I hate the term ‘navel gazing’ but it seems that our show has done its fair share of that recently with some comments we’ve had on both this show and other shows. Our effort is strictly not to produce this show in a bubble. If people are going to get mad at us, we want to talk to them. If people think we’re idiots, we want to know. It’s the only way to get better, and it’s unfair to shoot if we can’t also take a bullet every once in a while.

We got an email yesterday (that I read on the show) that says:

“Holy shit. Get off your high horse. With your moral indignation, and politcal correctness. You are now esssentially Jay Maritotti. Get upset about eveyrthing. Who teh f--- cares Vick did dogfighting. No one cares. No cares that wayne said dogfighting. Only you do. You've become any old media person I could hear on ESPN. Which saddens me. Because I liked your show. But I can't f----ing listen to you get PC about everything. Stop being a pussy. I think I'll stick to Simmons.”

Classy. And rather than get all morally indignant about getting an email like that, I figured I’d invite an old friend on the show to beat me up a little more.

Greg Wyshynski from Yahoo’s Puck Daddy joins the show to tell me I’m crazy. There’s really no other way around that. Two New Jersey sports fans arguing for the amusement of a listening audience.

But then, at some point, we talk about real issues. We discuss the focus in the NFL on concussions this season, and with news that both Brian Westbrook and Clinton Portis are out for a while (forever in B-West’s case?), we talk about what the league can and should do, using the NHL’s response to the same injuries in their sport as an example.

Concussions have long been an issue in hockey, so we talk about what measures the league has made from a safety standpoint that the NFL can model after. And we discuss why athletes would ever go into a game without the most up-to-date technology to protect themselves. Next time you watch a hockey game or football game, catch the number of unhinged chin straps or loose helmets or players not wearing the anti-concussion helmets teams are offering. Why? It’s like driving a racecar and deciding not to wear a seat belt. If it’s there, use it.

Since we have Wyshynski on, we briefly touch on the last few months for Wayne Gretzky and how he’s become the Michael Jordan of the NHL (greatest player and perhaps as bad an executive) and discuss what teams, at this point in the season, look to be legit contenders.

Court Report:

Nick comes back on and we discuss the recent news that the Supreme Court rejects the most recent case about the changing the name of the Redskins. And honestly, we try not to get morally indignant.

Housekeeping:

We talk about Iverson’s release and if he’ll sign in Philly or Charlotte or nowhere. And we reply to Zach Harper’s hatred of the college basketball game -- on the day 24 hours of college hoops is on ESPN no less -- with his ‘the NBA is a better product” argument.

No crap. The NBA is so far better than the college game it’s almost not even the same sport. But that’s not why fans of the college game love it so much. You’re not factoring in the scrappiness.

We also talk about the Jim Henson exhibit going on nearby and briefly discuss last week’s 40th anniversary of Sesame Street.

Thanks for listening.