This is one of the most highly anticipated games of the first week. Both teams enter the game with their mouths flapping and egos exploding. Ray Lewis has been testing Sanchez's psyche all week, pointing out that when he throws a lot, the Jets usually don't come out on top. I don't think the Jets are entering this game with the intention of having Sanchez put on a show. This will be a low scoring game with the Jets pounding the ball on the ground and the Ravens attempting to go deep with new weapons Boldin and Houz.
While both defenses come in highly touted, the Jets have the edge. The Ravens come in with more reputation supporting their defense than performance. Ed Reed is out and the Ravens secondary in general is anonymous for the first time in a long time. When CB Dominique Foxworth went down during training camp, the secondary became even thinner. The Ravens go into tonight with 18 players listed on the injury report, with only 3 of those 18 even possibly playing tonight. DT Mount Cody is out as well, putting a lot of pressure on Ngata, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs to stop the run. Even with the Ravens new offensive attack, I cannot see them defeating the Jets in their New Meadowlands debut. Watch for the Jets to make a statement to live up to all the talking done during Hard Knocks.
New Hard Knocks (-1) over the original Hard Knocks
Chargers @ CHIEFS (+6) 10:15 PM
The Chargers enter this season as a favorite to win the AFC West. The Chiefs enter their second season with Matt Cassel and Jamaal Charles. Both teams are offensive minded, but the Chargers enter with more questions than the Chiefs. Vincent Jackson has gone AWOL and the San Diego backfield is going to be relying on a rookie to carry the load on the ground. The Chiefs need to start the year off right. They haven't had success in the last few years and what better way to start the season than with a win on Monday night. Win may be too much to ask, but covering +6 could be attainable.
If you stick with trends, the over is an easy play. The Chiefs have hit the over in 15-5-2 over their last 22 home games. The Chargers have hit the over in 8-3-2 of their last 13 games against the AFC West. Small play on the over could be the smartest play.
Football is finally back. Sure, the college season started last week and people will say that week one of the college season is better than week one of NFL, but when it comes down to it, the NFL playoffs kick the BCS in the face everytime. A lot of interesting things happened today, here's a few:
This was officially highway robbery. The Lions entered the season with hope that they have not experienced in years. A wunderkind QB that appeared poised to make the team relevant again. A stud wideout that can make high jump style one-handed catches. A defense that appears ready to actually challenge opposing QBs. Just when you think that the Motor City is ready to rise from the ashes, they get smacked in the face and then kicked while they are down. Matthew Stafford goes down in the first half from a vicious blindside hit, returns in a sling. Then, despite losing their QB, the Lions fight back, stop Chicago four times in a row on the goal line. The meaning of what it is to be a Detroit Lions fan was fully expressed in their final offensive play. That was a touchdown catch. Johnson made an incredible, game-winning touchdown catch that by a rule that should be thrown out was nullified. I would not be surprised to see the NFL address this rule in general this week.
The Cowboy's final play of the first half
The 'Boys came into this game as somewhat handicapped favorites. Several offensive lineman out, which caused Romo to be throwing in a hurry the entire game. You cannot trust a backup lineman to match up with Albert Haynesworth. All of this aside, the biggest mistake of the game was not technically the fault of anyone on the field. The coach that was responsible for calling a screen-toss rather than either running the ball up the middle or taking a knee is the sole individual responsible*. Take it into the half. Regroup. The Cowboys have more talent than the Redskins. But a play like that sucks the wind out of a team. The Cowboys had the entire halftime to think about that play while they waited to get back on the field. If you ask me, that was the end of the game right there.
*SIDE NOTE: Just saw Wade Phillips post-game interview. He took the blame but then said "If you catch the ball with 4 seconds left, you don't need to go for that extra yard." That sounds like he's blaming his player for trying to get downfield. What the hell did you think he was going to do Wade?! It's his fault for trying to do something with the ball on one of the dumbest play calls of all-time? C'MON MAN!
Michael Vick finally looked like Michael Vick
For the first time since he was on the Falcons, Vick showed flashes of his immense talent. Vick pulled off a few scrambles that I thought were no longer in his repertoire. He even showed that he can complete a pass or two. Surely this will spark debate on the Cold Pizza shows about whether Vick or Kolb should be the starting QB. This debate is nice, but maybe the bigger issue is why did you get rid of McNabb? Neither Vick nor Kolb looked as if they could lead this team to any kind of playoff berth. McNabb did not look spectacular, but look at the difference between the two number one wideouts on each team:
Neither had a spectacular game, but Jackson had nearly no impact on the game minus McNabb. Moss had several key first down catches. McNabb makes his receivers look good. Philly could be in big trouble.
Alex Smith is still Alex Smith
The 49ers were picked by many "experts" to be the only possible team that could come out of the NFC West. All of these picks rested on the assumption that Alex Smith was finally ready to become a winning NFL quarterback. These assumptions came crashing down as Smith threw two interceptions against a no-name Seahawks defense and effectively took his team out of the game. The worst being an early 3rd quarter pick-six to Trufant that put the game out of reach at 21-6. It may finally be time (second time?) to close the book on Alex Smith. The guy is just not cut out for NFL size expectations.
The Colts D (or lack thereof)
For the first time in his career, Peyton Manning may not be able to throw enough touchdowns to pick up a mediocre defense. Rookie Arian Foster gashed the Colts defense, even worse once Bob Sanders went down. The Colts defense was exposed today as havign some serious holes. Manning threw the ball 57 times! And racked up 433 yards and 3 TD! Those numbers are usually easily associated with a Colts win. Not today. Unless the Colts get a few players to step up on defense, it could be a very long year for Indianapolis.
The Carolina D (and lack of offense)
The Panthers score looks like the defense got tossed around and toyed with in a 31-18 loss to the Giants. But looking into the box score, one would notice that the defense had a helluva game.
The Carolina defense had something ridiculous, close to 30 sacks in the preseason alone. They have a speedy, ball hawking defense that will hang in there with the best of them all year, but none of that will matter if Matt Moore throws 3 key interceptions, one of which was in the endzone. This is a team that has a defense that could end up being the top in the NFC, but a QB at the helm that just looked lost today.
Tomorrow, DA-DA-DA-DAAAAAAAA... a double dose of Monday Night Football. Lets see if the Hard Knocks can defeat the Kings of Hard Knocks. Getcha popcorn ready...
Two days after the most-watched Super Bowl of all time, the party still has yet to die down in New Orleans. More than likely, Scott Fujita is leading whatever Mardi Gras festivities going on after declaring, "I'm gonna be drunk for a month."
This Super Bowl was an interesting entity this year. Leading up to it, I could not get excited about the matchup. There wasn't that big character player that would entertain the masses with a gimmick and there wasn't a long standing rivalry between these two teams. The game spoke for itself though, with the Mighty Manning being the one who cost his team the game. Sure, Reggie Wayne probably should have turned around quicker or at least tried to make a play on the ball, but the stat says Manning: 1 INT.
