Man, the NFL isn't really doing itself any favors here. For years and years, the pro-bowl has always been held after the Super Bowl, and out in Hawaii. And even then, there were still a whole bunch of people talking about the irrelevance of the Pro-Bowl. It did, at least, seem like players actually wanted to go to that one though, and who can blame them? Hawaii is still Hawaii.
Yet this year's "experiment" by Roger Goodell seems to have lit a fire underneath a few people, and cause many other people to simply not care. Every year there are people who don't accept their invitation which seemingly defeats the whole purpose in general, but there were always some big stars, such as Peyton Manning, who never missed a chance to play in the Pro-Bowl. But this year, we're clearly missing out. The fact that it is before the Super Bowl this year is a giant mistake. Simply because we know that the people who are playing in the Super Bowl aren't going to play in the Pro-Bowl because they don't want to risk getting inured! No Manning, no Brees, no Freeney. Between the Colts and Saints, there are 14 people who will not be playing simply because they are going to be in the Super Bowl. There are many others that are saying they won't be coming because of injury, but there are a lot of them, like Tom Brady, who just make a regular habit out of not coming, as the proceedings are "beneath them".
There are larger questions Pro-Bowl. Why is it that people in the NFL find it so easy to turn down their invitation to their All-Star game? What solutions are there to try and ensure that they do come? Well, firstly, the scheduling of the game, mostly for this year, needs to be fixed. Put it back where it was. I know that a lot of people say that having it after the season is silly, especially when the NBA, MLB, and NHL all have their all-star games in the middle of the season; however, I understand the placement of the NFL game. The NFL only plays 17 weeks, through about 4 months (for the regular season). Hard to determine who is all-pro in only 8 weeks of football. Plus, if we really wanted to guarantee that the best players from each team WON'T show up, then put it in the middle of the season. I know I wouldn't want my best players to possibly get injured and miss time because of an all-star game. So I say keep it in Hawaii, and keep it after the Super Bowl.
Then there is the question of attendance. How do we keep the NFL stars coming to the game. Well, I know for a fact that the NHL had a few issues with this for a little bit, but I think they've managed to more or less solve it. There was an example where Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk didn't want to come because he was hurt. He didn't show up at all, citing injury, and ended up being suspended for 2 games. Well, Sidney Crosby was also hurt during that time period, as well. Couldn't play in the game, but still came to the event, went through the media blitz, went to the parties, made the appearances, did the whole 9 yards, just didn't play. He was not suspended. Now by this point in the season, most of the players can't be suspended, and suspending a player who is missing it because he wants to not get hurt for the Super Bowl is silly, but there are ways that the league could still solve this. Have it carry over to next year, maybe. Impose a fine on the player and/or the club. Things along those lines. I'm not going to say dock the team a draft pick because that is excessive. But still, there needs to be something to ensure that they are there. If they're injured and can't play, fine, but still have them come and do the media events. Seriously, how injured to you think Tom Brady is? Just an bruised ego from being so mediocre this year? He isn't exactly in Welker's shoes.
Those are just a couple of possible solutions to a whole myriad of issues surronding the Pro-Bowl. I know that there are a few people, this year, who have been calling for the game to be eliminated as a whole. I don't see that as a solution, and I don't think it should happen, though I do wonder what would happen if they just didn't have a Pro-Bowl one year. Might be interesting to see. At any rate, I'm interested to hear any other solutions that people may have for this problem. So post away!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Favre Watch....again?
Well, now that the Vikings have been eliminated from the playoffs, we can all start the speculation that has been driving so many people absolutely insane. Will Brett Favre finally retire?! Or will we he put another team through the whole, well golly I sure would still like to play one more year! If you could just give me a shot!
Well, here's my opinion on the whole matter. Retire, Brett. Please, retire. This constant waffling between retirement and playing again has definitely tarnished your legacy. Sure, that Sears commercial was really funny, but do you realize that that is exactly how people view you now? They don't view you as the guy who can make any throw, they don't view you as the gun slinger, they don't see the 3 MVPs or the super bowl ring. They see the old guy that doesn't want to admit that his time has come. The whole concept is a joke to people now. I wouldn't be surprised if there were odds being put on this in Vegas.
Brett has already said that he likely won't play again (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Favre-I-m-highly-unlikely-to-play-again-Sure;_ylt=AjoSLuV3ibmMErKdDYzd3ntDubYF?urn=nfl,215612) according to yahoo sports, but come on, haven't we heard all of this before? You know the best way for Favre to prove that he isn't going to play again, to just disappear and not let the whole media circus happen as it always does. That might show people that he actually is done with football. The other thing that we might all do to help the matter along is, and I realize the irony of the statement as I say it, to just shut up about it. The longer that we continue to make a huge fuss over whether or not he should stay or go, the more he is back in the public eye. And he absolutely loves the public eye. So let's just all stop talking about it!
Once again, it is a damn shame that the career of one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game of football is no longer really remembered for his career and all the greatness that he brought to the game. Instead, he is to be remembered as the great waffler. Hopefully, we can all just put it to rest. Now, as of this moment, I am going to stop talking about Brett Favre. I would greatly appreciate it if everybody would join me. Congrats on one last push Brett.
Well, here's my opinion on the whole matter. Retire, Brett. Please, retire. This constant waffling between retirement and playing again has definitely tarnished your legacy. Sure, that Sears commercial was really funny, but do you realize that that is exactly how people view you now? They don't view you as the guy who can make any throw, they don't view you as the gun slinger, they don't see the 3 MVPs or the super bowl ring. They see the old guy that doesn't want to admit that his time has come. The whole concept is a joke to people now. I wouldn't be surprised if there were odds being put on this in Vegas.
Brett has already said that he likely won't play again (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Favre-I-m-highly-unlikely-to-play-again-Sure;_ylt=AjoSLuV3ibmMErKdDYzd3ntDubYF?urn=nfl,215612) according to yahoo sports, but come on, haven't we heard all of this before? You know the best way for Favre to prove that he isn't going to play again, to just disappear and not let the whole media circus happen as it always does. That might show people that he actually is done with football. The other thing that we might all do to help the matter along is, and I realize the irony of the statement as I say it, to just shut up about it. The longer that we continue to make a huge fuss over whether or not he should stay or go, the more he is back in the public eye. And he absolutely loves the public eye. So let's just all stop talking about it!
Once again, it is a damn shame that the career of one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game of football is no longer really remembered for his career and all the greatness that he brought to the game. Instead, he is to be remembered as the great waffler. Hopefully, we can all just put it to rest. Now, as of this moment, I am going to stop talking about Brett Favre. I would greatly appreciate it if everybody would join me. Congrats on one last push Brett.
Monday, January 25, 2010
What a Weekend!!
Quite an unbelievable 2 games that we saw this weekend. We saw the Jets get up on the Colts pretty early, but, as they have done all year long, the Colts adjusted and came back. Manning showed why he is the MVP of the league, yet again, and we can all finally shut up about the Colts not being able to win in the playoffs. They already proved that they could when they won the Super Bowl just a couple years back. Give them some love when they deserve it everybody! Kudos to the Jets, as well. Though they were unable to do it for the whole game, they did have Manning and the Colts on their heels for a bit. A big up and down season that they've had, but Sanchez played very well, especially for a rookie. He kept his composure and didn't let the moment frighten him. He played well, and the Jets will be in good shape with him going forward.
That was an amazing game between the Vikings and the Saints. A lot can be said about things in the game, you can question the calls in the overtime, but the bottom line is that Minnesota let that game get away. They turned the ball over 5 times in that game, and AP acted as if the ball had just been freshly waxed with how he was fumbling. The be all end all of this is that you should not hear a single one of the Vikings complain about the calls that were made because they didn't make the plays necessary to avoid ever being put in that situation to begin with. Fumbles, bad passes that led to interceptions, they allowed the Saints to stick around when the Vikes probably could have won by 2 touchdowns. Plus, if you have your back to the ball and play the receiver fully, you will get called for pass interference 10 times out of 10. You have to be playing the ball. Then, you can't expect them to overturn that spot. A hell of a job by Pierre Thomas for holding on to that ball. How did he manage to not have that pop out? Unbelievable. Unflappable Saints.
Now we begin to approach Super Sunday. Two #1 seeds in the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XXVIII (28) when the Cowboys beat the Bills for the second time in a row. These two teams aren't just #1 seeds, but they are clearly the best 2 teams in the league this year. So nice when you actually get to see the 2 best have a knock down drag out for the championship (See BCS, it can be done without computers!). Plus, we have the 2 best quarterbacks ready to duke it out in one of the most epic shootouts in Super Bowl history! I'm very excited! I haven't been this excited for a Super Bowl since the G-men beat the Patriots and kept them from going undefeated, although that was after the game not before it. Any way it turns out, and I will put my picks up just before the end of next week, it will be one hell of a game! Congrats to the Colts for again winning the AFC for the 2nd time in 4 years. And a huge congrats to the New Orleans Saints for making the first trip to the Super Bowl in the history of their franchise. It has been well earned!
