Everytime I turn on the TV to SportsCenter, I witness the dumbest questions they have. For instance, the day after a big game finishes, they ask the question "Did this team win or did the other team lose?" Are you serious?! What kind of idiots do you have working for you? When you have to stretch the media out that much it's time to stop. But my next example is by for one of the dumbest questions ESPN has ever asked.
As you all know, the Pittsburgh Steelers have won the Superbowl and it marks their sixth Superbowl victory in franchise history. Now, I love the Superbowl and everything to do with football, but the one thing I hate about it is the media that surrounds the weekend.
So, the day after the Superbowl I turned on SportsCenter and the show was 1st and 10. And if you know me already, I'm biased against Skip Bayless and anything he has to say. So the next question that was on the line-up was entitled "America's Team?" So of course I had to stick around to see what that was all about. Well I got exactly what I asked for by listening to the debate. The debate was whether the Steelers or the Cowboys are America's Team.
...?
Really? You want to know my opinon? Well here it goes. America's Team in my opinion is the Steelers. It's the Cowboys. It's the Packers. It's the Broncos. It's the Ravens. It's the Lions. It's the Raiders. The Saints, Falcons, Bengals, and the rest of the entire league. Why do we have to condense ourselves into saying that America has one team? Is that logical at all? We are the only country in the world that divides ourselves when it comes to sports. Look around the world and they all come together behind their one team that represents the entire country. The US has 32 different NFL teams, 30 MLB teams, 30 NBA teams, and 30 NHL teams. So again, I ask why we have to come behind one single team from one single league? I find it to be a pathetic way to say "My team is better than yours." What do you think?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Championship Predictions
Well, I was 3-1 last week for the divisional week so let's hope I can have another successful week.
Sunday 3 pm NFC Championship Game
Philadelphia (-3)
@ Arizona
Philadelphia
I have said it for weeks now. They are the hottest team in the NFL right now. They took down the defending Superbowl Champions and what many called the best team in the NFL in the New York Giants. And they didn't do it off of controversial calls or bogus plays. They won hands down and dominated the game. Donovan McNabb has really proved to the sports nation why he belongs at a starting position. An example? A few weeks back Philly was calling for his head and "experts" were saying how he was done and couldn't throw the football anymore. Now? They are debating him for the Hall of Fame with Kurt Warner.
Arizona
I'm not sold. At all. They have the most explosive offense out of the remaining teams but as the saying goes, defense wins championships. The defense has stepped up the past two games and done an amazing job. But will they really be able to hold Westbrook and McNabb? Something is telling me it's not going to happen.
Prediction
Philly wins in a decisive fashion 27-13.
Sunday 6:30 pm AFC Championship Game
Baltimore
@ Pittsburgh (-4.5)
Baltimore
Wow. Anybody who wants to argue that Flacco isn't having the best rookie season is more than happy to argue it with me. He could become the only rookie quarterback to make the Superbowl in the history in the NFL. That's what you call amazing. If Suggs isn't playing though, that is a huge loss for the Ravens. But, as a Ravens fan myself, I would still be thrilled even if they lost. Who honestly expected the Ravens to be here at this moment in time? Nobody.
Pittsburgh
I'm not sure what's more impressive, the way they won or that they didn't fall in the trap all the other favorite teams did. I think they silenced a lot of people who still had questions about their offense but we will see how they do against the second best defense in the league. This team is a tough out to win everything. It seems they have everything in place and Tomlin is so far living up to the legacy of Pittsburgh.
Prediction
Since this is such a hard fought rivalry and I believe it will be very hard for the Steelers to take three straight over the Ravens, I will take the Ravens in the best game of the rivalry ever. The score will be 16-13.
Sunday 3 pm NFC Championship Game
Philadelphia (-3)
@ Arizona
Philadelphia
I have said it for weeks now. They are the hottest team in the NFL right now. They took down the defending Superbowl Champions and what many called the best team in the NFL in the New York Giants. And they didn't do it off of controversial calls or bogus plays. They won hands down and dominated the game. Donovan McNabb has really proved to the sports nation why he belongs at a starting position. An example? A few weeks back Philly was calling for his head and "experts" were saying how he was done and couldn't throw the football anymore. Now? They are debating him for the Hall of Fame with Kurt Warner.