Staying with Manning, some have blogged this week that Manning showed poor sportsmanship by getting the hell outt dodge once the final knee was taken. There is no rule in the NFL that says Sports Illustrated and ESPN get to show Drew Brees and Peyton Manning embrace at the end of the game. Manning is the ultimate competitor. Losing the Super Bowl goes far beyond simply being the losing QB for Manning. Manning was the surrogate coach of the the Colts. You really think the corpse of Jim Caldwell was calling plays on the sideline? No! Manning was making the calls and the plays all at once in the position of field general. Manning is the closest thing to a player-coach that there is in sports today (LeBron is right there as well). Would you want to be on the field as the confetti falls for the other team? Think of it as a fan. Would you hang around to be taunted by fans of the winning team? Probably not. Lay off Manning and let the robot leave in peace. Besides, he probably wanted to check in with his agent to make sure the richest contract in NFL history would still be in the bag.
The CBS presentation of the Super Bowl was impressive. Prop bets offered about how many times the broadcast would show Kim Kardashian, Archie Manning, Eli Manning or any other celebrity were wiped off the board. Archie was shown just once and there were no FOX-esque celebrity spotlights during the broadcast. CBS was entirely focused on the action unfolding on the field, steering away from the cliche off field heartstring stories. They left the celebrities and Hurricane Katrina stories to the pregame shows, and I think it was a classy move.
The Super Bowl also marked the return of the Manning Face. It has been largely absent this season, as he lost only one game in the regular season. Much more importantly, we had the introduction of the Baskett Face. This was meant to be. So closely related to basket case, Hank Baskett truly embodied the Face. I introduce to you, The Baskett Face:
Wait, wait, that doesn't do it justice. Let's zoom in a bit.
Aaaah, that's the ticket. Embrace this face, because who knows if we will ever even see the Baskett Face ever again in the NFL.
A good game for 3.7 quarters and Brees shone with no interceptions throughout the entire playoffs. He is now the face of the NFL, and I have no problem with that. At least he isn't Tom Brady. Or Brett Favre. Just retire already.
Now I'm deprived of football until August. I'm in the midst of my depression for the week and if the NFLPA and the NFL owners don't figure out this CBA crap, my depression will become dangerous. The possibility of having no NBA and no NFL in 2011 is a terrifying thought. But until then, I'll watch the combine and get ready for the draft. And look at the Baskett Face.
With the Super Bowl approaching, I will be making my annual tribute to the gambling mecca event. The game has an absolutely absurd number of player props to bet on, not to mention the usual coin flip and National Anthem over/under. I mean this year goes beyond anything I can remember in recent memory with the prop bets. "How many times will Pete Townshend do his legendary windmill move?" O/U 5.5. So let's dive right in...
Coin Flip: Tails never fails. This one is simple, and quite frankly is one of the best odds you'll get on any Super Bowl bet. 50/50? I'll take those odds any day.
How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem? Over 1 minute 42 seconds. Go ahead, sing it yourself. See how long it takes you when you aren't performing it with millions of people watching. Underwood is a female vocalist and shes going to stretch out those cords for a while. I think the standard yearly 1:42 gets crushed this year.
Will A Member of The Who smash a guitar on stage during the halftime show: No -190 odds. Ever since Nipplegate, the halftime show has been tamer and kinder on viewers. I doubt that The Who will get that crazy for the (maybe) 3 songs they are going to sing. Why waste a guitar after just 3 songs?!
Which CBS Show will get the most promos during the game? Two and a Half Men 15/1 odds. With Charlie Sheen jailbound after his holiday freakout, I would assume that they want to push this show until they cancel it when Sheen heads to the big house for a few years. This is actually the longshot bet with Undercover Boss being the odds on favorite at 1/2.
What color top will Kim Kardashian be wearing at the Super Bowl? Black 5/6 odds. The options here were "White", "Black" or "Any other color." At first I thought, wouldn't she just wear Reggie? Then I was like, no shes probably too fashion conscious to do that (despite the fact that certain girls can look real hot in jerseys). I would guess that she will go with a black top and some kind of gold scarf or shawl or whatever the hell the things are that go around your neck for fashion.
How many times will CBS announcers fully mention Hurricane Katrina during the game? Over 2.5. I can easily hear them bringing up Katrina in the early-going, say the first Saints possession, especially if they score a TD. I can also absolutely hear them saying it again if the Saints are kneeling it out or if they score late in the game. Other than that, you could easily get a return from halftime or halftime mention...that's 3 right? Katrina will be pounded home. Gotta go for the heartstrings if you're CBS. What they should really have up is the O/U for the number of times it will be mentioned in the pregame show. I would put those odds at about O/U 3743 times. Not sure which way I would swing...
How many times will CBS show South Beach during the game? Over 2. This one is real easy. You're going to see South Beach at the beginning of the game when it is still light outside, and at least another time when it gets dark. That puts you at a push. The only way to go is up after that so play it safe and take the over. Unless the forecast is for rain. If that is the case, stay away or take the under. No one likes a rainy beach. How many times will CBS show Bourbon Street on TV during the game? Over 2. Bourbon Street is something that everyone wants to see. Who can resist no law and drunken debauchery. Try and tell me if you were heading out the door, but you saw that the Cops episode of Mardi Gras was coming on, you wouldn't stall and watch at least the first 5 minutes, after which you would find yourself watching the entire marathon. The Big Easy is Easy Money. Which Super Bowl commercial will have a higher rating on USA Today's annual Ad Meter? Budweiser 5/8 odds. Interestingly, Miller Lite and Coors Light are not even listed on this bet (other than the "Other" category). Bud seems to come out ahead every year, with the only commercial that may have beat out Budweiser this year being one that CBS has already rejected.
How many times will CBS show Eli Manning on TV during the game? Under 3. Nobody cares about Eli. The only way that this goes over is if Eli remains attached to Archie by the hip for the entire game. Show me Cooper, the red-headed stepchild of the Manning family. Show me the one brother with no ring, as he just tries to ride on the coattails of his two mega-successful QB brothers. In fact, give me an entire profile and follow him for his typical day. That would be something I would be interested in. Cooper: "Well, first, Dad wakes me up with a stare of disgust from my basement room. Then he tells me to mow the lawn or get a job in the NFL cause that grass isn't going to mow itself. After that, I go downstairs and eat some fruity pebbles while Eli and Peyton eat their Wheaties. Once I'm finished with the lawn, I go upstairs and play Madden with any team other than the Giants, Saints or Colts and I feverishly attempt to injure my brothers in the game, cause if I tried in real life, Dad would stop paying for my Xbox Live subscription."
Please CBS. Give me Cooper: The Untold Manning Story.
Check back later this week for my Super Bowl pick and other props that look to be enticing.
With Joe Mauer entering a contract year on the heels of a season that netted him the MVP award, a Gold Glove, and the lead in the statistical categories of slugging, on-base percentage, batting average and OPS, the guy is poised to make a few dollars either in free agency or from a contract extension. Everyone should have seen this coming. He has been scouted and praised since he was in high school, gracing Sports Illustrated's pages since he got his first pimple. His accolades and hype have gotten him this far and he finally seemed to have a true breakout superstar season in 2009. The rumors flying around are estimating a contract of at least $200 million for eight years. This would immediately vault him into Pujols and A-Rod territory. But the real question is, does he really deserve it?
