Can we talk about football please?

So long Marlin.

2010-03-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Marlin Jackson will always have a special place in my heart. He made, in my and many other colts fan's opinion, the greatest play in Indianapolis franchise history. For this I will forever owe him a beer if I ever meet him. Jackson signed with the Eagles yesterday and will provide them with a hard hitting instinctive nickel back. Assuming his two reconstructed knees hold up, he'll be a solid contributer for Philly.

A little boy after my own heart.

2010-03-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

I use to be able to do this at the age of 8. But this 3 year old has me beat. You're going to grow up to be a good American. Your parents should be proud.

I'm better now

2010-03-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

The Super Bowl hangover is past. I am back to thinking that the Colts are better than your favorite team. Yes even you New Orleans. Ah...It's nice to be back in the driver's seat with my ol' friend irrational optimism.

Super Sad

2010-02-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, after the great season the Colts had, that I'm writing in this forgotten blog of mine to discuss the heart ache of losing the big game last night. But I am.

As a fan I spent all season watching this team work it's magic. While the Colts certainly weren't dominant like some teams of the past, they won. Up until last night they won every game they had tried to win this season. And I watched with content. I wasn't ever blown away with how good they were but confident as hell that their machine like preparation and execution would serve them well no matter who they were playing.

I felt that way going into last night. I know the Saints are good but I figured if one team was to falter or make a couple of mistakes it would be the Saints. I, of course, was wrong.

I don't need to write about the game itself. You watched it, you saw what happened. What I need to get off my chest is the weight of losing. (Not that this is going to do that of course) If the Colts had won last night I would have been happy, woke up with a bounce in my step despite the hangover and gone to work with a smile on my face. But more than anything I would have just been relieved. Relieved that I didn't just spend the past 5 months fretting over nothing. I know from prior experience the elation is pretty finite and wears off after 12 hours or so and then turns to this relief.

Coming off os a loss is much uglier. Last night I was confused. I didn't understand how it happened. I kept thinking the game went by VERY fast. I went back in my head to figure out the big plays that took the game away and they all added up. But there were so many in between things I couldn't figure out.

This morning I didn't eat. I'm still not hungry. I'm convinced something terrible is going to happen today. I feel compelled to keep my mouth shut and not speak to anyone. I'm having a hard time staring at this computer screen and not going to nfl.com, espn or any other news site for that matter. It's what I've done for months during my down time at work. But today I can't bear having to see a Saint holding the Lombardi trophy. I know the blogs, reporters and analysts must be ripping Manning for the pick six in the clutch. Someone is writing a piece making comparisons to the Atlanta Braves for all of the regular season victories and only one championship. I know this is happening. I don't want to hear any of it. It will only make it worse.

What's the next stage? Defiance. Acting like I don't care. You know when you've been dumped by someone and though you're really hurting there's this little bit of weight off your shoulders? This feeling that you're now free to do whatever you want even if you do just want to sit around and sulk? Yeah well that doesn't happen with losing. With losing you're just a loser. I've gained no freedom, I've gained no new lease on life. And I just want to sulk.

By Wednesday I'll be better. And by better I'll mean defiant. If any of you want me to do something crazy in the next 365 days, call me this week. For it will be this week that I will be willing to try just about anything to prove to myself that things other than the Colts can get me riled up...

I hate football. At least until April.

Worst blogger ever...

2009-10-23T09:16:00.001-07:00

I obviously can't keep up with a blog anymore....

Vick to the Eagles

2009-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick is the newest member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

To quote Mike Singletary, “I’ll say this about that.”

No matter which team landed Vick the question was going to be the same. “What are they going to do with him?” Perhaps even more so with the Eagles because they have a perennial all pro with McNabb. It is strange but at the same time, from a football standpoint, any team with a little cap room won’t find a better bargain on the FA list. He’s an incredible athlete. There’s something that he can bring to your offense even if it’s just a few plays a game. His contract isn’t worth much unless he produces and stays out of trouble. AND he’s got the blessing of Tony Dungy who is respected to the utmost by NFL top brass. The Eagles will find something, a la “Wildcat” to do with him and make defenses not know what to expect. Even if he’s a decoy most of the time you have to put someone very athletic on him to keep the Eagles honest. Not to mention McNabb is bound to get hurt like he always does and what sounds better, Kevin Kolb or Michael Vick? Sure Kolb is a better passer, who isn’t? But Vick is a better competitor.

Do I agree that he deserves a second chance? Yes. Here’s why.
1.Regardless of how disgusting his crimes against animals, he did the time the legal system has in place.
2.He didn’t do anything to dogs that people working in slaughter houses do to animals we have no emotional connection with everyday on a mass scale.
3.There are current NFL players who have killed people while behind the wheel that served less of a punishment.
4.I believe in forgiveness. More than any other reason I say this is why he should play. There’s nothing more off putting to me than people who hold grudges.(Especially with people they don’t know) If Vick screws up then he’ll be gone forever. But I wish him the best.

And that is what I have to say about that.

Football in Spring

2009-04-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend in NYC it was unseasonably warm. High 80's Low 90's. I'm not complaining one bit. It's a welcome change. It was also a warm oasis of happiness for yours truly and a few thousand other NFL devotees. The draft was in town and once again football was really more important than any other sport in the land. I always get a kick out of how the NBA playoffs are going on and baseball is in in full swing (pardon the pun) yet the DRAFT of the NFL gets most of the press. Beautiful. And just.

My weekend was broken into two parts. On Saturday, the biggest and shiniest day of the draft I was stuck about 20 blocks south of Radio City Music Hall working a wedding. Obviously the people who chose to get married on draft day are soulless heathens that will certainly pay or their transgression. Nevertheless, I needed the money so I had no choice but to cater (I do cater waiting) to their needs. Luckily I had people giving me the low down when anything big happened. My 49er's friend sent me a jubliant text about Crabtree, my football dork cohort sent me all the other pertinent information. Oh yeah, of course my Steelers friends felt the need to waste my precious monthly texts as well telling me they got Evander Hood. Thanks to you all. Even the Steelers peeps.
On Sunday my football dork cohort and I set out for the 3rd round. This was my first draft. And it was good. Besides escaping the 90 degree heat walking through the doors of Radio City felt delicious. Football was everywhere. The AFL throwbacks were on display. People were playing Madden, HD TV's in every direction showing clips and highlights of the new talent. Coach Lombardi's Trophy sat in a glass case surrounded by the first 42 Super Bowl rings. I kinda thought the Super Bowl 41 ring was the prettiest but that's just me. It was fantastic. Football in late April. It almost made me wish NFL Europe and Arena were still around.

Inside the theater it was all business. Nothing really exciting going on on stage. The fans themselves were the most entertaining. Bloggers were blogging away from their laptops, Jets fans were yelling at everything just because. Some Bills fans frothed at the mouth anytime anything Patriots related was mentioned by anyone. I understand that sentiment. The people who sit and watch round after round on the second day of the draft are special. We are the equivalent to the trekkie. Or the "storm troopers" who waited 24 hours to get to watch the digital enhanced Star Wars movies. Only we love football. Even I had my fill after two rounds and by the beginning of the fifth we were headed home. Some dork I am. When I watched the clip of Mr. Irrelevant (the last player picked in the draft. This year it was a kicker from South Carolina)
and listened to the chorus of jeers coming from the mezzanine I was amazed. It's one thing to watch the whole draft but it's an entirely different thing to have the stamina to care so much that you have an opinion about the Chiefs new kicker. It was from these jeerers where you find those true NFL fans, who like many trekkies, gamers and other dorks, have struggled to kiss the three girls they've kissed.

Now that the dust has settled and everyone is giving their grades out to teams we can start to see who made real progress and who didn't. Do you think Dallas is happy about their trade for Roy Williams? Yikes! I'm not going to go into detail and grade every team because I don't know enough to do a good job with it. I know Green Bay, San Francisco and Miami should be very happy with themselves. All of those teams got better this weekend. No question. What happens next though is really important. Who is going to hold out? Who's going to be there next weekend at the rookie OTA's eager and wiling to soak up as much as possible. Teams that have less of the former and more of the latter will be in the best shape. No matter the name or the hype around a player. Every kid drafted this weekend is a FANTASTIC player. All of them are talented. It's the ones that work the hardest and make the transition the earliest that will have the best careers. This is a big reason why GM's are so concerned about character nowadays. Playbooks are thick. The time that is spent at team facilities is very demanding and kids that have relied on their talent all the way through college are in for a big surprise. Ask Vince Young.

Thank you NFL for giving us a shot of the good stuff in this time of need. It'll last me through the rest of the week for sure. And then I'll just watch some Arena ball...nope...damn. Ok yeah, I miss Arena Football.

Quarterback Influences

2009-04-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

As the draft is getting closer I'm looking more and more at the various prospects and watching highlight films and whatnot. I'm getting excited aren't you? Well you should be. Especially if you need an offensive lineman. It's a deep class. All of our teams have a chance to get better and build a future which could go in any number of directions. Booyah!

But the point of this blog post is something that has bothered me in recent years but is reaching a point of utter ridiculousness. On NFL.com there is a feature talking about the top QB's in this years class and their influences. Almost all of them said Brett Favre. Most of them said John Elway. There's a Troy Aikman a Dan Marino in there as well. Aside from Favre all of these guys retired at least 9 years ago. There best years were well more than 15 years ago. 20 years ago in the case of Marino. These prospects are 21 or 22 years old. You do the math. How much did Troy Aikman really influence Matt Stafford from Georgia. Aikman won his last Super Bowl in 95-96. Yeah, I'm sure he was trying to emulate him during his pee wee football games. Marino's best seasons were in 84 thru 87. Stafford wasn't even finished suckling yet.

These guys have grown up,in their football playing years watching Brady,Manning and ok I'll give Favre but anyone that knows anything knows Favre's best years were in the mid to late 90's as well.

Running backs talk about Sanders and Payton. Wide receivers talk about Rice. Garbage. Maybe these players were the players they liked when they were 5 and 6 years old but an influence? Payton retired 22 years ago!! For some reason a lot of these players can't come to grips with the fact that the players they've grown up watching during their "football molding" years are the same veterans that could be their teammates. I wonder if their is a faux pas about idolizing your teammates. Perhaps. I can understand that. But when I hear a 21 or 22 year old telling me that the guys they grew up watching were the same guys I grew up watching, my head spins. Grant it I'm only 30 which gives me 8 or 9 years on these guys but 8 or 9 years in football terms is twice as long as the average NFL career.

I have no idea why this has caused me to get a bloggin' after so many big stories have broke since my last post. But there doesn't need to have another amateur jerk like me spewing his opinion about Jay Cutler or why TO got dropped from the Cowboys. But this little head scratcher inspired me.

Wide Receivers

2009-02-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

Since I started watching football there has been no doubt that my dream would be to play wide out for the Colts. I've actually had dreams about this very thing. The wide receiver position has always fascinated me and very often my favorite players from the league happen to catch a ball for a living.

While receivers are the premadonna's of the NFL they are also some of the most physically gifted athletes in the world. It could be argued that fans pack the stadiums to see one of these 200 pound "ballet dancers" do something incredible to pluck a ball from the air. Anyone who watches the NFL knows that they do just that on a weekly basis.

The recent release of Marvin Harrison has made me nostalgic about some of the incredible catches he's made for Indianapolis in the past 13 seasons. Even if he comes crawling back to the team with his tail in between his legs I doubt we'll see the kind of aerobatics and sticky finger sideline catches that has lofted him into the top ranks of every receiving category.

Marvin's craft is what has made him such a great player. There are countless guys who are better athletes than Marvin Harrison but none of them were as good at getting open than Marvin in his prime. In 2002 he caught 143 balls which obliterated the previous mark held by Herman Moore by nearly 20 catches. Shut down corners Champ Bailey and Asante Samuel have been quoted in saying that Harrison is the hardest receiver in the league to cover because he makes every route look exactly the same until the very last second. Check out this short clip of Harrison during training camp making now starting CB for the Titans, Nick Harper, look absolutely silly.

I could write all day about Marvin Harrison. A guy who is literally only 10 pounds heavier than yours truly and maybe an inch shorter. But played so HUGE on Sundays. But instead I'm going to give you this montage and move on to other things.

When I was growing up the gold standard of wide receivers was Jerry Rice. That still stands today. Rice's records, rings and performances in the biggest games have secured his reign as the best at his positition like few other players have. People have debates about who was the greatest running back, quarterback, lineman, linebacker etc. But nobody ever debates whether Jerry Rice was the greatest receiver. There simply is no argument. Rice, like Harrison was not the best athlete on the field but he certainly possessed enough speed and body control to terrorize DB's for 20 seasons. His work ethic and route running made him so much better than everybody else in the league. My favorite Jerry Rice story is about how when he was a child he helped his father, a mason, on the job by catching bricks that were thrown at him and putting them into place. Little did his dad know that he was not only building structures but he was building a legend.

Consider this. Jerry Rice has a career 22,895 yds. The closest to him on that list is Isaac Bruce who doesn't even have 15,000. He has 197 TD's. in second place is T.O with 139. Sorry Owens, but you're not catching 60 more touchdowns before you hang em up. He's got 1,549 receptions. Harrison is second with 1,102. Again, this is not getting broken anytime soon. Statistically, Rice set the bar so high that my grandchildren may not see these records fall.

(At this time I would like to put a highlight reel of the great Jerry Rice. However the internet is failing me and I don't know why this is so difficult. If you find a good one please send me the link and I'll put it right HERE.)

When we think of the greatest plays in NFL history it's no surprise that many of them are clutch TD's by wide receivers. All of the good one's have made that catch in the end zone when their team needed it the most. Whether it was in the playoffs or regular season these plays often defined a players career. Take for instance David Tyree's catch in Super Bowl 42. If ever a player is to be defined by one single play that would have to be it. Tyree didn't play a down last year and may never again. He's had health issues and really isn't that great a WR. But, in that game he rose WAY above anything ever expected. Not only did he make the greatest non TD catch in Super Bowl history but he caught a pretty ball in traffic earlier in the game to take the lead. Those 30 minutes of Super Bowl 42 will live on forever and David Tyree's "helmet catch" will be the play most remembered.

We've been fortunate enough to see the past two Super Bowls decided on a last minute TD by a wide receiver. And while it pains me a little to say it the catch Santonio Holmes made in Super Bowl 43 is the greatest catch in NFL history. In two other Super Bowls (23 and 42) a wide out made a catch with under a minute remaining for the go ahead score. But both John Taylor and Plaxico Burress were open and the ball was put right in the bread basket. This was not the case with Holmes. If you watch the tape Ben Rothlisberger is seemingly about to choke. He's throwing the ball into double coverage and Holmes is coming off the last play where he let one go right through his hands. Bad idea. But as we all know by now Holmes made a picture-perfect-two-toe-tap in the back corner of the end zone and kept possession as his body slammed onto the turf. It's really incredible. Really. In fact go out side and find a patch of grass. Then put a football in your hands and have a friend hold you up as you lean forward a little bit. Then when they let go of you and you slam down face first on the ground see if you can hold onto the ball. That's kind of how it was for Holmes. Only he had to catch a ball coming at around 45mph, make sure his feet were in the right place and land face first after jumping high in the air. None of these things are things you should try at home. You are not a world class athlete.

That being said I'll leave you with what I think is the best highlight reel of crazy catches on youtube. It also doesn't have cock rock music like some people like to put to their montages. All of these plays are from college which is unfortunate, but you'll notice some of the players are now in the NFL. (Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald)

This off season experiment

2009-02-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking since the Super Bowl what exactly I want to do this off season for Autumn Weekends. Football is over, the off season is in full swing and some interesting cuts have been made in the past week. But I don't think I'm going to spend all off season talking about free agency and what not. I feel like those of you who come and read my little diddies every week already get enough of that straight from the source at either ESPN or NFL websites. So what I would like to do is write about some of my favorite players, teams and games from the past. I also thought it might be cool to dive into some things that I'm not very well versed in and see if there is something to learn about this off season. But before that, this.

If there is anything that any of you would like to know more about please let me know. Obviously this is the first year I've done this so it won't be perfect but I'm totally willing to go do my homework on someone or some team that you would like to read about. So that's what I'm planning on doing. Since I no longer have my job that forces me to sit in front of my computer for 8 hours a day I can tell you that I won't be blogging quite as much as during this past season. My unemployment has helped me get off my ass and try to better myself in other ways. Anyhow, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me ideas.

I was thinking about going and doing a blog on each of the teams that you all like the most. My friends who read this most are fans of the Cowboys, Seahawks, Bengals, Panthers, Steelers and Giants. So I figure I'll start with those teams first. If you, and you know who you are, want me to focus on one thing in particular with your team then facebook, comment or email me now or deal with what ever I deem fit. Hope to hear from you guys and tell your friends to read it too!

Best Super Bowl Ever?

2009-02-02T10:22:00.001-08:00

Since last nights game ended there has been a lot of people asking if this was the best Super Bowl ever. Don Banks of Sports Illustrated seemed to think so in his Snap Judgement article written during and just after the game. But I think once the hysteria dies down and the dust settles everyone outside of Pittsburgh will agree that this was not the best Super Bowl ever. That will still have to go to either last year's Super Bowl or Super 25 when Buffalo's Scott Norwood went wide right. Holy crap you'd think I was a Giants fan! But I'm not. Here's why those two take the proverbial cake.

Last year was an epic, EPIC upset. The Giants scored a go ahead TD with :35 left on the clock and sealed the deal. Not unlike last night when the Steelers' Santonio Holmes scored on a pass in the corner with :35 left on the clock. A crazy coincidence huh? But here's the rub. The Steelers were 7 point favorites, had a 13 point lead at one point and their vaunted defense got simply torched in the fourth quarter. They shouldn't have ever had to mount that winning drive in the first place. Granted Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald are two of the best in the business. But my point stands that a 7 point favorite mounting a comeback drive against a 9-7 team, not to mention the worst franchise in league history is nothing like mounting a drive against the team of the decade that is fixin' to go 19-0. Sorry, when history looks back on these two games Super Bowl 42 will take the cake.

Now for Super Bowl 25. No non-Giants fan remembers this game as well as yours truly. There was a period of about five years during my child hood where I can recall damn near every play from the Super Bowl. Anyway, this game was nearly flawless from both sides. It still stands as the closest margin of victory in a Super Bowl (1pt) which obviously can never be broken. Unlike last night, the penalties were kept to a minimal. 66 yds between both teams. Arizona had almost 60 yds of penalties on one drive alone. There were no turnovers in Super Bowl 25. There was one safety recorded by to be enshrined HOF'er Bruce Smith. However the incredible thing about that particular play was that Giants QB Jeff Hostetler miraculously held on to the ball for what looked like a sure fire sack fumble. Anyway, Super Bowl 25 for it's thrilling finish, lack of referee ticky tack calls, and near flawless play by what were no doubt the two best teams in the league made for a historically superior Super Bowl.