Arizona
I'm not sold. At all. They have the most explosive offense out of the remaining teams but as the saying goes, defense wins championships. The defense has stepped up the past two games and done an amazing job. But will they really be able to hold Westbrook and McNabb? Something is telling me it's not going to happen.
Prediction
Philly wins in a decisive fashion 27-13.
Sunday 6:30 pm AFC Championship Game
Baltimore
@ Pittsburgh (-4.5)
Baltimore
Wow. Anybody who wants to argue that Flacco isn't having the best rookie season is more than happy to argue it with me. He could become the only rookie quarterback to make the Superbowl in the history in the NFL. That's what you call amazing. If Suggs isn't playing though, that is a huge loss for the Ravens. But, as a Ravens fan myself, I would still be thrilled even if they lost. Who honestly expected the Ravens to be here at this moment in time? Nobody.
Pittsburgh
I'm not sure what's more impressive, the way they won or that they didn't fall in the trap all the other favorite teams did. I think they silenced a lot of people who still had questions about their offense but we will see how they do against the second best defense in the league. This team is a tough out to win everything. It seems they have everything in place and Tomlin is so far living up to the legacy of Pittsburgh.
Prediction
Since this is such a hard fought rivalry and I believe it will be very hard for the Steelers to take three straight over the Ravens, I will take the Ravens in the best game of the rivalry ever. The score will be 16-13.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Divisional Prediction
Wow it has been way too long since I've updated this. Well here goes nothing.
Saturday 4:30 AFC Divisional Playoff Game
Baltimore
@ Tennessee (-3)
Baltimore
Had it not been for Matt Ryan leading Atlanta out of the deepest sewer, Flacco was hands down the best rookie in the league. His stats are not that impressive but he does not make too many terrible mistakes. He looks very poised in the pocket and never seems to get flustered. In fact, if you put Flacco's stats up against Kerry Collins of Tennessee, he leads in every major category except Collins has thrown five less interceptions.
And as for the defense, wow is the only word. With names like Reed, Ray Lewis, Suggs, Ngata, Pryce, Scott, Rolle, and an emerging Leonhard, no wonder they are so good.
Tennessee
In my eyes, Collins deserved the comeback award for this year. No disrespect to Pennington but I'm not quite sure how you win this award twice. In fact, I would've voted Pennington as league MVP, but that's just my opinion. Collin's has reemerged as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. Like Flacco, he doesn't have the most glitzy stats, but he doesn't make crucial mistakes.
Albert Haynesworth will have a decent outing in this game but I think the young offensive line in the Ravens will keep him at bay for most of the game. I know the Raven's offensive line is very young, the oldest one being only a four-year starter, but they have been able to stop the pass rush for most of the season and in very crucial games (see Baltimore vs. Dallas).
Prediction
Baltimore leads the series over Tennessee 4-3. Two of those four wins have come by one point. I say the Raven's extend their lead over the Titans with another one point victory and win the game 19-18.
Saturday 8:15 NFC Divisional Playoff Game
Arizona
@ Carolina (-9.5)
Arizona
With wide receivers like Boldin and Fitzgerald, it's hard to beat these guys. Especially when you have Kurt Warner throwing to them. But this team is really going to have to buckle down if they want a shot at this game. They led their first game with Carolina 17-3 at one point but started to crumble and the Panthers pounced. This team knows how to beat Carolina, now they have to learn how to finish them off.
No specialty here on defense. Hopefully they can find a way to stop the rushing attack that Carolina has.
Carolina
Jake Delhomme has been quietly putting together a very nice year. He has been very efficient and has not made too many crucial mistakes. He makes big plays when he needs to and let's DeAngelo Williams take care of the rest. He has an NFL second best of 5.5 yards per rush. But an even bigger stat? He has ZERO turnovers in his 273 attempts. He truly is an amazing running back and look for him to dominate this game.
As long as this defense can shut down Warner, Boldin, and Fitzgerald, they will be fine. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening as the Cardinal's are averaging nearly 300 yards a game through the air.
