I just wanted to chime in on a couple of things while I have a chance before the “first cut” so to speak.  I probably won’t have a chance to write again before the 29th (traveling, etc.) but I will be back and better than ever soon after.  So good luck to all involved and happy holidays.  


Sir!  You in the black and white stripes!  Freeze!.. now PUT.. THE FLAG.. DOWN!!

NFL referees are driving me bat [droppings] with the incessant, awful unnecessary roughness calls.  These refs need to heed Jerry Glanville's advice... "This is the NFL.. That stands for Not For Long if you keep making calls like that". Seriously, some of these refs are making calls that refs in the Rob's Delicatessen Flag Football League wouldn't make, and the worst part is, the NFL encourages most of these calls because of their "points of emphasis" philosphy about penalties.  To help you better understand where I’m coming from, here is just one example from a game I watched recently and the impact that one of these calls can have on a game.  
In the Giants v. Chiefs game a couple weeks back (the game in which the Chiefs tackled like my 7 year old sisters - I referenced this game in one of my earlier blogs) the Giants had a 1st and 10 on their own 29 yard line to begin the 4th quarter.  Eli Manning threw a screen pass to Tiki Barber which was sniffed out beautifully by Derrick Johnson who came up to make the tackle holding the Giants to a minimal gain.  However, as Derrick Johnson had Tiki wrapped up, the whistle blew and instantaneously Johnson stopped driving his legs, but the momentum carried both players down.  Now when I say instantaneously is when Johnson stopped, I mean instantaneously (think an ex-con who was granted parole after 30 years in the slammer on his first night home with his wife).  When the players hit the ground, a flag was thrown, and I thought to myself, this has to be holding or something, this cannot possibly be unnecessary roughness; but indeed it was the old unsportsmanlike, U.R.  I cannot stress enough how bad of a call this was, for Derrick to have stopped his momentum and not brought Tiki and himself down would have been something even Stephen Hawking couldn’t comprehend.  After that call, the Giants, now with great field position on the 46-yd line, send Tiki Barber off tackle for a nice gain of 20 yards.  Now the Giants have gone from their own 29 to the Chiefs’ 34 with one 20 yard run.  The Giants followed that up with another run by Tiki, this time for three yards, and after that is when Amani Toomer caught his TD pass as a result of some awful tackling my Sammy Knight and the gang.  
Before that penalty, the Chiefs defense seemed to have found a comfort level.  After letting Tiki score that long TD early in the game, the Chiefs’ D held the Giants to two field goals, while picking off Eli Manning once and having Larry Johnson score a touchdown of his own.  The score when Derrick Johnson made his play was a very manageable 13-10 in favor of the Giants, after this debacle, the score was 20-10. This call clearly gave the Giants momentum and it looked, even before the Toomer touchdown, as if it took a little wind out of the sails of the Chiefs D who were starting to get into a groove.  In short, this call did to the complexity of the Giants/Chiefs game what plastic surgery did to the complexity of Michael Jackson’s skin; and in a game with as much on the line as there was here, a preventable call such as this should simply not have been made. 

However, this pales in comparison to some of the calls that are made with respect to roughing the passer.  I understand that the quarterback has to be protected for the most part, but let us not forget that these are grown men who have been playing football for ages; we don’t need the refs to treat every quarterback like a little girl who has just been through a harrowing kidnapping experience.  Anybody who has watched the NFL regularly this season surely knows what I’m talking about.  Two examples from the last two Patriots games I watched should provide a little reminder incase you folks forgot.  Against Tampa Bay, Richard Seymour broke through the offensive line and tipped a Chris Simms pass in the air, and after the ball was tipped, the arm that tipped it touched Chris Simms’ shoulder pad/helmet on the way down.  For an idea of the vicious nature of the impact Richard Seymour’s arm had on Simms, think of the monstrous thud of a mother’s hand on a baby’s back while she's burping him/her.  Not only did Simms not fall over from this, it didn’t look like he even knew he had been hit.  And in the very next game, Monday night’s game against the Jets, Seymour again got pressure on the quarterback and sacked Brooks Bollinger on what looked like a clean play.  However, while Seymour was down in perfect form-tackling position with his head and shoulder pads ready to move through Bollinger’s chest, Mr. Bollinger put his head down to brace for impact and there was some helmet to helmet contact.  Apparently, the refs viewed this as some sort of malicious attempt on Seymour’s part to send Bollinger a little helmet to helmet message.  I’m sure Seymour planned the sack to happen just like it did.  

It’s only a matter of time before a huge game in the playoffs is determined by a penalty like this.  I can see it now: Peyton Manning and the Colts, down by 6 to the Bengals in the AFC playoffs, have the ball on the Bengals’ 40 yd. on a 4th and 9 with 30 seconds to go.  Peyton drops back and is being pressured, Justin Smith gets to him just as he gets the ball off, incomplete pass, but there’s a flag!  Justin Smith hit Peyton the wrong way, the crown of his helmet touched Peyton’s facemask and he hit him a split second after Peyton got the ball off; “unsporsmanlike conduct, roughing the passer, number 90, defense, 15 yard penalty, first down”  The next play the Colts score a TD on their way to Ford Field for a nice victory in Super Bowl XL.  

I can understand certain unnecessary roughness calls to a degree (i.e. Donovin Darius murdering Robert Ferguson over the middle on a somewhat unnecessary play a season or two back), but the preceding examples (including the Derrick Johnson play) are not examples of unnecessary roughness.  On the contrary, they are examples of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (somewhere, Scott Bakula is smiling).  Necessary roughness in football should not solely be considered the tackles and the battles in the trenches that are commonplace during a game; it should also be considered as the incidents during a game in which a little extra physicality is added onto the already very physical nature of the game of football (including an event in which a player carries another player down with their momentum because they were trying to make a play).  When a player goes to hit another player, they should not have to think about the consequences of hitting them in a certain fashion, they should be allowed to do everything in their power to get in their opponent’s head and win the game.  However it seems that the NFL and the refs do not want that to be the case (unlike Scott Bakula, somewhere Olivia “Let‘s Get Physical“ Newton John is weeping as a result of these calls).  