Now my thoughts on last nights game. Awesome! Simply everything a Super Bowl should be and more. It will go down as one of the best ever for sure. The momentum shifts in this game were epic. James Harrison's pick six will, as Don Banks put it, be turned into a four part mini series by NFL Films. As great as Holmes' catch was the play of the game was Harrison's INT. That was quite possibly an 11 point swing for the Steelers. Even if the had knocked him out of bounds it would have been a 7 point swing. Nevertheless, great players make great plays when their team needs it most. Hats off to Dick Lebeau for the call and even more to Harrison for taking his big body 100 yds to the house.

I was gloating to my friends how I was right about Larry Fitzgerald being shut down at the start of the fourth quarter. And then he shut me up. Once again, great players make great plays in crunch time and Fitzgerald is one in a million. I'm sure he feels terrible today but I tell you this guy has nothing to be ashamed of. He is the best receiver in the league and worth every penny the Cardinals paid him last season.

I have to apologize to Big Ben. I really hate the guy and don't particularly care for his style of play but he is coming into his own. He came through in the clutch and got out of more sacks last night than any QB in Super Bowl history. He didn't play a spectacular game but when the game was on the line he did his job. I still think he holds the ball too long and I don't think he'll play as long as he could because of his propensity to take massive shots to the head. But, he does have two Super Bowl rings and that's a lot. Whether he's over rated or not, he's got two rings.

My one an only beef about this game was the refs. They were WAY TOO INVOLVED. I'm not saying that the calls were terrible all over. Most of them were legit. But I'd like to see the league let guys play more in the playoffs and Super Bowl than they do. I understand most of these rules are to ensure player safety but when everything is on the line and a guy gets called on a face mask for 15 yds and an automatic first when the other player had his as well? Not cool. When holding could be called on nearly every play in the NFL and they decide to be strict about it in the Super Bowl? Not cool. When Big Ben is scrambling and making plays all over the field with his legs and a defensive player half his size can't shove him to the ground right after he throws a pass? Not cool. The refs called a ticky tack game and I'm terribly afraid I'm going to have to get use to it.

Hopefully the Super Bowl continues it's trend of producing thrilling games for years to come. The game as you all know is more than a game for America, it's a holiday. And it's a much better holiday when even the casual observer can't help but feel the emotion and the intensity that's happening on the field. It's 22 men who are as strong and fast as any athlete in the world imposing their will on each other in front of the largest audience for any single event on earth. What's not to like about that?!

Super Bowl Pick

2009-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

With the Super Bowl coming up in about 48 hrs and after listening to and digesting all of the "expert analysis" one should ever listen to, I've decided who I think will win. But first I want to make a case for each team. A sort of, "don't be surprised if" prediction that does nothing more than cover my butt if I'm wrong. Which I won't be. In fact I believe I'll just call the whole section "Don't be Surprised if.."

I can tell you that I'm as unsure about this one as I have been about any of them in a long while. Of course I've guessed wrong on some games in the past but I was fully confident in my pick nevertheless.

Don't be Surprised if Ben Rothlisberger has a terrible day. I have full confidence in the coaching staff of Arizona to make this game a nightmare for Big Ben. In fact as heralded as the Pittsburgh defense and the Arizona offense are, I believe that what happens when the Pittsburgh O and Cards D is on the field could make the difference in the game. The Cardinals are good at forcing turnovers. They were 8th in the league in forcing fumbles this year and have stepped up their game in terms of picking off passes during the post season. Big Ben holds the ball WAY too long and will give the Cardinals a short field once or twice.

Don't Be Surprised if Larry Fitzgerald gets busted up by the Pittsburgh defense. The best way to stop Fitzgerald is by putting pressure on Warner and that is almost certainly going to happen. The Cardinals will do a decent job of pass protection but Kurt Warner will be on his back enough that Fitzgerald will not beat the Steelers.

Don't Be surprised if Anquan Boldin blows up against this defense. The Steerlers will have to pick their poison and Boldin could very well be the one who kills them.

Don't Be Surprised if Willie Parker is the hero of the day once again for Pittsburgh in a Super Bowl. If fast Willie can put up 75 yds and a TD then the Steelers will dictate and win this game.

Ok that's that. But one more thing. Special teams stand to play a HUGE factor here. The Steelers have been nothing short of dreadful on kick and punt coverage this season. Steve Breaston is fully capable of making them pay. If the Cardinals can have the success that the Ravens and Chargers did returning the ball that will give Warner and Co. a short field. The Cardinals aren't driving 80 yds and scoring TD's on the Steelers. But they are more than capable of driving 40.

I have to pick against who I'm rooting for again this year. I think the Steelers will win by 4 because they have more experience in the big games, have the best defense in football and will find a way to run enough to keep the Cardinals honest. I can't remember a team that had the best defense in the league ever losing a Super Bowl. Grant it this has been one of the weirdest seasons in recent memory and "Don't be Surprised if..." but I'm going to stick with the formula that has always taken teams to the promised land.

GO CARDINALS!!!

The end is nigh.

2009-01-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning with an empty pit in my stomach. I ate a little breakfast and the feeling just won't go away. It was when I turned on the TV that it all of a sudden hit me...There's no football on today. For the first time since August there isn't a single NFL sanctioned game (or even a college game for that matter) and the pit in my stomach grew even more.

While next week is the culmination of an entire season, the biggest game of them all, it's also the last game for a long time. I hate this time of year. In a flash, basketball becomes the sport of choice and then before we know it, baseball will start. And that's when the real depression kicks in. Every time we need a sports fix the boys of summer will be playing a game that is just a small notch above an exhibition game. I can tell by the player's body language that the games aren't that important until at least August. There's 163 of them. I want nothing to do with any sport where a team can go on a 10 game losing streak and still be in the playoff race.

There is a little oasis in April when America's game comes back for a weekend. The draft of the NFL gets so much hype, so much coverage. It's got to be hard playing a sorry ass game like baseball where your mid season, inter division series with your rival is less of a story than the drafting of a bunch of kids nobody knows and probably won't be good anyway. The draft however, is so far away and I just don't know if I can make it until then.

It's at these times I long for the NFL network. It's absence in my house makes me question whether I really care about football at all. I mean how can I truly call my self a fan when the only network that really reaches out to me in these dark months ahead is locked out of my home? It's not right. I can blame things like, my tight budget coupled with the fact that I just got laid off. I could make ridiculous statements like "I shouldn't be watching that much television." But in the end I should just be disgusted with myself and feel like less than a fan. And trust me, I do.

This pit in my stomach will go away this week as the Super Bowl approaches and everything seems temporarily OK. But come Tuesday February 3rd, after all of the highlights and talk have subsided and I wake up with no job, no leads and no telling when my wife and I will be getting our feet back underneath us, I'll receive the death blow. My brain will signal to me that football is finished. Oh, yeah, it's that bad.

Weirdest Super Bowl Ever

2009-01-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

This game has so many story lines and so many strange things about it that it's hard to figure out where to start. Here we have a team that has been to more Super Bowls than any other team besides Dallas and has won more than any other team period. And then we have a team that has been the epitome of futility for more than 60 years, never even sniffing a conference championship game much less the big kahuna itself.

It would seem that Pittsburgh should completely obliterate the Cardinals if you were to go by Lombardi's saying that defense wins championships. Their defense is truly one of the best we've seen in the past 20 years. No exaggeration. They have the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, arguably the best safety in the game, and a front seven that has no weakness what so ever. On the opposite side there are play makers as well. Santonio Holmes has really emerged as a home run hitter in the playoffs even on special teams. There aren't any big time studs on the Steelers offense but they always seem to get two to three big plays against everyone they play. Which is usually enough to win games given their D.

The Cardinals have one of the best offenses in the NFL. Larry Fitzgerald has been a man amongst boys in the post season and there really isn't anyone in the Steelers back end that can keep him in check. No doubt the Steelers will double him up and do everything in there power to keep him from beating them. But Anquan Boldin is on the other side and he is capable of blowing up a secondary as well. Not to mention he's about to get a big pay day from someone and if he can put up a nice game against this defense on the NFL's biggest stage? Well let's just say that he's got several million reasons besides a Super Bowl ring to play like his ass is on fire.

Historically when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object the unstoppable force gets stopped. Especially in big games. Think back to the Raiders/Buccaneers debacle in 2002. Or the Rams/Patriots just a year before that. Lombardi knew what he was talking about and it's no surprise that Vegas is picking the immovable object to take this one as well.

A big advantage however is the coaching staff of the Cardinals. As good as the Steelers are I'll bet Cardinals coach and ex Steelers O Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and O-line coach Russ Grimm wanted this match up more than any other in the AFC. Nobody knows Ben Rothlisberger better than Whisenhunt. He groomed him into what he is today. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. O line coach Russ Grimm also knows the weaknesses of every offensive lineman the Steelers have because he coached them for so long. And lets remember if there is a glaring weakness for either of these teams it's the Steelers O-line. These two coaches have already met with and will continue to meet with Clancy Pendergast as he develops his strategies to attack the Steelers offense. Pendergast is a scheme machine and will throw everything at Big Ben. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rothlisberger make some mistakes and give the Cards a short field. If that happens then the Steelers are in trouble. By the way I really don't trust Rothlisberger and think this is totally plausible.

I'm not going to make a pick right now because I want to chew on it a little more. My gut says the Steelers but I'm really riding the fence. The Cardinals have been playing sound defense as well and they no doubt have more big play possibilities. As most of you know my loathing for Steeler nation knows no bounds so I hope my gut is as wrong as it is empty right now. I just keep thinking about the Lombardi quote though and I know it's not a good thing to anger the immortal.

See it's really important that I think about this long and hard, because of course whoever I say will win, WILL WIN. It's a lot of pressure yet I relish the responsibility. So I guess if you don't want to be surprised then you shouldn't read my blog before the Super Bowl. I will endure the inevitable once I pick because I haven't missed a Super Bowl in 27 years. But I wouldn't want to be a spoiler for you.

A little delay.

2009-01-22T06:17:00.000-08:00

I have a lot to say about the past weekend but I've had a terrible week (for blogging) at work and have had no time to get it all down. Thank goodness there's a bye week. I'll get one up ASAP.

And then there were four.

2009-01-14T07:50:00.001-08:00

So the trend continues. The regular season is four months of trying to get into a tournament. Nothing more. Once in the tournament, anything goes. Does it help to get a bye week? No. Does it help to be the favorite or have "home field advantage"? No. All a team has to do is get to the playoffs and then start a brand new season. The post season, as I've said before, is all about match ups. Some teams simply match up better against one team than they do another. I can tell you that Pittsburgh is breathing a sigh of relief that they're playing Baltimore rather than Tennessee. Just as they did when they got to play San Diego instead of Indy. Baltimore is a familiar foe for the Steelers and a team they know how to beat. However earlier this season Pittsburgh got handled by the Titans and in my opinion would have again this Sunday if that's how things played out. But they didn't and that's what makes the playoffs so great. Not only does a team need to be on fire but it also helps to get the teams that match up well. As a Colts fan I knew that if Denver could have won just one of their last three, the Colts would make a serious run. But if Indy had to go to San Diego then one and done would be most likely. Giants fans wanted nothing more than Adrian Peterson to run wild against Philly for the same reason. That would have given the G-men Arizona then either Carolina/Minnesota. Hence a straight shot to Tampa. (In my not so humble opinion.) Philly gave the Giants fits this year and they were the one team New York couldn't shake in this entire playoff field.

So here we are. Baltimore-Pittsburgh and Philly-Arizona. Let's just say that the NFC game is the weirdest NFC title game in the Super Bowl era. Why? Because the Cardinals are hosting it. Also if you happened to watch the Somebody-please-gauge-my-eyeballs-out-with-a-rusty-spoon crapfest between the Eagles and Bengals back in November you would have never thought that this pathetic team could be anything like they have in recent weeks. Not to mention they needed a ton of help just to get in the playoffs. No 9 win team has ever been to the Super Bowl. Until this year.

The Ravens-Steelers game will be yet another nasty, hard hitting affair that I would imagine will come down to the fourth quarter. I think it will ultimately come down to which QB makes a mistake. Joe Flacco has not played great in either of his two playoff games but he hasn't turned the ball over nor has he been sacked. Ben Rothlisberger knows how to win in these situations but is still a loose cannon. I could see either one of them playing poorly in this game that will be won by the defenses. Willie Parker looks up to speed again which is GREAT news for Pittsburgh. However check out his body of work against the Ravens. 92 rushes for 262 yards and 1 TD over a six game span. Not exactly running amok. I don't expect he will Sunday either. Also Troy Polamalu is gimpy which will certainly weaken the back end of the Steelers D. But having said all that I like the Steelers to go their 7th Super Bowl. It's really tough to beat a team three times but Pittsburgh is better than Baltimore. Tennessee was too. They out played them in every facet of the game except they lost the turn over battle. Baltimore couldn't run last week and they won't this week. The difference will be the Steelers not shooting themselves in the foot like the Titans did. I think as long as Big Ben doesn't blow the game, the Steelers will advance.

Philadelphia are the media darlings of the playoffs. They just whooped up on the defending champs and are riding high into their 5th NFC title game in 8 seasons. That's pretty impressive. The defense is playing lights out and we all know that defenses carry teams through the playoffs. There is every reason to like the Eagles in this game and maybe that's precisely why I don't like them. I think the Cardinals have a gigantic chip on their shoulders and are relishing the fact that they are once again underdogs (3.5 points right now but could rise by game time) and will play great ball. A lot will depend on Anquan Boldin and whether his hammy will let him play and play effectively. I promise Jim Johnson and his tenacious Eagles D will not let Larry Fitzgerald prance like a fairy through the secondary like the Panthers did. By the way, I know Delhomme was atrocious but the Carolina coaching staff was equally putrid. That team looked lost in every phase of that game.

Anyway back to the game at hand. I like Arizona because they're at home, they're running the ball and the defense is making plays. I think they can get to McNabb, I think they can force turnovers( AZ has a +7 TO DIF in the past two games) and I think they will make enough plays with their vertical passing game to beat Philly. I don't think Arizona will run the ball very well but I trust that Wisenhunt and his staff will stay loyal to it. The Edge is still good for 3-4 yards a carry and that is all the Cardinals need to keep Philly's defense honest.

So that's how I'm calling it. Arizona and Pittsburgh in Tampa. Holy crap this has been a weird season.

Dungy

2009-01-13T07:48:00.001-08:00

As most or all of you expected I am going to write a little diddy about Tony Dungy. I'll deal with the "Final Four" later this week.

For the past four years every Colts fan knew that the possibility of Tony Dungy stepping down was real. Last night it came to be. The NFL really has lost one of it's best teachers. There isn't a player, coach or anyone affiliated with the league that doesn't have gobs of respect for this man. His dedication to the people that worked under him was astounding and completely unprecedented. Here's an example of how he put people first even in the cut throat world of the NFL.

I've heard a plethora of criticism, even from Colts fans, that Dungy was terrible in the post season, overrated and how we needed a change blah blah blah. As my friend Kotte said in the comments section of the blog, 75% of football fans are jack asses. Most are as shallow as Paris Hilton. As a long time Colts fan I can tell you that what he has done for the Colts organization is nothing but extraordinary. Since the Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984 until 2002, when Dungy took over, they had won the division twice and been to the playoffs five times. Since 2002 they made the playoffs every single year and won the division five out of seven years. Aside from Peyton Manning no one person has more to do with building the state of the art stadium thus bringing the Super Bowl to Indianapolis than Tony Dungy. I've spoke to Indy residents and they'll tell you that with in the past decade the Hoosier state has shifted dramatically from a basketball mecca to Colts country. These things are by products of winning but they're also byproducts of winning the right way.

I don't know a fan of any team other than the Patriots that wouldn't kill to have the success the Colts have had this decade. Sure the post season futility for a team of this caliber is frustrating, no doubt, but it sure beats having the season implode and be over before Thanksgiving. His record speaks for itself. And he did win a Super Bowl, ya know? He is a leader and class act up and down.

I'm happy about why he's retiring as well. He has a higher, selfless calling that I admire greatly. He's terribly concerned with the plight of African American men, especially in urban areas and wants to make a positive impact on as many of them as he can. He wants to teach people how to take responsibility for their lives and be better parents. He's giving up a lot of money and prestige for a life of serving others and serving God.
Dungy has taken some heat from the left as well for being a supporter of the Indiana Family Institute which supports the ban on gay marriage in the state of Indiana. Dungy has supported this group because they are interested in building stronger families and educating people on how to be better parents. He has been quoted in saying that he believes marriage should be between a man and a woman. Which is nothing more than Dungy being consistent with his unwavering beliefs. Something I can't say for most liberals I know.
While I disagree with his take on the subject I respect him for looking at the big picture. The work he does in the community and the people he reaches out to (people who most of us don't want to deal with because it's too depressing) FAR out weighs his beliefs on gay marriage. Here's a great commentary from a gay black man whose opinion on the matter carries more weight than mine. Check it out.

So back to football, I'm bummed he's leaving the team but at the same time I'm kinda looking forward to the immediate future. Who knows, maybe Jim Caldwell will do that one slight tweak that makes the Colts more successful in the post season? If the Colts find a way to run the ball next season they will return to the top of the AFC South. Though there are some big contracts that have to be locked up.

So long Coach Dungy, your record of 92-33 as Colts coach made me a happy man 75% of the time for the past 7 years. The players you brought in have been class acts and have followed in your footsteps. You've made rooting for the Colts all the more easier. (Not that I was struggling with it) Good luck and God Bless!!

It's hard to talk about football

2009-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, the title of this Blog is "Can we talk about football please?" but I tell you I don't really want to. Of course when I think of football right now I just think of how the Colts are right up there with the biggest under achieving post season teams in NFL history. I think about one and done and how many times it's happened. I think to myself, maybe Dungy should ride off into the sunset. Maybe we need a new person in charge to get more out of this team when the games mean more. I don't know. I try to make myself think about other things. And for the most part I've been successful since Saturday night. Sorta. But I feel like it's only right to go on with the blog even though my emotions are not in it.

Let me start with the Chargers/Colts game real quick so I can just get it over with. This isn't going to be a recap of the games but I need this for self cleansing.

The game was everything a playoff game should be. Two teams who are very evenly matched going toe to toe until the very end. The Chargers made more plays, got more breaks and were on the better side of the officials calls. The refs are getting a lot of hate from other Colts fans but I tell you it wasn't them who killed the Colts. It was the lack of running game. I haven't read one thing about what the experts are saying about this game but I would imagine they are saying the same thing.It was bound to catch the colts at some point. It's 3rd and 2 and the Colts go 5 wide to ice the game. I'm not saying the Colts should have run the ball here even if they did have a good running game. What I'm saying is that not having a RB in the backfield at all to help with protection or to leave just a shadow of a doubt that they might run was a terrible choice. I thought Manning played a good game. This was his worst call of the night. The Colts also couldn't get off the field on third down. But all in all the defense played well. The offenses inability to convert 3rd downs and most of all it's inability to run is why San Diego is headed to Pittsburgh.

