Nice to see Wade Phillips has two more years as head coach of the Cowboys, but he’d have a better chance of winning a Super Bowl if his new deal included moving Jason Garrett out as offensive coordinator and replacing him with somebody like Dan Reeves. Reeves, of course, was part of Wade’s plan for 2009 as an “offensive consultant” until Jethro Jones decided he didn’t want to pay him. Wanna bet Reeves wouldn’t have done something as foolish last Sunday as going to the “Razorback” formation on first and goal from the Vikings nine, or opted for a sweep to slow footed Marion Barber — seven yard loss — on another first-down play in Vikings’ territory. Those drive-killing calls were arguably game changers. Reeves might also have figured out something to slow down Minnesota’s pass rush and give Tony Romo a fighting chance . . . Given that Buffalo has pretty much become the armpit of the NFL, the best case that Wade Phillips is an excellent coach can be made with his track record there. Taking over a decaying 6-10 team left when Marv Levy retired after the 1997 season, Wade went 10-6, 11-5 and 8-8, reaching the playoffs twice in a rugged division where two of the other head coaches were Jimmy Johnson (Dolphins) and Bill Parcells (Jets). Phillips’ 29-19 record in Buffalo was the fourth best in the NFL during that time frame. His 1999 team had Tennessee beaten in Nashville in a wild card playoff game, until the infamous “Music City Miracle” stole the game in the final seconds. Since Phillips left Buffalo, three successors have managed a 58-86 record, one winning season — 9-7 in 2004 — and haven’t sniffed the playoffs. Case closed.

Don’t see how anybody who is not a Minnesota fan, or a Brett Favre fan, could pull against the Saints in today’s NFC Championship game. When you read the testimonials about what that team in general, and head coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees and running back Reggie Bush in particular, have meant to New Orleans’ recovery from Hurricane Katrina, reaching the Super Bowl would add a Hollywood flair to a tragic story. If the Saints can slow down the Vikings front four, they’ll win something like 34-27 . . . Here’s hoping it’s a Saints-Colts Super Bowl. I’d pull for anybody against a New York team, but you couldn’t get a much better story line than having the son of the favorite Saint of all-time, Archie Manning, leading his team against New Orleans in the big game. The Colts Peyton Manning, and brother Eli of the NY Giants, of course, played high school football in New Orleans, so the family ties to the city run deep. Archie, meanwhile, has already said that as much as he loves New Orleans and the Saints, it’s a no brainer that he’d be pulling for the Colts if that scenario materializes . . . Glad to see the University of Houston was able to hang on to its extremely bright head coach, Kevin Sumlin, for at least one more year, but the facts of life at UH say he won’t be around much longer. With an exciting team that defeated Big 12 foes Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, went 8-4 and played in a bowl game, the Cougars averaged 24,241 in home attendance. That really looks bad after reading a printed report that the University of Texas has 32,000 season ticket holders in the Houston area.

Looks like lefty pitcher Wandy Rodriguez is about to go deep into Astro owner Drayton McLane’s pocket. Rodriguez, who made $2.6 million last season, is taking the Astros to arbitration and asking for $7 million. The Astros have countered with $5 million. They will probably settle for something in between and Rodriguez, coming off a season in which a 3.02 ERA underscores that he pitched better than a 14-12 record indicates, will likely be worth every penny. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him supplant Roy Oswalt as the ace of the staff. Maybe he already has . . . Florida and Arizona are in a bidding war as baseball spring training sites and it looks like the Chicago Cubs just became the biggest winner. With the Cubs making noises like they were going to leave Mesa, Ariz., for Naples, Fla., after their lease expired in 2012, the Mesa city council put forth an offer for an $84-million state-of-the-art facility that will include a 15,000 seat stadium, offices, training rooms and four practice fields. Not surprisingly, the Cubs accepted. So the count remains 15 teams holding spring training in Arizona and 15 in Florida . . . The Cubs, by the way, could have a distinct Lamar University flavor this season. Micah Hoffpauir, who didn’t hit as well as the Cubs hoped he would last year, returns as a backup to Derek Lee at first base and a corner outfielder in platoon situations. He could be joined by another Cardinal, Kevin Millar, who reportedly has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago organization and will try to earn a place with the Cubs in spring training. Millar, a first baseman, played for the Toronto Blue Jays last season, after stints with the Marlins, Red Sox and Orioles.

What it’s worth to have Michael Jordan’s son playing for your team? The University of Central Florida apparently felt Marcus Jordan’s value was in the $3 million range, because that’s how much they are said to have forfeited by allowing him to wear Nike shoes. UCF had a five-year with adidas to outfit their teams in its shoes, but the younger Jordan insisted on wearing his dad’s signature Nikes. Once he wore them in a game, adidas went ballistic and the contract was dissolved. Surely, UCF has something coming from Nike. If not, you really have to question its business sense. Marcus Jordan, incidentally, scored 23 points Wednesday night to lead the Golden Knights over Houston . . . Lamar football coach Ray Woodard says he’s been pleasantly surprised at the caliber of applicants for the offensive coordinator position that opened when Tommy Mainord left him last week to become receivers coach at Texas Tech. According to Woodard, there’s been much more interest than when he first started trying to put together a staff. Woodard says his options are to either bring in an offensive coordinator from the outside or promote from within, then hire a position coach . . . This is too funny. Texas Tech basketball coach Pat Knight unloaded on Iowa State’s Lucca Staiger for leaving the Cyclones at mid-season to accept a near six-figure offer to play professionally in his native Germany. Knight called Staiger selfish and railed about his lack of loyalty. Hey, Pat, have you checked out the level of loyalty in the coaching profession lately? Maybe you missed out on Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin. Or Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly? Or John Calipari? Or Nick Saban? Or Bobby Petrino? Come on, man, you know it’s all about business in college sports. Why shouldn’t a player take the money and run when he has the opportunity.

Colt McCoy got his first chance to really cash in on being a star quarterback at the University of Texas Saturday at the 24th annual Tristar Collector’s Show in Houston this weekend. Cost to get McCoy’s autograph on a regular item was $80, on a premium item $90 and on a full size helmet, jersey or artwork $100. By comparison, former Houston Oilers QB Warren Moon was only getting $70 for his signature on a regular items. Some of the other regular-item-rates were Joe Montana, $170; Tony Dorsett, $90; John Elway, $175; and Randy Johnson, $160. McCoy’s UT teammate Jordan Shipley’s going rate was $40 . . . They may not have the toughest road schedule on the NFL next year, but it’s hard to imagine any team having one more challenging than what’s facing the Cowboys. In addition to the usual NFC East stops in Philly, New York and Washington, Dallas plays at Green Bay, Minnesota, Indianapolis, Arizona and Houston. The Texans are the only one of those teams that didn’t make the playoffs and they should have . . . What an interesting concept being advanced by the new All-America Basketball Alliance that’s looking for cities to put up money for one of its franchises. To be eligible for an AABA team, players have to be natural born United States citizens with both parents of the Caucasian race. Not surprisingly, the Atlanta-based AABA is not being overrun with cities wanting to put up $10,000 to become a “licensee.” Naturally, league commissioner Don “Moose” Lewis denied claims the Caucasian requirements have anything to do with racism. Gee, why would anybody think that?

Sports editor Bob West can be e-mailed at rdwest@usa.net.