I distinctly remember Bryce Paup striking fear into the hearts of offenses (and particularly quarterbacks) all over the league because of his all-out style of play with the Packers, Bills, and Jags.  Bryce had some of the most vicious hits on QB’s I have ever seen and some of them happened to be helmet to helmet.  He was fined several times, and I believe that he is actually one of the main reasons that this penalty has been made a major point of emphasis.  When Bryce made those hits, there were not even flags thrown, because, take a deep breath people, a defensive player hitting a quarterback wasn’t a penalty.  Instead, his fines were actually a result of the league office looking at tapes after the quarterbacks that he hurt were injured and concussed.  Looking back, it actually seems like those fines were almost like the league acting as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, giving the QB‘s a pat on the back, telling them, “get better, we have this situation under control, he won‘t bother you anymore.”  Although he was fined all those times, he continued to play the way he knew how, and as a result it sent him to the Pro Bowl 4 times, helped his team’s defense become even more intimidating, and played a key role in many victories over the years.  I respect him greatly for that (I still remember an interview when they showed him some tapes of the hits he was fined for and he distinctly said he saw nothing wrong with that and wishes he could hit like that all the time - who wouldn’t want a player like that on their team).  Even in the case of Donovin Darius that I mentioned earlier, the man is playing football the way he knows how to play, he is being physical and intimidating his opposition, sending a message to any WR’s that might think of coming over the middle into his territory.  Rodney Harrison is another player who has always been notorious for the “dirty” hits on “defenseless” receivers over the middle (Are they really as defenseless as anybody else on the field?  What about the nice folks who hold the down markers on the sidelines during games?  When they get hit, that‘s unnecessary roughness, but there is no penalty for that.  If you‘re a receiver going over the middle, any roughness that may ensue is very necessary, and I‘m quite sure they are prepared.).  Remember when Rodney annihilated Jerry Rice over the middle that one time?  With the fines he incurred from the league ($111,764 -- 1/17th of his base salary for the season) one would have thought Rodney pimp slapped the President.  However, Rodney, the NFL equivalent of Mark Cuban (the only similarity is the amount of fines these two rack up - please don't think I am equating Rodney to Cuban in any other way), also never stops playing the way he knows how, and over the years he has helped his teams to three super bowls appearances, with two rings to show for it. 

I’m positive that Jack Tatum, Ronnie Lott, Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, Deacon Jones (these two men had signature moves to punish their opponents and win for crying out loud; and both moves, involving arm to the head action, were banned) Mean Joe Greene (as well as Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, and Mel Blount) and countless others are right with me on this issue, and they probably have stronger feelings.  With the horse collar tackle now being a penalty, and anything remotely near a helmet to helmet hit being called as well, it seems like people want the NFL to become soft.  I just hope players like Rodney Harrison, Donovin Darius, and Bryce Paup ( I wish he was still in the league) continue to play the game the way it’s supposed to be played regardless of penalties and fines, because that maintaining that style of play and its positive effects on the team as a whole greatly outweighs any negatives that those penalties and fines may bring.  I saw an amazing hit by Ed Reed on Koren Robinson going over the middle the other night and I couldn’t even appreciate the hit fully until the replay because I was afraid they would call some helmet to helmet, unnecessary roughness penalty (it could have easily been called considering most of these other calls). All of these penalties, fines, points of emphasis, etc. are not only unnecessary, but they are an injustice to the game of football, and I just cannot stand it.  Let me know how you people stand on this.


Premature - Trojans... the play on words pretty much writes itself here
There is one thing I would like to get out there before I go away for a few days.  As I’m sure most of us have seen, ESPN is gradually working their way towards crowning the 2005 USC Trojans as the greatest team of all time (First off, they are not better than the 2001 Miami Hurricanes [I may be biased, The U is my favorite team], look at that team please whenever you get a chance, these guys are dominating the NFL, but that's a different story; I will go along with ESPN for the purpose of this argument).  There are many factors that make me question this whole ridiculous charade they have going, but one that is ringing loud and clear in my mind is this:  How about the fact that they HAVEN'T BEATEN TEXAS YET!!!!  These guys still have to play for the national championship this year and ESPN is crowning them the best of all time?  What if Texas wins?  Does that make them better than every team in the history of college football?  If I were Mack Brown, Vince Young, and the rest of the Longhorns, I would surely use this as motivation; and if I were a USC Trojan, I don’t know if I would be happy with this.  This could have easily waited until after the Rose Bowl; but needless to say, I’m very anxious to see how it turns out.

And I will leave you with my image and quote of the week (both of which relate to the topic above):

“Have you seen what the tickets for the Rose Bowl are going for?  If you get a chance tonight when you’re checking scores, go to ebay and check it out.  I mean looking at the prices for these tickets, it makes me want to call my friend Mike Tice”
-- Brent Musberger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Here’s JohnNY

I really don’t want to hear any more about this whole situation until the season starts, and many bloggers have written about this already, but I am obligated to share my thoughts.  The Damon ordeal has been a very strange one.  I’ve never had such a feeling of ambiguity (before and directly after the deal) with regards to a player who plays such a significant role on one of my favorite teams.  Prior to Johnny’s signing with the Yankees, I was unsure about what I wanted the Sox to do.  Of course I would have loved to have him back on the team, but with the apparent youth movement the Sox are making (prospects from within the system are beginning to play a role, such as Papelbon, Pedroia, Lester, Hansen, DelCarmen, as well as the acquisitions of Beckett, Marte, and Van Buren) I didn’t want them to sign him to a deal that would handcuff the organization and prevent other potential moves that could improve the team (now and in the future).  However, with the rumors increasing about the Sox trying to go after Coco Crisp, Jeremy Reed, and other CF candidates, I had a feeling JD wouldn’t be back. 

So then, in an event than seemed almost inevitable as the days went by, Johnny drank some of Scott Boras’ world famous Traitor-ade and signed with the Yankees.  My first reaction to hearing the news was one of ambivalence, mainly because I had convinced myself the Sox would be OK with one of the other CF candidates, but once I heard Johnny’s comments from approximately 10 minutes after he was an official Yankee, that feeling changed.  The man who said in May of ‘05, “There’s no way I can go play for the Yankees.”, was now saying things like, “I'm part of the Yankees and that great lineup. We're going to be a tough team to beat.”; and "Our policy with the Yankees is to go out there and win and we're going to try and bring another championship to them."  Hearing Johnny Damon say things like that when he’d been a part of that team for such a short amount of time made me feel sick. 

I appreciate JD and all of the things he did for the Sox (including the most obvious thing), but after this, I don’t think I will ever like or respect him again.  Of course he could play the “The Red Sox didn’t really want me back.” card, but he knows that is not the case.  The Sox a plan to not overpay JD, so they made him an offer that they thought was fair enough, and left it on the table.  When a person is making upwards of 10 million dollars, what exactly does a couple of extra million dollars mean?  I would love for any athlete, agent, celebrity, or anybody else to explain this to me.  Maybe Johnny was holding out because the Sox were only going to give him enough money to buy 3 countries in South America instead of the 4 that he wanted.  It has long been clear that in most cases, it’s all about the money.  However, it is always discouraging to see an example of that which has relevance to you as a fan.  This guy surrendered being treated as royalty and the luxury of never having to pay for many a thing (meals for sure) throughout New England, for a couple of extra million bucks, and I don’t know if I will ever really understand that.  Although I now strongly dislike Johnny Damon the person, I am not feeling the sense of panic that some may be feeling when thinking about this situation in terms of the baseball impact. 

