Welcome to another edition of The Chat House where Post columnist Michael Wilbon was online Monday, Sept. 11 at 1:15 p.m. ET to take your questions and comments about the latest sports news and his recent columns.

The transcript follows.

Discussion Archive

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Kensington, Md.: Mike:

I'm confused as to where you stand on Spygate. I watched a web video you do with Tony K. before the commissioner's ruling and you both seemed to agree that a low round draft pick, and possibly a fine, were sufficient spying penalties for the Paranoid One. But in your column after the announcement, you said Goodell's punishment wasn't stiff enough. Did I miss something (which I'll admit is entirely possible)?

Michael Wilbon: Yep, you missed a couple of days worth of discussion, not all of which was on our pod-cast...AND Tony and I didn't do Friday's PTI because of the DCCAP golf tournament...Anyway, as I talked to more people in the football community and some very smart people I like to bounce ideas off of, they convinced me--and quite easily I might add--that what Belichick did was more serious because he's a coach, and the buck stops with head coaches in the NFL. They're the alpha males, and they set the tone for everything that happens in the league. Because they do, and because Roger Goodell and the league's big wigs have decided there should be zero tolerance for anything that threatens the integrity of the game and/or puts the league in bad light, the punishment for Belichick and the Patriots should have been severe..punitive in nature...a flat-out deterrent. And this wasn't any of the above. Goodell is employed, ultimately, by the owners and he didn't pop them like he pops players who misbehave. I find that extremely disappointing. And it gives credence to the notion that executives can get away with anything, or receive a light slap on the wrist, while the players are judged by a different standard.

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Washington, D.C.: The NFL needs to force the Patriots to fire Ernie Adams, Belicheck's spy master. Football is supposed to be a zero-sum game -- a pure test of talent and strategy -- but Adams' entire job appears to be finding ways to cheat.

Michael Wilbon: Yes, I agree.

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Baltimore: Michael, forget the NFL, forget Tiger Woods, let's talk about DUKE beating your beloved Wildcats in football. Man, you must be hurting from that loss!!

Michael Wilbon: Hurting? No. Steaming? Yes. I attended the game, actually...sat right there on the 50-yard line on a beautiful 48-degree early fall Midwestern evening in my Wildcat jersey and turtleneck and watched in horror as we lost to a team that had lost 22 straight games...a team we've owned the last, oh, five or six years...I think we did the most unforgivable thing a team can do: underestimate the opponent. We committed a ton of silly and costly penalties, went for touchdowns when we should have been kicking field goals...it was just a downer of an evening, though I'm starting to rally now that the Bears won (no thanks to Grossman) and Cubs cling to a one-game lead in the N.L. Central.

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Rockville, MD.: Mike,

The Giants looked horrible, even in high definition! If the defense continues to be a no show and the team slips, how do you see the NFC East panning out? Still too early to tell? The Cowboy's look good, but they haven't played a world beater yet.

Michael Wilbon: The Giants look terrible...TERRIBLE. I mean, WOW! terrible. The Cowboys offense with Jason Garrett calling the plays look fabulous, and we'll get a better read on them when they play in Chicago Sunday night. The Eagles-Redskins game tonight will also give us a better hint at what's to come. I think the Redskins can run on the Eagles, but these are the kinds of game early in the season that the Redskins have failed to win in recent years. The Eagles simply HAVE to win the game. Going 0-2 in this town (I'm in Philly now) isn't forgiven. The word "patience" doesn't exist in any dictionary sold in or around Philly. My buddy Donovan McNabb said before the season began that the Eagles had to "seal the deal" and get back to the Super Bowl this season. Well, they had better start that tonight if they're going to make good on that mission.

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Chargers: Too bad LT's legs didn't run the way his mouth has been running.

Michael Wilbon: Ain't that the truth! The Chargers, collectively, have some mouth on them, don't they? I'm getting a little tired of their act, yapping all the time after they lose. Just shut up and play! This group of Chargers hasn't won enough to say anything. I fear for Norv Turner, because he's never shown any success as nipping problems in the bud...I'm a little skeptical about the Chargers...who now have to go up to Green Bay where the Packers might be a little energized.