That was an amazing game between the Vikings and the Saints. A lot can be said about things in the game, you can question the calls in the overtime, but the bottom line is that Minnesota let that game get away. They turned the ball over 5 times in that game, and AP acted as if the ball had just been freshly waxed with how he was fumbling. The be all end all of this is that you should not hear a single one of the Vikings complain about the calls that were made because they didn't make the plays necessary to avoid ever being put in that situation to begin with. Fumbles, bad passes that led to interceptions, they allowed the Saints to stick around when the Vikes probably could have won by 2 touchdowns. Plus, if you have your back to the ball and play the receiver fully, you will get called for pass interference 10 times out of 10. You have to be playing the ball. Then, you can't expect them to overturn that spot. A hell of a job by Pierre Thomas for holding on to that ball. How did he manage to not have that pop out? Unbelievable. Unflappable Saints.
Now we begin to approach Super Sunday. Two #1 seeds in the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XXVIII (28) when the Cowboys beat the Bills for the second time in a row. These two teams aren't just #1 seeds, but they are clearly the best 2 teams in the league this year. So nice when you actually get to see the 2 best have a knock down drag out for the championship (See BCS, it can be done without computers!). Plus, we have the 2 best quarterbacks ready to duke it out in one of the most epic shootouts in Super Bowl history! I'm very excited! I haven't been this excited for a Super Bowl since the G-men beat the Patriots and kept them from going undefeated, although that was after the game not before it. Any way it turns out, and I will put my picks up just before the end of next week, it will be one hell of a game! Congrats to the Colts for again winning the AFC for the 2nd time in 4 years. And a huge congrats to the New Orleans Saints for making the first trip to the Super Bowl in the history of their franchise. It has been well earned!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY!!
This is always one of the best weekends of football, sometimes even better than the Super Bowl itself! I don't know why the Conference Championships end up that way, but it is quite often the case! Obviously not always, last year's Super Bowl was an amazing game! Anywho, here's my picks for championship Sunday!!
#6 Jets @ #1 Indianapolis:
The Jets are the feel good story of the playoff year. Rex Ryan has done a great job with this group this year, and Sanchez has been alright. That being said, I have looked all year, and the Colts have never once given me a reason to bet against them. I haven't all year, and I'm not going to again this weekend. Plus, the Colts have been in this situation before, and been upset by it. Back when Bettis and the #6 Steelers knocked them off before they went and beat Denver and Seattle to win Super Bowl 40. You better believe nobody on that Colts team will be looking beyond this weekend. Sanchez has played well, but how will he fair against the dynamic duo of Freeney and Mathis on the Colt's D-line? It gets talked about in every Colts game, but that's because it's so true. If you focus on one of them, then the other ends up beating you, and it's hard to hold them both out. The Jets D is good, but mostly Reevis, who has only really had to deal with 1 dynamic receiver in each of his last games. I guess if he's on Reggie Wayne, Manning will just have to throw to Clark, or Garcon, or any of 3 other receivers he just always finds. The Colts are too stacked, and will be too prepared, and will be too much for the Jets. I don't think this one will really be all that close, though the Jets running game will probably help them a lot.
#2 Vikings @ #1 Saints:
What a game this has the potential to be. I have to say that this is a bit of a toughie to pick, but I just have to go with the Saints. Mostly because I've been saying, for a while, that we're going to see the Colts and the Saints in the Super Bowl, but mostly because every single time the Saints have known that there was going to be a test for them, they have come out firing on all cylinders and not looked back. I mean think about it; Eagles, Giants, Patriots, and the Cardinals in the last round. Every team is very capable, and every single team the Saints didn't just beat, they destroyed. Now I heard a few of the Yahoo experts talk about how the Saints have had issues against teams down the line that ran the ball a lot, and that the Vikes could pose a problem because of that. Now that is relatively true enough, but allow me to tell you why it doesn't bother me. After they lost that first one to Dallas, it wasn't about destroying teams anymore or going undefeated, it was about preparing themselves for the playoffs and resting the starters. You think they played their best players against Tampa Bay? I don't, so I don't even bother looking at those games. Now, I totally agree that, in order to win the game, Minnesota is going to have to rely more on the run rather than the pass, but also think who their QB is, and we all know that Favre loves to pass. This could be where Favre's gunslinger attitude will bite the Vikes in the rear end, because the Saints secondary is the most opportunistic in the league. Vikings D is good, but Brees just has too many weapons. Both he and Manning can look at any and all sides of the field and find somebody to make a play for them. Again, there is too much in favor of the Saints, I just can't bet against them. I'll take the Saints.
That means Super Bowl 44 will be the 2 best teams in the league duking it out in what will undoubtedly be on of the most epic Super Bowls in recent memory. Colts vs. Saints.
#6 Jets @ #1 Indianapolis:
The Jets are the feel good story of the playoff year. Rex Ryan has done a great job with this group this year, and Sanchez has been alright. That being said, I have looked all year, and the Colts have never once given me a reason to bet against them. I haven't all year, and I'm not going to again this weekend. Plus, the Colts have been in this situation before, and been upset by it. Back when Bettis and the #6 Steelers knocked them off before they went and beat Denver and Seattle to win Super Bowl 40. You better believe nobody on that Colts team will be looking beyond this weekend. Sanchez has played well, but how will he fair against the dynamic duo of Freeney and Mathis on the Colt's D-line? It gets talked about in every Colts game, but that's because it's so true. If you focus on one of them, then the other ends up beating you, and it's hard to hold them both out. The Jets D is good, but mostly Reevis, who has only really had to deal with 1 dynamic receiver in each of his last games. I guess if he's on Reggie Wayne, Manning will just have to throw to Clark, or Garcon, or any of 3 other receivers he just always finds. The Colts are too stacked, and will be too prepared, and will be too much for the Jets. I don't think this one will really be all that close, though the Jets running game will probably help them a lot.
#2 Vikings @ #1 Saints:
What a game this has the potential to be. I have to say that this is a bit of a toughie to pick, but I just have to go with the Saints. Mostly because I've been saying, for a while, that we're going to see the Colts and the Saints in the Super Bowl, but mostly because every single time the Saints have known that there was going to be a test for them, they have come out firing on all cylinders and not looked back. I mean think about it; Eagles, Giants, Patriots, and the Cardinals in the last round. Every team is very capable, and every single team the Saints didn't just beat, they destroyed. Now I heard a few of the Yahoo experts talk about how the Saints have had issues against teams down the line that ran the ball a lot, and that the Vikes could pose a problem because of that. Now that is relatively true enough, but allow me to tell you why it doesn't bother me. After they lost that first one to Dallas, it wasn't about destroying teams anymore or going undefeated, it was about preparing themselves for the playoffs and resting the starters. You think they played their best players against Tampa Bay? I don't, so I don't even bother looking at those games. Now, I totally agree that, in order to win the game, Minnesota is going to have to rely more on the run rather than the pass, but also think who their QB is, and we all know that Favre loves to pass. This could be where Favre's gunslinger attitude will bite the Vikes in the rear end, because the Saints secondary is the most opportunistic in the league. Vikings D is good, but Brees just has too many weapons. Both he and Manning can look at any and all sides of the field and find somebody to make a play for them. Again, there is too much in favor of the Saints, I just can't bet against them. I'll take the Saints.
That means Super Bowl 44 will be the 2 best teams in the league duking it out in what will undoubtedly be on of the most epic Super Bowls in recent memory. Colts vs. Saints.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
On the Chopping Block
Yes, I'm back to talk more about the Broncos. Yesterday we learned that the Broncos and Mike Nolan (the defensive coordinator who finally helped make the Broncos defense respectable again) have "mutually agreed to go their separate ways." This is just the most recent example of the absolutely horrible decisions that have been coming out of Denver all year. I mean, it isn't exactly as if you took a step backwards after you hired Mike Nolan. I mean, if you look at the exceptional start that the Broncos had, it had far more to do with the defense than the incredibly system that McDaniels brought in. Look at the scores of the games. In the first 6 games, there was only 1 game where the Broncos D allowed more than 17 points, and only 2 where they allowed more than 10. And the highest point total for the Bronco offense in each of those 6 games was in San Diego (34 points) where they had 2 kick returns for touchdowns by Eddie Royal. So you take those 14 points away, the offense only scored 20 points.
Here's my assessment of the situation. Look at the way that McDaniels has handled himself throughout the year. Runs out Jay Cutler. Suspends Brandon Marshall. Fit pitching on the sidelines, never playing Peyton Hillis, benching Marhall and Scheffler. This guy is far more concerned with people knowing that he is the one in charge than actually making sound decisions. With the playoffs on the line, you don't bench your best players. If I were Mike Nolan, I wouldn't want to be on this guy's coaching staff either. I mean, how much longer would it be before this guy, who is an offensive guy, comes over and starts trying to tell me how to do my job, or benches my players?
Here's the bottom line. Before Mike Nolan, the Bronco's defense was pathetic. It is true that they totally buckled in the last game of the year, but that is far more about McDaniels than Nolan, in my opinion. The players quit on McD, not on Nolan. Nolan is one of the game's best defensive minds. He has shown that everywhere that he has been, and just a day after parting ways with the Broncos, the Dolphins have already picked him up. The quickness of that should show you how highly people in the league view him. By letting him go, the Broncos will get somebody else who isn't as good, continue their theme of instability in the Defensive Coordinator position, and have players have to learn another whole new system on defense. This is a joke. The only thing that is going to get better for the Broncos after this year is their draft position, because they are going to win fewer games.