First, Johnny Damon just does not seem to fit in with the Yankees.  Johnny’s hair and persona have become as much a part of his game as anything else, and when you take into account how superstitious many athletes (especially baseball players) are, sometimes causing a player to deviate from his comfort zone can have an effect on his performance (Jason Giambi anyone?).   Another thing about is that in addition to the fact that his arm is no stronger than Bernie Williams’ (or Jodie Foster’s for that matter), the ~150 games that Johnny has played in each season for the last 10 years seem to be beginning to take a toll on him.  JD is a player who leaves it all on the field, but he was visibly tired at the end of last season and his  2005 pre/post all-star break splits looked like this (AVG/OBP/OPS): Pre All-Star: .343/.386/.858;  Post All-Star: .282/.343/.740.  Also, JD’s 3-year home/road splits (2003-2005) are as follows: Fenway: .318/.338/.836; everywhere else: .278/.340/.773.  And last but not least (sorry to beat you over the head with stats, but its baseball, and I want to let you people know why I don’t think there is a need to panic), Johnny’s career numbers in Yankee Stadium: 66 games, .252 average, .301 OBP, .647 OPS, 4 HR, 26 RBI (keep in mind, in game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, Johnny was 3-6 with 2 of those HR’s and 6 of those RBI).  I believe that Coco Crisp/Jeremy Reed will be able to make up at least 80% of Johnny’s offensive production this season, as well as quite possibly serving as an upgrade to JD’s defense.  Those things, in addition to the Sox potentially signing Kevin Millwood to upgrade the rotation (with the money saved as a result of Johnny leaving), could actually improve the team. 

All that being said, I do think Johnny will be a huge upgrade from what the Yankees would have had in CF, and he should put up some big numbers in that lineup of all lineups.  However, in the not too distant future, I believe he will become an albatross just as Bernie was this past season, and the bottom line is this.  His signing will not result in more World Championships for the Yanks.  Brain Cashman and the Yankees’ front office appeared to have learned a mini-lesson last season by having players like Shawn Chacon, Robinson Cano, and Aaron Small among others help lead their team to another AL East Championship; while big offseason signings like Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright didn’t pan out and turned into instant bad signings.  However, I guess the opening in CF and the opportunity for Steinbrenner (who obviously did not learn a lesson, and make no mistake about it, this was clearly Steinbrenner’s decision – there is none of that increase of autonomy for Cashman going on when it comes down to it) to stick it to the Red Sox was too tasty to pass up, so Georgie Porgie opened up his wallet yet again and JD is now in pinstripes.  Signings like this do not a championship team make.  And while the Yankees are going the Yankees route of signing every big name possible regardless of how they fit in with the team, the Sox are going the White Sox route of trying to put together a cohesive team that can “play the game the right way” (as Larry Brown would say); and before everybody writes off the Red Sox as 2^nd/3^rd in the AL East (Buster Olney *cough*) let’s just wait until the roster looks a little clearer come Spring Training to make our predicitions. 

So in closing, thanks for everything Johnny, but in the end, please don’t try to say it was about anything except the money.  I will be looking forward to Josh Beckett blowing you away with 97 mph gas, as well as your first slump in NY, when you will be one of the few players who will be hated by Red Sox and Yankee fans alike.

 

The Cuban Baseball Crisis

The fact that Cuba is currently unable to participate in the World Baseball Classic (which I think should be renamed; one would think an event that has the word “Classic” in its title would have to be an event with some sort of established tradition) because of U.S. laws and regulations governing certain transactions with Cuba is beyond absurd.  I’m not even sure if I like the idea of this tournament (I can see the positives and negatives), because of the fact that it cuts into spring training and the players’ ability to become familiar with their team, however I believe that if this tournament is going to be played, it should be played correctly; and that includes allowing every country possible to participate in the WORLD Baseball Classic, especially a country such as Cuba.  Cuba has a rich baseball history and they are one of the few teams who can compete with the U.S. and Dominican Republic in this tournament.  Obviously, the real issue here is money, and the fact that Cuba may be receiving some as a result of the WBC.  To address that issue, I implore the government to look at the fact that there are several Cubans in the MLB right now, including Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras.  When these players make their millions, do people honestly think that none of that money is going to find its way to Cuba in order to assist family members, build better baseball facilities for kids, etc.?  Now, as if the Government’s decision didn’t look dumb enough in the first place (this is a baseball tournament, not gun running, or a drug war, and this has no relevance to our gripes with their political system), somebody in Cuba pulled off a masterful P.R. move by stating that the Cuban team will donate any money it makes in the WBC to Hurricane Katrina victims.  This is a great move by Cuba to show the U.S. that they just want to participate in the tourney for love of the game and national pride, not to extort money from the U.S.  If the Government declines Cuba after this, I really won’t know what to say. 

Just let Cuba play.  As I said before, they are one of the 3 teams, in my mind, who have a chance to compete with the U.S. and the D.R. (the two teams which Mr. Ice Water in My Veins, Alex Rodriguez, couldn’t build up the gumption to choose between, so he just decided not to participate – what a stand up guy; seriously, has there ever been a more spineless “best player in the game”?  He never shows up when it counts, see: 2005 playoffs, and when asked about leadership and things of that nature he responds with gems such as, “This is still Jeter's team because he's the captain, but my approach is not to be everyone's best friend… My approach is to win championships. The only way to do that is to be myself, and to take care of my world. With my talent, people will follow naturally.”), the other teams being Venezuela and Japan.  Who else is going to be any sort of competition for these teams?  Definitely not The Netherlands, with Andruw Jones and nothing else; perhaps they could get Ruud van Nistelrooy and Dennis Bergkamp to play, at least some soccer fans would watch.  Australia won’t compete, even though the influence of former Milwaukee Brewer great Dave Nilsson (the only Australian baseball player I’ve ever heard of) will surely be felt.  Do I really need to go through any other teams?  Stop the madness… Cuba Libre! (at least for the WBC).
 