Prediction
Here's an amazing stat. Not only is Arizona an underachieving 3-5 on the road but Carolina is a staggering 8-0 at home. Let me repeat, 8-0. Carolina wins this one in an offensive shootout with a score of 34-26
Sunday 1:00 NFC Divisional Playoff Game
Philadelphia
@ New York Giants (-5)
Philadelphia
When McNabb and Westbrook are on all cylinders, no team in the NFL has an easy solution as to how to stop them. They are the hottest duo in the league. And I have said numerous times in the past couple of weeks that Philly is the hottest team in the NFL. Yes, even over Indy, or San Diego, and even over my beloved Ravens. The only question to answer now is which Eagles team is really going to show up? Is it going to be the team that laid an egg and tied the Bengals or the team that took a commanding control of against Dallas? Only time will tell.
This team will have it's hands full with the best rushing team in the NFL, but no worries here, this defense can hang. They are only allowing 92.3 rushing yards per game, ranking fourth in the NFL. Eli could hurt them though as he is averaging nearly 245 yards per game.
New York
A Super Bowl MVP at quarterback, 7-1 record at home, one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, playing a division rival for the chance of a second straight Super Bowl appearance. Now that makes for some exciting football. For New York fans, this is truly one of the best matchups of the year. But this will be no easy win and advance situation. The Eagles have a lot to prove. Look for Jacobs to make some huge gains to setup the Giants to some nice scoring drives. Manning will have a decent day with Toomer being a big part of the offense.
This defense will also have a lot to handle with Westbrook running at them but they also have a great run defense ranking ninth in the league. If I were the Giants though, I'd be worried about McNabb as the Giants are giving up almost 300 yards a game to opposing quarterbacks.
Prediction
This will be a good ol' fashioned NFC East matchup showcasing good defenses and effective offenses. It won't be a blowout by any means but I'm predicting the upset here, as Philly will win on a last minute drive with the score being 24-23
Sunday 4:45 AFC Divisional Playoff Game
San Diego
@ Pittsburgh (-6)
San Diego
Wow. I keep watching that replay of Sproles' winning TD run and I am amazed every single time. That guy is fast. The way he moves his feet is incredible. After watching that performance on Indy, that guy will have a contract somewhere as the starting running back. He's just too good to be a backup. As for Rivers, he is by far the best quarterback of the year. Despite what the probowl voting says, despite what the AP thinks, just look at the stats. He finished the year with a 105.5 QB rating. Who was second? Chad Pennington with a 97.4. And now, he gets a second chance to show the probowl voters why they got it wrong.
There should be no worries in the defense on stopping the run, although in their last meeting with Pittsburgh, they did have trouble stopping Willie Parker, who rushed for 115 yards. What this team needs to worry about is controlling the game clock. If they can do that against this team, they are putting themselves in the best position to win.
Pittsburgh
Not much to say with Pittsburgh's offense. They are only averaging 312 yards per game on offense but they are doing enough to score points and let the defense do their job. Roethlisberger will be forced into some bad decisions in this game and will have a couple of turnovers. Willie Parker will have an effective day on the ground but will not gain 100 yards on this defense like he did the last time.
This defense is absolutely smothering. If this team goes up early, it will be very hard to come back against this defense at all. As long as this defense doesn't fall asleep like they did against the Titans, they will be fine at stopping the very effective offense of San Diego.
Prediction
This game will be the lowest scoring of the four games this weekend but Pittsburgh will prevail at the end forcing key turnovers. This game will take a toll on everybody on the field but the score will be 16-13
Saturday 4:30 AFC Divisional Playoff Game
Baltimore
@ Tennessee (-3)
Baltimore
Had it not been for Matt Ryan leading Atlanta out of the deepest sewer, Flacco was hands down the best rookie in the league. His stats are not that impressive but he does not make too many terrible mistakes. He looks very poised in the pocket and never seems to get flustered. In fact, if you put Flacco's stats up against Kerry Collins of Tennessee, he leads in every major category except Collins has thrown five less interceptions.
And as for the defense, wow is the only word. With names like Reed, Ray Lewis, Suggs, Ngata, Pryce, Scott, Rolle, and an emerging Leonhard, no wonder they are so good.