The real problem lies with McDaniels. This guy thinks he's Bill Bellichick. One problem, though, he isn't. He is convinced the only way to do things is the way things happened in New England. He only wants his guys, not Shannahan's, or Nolan's, or anybody else's. He is going to make the Broncos worse before he makes them better, and we will see that in the next year. I seriously hope that he will not be around after his contract ends.
Here's my assessment of the situation. Look at the way that McDaniels has handled himself throughout the year. Runs out Jay Cutler. Suspends Brandon Marshall. Fit pitching on the sidelines, never playing Peyton Hillis, benching Marhall and Scheffler. This guy is far more concerned with people knowing that he is the one in charge than actually making sound decisions. With the playoffs on the line, you don't bench your best players. If I were Mike Nolan, I wouldn't want to be on this guy's coaching staff either. I mean, how much longer would it be before this guy, who is an offensive guy, comes over and starts trying to tell me how to do my job, or benches my players?
Here's the bottom line. Before Mike Nolan, the Bronco's defense was pathetic. It is true that they totally buckled in the last game of the year, but that is far more about McDaniels than Nolan, in my opinion. The players quit on McD, not on Nolan. Nolan is one of the game's best defensive minds. He has shown that everywhere that he has been, and just a day after parting ways with the Broncos, the Dolphins have already picked him up. The quickness of that should show you how highly people in the league view him. By letting him go, the Broncos will get somebody else who isn't as good, continue their theme of instability in the Defensive Coordinator position, and have players have to learn another whole new system on defense. This is a joke. The only thing that is going to get better for the Broncos after this year is their draft position, because they are going to win fewer games.
The real problem lies with McDaniels. This guy thinks he's Bill Bellichick. One problem, though, he isn't. He is convinced the only way to do things is the way things happened in New England. He only wants his guys, not Shannahan's, or Nolan's, or anybody else's. He is going to make the Broncos worse before he makes them better, and we will see that in the next year. I seriously hope that he will not be around after his contract ends.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Divisional Playoffs!
After a crazy wild card weekend, what are we going to see in the divisional round? Hopefully we will still see some awesome football!! How will the Colts and Saints do after both ending the regular season on losing streaks? Has the bye week helped? We shall see! Here are my picks for the weekend!
AFC:
#6 Baltimore @ #1 Indianapolis: I tell you what, I don't care how good the Ravens are, and they are quite good, Peyton Manning has done nothing but prove that if you bet against him, he'll burn you! So, I'm not going to bet against him. The Colts came from behind in 7 games during the regular season, against good teams. I don't see any reason that they will stumble. Colts.
#5 NY Jets @ #2 San Diego: This could be a deceptively good game, but probably not that good. Is this the year that the Chargers and Norv Turner finally get over the hump and prove that they can actually win the big games? Well, I don't really see the Jets stopping them at this particular juncture in the road. But you never know, I picked against the Jets last week and get torched, I think that it is quite possible that it can happen again if they manage to keep the Chargers receivers at bay. People always say you have to start with LT, and that used to be true, but LT is old and not anywhere near what he used to be. Now, you have to stop Rivers and the passing game. Don't get me wrong, I despise Phillip Rivers. He is a mouthy little punk who has always gotten expectations up, but then choked when it counts, but I think that he and the Chargers are too much this time around.
NFC:
#4 Arizona @ #1 New Orleans: Now here is a very interesting game. Arizona is deceptive in how good they are. Their defense is far better than most people give them credit for. They managed to confuse a lot of good offenses this year. We all know how explosive the Saints are, but we have also seen that they don't always play a full game. This is a case where, if they only play one half of the game, they won't win. This is a really tough one. I'm going to pick the Saints because, in every single game where they faced difficult and high quality opponents, they came out firing on all cylinders and never let up. This is definitely one of those situations, and I think that the whole team recognizes that. I'll take the Saints, but if they don't play the whole game, don't be shocked if Arizona pulls an upset.
#3 Dallas vs. #2 Minnesota: Another really good game. This is a tough one to pick because there are so many factors. Can Romo stay consistent in the playoffs for the first time in his career? Which Brett Favre is going to show up? Which defense will be the first to make a huge play? All of those things are going to affect the game. This is another one of those ones where it won't surprise me if either team wins. I'm going to take Minnesota because I believe that they are more complete on both sides of the ball, but if Dallas's defense is able to make a couple of big plays and either score, or give the offense a really short field, don't be shocked for Dallas to pull an upset here.
Tough choices, and yes, I am picking all of the home teams. Nonetheless, we are all in for another great weekend of football! Next week, the conference championships!! Let me know your picks!
AFC:
#6 Baltimore @ #1 Indianapolis: I tell you what, I don't care how good the Ravens are, and they are quite good, Peyton Manning has done nothing but prove that if you bet against him, he'll burn you! So, I'm not going to bet against him. The Colts came from behind in 7 games during the regular season, against good teams. I don't see any reason that they will stumble. Colts.
#5 NY Jets @ #2 San Diego: This could be a deceptively good game, but probably not that good. Is this the year that the Chargers and Norv Turner finally get over the hump and prove that they can actually win the big games? Well, I don't really see the Jets stopping them at this particular juncture in the road. But you never know, I picked against the Jets last week and get torched, I think that it is quite possible that it can happen again if they manage to keep the Chargers receivers at bay. People always say you have to start with LT, and that used to be true, but LT is old and not anywhere near what he used to be. Now, you have to stop Rivers and the passing game. Don't get me wrong, I despise Phillip Rivers. He is a mouthy little punk who has always gotten expectations up, but then choked when it counts, but I think that he and the Chargers are too much this time around.
NFC:
#4 Arizona @ #1 New Orleans: Now here is a very interesting game. Arizona is deceptive in how good they are. Their defense is far better than most people give them credit for. They managed to confuse a lot of good offenses this year. We all know how explosive the Saints are, but we have also seen that they don't always play a full game. This is a case where, if they only play one half of the game, they won't win. This is a really tough one. I'm going to pick the Saints because, in every single game where they faced difficult and high quality opponents, they came out firing on all cylinders and never let up. This is definitely one of those situations, and I think that the whole team recognizes that. I'll take the Saints, but if they don't play the whole game, don't be shocked if Arizona pulls an upset.
#3 Dallas vs. #2 Minnesota: Another really good game. This is a tough one to pick because there are so many factors. Can Romo stay consistent in the playoffs for the first time in his career? Which Brett Favre is going to show up? Which defense will be the first to make a huge play? All of those things are going to affect the game. This is another one of those ones where it won't surprise me if either team wins. I'm going to take Minnesota because I believe that they are more complete on both sides of the ball, but if Dallas's defense is able to make a couple of big plays and either score, or give the offense a really short field, don't be shocked for Dallas to pull an upset here.
Tough choices, and yes, I am picking all of the home teams. Nonetheless, we are all in for another great weekend of football! Next week, the conference championships!! Let me know your picks!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
New Decade, Old Memory
All sorts of places have been making a big deal about how we are now in a new decade, and have been reviewing certain events of the last decade. Best game, biggest upsets, greatest goals, etc... I think I'm going to go ahead and get in on that action (a little late, but still getting in on it nonetheless. This particular event, whenever I re-visit it, always makes me mad for a few different reasons.
In 2004, the Colorado Avalanche has a very heated rivalry going with the Vancouver Canucks. Things began to go even farther with this rivalry when Steve Moore had a questionable hit on Markus Naslund. Here's a link for that with some "interesting" remarks made by former Avalanche Coach, then Vancouver coach, Marc Crawford. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owpYYNjWnro) I have to say that this is the point in history where I lost all respect for Crawford, which is tough considering he was the coach when the Avs won their first cup. The assertion that this was a cheap hit, and that the refs should have more respect and make a call when it was a hit on a star player. I'm sorry, Marc, this is not the NBA, and he is not Kobe Bryant. Do star players get preferential treatment? Sure, that's impossible to deny, but don't act like every single time a star player gets hit hard in an emotional game that the refs need to call a penalty. It was a tough hit, and ended baldy based off of a lot of circumstances. Naslund was stretched out, which caused his head to be much lower than it otherwise would have been. He was stretching out as Moore moved in to make a shoulder check on him, which, when thrown all together at the same time, caused a bad hit with an elbow. THAT, however, is not what really caused the problem. That was not enough to give Naslund the concussion that he suffered at the end of this play. Naslund, as many hockey players do, doesn't have his helmet fully secured, and you can see that his helmet slid off just enough that, when he did get to the ice, his head had no protection. THAT, caused the concussion. You can argue all you want about this, but the league ruled and it ruled correctly in saying that this was not a penalty, nor was it a dirty hit by any means. No suspension was given, and none should have been given, no matter who was hit in this play.