The guy has gotten his due for being a prolific hitter at the position of catcher. A modern day Johnny Bench or Yogi Berra. But is he really THAT unique? I beg to differ. Lets look at another catcher in the National League that has similar stats with 90% less pomp and hype. I am going to put these career stats side by side and let you decide who has the better career so far:
Honors: 3 time All-Star, MVP, 3 time Silver Slugger, 2 Gold Gloves
The first player has played 88 games less than the player on the bottom and had 459 less at bats than the player on the bottom. This is interesting because the player on top has 19 more home runs, only 2 less doubles and only 8 less RBIs! He plays the same position and on a team of similar composure offensively. Figure out who it is yet? Give up? The top career stat line is Atlanta's Brian McCann.
McCann is hidden in Atlanta, a team that has been in a playoff drought of late after so many consecutive years of success. He is the centerpiece to the Braves offense and he comes at a Wal Mart bargain bin price. McCann signed a contract extension in 2007 for 6 years/$27.8 million. Mauer is looking at possibly making close to that in a single season. The Braves upper management should be trembling right now because McCann is almost certainly going to seek arbitration or a new contract if his current play keeps up.
Looking at those stat lines make me wonder if Atlanta even knows how good they have it right now. If McCann were a free agent, he'd be making $20 million per year with those kinds of power numbers at the catcher position. With less years in the league and less hype to go with it despite a similarly impressive stat line to Mauer, McCann will continue to quietly rack up stats and All-Star appearances at Turner Field until 2012 or at least the summer of 2012 (when the Braves unload him, knowing that they won't be able to afford him on the open market). Maybe then, McCann will emerge from the shadow of hype that is Joe Mauer.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching, the big name is appears to be Amare Stoudemire. The rumors are currently flying, with everyone from the best to the worst in the NBA trying to get in on the action. The Cavs, Heat and Nets seem to be the most serious currently. The Cavs clearly are looking for that kind of physical, scoring big man that could match up against Andrew Bynum (or Chris Bosh, but we'll get to that...) in the Finals. The Nets are simply trying to get a big name that could bring people back to their games after their absolutely abysmal showing so far this season. The Heat would likely have to give up Michael Beasley and something more to get Stoudemire.
Heres the problem with Amare: No team is going to want to trade for him without the guarantee of an extension. It would be a huge loss of talent for any team that gives up a significant player to get Amare and then loses him to unrestricted free agency this summer. Furthermore, I have my doubt about investing much into Amare. Sure, he can be a scoring machine, but his defense is less than dominating to say the least and he's had the benefit of receiving unheard of assists from Nash his entire career. Who knows how a lesser point guard could affect his play? The Cavs would seem to be the best fit, in my opinion, as Amare would be a substantial upgrade over Big Z.
Apparently nobody wants to sign CF Johnny Damon, as he is currently back in negotiations with the Yankees. They've offered 1 yr/$2 million (long after Damon REJECTED a 2 yr/$14 mil offer!), but it is strange that no other team has given Damon a legitimate look. The same sentiment goes for Jonny Gomes, Rocco Baldelli, Xavier Nady, and Jermaine Dye. All of these guys can still play, but the market has not been particularly kind to them. Any team that can snipe Dye's power potential right now for cheap (especially if they wait until right after Damon signs) will not be disappointed.
SP John Smoltz may be going the way of the Glavine. The Mets are in talks with the longtime Atlanta flamethrower. At least Smoltz has waited until he's 42 and out of gas to give the Mets a look for his services.
The Patriots are keeping to form with the current Vince Wilfork contract negotiations in that they are refusing to bend for a player. They have apparently already begun looking for a replacement in the middle for Wilfork, looking to Mount Cody in the draft. I wonder how many more times the Pats are going to allow star defensive players escape before they realize a little extra money goes a long way. See: Richard Seymour, Ty Law, Asante Samuel
It is beginning to appear that the New York Jets are going to allow Thomas Jones to walk this offseason. The team will get Leon Washington back next season who will be the agile back alongside the power back Shonn Greene. Jones still has some serious legs in him, rushing for over 1,300 yards the last two seasons despite having hit the RB-decline age of 30 in 2008. There will be plenty of teams vying for his services should the Jets allow him to go.
This will be ESPN's Ed Werder's third straight offseason stalking Brett Favre.
If the Hawks move their way into second place overall in the East behind the Cavs before the All-Star break, then Coach Woodson will be the head coach of the East All-Stars. With Coach Mike Brown having coached the game last season, he cannot repeat in consecutive years. This would be a huge honor for Coach Woodson, who has coached the baby Hawks into legitimate contenders.
Using the Sports Guy's Levels of Losing, I've determined that the Vikings loss ranks in between Level IV: The Broken Axle and Level III: The Guillotine. The wheels certainly came flying off in this game with 6 fumbles and 2 interceptions, yet the Vikings had the game in hand all the way until the end. It was actually quite astonishing. That many turnovers and you're tied, with the ball for the final possession?! That isn't skill or talent, that's destiny and god-like intervention. Yet the Guillotine comes into play with Favre. As much as anyone thought, he's going to throw the game winning touchdown, at the same time, they felt the interception coming. They could sense it, feel the hairs beginning to stand up on the back of their necks. Something bad is going to happen. And it did. The game would be decided on a coin flip. Overtime actually may have saved a few TV's, walls and remote controls. If the game had ended on the interception, TV sales in Minnesota would have shot up, as would arrests with people flinging whatever was closest in hand directly into a wall, TV, car or human being.
This team was never supposed to be here in the first place. Making the final four in the NFL? Down to one game away from the Super Bowl with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach? Who the hell just cooked up this script?
The 2009 New York Jets looked like they could be the team of destiny. The last season playing the Meadowlands, always riding in the backseat of a New York Giants bus in the city of New York. All of the sudden, the tables had turned, every single game that had to go the Jets way leading up to the first Colts game happened. It was like the Twilight Zone had descended on Mean Green. Four 1 PM games all went exactly the way the Jets needed, with Denver losing their late game just for kicks. Then, leading at halftime, the Colts take the foot off the pedal and let the Jets roar back and stay alive.
All of the sudden, it was week 17 and the Jets, who had started the season 3-0, then plummeted into mediocrity, were in control of their destiny. The last time this kind of absurd turn of events happened?
1997. Bill Parcells took over as Jets head coach after Rich Kotite threw the team into tailspin with a 1-15 record in 1996. Why I will never forget this season? The day that the Jets hired Parcells, my father put $100 on the Jets to simply make the playoffs. The odds were 100-1, payout of $10,000. The Jets were in control heading into the decrepit Pontiac Silverdome to face the Detroit Lions in the final game of the season. Things were going well until the 4th quarter saw a meltdown of epic proportions. Lions won 13-10 and Barry Sanders locked up 2000 rushing yards. A late 4th quarter touchdown would be the difference in the game. 3 members of the Jets threw interceptions in that game, two of them by non-QB position players. The NY Times had it a little something like this:
The Jets' implausible dream lasted until the final minutes of their final game. They will never know how far they might have taken it if certain things had happened differently today -- if, for example, the rookie fullback Leon Johnson had not thrown an option pass in the fourth quarter that was intercepted, when a chip-shot field goal might have propelled them into the playoffs. And there were the other things that happened, events, said Ray Lucas, ''that won't let any of us sleep tonight.''