Now for the rest of the league. This coming weekend is such a great weekend every year and this one should be no different. I think both AFC games are wide open. The NFC has an all out war going on in New Jersey and what I would think is the only blow out possibility in Carolina.

I like the Ravens to pull out an upset over Tennessee. I think the two weeks off ( Tennessee rested its starters in week 17) will prove once again to be a bad idea. The Ravens are really clicking on defense and just barely lost a tight one to the Titans earlier this year. In the playoffs, it's all about match ups and who is hottest. Give me the Ravens.

San Diego will beat Pittsburgh as well. The loss of LT may end up being a blessing in disguise and the defense is playing even better than the team that lost in November to the Steelers. I think Pittsburgh will make Phillip Rivers life a living hell but I see Big Ben shooting the Steelers in the foot one too many times and the Chargers will capitalize on it in the end. If you can't see that the Chargers are this years left-for-dead-only-to-turn-it-around-and-win-it-all candidate you're crazy.

It was good to see the Edge running down hill like he use to in the Cardinals win over Atlanta. He's going to do a TON of that against Carolina if they are to have any chance of beating the Panthers. I can't really see Carolina losing this game. They're as tough at home as anyone in the league and the Cardinals have been abysmal on the road. The Cardinals have the talent to take it to the Panthers but they don't have the moxie.

The Giants wanted anything but to have to play Philly again. But that's the way it goes New York fans so deal with it. This one is a complete toss up. Philly is hot right now and Westbrook made it through the Vikings game without an injury. But a well rested Giants team really should be able to pound the Eagles front seven. If Tavaris Jackson had been half the QB Eli Manning is then the Eagles wouldn't have made it out alive. I like the Giants here but only by a hair. This one will be a nail biter from start to finish.

Instead of Rash thoughts I thought I'd write down some suggestions to those of you who will be joining me or already have joined me in the "my team is kaputt" crowd. Here are things you can do to get over the sting.

1. Hide your gear. Put all team related items in the closet and don't look at them until the draft.

2. Pick up a new hobby. Luckily I had started teaching myself piano before the playoffs. But I can assure you my efforts have doubled since Saturday night.

3. Avoid all written commentary and blogs (except this one) having anything to do with the game of football.

4. Drink, Heavily. My team colors use to be Blue and White. But right now they're brown and black.

5. If you find yourself watching a game feel free to enjoy the sorrow of the losing team's fans. I saw the looks of the OSU crowd's faces in last nights Fiesta Bowl and found myself a little happier for gaining hundreds of thousands in this pit of despair.

6. Blame your own team. If you blame the refs or some other force then the anger never goes away. If it's your favorite player you have beef with, this will pass. He's done too much to win your love for you to feel hate towards him forever. This is unless he gets traded then you can purge the hate onto the team he joins. Which is completely healthy.

7. Have sex. A friend of ours told us that her fiancee who is a Cowboys fan was suffering from what she called "Football Penis" after the week 17 beat down. You can't let this happen. I know it's tempting to stew in defeat but sex is a great way to completely forget about how much your team sucks and to be blissfully reminded how well your wife, girlfriend or fiancee does. Besides the all natural shot of endorphins will help rid you of those chemically imbalanced, maniacal thoughts about that stupid call on third down.

8. Watch that movie you've been meaning to watch since September.

9. Read a book about something that really interests you and makes you think about things far grander than football. (If it exists) Seriously find a topic that makes your head hurt thinking about and then dive in like a mad scientist.

10. And lastly, read up on your government. Listen to the constant drivel that comes out of our politicians mouths and get PISSED!! Whether you're a lefty or a righty your party is 50% of the problem and 0% of the solution. Ask yourself, what does the government do efficiently well? You'll find no answers. Then you can get angry about how they spend your money, how they think they're untouchable and how they don't really care about you.

See, I'll bet you feel better already. I know I do.

The BCS

2009-01-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

Most of you know I hate the bowls. I just wanted to tell you I still do. Maybe even a little more now. I watched some of the Orange Bowl last night and found myself shaking my head at what the BCS has done to college football. The upper deck in Miami was completely empty. The lower lever looked like the East West All star game they play in February. The Orange Bowl is one of the marquee bowls of the season and it was obvious that the two teams playing were mediocre and the stakes of the game were felt only by those closest to the institutions playing. It was pathetic.

The Orange,Sugar, and Fiesta Bowls use to bring in really good teams and not worry about the Conference. Now they are more or less assigned teams for their games. The ACC and the Big East are not very good. Everybody knows this. Well, almost everybody. I suppose if you ask someone from Virginia Tech or Cincinnati they'll tell you differently but that's just homerism. I read an article saying the ACC would be the best conference in football next year. The author must have gone to UNC. It's almost as if these two conferences are considered good only because they get to go to a BCS bowl. The MWC, WAC and Conference USA are looked at as two bit nothings.However when you watch the games the quality of play and players doesn't seem any worse than the Big East and ACC. Also let me put the Big Ten and half of the Big 12, all but 2 teams in the PAC 10 in their as well. Most teams that play in the major BCS conferences are no better than average. The Big Ten has proved time and time again it's not on par with the best teams in the country. Yet because of history and most importantly massive fan bases who spend lots of money, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and the rest of the conference gets love and attention to make them feel as if they're big time. Well they're not. Penn State was over matched against USC just like OSU was in years past and will be Monday Night against Texas.

Somebody had to have lost money last night with all of the empty seats at the Orange Bowl. I know the schools and conferences got a big paycheck and that's all that really matter. But the TV viewership had to have been abysmal for a New Year's Day Bowl game and the revenue from tickets couldn't have been what Bowl organizers were hoping. This is the Orange Bowl and neither team playing could have held a candle to any team in the top 10 this year. Yet thanks to the BCS they were playing in one of the most coveted bowls. It had the look and feel of the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl and if FOX, ESPN and other BCS lovers hadn't told us that this game was actually a big deal no one would have ever known.

What a crappy time not to post for two weeks....

2008-12-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

But what a WONDERFUL time of the year! It's simply the greatest time to be a football fan. Late December through January is when we get to see the very best slug it out with everything on the line. I apologize for my long hiatus from the bloggin' but I like most others was enjoying some R and R over the holidays and stayed far away from computers and cell phones etc.

SOOOOO.... We have our playoff field. Sunday turned out just about the way I thought it would. I went 13 for 16 in my pig skin pick em and all of the games that had playoff implications went as I expected. The Cowboys, Broncos, Bucs, Bears and Jets simply have not played well down the stretch and when the season was on the line, they all folded like paper airplanes and flew off into the sewer. Perhaps no one stunk it up more than those beloved Cowboys though.

Goodness gracious it is easy to hate this team. I apologize to you Cowboys fans who I know read this but your team is the Yankees of football. My analogy is by no means an original one but it doesn't make it less true. They've bought big time talent and on paper should have the best team. But the team chemistry is possibly the worst in the NFL. Even the Lions rallied together and played their hearts out on Sunday. They just have NO TALENT. (more on that later) But the Cowboys once again proved that they're one of the worst December teams in recent history and have no identity at all. I have to start wondering if Jerry Jones should rethink the way he does things? He hasn't done anything since Jimmy Johnson left town. Johnson built his team from the draft and brought in coaches to teach them solid fundamentals. Jones brings in high priced/high risk talent and tells them all to get along. But they don't. Why Jones didn't stick to the formula that brought his team 3 Super Bowls is beyond me.

Now let's focus on those teams that are in and what their future holds.

NFC

New York: They have the bye week to get a little rest which is always welcomed at this time of year. The Giants have certainly come down from the "clear cut best team" pedestal in recent weeks. There's no doubt they're beatable. But on the flip side if Brandon Jacobs stays healthy they won't be an easy team to knock off. They know the drill and still have fantastic O and D lines. We saw this team beat Carolina in a tough game in week 16. Many think there will be a rematch. But the Giants main problem in the post season will be Philly. If Philly beats Minnesota and I think they will, then the G-men may be one and done.

Carolina: Carolina is doing exactly what it did in their improbable 2003 run. They're getting great things from their front seven on defense, Jake Delhomme has his home run hitter and most of all they have the best two headed monster in football in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. I like Carolina to at least get to the NFC Championship since they will be playing either Atlanta, Arizona or Minnesota at home. I don't see them losing, at home, against any of those teams.

Minnesota: How effective Adrian Peterson plays will determine how deep the Vikings go into the playoffs. I've never been a big believer of putting a team on a RB's shoulders. The defense is stout against the run but that might not make much of a difference this weekend against Philly. The Eagles like to spread teams out and you can bet that Brian Westbrook will be catching the ball in lieu of running it right at that nasty Vikings front four. If Peterson and his blockers can punch Philly in the mouth early and often then the Vikings could get this one. I don't see it happening. One and done for the Vikings.

Arizona: I wish they were better. But they're not. The have absolutely no running game and the defense is hit or miss. This would not be a playoff team if they played in any division not called West. Kurt Warner and his receivers will have to carry the team. And Warner CANNOT give Matt Ryan and Michael Turner a short field. I'm thinking this team is one and done. However I wouldn't be surprised if they won in a shootout. Nevertheless this team is cooked as soon as it goes to either Carolina or New York.

Atlanta: This is obviously one of the best stories of the year. It's hard not to pull for these guys. As I said above, I think Atlanta could and will go into Arizona and get a W. After that it's going to be tough for this team. They're riding on emotion and are very inexperienced. It doesn't matter if they get shalacked at Arizona, this season has been a resounding success for the Falcons.

Philly: Scariest team in the NFC. No doubt about it. This team has uber playoff experience and when on fire (like they are right now) can beat any team in the league. I think they beat Minnesota then give the Giants everything they can handle. Carolina is in the best position to beat Philly right now just in how they match up. If Philly comes out of the NFC I wouldn't be shocked at all.

AFC

Tennessee: There's no doubt they have all the makings of a champion. They're efficient and pound their opponents into submission. However I have a hunch they'll slip up somewhere along the way. I think the Titans will fare better against Baltimore or San Diego than Indy. If the Colts get past San Diego (That's a BIG if) I can see them taking care of business in Nashville. It's a very rare thing for Peyton Manning to lose twice to the same team in one season. ( Unless of course they're San Diego) One thing I'm certain of, if Tennessee does get to the big dance they're beating whoever they play.

Pittsburgh: The Steelers have the most incredible defense anyone has seen in years. And it's not just statistically good but on-the-field-making-plays-when-it-matters most-good. It's gotten them this far with flying colors. The coaching is also Steeler like in it's good game management and solid decision making. But that's all I like. I think Big Ben is highly over rated and holds the ball WAAAAYY too long. His O line is terrible and Ben compounds it with his sticky fingers. The run game is average but nothing to ride on. I won't say they're one and done but NO WAY IN HELL does this team win three games against the leagues best and hoist the trophy.

Miami: The other feel good story of the year. Of course when The big tuna is your GM it's not quite as magical. Nevertheless Miami has had a great year. I don't see them beating Baltimore however. The Ravens already beat Miami at Pro Player Stadium once this year and I think they'll do it again.

San Diego: This team is the bane of my existence. I'd actually like them a little if Phillip Rivers wasn't a good ol'frat boy from the south that has a bigger head than he does arm. Anyway, aside from my obvious personal feelings about the Chargers I'll say it's a shame any 8-8 team can make the playoffs. The Chargers are possibly the most dangerous team in the AFC right now but they haven't had the season to deserve any post season play. RIGHT NOW, they're playing like everyone in August thought they would all year. That's what makes them dangerous. The defense is finally getting some pressure on opposing QB's and the offense is clicking on all cylinders. Even if LT is dinged up, Darren Sproles might be more of a home run threat anyway. I think they beat Indy (I know I know this makes me a repugnant traitor). After that a rematch of the Gambling Bowl could go either way in Pittsburgh. I'd like them against the Titans if they get that far. Wouldn't be surprised if these douche bags are in the big game come February.

Indianapolis: Well I already gave this one away a little. BUT, having said that I know that the Colts are better than the Chargers and if they play the way they have in the past couple of weeks they'll advance. It's safe to say that the Chargers and the Colts are the hottest teams in all of football right now. The problem is historically the Colts don't play their best ball against San Diego. We can expect this game to come down to the final minutes for sure. There last three have been decided in the final minute and the past five meeting have all been decided by less than a TD. If Indy gets past San Diego I can see them going all the way. Rest assured, the Sunday Savant will be a hot, stomach turned mess on Saturday night. NO I don't want to hang out with you.

Baltimore: I say the Ravens get past Miami but then lose to Tennessee the following week. They're playing really well right now but I'm not a full fledged Joe Flacco believer yet. Though I think he's going to have a great career. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed give this team a chance to beat anyone so Tennessee better watch out when Baltimore comes calling. That will be a bruising game that makes playoff football junkies like me drool.

Final Rash Thoughts, finally

1. I'm really proud of the Lions. They said if we're going to suck we're going to suck epically. Our jersey and maybe a ball from our last game in Green Bay will go to Canton and be remembered for generations to come. When my grand kids in 2048 say something like, "Wow Pappaw the Colts suck, they went 1-15!!" I'll say, "You don't know suck!!! The 2008 Lions were 0-16 and lost by an average of 15.6 points a game!"

2. Brett Favre should retire and stay that way. He has proven in the past three seasons that his body can't play more than 8 weeks of good football anymore. By the time December rolls around he is not a good player. He simply doesn't have the physical strength to go 17-20 weeks.

3. I'm glad Matt Ryan won the Offensive Rookie of the Year. This was an incredible class of rookies and Ryan was the incrediblist. That's right, incrediblist.

4. Where oh where will Bill Parcells go? He is about to exercise a clause in his contract that says if Wayne Huizenga sells the team Parcells get 9 million walking away and can talk to any team that wants his services. Well, Huizenga is selling. Part of me thinks he'll stay in Miami where so many things are going right. BUT, 9 million is a pretty chunk of change. The thing that kills me is that William Ford took the interim tag off of GM Martin Mayhew. WHY?! Parcells, Scott Pioli of New England and Bill Polian of Indianapolis are the only people that could fix that team. Polian isn't on the market and Pioli is possibly headed to Cleveland. The Ford family is asinine.

5. While my loathing for the Pats knows no bounds I think it sucks that an 11-5 team is on the outs when and 8-8 team is in the playoffs. But that's the way the system works. If division champions didn't get the automatic bid then what's the point of divisions?

6. The Pro Bowl will be the week before the Super Bowl in 2010. I think this is a great idea. I'm one of the few people that actually likes the pro bowl. I rarely watch more than the highlights but I like that they do it anyway. I think putting it before the Super Bowl gives a little appetizer in the bye week when football is still high on the minds of sports fans. The viewership will definitely be up. Of course the players on the Super Bowl teams won't play in the game but that's a small price to pay for Roger Goodell. This was a good move.

7. Denver sucks. They should be ashamed of themselves. Get rid of the entire front seven of that defense. Seriously. All of them.

8. I think the Bears defense is fixing to get a major over haul this off season. Chicago has offensive holes to fill as well but that defense did not play Chicago ball when it mattered most. Lovie Smith begins the 09 season on the hot seat.

9. I can't believe the Falcons and Cardinals are about to play a playoff game. It doesn't seem right does it?

10. Peyton Manning should be the MVP. Yes I'm a homer. Yes, I'm just saying what a bunch of the media people are saying. But it's true. There hasn't been any gaudy numbers like Brady's 50 TD's last year and the only one that did have them (Drew Brees threw for 5,000 yds) played on a crappy team that he didn't carry on his back to get more than 8 wins. Name me one other player in the league, besides Manning, that if you took him off the team there would be at least an 8 game swing in the W-L column. You can't. Case closed.

Funny football things because everyone should laugh more.

2008-12-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

I want to give the gift of laughter this Christmas so I wanted to post a few football related funnies.

This might be the funniest thing I've ever heard a ref say.

Of course that would seem original except this guy:

As a loyal WVU fan and alum, I find this funny. But in all seriousness, it's a little over the top. Just a little.

There are several Carl rants to pick from but this one may be my favorite.

Football is better than you.

2008-12-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

Late season rally's and slumps are fast becoming the best way to predict what's going to happen come January. If we look back at the past decade or so the teams that are en fuego in November and December, not the overall record leaders, are the ones that go onto win trophies and such.

The Titans for example were 10-0 and virtually unstoppable a month ago but have gone 2-2 since. Kyle Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth are out until January 10th for the divisional playoff. That's not good Titans fans. Any team that limps into the playoffs is doomed. I don't like this team to win it all.

Same with the Giants. They've had huge injuries and the Plaxico Burress drama. It's obviously taking a toll. The lack of a deep threat is making the run game look ho hum and Eli Manning less Manning like by the week. They're in no shape to play the best come January. They are having the exact opposite season from last year. And since last year they won the Super Bowl, opposite is bad.

On the flip side teams like Minnesota are finding their groove at just the right time. Their defense is playing the way most people were expecting it to and Brad Childress has finally decided that running both Taylor and Peterson is a good idea. AP is obviously the better back but Chester Taylor is a baller and is more than capable of picking up good yardage. More importantly he allows for AP to keep his legs fresh while maintaining the threat of a nasty run game. Do you think Tavaris Jackson throws four TD's if Arizona wasn't completely consumed with the run game on Sunday. I think not.

Carolina has been lying under the radar all year partly because of some really atrocious outings ( which they still won) in October. But nevertheless they are clicking on all cylinders, have the best two headed monster at RB at this point in the season and oh yeah Steve Smith has four consecutive 100 yd games. Nasty. Nobody in their right minds wants to play this team in January. They gotta be the front runner in the NFC right now.

Dallas is surging back as well. (Excuse me while I vomit in my mouth a little, mmm that sausage biscuit is still DELICIOUS) The Cowboys are the leagues most talented team. No doubt. But for most of the season it's been that talent that's caused bad team chemistry and L's. But now they're playing much better, especially on defense. I'm still not sold on their play off moxy but any team that is that loaded and is playing some of their best ball in mid December has to be a frightful thought for opponents. If this team beats the now fighting-for-their-lives-Ravens on Sunday then the NFC should be very scared.

In the AFC the Steelers are clearly the team to beat. ( uh oh more vomit) That defense is nothing short of epic and the offense makes plays when it matters most. The coaching on this team, as always, is stellar. If they happen to sneak home field away from the Titans then it will be a tough road to ho for any AFC team to have to travel to Pittsburgh. We'll see this weekend if they can go to Nashville and beat up the wounded AFC South champs. Historically the Steelers have not always faired well at home in the playoffs. Unless they play the Colts. Bastards.

Thoughts Done Rashly

1. Carl Peterson just left KC on his own accord. This might mean that the owner, Clark Hunt, will tell Herm Edwards to bow out as well and just start over in KC. They are a very young team that could be molded into a winner if the right front office is brought in.