Stop!... Kobe Time

Kobe Bryant put on one of the best displays of basketball dominance I have ever seen this week, when he dropped 62 points in three quarters against the Mavs on Tuesday.  It actually got to the point where Josh Howard took a page out of coach Jack Reilly’s book (the coach of the Hawks in “The Mighty Ducks”, who told his players to remove Adam Banks from the game at all costs) and tried to take Kobe out of the game by hacking him, but it was all in vein, as Kobe continued to have his way.  I wish Phil Jackson pulled a Steve Spurrier and left Kobe in for the 4^th quarter of the smackdown of the Mavs, because it would have been nice to witness some history and see Kobe break Elgin Baylor’s Lakers scoring record of 71.  After the game, a journalist was trying to imply that Kobe’s 62-point effort may have been a message to Shaq (they have another holiday showdown on Christmas Day).  That is such a ridiculous notion, I shouldn’t even gratify it with an opinion, but I’m going to anyway.  No player, not Kobe, not anybody, is good enough to score 62 points in three quarters at will because he wants to send a message to a rival player who he is playing against, not in the next game, but at some point in the future.  This notion seems even more implausible when you consider the fact that this “message” and the rivalry are for the most part media creations and have no real relevance to the players themselves.  If that were the case, players like Carmelo, Kobe, Dwayne Wade, and Lebron would average 80 ppg, because there always seems to be some sort of media-created mini-showdown game on the horizon for every star player in the NBA.  This Kobe/Shaq thing has officially reached the point of out of control, oddly enough with neither player acknowledging the other; and I feel bad that no matter what they do on the court, ultimately they have to be bothered with this nonsense (as bad as I would feel for a person making absurd amounts of money for doing what they love to do).  Regardless, things just seem to be going the right way for Kobe again, because half-way into his 5-year, $45 million contract with Nike, he is finally getting his own Nike sneaker.  The sneaker will debut on Christmas Day when Kobe will wear it during the aforementioned showdown with the Heat.  Apparently Nike believes Kobe’s image is repaired enough for them to begin utilizing the marketability of the superstar, and I can’t argue with their decision, because Kobe and LeBron James should give Nike the most amazingly marketable duo of NBA players in quite some time.  That’s all about Kobe for now, I just wanted to recognize his amazing effort.  In the meantime, I have to go prepare for the ultimate showdown between Shaq and Kobe, they may actually look at each other once or twice in this year’s game.

 

 

Look Who’s Talking

This week’s Pot Calling the Kettle Black award goes to Mike Tice, for telling Vikings fans not to scalp tickets.  I’m not discrediting Mike’s solid coaching job this season (he’s got to be a finalist for coach of the year), I just thought this was hilarious and I had to include it in my rant.  Here are some imaginary scenarios that would be akin to Mike Tice telling these fans not to scalp:

 

Jessica Simpson telling somebody to smarten up.

Isaiah Rider telling somebody to quit smoking marijuana.

Vince Carter telling somebody to play hard, no matter what the situation.

Jim Mora, Sr. telling somebody to be optimistic.

Johnny Damon telling somebody to have some self-integrity.

Drew Rosenhaus demanding that somebody answer his questions.

Todd Bertuzzi refereeing a boxing match and telling the fighters he wants a clean fight.

Paris Hilton telling somebody to have some class.
 
I could go on with these for weeks (I may have to include things like this in my blogs in the future, it’s pretty fun), but you get the point.

 

 

 

 

R.I.P. James Dungy
I just want to give my deepest condolences to the Dungy family.  This is a travesty and yet another incident that puts sports into perspective.   My thoughts and wishes will be with the Dungys throughout the Holidays.

Before I get to my critique of not only the BCS, but the bowl system and college football as a whole, let me begin on a positive note.  I believe this year’s edition of BCS bowls has the potential to be one of the better batches in recent memory.  Three out of the four games could be barnburners because the teams matchup well against one another.  However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the right teams were selected (damn, I really didn’t make it too far without throwing some criticism in there).  In the hope of keeping this positive for as long as possible, here’s my rundown on each of the BCS Bowls:

 

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #4 Ohio State (9-2) v. #6 Notre Dame (9-2):

Here’s a game that features two of the most popular college football teams in the history of the sport in the Buckeyes and the Irish.  Speaking of the Irish, I have to get this out now.  Why is it that the Fighting Irish is an acceptable nickname for a team, but so many team names based on Native Americans and other cultures are considered offensive?  The Fighting Irish symbol is a fighting leprechaun.  This is a combination of two of the most prominent stereotypes in Irish culture, in leprechauns and fighting, and a conclusion could be drawn that a third stereotype is thrown in there with the leprechaun appearing to be drunk at all times (in the logo he looks a little tipsy and the mascot, although sometimes he's African-American/Irish, surely has to be drunk to be acting the way he does in front of hundreds of thousands of people; at least he seems that way).  Is the reason because Irish people embrace that name?  I would certainly embrace a team naming themselves after me or my culture no matter what.  The New York Ragin’ Matt Days?  The Detroit Fighting Lithuanians?  I love it.  I could understand if Native Americans disliked these team names because there were white people acting as mascots and turning sporting events into Native American minstrel shows, but for the most part, that’s not the case.  My high school team’s nickname was the Warriors, and we had a Native American chief with a headdress on as our mascot.  But for some reason, we had to change the image and though the name is still Warriors, it has almost no relation to the Native Americans that the school was trying to honor with that name.  However, Native Americans have been through a lot more than I have and definitely have a different outlook on American culture than I do, so I am not going to try to act like I understand their point of view.  This is just something that I wonder about sometimes.  Back to the subject at hand;  the fact that these teams travel very well and have such a storied tradition (with so many fans who will surely tune in) clearly factored into their selection; because in the end, it’s all about ratings and revenue.  Don’t think for a minute that Mike Bellotti and the #5 ranked Oregon Ducks aren’t feeling disrespected, but I will get to that later.  That being said, this should be a very entertaining game and I think Charlie Weis will teach a lesson in coaching to Jim Tressel, who I don’t think is very good (remember the Texas game when he rotated Troy Smith and Justin Zwick, but seemed to take each quarterback out of the game directly after they got into a groove, there were many questionable moves like that by Jim throughout the season).  I also think the Irish are a better team.  Better team + better coach = victory.  ND, 33-21. 