That's correct, for all of Parcells coaching genius, he allowed a ROOKIE FULLBACK to attempt a halfback option. THIS is why losses like the one against the Colts yesterday are so excruciating painful to the lifetime Jets fan, that they border on unbearable. The 2009 Jets team weren't helmed by the incompetent Neil O'Donnell and they didn't throw fullback-option passes. This team did not have Adrian Murrell (5,199 career rush yards) as their lead rushing option. The 2009 Jets had the best defense in football. When a team that leads the league in rushing, leads the league in defense, and suddenly discovers a passing attack in the AFC Championship game with a 17-6 lead with 2 minutes until halftime, THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO LOSE. Teams with these credentials make it to the Super Bowl. They hold onto 11-point leads. But these are the New York Jets. The lovable losers. If there's a way to lose, they'll find it.
These kinds of failures don't just remain on the field, they go far beyond it. In fact, oftentimes they show up every April on draft day. Lets entertain a little visit from the Ghost of Draft Days passed...
1987 - WR Johnny Lam Jones, Pick 2 overall - Jones was a world class sprinter, but more of an athlete than a football player. He lasted only five years in the league, all with the Jets and amassed just 2322 yards and 13 TDs. Problem was, he dropped about three times as many passes as he had touchdowns. He was picked above Art Monk and Anthony Munoz. He also netted the first ever million dollar contract.
1995 - TE Kyle Brady, Pick 9 overall - This one really hurt. The crowd was chanting "We want Sapp! We want Sapp!" on the ESPN broadcast. Those chants fell on deaf ears. Brady stuck around for four seasons, racked up 949 yards and 10 TDs. Sapp would go on to get 96.5 career sacks at the DT position. Also still on the board were Ty Law and Derrick Brooks.
1990 - Blair Thomas, Pick 2 overall - Thomas was a Heisman runner-up that didn't do anything in the pros. 2000 yards over four seasons and a measly 7 touchdowns. Another runner that was still up for grabs that may have worked out a little better, Emmitt Smith. Oh yea, and Junior Seau was still there too.
2008 - Vernon Gholston, Pick 6 overall - Gholston was supposed to be a defensive beast coming out of Ohio State. After two years, he has 30 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 INTs. While it could still be early, he looks to be the next blunder. Especially when you consider DeSean Jackson, Jonathan Stewart, Ray Rice, Chris Johnson and Rodgers-Cromartie were still hanging around.
Drum roll please...the greatest NY Jets draft blunder of all time...
1983 - Ken O'Brien, Pick 24 overall - Dan Marino fell to the Dolphins. That is all. Peyton Manning made the vaunted Jets D look like a bunch of hacks. The halftime adjustments that the Colts made changed every play into a two-step drop and fire to a five yard route. Indefensible plays. I wish the Saints luck in the Super Bowl.
But enough with the doom and gloom. The Jets will be OK, right? They've got a quarterback that is a ball of energy and has spent a whole season and playoff run growing up. A head coach that injects more confidence into his team than anyone else in the league. A defense that will get back Kris Jenkins next season. Revis Island. A legitimate number one receiver in Braylon Edwards. The best (arguably) offensive line in football, anchored by Ferguson, Mangold and Faneca.
This team will be OK, if not (gulp) good... right? I've looked at every picture of the Colts celebrating that the internet has to offer. I watched the entire post-game coverage, hoping to catch a glimpse of the "Manning Face" to fill my empty soul with a glint of cheer.
I've seen all of this and taken all of it in for only one reason. If the Jets do make the Super Bowl someday, I'll appreciate it tenfold. It will be one of the greatest days of my sporting life. And I'll have the Manning family to thank for it.
Championship Weekend in the NFL has come and gone. As I sit here in Miami reflecting on the events that transpired, I am left wondering the matchup that could've been: Jets v. Vikings. I am not sure if this dream scenario arose from my love of Jared Allen and the fact I have been brainwashed into being a Jets fan by a close friend...or if last weeks Bill Simmons article had me so excited about the possibility that I couldn't sleep Saturday night. Regardless, it didn't happen. What we are left with now is having the most bland team in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts, pitted against America's bandwagon team, the New Orleans Saints.
Without giving the normal, mundane game recap that all of America can comprehend, I feel my thoughts of the games are more vital to me getting over the Super Bowl we are subjected to now.
Thoughts of Indy over J-E-T-Ugh:
The Gift That Jim Caldwell Was Given: Jim Caldwell is the luckiest rookie head coach in NFL history for the following reasons. 1) he has the greatest quarterback to ever play in Peyton Manning (said it, meant it) 2) the team that he coaches is and has been in autopilot for winning games for 5 years now. In the last 5 years they are 65-15 in the regular season (average of 13-3) and have won a Super Bowl. Minus Marvin Harrison the team they have right now has been practically the exact same 3) Tom Moore is an offensive genius 4) Tony Dungy teed it up for him, blasted it down the fairway, knocked it to a foot, then handed over the reigns to Caldwell to just tap it in... he basically did nothing but keep people healthy all season 5) his "gamble" of resting his starters paid off and now that they're in the Super Bowl he'll always be referred to as a "brilliant rookie head coach.
The House That Peyton Built: I said it before and I will say it again, Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback to ever walk. The guy is so mind-boggling efficient and accurate you cant give him enough accolades. Stat #1, in the six major statistical categories for quarterbacks Manning is top-4 in all six and on pace to break all six records (and no, interceptions thrown is not a category, Favre has that one on lockdown). I know that he is hated by a lot of people (see: Tony C's Black Eye) but you cant ever argue his talent. Behind Brett Favre's ridiculous streak of 309 consecutive games started the second longest streak in the NFL belongs to Peyton. When Indianapolis drafted Peyton first overall in the 1998 draft (a pick they struggled with in taking him over Ryan Leaf) the Colts were God awful. His rookie year they went 3-13 in large part to having the worst defense in the entire NFL. He responded however in going 13-3 the next season and has transformed the Colts into one of the premiere organizations in the league. Stats 2-7: along the way he has amassed 4 MVP awards (most all-time), as well as 30 NFL records, 7 Playoff records, 7 NFL rookie records, 7 Pro Bowl records and every conceivable Colts record you could ever imagine. Look at what he did this season. He lost his favorite target in Marvin Harrison and a very good Anthony Gonzalez, replaced them with two rookies (one from Haiti another a Mormon from BYU) and made them look like veterans and Pro Bowl caliber players. The have the worst rushing attack in the league and don't care. They pass every play, even when up 10 with 4 minutes left, knowing full well you could have 6 DB's and still not stop them. The guy is good, and marketable, and funny, and good. End of discussion.
The Jets Defense Fell Flat: People will look at the game and think that the Shonn Greene injury was a huge reason that they lost the game, which has a lot of truth to it, but the injury that KILLED the Jets was to starting corner Donald Strickland. Tom Moore and Peyton target your weaker defense players with complete insensitivity and when you throw a back up into the mix its game, set, match. Why was this such a big deal? Strickland was already the back up as Lito Sheppard was already out of the game with injury. Dwight Lowery, bless his soul, was the backups backup and got picked on all game. It was brutal to watch the reoccurring theme of Peyton targeting him every pass but it was what it was.