2. Pro Bowl selections come out today and there's a lot of stories out there about how the NFC East fans have over loaded the balloting. Here's my problem. The fans and media have 1/3 the voting power then 1/3 players and 1/3 coaches. The fans have way too much say. We don't know as much as the player and coaches. Well, maybe I DO but the rest of the fans don't. The players and coaches should have 80%-90% of the say and then the fans can have what's left. If I see more than two Redskins or any Eagle not named Dawkins or Westbrook I'll be disappointed. This division is the biggest soap opera in the league but by no means does it have the most pro bowl players.

3. Andre Johnson is the best WR in the AFC.

4. Can somebody PLEASE put the Chargers out of their misery? I'm counting on you Tampa Bay. If that team wins their next two and the Broncos lose their next two I'll be crushed. Crushed I say.

5. You know that I hate the bowls so I need to mention the top 5 dumbest bowl names this season.
1. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
2. Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl (This one has been the worst for several seasons past.)
3. magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl
4. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
5. Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

I mean it's got to be a joke right?! If any bowl is simply named for the company that sponsors it, then it should not be allowed. Somebody please put a stop to this. It's a disgrace to the word bowl. It's against all things bowly. Cereal bowls bring wonderful treats and milk together in a perfect breakfast blend. Soup bowls are filled with delicious concoctions made to warm us up on a cold winter's day. The bowl of a pipe makes pot heads happy and lovingly forgetful. The Super Bowl has become a holiday for friends and family to get together and eat junk food in the dead of winter. You see? Bowls are good! But not these new bowls. Not the San Diego County Credit Union Bowl. This is an evil bowl. Evil like Sauron. Evil like Voldemort. I hate these bowls.

6. Arizona is going to get blasted by the Pats this weekend. They will go into the playoffs looking like a sub .500 team.

7. I don't know about you but I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to watch San Francisco at St. Louis or Cincy at Cleveland. The battle for the 2nd pick in the draft will be lost in the trenches this weekend.

8. I won't be surprised one bit if the Jets go to Seattle and get whacked. The Seahawks will be playing for their coach but more importantly the Jets are playing terrible right now. They were handed that game on Sunday by JP Losman. They have lost to the Raiders and 49ers on trips to the west coast. Easiest bet on an underdog all year.

9. Carolina has the biggest game it's played in three years coming up on Sunday. The fact that it's in NY makes it better too. We'll see how tough they really are in what should be pretty lousy weather. I say they do it.

10. The last must win game for the Colts can be Thursday night. If the defense plays like it's been playing lately then I don't see how they don't win. Jacksonville always plays them tough but there's no way they're as hungry as Indy at this point. Even if the Colts do win, the game against the Titans the next week will still be meaningful as far as playoff seeding.

My Own Little Mecca

2008-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

Football and the NFL in particular has become a sport made for TV. It's really set up nicely for commercials and for friends to get together and casually or not so casually ( in my case) watch the game while eating, drinking and hopefully being merry. ( That all depends on how your team is playing) But as I experienced this past weekend, being at the game is still the way to go. Yes it's terrible to the wallet and it's an event that takes the better part of the day but that, to me, is what it's all about.

There's something about drinking terrible beer at 9 o clock in the morning while standing in 15 degree weather looking up at the glorious house that Peyton built that sends shivers down my spine. The stadium, besides having that ridiculous name plastered on all four sides, is a gorgeous structure both inside and out that never would have happened had #18 not been drafted by Indy. It's as fan friendly as any place I've been to and there isn't a bad seat in the house. However it's terribly quiet compared to the dome. Now I wish they actually would pump in crowd noise.

Bill Simmons who writes for ESPN wrote an awesome column a couple of weeks ago about home field advantage and how it's disappearing in the NFL. After attending a game at the new stadium I think he's exactly right. This stadium has no cheap seats. Any rowdy and off color fans are going to be so far away from the action that there's no chance of players hearing what they think of their mothers. In many cases people actually ask you to sit down during the game, even when it's third down and your team needs a stop. The seats near the field where metal bleachers filled with sausage and beer logged degenerates once resided are now filled with corporate suck ups and their families. The prices are in the $200-$300 range just to start off. What beer drinking, testosterone raging guy can afford to do that 8 times a season? This fan friendly design is TV friendly as well. When was the last time you saw the cameras shake at an NFL game? If you saw it recently it was probably either in Buffalo, NY or Lambeau Field. The new stadiums are built to host Super Bowls which turns them into giant TV studios. It's sad really and takes the"meat head" mentality, that I've always been so fond of at football games, away and leaves things feeling a little sterile.

Nonetheless, being surrounded by thousands of blue and white clad brethren was and always has been a special time for me. For those of you who've watched the Colts with me, especially live, you know that I try to keep my social graces to a minimum. The Colts slaughtered the Bengals 35-3 and you can bet your sweet ass that I was pumping my hips in a completely inappropriate manner as Kelvin Hayden ran untouched down the side line to score the final, meaningless touch down. The two female Bengals fans who I didn't know that were sitting beside me were not amused. Not at all. In fact beside their team getting pasted and paying WAY too much to see it, I'd say I made their day suck. I could very well be "that guy" when they describe their experience to their friends. However I did apologize several times to the one right beside me for trying to eat a bite of her pizza. She didn't need it, trust me. I feel like if I keep one more Bengals fan from coming back to the house that Peyton built, then I did my part to make the place a little louder for the good guys. You never know, maybe she'll tell her friend who's a Pat's fan what a terrible day she had and my actions will be even farther reaching than I intended.

Ok seriously, I didn't intend any of that. I just like making animal noises and eating other peoples food when my team is making their team look stupid. It's part of my charm.

What else happened in football land? Well college football concluded it's season with another sham. The picking of Oklahoma over Texas makes the Red River Shootout that took place back on October 11th the most anticipated and watched exibition game in college football history. And they say the regular season has meaning. Psha. Florida is going to the big dance as well even though they lost to an unranked team. Are both of the teams good? Yes. Do I care and think they deserve a trophy? No. Seriously people, boycott these games. They're meaningless.

In the NFL the post season got a little clearer. The Titans are in. The Cards are in. The Giants, even though they lost, are in. The NFC South gained a front runner with Carolina beating Tampa on Monday night. Good things are happening, so good that I want to think rashly about them.

Rash Thoughts

1. The Cardinals franchise is hosting a playoff game for the first time in my life. Which is good for them historically but more importantly good for them in terms of getting a playoff win. Because as soon as they roll into NY or Carolina they're going to get crushed. They don't like the east coast. I think the humidity makes them uncomfortable.

2. Anyone outside of Detroit not pulling for the bagel in the W column is crazy. This is an epic failure and we're oh so close. The Colts get to play them this week and I'm probably jinxing them just talking about it. I want more than ever to see this team be 0-15 and lay it all on the line in week 17 against the Packers. The Packers will be a post season after thought and won't have near as much to play for as the Lions. Wouldn't that be great to see them lay it all on the line and still lose?!

3. I think the way Jack Del Rio has been handling the Jaguars this season is pretty crappy. He seems completely uninterested in the games while he's standing on the sideline. What a terrible collapse this season has been for them. I know they've had a lot of injuries but look at the Pats and Colts. Both of these teams are right in the thick of things and have been equally devestated by injuries. I thought this team had more moxy.

4. There are at least three games this weekend that will have the look and feel of a playoff. Tampa Bay/ Atlanta. Both of these teams are scratching for a playoff spot. If Atlanta loses they could be finished with out some help from other teams. If Tampa Bay loses they'll be in the uncomfortable position of do or die for weeks 16 and 17. Pittsburgh/Baltimore. If the Steelers pull it out they will have the division title. If Baltimore loses then we all get to see the two teams scrap like crazy for the next two weeks. And that wouldn't be a good thing for the Steelers with a road trip to Tennessee the following week. Dallas/New York. Dallas must win or they're cooked. New York must win if they don't want to lose their stranglehold on the division. Back to back losses in December would be the exact opposite of what this team did last year. In my humble opinion, if they lose to Dallas this week they won't make the Super Bowl. Another biggie is Chicago/New Orleans. Whoever loses is kaputt. Whoever wins probably is too but they'll still be breathing. Any game involving an AFC East team is big this week. My goodness it's just too much. Kotte, we're going to the bar. Bellying up, no talkie, just football.

5. Can I tell you one more time how happy I am for Steve Slaton? He's been a total beast. I'm so glad he left WVU when he did and I'm totally floored that he's put up over 1,000 yds and still has three games left. He could fast become the face of the Texans.

6. Here's my list of one and done's in the playoffs. Minnesota, whoever comes out of the AFC east, Denver, and Tennessee. That's right I said it.

7. The Colts have allowed only 4 td passes all year. Considering the fact they're playing Detroit, Jacksonville and Tennessee to close things out I'll say they're going to give up 6 max. That would be an NFL record.

8. If the Dolphins keep their noses to the grindstone it will be them who are the greatest benefactor of the Favre trade this summer. Actually you could already make that case. They were 1-15 last year and much of those woes (not all of them) was because Cleo Lemon was the QB. Chad Pennington has stayed healthy and has been as efficient as any QB in the league. The Jets have had a boost as well. The Packers? Well the way their defense has played I don't think it would have mattered if it was Favre or Rogers.

9. With Tony Romo at the helm the Cowboys were an impressive 15-2 in games before December in 2006-2007. Once crunch time came they were 4-7. This season they're 0-1. You get my point.

10. These are the muddiest waters I've seen in years for the MVP. Some ar saying it could go to a defensive player like James Harrison or Albert Haynesworth. A defensive man hasn't won the award since Lawrence Taylor in 1986.

Oh the NY bandwagoners...

2008-12-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

Last week after the Jets beat the Titans the buzz in NY over football was unlike anything I'd seen since I moved here. All of a sudden there was talk of a NY vs NY Super Bowl and how the Jets are now the best team in the AFC. I was driving around a lot last week as I moved into a new apartment. I don't get to hear talk radio much anymore so it was at treat to listen to the guys on ESPN go back and forth. The people who were calling in were quintessential NY sports fans. They watch when the going's good and they get on that wagon and ride it hard. The callers were proclaiming the Jets would win out, beat the Titans again and march right into Tampa. Brett Favre was finally comfortable in the offense and there was nothing that could stop them. I heard several quotes from Jets players stating that they were on top of the world now and that it was nice to finally be the hunted instead of the hunter.

Fast forward to Sunday. If the Jets were the hunted then they got shot, gutted and mounted on the walls of every Denver Broncos player. The Jets looked like a team who are not accustomed to being on top. They looked like a team that spent the whole week patting themselves on the back for beating the Pats and Titans in consecutive weeks. They watched the tape of the previous week where Denver got trounced by the lowly Raiders and they put it on auto pilot.

The Jets are a good team. But much like the rest of the AFC they aren't that good. They certainly aren't good enough to overcome mistakes. The back end of the secondary is weak aside from Darrell Revis and they got exposed by Denver, who when healthy has a lot of weapons. Any team like Indy, Denver or Pittsburgh would be a problem for the Jets in the post season.

We have four weeks left in the regular season. Kinda sad really. It goes by so fast. But alas, the best is yet to come. Both conferences are a really tight race which will make for a playoff atmosphere from here on out.

One of the divisions where every game matters is in the NFC North. Minnesota has a one game lead on Chicago and two on the Packers. But they just lost the Williams brothers for the season because of the steroid bust and that could prove to be a killer. Just ask the Colts how tough it is to stop the run when you don't have a DT worth a damn. The Bears and the Packers could catch them in the final month. I doubt more than one team advances from the north so that division title is the only ticket.

In this week's segment of games in which I wish nobody had to win the Cowboys visit the Steelers. Seriously, this game is juicy. I think the Steelers are the better team right now but I also think that Dallas is as talented as anyone in the league and is in dire straights. The Steelers need to keep winning too but Dallas is fighting just to make it in the playoffs. They have to be hungrier or they don't stand a chance against a ridiculous Steelers defense.

Rash Thoughts

1. The Giants are blowing off the Plaxico thing and winning games. They have the swagger of a team on the verge of repeating. IF Dallas gets in the playoffs and is on a roll I say they're the only NFC team that can beat them.

2. This may be the toughest call for league MVP that I can remember. Everyone who is on the maybe list has a serious flaw. A defensive player like Albert Haynesworth or James Harrison could sneak in and take it. It's not likely though. Defensive players almost never win the MVP.

3. MNF will actually have a GREAT game this week. Tampa at Carolina. The only reason I mention this is because they have picked some real stinkers as of late.

4. I think that if Jacksonville and Buffalo played right now on a neutral field, it would end in a 0-0 tie. No identity, no heart, no balls for either of these teams. What a difference a couple of months make.

5. The last time Detroit was 0-12 was 2001. In week 14 they beat Minnesota at home to avoid the bagel in the W column. Well it's week 14 and guess who's coming to town with two DT's out of the line up? If Detroit gets a W it's going to be this week. Minnesota only beat the Lions by 2 earlier this season. But alas, I think they serve up the bagel this year. Dripping with rancid lox cream cheese. I'm hoping for it. I like when history happens. 1-15 is no fun what so ever.

6. The Colts won without an offensive TD for the first time since 2003. Both times it was at Cleveland. It wasn't pretty on Sunday. They play at home agains t Cincy and Detroit the next two weeks. If I don't see at least 4TD's in each of those games I'll be depressed. Jeff Saturday is the most important person on that offense next to Manning. He is missed.

7. There are reports that Mike Holmgren cried after the Dallas game. I'm surprised it took him this long.

8. The Cardinals won't win a game in the playoffs without a running game. I'm not so sure they can't run like many people are saying. I think they just need to make themselves run and not abandon it so early. The o line is good enough and they have solid backs. It's a scheme thing with this team.

9. Pacman shouldn't be allowed to play anymore. The guy has had too many secnd chances.

10. If the season ended today the Cardinals and the Falcons would be in the playoffs. If someone had made that bet in August they'd have been paid 750 to 1.

Let us give thanks, for football.

2008-11-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

Don't you love time of year? Playoff races have officially begun. College football is in it's final weeks and the BCS is failing once again. Everyone is talking about all of the great games and their implications. It's fantastic. And then to top it off we get THREE games on Thursday! Or do we? Lets look at the docket.

Early game: Titans-Lions. Crap. Poop. Shit. Dung. Feces. That's what this one is. It could have been the first time a 10-0 team plays an 0-10 team. We could have seen a sleep walking Titans team come in to Detroit and maybe, just maybe see some kind of effort from the hapless Lions. But no. The Jets have to go to Nashville on Sunday and absolutely PASTE the AFC front runner and piss em off. This game on Thursday just got a whole lot worse. 41-6 Titans. Luckily we'll be eating during this one.

Late game: Seattle-Cowboys. Eh. The Cowboys are looking like they may have their swagger back. I don't think it's all the way there yet but it's looking better for them than it was a couple of weeks ago. But a win at home against the 49er's right now isn't an amazing feat. Seattle, too is playing better but their season is kaputt. They have nothing to play for other than to make Mike Holmgren feel better about the disastrous final season of his excellent career. I need Marion Barber to blow up for my fantasy team. Otherwise like I said, eh. Cowboys 27-14.

Late late game: Cardinals-Eagles. This game to me is the most interesting of the turkey day games. Too bad no one will see it because it's on the NFL network. The Eagles are still mathematically alive but after what happened with Donovan McNabb last week there is little to no hope for them. They look awful on offense and the coaching has been abysmal. However, Arizona is coming east. If you hadn't heard this over used but not irrelevant stat for the '08 season, teams from the west (mountain and pacific time zones) are a combined 1-13 when playing in the eastern time zone. Arizona is coming off a tough loss to the Giants where they played well but were obviously the lesser team. They travel on a short week and are a combined 0-2 this year on the east coast. However, Philly is just too lost in it's way right now to beat a better Arizona team. Cardinals 31-13.

I'd like to switch gears and bash the entire college football world for a bit. What
a joke. Every year we hear the same crap coming from the same people about how we need a playoff yet nothing happens. Even the President elect is coming out on the topic. But nothing happens. Where is the NCAA?! Why don't they get some balls and say to these conference presidents and the AD's that this is how we're going to do it from now on? We will have a playoff and if your schools want to play in your silly bowl games where nothing but money matters then go ahead. But the National champion will be determined by a playoff and they'll receive a trophy that looks just like all of the other national championship trophies in college athletics. Invite the best teams in the country. If they decide to go to their bowl game and get a paycheck then fine. Invite the next team on the list. What would happen is that for the first couple of years the NC would end up being a team who was ranked some where between 10-20. But after the public love affair with this wonderful event could no longer be ignored, the bowls would fade away. The viewership for a college football playoff would be astounding. Big $$$. The NCAA has no clout. Right now, I don't care who wins the National Championshiop because it's a sham. It's a joke. I don't understand why people care who wins this trophy. Win your conference and be happy with what the players did on the field. It's a disgrace to sports. NASCAR has a playoff people! NASCAR!!!

Now back to real football.

Rash Thoughts

1. Though nobody is saying it and I understand it may be way premature to do so, Matt Cassell is showing just how much a system means to a QB. Tom Brady is a great QB but he's no doubt been in the right place at the right time. Every week Cassell is getting more and more comfortable with the offense and he's more than capable of delivering in the clutch. Cassell has had a couple of great games and by no means is he Tom Brady. BUT, if Peyton Manning was lost for the year the Colts would be done. Not even sniffing the playoffs. No QB in history has had more responsibility for his teams execution than Peyton Manning. Just saying.

2. If you don't think the NFL is a pass happy league then consider this. In 1984 Dan Marino set single season records for most TD's (48) and most yards (5084) in a season. In the past four years including this one, the TD record has been busted twice and Drew Brees is on pace to eclipse the yardage record. Oh yeah, so is Kurt Warner. Four different QB's in four very different offenses. Of course, Dan the Man should get an asterik (a positive asterik) because when he played there was no such thing as "illegal contact" after 5 yds for DB's. A WR could get murdered as long as the ball wasn't in the air. This rule which was first implemented in 2004 has changed the game as much as any I can think of in the past decade.

3. The NFC north is like watching a race between three pot heads chasing after a job application. Does anyone want to win this thing? Because the second place team is staying home. The Packers just hurt themselves by losing to the Saints. The Bears and Vikings are now in the drivers seat with a HUGE game at the Metrodome coming up on Sunday. Green Bay has Carolina coming to town. They have to make a statement or they'll be two games back whoever wins in Minnesota.

4. The NFC north is mediocre. The AFC west is putrid. The Chargers (4-7) are still in the hunt for the division title. I'm thinking the division winner could be 7-9 this year. Division "leader" Denver has a monster game this weekend with the red hot Jets who are coming off of their biggest win in quite some time. Denver's offense has been one of the best this year but is terribly inconsistent. They're 3rd in yardage but are 31st in the league in turnover differential. They're not careful with the ball. The Jets have been very opportunistic as of late. I think "all world" NT Cris Jenkins will make the Denver ground game futile and make Jay Cutler do stupid things. I don't see a W for the horsies.

