buckeyes were penalized a season of no titles, no bowls and a loss of nine football scholarships over the next three years. USC has just finished its second straight no-title, no-bowl season and its scholarship assessment from the NCAA was 30 scholarships lost over three years.

Writers from around Tribune Co. will also be weighing in on whether the Buckeyes were punished too severely or not enough. Check back throughout the day for their responses -- and join the discussion by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own.

Ben Roethlisberger expected to start on 'MNF' ... but should he?

Ben Roethlisberger will start in Monday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Normally that would be great news for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, especially since the outcome of this game could very well determine whether the team reaches the playoffs as the AFC's top seed or as a wild-card team.

But the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback has been battling a Grade I ankle sprain all week and did not practice until Saturday, and even then it was on a limited basis. Roethlisberger suffered the injury late in the second quarter of the Steelers' last game, against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8, but was able to hobble through the second half and lead his team to a 14-3 victory.

But the Steelers (10-3) aren't playing the lowly Browns this time. The 49ers are 10-3 and in the midst of a battle for playoff seeding as well. And a key to Roethlisberger's game is mobility, something that will be severely limited with the injury.

Another factor to consider -- and undoubtedly the Steelers have -- is the risk of further injury. While it would be nice to have a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, the Steelers probably will be going nowhere pretty fast without Roethlisberger's services.

If the Steelers can get through this game with Roethlisberger still intact, they may be able to win the next two -- against the St. Louis Rams (2-12) and the Browns (4-10) -- with backup quarterback Charlie Batch, giving Roethlisberger potentially three weeks to rest up for a playoff run.

What do you think? Is it worth the risk for Roethlisberger to play against the 49ers? Vote in the poll, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Ben Roethlisberger. Credit: Doug Kapustin / McClatchy Tribune

If guilty, should Ryan Braun be allowed to keep the MVP award?

Ryan Braun is the reigning National League MVP. He also is facing a 50-game suspension he has received for violating the league's drug policy. The Baseball Writers Assn. of America has said it has no plans to strip Braun of his award. But if the positive test is upheld after Braun's appeal, should it?

Writers from around the Tribune Co. discuss the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses. And feel free to join the discussion by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own.

Stephen Gross, Allentown Morning Call

There is no way that Ryan Braun should be allowed to keep his National League MVP award if found guilty of taking a banned substance. For one, it would set a bad precedent. Secondly, if baseball wants to distance itself from the ugly mark left on the sport from the Steroid Era, it can’t continue to allow users of performance-enhancing substances to be rewarded. Finally, while past award winners who have admitted to steroid use have retained their awards, the baseball community now has a golden opportunity to send a message.

For until the punishment is greater than the reward, players will continue to try to cheat the system. Maybe Bud Selig’s three strikes and you’re out stance is too permissive. Certainly, allowing a steroid user to keep or receive an MVP award is too lenient.

How should NFL punish James Harrison for Colt McCoy hit? [Poll]

 James Harrison could find out as early as Tuesday whether he will be fined, suspended or both for his helmet-to-helmet hit that gave Colt McCoy a concussion on Thursday night.

[Updated at 9:44 a.m.: Harrison has been suspended for one game. Feel free to continue voting as to whether you agree with the league's decision.]

If you ask the Steelers outside linebacker, who was called for roughing the passer on the play, he'll say he deserves no further punishment for his hit on the Cleveland Browns quarterback.

”I don't think it's worthy of anything, but that's just my own personal thoughts,” Harrison said in regard to a possible fine or suspension.

Harrison made his comment after watching replays of the play, in which McCoy scrambled out of the pocket looking like he was going to run before flipping the ball to Montario Hardesty.

”He took off running with it, and at the last second he chucked and ducked,” Harrison said. ”He tucked the ball and made like he was about to run, so I was going to tackle him.”

McCoy eventually returned to the game but has since been determined to have suffered a concussion.

How do you think the league should deal with Harrison? Keep in mind he has quite a history in this department, having been fined more than $100,000 for four incidents last season.

Should he get another hefty fine or even a suspension? Or was the penalty during the game sufficient? Vote in the poll, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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Is Tim Tebow getting too much credit for Broncos' success? [Poll]

-- Chuck Schilken

Tim Tebow: Is he getting too much credit for Broncos' success?

"Tim Tebow engineers another miraculous comeback"

"Broncos rally behind Tim Tebow yet again"

"Tim Tebow pulls off his weekly miracle"

Those are some of the headlines that are out there concerning the Denver Broncos' 13-10 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday (the last one is from The Times).

And there is nothing untrue about any of them -- the Broncos did have to rally late for an unlikely victory, something that has become a habit for the team in the eight games since Tebow took over as starting quarterback. The Broncos' seven victories during that stretch have included six second-half comebacks, five fourth-quarter rallies and three overtime periods.

Of course, Tebow has had plenty to do with the team's success, with his late scoring drives and undeniable leadership ability (he says things like, “If you believe then unbelievable things can sometimes be possible” -- how can you not rally behind a guy like that?).

But is Tebow getting too much credit for the team's success? After all, the dramatic comebacks wouldn't be possible if it weren't for Denver's defense keeping the games within reach -- and they often wouldn't be necessary if it weren't for three or so quarters of ineffective play by the quarterback.

The outcome of Sunday's game had as much (if not more) to do with the heroics of Denver kicker Matt Prater and the gaffes of Chicago running back Marion Barber than anything Tebow did. But it's "God's quarterback" (as the Wall Street Journal dubbed him in Sunday's edition) who is getting the bulk of the coverage.

What do you think? Is Tebow getting too much credit for the incredible run that the Broncos are on? Or would none of this have been possible without him? Cast your vote, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Tim Tebow kneels in prayer before the game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Credit: Ron Chenoy / US Presswire