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Washington DC: Looking at both the Colts and Patriots schedules, it seems likely that when the teams play on November 4, they will both be 8-0.

If that is the case, can you imagine how big that game will be?

Michael Wilbon: I don't think either team will be 8-0. Off two games you can project the entire league? You'll forgive me, I hope, for not sharing your crystal ball...but if you turn out to be right feel free to come back to the Chat House so I can pat you on the back.

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Charlotte, N.C.: Last night in the Goodell-Costas interview, Goodell stated that the recent suspensions were because the players broke the law. In this case, Belichick broke no law, so he felt a suspension was not necessary. Do you agree?

Michael Wilbon: I agree with the distinction. But since Belichick broke league rules, the commissioner doesn't have to worry about judge and jury and due process. He could have fired away and had a real impact here and missed the chance.

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Toss Up!: What was the worst decision? Notre Dame firing Ty Willingham or the Chargers firing Marty Shottenheimer? Both teams looked clueless.

Michael Wilbon: Bless you for this toss up! This might make its way onto PTI. I really don't know what my answer to this would be. Notre Dame is certainly more delusional, acting like this is the 1950s and there are 15 to 20 big-time football programs to compete with instead of 60. And let's not forget: Notre Dame's last two seasons, which were very successful, were accomplished with Willingham's recruits.

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Reston, Va.: Hi Mike, I read in Mark Maske's blog that Mr. Kraft gave Belichick a game ball last night. Does this bother you the way it does me? It sounds like there are still questions out there about other nefarious acts, and while I understand wanting to show support for your coach, this just rubbed me the wrong way. I've been a casual Pats fan in the past, but this whole spying incident really bothers me.

Michael Wilbon: The Patriots, without question, are a smug group very impressed with themselves and self-congratulatory. It doesn't surprise me one bit that Kraft did that. And I understand why the Patriots feel so superior, given that they've won three Super Bowls in the last six years. If somebody wants to do something about it, they should beat the Patriots, not talk about it like the Chargers do without delivering the goods. BUT, I am disappointed in Goodell's soft penalty. A $10 million fine and a game suspension for Belichick would have cut very deeply into smug.

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2-0 Surprises: The 49ers, Lions, Texans, and Packers all missed the playoffs last year but are off to 2-0 starts this year. Which of these teams have the best chance of actually finished with a winning record and making the playoffs?

Plus, bonus question, which 0-2 playoff team from last year (Giants, Saints) will recover and make it back this year?

Thanks

Michael Wilbon: I like all four of those teams you mention. I really do believe in the notion of "Win first, get good later." None of those four teams is good...yet. But the Lions have HUGE talent from drafting so high the last 10 years. The Texans do as well, and they now like the QB, Matt Schaub...The 49ers were the team a lot of people picked to break through, and I think it will be the Niners or Cardinals that could push Seattle out of the NFC West top spot. The Giants and Saints look so positively dreadful, I doubt either will bounce back, though it's early. The Giants are just bad; that's not a big surprise. The Saints getting blown out by Tampa is a shocker. Still, the biggest disappointment to me, other than New Orleans, might be Cincinnati.

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D.C.: Do you think both the Texans and the Titans made the right decision not selecting Reggie Bush? Both teams are starting to give the Colts a run for their money.

Michael Wilbon: Well, they're getting closer to the Colts incrementally, but neither is going to seriously challenge the Colts this season, presuming relative healthy in Indy. The Saints demonstrated last year what Bush can do in that offense, though they'd better find it Monday night in what I find a rather fascinating matchup with Tennessee in New Orleans.

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Hail to the Halos?: Mr. W:

The Angels don't seem to fit the Moneyball mold but they're doing extremely well anyway. Am I crazy for picking them my favorites to go all the way to the World Series title? It looks like they've found and are exploiting vulnerabilities that all the teams doing things the currently-approved way have created by trying to all build their teams pretty much the same way.

Michael Wilbon: In a post-season where there appears to be no heavy favorite going in, I think the Angels have as good a chance as anybody. There's no powerhouse out there, and Angels have enough pitching to win series. I'd love to see a Red Sox-Angels ALCS, actually. Please, let somebody deliver us from Sawx-Yanks.