5. The best game of the weekend is in Foxboro on Sunday. Pats-Steelers. The Pats are in a position now that they have to win them all to make the post season. The Steelers are a strange team to me. Their offensive line is one of the worst if not the worst in the league. They've completely abandoned the run first and run often attitude that has been their trademark for decades. Yet they have the best defense, in my opinion, in the league. They know how to win and that's such a HUGE thing in this league. I hate both of these teams equally and this certainly falls under the "there are no winners here" category but putting my extreme bias aside, this one is going to be a dandy.

6. Wow, my rash thoughts are becoming more like "Thought out bullet points I'd like to share".

7. The Colts are in a good place to run the table for the rest of the season. The next three are gimme's at Cleveland and then home against the Bengals and Lions. The Colts are pretty good about not sleeping on a team but the whole gimme thing does scare me a bit. After that is Jacksonville and Tennessee who have aleady beat them this year. But the Jags are worse now than in the beginning of the season and the Titans game could go either way. Nevertheless Peyton and Co. should be playing the 4th seeded AFC west champ in the wildcard round and if you go back and read #4 you'll know that's ok with me.

8. Now that the Titans have been properly humbled the reigning champs are sitting at the top of pretty much everyone's power rankings. Not that these rankings matter but it does show that everyone is in agreement that the G-men are the team to beat. They don't really have a weakness right now and if they just keep playing solid and smart there's no one that can beat them. I'm still thinking however that someone who has been written off as dead at some point this season will be the one holding the trophy in the end. Which is not a good thing for Big Blue.

9. If the current generation of the Ford family can't run a football team why on earth should we expect them to run a multi billion dollar auto company?

10. The list of 25 semi finalists for the Hall of Fame class of 2009 came out yesterday. The cut has to be made to 15 in the next few weeks. If I were voting here's who I'd pick in no particular order.

1 Kevin Greene
2 Bruce Smith
3 Chris Dolman
4 Rod Woodson
5 Derrick Thomas
6 John Randle
7 Andre Reed
8 Cris Carter
9 Charles Haley
10 Lester Hayes
11 Russ Grimm
12 Richard Dent
13 Ralph Wilson
14 Randall McDaniel
15 Shannon Sharpe

That was not easy. There are some really good players on that list. I would really love to see Ray Guy get in one day. He's the best punter to ever live. One could say that he changed the way the punt is used in pro football and certainly the term "hang time" came from Guy's incredible punts.
Also I'd love to see Steve Tasker go in one year. He was the best all around special teams player in the history of football. No doubt. It's a tough sell getting these two in the HOF though. They only played a handful of plays a game.

Who's it gonna be folks?

2008-11-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday was simply delightful. I was fortunate enough to take in the entire day's slate of games (with friends) and I found myself at the end just wanting more. With 6 games remaining things are starting to get a little clearer. Not so much in the standings but in the momentum that certain teams are riding (be it good or bad). It's around this time each year that the teams that may have been hovering around .500 either decide to step it up or surrender.

Take the Bills for instance. Last night was an absolute must win for a team that had dropped 3 in a row (last night made it 4). There were playing at home, Monday night, against a mediocre at best Browns club. Good teams that are serious about the playoffs win this game. They are now at 5-5 which means they MUST win out to make the playoffs. Ain't happening. Everyone, including your's truly thought this Bills team was for real. Woops. Not so much. Trent Edwards has been terrible and inconsitent since he suffered a concussion in week 4 at Arizona. I'm sure the Bills will win a couple more but if Jim Mora was the coach you know what he'd be saying right about now...

Always good for a laugh. I 'll never forget that game. It really was depressing.

As you can see I figured out how to embed things. I may have to go back and edit the last post now.

So back to football. A team I see pulling away from their division rivals is Green Bay. Not because I think the Packers are particularly stellar but because I have no faith in Chicago and Minnesota. I'd like to see the Bears turn it around but Orton looked terrible on Sunday and we don't need to talk about Rex Grossman. The defense isn't good enough to make up for the bad offensive play right now. The Vikings just don't have anybody besides AP to make them two dimensional. The three teams are all 5-5 but expect Green Bay to pull it out in the end.

The Colts are surging at a good time as well. They would be the 5 seed if the season ended today. The defense gave up three BIG plays on Sunday but all in all did what needed to be done to win. The offense had by far and away it's best game of the season with a great balanced attack. The schedule gets MUCH easier from here on out for Indy. However, they do play San Diego next week and I don't expect them to win that one. Yes the Chargers look BAD, but they always beat Indy. The Colts never play well against San Diego. I expect a good week of practice ruined by a game full of stupid penalties, bad tackling, turnovers and poor special teams play. The Chargers despite being 4-6 are still in the race because they play in the worst division in the AFC. So by no means will they lay down next week.

In the NFC East things are much more clear. The Giants are better than all of the other teams by a wide margin. The Cowboys got a HUGE win in Washington on Sunday night which puts them right in the thick of things again but I don't see them being a threat down the stretch. Will the make the post season? Maybe. Will they win in the post season? No.

Speaking of the East. Did you see the Bengals/Eagles game? Did you hear Dononvan McNabb say he didn't know the NFL had ties? I have less and less respect for him every year. What a disgrace to the position. I guess that explains why the Eagles looked like it was early in the 1st quarter with 4 minutes left in OT. No hustle, no urgency. It's like watching baseball in June. The Eagles, during the Andy Reid/McNabb era are the worst time management team I've ever seen. That's right I'll take the Detroit Lions in a 2:00 drill over these clowns. They make me sick.

That being said I gotta give some love to the hapless Bengals. They have played the NFC East so tough this year. They lack talent at every position on defense except corner, they have no QB (not this year at least) no RB, and a terrible o line but they are playing like the games still matter. That's good stuff. Nevertheless I would be surprised to see Marvin Lewis keep his job.

Along the same lines I really hope Mike Singletary keeps his job at years end. Those players are busting their balls for their coach and he's putting them in good positions to win games. Yes there was a lapse of communication in Arizona but they were playing a superior team and took them to the wire.

The quietest 8-2 team in history is the Carolina Panthers. Jake Delhomme has played two dismal games back to back but still they win. Of course they were playing the Raiders and Lions but still, they won. And good teams find a way to beat teams even when they don't play their best. 8-2 is 8-2 and that's a damn fine record. They're looking at a first round bye right now. Carolina could be there at the end by all means but I don't know if I'm buying it. If the running game gets stopped I don't know if Delhomme is going to be able to make plays down field. They have Steve Smith but Mush Muhammad has been banged up and they simply don't have another play maker in the passing game. But then again this is what we said about Tennessee and look what they've done.

Rash Thoughts

1. The Steelers/Chargers game ended with an 11-10 score. The first time in history. However the gambling world is up in arms about the blown call at the end of the game. They're also pointing to the fact that the Steelers were penalized 13 times to the Chargers 1. Yes it's fishy, yes if I had 100 bucks on the game I'd be livid too. But it's amazing how many people are convinced that the games are all fixed and that this is "proof" that this is true. Gamblers, being the addicts that they are can't come to terms that there isn't anyone out to get them and that the games just happen on the field. The Steelers should have covered the 4.5 spread without the Polomalu TD but left a lot of points on the field. Even with out the penalties. Their O line is terrible and just like the week before against Indy, they couldn't close the deal. Simple as that. Having said that, the refs blew that one and it should be overturned by the league. It doesn't change the outcome and it could effect a tiebreaker for the post season.

2. Regardless of whether the Falcons make the playoffs this year, they have done something extraordinary this season. Matt Ryan is going to be the best QB of his generation.

3. Tennessee simply looks unbeatable. Jeff Fisher and his staff make the best second half adjustments of any staff in the league. The game against the Jets this week will be A LOT of fun to watch.

4. The NFL Network will once again bogart a game just for it's subscribers this week. Only this time, I'm glad I don't have to watch. Cincy at Pittsburgh. Can you say slop fest?

5. I CAN'T WAIT for the Giants and Cardinals game. I think the Giants will win but this is when we get to see if the Cardinals are really ready to play with the elite. They have a four game lead in the west so even a loss by less than a TD is a moral victory going into the playoffs. Think Giants/ Patriots last year.

6. Please God, let Singletary's 49er's lay the wood on Dallas and effectively end their season. I know it's a long shot but hey, the Rams did it.

7. The official Lions countdown to immortality begins NOW. 0-10 baby. I know you can do it!

8. Jacksonville has got to be the biggest bust of the season. They look like a shell of their 07 selves. It's like Jack Del Rio went from being the coach players would die for to losing control of the locker room in a matter of 5 weeks. If you look at everything that has happened to this team you can't help but shake your head. If that much crap happened to the Chicago Cubs the curse talk would go ad nauseum.

9. Steve Slaton looks like he'll be the RB of the future in Houston. That 71 yarder against the Colts was the first time I've ever not cheered for that kid to take it to the house. He did that often at WVU. His new found strength is what impresses me most. He's a far better inside runner than he was in college. He looks a little faster too...

10. Speaking of fast, I found a video of Eric Dickerson in a 1985 playoff game against Dallas. Since he's my childhood hero and I made fun of him in my last post, I thought I'd show off my embedding skills one more time. Go to the :55 second mark and watch one of the fastest runners ever.

A look back on a lost art form...

2008-11-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

Most people have seen or at least heard of the Super Bowl Shuffle which was made by the Chicago Bears back in 85 before they went to the Super Bowl. This fine piece of music and choreography was played repeatedly after the Bears crushed the Patriots 46-10 in Superbowl XX. It's the quintessential piece of art from the genre I like to call Fart which is short for football art.

What you probably haven't seen is "Ram It" made by the Los Angeles Rams at roughly the same time. I don't have a date but I'm guessing it's either 85 or 86 when many teams were making videos. Historians tell us that the purpose was most likely to display their fun loving side juxtaposed with the gladiator they became on Sundays. However sometimes, as on this video, it all goes horribly wrong. After you get your fill of this overtly sexual and down right uncomfortable video feel free to run a hot shower, curl up in the fetal position and rock back and forth. I promise, Eric Dickerson will never do that to you again.

Next we have a fantastic piece from the Seattle Seahawks. This one differs from the previous two in it's more country/funk fusion sound as well as any lack of choreography. What it does have is some fine acting work by various Seahawks including former TE and Vikings coach Mike Tice. Linebacker Michael Jackson leads us through his locker room with a spirited song. Perhaps the most homo erotic of all examples of Fart in this blog entry. Note the touch Jackson gives a teammate as he enters the locker room in the beginning of the video. Seattle has had one of the worst years in sports history and this video resurfacing on my internationally acclaimed blog doesn't make things any better.

Moving on we have the 49ers doing their own version of Fart. This video is much more raw, dare I say amateurish than the previous three. However in defense, the 49ers were probably busy winning four Super Bowls so the attention to detail may have suffered in their Fart. You'll see a host of players from Hall of Famers like Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott to other studs of their time like Eric Wright, Roger Craig and Jeff Fuller. One of my favorite parts of this video is the homage they pay to their teammates by throwing up still pictures of them as their name is rapped in a spirited roll call. Roger Craig's hulking of his shirt makes this video unsuitable for children and anyone who is prone to projectile vomit fits.

The Philadelphia Eagles decided to go with a more "inside look" to the production of Fart by giving us, the lucky viewer, a backstage pass to the recording of their hit, "Buddy's Watching You". For those of you who aren't up on your knowledge of historical football coaches, Buddy Ryan was the Eagles coach from 1986-1990. To ensure a more professional sound the Eagles players hired back up singers who don't play football. This certainly takes away from it's status of being pure Fart but by all means fits in the genre.

By this point you may have lost interest in this post. These masterpieces of late 80's Fart can be overwhelming in scope and depth to some but I challenge you to read on and more importantly, watch on. The men who created these pieces of Fart are often only remembered for their on the field heroics. This little bit of time you're giving to enjoy their incredible talents off the field will make you a more well rounded follower on game days. The then LA Raiders made a piece of Fart that I think does a nice job of mixing in game footage so the viewer can get a grasp of not only the gladiator but the Fartist as well. The real gem in this piece however is LB and now defunct pariah GM Matt Millen's guitar solo. The reactions of his teammates both good and bad is a priceless glimpse into the team psyche. It makes us ask, was metal not allowed in the locker rooms? And if so did this have a lasting effect on Millen that could explain his complete ineptitude as a GM?

The last piece of Fart, if you want to call it Fart is from the Miami Dolphins. The reason I find it a little offensive is that they had to go and parody "Can't Touch This" and change the lyric from "This to "Us". What the video does offer is a fantastic display of early 90's fashion in Miami complete with Zubaz pants and pastel suits. The production quality is high complete with game footage and sprinkled with Hooter's girls and cheerleaders. It does a better job of capturing the city of the team than others do but it's use of an MC Hammer song keeps me from totally embracing it.

Fart as you can see sometimes can be 6 or 7 minutes long. When there are 53 players on a roster all of whom have a burning fartistic desire, how does a director say no? Can you imagine? "I'm sorry Mr. Jerry Rice, but your work isn't as strong as Mr. Lott's". It would never happen. Not when team chemistry is as fragile as the rain forests. If something like that had happened well, I don't think any of us want to think about what the world would be like had the San Francisco dynasty crumbled and the Cincinnati Bengals had won a Super Bowl. I shudder at the thought.

I hope you enjoyed them in their ENTIRITY. If you didn't then go take a look in the mirror and ask yourself "Who in the hell do I think I am?!" I doubt you'll be able to answer.

Here's my two cents...

2008-11-11T08:50:00.001-08:00

Why are the Titans not getting the love and out right worship the Patriots got last year? They're not getting the love the Colts got when they started the season 13-0 in 2005 either. What gives? I'll tell you what gives. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning....Kerry Collins. Plain and simple. Kerry Collins is to sexy QB what George W Bush is to smart people. The difference of course being that Collins is "managing" his team ( if you call going 30-41 for 289 and 3TD's managing) and Bush well... nevermind, I'm tired of that clown. Anyway, the Titans are playing more soundly, more punishing and better than the Pats did last year, that's right I said it, but aren't being praised nearly as much. Of course the good folks in Tennessee don't bitch and moan when their team is disrespected like the sports fans in Boston so perhaps ESPN and the others just aren't cajoling the Titanites as much as they did the Pats fans from last year. But more than anything I say it's Kerry Collins. He's old, funny looking in a "straight from the trailer park" kinda way and he's certainly not going to break any records this year. But his comeback is awesome and deserves more praise than it's getting.

If you remember back to this time last year the Pats were blowing everyone out. Their offense was putting up such huge numbers that the defense didn't have to do anything but play the pass which always works out in the D's favor. But the thing the Pats were susceptible to were physical teams that slowed the game down (sped the clock up) and kept Tom Brady off the field. The defense was old, and the ground game was mediocre. They pulled through a couple of games with nothing but luck on their side.

I think Tennessee is going to lose 1 or 2 games before the season is out. I'm not trying to say they're the best team in history. But they are playing the kind of football that actually wins Super Bowls not writes records. The Bears on Sunday shut down the two headed monster of Johnson and White so Collins dropped back and picked apart a struggling Bears back end. The defense is opportunistic and brutally physical. The Titans will have to lose games on their own cause there isn't a team out there that can beat them at their own game right now. Not even the G-men.

Speaking of the Giants I have to say hats off to the way they're defending their title. They are playing great and I see no reason why they couldn't make it back to the big dance as well. The NFC is starting to become more like the AFC in that it's a crap shoot. I know I've gone on and on about this in previous weeks but I'm telling you right now this will be one of the best playoff chases we've had in a long while. The last three weeks of the season will feel like the playoffs and you can expect to see the level of play ratchet up a few notches for the teams on the bubble. It's going to be like Christmas in December!!... Umm.

Long Drawn Out Rash Thoughts

1. The Bears REALLY need to get Orton back and keep him healthy if they are going to have any shot at the post season. Train Rex Grossman is not a game manager, he is nothing but a backup who you play only for short bursts. Granted the defense is also banged up (what's new?) but the QB play that Orton gave them early on needs to be there and needs to be there soon. Orton's QB rating is 90.8 and Grossman's is 59.0. Suckfest.

2. I am a big fan of the call Herm Edwards made to go for 2 in the waning moments of Sunday's game. I'm not a fan of the play call. That seemed a bit rushed and not thought out. The play was most likely called (Sprint-right-throw-it-to-Tony-Gonzales-no-matter-what). The Chargers had THREE people covering Tony G. Not to mention the underneath receivers were bringing even more Bolts over to the right side of the field. No chance. Tyler Thigpen to his credit played a great game and is a scrappy SOB if I ever saw one. Having said that, I'm glad he's not my QB.

3. What's happening in Buffalo? Were they just playing with our heads at the beginning of the year? They started off 4-0 and now have lost 3 straight with Cleveland coming to town. What ever cloud Trent Edwards was riding on earlier this year and the end of last year evidently ejected him and he has now fallen back to earth. I wonder if his head is still jacked up from that hit he took in AZ? Concussions have a way of making QB's suck. Just ask Gus Frerotte. Anyhow, depending on which Cleveland team comes to town they could get back on track this week.

4. Two weeks ago I was ready to wave the white flag for tthe Colts. Not because they couldn't turn it around but just because I didn't think they would. Usually by week 6 or 7 if the team isn't playing well then they're probably not going to for the whole year. However the veteran heavy Colts have fought their way back against two division leaders in the past two weeks. When I looked at this schedule this summer I saw Pats and Steelers back to back and I vomited in my mouth a little. But winning both of those in hard fought games where the defense stepped up and made plays is HUGE for the Colts going forward. If the running game can find any kind of mojo they'll be ok. That's a big if. Still they have to win out or lose no more than 1 game to have a chance.

5. Carolina won the ugliest game of the season on sunday. Jake Delhommes QB rating was..drumroll please.. 12.3!!! HAHAHAHA!! 12 point frickin 3!!! I remember back in grade school when we'd have weekly math quizzes and I wouldn't study (a common recurrance) I'd get like a 12% with a big F beside it. I always felt like it sucked more to get something like a 12% than a 0%. Cause it looked like you tried and failed instead of just not trying at all. I wonder if Delhomme felt like that on Sunday? Probably not because he's an NFL QB. And they won. And he made a couple of hundred thousand dollars just for straping on his helmet ...My real life examples always seem to fall short.

6. I feel like a broken record here but what Matt Ryan is doing in Atlanta is unbelievable. I gotta say that Atlanta is going to be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy before too long. I don't see how they don't. But what if this year is a fluke? When do rookie QB's have a fluke good season? Doesn't happen. Rookie QB's suck. They struggle, make poor decisions, have happy feet in the pocket. They just look plain lost. Matt Ryan made Drew Brees look like a rookie on Sunday and I'm simply amazed. Rookie of the year hands down. People at the AP, give it to him now!