The unfortunate part about this lead to what I see as one of the most disgusting acts I have ever seen, if not THE most disgusting and cowardly act, in sports. The infamous sucker punch on Steve Moore by Todd Bertuzzi. Here's a link to that. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA8cdtpV0vM). Again, say whatever you want about this incident, this was a premeditated assault. How do we know this? It was well publicized that the Canucks were talking about getting back at Moore, and that there was a price on his head. Plus, the next year, when Brad May, then of the Canucks, signed with the Avalanche, he admitted to the press that they had planned on getting Moore in the Canuck locker room. All of this leads to bigger questions about the league and the way it is currently run, but for the time being, I'll relegate myself to the "discipline" that was given to Bertuzzi. He was suspended for the rest of the season, and the playoffs, which ended up being a grand total of 17 games, and was then re-instated the next season. Before you start, YES, I know that the official "next season" was the year of the lockout. I am speaking of the next time that there was a season. At that time, our all knowledgeable, please notice the sarcasm, Commish (Gary Bettman) determined that a full year of suspension was enough of a punsihment, and brought him back. Here's the only issue, he wasn't suspended that season, he was locked out. Nobody played, so for Bettman to say that there was an extra punishment of missing a season is completely and totally false. But Bettman, in his George W. Bush-like way of running things, is always convinced that he is in the right, and has never second guessed this ruling. So while Bertuzzi continues to play for millions of dollars, Steve Moore still sits at home, suffering from post-concussion syndrome, with fracture in his neck that will never allow him to play hockey again. Criminal charges were brought against Bertuzzi, and he pled guilty, and was sentence to community service. Ask yourself, if this was Marty McSorely, or Bob Probert, or some other notorious thug, would they have gotten this leniency? We know the answer to that question.
It continues to shock and amaze me that Bertuzzi is even allowed near a rink anymore, let alone allowed to play the game of hockey. True, his career has definitely gone down a few notches ever since this incident, a bit of karma if you ask me, yet the man still plays. The bigger problem this creates is that Bettman constantly claims that things like this have no place in hockey, yet he enables a goon like Bertuzzi to get away with this kind of action. His penalty was a slap on the wrist for breaking somebody's neck, and until the NHL gets a commissioner that has the guts to stand up against hits like this for real, somebody who won't tolerate it no matter how many goals the goon scores, until the NHL gets somebody no nonsense like the NFL has, these things will continue to happen. If I had one bit of justice to dole out, one sentence to give, it would be this. I would suspend Bertuzzi for life, and make it so that every day, at least twice a day, he is forced to watch the replay over and over, and see the after effects of what he did, so that every single day he is reminded that he took away another person's livelihood. As we get a start to a new decade, I hope that fewer things like this happen in the NHL, because this sort of thing doesn't belong in the league, but as long as there are thugs like Bertuzzi, coaches who condone this action like Marc Crawford, and enabling commissioners unwilling to admit fault like Gary Bettman, the greater problems of the NHL will never be full solved.
**off my soap box**
In 2004, the Colorado Avalanche has a very heated rivalry going with the Vancouver Canucks. Things began to go even farther with this rivalry when Steve Moore had a questionable hit on Markus Naslund. Here's a link for that with some "interesting" remarks made by former Avalanche Coach, then Vancouver coach, Marc Crawford. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owpYYNjWnro) I have to say that this is the point in history where I lost all respect for Crawford, which is tough considering he was the coach when the Avs won their first cup. The assertion that this was a cheap hit, and that the refs should have more respect and make a call when it was a hit on a star player. I'm sorry, Marc, this is not the NBA, and he is not Kobe Bryant. Do star players get preferential treatment? Sure, that's impossible to deny, but don't act like every single time a star player gets hit hard in an emotional game that the refs need to call a penalty. It was a tough hit, and ended baldy based off of a lot of circumstances. Naslund was stretched out, which caused his head to be much lower than it otherwise would have been. He was stretching out as Moore moved in to make a shoulder check on him, which, when thrown all together at the same time, caused a bad hit with an elbow. THAT, however, is not what really caused the problem. That was not enough to give Naslund the concussion that he suffered at the end of this play. Naslund, as many hockey players do, doesn't have his helmet fully secured, and you can see that his helmet slid off just enough that, when he did get to the ice, his head had no protection. THAT, caused the concussion. You can argue all you want about this, but the league ruled and it ruled correctly in saying that this was not a penalty, nor was it a dirty hit by any means. No suspension was given, and none should have been given, no matter who was hit in this play.
The unfortunate part about this lead to what I see as one of the most disgusting acts I have ever seen, if not THE most disgusting and cowardly act, in sports. The infamous sucker punch on Steve Moore by Todd Bertuzzi. Here's a link to that. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA8cdtpV0vM). Again, say whatever you want about this incident, this was a premeditated assault. How do we know this? It was well publicized that the Canucks were talking about getting back at Moore, and that there was a price on his head. Plus, the next year, when Brad May, then of the Canucks, signed with the Avalanche, he admitted to the press that they had planned on getting Moore in the Canuck locker room. All of this leads to bigger questions about the league and the way it is currently run, but for the time being, I'll relegate myself to the "discipline" that was given to Bertuzzi. He was suspended for the rest of the season, and the playoffs, which ended up being a grand total of 17 games, and was then re-instated the next season. Before you start, YES, I know that the official "next season" was the year of the lockout. I am speaking of the next time that there was a season. At that time, our all knowledgeable, please notice the sarcasm, Commish (Gary Bettman) determined that a full year of suspension was enough of a punsihment, and brought him back. Here's the only issue, he wasn't suspended that season, he was locked out. Nobody played, so for Bettman to say that there was an extra punishment of missing a season is completely and totally false. But Bettman, in his George W. Bush-like way of running things, is always convinced that he is in the right, and has never second guessed this ruling. So while Bertuzzi continues to play for millions of dollars, Steve Moore still sits at home, suffering from post-concussion syndrome, with fracture in his neck that will never allow him to play hockey again. Criminal charges were brought against Bertuzzi, and he pled guilty, and was sentence to community service. Ask yourself, if this was Marty McSorely, or Bob Probert, or some other notorious thug, would they have gotten this leniency? We know the answer to that question.
It continues to shock and amaze me that Bertuzzi is even allowed near a rink anymore, let alone allowed to play the game of hockey. True, his career has definitely gone down a few notches ever since this incident, a bit of karma if you ask me, yet the man still plays. The bigger problem this creates is that Bettman constantly claims that things like this have no place in hockey, yet he enables a goon like Bertuzzi to get away with this kind of action. His penalty was a slap on the wrist for breaking somebody's neck, and until the NHL gets a commissioner that has the guts to stand up against hits like this for real, somebody who won't tolerate it no matter how many goals the goon scores, until the NHL gets somebody no nonsense like the NFL has, these things will continue to happen. If I had one bit of justice to dole out, one sentence to give, it would be this. I would suspend Bertuzzi for life, and make it so that every day, at least twice a day, he is forced to watch the replay over and over, and see the after effects of what he did, so that every single day he is reminded that he took away another person's livelihood. As we get a start to a new decade, I hope that fewer things like this happen in the NHL, because this sort of thing doesn't belong in the league, but as long as there are thugs like Bertuzzi, coaches who condone this action like Marc Crawford, and enabling commissioners unwilling to admit fault like Gary Bettman, the greater problems of the NHL will never be full solved.
**off my soap box**
Monday, January 11, 2010
Big Mac, Pete Carroll, and some Denver teams news.
There were a lot of interesting things to talk about today that I thought were blog worthy, so here we go!
Firstly, Mark McGwire has "come clean" about his use of steroids throughout his baseball career. You can check out his full statement here, if you like (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ampu8a0PnMpYMQ.4i4jwUAE5nYcB?slug=ys-mcgwirestatement011110&prov=yhoo&type=lgns-). I have a few things that I want to make out of this. First, is anybody even really that surprised? People were fairly certain of his use of steroids during his home run races with Sammy Sosa, and with all of the people who have been revealed through probes, or admitted to it to avoid the embarrassment of being caught, should this really surprise anybody? It doesn't surprise me one bit!
I also would like to address some of the things that he said is his statement. "During the mid-’90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years. I experienced a lot of injuries, including a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too." Okay, I can get the frustration of being injured and wanting to be able to do anything to get back on the field. It just always surprises me when these players say these reasons as to why they did steroids, and then always talk about loving the game. If you really love the game of baseball, or any sport for that matter, then there is no excuse for you to go outside of the rules to make yourself better. Using steroids shows an inherent lack of respect for the game and for your opponents. Is this the real reason? I'm sure it's part of it, but I don't know that we'll ever get him to admit the full story of it. "Baseball is really different now - it’s been cleaned up. The commissioner and the players’ association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I’m glad they did." Yeah, right. There are just actual rules now, I highly doubt that the game will ever be fully clean. People are too selfish in trying to get one step ahead of their opposition, and there will always be cheaters around. This is a very uneducated, and naive statement from Big Mac here.