Tennessee
In my eyes, Collins deserved the comeback award for this year. No disrespect to Pennington but I'm not quite sure how you win this award twice. In fact, I would've voted Pennington as league MVP, but that's just my opinion. Collin's has reemerged as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. Like Flacco, he doesn't have the most glitzy stats, but he doesn't make crucial mistakes.
Albert Haynesworth will have a decent outing in this game but I think the young offensive line in the Ravens will keep him at bay for most of the game. I know the Raven's offensive line is very young, the oldest one being only a four-year starter, but they have been able to stop the pass rush for most of the season and in very crucial games (see Baltimore vs. Dallas).
Prediction
Baltimore leads the series over Tennessee 4-3. Two of those four wins have come by one point. I say the Raven's extend their lead over the Titans with another one point victory and win the game 19-18.
Saturday 8:15 NFC Divisional Playoff Game
Arizona
@ Carolina (-9.5)
Arizona
With wide receivers like Boldin and Fitzgerald, it's hard to beat these guys. Especially when you have Kurt Warner throwing to them. But this team is really going to have to buckle down if they want a shot at this game. They led their first game with Carolina 17-3 at one point but started to crumble and the Panthers pounced. This team knows how to beat Carolina, now they have to learn how to finish them off.
No specialty here on defense. Hopefully they can find a way to stop the rushing attack that Carolina has.
Carolina
Jake Delhomme has been quietly putting together a very nice year. He has been very efficient and has not made too many crucial mistakes. He makes big plays when he needs to and let's DeAngelo Williams take care of the rest. He has an NFL second best of 5.5 yards per rush. But an even bigger stat? He has ZERO turnovers in his 273 attempts. He truly is an amazing running back and look for him to dominate this game.
As long as this defense can shut down Warner, Boldin, and Fitzgerald, they will be fine. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening as the Cardinal's are averaging nearly 300 yards a game through the air.
Prediction
Here's an amazing stat. Not only is Arizona an underachieving 3-5 on the road but Carolina is a staggering 8-0 at home. Let me repeat, 8-0. Carolina wins this one in an offensive shootout with a score of 34-26
Sunday 1:00 NFC Divisional Playoff Game
Philadelphia
@ New York Giants (-5)
Philadelphia
When McNabb and Westbrook are on all cylinders, no team in the NFL has an easy solution as to how to stop them. They are the hottest duo in the league. And I have said numerous times in the past couple of weeks that Philly is the hottest team in the NFL. Yes, even over Indy, or San Diego, and even over my beloved Ravens. The only question to answer now is which Eagles team is really going to show up? Is it going to be the team that laid an egg and tied the Bengals or the team that took a commanding control of against Dallas? Only time will tell.
This team will have it's hands full with the best rushing team in the NFL, but no worries here, this defense can hang. They are only allowing 92.3 rushing yards per game, ranking fourth in the NFL. Eli could hurt them though as he is averaging nearly 245 yards per game.
New York
A Super Bowl MVP at quarterback, 7-1 record at home, one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, playing a division rival for the chance of a second straight Super Bowl appearance. Now that makes for some exciting football. For New York fans, this is truly one of the best matchups of the year. But this will be no easy win and advance situation. The Eagles have a lot to prove. Look for Jacobs to make some huge gains to setup the Giants to some nice scoring drives. Manning will have a decent day with Toomer being a big part of the offense.
This defense will also have a lot to handle with Westbrook running at them but they also have a great run defense ranking ninth in the league. If I were the Giants though, I'd be worried about McNabb as the Giants are giving up almost 300 yards a game to opposing quarterbacks.
Prediction
This will be a good ol' fashioned NFC East matchup showcasing good defenses and effective offenses. It won't be a blowout by any means but I'm predicting the upset here, as Philly will win on a last minute drive with the score being 24-23
Sunday 4:45 AFC Divisional Playoff Game
San Diego
@ Pittsburgh (-6)
San Diego
Wow. I keep watching that replay of Sproles' winning TD run and I am amazed every single time. That guy is fast. The way he moves his feet is incredible. After watching that performance on Indy, that guy will have a contract somewhere as the starting running back. He's just too good to be a backup. As for Rivers, he is by far the best quarterback of the year. Despite what the probowl voting says, despite what the AP thinks, just look at the stats. He finished the year with a 105.5 QB rating. Who was second? Chad Pennington with a 97.4. And now, he gets a second chance to show the probowl voters why they got it wrong.