7. I'm glad the NFL rescinded it's fine on Justin Tuck last week. I hope they pull back on the reigns with the fines they are dishing out. I'm afraid that before too long the bone crushing hit that people fill the stands to see will be a thing of the past. That would be a shame. I'm all for protecting the QB because they are the biggest selling products the league has but it's getting a little out of hand. Besides, nobody pays good money to see Brooks Bollinger. They pay it to see him get driven into the turf.

8. Arizona is about to win it's first division title since 1948 when they were the Chicago Cardinals. Back then there were only two divisions. NFL west and NFL east. They won the west and lost to Philly, a team they had beat in the regular season, in the league championship game. They're playing well enough to compete with most teams in the NFC right now but I don't see them making a deep run in the playoffs. The Cards have a 4 game lead in the division and the only team that even has a pulse just fell to them last night in the Pink Taco. (That's one of the company names that was bidding on University of Phoenix Stadium. I think it's safe to say that they'll win the NFC West and a long long drought in professional sports will come to an end.

9. I love that Ty Law just signed a deal with the Jets just in time to play his old team New England. Even though Miami is playing tough I think it's going to come down to these two at the end for the AFC East title. I also think the Pats will win it. They're playing controlled and solid enough to make a run at the big dance again. The Jets on the other hand are playing killer defense right now and should be in the wild card hunt by years end. It's just ol' Brett Favre that I don't trust anymore. He's going to blow it for them before the years out. Watch for Ty Law to jump a route and show Brett some old man love. ( Yes I'm aware of how that sounds) Law's instincts make up for his age and declining physical skills making him a viable CB with great leadership. Good pick up by the Jets.

10. The Eagles playcalling is by far and away the most atrocious I've seen all year. In three games now they've tried to pick up 2 or 3 yards by running the ball when the game is on the line. Most of the time this isn't a bad play call. But when you have Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb and an undersized O line that it's a terrible call. It's cost them at least two wins and possibly a third when they tried it against NY on Sunday night. Talk about a team with no identity.

Now the fun begins

2008-11-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

Every team in the NFL has played at least half of their schedule. The bottom feeders have been thoroughly designated and the cream (what little there is of it) has risen to the top. The gray area in between is where about 24 teams now reside. The playoffs are looming out there on the horizon and it's now where we'll see the teams really start to pull away and fade. The separation has to begin at some point right?

I'm a big fan of weeks 14-17 being do or die weeks for teams and I think we'll get a heapin' helpin' of that this year. Look at the standings. The AFC East, NFC East and NFC South are still 4 way races. That's incredible. The NFC North is a threeway race that in my humble opinion should come down to Chicago and Green Bay. There's something about Gus Ferrotte that just keeps me from loving the Vikings. But you never know, they're just an unlucky loss to my Colts away from being 5-3 and tied for first.

Speaking of the Colts, their 4-4 record keeps them very mcuh alive but the schedule is more daunting than any other team in the AFC. I think it's safe to say that Tennessee isn't losing more than 4 games this year so the division is out of reach. Which means they will have to win no less than 6 of their last 8 to have a snowball's chance. 7 wins would be safe. But here's the schedule, at Pittsburgh, Houston, at San Diego, at Cleveland, Cincy, Detroit, at Jacksonville and close it out with the Titans. Not easy. Not at all. Realistically they'll lose next week and then have to run the table.

Now let's look at Miami. They're 4-4 and more than likely not going to win their division BUT certainly aren't mathmatically out of it either. Here's their schedule. Seattle, Oakland, Pats, at St Louis, at Buffalo, San Fran, at Kansas City, at New Jersey (Jets). If they go 1-2 against the Pats, Bills and Jets and win the rest of their cakewalk games they'll be 10-6. AND have a better AFC record than Indy which would give them the nod.

As I go over this in my head I realize that this is probably going to be a moot point and it will come down to someone else but this is the way it shapes up for two of the "bubble teams" right now. Denver is also 4-4 but their defense is just not good enough and I suspect we'll see them drop out of the race in the next 3 weeks.

Now, about last week. The Giants/ Cowboys game should have been a slugfest. It was more like an early Tyson fight. Absolute pummling. I watched this game and kept thinking, how is it so close? The Cowboys are down right putrid on both sides of the ball right now. That game should have been 41-0 or worse. The Giants on the other hand are the best team in football. I don't care about record, they'd beat Tennesse if they played this weekend.

The Pats/Colts game was every bit as good as the games in years past. No it wasn't Brady vs. Manning and no the teams aren't the juggernauts they were in 03-07 but it was good to see the two best coached teams in the NFL play like it. It was a symphony of efficiency by both teams. It came down to, like all games in the NFL, the Pats making a couple of key errors late that sealed it for Indy. The game only lasted 2:41! I wonder where that ranks as far as quickest games?

I thought the Packers/Titans game was the best game of the day. Both of these teams play VERY hard and have superb defenses. Another thing I notice with both of these teams is that they have a lot of no name guys that step up and make plays. That's the sign of good coaching and management. And that's the thing that's keeping the Titans ahead of the league. This team is the kind of team Lombardi would have loved. No nonsense, no flare. Jeff Fisher has his team playing 5 yds at a time for the whole game and it's very difficult to stop that. What I don't like about the Titans is that IF they get down by more than 1 score at any point this season I don't see them coming back. They aren't built to do anything but pound the opponent. It's going to bite them in the end. I've said it before and I'll say it again, they aren't winning the Super Bowl this year.

Rash Thoughts
1. Brady Quinn getting the start seems like a desperate thing for the Browns. That game agains Denver this week could see 80 pts scored.

2. Just when I start to thinkTampa is going to make a run they come out and nearly lose it to KC. Is there any team in the NFC South that's worth their record right now?

3. Cincinnatti lost it's #1 draft pick on Sunday by beating the train wreck that is the Jaguars. Mike Brown probably thinks his team is headed in the right direction now.

4. Kyle Orton is out 1-4 weeks. Rex Grossman is NOT, I repeat NOT, going to be able to hold onto that 1 game lead for long. Maybe 1 game but definately not 4. Bad Rex is only a center/QB exchange away.

5. Daunte Culpepper REALLY must want to play football again. He's going to suffer in Detroit.

6. Arizona really looks like a good team this year. An opportunistic defense, a fantasy football dream on offense and solid coaching is finally putting this team where it should have been for two years now.

7. Pittsburgh looks absolutely dominating. However their O line is still cause for concern. If Big Ben is out ( I don't think he will be) for any games then the statuesque Byron Leftwich could be a ticking time bomb for an other wise awesome team.

8. I don't like the Redskins at all. And not just as a fan. As a critic. I think they can run it well against teams that aren't very good but other than that they're average. If the get in the playoffs it will look a lot like last years one and done performance.

9. I feel bad for Seattle. The injury plague just keeps going and going. I don't think they would have been great this year anyway but that team has lost it's soul and is playing at half speed it seems.

10. David Tyree is on the verge of being released by the Giants. Isn't that crazy?! Here's a guy who made the biggest catch in SB history not even a year ago but could be released by the end of this week. The NFL really does stand for "Not For Long" just as Jerry Glanville said.

EXTRA: I read today that the Washington Redskins' last game before the election has correctly predicted the presidential election 16 out of the last 17 times. If they win the incumbent party stays in if they lose the other party wins. Last night the Skins got beat down by the Steelers suggesting a victory for Obama. However the only time this was not correct was in 2004 when the Packers beat the Skins on the Sunday before the election and Bush won...Isn't it crazy we voted for that guy twice?! Makes you wonder.

Mid Season Musing

2008-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Week 8 has come and gone in the world of pro football and what a fun time it's been. Star players breaking their legs, GM's and coaches getting fired, juggernauts writhing in mediocrity, bottom dwellers playing inspired, lots of close games and fantastic performances each and every week. It's why I love the game and as the NFL evolves it seems to get better.

I want to share with you my thoughts on the biggest surprises and biggest disappointments as well as my mid-season predictions. That way you can go back and laugh at how wrong I was about some teams. Most teams.

I think the biggest surprise to most people has been the dominant play of Tennessee. Yes they were a playoff team last year and were returning nearly the whole roster so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. But no doubt the Jags and Colts were suppose to be the teams to beat in the AFC South if not the AFC. We'll get to them later when we discuss disappointments. The Titans are really playing sharp and are error free in most cases. You don't have to be the most talented team you just have to be the most efficient. That's the Titans, an efficient machine.

Another surprise for me has been the play of Matt Ryan. I'm amazed by him. I can't believe he's a rookie. And this really is a surprise because rookie QB's are notoriously bad. Even Troy Aikmen, Peyton Manning and John Elway stunk it up their rookie seasons. Ryan is so poised and so dead on with his throws. Teams are not going to want to play Atlanta in a few years. He's going to be the next great one. We're going to lose Favre and gain Ryan.

My last surprise (I'm more disappointed than surprised this year) is the Chicago Bears offense. Where in the sam hell did that come from?!! Who would have ever thought at the beginning of the season that the Kyle Orton led Bears would have more points than both the Colts and the Pats. Completely insane! And if you watch their games it still doesn't make sense. But it's happening. Their line is playing much better than it has in years past and Orton is simply a good QB. He's nothing great but he's smart and he's a good game manager. The Bears are by no means the Bears of old. They're not a smash mouth team on either side of the ball. But they're putting up points in bunches and the last time I checked the way you win games is by having more points than the other team. Let me make sure that's right...Yeah that's what the rule book says.

Now to say this season has been a personal disappointment so far would be an understatement. I am re learning that feeling of weekly bitter disappointment. I'll get to the Colts in a second. First off I think the biggest disappointment in the league has been the Cowboys. I know, they're still above .500 but with that roster they should be a one loss team at the worst. They are underachieving with less injuries than any body else. They're poorly coached and have too many distractions. No Cowboy fan should be pleased in the least. Could they turn it around? Yes. Will they? Doubt it. Intangibles aren't easily fixed and this team has BIG intangible problems.

The Chargers are another disappointing team. They play in arguably the crappiest division and they still aren't winning it. They just fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell since his team has given up 25 points a game and a league worst 265 yds per game through the air. They've been torched and get no pass rush. LT is no longer the LT of old (Isn't it sad how dynamite RB's just fizzle into mediocrity in a matter of months?) and the lack of Shawn Merriman is like a giant hippo in the room. This team is 3-5 but could still win it's division simply because no body in that division is worth a poo.

The Colts on the other hand are 3-4 and are 4 games back from the division leading Titans. Wild card anyone? Not so fast. First off the Colts have to play better. They've been beaten up in 3 of the 4 losses and 2 of the ir 3 wins came on a wing and a prayer. This team has actually played so bad that they could easily be 1-6. The wildcard in the AFC should be around 10-6 maybe even 9-7 because if you look at the standings you see that all of the second and third place teams are 5-2,4-3,3-4. None of these teams have been stellar this year. IF the Colts somehow get it together then sure, they can play with anyone. But if Peyton Manning isn't right, why would the rest of the team be ok?

The Jags have simply been too battered by injuries to live up to their pre season hype. The tragic story of Ed Collier along with a plethora of other injuries along the O line has left a ferocious running attack very weak. I really don't see them making it in to the final six at the end of the year. I do blame some of this disappointment on the media. They were expected to do way more than should have been. Everyone expected David Garrard to continue not to make ANY mistakes, which is what he did last year. That's crazy talk. Only an elite few QB's keep up that kind of play two years straight.

The last one is completely media driven and that is the Vikings. Some people at ESPN had them picked for the Super Bowl. For some reason they felt that this team had enough to it that it could over come a train wreck at QB and a doofus for a coach. Every year this happens. These sports writers must sit up at night just praying that they'll actually pick that sexy rogue team that will come out of nowhere and be a juggernaut. Kinda sounds like when McCain picked Palin. Sigh. Oh the disappointment.

MIDSEASON PREDICTIONS

AFC EAST
Patriots 11-5
Bills 10-6
Jets 8-8
Dolphins 7-9

AFC WEST
Chargers 8-8
Broncos 8-8
Raiders 5-11
Chiefs 2-14

AFC NORTH
Steelers 12-4
Ravens 8-8
Browns 7-9
Bengals 1-15

AFC SOUTH
Titans 13-3
Colts 9-7
Texans 8-8
Jaguars 7-9

NFC EAST
Giants 13-3
Cowboys 10-6
Redskins 10-6
Eagles 9-7

NFC WEST
Cardinals 9-7
Rams 5-11
49ers 5-11
Seahawks 4-12

NFC NORTH
Packers 10-6
Bears 10-6
Vikings 7-9
Lions 1-15

NFC SOUTH
Panthers 11-5
Bucs 11-5
Falcons 9-7
Saints 8-8

Week 8 Rash Thoughts

1. The Patriots are scary. They win for no reason at all. You should be frightened too.
2. I'm really impressed by how the Giants, despite losing all of those big names on defense, still have their swagger. It's amazing what knocking off the "Greatest team in the history of football" will do for ya.
3. Though my predictions don't show this, I think the Texans could come up and bite the wild card in the ass. They lost 4 in a row and now have reeled off 3 straight with a fairly easy schedule coming up. A win in Minnesota this week would be HUGE.
4. Mike Singletary is a refreshing shot in the arm as a football coach. I always admired him as a player (who didn't) and I'm glad he's getting his chance now.
5.This water pill incident in New Orleans is not good for the league. I wonder how prevalent this is league wide.
6. Albert Haynesworth is my mid-season MVP.
7. I honestly think Cincy or Detroit could go 0-16. I really want it to happen to Cincy. I want Mike Brown to feel the epic failure that is his pathetic life. (You'd think I love the Bengals with a comment like that. Yikes.)
8. It'll be interesting to see if Ron Rivera the new defensive coordinator for San Diego sticks with the hybrid 3-4 they've been using or go to something he's more accustomed to coaching.
9. I counted 4 passes that Peyton Manning threw on Monday night that he would have never missed in seasons past. Those four plays would have completely changed that game. He's the main reason they're struggling right now.
10. If the Colts can just beat the Pats this week I'll forgive the rest... ok well maybe not but still, when evil is lurking in your house then you must snuff it out. And evil wears a hoodie.

On this day in 1989...

2008-10-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

I always remember October 22nd because it was on this day that I saw my very first Colts game. My dad drove me five hours along the Ohio River for a 1 o clock match up at Riverfront Stadium. Colts/Bengals. The Bengals were coming off a Super Bowl year and were still plenty loaded. Esiason, James Brooks and Ickey Woods. Anthony Munoz and my then favorite Bengal, safety David Fulcher. They called him Fulcher the Vulcher. He was a complete animal but I believe his career was cut short due to injury. He was a pro bowler in 88. Enough about the Bengals though. This day was about the Colts. A day I had dreamed about for a long time. Eric Dickerson was my idol and childhood hero. He led the league, once again, in rushing in 1988 with 1,659 yds and 14Td's but was slowed in 1989 by a nagging hamstring injury. He was back at 100% for this match up and I was on pins and needles.

The game was the best game the Colts played all year. The defense shut down Cincy's high powered O and kept them out of the endzone for the entire game. Dickerson ran for a season high 152 yds and a score.

It was a pretty low scoring affair until the Colts took control in the last few minutes of the 4th quarter. The Colts were down 12-9 in the fourth before they put together a drive and Jack Trudeau hit RB Albert Bentley in the back of the endzone and went up 16-12.

With about 6 minutes left Cincy starts driving down the field. I, who was dressed in nothing but blue sitting in the middle of a Bengals season ticket holder section, had been pretty animated the whole game. However as Boomer started completing passes I felt my stomach turn over about nine times. I knew we weren't suppose to beat Cincy that day but I was praying, literally, that God would allow the lowly, hapless Colts to just win this one for me.

I'm sick, turning green. My heart is pounding and my palms sweating. And then on 2nd down Boomer throws an out route that safety Keith Taylor (brother of 49er WR John Taylor) picked off and ran back to the 21 yd line of Cincy. I was ECCSATATIC!! My dad was clapping and nervously laughing trying to keep the peace as the quiet and not so happy Bengals fans glared at his son. But they were actually pretty cordial. I mean after all I was just an 11 year old kid. My stomach was still in knots. My nerves were shot. And then the moment I had been waiting for...

Eric Dickerson, my idol and childhood hero, did what he did best. On first down following the INT Trudeau gave it to him off right tackle and he dashed into the endzone for a 21 yd score. Ball game.

I could have crapped my pants. I was literally doubled over and couldn't hardly sit in my seat. The pain was intense. My nerves and adrenaline had ravished my skinny 100 lb body and I was useless. So useless, this is the part my dad like to tell, that he had to carry me out of the section and down the long winding corridors. Remember the long wrap around ramps they put on multi purpose stadiums like Three Rivers, Veterans and Riverfront? Actually I believe I walked some of the way once we left the stadium but he carried me for the better part of the trip back to the car. And then when I was at the car I was still too wound up and had to lay down in the back seat. My dad said that I then gave a near perfect play by play recap of the entire game. Until I passed out and slept the rest of the way home...

Have I Mentioned Parity Rules?

2008-10-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Week 7 is in the books and there isn't an expert, ex player, ex coach or wannabe expert blogger like myself that knows what the hell is going on in the NFL. The only stead fast thing is that Tennessee is ripping up it's competition with relative ease. (Which is costing me hours of sleep this week as the Colts try to get their act together before the Monday nighter next week) Besides the Titans we've seen anywhere from chinks to gaping holes in the proverbial armor of every other team in the league. No doubt about it, who ever is hot in January is going to win. Plain and simple. And unless you have a crystal ball it's impossible to tell who that will be. Oddly enough, one thing we can be almost certain of, it won't be the Titans. Teams that are on fire in the first two months rarely keep their steam through the cold winter.

Here are the teams that are in the "We're better than you" category. In no particular order: Tennessee, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and New Jersey Giants. Buffalo needs to win on the road against a good team but their record is nothing to sneeze at.

Here are the teams that are in the "We don't know what we want to do with our season" category. In no particular order: Carolina, San Diego, New Orleans, Chicago, Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, Green Bay, Arizona, New Jersey Jets, Washington, Tampa Bay, New England, Denver, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Philly and Atlanta. Count them. Ok I'll do it for you. It's 18 teams. That's over half the league.

Here are the teams that are in the "We suck something non-offensive but have shown signs of life" category. In no particular order: Houston, Cleveland, St Louis, Miami, Oakland, San Francisco. Houston and Miami have outside chances of putting some wins together and getting a wild card. But that must start NOW.

Here are the teams that are in the "We suck sweaty man balls and wish we could compete in a sucking of sweaty man balls competition instead of professional football" category. In no particular order: Cincinnati, Detroit, Seattle and Kansas City.