Here's my favorite quote. "I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it." You weren't in a position to come clean at your congressional testimony?!?! Excuse me? Are you serious? That's exactly what all of those testimonies were about. Now, I'll grant you that McGwire was smarter than Raphael Palmiero who came out and strongly denied ever using steroids and then tested positive and looked like a giant fool. All McGwire said was that he wasn't there to talk about the past, which is exactly what the hearings were about, talking about that past. I'm sorry, I don't buy that for one second. When Congress tells you that you are to answer questions regarding this time in your life when you allegedly did something illegal, and then tell you that if you come clean and tell the truth about the whole thing you will be given immunity from all consequences, doesn't that sound like an awfully good time, and a great position, to come clean? I'm sorry, it doesn't work for me, and it shouldn't work for anybody else either. It just makes McGwire look like an even bigger phony than he already is.
Second, Pete Carroll has agreed to coach the Seattle Seahawks, who fired Jim Mora earlier last week. This has, first of all, got to be a huge disappointment to USC and the Trojan football program. Carroll really made that group so strong that it was almost a guarantee that we would see the Trojans in, at worst, the Rose Bowl. That being said, I wouldn't worry too much about USC. This was an off year for them and they still won 9 games and their bowl game. They didn't win the Pac-10, which is always a yearly goal of a team in the elite company of USC, but they are also a program that is never really short for amazing recruits. I'm sure that, whoever their next coach ends up being, they will be back and just as competitive in the years to come. I definitely have to say that this is a huge get for the Seahawks. Carroll already has experience in the pros, so he doesn't really have to deal with that initial question of can a college guy earn respect from pro players? He's incredibly charismatic and animated. He will light a fire under the behinds of his players and get them to play to their fullest potential, something that the ailing Seahawks are in desperate need of. Ever since their much maligned loss to the Steelers in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks have just seemed anemic. Carroll will definitely help bring their intensity level up a notch, and I think they will do better because of it. I don't really see Seattle doing much next year, playoff wise, but with a coach like Pete Carroll, you never know.
Last, I want to address a couple of things that have been going on in my home town of Denver the last couple of weeks. First, Broncos, CHOKE-O-RAMA BABY! Only the third team, since the merger, to miss the playoffs after starting 6-0. Lots of things led to this. I think they got caught up in their own hype. A whole bye week for people saying how wrong they were about you and how good you actually are seemed to really sink in. It's like they came back expecting teams to take them more seriously by laying down and getting out of the way. Somebody didn't tell them that when teams take you more seriously, they tend to try and play better against you. Found that out the hard way. Second, the play calling that was seen was just atrocious. How many bubble screen passes can you run in one game for crying out loud? 2-1, run up the middle, stopped short or for a short loss. 3rd - 3, run straight up the middle again and don't go anywhere. The play calling was so frustrating, and always seemed to change when they would get to the red zone. I don't know why that happened, but it was such a huge pet peeve of mine by the end of the year. And now, McDaniels seems as if he is still trying to prove the point that he is in charge by benching 2 of his best receivers for the last game of the season with playoff hopes on the line. Marshall, Scheffler, benched. Royal was injured, and our number one guy was Jabar Gaffney for crying out loud! Marshall is a free agent (restricted) this year. With all the stuff that McD has been doing to try and prove that he is the alpha male, I think we can guarantee the departure of the Bronco's most dangerous offensive weapon. Way to go McDaniels. He'd better hope things go better for the Broncs next year, otherwise he may be canned.
Second Denver item, the Colorado Avalanche. First off, may I say that the playoff race is NUTS right now. Nobody has really separated themselves from anybody else on either side. The Sharks and the Kings are close, for the west, but everybody else is so tightly packed that you can go from 3rd to 7th in the standings in one night. Something similar has happened to the Avs. They lost a couple in a row and are now currently 6th in the western conference, and tons of people are now saying that the Avs have finally hit their free-fall. I'm not convinced of that at all, yet. The Avs still play very competitively and are in every single game. Anderson is playing great, the offense (while not getting a ton of shots) is finding ways to score, and nobody is getting more production from their young players than the Avs are. Most importantly, as we speak, the Avs are tied for 2nd in the Northwest division, and only 1 point out of first place. So why the sudden abandonment of the Avs? Not that there were many on the Avs wagon to begin the season, it just seems like everybody is now expecting the Avs to, as they did last season, drop to the basement of the Western Conference without any say so. All because they lost 2 games in a row. The Avs have not lost 3 games in a row all season long, so why are we so convinced they are done for? I'm not, they may not win their division, but they are a long way away from being that hopeless team competing for the #1 overall draft pick. Give me a break people.
Let me hear what you have to say on all these topics! Thanks for reading folks!
Firstly, Mark McGwire has "come clean" about his use of steroids throughout his baseball career. You can check out his full statement here, if you like (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ampu8a0PnMpYMQ.4i4jwUAE5nYcB?slug=ys-mcgwirestatement011110&prov=yhoo&type=lgns-). I have a few things that I want to make out of this. First, is anybody even really that surprised? People were fairly certain of his use of steroids during his home run races with Sammy Sosa, and with all of the people who have been revealed through probes, or admitted to it to avoid the embarrassment of being caught, should this really surprise anybody? It doesn't surprise me one bit!
I also would like to address some of the things that he said is his statement. "During the mid-’90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years. I experienced a lot of injuries, including a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too." Okay, I can get the frustration of being injured and wanting to be able to do anything to get back on the field. It just always surprises me when these players say these reasons as to why they did steroids, and then always talk about loving the game. If you really love the game of baseball, or any sport for that matter, then there is no excuse for you to go outside of the rules to make yourself better. Using steroids shows an inherent lack of respect for the game and for your opponents. Is this the real reason? I'm sure it's part of it, but I don't know that we'll ever get him to admit the full story of it. "Baseball is really different now - it’s been cleaned up. The commissioner and the players’ association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I’m glad they did." Yeah, right. There are just actual rules now, I highly doubt that the game will ever be fully clean. People are too selfish in trying to get one step ahead of their opposition, and there will always be cheaters around. This is a very uneducated, and naive statement from Big Mac here.
Here's my favorite quote. "I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it." You weren't in a position to come clean at your congressional testimony?!?! Excuse me? Are you serious? That's exactly what all of those testimonies were about. Now, I'll grant you that McGwire was smarter than Raphael Palmiero who came out and strongly denied ever using steroids and then tested positive and looked like a giant fool. All McGwire said was that he wasn't there to talk about the past, which is exactly what the hearings were about, talking about that past. I'm sorry, I don't buy that for one second. When Congress tells you that you are to answer questions regarding this time in your life when you allegedly did something illegal, and then tell you that if you come clean and tell the truth about the whole thing you will be given immunity from all consequences, doesn't that sound like an awfully good time, and a great position, to come clean? I'm sorry, it doesn't work for me, and it shouldn't work for anybody else either. It just makes McGwire look like an even bigger phony than he already is.
Second, Pete Carroll has agreed to coach the Seattle Seahawks, who fired Jim Mora earlier last week. This has, first of all, got to be a huge disappointment to USC and the Trojan football program. Carroll really made that group so strong that it was almost a guarantee that we would see the Trojans in, at worst, the Rose Bowl. That being said, I wouldn't worry too much about USC. This was an off year for them and they still won 9 games and their bowl game. They didn't win the Pac-10, which is always a yearly goal of a team in the elite company of USC, but they are also a program that is never really short for amazing recruits. I'm sure that, whoever their next coach ends up being, they will be back and just as competitive in the years to come. I definitely have to say that this is a huge get for the Seahawks. Carroll already has experience in the pros, so he doesn't really have to deal with that initial question of can a college guy earn respect from pro players? He's incredibly charismatic and animated. He will light a fire under the behinds of his players and get them to play to their fullest potential, something that the ailing Seahawks are in desperate need of. Ever since their much maligned loss to the Steelers in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks have just seemed anemic. Carroll will definitely help bring their intensity level up a notch, and I think they will do better because of it. I don't really see Seattle doing much next year, playoff wise, but with a coach like Pete Carroll, you never know.
Last, I want to address a couple of things that have been going on in my home town of Denver the last couple of weeks. First, Broncos, CHOKE-O-RAMA BABY! Only the third team, since the merger, to miss the playoffs after starting 6-0. Lots of things led to this. I think they got caught up in their own hype. A whole bye week for people saying how wrong they were about you and how good you actually are seemed to really sink in. It's like they came back expecting teams to take them more seriously by laying down and getting out of the way. Somebody didn't tell them that when teams take you more seriously, they tend to try and play better against you. Found that out the hard way. Second, the play calling that was seen was just atrocious. How many bubble screen passes can you run in one game for crying out loud? 2-1, run up the middle, stopped short or for a short loss. 3rd - 3, run straight up the middle again and don't go anywhere. The play calling was so frustrating, and always seemed to change when they would get to the red zone. I don't know why that happened, but it was such a huge pet peeve of mine by the end of the year. And now, McDaniels seems as if he is still trying to prove the point that he is in charge by benching 2 of his best receivers for the last game of the season with playoff hopes on the line. Marshall, Scheffler, benched. Royal was injured, and our number one guy was Jabar Gaffney for crying out loud! Marshall is a free agent (restricted) this year. With all the stuff that McD has been doing to try and prove that he is the alpha male, I think we can guarantee the departure of the Bronco's most dangerous offensive weapon. Way to go McDaniels. He'd better hope things go better for the Broncs next year, otherwise he may be canned.