The Arrival Of Sanchez: I cant believe I would ever think this, as well as ever type it, but anybody who watched Mark Sanchez play the last 5 weeks witnessed the rookie grow up right in front of your eyes. This guy was bad for a while. Everytime you saw him drop back to pass you held you're breath praying it wouldn't get picked (which was always a 50-50 chance). Come week 17 he was openly giddy when he knew what coverage the defense was in. However, the guy learned...and grew up...and started to become a winner. And at the end of the day was the reason that the Jets were even in the AFC Championship game. Cant believe I'd say that but he stayed in there, delivered very accurate balls while getting obliterated in the process but knew he had to for his team to win. The Jets are going to be dangerous. Nobody is gonna wanna play that team for a long time. With the nucleus of Sanchez, Greene, Keller, Ferguson, Mangold, and Revis this team is gonna be around for a while. The experience they all received will prove to be invaluable but nobody benefited more than Sanchez did.
Major Penalties Costing The Jets Big Time: If anybody watched a Baltimore Ravens game all season you saw two reoccurring themes: the fact that Ray Lewis is the most intimidating player in the NFL and the fact that ill-timed penalties cost them almost every game they lost all season. They couldn't get off the field and neither could the New York Jets. The Colts offense is too good to stop them on third down and then commit a silly penalty and give them a first down. Peyton will eat you alive if you do that...and he did. The Jets gave the Colts offense four first downs that they should never have had. Those penalties cost the Jets more points than just the ones the Colts actually put up on those specific drives because keeping the Colts on the field just gives them more confidence, wears on your defense mentally and physically, and gets your own offense out of rhythm, which proved to be the case yesterday. The Jets killed themselves with penalties almost as bad as the Vikings killed themselves with turnovers.
Thoughts on the Saints over the Favre's:
T-U-R-N-O-V-E-R-S = DEATH: The Vikings are the better team. They have a better defense. They have a better special teams. They have a more balanced offense. They also have a MASSIVE turnover problem and it reared its ugly head Sunday in New Orleans. The Vikings put the ball on the ground 6 times (losing 3 of them)! And threw 2 picks! What the f@*#!!!! How the hell do you do that and expect to be in a game with a chance to win? Well however you do it the Vikings did it and it KILLED them. Two turnovers in Nola's 10 yard line, 1 in their own 10 yard line...death. If you were to ask any NFL fan who the best running back in the league is Adrian Peterson would get almost all the votes. However, if you were to ask the same fans which running back has fumbled more than any other player in the league since 2007 they would have a hard time believing it would be that same Adrian Peterson. The fact that Minnesota only turned the ball over 18 times in the 17 games leading up to Sunday was an enigma with #4 and #28 on that roster. Karma struck with the wrath of great fury and the demons of Favre and Peterson rose from the ashes and gift wrapped the championship for New Orleans. The Vikings had no business losing that game...but they did...brutal truth but truth nonetheless.
Please Say It Is So Brett: Was it just me or did every other human on the face of the planet know that somehow, someway Minnesota was going to do something to lose that game at the end of the 4th quarter. I was praying that it wasn't gonna be Ryan Longwell's fault because I was sick and tired of seeing pro kickers miss kicks in the playoffs (they're hitting at an astonishing 57% rate for the playoffs) and I had seen enough fumbles to make me puke, so I was just wondering how it was gonna happen. Then Brett Favre reminded me why all Jets fans hate him, why his record of interceptions will never be equaled and what the power of having all Packers fans alive and dead rooting against you equates to: the most inexplicable but predictable INT in history. Minnesota had 475 yards, 31 first downs and more plays in New Orleans territory than the Saints had all game and still lost. Unbelievable. Inexplainable. But then again, it was Brett Favre, so was it?...
America's Bandwagon: This will be short. The New Orleans Saints somehow have a billion fans this season. I am mentally torn between whether or not them making it to the Super Bowl after how terrible they looked the last five weeks of the season (3 straight losses and the choke job of the season squeek out W against the Redskins) is a bigger shock than how many Saints fans have come out of the woodworks this season. I almost threw my phone last night when I got a text from an obvious non-football fan that said "My Saints Baby!". I didn't even know this kid watched football and now they're his Saints? Wow. I live down here in Miami and am bracing myself for half of Louisiana to migrate down here next week, an although Cajuns travel better than any other sporting fan on the planet period (a fact I picked up on being a UGA fan and playing LSU all the time), more fair weather Saints fans will come down here to support their team than the NFL ever thought possible. We should all remember, this is the same proud organization that took over forty years to get to their first Super Bowl, took thirty years to have a winning season, had never hosted an NFC Championship, had bags over their fans heads for decades and were known more affectionately as the New Orleans Aints. But then again, how does that not scream America's Team to you?...I know it does to me.
Already Sick Of The Storylines: I am starting to wonder when Vegas is going to put betting lines out for how many times the 'Archie Manning having split allegiances between the Saints and Colts' story as well as the 'New Orleans - Hurricane Katrina' story are gonna be highlighted between now and the Super Bowl. It is Monday morning and I have not even turned on a t.v yet today and am already sick of it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE NEW ORLEANS. I have had more nights that I don't remember there, automatically qualifying them as fantastic, as well as have participated in Mardi Gras, so my affinity for that city is strong...but lets try to keep the massive sucking up to the entire state of Louisiana as well as rehashing that story to a minimum.... please.
Overall, NFL Championship weekend reconfirmed the NFL as the greatest sporting league on the planet and my favorite sport to watch and follow without question. No matchup that made it down to Miami was gonna be a dud with the four teams that were left, and although the Indy team substantially lacks the personality that would've been on display if Rex Ryan or Jared Allen would've graced Super Bowl Media Day with their presence, it still will prove to be a fantastic game showcasing the #1 team from the AFC and NFC for the first time since 1993. Personality or not the Colts score points, throw it all over the yard and are usually fun to watch. The Saints will have 99.8% of America, or whatever percentage of America doesn't include Indianapolis, cheering for them and are another high flying offense. Because of the high number of passes that will be thrown it will be a great game. I will refrain from writing my thoughts for a later time but as for now I will just sit and contemplate what could've been...
Ok, so maybe this is a little premature seeing as pitchers and catchers do not report for another month, and maybe the headline is a little sinister. In reality, the Braves were only a few wins shy of entering the playoffs as the National League Wild Card team in 2009. The ‘90s saw the Braves transform from the joke of the National League to winning 14 straight division titles, a feat seemingly taken for granted by all but the most die-hard Braves fans. Some would say the ‘90s was a love affair between the Atlanta Braves and America. They were a true underdog story. They represented the working class of this great country. Their quirky owner, Ted Turner (lets face it, he owns buffalo farms), had worked his way from ordinary Joe Blow to become a multi-millionaire. They were on the Turner Broadcasting System nationwide every night all summer long.
