Mo Williams of the Cavaiers guaranteed his team would win, and they lost. A forgettable Steelers safety (Anthony Smith?) did the same thing, guaranteeing a win over the Patriots during their 18-1 season of 2007. New England’s loss wasn’t to Pittsburgh.

So, let’s make a deal, sports world. No more guarantees. I mean, it’s not like Ben Roethlisberger and LeBron James are making the guarantees. There’s no way that the guys doing it can deliver on their own.

There have been two memorable guarantees. Joe Namath of the Jets guaranteeing his club would beat the Colts in Super Bowl III. No thanks to Broadway Joe, but the Jets did win, and he was the first guy to offer a guaranteed win.

Then Mark Messier guaranteed a Ranger win over New Jersey in the NHL Eastern Conference Finals in 1994, and singlehandedly won the game.

Those are the only two memorable ones. Now, teams deliver less than 50% of the time, and the players that make the guarantee never do.

So, let’s end it now. No more guarantees. No more reporting of guarantees. And no more embarrassment when they don’t work out.

Or, how about this alternative? If you’re an athlete and make a guarantee, and the team doesn’t win, you provide free tickets for a full house to make good on the guarantee? That way, everybody wins. Player gets to make the offer, and if there’s a problem with it…player gets to make good either way.