 

Nokia Sugar Bowl: #11 West Virginia (10-1) v. #7 Georgia (10-2)

This could very well be the ugly duckling of the BCS bowls.  We will see the winner of one of the better conferences in America, the SEC, against the winner of one of the worst conferences, the depleted Big East.  The Mountaineers have an impressive record, but they’ve played questionable opponents all season long (their only quality win was over #19 Louisville 46-44, and they will not be putting up points like that against Greg Blue and UGA’s tough defense).  The one time they played a team anywhere near Georgia’s level was Va. Tech (I had the pleasure of watching that game) and they were shut down.  I don’t think West Virginia will be able to hang with the Bulldogs, who have already taken out better teams than WV (i.e. LSU, Auburn).  As always, anything can happen, but I’m going to go with UGA, 31-13.

 

FedEx Orange Bowl: #3 Penn State (10-1) v. #22 Florida State (8-4)

I like to call this the Geritol Bowl.  You can toss the rankings and the records out the window for this game with the two winningest coaches (JoePa 353, Bowden 359) in Division 1A history going head to head.  Joe Paterno (age 79) has led the Nittany Lions to an amazing 10-1 record in a competitive Big Ten conference this season and I think it’s safe to say nobody predicted such a year.  Bobby Bowden (age 76) has had a much tougher season with the ‘Noles, however FSU always has the speed and talent to play with anybody in the nation.  The Orange Bowl also gives us a chance to see two of the best defenses in the nation, including three of the best linebackers in AJ Nicholson, Ernie Sims, and Paul Posluszny.  This should be a classic smashmouth game and I am definitely looking forward to watching this chess match between two coaches who have combined for 712 wins over the course of their great careers.  Nittany Lions, 21-17.

 

Rose Bowl: #2 Texas (12-0) v. #1 USC (12-0)

The game we’ve all been waiting for since before the season started.  I think the BCS committee is happier with these teams going undefeated than Mack Brown and Pete Carroll combined.  I don’t have much to say about this game that hasn’t already been said.  I think USC’s offense will be too much for Rodrique Wright, Michael Huff and the Texas defense.  When USC wants to win, more often than not they get it done; it’s as simple as that (and more often has been for the past 3 seasons now).  USC, 38-28

 

 

Now that those nice, positive analyses are over with, I will get into my critique of the BCS and the entire college bowl system.  Now remember, these are just general things that I notice, some things are more serious than others.  I believe certain aspects of college football can be improved, but I have come to the realization that some will always stay the same (due to human error and things of that nature).  Although I love the bowls themselves, I am an big advocate for a playoff in College football.  I think it’s almost naïve not to have one and I think that there is a way to have the best of both worlds and integrate the bowls with a playoff.  I’m itching to get my thoughts on this silly system out there, so here we go…

 

It’s all about the money.

College football (and the bowl system in particular) embodies this phrase.  You don’t have to look any further than the names of the bowls themselves, the amount of bowls there are, and the selection of certain teams to bowls (i.e. Notre Dame/OSU) for proof.  The almighty dollar is the cause for many of the things that I currently have a problem with in college football and you will see that it is a recurring theme in this post (keep the thought of potential financial gain for the schools involved, advertisers, and everybody else aside from the athletes themselves, in the back of your mind while reading). 

 

There are way too many bowls, bottom line.

There are a lot of layers to this.  First, somebody needs to do something about the standards for what is good enough to be considered bowl eligible.  As of right now, the standards for bowl eligibility are lower than those of Tom Arnold.  Nobody wants to watch two teams that barely kept their heads above water over the course of the season (many of them in questionable conferences) play each other in a game that means absolutely nothing.  I don’t know about you guys, but watching 6-5 Southern Miss (whose biggest accomplishment this year was being involved with Tyrone Prothro’s catch in that Alabama game) and 6-5 Arkansas State battle in the New Orleans bowl while the announcers talk about Dustin Almond’s place in Golden Eagles football lore is not my idea of an enjoyable bowl experience (and doesn’t it seem like Almond has been at So. Miss for like 7 years?  He’s up there on my list of guys who seemed like they were at college for way too long, with such notable names as Quentin Griffin and Anthony Glover St. John’s basketball).  Bowls are supposed to have prestige and meaning, and allowing bad teams to get into a bowl hurts not only the fans, who expect to see good teams competing (Personally, I think Al Bundy's alma mater Polk High has more of a right to be playing in some of these bowls than these 6-5 teams, but I always watch these games anyway, I can’t help it), it detracts from the meaning and importance of other bowls and the teams involved in those bowls.  Teams that have had legitimate successful seasons earned their way into a bowl, such as 9-2 Alabama (who did it in a very tough conference) do not want to turn around and see teams like 7-5 Colorado (who not only had a down season in a terrible conference, but finished up their season by getting absolutely worked in their conference championship game, 70 to 3) playing in a bowl like they are.  Putting a team with 4 or 5 losses into a bowl game is like putting Little John from Robin Hood: Men in Tights in a 400 meter individual medley against Michael Phelps, it diminishes the credibility of everybody involved.  If a team loses 4 or 5 times during a 11/12 game season (especially if they had no quality wins over decent opponents whatsoever), they simply aren’t that good and they certainly don’t deserve to be playing in a bowl.  However, it’s not only those teams that I have a gripe with.

 

I could make a case that some teams that have good looking records in horrible conferences should not be making it to bowl games either.  Take 9-2 Texas Tech for example.  The Red Raiders were in a very weak Big 12 (which I keep harping on for some reason) and the one good team that they played all season long, featuring a man named Vince Young, body slammed them 52-17.  TTU also lost a game to a very mediocre Oklahoma St. team.  I can say with some conviction that they probably shouldn’t be in a bowl.  Somehow, Texas Tech is ranked 15^th in the BCS standings and I have a feeling that has something to do with people not  What is the story with that?  Every time I hear about the computers tabulating the rankings and stuff like that, I get this image of these guys who look like the scientist from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, huddling around a computer and getting a little sheet of paper that shoots out of an orb (like those old stock tickers from the 1940’s).  I am not a fan, that whole computer thing needs to be tossed.   Back to the Cody Hodges and the Red Raiders.  Their wins came over one of the worst collections of teams I have ever seen on a schedule for a supposed #15 ranked team.  Now if there were a 16 team playoff, they may get in (not in my playoff – color me unimpressed with this team) and have the opportunity to prove themselves to the nation; but this isn’t a playoff and they haven’t proven anything to me at this point.  evaluating the team correctly, as well as the whole shady computer aspect of the BCS.

 

Now I understand that bowl wins can really benefit a school’s program on many levels (recruiting benefits, money for the program, etc.), but some of these bowls have little to no bearing on those benefits; and if the true aim shared by the people who set up these bowls, and the sponsors, was to give the schools an opportunity to bolster their programs (and they do try to make people believe that this is a big part of their aim), then the bowl committees would evaluate certain situations more fairly.  I believe that a BCS bid would have benefited Oregon this season much more than it would Notre Dame (Notre Dame doesn’t really need extra money, exposure, or help building the program, Oregon does), but ND can generate the revenue, so they got the bid.  In the words of Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase’s theme song “Money, money, money, money, moneyyyy!”  I bet that guy would make a great chairman for the BCS.   