In the era of the sexy ‘juiceheads’ (McGwire, Sosa, Conseco, A-Rod, Clemens, etc.) and the slogan “chicks dig the long ball”, Atlanta won with pitching. Specifically, Atlanta won with three CY Young winners that have never sniffed the Mitchell report, and have never been linked to steroids in any way. And I don’t think they will. Let’s face it, Greg Maddux looked like he belonged in a science lab more so than playing baseball at its highest level. Tom Glavine was more like a college professor that had married one of his students (seriously, Google Mrs. Glavine) than one of the toughest southpaws in the National League. Finally, John Smoltz, even though originally from Michigan, had taken on the persona of a ‘Bible Belt’ preacher with an intense passion for God and Game. None of these guys, possibly with the exception of Smoltz, was physically intimidating. They simply won games. Even though the Braves only won one world championship from ’91-‘05 (1995), fans have to question how much more dominant that pitching staff would have been had the ‘juiceheads’ from teams like the Yankees (who beat the Braves in the '96 and'99 Series) not been ‘juiceheads’.
The last time the Braves won their division was 2005. Coincidently, that was also the last time they made the playoffs. Since that time, the Phillies, who are in the same division as the Braves, have won the World Series. The CY Young Trinity has been broken up, and none of the three played their last game in an Atlanta uni. Another trifecta has been broken, as well. Ted Turner, the owner that brought the Braves to the Promised Land did the unthinkable. He SOLD the team. And he didn’t just sell it; he apparently sold it to an organization (Liberty Media) whose #1 priority is not winning (more on that in a bit). Superstar General Manager John Schuerholz, the man responsible for cobbling together the teams of the ‘90s, the man responsible for signings such as Greg Maddux, Fred McGriff, Andres Galarraga, the man that drafted players like Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Jermaine Dye, and Andruw Jones, is gone. Finally, the last, and possibly most important piece of the trifecta, Bobby Cox (the manager of the team during every division title from 1991-2005), is in his last year as manager of the Braves.
That brings us to the present. I mentioned earlier that the Braves had not been to the playoffs since 2005. The new GM, Frank Wren, appears to be returning the Braves to their roots and placing an emphasis on pitching again, which is a good sign. There is a great deal of promise in Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, and the move that swiped Jair from Detroit will likely go down as completely lopsided in the Braves favor. But it hasn’t been enough. In the 2009 offseason the Braves had one of their own, Rafael Furcal, re-neg during contract talks and opt to stay with the Dodgers. Before that, when in the last decade did any player not want to be in Atlanta? Under Turner-Schuerholz-Cox, Atlanta was a player’s paradise. Players knew the Braves’ organization was first class. Turner didn’t mind spending to win, and Schuerholz and Cox weren’t overbearing on the players. The incident with Furcal, in my opinion, may have started the Decade of Death for the Braves. Their fall into the abyss of mediocrity.
Enter the 2010 offseason. The top needs of the Braves are as follows: a power hitting first baseman, a consistent outfielder with at least some pop, and revamp the bullpen to account for the inevitable departures of co-closers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez. The following moves are proof to me that this will be the end of the Braves’ hopes of becoming dominant again in the near future as well as the end of their era as 'America's Team'.
First, the Braves offer arbitration to both Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. Not a bad move, because the team will be compensated with draft picks if the co-closers sign elsewhere. They then promptly sign injury-prone closer Billy Wagner and set-up man Takashi Saito, both over 30 years old. Problem is, the Braves must not have checked the closer’s market or the declining economy because arbitration rendered Soriano $8 million, likely more than he could have fetched on the open market. They then traded one of the most consistent closers of 2009 (Soriano) for a no-name reliever from Tampa Bay. Next, one would think the strategy of acquiring the power hitting first baseman or consistent outfielder, or both, would be to trade one of the Braves’ surplus of starting pitchers (Vazquez, Lowe, Hudson, Jurrjens, Hanson, Kawakami), preferably Lowe because of his hefty contract and underwhelming 2009 season. Instead, the Braves traded Javier Vazquez, who was in the final CY Young balloting, for Melky Cabrera and two prospects? So Melky Cabrera is the consistent outfielder with some pop? Then, Frank Wren does not even offer Adam Laroche a deal. Laroche is a legitimate 25-30 homer per year guy who can actually play some defense at first base. No, instead Wren signs Troy Glaus, who missed all of last season due to injury, and who has played all of 15 games in his career at first base, to be the power bat that saves the Braves this season. Oh yeah, and Glaus has also been linked to ‘roids. Instead of saving a little cash to make a run at a guy like Johnny Damon, Wren signs Eric Hinske to be Glaus’ back up.
Atlanta as an organization should be ashamed of itself. This is how you want to send the savior of your organization, Bobby Cox, out of town? A number three hitter that hit .100 below his career average (Chipper Jones- .265), Troy Glaus Melky Cabrera, and an over 30 injury prone closer are what Cox has to work with on his swan’s song? That’s like saying “Oh, you’re the Pope? The leader of the Catholic church? What’s that?..... You are on your death bed? Oh well, we can’t have you in Vatican city for your last years. You are hereby banished to Columbia, South Carolina, the armpit of the world.” Some exit….its a disgrace.
I don’t want this to sound all doom and gloom, fire and brimstone. The Braves do have some bright spots in their future. Hanson and Jurrjens will be a formidable duo for years to come. Jayson Heyward, the Braves’ projected starting right fielder, is ranked by many as baseball’s number one prospect, compared to a hitter like Ryan Howard that can hit for average as well. Freddie Freeman is a future star at first base, and could be the reason the Braves only wanted to sign Glaus to a one-year contract. I just don’t think the Braves should get into the mindset of always looking to next year (just ask Cubs or Red Sox fans) and relying on rookies panning out for the team to be successful. That’s not how the Team of the ‘90s operated, and that’s not how this team should function. I hope to be proven wrong, but facts are facts. The NL East has been significantly upgraded. The Phillies signed the best pitcher in baseball when they inked Roy Halladay. The Mets signed the best free-agent hitter on the market with Jason Bay. The Marlins signed Josh Johnson long term and have some guy named Hanley at short stop. The Braves splashy signing? Troy Glaus. Wait..... or is it Melky Cabrera?
Tom Brady has pulled out of the Pro Bowl "due to injury." Of course, this injury is undisclosed, just like every Patriot injury. While I'm sure this has some kind of legitimacy, I cannot help but be skeptical with the Tom Brady of the past few years. Not that I ever really liked the guy too much (J-E-T-S!), but the attitude and snarkiness of Brady has increased exponentially over the last few years. The guy who used to be the model American kid that caught a big break (thanks Mr. Bledsoe), now is the model dating, conceded chachbag that does ads like this:
The Tom Brady that won the snow game against Oakland would never have turned down a Pro Bowl, or allowed this picture to be taken.
Upcoming free agent wideouts to watch: Braylon Edwards, Terrell Owens, Vincent Jackson and Antonio Bryant. The least desirable of that crew would almost certainly be T.O., who was not helped by the dysfunctional Bills offense last season. Edwards seems to be happy in New York, but after serving his time in Cleveland, he's going to be absolutely sure that he lands somewhere that will cater to whatever he needs. If San Diego loses Jackson, they will have a huge hole at the wideout position, as I don't think Malcolm Floyd has shown enough that he is ready to step up yet.
Staying with wide receivers, the Anquan Boldin saga will be a very interesting story to watch this offseason and on draft day. Despite his backing off his trade demands and current wishes to stay with the Cards, it may be in the best interest of the Cardinals to trade him now. Fitzgerald is everything a club could want in a wideout and Early Doucet and Steve Breaston showed this season that they are developing into a pair of very talented options. Boldin's no show in the playoffs did not help his case in 'Zona, and the club would likely trade him for considerably less value that previously demanded with Doucet and Breaston ready to take his place. Traded or not, Boldin will be asking a large price at the end of the 2010 season, a price that Arizona is not going to pay.