Second Denver item, the Colorado Avalanche. First off, may I say that the playoff race is NUTS right now. Nobody has really separated themselves from anybody else on either side. The Sharks and the Kings are close, for the west, but everybody else is so tightly packed that you can go from 3rd to 7th in the standings in one night. Something similar has happened to the Avs. They lost a couple in a row and are now currently 6th in the western conference, and tons of people are now saying that the Avs have finally hit their free-fall. I'm not convinced of that at all, yet. The Avs still play very competitively and are in every single game. Anderson is playing great, the offense (while not getting a ton of shots) is finding ways to score, and nobody is getting more production from their young players than the Avs are. Most importantly, as we speak, the Avs are tied for 2nd in the Northwest division, and only 1 point out of first place. So why the sudden abandonment of the Avs? Not that there were many on the Avs wagon to begin the season, it just seems like everybody is now expecting the Avs to, as they did last season, drop to the basement of the Western Conference without any say so. All because they lost 2 games in a row. The Avs have not lost 3 games in a row all season long, so why are we so convinced they are done for? I'm not, they may not win their division, but they are a long way away from being that hopeless team competing for the #1 overall draft pick. Give me a break people.
Let me hear what you have to say on all these topics! Thanks for reading folks!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Ah what a wonderful Sunday!
Amazing first round of the playoffs that we had in the NFL. Arizona and Green Bay just scored again, by the way. What an amazing game that was! But the greatest thing, for me anyways, was the absolute beat down that the New England Patriots got today.
I think that the best part about all of this is that people will finally see the Patriots for what they actually are. Old, and mediocre. Is Brady still a good Quarterback? Sure, but he is far from the God-like player that they make him out to be. He was weak in pressure situations this year, and made a decent amount of bad decisions and bad throws. You saw some of the bad throws today, like his first interception where he under threw his receiver by, oh I dunno, 10 yards! The defense is slow and was completely dominated today. They are just plain old!
My favorite thing, of course, comes at the end of the game. After they have had their rear ends handed to them, what is the picture we see? Bellichick making the barely contacting handshake before sulking off the field. Randy Moss and Tom Brady tucking their tails between their legs and not acknowledging anybody from the other team as the go to cry in their lockers. A team's true colors are always shown in the most agonizing moments because it is easy to be classy and say the right things when you win (not that Randy Moss has ever been a classy guy). But it is hard to go across the field to the guy who just kicked you in the teeth and told you to like it and congratulate them on a job well done. Yet, almost every single other player and staff in the league manages to do it because, as we all know, every game must have a loser. So when you don't, and you make such an obvious point about not doing it every single time, it really reflects poorly on you. It's something that I've been saying about the Patriots for a long time. They have no class. Brady, Bellichick, the 2 so-called faces of the NFL are among the sorest of losers that I have ever seen.
The other benefit that I can hopefully see from all of this is a recognition by the world of the "experts" that the Patriots are not superhuman. They do not walk on water. In fact, they are actually quite human, and they have shown that a lot this year. I hope that the ESPN and NFL commentators everywhere realize that deifying a team is ridiculous, and that all of this absurd and sickening Patriot worship will finally stop. This is definitely a high hope, I realize, but a guy can dream, right? At any rate, now we get to see another round of awesome playoff football!
I think that the best part about all of this is that people will finally see the Patriots for what they actually are. Old, and mediocre. Is Brady still a good Quarterback? Sure, but he is far from the God-like player that they make him out to be. He was weak in pressure situations this year, and made a decent amount of bad decisions and bad throws. You saw some of the bad throws today, like his first interception where he under threw his receiver by, oh I dunno, 10 yards! The defense is slow and was completely dominated today. They are just plain old!
My favorite thing, of course, comes at the end of the game. After they have had their rear ends handed to them, what is the picture we see? Bellichick making the barely contacting handshake before sulking off the field. Randy Moss and Tom Brady tucking their tails between their legs and not acknowledging anybody from the other team as the go to cry in their lockers. A team's true colors are always shown in the most agonizing moments because it is easy to be classy and say the right things when you win (not that Randy Moss has ever been a classy guy). But it is hard to go across the field to the guy who just kicked you in the teeth and told you to like it and congratulate them on a job well done. Yet, almost every single other player and staff in the league manages to do it because, as we all know, every game must have a loser. So when you don't, and you make such an obvious point about not doing it every single time, it really reflects poorly on you. It's something that I've been saying about the Patriots for a long time. They have no class. Brady, Bellichick, the 2 so-called faces of the NFL are among the sorest of losers that I have ever seen.
The other benefit that I can hopefully see from all of this is a recognition by the world of the "experts" that the Patriots are not superhuman. They do not walk on water. In fact, they are actually quite human, and they have shown that a lot this year. I hope that the ESPN and NFL commentators everywhere realize that deifying a team is ridiculous, and that all of this absurd and sickening Patriot worship will finally stop. This is definitely a high hope, I realize, but a guy can dream, right? At any rate, now we get to see another round of awesome playoff football!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Fantasy Sports
Hey all, thought that I would take a minute to blog about one of America's favorite past times; fantasy sports. Now I, like many of you, love to play fantasy sports. I love being in a league with my buddies and talking trash with them as we play out our meaningless games. But there are things that can come along that can really just take the fun out of the game sometimes. You ever been part of a league where there is somebody, or a few people, who just take the whole thing way too seriously? Well, that recently happened to me.
I play in a fantasy hockey league with a few buddies of mine from college. Apparently there aren't as many of them being a part of this league this year, but that's neither here nor there. Apparently, this league had a max games rule installed. I had no idea that it was there until it was recently taken out by the league commissioner. My did this cause an uproar. There were a few folks who asked why it was taken out, didn't make a deal about it, but this one guy went on a rail about it. It wasn't bad at first, saying that they didn't think that it was fair, but then suddenly came out with this great one. This is a direct quote, by the way. "No one else cares that all integrity of this league has been taken away?" Okay, maybe I'm looking at this a little bit differently since I don't really care about the whole thing, but I'm sorry, the integrity of the league? Ladies and gentlemen, it is called FANTASY sports for a reason. I know that a lot of people like to pretend that they are a big important GM and they are running their own team when they are part of a fantasy league, but the bottom line is that fantasy sports are just for fun. That's it, fun. There is an inherent competition involved in the leagues, but usually among friends. Buddies that can swear at each other for their buddy's team beating them one moment, and then completely forget about it the next moment. It's something to be discussed over pizza and beer.
I don't know, I guess the bottom line is that people that do that sort of thing, get all involved in something that clearly is not that important and really should just be for fun, end up taking the fun out of it. I beg you, ladies and gentlemen, when you get involved in any kind of fantasy league, please recognize it for what it is. Still have fun with it, get involved, be competitive, get angry when your guys let you down and get excited when your guys pull through, but remember that it's just fantasy. There is no greater meaning of it, nothing meaningful is on the line because of it. At most, people are competing for a pool of money to be won at the end. Have fun with it, and allow the other people in your league to have fun with it as well. Don't be that guy!!!
Anywho, must run! Have a good one, and check out my weekly picks!
I play in a fantasy hockey league with a few buddies of mine from college. Apparently there aren't as many of them being a part of this league this year, but that's neither here nor there. Apparently, this league had a max games rule installed. I had no idea that it was there until it was recently taken out by the league commissioner. My did this cause an uproar. There were a few folks who asked why it was taken out, didn't make a deal about it, but this one guy went on a rail about it. It wasn't bad at first, saying that they didn't think that it was fair, but then suddenly came out with this great one. This is a direct quote, by the way. "No one else cares that all integrity of this league has been taken away?" Okay, maybe I'm looking at this a little bit differently since I don't really care about the whole thing, but I'm sorry, the integrity of the league? Ladies and gentlemen, it is called FANTASY sports for a reason. I know that a lot of people like to pretend that they are a big important GM and they are running their own team when they are part of a fantasy league, but the bottom line is that fantasy sports are just for fun. That's it, fun. There is an inherent competition involved in the leagues, but usually among friends. Buddies that can swear at each other for their buddy's team beating them one moment, and then completely forget about it the next moment. It's something to be discussed over pizza and beer.
I don't know, I guess the bottom line is that people that do that sort of thing, get all involved in something that clearly is not that important and really should just be for fun, end up taking the fun out of it. I beg you, ladies and gentlemen, when you get involved in any kind of fantasy league, please recognize it for what it is. Still have fun with it, get involved, be competitive, get angry when your guys let you down and get excited when your guys pull through, but remember that it's just fantasy. There is no greater meaning of it, nothing meaningful is on the line because of it. At most, people are competing for a pool of money to be won at the end. Have fun with it, and allow the other people in your league to have fun with it as well. Don't be that guy!!!
Anywho, must run! Have a good one, and check out my weekly picks!
THE PLAYOFFS!!!!!
It is that time of year! Where the starters have been rested, and the remainder of the NFL tries to figure out what went wrong, what their draft strategy will be, and when is the best time to play golf in January. NFL playoff season has returned!