 

 

 

The automatic bids are irrational unless there is a playoff/tournament.

There are a few reasons why I think automatic bids are unnecessary.  Automatic bids for the BCS function as a tool to ensure that the “best” teams in the nation (a.k.a. the most recognizable teams in most cases) gain spots in the BCS bowls.  However, even if there weren’t any automatic bids, the winners of the “power” conferences like the Big 10, Big 12, SEC, etc., would still be among the best teams in the nation.  Therefore, those teams would end up receiving bids in the BCS bowls because they would be near the top of all of the polls (along with any upstart teams that deserve to be ranked highly).  Let’s be honest, who else would get those bids, Boise State and Indiana? 

Automatic bids in the majority of postseason sporting events are used to assure the teams that earn them a spot in a tournament or playoff of some sort.  The true purpose for an automatic bid is to put a team in the position to make a run at a championship, think about it.  However, in the case of the BCS, all an automatic bid does is give a school who would have probably gotten a bid anyway (aside from certain schools like West Virginia and Florida State, who I will speak about in a second) a spot in a bowl which most likely will not result in a championship (aside from the national title game obviously -- which the BCS still rarely gets right and I don't see much of a difference from the pre-BCS days, with things like USC/LSU splitting the title, and Auburn last season having an argument, etc.).  The automatic bids in the BCS can also hurt teams that should rightfully be in one of the BCS games and get left out as a result of those bids.  West Virginia getting an automatic bid is a farce.  For one thing, the Big East should be stripped of its automatic bid until they prove they can be something without Miami, Va. Tech, and BC.  The Big East at this point is on par with some of the weaker conferences in the nation and they certainly don’t stack up to the Big 10, SEC, ACC, or Pac 10 (see: last year’s Fiesta Bowl: Utah 35 – Big East champion Pitt 7, in a game that was actually worse than the score would indicate).  Let me know if you truly believe that West Virginia deserves that bid over Oregon, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, or even Virginia Tech (who obviously had the opportunity to be in a BCS bowl but blew it to Florida State as a result of a scenario that shouldn’t exist).  The fact is, West Virginia is ranked below all of those teams aside from Alabama and LSU (who they should be ranked below) yet somehow they got a bid and that really irritates me.  As for Florida State, although they can play with anybody in the nation on any given day (they probably would have gone undefeated in the Big East), I don’t think they deserve to be in a BCS bowl over some of the teams that I mentioned before either.  Florida State had a somewhat poor year while Oregon, etc., had great years, and because FSU played one good game at the end of the season, they get a chance to play the #3 team in the country in the national spotlight.  I would advocate automatic bids, especially in a situation such as FSU’s, if those bids were a part of a tournament or playoff, because in that situation, the ACC championship game would be their saving grace and an opportunity to play for a national championship, while the teams that succeeded all year long, such as Virginia Tech and Miami, would also have no worries about getting into that tournament and being able to play for a national title (see: the NCAA basketball tourney).  More on that later on. 

 

The ever-present problem of certain teams getting hosed by the BCS.

This year, we have yet another example of this epidemic (which is another problem that roots from revenue, as mentioned before).  Adding insult to injury, instead of letting the Oregon Ducks play in the Fiesta Bowl, apparently the best the BCS committee can do for Oregon is give them the honor of playing in the extravaganza that is the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl against a team, in Oklahoma, that doesn’t even deserve to be in a bowl (another great example of the low standards for bowl eligibility).  Leaving Oregon out of the BCS is like locking them inside a rancid port-o-potty, and pitting them against a team like Oklahoma is like taking that port-o-potty while they are still inside and flipping it upside-down.  The Ducks could have easily been matched up against a team like Auburn, TCU, Alabama, or even Michigan (if the committee really felt the urge to have them face a prestigious team that has had a down year) and it would have been a much better scenario than this.  As I discussed before, Oregon is ranked higher than several teams who are going to be playing in BCS bowls, this madness must stop (but now I’m done arguing for Oregon - maybe the committee didn't like the fact that Stevie Wonder could see their solar-inspired uniforms or something).  If the current bowl system is going to continue (which I hope it does not), there really needs to be a more stringent inspection of a lot of these teams’ credentials by the bowl committee (this relates to my last paragraph and is clearly a theme in this post).  A team’s record doesn’t tell the whole story when you’re trying to separate 10-1 teams from 9-2 teams, and even 9-3 teams in some cases.  Part of this ties into another problem I have with college football…

 

The later in the season a team loses, the more it hurts.

This should not be the case, unfortunately, I think this is one of those things that will never change.  I’ve seen scenarios involving two teams in strong, comparable conferences that have looked something like this.  One team (Team A) loses the first two games of the year and wins the next ten, and another team (Team B) wins 11 games in a row and loses one at the end of the season; and at 10-2, Team A gets a higher ranking and better bowl bid than 11-1 Team B.  That’s a terrible thing and there is no reason for it.  A big reason for late losses paralyzing certain teams’ hopes for a national title and other achievements, is the polls (a.k.a. the human vote) and there is no way to ever change that.  This is the way it has been for years and the way it always will be, I just wanted to point out the fact that it’s ridiculous. 

 

Potential solution: my unfinished playoff idea.

Division I-A should implement a 16 team playoff that can be a hybrid of the Division I-AA playoff and the NCAA basketball tourney while still utilizing the bowls.  There can be a selection committee, just as there is for NCAA hoops, who analyzes the polls, the teams, their records, strength of schedule, etc., and determines the seedings.  In this scenario, I would be fully in favor of automatic bids from the winners of the ACC, SEC, Big 10, Pac 10, Big 12, and the Big East (if it ever gets somewhat strong again) the rest can be determined by the committee.  I would be confident with that because the NCAA hoops committee seems to do a great job every year.  There are currently 28 bowls.  There would be a total of 15 games in the playoff, and those games can be played at the most prominent bowls, with the Cotton (it’s time for the Cotton Bowl to be brought back into the fold), Peach, Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Fiesta rotating as sites for quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship game on a yearly basis.  I would like to eliminate 8 of the current bowls (bowls such as the New Orleans Bowl, ####lord Hotels Music City Bowl, Champs Sports, MPC Computers, and San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl – I mean are we serious with these bowls?  Some of these sound like names that would be made up in a SNL parody of college football) and narrow the number of bowls down to 20.  The 5 bowls that aren’t involved with the playoff can serve as a platform for the 10 strongest teams who didn’t make the playoff to show their stuff and they can get the same treatment that the 2^nd tier of bowls gets right now.  Winning those bowls should benefit the respective schools just at bowl victories do in the present system (recruiting, etc.).   I think that’s a clear enough description of what I envision for a playoff.  If you have any questions about this, be a sport and use the comment section. 