The coaching meetings going on in Oakland should be enough to scare off the potential candidates for the job opening that doesn't exist yet... what reason would any interviewing head coach have to trust Al Davis knowing that they interviewed while another coach still held the position?! The Raiders franchise will continue to be the joke of the NFL so long as these kinds of stunts remain business as usual. Just ask Buffalo Bills GM Buddy Nix.
Finally, with Chan Gailey looking for the quarterback of the future to lead the Bills back to the glory days of Jim Kelly and the four consecutive Super Bowl appearances (WIDE LEFT!), maybe he should look just south. Michael Vick is looking for a new home and a starting position. Gailey likes the spread offense and Vick is quite familiar with it. And with the lackluster offensive line providing little pass protection, a scrambler may be just what the doctor ordered.
-This morning on ESPN2's Cold Pizza or whatever they call it now, Skip Bayless claimed that the Indianapolis Colts have the best defense of the remaining teams in the playoffs. As he said this, Raiders shutdown corner Nnamdi Asomugha stared in disgust across the table. My personal outrage lasted only a second or two, as I remembered how certifiably uncertified Skip Bayless is to make any kind of real, reasonable sports judgment or opinion. Bayless is a "shockjock" former journalist, gasping to remain relevant with his daily segments on 1st and 10. This is the same guy that wanted the USA to forgo the Olympic games from now on and conduct our own personal Olympics where Americans compete against Americans. He also has spent a large amount of his face time telling LeBron James that he is not clutch. Shockingly, LeBron has never responded to Skip's criticism.
It's time to take Skip, Woody Paige, and Stephen A. Smith, put them in a cage and let them argue until they have expended their vocal cords so viewers never will be subjected to their verbal assault again.
-Chan Gailey to be introduced as the Buffalo Bills new head coach. Looking toward the 2011 season when the Bills need another new head coach, the job requirements may look something like this:
Looking for an individual who has failed at multiple levels of his profession, including the top. Preseason NFL experience a bonus, but not required. Flexibility a must, as job has high potential to move to Los Angeles or Toronto.
-Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox is likely going to push Theo Epstein to his first arbitration hearing after the two meet to discuss contract figures today. Papelbon is reportedly going to ask for $10 million, which could force the Sox to try and move him with Daniel Bard quickly developing into a potential closer. Only problem for both parties is that typically January does not hold a big closer demand market and there are very, very few teams that could take on that kind of salary hit. Guess Theo is going to have to work his magic again...
-ATTN: Ben Sheets is still a free agent. That is all.
-Word is out that SP Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners has re-upped his contract to somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 years/$80 million. This is mind boggling. Sure, the guy had a Cy Young-material season last year going 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA. But before last season, he was 39-36 over five seasons. There is no doubt that the 23-year old kid has talent and promise, but for the Mariners to invest $80 million in him while a creaky Ken Griffey Jr. roams the outfield alongside the batsh*t crazy Milton Bradley and the biggest names on the infield grass are Chone Figgins and Casey Kotchman. I guess that $80 million is hoping that King Felix pitches a shutout every other start, because this is NOT going to be a run-producing offense.
-The NBA All Star Weekend Slam Dunk Competition needs to be removed from the All Star weekend. It no longer seems to draw any star power and now that LeBron has backed out, there is very little reason to watch the event. Here are the marquee dunkers of the NBA that will be competing: returning champ Nate Robinson (who expressed disinterest in even participating, claiming the NBA is "forcing" him); Gerald Wallace (the only true star in the competition); Shannon Brown (that decent back up guard for the Lakers, you know, that former first round pick for the Cavs? No? He averages 7.1 PPG! Geez, know your NBA back-up 23 year old journeymen. 4 teams in three years.) and finally, two rookies that no one cares about or has ever even seen dunk a basketball.
There you have it, your LeBron-less Slam Dunk Competition. Get hyped.
I am not a writer. I do not even humor my ego, and yes I have a quite large one, and think that I will ever sniff the genius that sports writers such as Rick Reilly, Bill Simmons, Michael Wilbon or really even your local beat writer will produce. What I am, however, is opinionated... and a die hard sports fan. As many will come to realize, I prefer pro sports to college (always have, always will) and have an affinity for following players, coaches and teams that have large amounts of swag... or all style, no substance as my former roommate put it. That being said and in tribute to Jim Rome (who is highly opinionated and confident in himself... making him my kind of guy), I will make my first ever blog post on what I am burning on.
1) Tiger Woods. The guy is human, made a mistake (or multiple) but was man enough to admit to it... leave him alone. I will defend Tiger til the death because of this: he has done more for the world of sports, the game of golf, and millions upon millions of children's lives across the world for everyone to become so short-minded they forget all of this. In case you are not a golf nut like myself, here are a few facts to support my argument with other random tidbets regarding Eldrick that you probably aren't thinking of. First off, the national rate of divorce is almost exactly 50%. The number one reason for these people getting divorced is "lack of understanding a partner due to scarce time spent together".... cant make that up, look it up. Now put it together, Tiger travels over 40 weeks a year and has people throwing themselves at him to get a piece of him probably 98% of those 40 weeks. For 12 years. Brutal. Secondly, Tiger has made golf cool, something it has never been. Golf is a respected game, has been for decades and that will continue past the time Tiger decides to hang it up. What it never has been though is cool. On average, a tournament that has Tiger draws 35,000 more fans for the week than one that doesn't and TV ratings with him in contention rival all major sports. People are enthralled and obsessed with this guy. Nike has made billions off of Tiger and just remember that they didn't even have a Nike Golf division before Tiger came around. Thirdly, look at how the game of golf has boomed since Tiger came along. Fifteen years ago Corey Pavin was the #1 player on the PGA Tour Money List making just over 900k comprised of 1 win, 3 2nds, a 3rd and a 4th place finish. Last year not a single event awarded a winners check for less than 900 grand for any tournament for the year. If you didn't make 660 grand you lost your rights to play on tour and over 90 players earned over a million dollars. These players should be writing a thank you letter to Tiger every Christmas for the inflation he has brought to the game. Lastly, Tiger is the most recognized human being on the planet. Not another opinion but a documented fact. As a global icon he has done tremendous things for charities and especially children. He has two Tiger Woods Learning Centers (one in California and another in Washington D.C) that are dedicated to having kids be educated in turning their dreams into careers. He puts millions of his own dollars into these every year and gets very little recognition for it. All this being said, he cheated I will give you that, but he is not the only human who has committed infidelity but the last time I checked he is the only one who has revolutionized a sport and impacted millions of childrens lives in a meaningful way, so cut the guy some slack.
2) NBA All-Star voting. Its an absolute joke, get it out of here. Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson are currently voted in as starters for the game and it is an absolute joke. Look at the stats. McGrady's season currently reads as this: 6 games played, averaging 7.2 minutes, 3.2 points, and a sweet 22.8 million dollar contract. Now if that doesn't scream an All-Star caliber season I don't know what does. I debate to myself all the time whether the NBA or MLB is a more poorly run league and viewing from the quote the NBA released yesterday saying they think the system is great and the fans wanna see stars so the balloting shouldn't change, then I will give the nod to those knuckleheads. Ray Allen has every right to call out the league for wanting to change the balloting from 100% fan voting and I agree. Too many deserving players will never make a team and it is a true travesty.