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Fairfax, Va.: Prediction for tonight's game please.

Michael Wilbon: Eagles in a low-scoring, boring, offensive-challenged affair...17-14...

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Philadelphia, PA: Michael:

Maybe Weis and Crennel haven't had much success because they haven't gotten the spy videos they had when they coached with the Pats!

Michael Wilbon: Ha! Very nice.

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Washington, D.C.: With Tiger winning the Fed Ex Cup and the $10 million for retirement, what is he going do to in retirement? Move to Florida and play golf? Seriously, what can they do to make this system better?

Michael Wilbon: What, Tiger wouldn't have won in another system? They should handicap the field to keep Tiger from beating everybody's brains out? I'd make it a 3-week playoff. You miss a week and you're out. Drop the payoff to $5 million and stack it in $10 bills right at the 1st tee on the first day and move it to the 18th green on Sunday. Start with 125 and cut from there. Bag the points.

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Washington, D.C.: Mike,

What's your overall take on Goodell? If I remember correctly when he was first appointed you talked about knowing from years back and liking him, but you seem to have gone the other way on him recently.

Most people seem to like the moves he's made (apart from not being a bit harder on the Pats), but you have been critical of many of his moves. Has his hard stance not been necessary when confronted with players getting arrested on an seemingly daily basis?

Michael Wilbon: I did like Roger and still do. I don't mind at all taking a tough stance with misbehaving players, though the NFL tends to feel a little to godly at times. My problem with Roger is this particular Patriots/Belichick ruling. It's soft, and it smacks of cronyism. Don't get tough with labor and let your boys run amok. That stinks...and it also reminds us that ultimately, he works for them and won't come down as hard as he does on players. The union needs to look at this and come back swinging.

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Vienna, Va.: Any problems with Mike Shanahan's gamesmanship calling the last TO? Denver seems like a lucky and not too good team.

Michael Wilbon: Great question. Yes, I have a problem with it...But not with Shanahan...The rule is the problem. Don't let coaches call timeout once teams are at the line of scrimmage, not on field goals anyway. What Shanahan did was savvy. He bought his team a game with that move because you knew Janikowski, volatile as he is, wasn't going to make that kick twice, though he surely came close. The Broncos are lucky to be 2-0; they could easily be 0-2, what with that last-second field goal in Buffalo in Week 1.

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Cleveland: Can you think of a funner football game to watch in the last five years than the Cleveland stunner this past weekend? Good for Romeo!

Michael Wilbon: It was damn entertaining. I watched a great deal of that game. Thank God for the satellite dish! I cannot imagine having to watch what some weekend producer at Fox-5 or WUSA-9 wants me to watch, which is often some NFC East game because the Redskins are in the division...Whew! Did you guys get that game in D.C. yesterday? The Bengals should be 0-2 because they were handed that Monday Night game by the Ravens last week. They don't play defense, they're largely undisciplined. Marvin Lewis has a real job ahead of him this season. To give up 51 points to the Browns is pretty darned sad, especially for a coach who made his name by putting together great defenses. On the other side, I don't think Brady Quinn is going to be under center next Sunday for Cleveland. I think putting 51 points on the board allows Mr. Anderson to keep his job for at least the next game.

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Washington, D.C.: Why is it that teams like the Bengals and Ravens seem to develop a personality separate from their head coaches? Baltimore has no offense and the Bengals have NO defense.

Michael Wilbon: It's crazy, isn't it? It has to do with personnel. The Ravens haven't had a big-time, in-his-prime quarterback. But the Bengals do, plus the receivers to go with it, and they've drafted too many suspect guys on defense.

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D.C.: I heard someone suggest that the PGA should go to a NCAA Basketball format with the top 64 golfers. What's your thoughts on that?

Michael Wilbon: I asked John Feinstein about that last week and he said you'd have to have at least the top 125 (I think that's the number. I like 64 in a three weekend format, personally.

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South Bend: How bad of a season can Charlie Weis have before his job is in jeopardy? The team has been blown out in three games. They seem have taken steps back, as if that were possible, on offense. And to top it all off, USC is coming to town next month. How much of the blame does Charlie Weis deserve for the team's poor start? Is it his recruits or what's left from Ty Willingham's days or is it just a lot of inexperienced guys who will improve with playing time?