 

I feel like I’m leaving quite a few of my thoughts out of this post still, but at the moment, this is all I can recall.  Fellow bloggers, remember to let me know if you want me to clear something up, I would be happy to oblige.  Adios for now. 

My semi-breakdown of the AFC:

I may as well start off with the biggest story in football at the moment.  Team Titanic (yes I called them Team Titanic, and yes I mean it on multiple levels), the Indianapolis Colts, finally took a loss to a dangerous San Diego Chargers team (who beat them with a blitzing 3-4 scheme on D - and I think we all know who runs the most effective 3-4 D in the league) that was coming off a home defeat at the hands of (here’s a helping of irony for you) the Miami Dolphins.  At least it’s nice to know that the suicide watch can be called off for Bob Griese, Nick Buonticonti, Mercury Morris (who was probably calling 911 today since the Colts were finally “on his block”) and the rest of the guys who I’m sure were all heeding the advice of John 'Bluto' Blutarsky and drinking heavily ever since Indy hit 10-0.  Another amazing thing about this loss is that this, coupled with the Patriots’ dominating win over Tampa Bay on Saturday has turned the Patriots back into the favorites to win the AFC in many analysts’ eyes, and that’s priceless.  To be honest, I think it’s a three-horse race in the AFC between the Colts (13-1), Patriots (9-5), and Bengals(11-3) (sorry Mr. Shanahan).  

 

A huge factor in the Colts’ loss today was the ineffectiveness of Edgerrin James, who never truly gets the credit he deserves.  I believe the lack of any sort of commitment to Edge was, in fact, the biggest reason the Colts lost today, however, nobody is discussing that as much as they should be.  Instead, it’s all about Peyton Manning having an “off game”, the Chargers’ pass rush, and so on.  Maybe the fact that Edge, the primary ingredient in an offense that relies more heavily on play action than John Wayne Bobbitt relies on Viagra, was taken completely out of the game had some sort of impact (Sorry about that rant).  That being said, I think the loss the Colts took today had more of a positive effect on the rest of the playoff teams in the AFC than it had a negative effect on the Colts.  This game made the RCA Dome a little less intimidating and gave teams like the Pats and Bengals a little extra confidence going into the playoffs that they can go into Indy and beat them just like the Chargers did.  I’m very curious to see how this team rebounds in a hostile environment at Seattle next week.  Call me a what you will, but I just don’t believe that this year’s version of the Colts is much better than the Colts of the past.  Until they prove something in the playoffs (i.e. beating the Patriots in a game that matters when both teams are at full strength), I will be skeptical.  However, the Colts have been a great team all season, and if they do beat the Patriots in the playoffs, I think they will end up winning the Lombardi Trophy.

 

I think the Broncos are a solid team, but just like the panthers, there’s something about them that makes me believe that they don’t have what it takes this season (maybe the fact that more than one person has their entire name on the back of their jersey has something to do with this.  Can this stop please?  I don’t even think the first initial is necessary, there is a number on the jersey for a reason.  That number can tell people which Williams or which Anderson it is, don’t you think?).  On a more serious note, the Broncos defense is certainly solid, but I’ve watched some games this season where they have had some serious mental lapses which have led to poor performances (Thanksgiving v. Dallas, the game against the Patriots, at the Giants) and they just don’t play strong enough against good competition to make me believe that they are a true contender.  Although the Broncos run the ball about 65% of the time, come playoff time, teams will stack the box and force Jake Plummer to beat them (therefore, I’m expecting quite a few bootlegs from Jake the Snake and the Orange Crush coaching staff).  I still don’t trust Jake Plummer in a big situation and I don’t think I ever will.  Expecting Jake Plummer to win a big playoff game with his arm is like expecting Robert Downey Jr. declining an all expenses paid (and I mean all expenses) trip to Amsterdam, it just will not happen.  The fact that former NCAA basketball dunk contest participant and Mercer University great Wesley Duke plays tight end for the Broncos gives them some points in my book, but not enough.  They are going nowhere fast. 

 

The Bengals are a very interesting team, but I think the lack of experience will hurt them just as it will hurt the Jaguars and their TEAL curtain defense (I came up with that nickname myself.  I think it’s a solid nickname that also pays homage to a great defense from the past); although I think the Jags will be hurt more by their potential first round matchup against the Pats at “The Razor” Gillette Stadium.  But back to the Bengals.  I have sung the praises of their much improved D previously in my blog (Odell Thurman in particular), but I don’t think the defense will be quite good enough.  Their offense is surely a force to be reckoned with, but points won’t be as easy to come by in the playoffs, so even though I think they have the potential to win the AFC, I don’t think they will actually pull it off.

 

Now we come to the defending World Champion New England Patriots.  I wouldn’t count the Pats out until somebody shows that they can take out Brady and Belichick come playoff time. I believe that the Pats can still beat anybody in the NFL come playoff time (even the Colts at Indy), and here’s why.  I hope we all know enough about Tom Brady and his exploits that I don't need to go too much into his importance to the team.  I still think Brady should get more recognition for league MVP than he's getting (he has been a constant on this injury plagued team and has carried them during certain games over the course of the season) and, according to Stephen A. Smith, Brady is "all you need".  More importanly, for the first time all season, the Pats have a healthy squad (especially on defense) that has been able to play together for multiple consecutive games (Tedy Bruschi is looking like his old self and Rosevelt Colvin is finally being utilized properly).  If you have watched their last few games, you can see the difference in the front seven’s pass rush as well as their run defense (opponent rushing average last 6 games = 60.2 ypg).  Also, the secondary, with the rookie Ellis Hobbs, Asante Samuel (whose cover skills seem to have caught up a bit to his hitting skills), and Artrell Hawkins, is looking a little better every week as they all get more and more comfortable with the system (not as much in Samuel’s case), and with playing with one another (another HUGE factor in the secondary looking better is the effectiveness of the front seven - they are making the job alot easier right now).  The Colts still haven't beaten the Pats in the playoffs and I don't think they will do it this year either.  The Bengals have a great offense, and a good, but somewhat untested defense, but have zero experience in the playoffs.  The Pats almost beat the Broncos at Denver without Dillon, Seymour, Bruschi and others.  I just flat out don’t think the Jags have what it takes, especially if Leftwich and Fred Taylor aren’t 100 percent and I don’t think the Steelers are a serious contender this season (not to mention the fact that the Pats beat them this year at Pittsburgh).  San Diego is pretty much out of the playoff picture and I don’t think the Chiefs will be in either (even if they were, they wouldn’t be playing at home so they would be a non-factor).  I don’t think any of the NFC teams will win the Super Bowl, and as a small example of why, let us look back to Sunday, when the best team in the NFC took on a very mediocre AFC team in the Tennesee Titans.  The Seahawks eeked out a win, 28-24, and I think my argument here is self-explanatory (this could have just been one of those days for the Seahawks, but we will find out more next week).  Of course we know what could happen on any given Sunday, but I believe the Colts and Pats will meet in Indy in the 2^nd round, and I also believe that the winner of that game will win the Super Bowl.  I may be biased here, but if you were a betting man, would you bet against the Pats?