There should be no worries in the defense on stopping the run, although in their last meeting with Pittsburgh, they did have trouble stopping Willie Parker, who rushed for 115 yards. What this team needs to worry about is controlling the game clock. If they can do that against this team, they are putting themselves in the best position to win.
Pittsburgh
Not much to say with Pittsburgh's offense. They are only averaging 312 yards per game on offense but they are doing enough to score points and let the defense do their job. Roethlisberger will be forced into some bad decisions in this game and will have a couple of turnovers. Willie Parker will have an effective day on the ground but will not gain 100 yards on this defense like he did the last time.
This defense is absolutely smothering. If this team goes up early, it will be very hard to come back against this defense at all. As long as this defense doesn't fall asleep like they did against the Titans, they will be fine at stopping the very effective offense of San Diego.
Prediction
This game will be the lowest scoring of the four games this weekend but Pittsburgh will prevail at the end forcing key turnovers. This game will take a toll on everybody on the field but the score will be 16-13
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Things Can't Get Any Worse
The Big 3 are in turmoil, the worst unemployment rates in the country, and the worst economy in the country. Michigan has had it rough for a while now. And to top everything off, their football team is 0-12 and is the laughing stock of the National Football League. But, I'm not going to talk about the team at all. My focus is on the fans of the NFL. I visited ESPN.com yesterday and was absolutely sickened by what the daily poll was for the day. The question read: Should the NFL take the annual Thanksgiving game away from the Lions? And the thing that made me even madder was that over 60% of people said yes. What makes it so wrong to see the Lions on Thanksgiving? Yes they are a bad team, I will give you that. But just to say they shouldn't be allowed to play is wrong. Here' a history lesson for all of you naysayers.
In 1934, George Richards, the Lions first owner, decided to take a risk and schedule the biggest game of the year for the team on a Thanksgiving day. When the day of the game arrived, the Detroit Lions (10-1) hosted the undefeated Chicago Bears (11-0). The risk paid off for Richards as 26,000 bought tickets to watch the game on the holiday. It has since been a tradition for Detroit.
So I ask, why take a tradition away from a team, city, fan base, and the NFL just because the team isn't good? And why until now do you want this change? The Thanksgiving game in Detroit has sold out every year since 1992. The team's record in that span? 94-167 (.563) and 0-5 in the playoffs in the same span. So just because they are 0-12 this year they deserve to get the boot? The bottom line is that NFL cannot take this tradition away from this city. It is the last thing they can hold on to and call their own. It was the 75th year of the Lions on Thanksgiving day this year, let's hope we see 76 next year.
In 1934, George Richards, the Lions first owner, decided to take a risk and schedule the biggest game of the year for the team on a Thanksgiving day. When the day of the game arrived, the Detroit Lions (10-1) hosted the undefeated Chicago Bears (11-0). The risk paid off for Richards as 26,000 bought tickets to watch the game on the holiday. It has since been a tradition for Detroit.
So I ask, why take a tradition away from a team, city, fan base, and the NFL just because the team isn't good? And why until now do you want this change? The Thanksgiving game in Detroit has sold out every year since 1992. The team's record in that span? 94-167 (.563) and 0-5 in the playoffs in the same span. So just because they are 0-12 this year they deserve to get the boot? The bottom line is that NFL cannot take this tradition away from this city. It is the last thing they can hold on to and call their own. It was the 75th year of the Lions on Thanksgiving day this year, let's hope we see 76 next year.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
3 Biggest Surprises and 3 Biggest Disappointments
Surprises
#3 - Atlanta Falcons & Baltimore Ravens
Rookie quarterbacks, rookie head coaches, low expectations, and fan bases that were getting irritated at their teams and moving on from a bad era. Both teams have put themselves in a position to make the playoffs and convincing the experts week-by-week that they are the real deal.