San Francisco fired their coach this week after a ho hum 2-5 start. What I was surprised to find out is that Mike Singletary, MLB extrodinaire, is taking the reings and not Mike Martz. Good move San Fran. I love me some Singletary and I've heard that the players really love him. Martz has proven that he's better in the box than on the sideline. Don't expect the Niner's to do anything huge with the rest of their season but you never know, look what a new coach has done for St Louis.

Rash thoughts

1. The Colts had their statistically sloppiest game in the Dungy era last week. They make me want to puke. The game next week will define their season.

2. Cleveland is looking like a team that wants to win games now. They played hard in Washington. But they're still going to be on the outside looking in.

3. What's happening in Dallas is a perfect example of bad team chemistry. Pro Bowlers don't equal Super Bowlers.

4. Sorry but I just don't think Washington is as good as their record indicates.

5. Isn't it crazy that Kyle Orton sat on the bench for two seasons during the Rex Grossman experiment? Lovie Smith doesn't wow me as a coach at all.

6. The NFC south is the most competitive and solid division (from top to bottom) in the league.

7. Is it possible that 9-7 will get a wild card in the AFC? Absolutely.

8. Rodney Harrison's injury last night may end his great career. Torn quad at 36? That's not something you get over quickly.

9. At least one more coach will be fired before the end of the season. Rob Marinelli? Wade Phillips? Marvin Lewis? I say the Lions will finish cleaning house with Marinelli. We'll see.

10. The Jets are in for a plummet. They're still a few players shy of being a good team. If Favre wasn't there they wouldn't be a blip on the radar.

The Mighty NFC East

2008-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

This year like so many before it, the NFC East gets praise from sports writers and commentators across the nation for being such a tough division. And this year even I, the great Savant, was starting to buy into this division being cut from the mold of the football gods. Washington, Dallas, NY Giants and Philly have all had a fast start to the season. After week two we were ready to claim that all of them were in the elite of the NFL.

But entertaining football doesn't always mean good football and I'm highly skeptical of each one of these teams doing anything deep into the playoffs. But why do the preseason mags love them so and why does the media let them off the hook so easily?

According to Forbes Magazine three out of the top five teams in terms of revenue are in the NFC east. The Giants are the only team not in the top 5 but they do however happen to be in the largest media market in the country so that keeps them relevant to my upcoming argument.

Which is...

The large market/large revenue generating teams get more media for obvious reasons and when the public hears and sees positive commentary, no matter how valid, they believe it. This type of thing happens in politics all the time. Our government says something over and over again until it finally becomes "common sense". Even though that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Dallas, on paper, is the best team in the league. Completely loaded with talent. The Giants are defending champs. Washington was in the post season last year (albeit briefly) and Philly when healthy is always dangerous. So I get it that there is actually something to talk about this year. However in the past few years there was talk but really nothing to back it up. But we're talking about this year. Right now. On Sunday this division went 1-2 against the NFC west which is the worst division in football. The undefeated Giants went to Cleveland (who also sucks) and got shalacked. I know I know, any given Sunday, blah blah blah. It doesn't really mean anything that the division looked so bad for just one weekend. And that's true, but it wasn't just this weekend.

Philly is a complete crap shoot. They're either explosive on offense but have 11 bowls of Jello puddin' playing defense OR they're foaming at the mouths rabid animals who eat QB's nine sacks at a time but can't get the ball moved two feet with an all pro QB.

Washington is a solid team but by no means good enough to make ANY mistakes. They played mistake free ball for three weeks after their week 1 yawn fest against NY. On Sunday they turned the ball over three times. I just don't believe they have enough playmakers. You can say what you want about Jason Campbell but he's nothing more than a game manager to me.

The G-men are easily the best team in this division. Despite their loss last night I still think this team has the intangibles that are so often overlooked in a good team. They have a great defense and an amazing triple threat at running back. However they did lose a ton of talent in the off season and that will catch up with them at some point this year.

Dallas is going down the tank as we speak. This roster is full of extremely talented players but that may be the problem in the end. AND NOW, as I write this there is breaking news that they just acquired Roy Williams from Detroit. You think TO is going to like that? Now even more balls will go somewhere else. Now with Pacman Jones suspended along with Terrance Newman being injured they will have to win shootouts. Oh yeah I forgot, Tony Romo is hurt too. Nevermind the shootouts. This team has everything to go to the big one except unity. I don't see them doing anything except what they've done in recent years. Be a good team that blows it when it counts.

Here I dedicate an entire blog entry to these four teams and doing nothing but adding fuel to the fire I rail against. And with Jerry Jones' team being every bit about entertainment as it is winning I guess that's where our collective focus goes. But I hope this reminds you that just because you hear about it doesn't make it so. If your team is playing an NFC east team just breathe. It's not as bad as you think.

If you suck, you win!

2008-10-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

That could've been the name of the weekend we just had in the NFL. Parity ruled the day and has so far ruled the season as has been mentioned before by yours truly. But this weekend was a great example of how NO team can sleep walk through a game and expect to win in this league.

The Washington Redskins apparently read way too many Power Rankings last week prior to their game with the Rams. In fact, Clinton Portis mentioned in a post game press conference that that very thing might have been the case. No Clinton, it was the case. The Skins looked like USC against it's annual "cake walk" team that ends up up setting them. But let it be known that the Sunday Savant in no way thinks that highly of Washington. They are not the USC of the NFL. Just an example of playing flat against a team with nothing to lose.

The exact same thing happened to Buffalo last week in Arizona. Only the Cards are turning out to be a solid team sitting at 4-2 going into their bye week. The similarity between Buffalo and Washington is that these are two previously bad/mediocre teams that were suddenly the talk of the league and it went straight to their heads. Jim Zorn and Dick Jauron should have known better and kept the media influence to a minimum.

The Giants apparently didn't want a two game lead on Dallas and Washington so they too decided not to show up against the Browns. In this game however they were cornering a pissed off dawg. The Browns needed this win SO much more than the Giants and it showed in the result. I didn't get to see this game but after seeing highlights, stats and analysis it's easy to see what happened. Eli Manning threw three picks at inopportune times and the Browns actually made them pay. No big deal. Are the Giants still good? Yes. Do the Browns still suck? Mmm yeah. That defense is still terrible. BUT anything can happen and they could turn it around. However they have a tough(ish) schedule in the next few weeks. Washington, Jags, Baltimore, Denver, Buffalo. They gotta go 4-1 in those games to make me a believer. So for now I just say they got lucky.

I'll only say it briefly but if the Colts game against Baltimore is a sign of things to come then God have mercy on the souls of the AFC. A conference in which no one except Tennessee looks dominant. The Colts do know how to win and have been doing it for some time. Maybe it was just one game. I guess we'll see.

Rash Thoughts

1. Matt Ryan is the best rookie QB I remember watching. Nobody has done more with less than this guy. The throw he made to set up the field goal was not only a great throw while being hit by Tommie Harris, but perfect in timing and in placement to let his receiver go out of bounds with :01 left. A coaches dream.

2. Detroit got robbed against the Vikings. The PI called to set up the FG was a disgrace.

3. Houston played tough against the Dolphins. Like I said last week that's the best 0-4 team I've seen.

4. For the first time in NFL history 4 games in one week were decided in the final 10 seconds of regulation. In fact all of those decisions came within 15 minutes of each other. I love the NFL.

5. The Cowboys are SSSSSSSSSSSSScreeeeeeewwwwweddd. On top of underachieving in their last three games, Tony Romo is out for a month and both CB's are out indefinitely. Newman with an injury and Pacman just got suspended. This also sucks for the Titans who will now have to compensate the Cowboys with a 5th round draft pick.

6. There should be an island where we can place Al Davis and Mike Brown and then blow it up. I want there to be 32 competitive teams in the NFL not 30.

7. Have you noticed that the records of the teams in the NFC south are 4-2,4-2,4-2, and 3-3? I don't care who they've played, that's impressive.

8. Arizona is going to win the NFC west running away. That division is horrible.

9. I found myself pulling for the Pats against SD. It was difficult but my reasoning is that SD ALWAYS beats Indy and a Bradyless Pats squad doesn't scare anyone. I really can't figure the Chargers out.

10. I'd like to see Tony Gonzalez get on a competitive team before the trading deadline. He deserves it more than anyone. The guy has never even won a playoff game.

My mind is cloudy

2008-10-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yeah that's right. I'm feeling a bit numb about football right now. I'm not sure why. I think politics is taking up too much of my brain space. Perhaps it's because of the decline of the Colts. I'm not use to it yet. Or perhaps it's because I didn't get to see the games last week. I feel unattached. I went to NFL.com and watched all the highlights. All of them. And the analysis. But it's not the same. So... I'm going to my rash thoughts for those of you who need them in you life. I like to tell my self that people depend on this. Please don't tell me any different. I couldn't handle it.

Rash Thoughts

1. The Eagles have decided that putting the ball in McNabb's hands inside the five with the game on the line so he can make a play is a bad idea. Two weeks they made this decision. Two losses.
2. The Cowboys are currently the third best team...in their division. What's wrong with these guys?
3. The Bills are still a good team. But the letting teams get a lead and come back in the end thing was bound to hurt them sometime. But the really good teams NEVER get beat 41-17. NEVER.
4. After 4 weeks there's not much wrong with Carolina. They're taking names and the rest of the NFC better look out. That is of course as long as Delholmme stays up right.
5. I can't imagine the Bears are as good as it seems right now. The game in Atlanta intrigues me to no end.
6. I kinda feel bad for Houston. They're the best 0-4 team in the history of 0-4 teams. Which means absolutely nothing.
7. Nothing like a couple of key injuries to make a normally marquee match up between SD and NE seem like a yawner. This is one of those games that I wish could have two losers. I'll bet NBC wishes they could get the flex games going early this year.
8. Would the REAL Cardinals please stand up?!
9. Cleveland is going to get killed by the Giants. Because they're terrible.
10. I think Cincy could upset the Jets this weekend. But they're still an embarrassment to organized team sports.

I'm hanging on by a thread.

2008-10-07T10:29:00.001-07:00

And by "I", I mean the Colts. I've tried very hard to make this blog about the whole league with only a slight emphasis on my favorite team. I feel like I've done ok. But this post (which may not be the last one of it's kind) is about Indy. The other, more fan friendly post will soon follow.
I didn't get to watch this past weekend because I was driving back from visiting my favorite little girl in the world. So I was trying to keep up with what was going on as best I could via spotty radio calls from around the league as I drove through Redskins/Ravens country.
I was pleased to hear about the 10-0 start but then heard nothing until my brother told me of the 17-10 half time score. Then about an hour or so later I heard that it was 27-10 with 5 minutes remaining and I turned everything off.
I drove as if I was driving away from the terrible season that's looming for Indianapolis. I was thinking to myself "We're in last place." This is not a good thing for me to be thinking on little sleep and driving long hours. How can a team that won 12 games last year be so bad this year?
Well they pulled one out of their collective butts again and with a TON of luck and some big plays by veterans they stayed at .500. Barely.
What's wrong with this team? Injuries happen but they have happened in the past too. Guys who are normally solid are not playing to their potential and the lack of hustle is blatantly apparent on both sides of the ball. 8-8 is looking like a real possibility because the schedule is so tough. Besides Cincy and Cleveland there aren't a lot of easy ones out there. And since the Colts are obviously no longer the team they were those won't be gimme's either.
Here's what I see is the problem.
1. The Colts, for the past three years have been very balanced on offense. Not in 2008. They're last in the league in rushing and a main reason why is that they're simply not doing it. They're 31st in the league in rushing attempts. This offense like any other offense needs balance. Joseph Addai needs his touches and the touches need to be effective. 4-4.5 yds a carry is all it takes and the Colts O will see instant dividends.
-A big reason why they aren't running is because teams saw that Chicago game and saw that stacking the box is throwing Indy off it's rhythm. Peyton Manning is getting looks that in 2004 and 2005 he would have drooled over. 50 TD's? Puhlease. He'd have thrown 60. But now for whatever reason, bursa sac, Marvin's old, shotty line play, no rhythm, they can't do anything with it. Peyton Manning is not playing like himself, not striking the fear of God into defensive coordinators and not making them pay for ganging up on Joseph Addai.
2. 3rd down efficiency on both sides of the ball is lacking immensely. Over the past three seasons no team has been as good on third down as the Colts. 3 and 10? No problem. 50%-60% was the norm. This year they're not doing this at all. The defense which hasn't been as good in the past has been down right putrid this season. They simply can't get off the field.
3. Lack of hustle. Especially on defense. This team is REALLY small. They are also really fast. If they don't play really fast then they get trounced. The defense looks like they're playing tentatively and people like Kyle Orton, Sage Rosenfels and David Garrard are looking like Joe Montana. Picking apart a pass defense that has always been one of the leagues best. It's bad enough that the run D is terrible but the pass D too? Sigh.

So they're really hanging on by a thread. They play the Ravens this weekend in Indy. A team Peyton Manning and the defense has owned in years past. But this isn't years past and the Ravens have got to be reeling. If the Colts don't get it together this weekend they will be looking at a really tough stretch of games with little confidence. After Baltimore it's Green Bay, Tennessee and New England. Yikes. Unlike last weekend I'll watch the whole Ravens game with bells on. Please oh please Mr. Peyton Manning, make the bells ring.

Rash Thoughts

2008-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I didn't do my little list because MNF had yet to be played. Now that it has I thought I'd share my feelings on the state of my favorite league.

1. It's been a while since there wasn't a clear cut best team by this point in the season. (Funny thing is that team in the past never won the Super Bowl anyway)
2. The Vikings are shaping out to be the bust of the season.
3. I can't imagine Pittsburgh more injuries and still staying up right.
4. Is it written in McNabb's contract that he can't run anymore? It must be or he would have tried the sneak against the Bears.
5. Denver's defense is sooooo bad. Pass D, Run D, all of it. Poo poo.
6. Joe Flacco may actually turn out to be the long term answer the Ravens have been looking for.
7. I want to like the Bills this season but I'm not sold yet. I need to see them beat a good team.
8. That Browns - Bengals game reminded me of the classic in 1991 between these teams. Awesome display of awesomeness.
9. I teared up a little when I watched/read about Matt Bryant. That's a tough one.
10. I don't think Jacksonville is going to go the playoffs.

With so much drama in the NFL it's kinda hard bein' DB.

2008-09-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before in previous posts, this is shaping up to be a very different season for me personally. I've become use to winning and seeing lots of points from my teams and I'm now coming to grips that this season isn't the same. I'm cringing at the idea of the Colts not winning the division and possibly missing the playoffs for the first time in five years. I would be crushed. I would sulk privately, make excuses and act like I don't care when the nail goes in the coffin. Say stupid cliche' things like "it wasn't their year." Or "We had a good run." But those who know me will be able to see through all of this.

After the fourth week of games, a quarter of the season through, I can honestly say I don't remember a time when so many teams looked like they could be in the mix by December. This gives me hope. The Colts, as bad as they've played are easily talented enough to turn it around and rip off 10 straight W's. And they aren't the only ones like this. The AFC is such a crap shoot I hesitate to write anyone off just yet. OK, KC (despite their win yesterday), any team from Ohio, Miami and Oakland are all writeoffable. That leaves 11 teams that would not shock anyone if they made the playoffs at this point. Only Tennessee is looking like a true force. (More on them later) The rest have their glaring weaknesses. Every week things seem to start making a clearer picture but then all of that is muddied by 11 pm EST on Sundays. Parity is the only thing one can count on when watching this season.

While the Colts are sucking there is a big part of me that is loving this season like no other. It's just so damn entertaining. The games yesterday lacked a little in drama compared to weeks 2 and 3 but it was the scores and results were equally shocking.

KC beats Denver? Really? But Denver is scoring points on pace with last years Pats. They're undefeated. Herm Edwards has all but said that KC is in a rebuilding mode. How could this happen? Because Denver's explosive offense is countered by one of the worst defenses I've ever seen. And being a Colts fan that's saying something. They have no rush, they're terrible tacklers, they take terrible angles, they just flat out suck. If Cutler and company slip up one bit (which they did yesterday) they won't win.

Chicago beats Philly? Really? Philly is the second best team in the league, Chicago is anemic on offense. How could this happen? Two words, Brian Westbrook. That guy is more important to his team than any back in the league. Hands down. Sure Chicago played great and the defense was stellar but Westbrook would have made up those four points I guarantee it. If he's in, the play calling would be different throughout the game and especially during that goal line stand with 3:40 left in the game.

Washington beats Dallas? Really? Dallas is easily the most talented team in the league. They were at home against their hated rival. How could this happen? 10 touches for Marion Barber and none from outstanding rookie Felix Jones. Not acceptable. Tony Romo threw the ball 47 times. That's rarely a good thing. The Redskins controlled the clock with a solid ground game, something Dallas decided not to have on Sunday. But remember, these two teams know each other well. This kind of thing is to be expected. Especially in this division. The NFC east is brutal and these teams will line up and hit each other every game this season. Don't be surprised if one of them is 9-7 or 10-6 and looking from the outside in come January.

Now onto a team that is winning with authority. The Titans are 4-0 for the first time since moving to Nashville. Have you watched their games? Seen highlights? Impressive. Some teams win with a fluky call or because the other team sucks. I feel like most games are lost by the loser more than than won by the winner. But the Titans have that look to them that says that they're better than the guys they're playing. The defense is strong and opportunistic. The offense is efficient and productive enough that many of their games won't be much of a contest. As we've seen already. Rob Bironas can kick from 60 yards away giving them an advantage in the tight contests. It's a very complete team. Not overwhelmingly good but as complete as anyone in the league. Scary to think that my Colts still have to play them twice and we've already lost 2 games this year. Not good.

Tonight we get to see if Pittsburgh's O line is going to collapse like it did last week. It doesn't seem possible that the Ravens could go into the Burgh and get a W but if Roethlisboogy continues his Jenna Jameson impersonation (on his back with feet in the air) that's exactly what will happen. I think the Steelers will pull it out just because Joe Flacco is not ready for prime time but I wouldn't bet on this game even if I was using someone else's money.

Power Shift

2008-09-23T08:53:00.001-07:00

For the first time in several years the inevitable shift in power seems to be taking place. The injury to Tom Brady, the aging Colts who can't stay healthy, LT's big toe and other factors are sending what has been some of the best teams and players in the league into the pits of mediocrity. While teams that have been middle of the road or worse are piling up wins in the first three weeks of the season. The AFC is being dominated by the NFC and arguably the three best teams in football play in the NFC East. Is week three too early to tell if this shift is really taking place? Yes. Will we know by the end of the season? Maybe. The end of 2009 will tell for sure.

The league is set up with revenue sharing, free agency and the salary cap which allows and promotes these kind of shifts to happen. The Colts and Pats use to suck. Real bad. The 49er's and Rams use to be two of the elite teams back in the eighties. It happens and it's why the NFL is so successful. Because with just a little roster tweaking and the right front office a team can go from cellar dweller to king of the hill in a matter of a season. Fans in every city at the beginning of the season have a ray of hope. Unless you live in Ohio. Then you should just let yourself be surprised if good things happen.