I have to say that I have had a lot of fun doing this weekly pick stuff for the majority of this season. I started at week 3, so I missed 2 weeks at the start of the year, but I still think that I did pretty darn well for myself. I went 146-78 this year. Not bad! I had about a 62% success rating, which isn't half bad! So now I'm going to make a go at the playoffs. So here we go!
AFC:
1st round Byes:
Indianapolis (1 seed)
San Diego (2 seed)
Wild Card Round!
#6 Baltimore @ #3 New England: Baltimore isn't intimidated by anybody. They come at you no matter who you are or what your record is. They just always seem to make it to the playoffs, and then always seem to do well in the playoffs. They don't care if they have to play on the road. The thing that will be the biggest factor here might have nothing to do with the game at all. The weather could be the biggest issue. Also, no Wes Welker for the Pats. That is a HUGE deal. Now they really can focus the majority of their energy trying to stop Randy Moss. I have to admit that I am quite torn here. The Pats play so well in ridiculously snowy weather, but they are without their most dangerous receiver. It's hard to see them winning without Welker. So I suppose I will take Baltimore in the re-match. Though I won't be surprised if New England wins this one either.
#5 New York Jets @ #4 Cincinnati Bengals: I don't think that anybody saw the wk 17 beat down the Jets provided for the Bengals. At the same time, I think that may be the Bengal's best friend right now. They know the things that they have to fix, and it can be hard to come into a game against a team that you just severely beat up with the same intensity that you did the first time, even if it is the playoffs. I think that Cincinnati will be better prepared this time around, and I think they will take the Jets.
NFC
First round byes:
New Orleans (#1 seed)
Minnesota (#2 seed)
Wild card round
#6 Eagles @ #3 Cowboys: This Cowboys team seems to be made of a different metal. But we will see as they come into the playoffs. The Cowboys just haven't been able to win important playoff games, Jessica Simpson or no Jessica Simpson. They also usually let things go in December, but they actually rose to the occasion in this one. Philly is still a good team and knows how to win in the playoffs. It's hard to tell, because it is really difficult, though not impossible as the Steelers proved last year, to beat the same team 3 times in the same season. It just doesn't happen that often, but it does happen. I'm going to go ahead and take the Cowboys, because they seem to be more intense than in years past.
#5 Packers @ #4 Arizona: This should be a really good game with both teams firing on all cylinders. Packers have a great secondary, and the Cards have one of the best receiving cores in the league. Nobody pays attention to the Cards defense, but they are deceptively good as well. I think the question of this game will be who can run the ball the best, and I think that Green Bay has the biggest advantage there. So, I will take the Packers to win this one.
So, in my eyes, the divisional round will look like this.
AFC
Baltimore @ Indy
Bengals @ San Diego
NFC
Packers @ New Orleans
Cowboys @ Vikings.
Let's see how we do! Let me know your thoughts!
I have to say that I have had a lot of fun doing this weekly pick stuff for the majority of this season. I started at week 3, so I missed 2 weeks at the start of the year, but I still think that I did pretty darn well for myself. I went 146-78 this year. Not bad! I had about a 62% success rating, which isn't half bad! So now I'm going to make a go at the playoffs. So here we go!
AFC:
1st round Byes:
Indianapolis (1 seed)
San Diego (2 seed)
Wild Card Round!
#6 Baltimore @ #3 New England: Baltimore isn't intimidated by anybody. They come at you no matter who you are or what your record is. They just always seem to make it to the playoffs, and then always seem to do well in the playoffs. They don't care if they have to play on the road. The thing that will be the biggest factor here might have nothing to do with the game at all. The weather could be the biggest issue. Also, no Wes Welker for the Pats. That is a HUGE deal. Now they really can focus the majority of their energy trying to stop Randy Moss. I have to admit that I am quite torn here. The Pats play so well in ridiculously snowy weather, but they are without their most dangerous receiver. It's hard to see them winning without Welker. So I suppose I will take Baltimore in the re-match. Though I won't be surprised if New England wins this one either.
#5 New York Jets @ #4 Cincinnati Bengals: I don't think that anybody saw the wk 17 beat down the Jets provided for the Bengals. At the same time, I think that may be the Bengal's best friend right now. They know the things that they have to fix, and it can be hard to come into a game against a team that you just severely beat up with the same intensity that you did the first time, even if it is the playoffs. I think that Cincinnati will be better prepared this time around, and I think they will take the Jets.
NFC
First round byes:
New Orleans (#1 seed)
Minnesota (#2 seed)
Wild card round
#6 Eagles @ #3 Cowboys: This Cowboys team seems to be made of a different metal. But we will see as they come into the playoffs. The Cowboys just haven't been able to win important playoff games, Jessica Simpson or no Jessica Simpson. They also usually let things go in December, but they actually rose to the occasion in this one. Philly is still a good team and knows how to win in the playoffs. It's hard to tell, because it is really difficult, though not impossible as the Steelers proved last year, to beat the same team 3 times in the same season. It just doesn't happen that often, but it does happen. I'm going to go ahead and take the Cowboys, because they seem to be more intense than in years past.
#5 Packers @ #4 Arizona: This should be a really good game with both teams firing on all cylinders. Packers have a great secondary, and the Cards have one of the best receiving cores in the league. Nobody pays attention to the Cards defense, but they are deceptively good as well. I think the question of this game will be who can run the ball the best, and I think that Green Bay has the biggest advantage there. So, I will take the Packers to win this one.
So, in my eyes, the divisional round will look like this.
AFC
Baltimore @ Indy
Bengals @ San Diego
NFC
Packers @ New Orleans
Cowboys @ Vikings.
Let's see how we do! Let me know your thoughts!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
wk 17 picks
The final week of the regular season, where we will finally see what the playoff picture will be. A lot of things have happened in the last few weeks to throw things into a giant blur, especially in the AFC. Anywho, here we go.
Indianapolis @ Buffalo: Indi will get a lead, then dump their starters, as they did last week. They'll rest 'em and hope that that will move get them started right in the playoffs. I'll take Buffalo.
New Orleans @ Carolina: Saints should really follow the same book, though the way that they have played in the last couple of games should make me, as a coach, want to play my starters to keep them sharper, since they have been far from that. At any rate, I imagine we will probably see a lot of back ups not too far into this game either. Panthers.
Jacksonville @ Cleveland: Jacksonville seriously needs this win, and they are playing the lowly Browns. Browns could play a spoiler here, but I don't think that they will. Jags.
Chicago @ Detroit: Cry baby Cutler will end the year against one of the worst teams in the league, and people will think there may be a future for him. **Sigh** How sad for them. Bears.
New England @ Houston: I think that the starters will probably play most of this one for the Pats. So Houston will need to come up big, though they probably won't. I don't know what is going to happen with Kubiak here at the end of this season. Pats.
Pittsburgh @ Miami: Must win for both teams, but Pittsburgh has just been so darn inconsistent. I'll take the fins in this one to completely knock out the champs.
NY Giants @ Minnesota: Who are these giants? Not the guys we knew! Though they may zing the failing Vikes here at the end of the season. In fact, I think they will. Giants.
San Francisco @ St. Louis: Ugh, St. Louis stinks. 49ers.
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: Tampa stinks, and they want to ensure a high draft pick. I think they may tank this one. Falcons.
Philadelphia @ Dallas: Big important one here. This will decide the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs. I think that Philly has been better as a whole lately, than the Cowboys. And the Boys just have a tendency to let everything go in December. I don't think that will be any different this year. Eagles.
Green Bay @ Arizona: Packers should take this one, though both teams may be resting up their starters for the playoffs.
Kansas City @ Denver: Denver is missing Marshall, their biggest offensive weapon. KC stinks, but Denver has shown that they cannot win games that they absolutely must win, even against inferior opponents and even at home. They have done it this way the last few years. They should win this game, but I am actually going to pick the Chiefs to slam the door on the Broncos season, again.
Baltimore @ Oakland: I hate having to root for the Raiders. But I need them to beat the Ravens in order for my Broncos to make the playoffs. That being said, it won't happen. Ravens win, and take what should have been the Broncos place.
Washington @ San Diego: Chargers are clinched, and will probably rest a few starters. Even with that happening, I don't think the Skins will be able to pull this one out. Chargers.
Tennessee @ Seattle: Last ditch for the Titans. Absolutely must have. And Seattle just isn't very good on defense. They'll lose this one at home in the finale. Titans.
Cincinnati @ NY Jets: Jets must have, Bengals don't really care. I wager that we will probably, again, see some starters rested after not too long in the game. Jets must win, so you know they'll be playing all out. I think the Jets will win this one and take a spot in the playoffs.
Hope everybody has enjoyed the regular season! It has been a lot of fun doing all these picks. Once we know the final playoff picture, I'll put my own little prediction in for the playoffs, and go from there! Happy New Year, again!
Indianapolis @ Buffalo: Indi will get a lead, then dump their starters, as they did last week. They'll rest 'em and hope that that will move get them started right in the playoffs. I'll take Buffalo.
New Orleans @ Carolina: Saints should really follow the same book, though the way that they have played in the last couple of games should make me, as a coach, want to play my starters to keep them sharper, since they have been far from that. At any rate, I imagine we will probably see a lot of back ups not too far into this game either. Panthers.