#2 - Old Quarterbacks
Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, and Kerry Collins have positioned their teams to make a deep playoff run and possibly win it all. And all three have been mentioned when it comes to the MVP talk.
#1 - Matt Cassel
I am one of the people that immediately jumped on the bandwagon that Belichick should have gotten a veteran quarterback in his roster just in case anything happened to Brady. I said the same thing about McCarthy in Green Bay when they still had Favre. The argument backing Belichick up was that he trusted Cassel because he knew the offense very well from being in practice for so long behind Tom Brady. Well, come to find out, he knows that offense pretty well, throwing for over 400 yards in the past two games, something the Patriots have never done in franchise history. Last week, he became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 400 yards and rush for over 60 yards. I have to say I am completely sold on this guy. His future with the Pats? That's a whole nother story.
Disappointments
#3 - Saints, Seahawks, Bills, Jaguars, and the Chargers
They all had high playoff expectations and none of them are producing to their full potential. It amazes me how these athletes are being paid the salary that they are paid and they don't produce up to their full potential.
#2 - Donovan McNabb
5-5-1 and he doesn't fully know the OT rules? This is a pro-bowl type QB I'm talking about and he is not looking anything like what he can do. And in this instance, you cannot say he doesn't have enough weapons on offense because that is simply a lie. I think it is time for Philadelphia to move on from Reid and McNabb. They have had their chances and they have blown it several times and they are now completely giving up.
#1 - Officiating and Post-game fines
Quite frankly, it's getting ridiculous. There are some players that have over $100 thousand in fines for late hits, unnecessary hits, too hard of a hit. Pretty soon we will be watching two touch football or flag football. This is football. It is a rough sport. You play with no apologies. Or at least that is what I thought. The thing that really gets me about these fines is that they assessed to plays that had no flag thrown and no penalty. They have sissified the game so much today that the quarterbacks can't even get hit.
And as for the officiating in the game, I have seen a bunch of blown calls this year. It gets me infuriated when I know that these officials are being paid good money and they aren't making the right calls. A lot of people say that some people are too hard on the refs and that they are humans and can make mistakes like everyone else. I agree with this, to a point. When it is your job to get these calls right and you simply aren't time and time again, there has to be a point in which people say enough is enough. These guys are getting paid a lot of money to possibly change the outcome of the game, just ask San Diego when they took their trip to Denver.
#3 - Atlanta Falcons & Baltimore Ravens
Rookie quarterbacks, rookie head coaches, low expectations, and fan bases that were getting irritated at their teams and moving on from a bad era. Both teams have put themselves in a position to make the playoffs and convincing the experts week-by-week that they are the real deal.
#2 - Old Quarterbacks
Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, and Kerry Collins have positioned their teams to make a deep playoff run and possibly win it all. And all three have been mentioned when it comes to the MVP talk.
#1 - Matt Cassel
I am one of the people that immediately jumped on the bandwagon that Belichick should have gotten a veteran quarterback in his roster just in case anything happened to Brady. I said the same thing about McCarthy in Green Bay when they still had Favre. The argument backing Belichick up was that he trusted Cassel because he knew the offense very well from being in practice for so long behind Tom Brady. Well, come to find out, he knows that offense pretty well, throwing for over 400 yards in the past two games, something the Patriots have never done in franchise history. Last week, he became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 400 yards and rush for over 60 yards. I have to say I am completely sold on this guy. His future with the Pats? That's a whole nother story.
Disappointments
#3 - Saints, Seahawks, Bills, Jaguars, and the Chargers
They all had high playoff expectations and none of them are producing to their full potential. It amazes me how these athletes are being paid the salary that they are paid and they don't produce up to their full potential.
#2 - Donovan McNabb
5-5-1 and he doesn't fully know the OT rules? This is a pro-bowl type QB I'm talking about and he is not looking anything like what he can do. And in this instance, you cannot say he doesn't have enough weapons on offense because that is simply a lie. I think it is time for Philadelphia to move on from Reid and McNabb. They have had their chances and they have blown it several times and they are now completely giving up.