The Sunday Savant is a little sad to see his team on the decline. The GM and coaches swear that everything is the same but it's not. I'm watching and it's fading. BUT there is still some gas left in the Colts tank before they really go south. By no means am I counting them out this year. But I think in five or six years when Manning is contemplating retirement and Dungy is long gone, I'll look at 2008 as the beginning of the end.

Week 3 Rash Thoughts

1. Jay Cutler is the real deal. (I feel like I said this already)
2. The Giants looks like a team that knows how to win no matter what.
3. Brady Quinn better be warming up. The Browns are a disgrace.
4. Tennessee is making me look like an idiot.
5. The Cardinals staying on the east coast was a smart move even though it was probably just Bidwell being a cheap bastard and not wanting to fly his team back and forth.
6. Favre should have stayed retired.
7. Big Ben Roethlisberger isn't going to last this season. Not with that line.
8. Speaking of lines, I'm seeing a lot of poor O-line play so far.
9. The Lions made there best move in the past 10 years today by firing Matt Millen.
10. I use to think the Colts week 4 bye was a terrible thing. Now I think it could save the season.

WVU is finished. And that's a problem for me.

2008-09-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

When a college football team is ranked in the Top 10 before the season even starts it means that if they play well and win their games, they will have a legitimate claim to play in the Big Dance. (Whether or not they get to is another topic that I will most likely write about when bowl season is upon us and I'm fuming over the lack of playoffs). Last night WVU destroyed what little chance it had at playing for the crystal trophy in a pathetic, uninspired loss to Colorado. I was aware that the loss to ECU two weeks ago had virtually dashed it's hopes but a huge win over Auburn could have put them back in the good graces of the pollsters. Nevermind that idea. In fact I think I'll skip that one.

I don't mean to sound like a fair weather fan, but I have never seen the point in rooting for a team when the wins don't mean anything. Winning the Big East is not and should not be a lofty goal for WVU. Been there done that. If the program had never won it or were rising from the ashes then it would be something. But did you notice the reaction last night after we lost?

Colorado, a once proud team from the vaunted Big 12 conference stormed the field after they beat us in OT. You'd have thought they'd upset Oklahoma. And then it dawned on me. The rest of the country has respect for WVU. WVU is now considered a big time program. And it should be. It's won 3 straight post new years bowl games including two BCS games against "better programs". It's been a solid Top 25 team for nearly a decade.

So to me these games that will played for the Big East title are marginally important at best. The Big East this year is a terrible conference and winning it isn't special for WVU. If USF wins it then they can celebrate because they would have achieved something pretty extraordinary. That program is only 11 years old. I want to care about WVU. But I see no point. Going to the thisnameforabowliswaytoolongandcorporate.com bowl to play the 3rd place ACC team the day after Christmas is not exciting. It means nothing but money for the school and athletic department. Yay.

The season is over. Whatever happens from this point out, the end result will be less than the lofty expectations that were put on this team in the pre season. Granted I'm a avid hater of pre season polls, but that's the system we have so that's the game we have to play. WVU just lost the game.

I need a smoke.

2008-09-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

That was one of the best weeks in the history of the NFL. OK, my history of the NFL which dates back to 1984. After watching the unprecedented drama of the 1 o clock games my brain was spinning and swimming in a pool of elation and beer. My self-diagnosed A.D.D. had been tickled with 6 simultaneous games before my eyes. None more exciting than thew Colts' gutsy, ugly win in Minneapolis. I couldn't hardly breathe after Vinateri nailed a 43 yarder with 3 seconds left. But before I could moisten my throat with another swig of Hells Gate Ale I was fixated on that ridiculous Packers Lions game. I glanced over and saw Jacksonville, being yet again foiled in the fourth quarter and dropping their second straight. I asked my self WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
Finally my loving friends pulled me from my own version of Disneyland and we went home. But did it stop there? NO!!!
Well there was a break. The Pats beat the Jets in a ho hum game that would have been completely uninteresting had it not been for the story lines.
But then CBS (God Bless You) switched over to the final 10 minutes of the Denver-San Diego game. That's when my football insides just let loose. I said to myself, Why can't all sports have this kind of drama? This intrigue? Denver was crushing the Bolts and then San Diego came storming back. This game had it all. A Kickoff return for a TD by Colts killer Darren Sproles. Turnovers, big plays, clutch performances by both QB's. And what would any great game be without a heavy dose of controversy? With 1 minute left and Denver, down by 7, knocking on the door Broncos QB Jay Cutler gets butter fingers, drops the ball, San Diego recovers on the 10. Ballgame. Not so fast! Head official Ed Hochuli makes the terrible mistake of blowing his whistle as if it were an incomplete pass thus nullifying the fumble. Cutler throws a TD and THEN a two pointer for the win. Which is a whole other bit of drama. It's not too often you see than kind of aggressive play calling in the NFL.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to see what ended up being an equally entertaining game on Monday night between Dallas and Philly. But you know, every time those teams play I ask the football gods, "Why does there have to be a winner? Well there does and Dallas won. There the league's best right now. So that makes sense.

Here it's Wednesday and I'm still riding the buzz from Sunday. That usually subsides by now. That's how you know if it was epic, by the days it takes to recover. If you're feeling anything after Tuesday afternoon then you witnessed a good one.

Week 2 RASH THOUGHTS

1. San Diego just suffered the most crushing back to back losses in history.
2. At least four rookie runners will rush for over 1,000 yards.
3. The Bills are as complete as any team in the AFC.
4. The Cardinals are 2-0 for the first time in 1991. I told you so...
5. The Packers did the right thing with Brett Favre. And how.
6. Rams coach Scott Linehan is going to be gone by week 6.
7. Peyton Manning, at this point in his career, is as clutch as anyone I've ever seen play.
8. L.T. won't rush for 1,000 yds this year.
9. The Patriots have all the makings of the 2001 squad that shocked the world.
10. I was way too nice to the Browns in my predictions. That team sucks.

Week 2 Rambling

2008-09-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday and the college games are about to kick off. Actually we had one last night where USF continued their claim to legitimacy by beating Kansas. (That statement sounds all kinds of wrong to me). Here's another thing that sounds all kinds of wrong. Notre Dame and Michigan play today and it doesn't matter at all. Nada. Both teams are shells of the former selves. No Heisman hopeful, no national championship aspirations, no top 10 ranking, nothing. The names of the schools and the uniforms the players will wear is the only thing that will resemble the classics we grew up watching. This tickles the Sunday Savant pink. I love it.

Two teams that do have everything to play for, USC and OSU will play tonight. Sounds like a classic but I expect a sleeper. No game that gets this much hype, this early in the season, lives up to it in college football. USC 38 OSU 13. It'll be over by halftime.

Now let's move on to real football. Where players decide who's best and where anything really can happen. This weeks schedule has a couple of doozies. Philly /Dallas. San Diego / Denver. Jets/Pats and Colts / Vikings.

Nowhere is there more pressure than in San Diego where the should-have-been-runaway Chargers could be looking to be 2 games back out of the gate. We'll see if Denver is as good as their week 1 performance showed. I may have underestimated Jay Cutler in my pre season predictions. We'll see. He's certainly the best QB out of that draft class.

I think Dallas could be in for another letdown against Philly. They shouldn't. They're the best team in the league right now but Philly has their number. Some teams in the NFL just match up well against others and always play them tough or beat them. It's going to be a great game. Always is.

I'm one of the few people who don't care much about the Jets and Pats game. Yeah it's important, but if Buffalo goes into Jacksonville and beats the Jags, this game is about who is the second best team in the division. Sure there is no Tom Brady, the coaches feud, spygate and the whole NY Boston thing, but I just can't get pumped. The Jets are all of a sudden "good" because they beat the Dolphins? No. Wrong. I need more than that.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I think the Colts are staring 0-2 right in the face. Adrian Peterson is fixin' to have a 150+ yd 2TD game this Sunday. Peyton and his receivers will have to play out of their minds and score every time they touch it (cause it won't be much) to win. With the release of troubled DT Ed Johnson on top of an already shaky run D, this doesn't look good. IF the Colts D can keep Peterson to 1 TD and 100 yds, then they can take em.

No one knows anything

2008-09-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

Wow. I told my friend Kotte that I was going to title this post, "Worst. Weekend. Ever." WVU and the Colts both lost as many games in the past 48 hours as they have in the past five years in the month of September. (see previous post) But on my way home from watching the game I was thinking this whole day was more than anyone could have expected. So I titled it appropriately.

The Colts, Chargers and Jags lost today. That's like if the guy from Zimbabwe had beaten Michael Phelps. Nobody in all of football would have bet 5o cents on this happening. However the big news and even worse is that Tom Brady is possibly out for good. I gotta say I'd rather be 0-1 with Manning healthy than 1-0 and have him out for the season. This will be the time to see if it's the Patriots that are great or if Brady made them that way. Too early to tell. ( Wow I see a blog entry brewing here)

For 3 months the "experts" have predicted this and predicted that. One thing they didn't predict was the eggs that the perennial powers of the AFC laid today. Even though the Pats won they were a play away from going to OT with what many think will be the worst team in the league. Coupled with the loss of Brady, that's an egg. Jacksonville's vaunted run game was rendered useless. They looked awful. The Chargers and Colts were both beat at home by teams who on paper, are vastly inferior. I LOVE THE NFL!!!

I'm normally not this upbeat after a loss but as a fan of football it's tough not to love the possibilities of this season. We also shouldn't get to gassed one way or the other about things after one week either. The Giants were out scored something like 80-17 in the first two weeks last year and we all know what happened. But the first week gives us a better barometer than all the meaningless predictions and scrimmages that have taken place in the past month.

Another amazing stat (well at least to me) is that teams with a rookie QB and a rookie coach have only won two opening day games in the past 20 years. Yeah, that number was matched today by the Ravens and Falcons in the course of three hours. It's a crazy league folks.

Here's my rash thoughts about this weekend.

1. If the Bears D stays healthy all bets are off in the NFC north.
2. Matt Forte, Chris Johnson and Michael Turner just got the start for week 2 on 10's of thousands of fantasy teams.
3. Shawn Merriman will be under the surgeons knife by week 4.
4. The Patriots will rally around, I can't believe I'm saying this, Matt Cassell, and still make the playoffs.
5. THE BENGALS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!! (That's for you my Ohio friends)
6.Until the Colts O line gets healthy, Joseph Addai is useless.
7. I hear a stampede coming from Buffalo
8. Dallas is the best team in the league.
9. The Browns will be a complete bust. (For the rest of my Ohio friends)
10. People like me, and all the talking heads on TV and radio, know absolutely nothing about football. That's a tough one to swallow.

Let's Play Ball

2008-09-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight it starts. The G-Men and Redskins will throw down just across the river from where I'll be watching with glee on my newly acquired 22 inch TV I found on craigslist. I don't care about either team but I will pull for the Giants because the Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys are about as loathsome as it gets. Besides I already have enough blue in my life, I don't need the Giants.

I have to say that this is my favorite time of year. I love Christmas and Thanksgiving but I honestly anticipate this weekend like no other. The NFL is such a crap shoot. There are obviously the juggernauts, Pats, Colts and Bolts but the phrase "Any given Sunday" is as true as it gets. And there's only 16 so every game counts. Football junkies like me and the media that feeds our habit mull over the possibilities, the injuries, the match ups and everyone thinks they're right. When in fact no one really knows what will happen. That's what makes it great. And unlike college football, the players actually decide who's the best, not us.

September, for yours truly, has been a blessed month in recent years. The football gods have smiled upon the Colts and Mountaineers giving the two teams a combined 28-2 record in the first month of the season since 2004. The two losses coming to South Florida and the Patriots. Figures. These two teams are the bane of my existence.

Anyway I expect once again that my teams will fair well in the next few weeks and I should have a good month. We'll see. And now before everything starts I'm going to make my predictions for this season. This is something I don't usually do because all in all I think it's a waste of time. But in the spirit of the season I think it's only fitting. Here goes...

AFC East
Patriots 13-3
Bills 9-7
Jets 9-7
Dolphins 5-11

AFC North
Pittsburgh 10-6
Cleveland 8-8
Baltimore 7-9
Cincy 5-11

AFC South
Indy 11-5
Jacksonville 11-5
Houston 10-6
Tennessee 8-8

AFC West
San Diego 13-3
Oakland 7-9
Denver 6-10
Kansas City 4-12

NFC East
Dallas 12-4
Philly 10-6
New York 10-6
Washington 8-8

NFC North
Green Bay 11-5
Minnesota 9-7
Detroit 7-9
Chicago 5-11

NFC South
Carolina 10-6
New Orleans 10-6
Tampa Bay 8-8
Atlanta 2-14

NFC West
Arizona 10-6
Seattle 9-7
San Francisco 6-10
St. Louis 5-11

Most divisions with the exception of the AFC West and East are really up in the air. Lots of questions. I, like most people who try and do this, will be eating my words by week 8. But what I do know is that the Pats will cruise because their schedule is cupcake. It's easier than the old Don Nehlen-non- conference-schedule. For my fellow West Virginians you know what I mean. But they will get beat in the playoffs because their defense is slow and the o-line will once again be in tatters by seasons end. Their post season legend died four years ago it's just that nobody wants to admit it.

So there. I'm so excited I could pop! I have ton's of things happening in my life right now but like every other year of my life, football is at the very forefront of my thoughts. Tonight it starts!

NCAA Death Penalty

2008-09-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

( This is from something I wrote online a few months ago.)

I was reading an article about how the death penalty destroyed SMU's football program and how the NCAA is very wary of using it ever again because the school is still suffering the consequences. SMU was a football powerhouse in one of the best conferences in college football. The SWC. Now they're a blip.

Here's a link to a related column on espn. I tend to agree with this guy. College football is so obviously corrupt (look at the BCS) and is a mockery of what amateur athletics should be. I'd like to see some heads roll at some major programs. I know for a fact that every conference has schools that are filthy. And sadly, I can't guarantee that my school isn't one of them. The NCAA has no power in college football anymore.

http://espn.go.com/columns/wojnarows...n/1321318.html

I'm ranting about the college game because I think it has, like no other sport in this land, been hoodwinked by money. Pro sports are about money and everyone knows it. That's fine. But when do you hear coaches, analysts and AD's say that college football is a business? Everyone knows it is but no one comes out and says it. I think this is part of the problem. Everyone is making money so no one wants to call a spade a spade. When I look at the big picture in college football I see something much like our current energy problems. A system that refuses to change with the times because the powers to be have too much invested to make a change for the better. Certainly this isn't as big an issue as the energy crisis but it's no doubt a byproduct of "the old boys club" that ruins a lot of stuff in this country.

Pre season rankings

2008-09-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Why do we need pre season polls? Something to talk about? So TV stations can hype up the games? And what do they base this stuff on? Ok I get it, it's entertainment. But it's hardly sport.

On Saturday Clemson was embarrassed by a team that was barely in the Top 25. Why was Clemson ranked so high? Why is anyone ranked at all?! Pittsburgh was ranked after a terrible season last year solely because they caught WVU sleeping in the final game. Note to pollsters, THAT DOESN'T WARRANT A TOP 20 RANKING!!! They go out and did what really should have been expected of them, struggle against Bowling Green.

College football is a TON of fun to watch. The individual games themselves are very entertaining and it's tough to beat the pageantry of it all. But the polls, the bowls, the endless banter about which conference is better, KILLS me. Not because fans and pundits shouldn't talk about these things, that's what makes being a sport fan fun, but BECAUSE YEAR AFTER YEAR THERES NEVER AN ANSWER. It's like taking a philosophy class, talk and talk and talk but nothing is ever settled. Which is fine for the class room, but not for the football field. I have no doubt I will be no more clear about who's the best team in college football in January than I am right now. And if you're honest with yourself, neither will you....Can you smell my "Why we need a playoff " blog a brewin'?!

What happened to my stadiums?

2008-08-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

Back in the day my two favorite and hallowed places on earth were called the Hoosier Dome and Mountaineer Field. This made sense because the Hoosier Dome is in Indiana, the Hoosier state and Mountaineer Field was named for the team that played there. Now my two favorite teams, teams that affect my emotions for the early part of the week play in, you ready?... Lucas Oil Stadium and Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. @$%$, @$*!, %!$?!!!! I know this has happened to large arenas and stadiums all over the country, I know there's a lot of money to be had by the cities and institutions that manage them. But do we not have souls anymore? Any field that is at a stadium is WRONG WRONG WRONG. That's like if China had called their swimming venue, "Aquafina Water at the Water Cube." It's awful. From this point on I will only refer to them as Mountaineer Field and The Stadium. I know calling the Colt's home "The Stadium" is a little pretentious but I cannot call it by it's legal name.

There are still a few venues out there that haven't lost their soul. I sure wish my teams played in one of them.

My brain is consumed with this game.

2008-08-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a growing up I spent a large amount of time thinking about football. When I was nine my uncle gave me a two part set called "Vince Lombardi on Football". It was the great one's basic teachings on strategy both offense and defense. Others books on strategy were added to that and I read them cover to cover as well . I was fully aware of a guards responsibility on a sweep play (among other things) by the time I was 10 years old. I wasn't allowed to play because of heart surgeries as a young boy so I watched with the utmost interest instead. I actually was cleared to play one year of Pee Wee football where I was a FEROCIOUS 100 pound defensive end for the Spring Hill Eagles. But besides those few months I resorted to other things to get my fix. I used my GI JOES to recreate games I had seen. I collected football cards. I memorized entire depth charts. I painstakingly numbered every player for all 28 teams for my electric football game. I played in hundreds of pick up games and when no one was around to play with me I played a game me and a buddy of mine called "two ball". Two Ball meant that we didn't actually play together but on the same piece of grass or pavement, we played out the upcoming season of our favorite teams. Game by game, play by play. A game normally took an hour. I usually played Colts games, he usually played WVU. The games happened however we wanted them to and our imaginations ran wild and very vivid. Needless to say the Jeff George ran Colts rarely lost more than 2 games in a season.

I still do spend an insane amount of time digesting football knowledge, which is why I started this blog. Here I sit at work contemplating how few people will actually come in and rent apartments over the next few months. Especially on gorgeous Sundays like this one. So I thought I should at least spew out my thoughts on all things football, for myself mainly, but also for those who are interested enough to read them. ( I love you Shannon)

Next week, my favorite gladiators will suit up for the 43rd year (Super Bowl era) of NFL football. And yours truly will be sitting at this desk listening to my already purchased NFL game plan so I can at least hear my beloved Colts take the field of battle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that ESPN360 runs through my computer here so watching my Alma Mater is possible too. Of course I will do my job when a client calls and rent as many apartments as possible, but I'm predicting a lot of down time. There's a lot to talk about. I do hope you'll comment.