3) Lane Kiffin. You ask me today and I will tell you that I think Lane Kiffen is a visionary. Give it two years, maybe more but maybe less, and you will find that Kiffen is gonna make more changes to the way college coaches conduct themselves and hire coaching staffs than anyone since the Howard Schnellenberger/ Jimmy Johnson/ Dennis Erickson era at The U. Seriously. The glory days of having a Joe Pa or Bobby Bowden are over. The NCAA is evolving into beyond a cutthroat arena with coaching jobs becoming a revolving door that has on the front of it "We have money, we don't care about you, win for us today or we will find someone who can." Example A: Coach Richt coached the University of Georgia to a #2 ranking and domination of a Sugar Bowl win in the '07 season. In '08 they start preseason #1, get decimated by injuries and still won 10 games. However, by '09 there are people calling for his head cause he only won 8 games. These people are dumber than the people who protested Augusta National to admit a female member. But back to Kiffen. Here is why he is brilliant: he attracts the attention which is a major recruiting tool for todays recruit and he surrounds himself with coaching staffs that are fifty times smarter than he is and just lets them coach the kids and call the plays. He is on easy street. His thinking "try your best to get the best players in, commit as many type 2 NCAA violations as humanly possible to ensure you get those great players, then let the real coaches coach". As arrogant as people make him out to be, which he is, he even recognizes this by having his assistants make more money than him and is willing to take pay cuts to move to the next location. Kiffen will inspire a movement of ra-ra recruiting and coaching while making even the most level headed coaches consider the benefit of traveling hostesses. More importantly, he will create a movement of having as many high profile, NFL-ties assistant coaches as possible. All high schoolers wanna make it to the league. You get all your assistants to walk into their living rooms and say "I am a former NFL coach who will coach you to have the skills to make it to the league," and every dumb high schooler will believe it and go to play for him. Where you will come to find this is at big time schools with big time money to pay these assistants. The rich will get richer, just wait.
The impossible has happened. For the first time since Vincent Testaverde was going over the middle to Wayne Chrebet, the New York football Jets have made it to the AFC Championship game. I am admittedly a diehard Jets fan. Nobody gave the Jets a chance in this game. 8 point underdogs in Vegas. "Experts" across the board taking the Chargers. This was the one game of the weekend that nobody thought the underdog had a chance. Colts, Vikings and Saints all came into their games limping, while the Chargers came in with an eleven game win streak. The talking heads will say all week that the Chargers lost this game, rather than the Jets won it.
Phillip Rivers shone in all his diva glory, while Nate Kaeding had nightmares and visions of the last time he blew a game in the playoffs to the Jets. Rex Ryan showed his swagger and went for it on 4th down to close the game. Darrelle Revis continues to shine and advances while Charles Woodson is on his couch. Shonn Greene showed breakaway speed that nobody seemed to know that he had. The Jets do not seem to know that they are not supposed to be here.
Were the Chargers maybe looking ahead to Indianapolis with the lowly Jets coming into their stadium? Maybe. Or maybe the best defense in the league just won't let their rookie quarterback lose a game for them. The prospects in Indianapolis don't look particularly good for the Jets. Peyton Manning carved up the hallowed Ravens defense. The Jets will almost certainly be a +7 underdog coming into the game next Sunday.
But what else is new? Rex Ryan declared his team dead over a month ago. This team has no slogan. No "Who dat?" or "Who dey?" or "Child, please." None of that matters now. Now a rookie QB is headed to the AFC Championship game. The best (arguably) cover corner in the game will be matching up with Reggie Wayne. A 3rd round pick who started the year behind Thomas Jones and Leon "Leoooooooon!" Washington is leading the leagues best rushing attack into Indianapolis. Peyton Manning is sitting in a film room looking at holes in the Jets secondary.
With all of this stacked against them, what's the mindset of the elephantastic head coach of the Jets?
"This is the matchup that nobody wanted, but too bad. Here we come."
My sentiments exactly Rex. See you in Indianapolis.
-The fact that Gilbert Arenas has plead guilty and will face sentencing in March is truly sad for the NBA. Arenas is one of the better personalities in the league and normally keeps things light-hearted. The real question here is with two guys in the Wizards locker room alone exposed as having firearms in their lockers, how many more tossed theirs in their backpack and stashed their gun at home. Arenas is going to be a fall guy for the NBA and David Stern, as somehow Crittendon has been able to avoid the spotlight here. Hopefully, Gilbert will serve his sentence and be allowed back into the NBA soon.
-Tennessee is apparently in talks with Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley, offspring of the legendary Vince Dooley. While this may be a cute little play to bring a former SEC coach's son into the Vols program, I have to wonder why they are not talking to Mike Leach. Leach is the type of personality that would shine in the SEC alongside chucklehead Les Miles and visor-toss expert Steve Spurrier. Leach is still a good coach regardless of whether he put poor little Adam James into a closet. From reading all of the letters and emails from coaches and former players, James seems like a lazy dirtbag who is trying to capitalize on some nepotism from Craig James. Leach could whip the Tennessee team into shape and bring in a big name to calm the rioting, mattress-burning student body of Tennessee.
-Finally, Mike Vick appears to be trade material with the Raiders and Rams showing interest. While I think that Vick would have a direct line to the starting QB spot in St. Louis (now that Marc Bulger has inexplicably forgotten how to play his position), the Raiders would be a more entertaining fit for football fans. Who wouldn't want to see the dynamic of Mike Vick (dog killer), Tom Cable (coach abuser) and JaMarcus Russell (team killer) on the same sideline?!
Now that Lane Kiffin has left Tennessee for USC on a stagecoach out of hell, the fallout begins to look more clear. Initially, it looked as if USC would have a juggernaut coaching trio of Montie, Lane and Norm with Orgeron being the recruiting mastermind. Now it appears that Kiffin's ever-growing ego and inability to keep his mouth shut has scorned him again, as Chow appears to be happy to stay at UCLA.
In Kiffin's introductory press conference yesterday, he pretty much blew up any chance of Chow jumping ship to USC, claiming that he fully anticipates calling the plays and running the USC offense. It's as if Kiffin is somewhat mentally blocked from ever saying the right thing. Calling out Urban Meyer and the Gators last season? A joke. Kiffin used the SEC to put himself in the spotlight by pulling ridiculous stunts (the strippers at high school recruits games) and making ridiculous claims (see: Florida game). I guess the one claim that he made will remain true, that so long as he is head coach of Tennessee, the Vols will never lose to the Georgia Bulldogs. I think we can safely say that one is wrapped up for good.
Chow has turned down a multimillion dollar offer from USC now that he knows that he would not have control over the play calls. This should come as no surprise, unless you are on the committee that decided to hire Kiffin (their what, 4th choice?). He told that committee that he fully intended to bring Norm Chow aboard. There should be no doubt that the Kiffin reign at USC will be entertaining, albeit cringe-filled for USC fans.
