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Jabar Gaffney's drops could cost the Pats a playoffs spot.
Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Patriots wide receiver Jabar Gaffney had a knack for making big catches last season, proving to be a reliable third receiver for Tom Brady behind Randy Moss and Wes Welker. But Gaffney has dropped several passes this season.

On New England's second possession Sunday against the Dolphins, Gaffney couldn't hold onto a perfectly thrown pass from Matt Cassel that would have been a big gain. It proved to be costly when Cassel's next pass, intended for Moss, was intercepted and the Dolphins went on to score a touchdown off the turnover.

The loss to 'Cuse may cost the Irish a New Year's bowl.

AP

Fans sitting in the student section at Notre Dame Stadium bestowed the ultimate dishonor on the Fighting Irish by pelting the players with snowballs during the first quarter of Saturday's stunning loss to Syracuse.

Idiots.

Other than consuming too much alcohol, I'm not sure what would possess a fan to launch any object at a player. This boorish behavior is supposed to happen in Philadelphia, not South Bend.

Losing to one Big East team (Pittsburgh) this season was bad enough. But that was like getting beat by USC compared to being upset by Syracuse with lame-duck coach Greg Robinson.

George Steinbrenner's reign coincided with MLB free agency.
AP

The news that George Steinbrenner, in declining health, anointed his son, Hal, as the heir apparent of the Yankees was a foregone conclusion. That he chose Hal, the reserved son, over Hank, the more boisterous son, was especially good news to general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi.

Nobody expects Hal to have the same hair-trigger reactions as his father. Hank, on the other hand, might as well been named George Jr.

Now that George is no longer The Boss, he is eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Should he be immortalized in Cooperstown alongside other owners such as Walter O’Malley, Bill Veeck, Tom Yawkey and Charlie Comiskey?

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Steinbrenner influenced baseball. It was fitting that his purchase of the Yankees from $10 million in 1973 nearly coincided with the dawn of free agency. There wasn’t a bigger spender in baseball. As such, Steinbrenner raised the bar for other teams while restoring the fabled glory and tradition of the most successful and marketable franchise in sports. Steinbrenner is the reason rappers wear Yankees caps.

Randy Edsall says he's not interested in the job at Syracuse.

AP

UConn football coach Randy Edsall has been portrayed as a liar by some in the Connecticut media. I see it as walking a fine line between misleading the media and telling the truth,  simple to avoid tipping your hand and putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage.

So, when Edsall recently said he has no interest in the head coaching job at Syracuse, his alma mater, I believed him, despite reports that he was a leading candidate. But I'm not sure whether to believe he's staying in Storrs. UConn will always be a basketball school as long as Edsall is there, however long that may be.       

In an interview on the New England Sports Network (NESN) earlier this week, Edsall was asked whether he was happy at UConn. He said yes. Then he was asked if he was staying there. He didn't say yes or even answer in the affirmative. He just reiterated that he was happy in Storrs.