#1 - Officiating and Post-game fines
Quite frankly, it's getting ridiculous. There are some players that have over $100 thousand in fines for late hits, unnecessary hits, too hard of a hit. Pretty soon we will be watching two touch football or flag football. This is football. It is a rough sport. You play with no apologies. Or at least that is what I thought. The thing that really gets me about these fines is that they assessed to plays that had no flag thrown and no penalty. They have sissified the game so much today that the quarterbacks can't even get hit.
And as for the officiating in the game, I have seen a bunch of blown calls this year. It gets me infuriated when I know that these officials are being paid good money and they aren't making the right calls. A lot of people say that some people are too hard on the refs and that they are humans and can make mistakes like everyone else. I agree with this, to a point. When it is your job to get these calls right and you simply aren't time and time again, there has to be a point in which people say enough is enough. These guys are getting paid a lot of money to possibly change the outcome of the game, just ask San Diego when they took their trip to Denver.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
But Herm Edwards told me...
October 30, 2002 - The Cleveland Browns beat the New York Jets and it sparked one of the most infamous lines in all of sports. A reporter had asked Herm Edwards, coach of the New York Jets, if his team had the ability to win, in which he followed, "You play to win the game."
An NFL game that ends in a tie is not that easy to come across. Yet, this past week, the Philadelphia Eagles went to overtime with the Cincinnati Bengals and neither team could manage to get anything done in overtime, resulting in a tie. And yes, Donovan McNabb might not have been fully aware of the overtime rule that states, if nobody scores at the end of the first overtime, the game is over ending in a tie. Yes, he being a veteran to the game should have known this and he is probably getting an earful for it. But I'm not going to be one of those people that harp on him about this. Why? Because this should've never happened in the first place. Herm Edwards was right back in `02. You play to win the game. No matter how long it takes or how many overtimes you go to, or no matter how badly you are playing at the moment, you should be playing to win the game. Not to just scave by with a tie. Donovan made a good point when he asked what would happen if this were to happen in the post-season. Of course we all know that they would fight it out until someone finally won. But, what makes that any different than the regular season. The Eagles are still very much in the playoff race and this outdated system now might have cost them a spot in the postseason. And as for the Bengals, well, at least it's not another loss.
Applying this rule to this situation presents too much cloudiness for the playoff race. We are now going to have to pay attention to exactly what the Eagles will have to do to overcome this tie and all of the different situations they could possibly be put in. Although, it is their fault for not being able to overcome overtime against one of the worst teams in the NFL, it is not their fault that they are victim to an outdated system that should've been done away with a long time ago. If only the NFL and NCAA Football could find a happy medium in their rules and playoff systems, the sports world would be a much better place. Until then, I'm still waiting for a second OT in Cincy!
An NFL game that ends in a tie is not that easy to come across. Yet, this past week, the Philadelphia Eagles went to overtime with the Cincinnati Bengals and neither team could manage to get anything done in overtime, resulting in a tie. And yes, Donovan McNabb might not have been fully aware of the overtime rule that states, if nobody scores at the end of the first overtime, the game is over ending in a tie. Yes, he being a veteran to the game should have known this and he is probably getting an earful for it. But I'm not going to be one of those people that harp on him about this. Why? Because this should've never happened in the first place. Herm Edwards was right back in `02. You play to win the game. No matter how long it takes or how many overtimes you go to, or no matter how badly you are playing at the moment, you should be playing to win the game. Not to just scave by with a tie. Donovan made a good point when he asked what would happen if this were to happen in the post-season. Of course we all know that they would fight it out until someone finally won. But, what makes that any different than the regular season. The Eagles are still very much in the playoff race and this outdated system now might have cost them a spot in the postseason. And as for the Bengals, well, at least it's not another loss.
Applying this rule to this situation presents too much cloudiness for the playoff race. We are now going to have to pay attention to exactly what the Eagles will have to do to overcome this tie and all of the different situations they could possibly be put in. Although, it is their fault for not being able to overcome overtime against one of the worst teams in the NFL, it is not their fault that they are victim to an outdated system that should've been done away with a long time ago. If only the NFL and NCAA Football could find a happy medium in their rules and playoff systems, the sports world would be a much better place. Until then, I'm still waiting for a second OT in Cincy!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
10 Things I Should Never See on ESPN
ESPN: Worldwide Leader in Sports....Sports.