Michael Wilbon: Okay, you know I understand this question completely and it's TOTALLY legit...except for one little detail: Notre Dame signed him to a 10-year contract. Ten years. X. Weis is in no trouble and will be in no trouble for a long, long time. Now, that doesn't mean people won't get restless in South Bend, but Weis isn't going anywhere. And let's not be so knee-jerk. Yes, Notre Dame is terrible now but it's one season. NOBODY, not even Southern Cal, is going to be great every single season. Those days are over.

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Washington, D.C.: Hey, Wilbon, is your attitude towards fantasy football shifting? In the past couple of weeks, you've discussed Tony's fantasy team with him without sneering, and you even teased a segment by saying it might affect viewers' teams.

If people have openings in their leagues, should they contact you? What would you call your team: the Wilbon Warriors or the PTI Patriots? Don't worry, some people might call you a flip-flopper, but I still think you're okay.

Michael Wilbon: Ha! Thanks for the offer of inclusion, but I have no interest in fantasy football. I totally understand the appeal and the popularity, but I have no interest. I root for a bunch of people based on who I know, like and respect personally (like Donovan McNabb, Norv Turner, Byron Leftwich who has no team at the moment, Big Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning, Bertrand Berry of the Cardinals) but I live and die with only one team--the Chicago Bears--and have no interest in diluting and redirecting my Sunday agenda...Now that I don't attend Redskins games on Sunday anymore, I watch all the games anyway, but don't have to have all that anguish over my fantasy players...

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Houston: How many touchdowns do you think the Redskins will win by tonight?

Michael Wilbon: How much whining do you think you'll be doing if that's your expectation for tonight? I think the Redskins CAN win, but I'm certainly not picking them in a game the Eagles need desperately. 0-2 is just about the kiss of death. You might want to go back and tell me how many times the Redskins actually score touchdown(s), must less win by said amount.

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Annapolis, Md.: Hi Mike -- Would it be outlandish to say that a Devin Hester punt or kick return is the most electrifying 10-15 seconds in all of sports?

Michael Wilbon: Great question. The guys is amazing as a return man...to the point that I would NOT put him in the game any other time and dilute what it is he does better than anybody in the NFL. Did you see the 95-yard kick return that was nullified yesterday. The guy had four great returns in one game. I don't want to see him hurt blocking or fatigued running routes. He can impact a game exclusively returning punts and kicks, which is just fine with me, especially since Rex Grossman is so awful, the Bears have to win with defense and special teams.

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Chicago: With Monday Night Football upon us, I was hoping you could offer some insight into the prep-work that a commentator does before the show. What kind of work does Tony K do in the days before the game? How many hours goes into the pre-game research? How to pronounce players names? Story lines for each team? I'm sure there are a ton of work that I'm completely unaware of. I'm just curious...

Also, thanks for all the great work over the years! It means a lot that you still do these chats week in and week out!

Michael Wilbon: We'll end with this one since I have to run and prepare for PTI and my newest gig, MNF halftime segment with the aforementioned Mr. Tony. I'd love to give you the inside scoop to all those questions you have about MNF prep, but I have no idea. I'm not with Tony as he prepares. I know it starts on Saturday with meetings with the home team and coaches, then meetings on Sunday with the visiting team...They meet and probably have conference calls. It's very, very demanding, exhaustive. I did pre-season Redskins games on WRC-4 with George Michael and Sonny for three years and I was dead by halftime of each game. But I leave D.C. at 6 a.m. on Mondays, fly to the site of the game, do some prep work for PTI and/or writing a column for The Post in the a.m., meet with my producer Matt Kelliher, hit the Chat House with you guys until 2 or so, hop in a car and go to the stadium for makeup at 2:30, get to the set to discuss all manner of stuff with TK and Jaws, tape the show, then get ready to write and do the halftime segment. Tonight, I'll take the TK bus home from Philly and we'll get to D.C. at around 3 a.m.

Gotta run...We'll chat next Monday, same time, same channel. Thanks everybody. Have a great week.

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