Jacksonville @ Cleveland: Jacksonville seriously needs this win, and they are playing the lowly Browns. Browns could play a spoiler here, but I don't think that they will. Jags.
Chicago @ Detroit: Cry baby Cutler will end the year against one of the worst teams in the league, and people will think there may be a future for him. **Sigh** How sad for them. Bears.
New England @ Houston: I think that the starters will probably play most of this one for the Pats. So Houston will need to come up big, though they probably won't. I don't know what is going to happen with Kubiak here at the end of this season. Pats.
Pittsburgh @ Miami: Must win for both teams, but Pittsburgh has just been so darn inconsistent. I'll take the fins in this one to completely knock out the champs.
NY Giants @ Minnesota: Who are these giants? Not the guys we knew! Though they may zing the failing Vikes here at the end of the season. In fact, I think they will. Giants.
San Francisco @ St. Louis: Ugh, St. Louis stinks. 49ers.
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: Tampa stinks, and they want to ensure a high draft pick. I think they may tank this one. Falcons.
Philadelphia @ Dallas: Big important one here. This will decide the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs. I think that Philly has been better as a whole lately, than the Cowboys. And the Boys just have a tendency to let everything go in December. I don't think that will be any different this year. Eagles.
Green Bay @ Arizona: Packers should take this one, though both teams may be resting up their starters for the playoffs.
Kansas City @ Denver: Denver is missing Marshall, their biggest offensive weapon. KC stinks, but Denver has shown that they cannot win games that they absolutely must win, even against inferior opponents and even at home. They have done it this way the last few years. They should win this game, but I am actually going to pick the Chiefs to slam the door on the Broncos season, again.
Baltimore @ Oakland: I hate having to root for the Raiders. But I need them to beat the Ravens in order for my Broncos to make the playoffs. That being said, it won't happen. Ravens win, and take what should have been the Broncos place.
Washington @ San Diego: Chargers are clinched, and will probably rest a few starters. Even with that happening, I don't think the Skins will be able to pull this one out. Chargers.
Tennessee @ Seattle: Last ditch for the Titans. Absolutely must have. And Seattle just isn't very good on defense. They'll lose this one at home in the finale. Titans.
Cincinnati @ NY Jets: Jets must have, Bengals don't really care. I wager that we will probably, again, see some starters rested after not too long in the game. Jets must win, so you know they'll be playing all out. I think the Jets will win this one and take a spot in the playoffs.
Hope everybody has enjoyed the regular season! It has been a lot of fun doing all these picks. Once we know the final playoff picture, I'll put my own little prediction in for the playoffs, and go from there! Happy New Year, again!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Team USA
First off, a very happy 2010 to everybody. We now begin a new decade with a great Olympic games approaching us. Today, we had our last roster for the Olympic Hockey Tournament announced. Team USA. Here we go!
Goalies:
Ryan Miller (Sabres), Jonathan Quick (Kings), Tim Thomas (Bruins).
The third spot was the one that nobody was quite certain who it was going to be. It was down to Quick and Anderson (Avalanche). Both are basically the reasons that their teams are succeeding as much as they have in the Western Conference this year in the NHL. The USOC just gave the nod to Quick. At any rate, still a pretty good collection. 52 wins between the 3. Average goals against is at 2.36. Average Save % at .918. Combined 8 shutouts. Thomas is the reigning Vezina trophy winner, but is having a rather average year this year. Played very well in the winter classic today, but has yet to find his consistency. The same cannot be said for Miller who has just been stellar all year, and Quick has been very good for the surprising Kings. Plan on Miller being #1 and playing most of the time. Thomas will likely take up the second spot.
Defense:
Erik Johnson (Blues), Jack Johnson (Kings), Mike Komisarek (Maple Leafs), Paul Martin (Devils), Brooks Orpik (Penguins), Brian Rafalski (Red Wings), Ryan Suter (Predators).
I must say that the defense does not impress, in this case. Komisarek and Rafalski are really the biggest names on this blue line. The group is a combined -3, which isn't horrible but is far from excellent, and only 2 of them have 20 or more points this year. Clearly this group isn't one that we are expecting anything exciting from, and it really isn't one that poses much of an offensive threat. That would be something that they would definitely have from somebody like John-Michael Liles, who was left off of the team this time around. I think they were going for size with this group, more than anything, because Rafalski is the only one that is below 6 ft tall, and only 2 of them way less than 200 lbs. Could be a smart tactic to have big, strong defensemen to help keep the front of the net clear. But this could also backfire as they may be slower than teams like Canada and Russia, teams that they will absolutely have to beat if they hope to medal. Not a huge fan.
Forwards.
David Backes (Blues), Dustin Brown (Kings), Ryan Callahan (Rangers), Chris Drury (Rangers), Patrick Kane (Blackhawks), Ryan Kesler (Canucks), Phil Kessel (Maple Leafs), Jamie Langenbrunner (Devils), Ryan Malone (Lightning), Zach Parise (Devils), Joe Pavelski (Sharks), Bobby Ryan (Ducks), Paul Stastny (Avalanche).
Again, kind of an underwhelming group here. Not bad, but not really that great. The leading scorer of this group is Kane, who has 45 points. Only one other player on the team has more than 40. The top goal scorers are Ryan Malone and Bobby Ryan (both with 19). I mean, this is really a pretty lackluster group. Chris Drury is probably the biggest name amongst them, but he has been injured a good deal of the season and hasn't really performed that great since going over to the Rangers. They aren't as physical of a group as Canada and Russia, nor anywhere near as skilled. They're alright, but I really can't see them keeping up with Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, or even Slovakia. They'll probably have to be able to beat most of those teams in order to hope to get a medal. Really some puzzling picks.
Team grade: B-. Their best spot is goaltending, and Miller will have to be amazing to keep this team in it, but they are just so far behind the other power house teams that I just don't see anything meaningful happening from them. But, as Chris Berman would say, that's why they play the game.
They may make it to the quarterfinal rounds, but I would not count on Team USA even coming close to winning a medal this time around. I just don't see it.
Goalies:
Ryan Miller (Sabres), Jonathan Quick (Kings), Tim Thomas (Bruins).
The third spot was the one that nobody was quite certain who it was going to be. It was down to Quick and Anderson (Avalanche). Both are basically the reasons that their teams are succeeding as much as they have in the Western Conference this year in the NHL. The USOC just gave the nod to Quick. At any rate, still a pretty good collection. 52 wins between the 3. Average goals against is at 2.36. Average Save % at .918. Combined 8 shutouts. Thomas is the reigning Vezina trophy winner, but is having a rather average year this year. Played very well in the winter classic today, but has yet to find his consistency. The same cannot be said for Miller who has just been stellar all year, and Quick has been very good for the surprising Kings. Plan on Miller being #1 and playing most of the time. Thomas will likely take up the second spot.
Defense:
Erik Johnson (Blues), Jack Johnson (Kings), Mike Komisarek (Maple Leafs), Paul Martin (Devils), Brooks Orpik (Penguins), Brian Rafalski (Red Wings), Ryan Suter (Predators).
I must say that the defense does not impress, in this case. Komisarek and Rafalski are really the biggest names on this blue line. The group is a combined -3, which isn't horrible but is far from excellent, and only 2 of them have 20 or more points this year. Clearly this group isn't one that we are expecting anything exciting from, and it really isn't one that poses much of an offensive threat. That would be something that they would definitely have from somebody like John-Michael Liles, who was left off of the team this time around. I think they were going for size with this group, more than anything, because Rafalski is the only one that is below 6 ft tall, and only 2 of them way less than 200 lbs. Could be a smart tactic to have big, strong defensemen to help keep the front of the net clear. But this could also backfire as they may be slower than teams like Canada and Russia, teams that they will absolutely have to beat if they hope to medal. Not a huge fan.
Forwards.
David Backes (Blues), Dustin Brown (Kings), Ryan Callahan (Rangers), Chris Drury (Rangers), Patrick Kane (Blackhawks), Ryan Kesler (Canucks), Phil Kessel (Maple Leafs), Jamie Langenbrunner (Devils), Ryan Malone (Lightning), Zach Parise (Devils), Joe Pavelski (Sharks), Bobby Ryan (Ducks), Paul Stastny (Avalanche).
Again, kind of an underwhelming group here. Not bad, but not really that great. The leading scorer of this group is Kane, who has 45 points. Only one other player on the team has more than 40. The top goal scorers are Ryan Malone and Bobby Ryan (both with 19). I mean, this is really a pretty lackluster group. Chris Drury is probably the biggest name amongst them, but he has been injured a good deal of the season and hasn't really performed that great since going over to the Rangers. They aren't as physical of a group as Canada and Russia, nor anywhere near as skilled. They're alright, but I really can't see them keeping up with Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, or even Slovakia. They'll probably have to be able to beat most of those teams in order to hope to get a medal. Really some puzzling picks.
Team grade: B-. Their best spot is goaltending, and Miller will have to be amazing to keep this team in it, but they are just so far behind the other power house teams that I just don't see anything meaningful happening from them. But, as Chris Berman would say, that's why they play the game.
They may make it to the quarterfinal rounds, but I would not count on Team USA even coming close to winning a medal this time around. I just don't see it.
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