When I turn the channel to ESPN, I expect to be watching things that pertain sports. Sometimes when I watch it, I feel like I am watching ESPN ocho, filled with random activities. Here is my list of things (not in any particular order) I never want to see on ESPN, ever!
1. Scrabble
You may laugh, but I have actually viewed the Scrabble National Championship match on ESPN. Since when do we as a country follow board games as a headlined sport?
And staying with this theme,
2. Chess
There has been several times I have seen chess as the headlined event of the day for ESPN. What's next? Chutes and Ladders? Come on.
3. Fishing
This is a sport. Really? Since when did this happen? If fishing is a sport, than at least half of Michigan's population is flocking with athletes.
4. Darts
I love the game but it really takes no athleticism. Anybody with a tad bit of hand-eye coordination can get good at it.
5. Rodeo or Bull Riding
...I've said enough for this one.
6. Horse Racing
I absolutely love everything about horse racing. But let's be honest, the horses are the real athletes. Yes, jockeys do have make sure that they do everything right in the race but who watches horse racing to watch the jockeys performing? If you disagree with me right now on this one, I want you to, without Googling it, tell me who was the jockey of Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby. That's right you don't know it. Neither do I. We watch it for the horses.
7. Bowling
Almost the same as darts. Only takes good hand-eye coordination. Bowlers aren't really athletes, sorry.
8. Hockey
I have a HUGE bias on this one. Many people consider this a sport, and I say I agree...to an extent. To me it's 20% sport, and 80% a spin-off to WWE. I don't think I've ever watched a full game of hockey where there wasn't a major brawl in the middle.
9. Anything to do with the Lions.
See description on #5.
10. World Series of Poker.
If you know me, you know that I adore poker and everything about it. But to put these poker players on ESPN? Really? They are a bunch of people sitting on comfortable chairs for weeks at a time in a tournament with the only exercising they get is picking up a couple grams of poker chips or flipping their cards in to fold.
So there it is. Things that should never be seen on ESPN again.
Feel free to comment!
When I turn the channel to ESPN, I expect to be watching things that pertain sports. Sometimes when I watch it, I feel like I am watching ESPN ocho, filled with random activities. Here is my list of things (not in any particular order) I never want to see on ESPN, ever!
1. Scrabble
You may laugh, but I have actually viewed the Scrabble National Championship match on ESPN. Since when do we as a country follow board games as a headlined sport?
And staying with this theme,
2. Chess
There has been several times I have seen chess as the headlined event of the day for ESPN. What's next? Chutes and Ladders? Come on.
3. Fishing
This is a sport. Really? Since when did this happen? If fishing is a sport, than at least half of Michigan's population is flocking with athletes.
4. Darts
I love the game but it really takes no athleticism. Anybody with a tad bit of hand-eye coordination can get good at it.
5. Rodeo or Bull Riding
...I've said enough for this one.
6. Horse Racing
I absolutely love everything about horse racing. But let's be honest, the horses are the real athletes. Yes, jockeys do have make sure that they do everything right in the race but who watches horse racing to watch the jockeys performing? If you disagree with me right now on this one, I want you to, without Googling it, tell me who was the jockey of Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby. That's right you don't know it. Neither do I. We watch it for the horses.
7. Bowling
Almost the same as darts. Only takes good hand-eye coordination. Bowlers aren't really athletes, sorry.
8. Hockey
I have a HUGE bias on this one. Many people consider this a sport, and I say I agree...to an extent. To me it's 20% sport, and 80% a spin-off to WWE. I don't think I've ever watched a full game of hockey where there wasn't a major brawl in the middle.
9. Anything to do with the Lions.
See description on #5.
10. World Series of Poker.
If you know me, you know that I adore poker and everything about it. But to put these poker players on ESPN? Really? They are a bunch of people sitting on comfortable chairs for weeks at a time in a tournament with the only exercising they get is picking up a couple grams of poker chips or flipping their cards in to fold.
So there it is. Things that should never be seen on ESPN again.
Feel free to comment!
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