 

 

So that’s my vague 360° assessment of the NFL playoff picture as it stands right now.  When all is said and done for the regular season, and the playoff seedings are set, I will get more specific and give a better breakdown of how the season went, including my thoughts on non-playoff teams and subjects such as the Reggie “2nd coming of Gale Sayers” Bush sweepstakes, the trend of HORRIBLE unnecessary roughness calls by refs, the amazing impact of Tony Siragusa’s presence on the sidelines during games, as well as my real deal award winners (MVP, etc.); but for the time being, I just wanted to get my thoughts on the table. 

What a huge weekend it was in the NFL.  However, after many thought the playoff picture would look a little bit clearer after this weekend, it’s actually looking a little bit more unpredictable for a number of reasons.  It’s time for my breakdown of the NFL as it stands right now.  I think it will be easier if I go conference by conference. 

 

 My semi-breakdown of the NFC:

As of right now, the Seattle Seahawks (12-2) are the best team in the conference.  After that, it gets a tad bit murky with the New York Giants (10-4), Chicago Bears (10-4), and Carolina Panthers (10-4) all on a very similar level.  Whoever takes homefield advantage between those 3 teams will have a huge advantage.  The strongest homefield advantage, in my opinion, would be that of the Chicago Bears.  We were able to see a great example of the effects of Soldier Field on opposing teams in tonight’s Bears vs. Falcons game.  This was a game with an intense playoff atmosphere, between two of the better teams in the conference.  The arctic weather, combined with those loud, crazy, bratwurst and Budweiser inhaling fans really provides for an intimidating experience for the opposing team and it’s easy to see how easily they can be taken out of their game.  The atmosphere at Soldier Field also makes the Bears defense (which is probably the most intimidating defense since the 2000 Ravens) that much scarier.  They are so fast, so physical, and so smart; I just can’t explain how impressed I am with their defense this season, if there ever was a well-oiled machine, this is it.  I wish I could watch them play every week.

 

Now while I say the Seahawks are the best team as of right now, that does not mean that I am handing them the NFC title.  The NFC is there for the taking for any of the top 4 seeds in my mind, and I will not be making my final predictions until the seedings are set.  Instead, I just wanted to give an evaluation of the conference at this point as the playoffs draw nearer.  The Seahawks are very solid and their defense is one of the more underrated groups in the league (featuring two of the most underrated defensive players in the league as well – perhaps the most impressive rookie in the NFC this season, former Maine Black Bear, Lofa Tatupu; and a top tier cornerback in Marcus Trufant).  We all know what the Seattle offensive line and Shaun Alexander can do (Alexander has my vote for MVP by the way – and this brings up another traveshamockery in sports which I am guilty of to some degree as well, the fact that it’s all but impossible for a defensive player to win MVP; what kind of nonsense is that?  I’m still waiting for somebody to explain to me why Ray Lewis didn’t win the MVP in 2000 – the Ravens didn’t score one offensive touchdown in the month of October in 2000 and still won 2 of those games while out gaining their opponents overall in that stretch and having more first downs in that time frame.  Also, three of the defenses they played were then in the Top 5 in the league... This is worthy of a column at some point so I will save the rest).  And we know what Matt Hasselbeck can do (as long as he doesn’t make any predictions during the coin toss at any Seahawks games), but the dynamic duo of Penn State Nittany Lions, Bobby Engram (one of the perennially underrated receivers in the league) and Joe Jurevicius (what a great free agent pickup), are also doing more than their fair share for the ‘Hawks.  The scary thing about the Seahawks is the fact that they have done most of their work this season without their best wide receiver Darrell Jackson, who is now healthy again, just in time for the playoffs.  They will be tough to beat, especially if they clinch the top seed. 

 

The New York Football Giants are an enigma this season.  I believe that if they play to their potential, they can beat anybody (that includes AFC teams).  On offense, they can cause matchup problems all over the field with their big, physical wideouts Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer; they can stretch the field with Tim Carter; and let us not forget that the Giants also have one of the top 3 tight ends in the NFL, Jeremy Shockey, roaming all over the middle of the field, who creates even more matchup problems because of his ability to do just about anything a wide receiver can do.  And just in case you feel like dropping extra men to defend that passing game, Tom Coughlin and John Hufnagel can come at you with one of the better running backs in the game today, Mr. Tiki Barber.  On defense, they have one of the better up and coming middle linebackers in the game today, Antonio Pierce, as well as a solid defensive line, featuring Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, that is one of the best when it comes to getting to the quarterback.  That defensive line is making the job easier for a defensive backfield that seems to be improving and getting more comfortable with each other with every passing week.  However, playing up to that full potential on a consistent basis has been a tough task for the G-men.  Eli Manning still looks like an inexperienced rookie at times and I believe that he will absolutely be the key to any success the Giants expect to have in the playoffs.  Tiki Barber is playing like a legitimate MVP candidate, giving the G-Men amazing performances week in and week out (especially this week’s explosion against the Chiefs with a ####ed up offensive line).  Speaking of which, that Chiefs game and the Dallas v. Washington game, were two of the best examples of one team just wanting it more than the other that I have ever seen.  The Cowboys looked like a deer caught in the headlights from the get go, and the Chiefs put on the worst exhibition of tackling since the football game in There’s Something About Mary when The Neary Center for Exceptional People took on Matt Dillon.  I’m still waiting for either Tiki or “Well-Dressed” Amani Toomer to spike the ball in front of some Chief defenders and yell out, “Exceptional my a**!”  If the Giants play up to their potential (with Eli being the catalyst in helping to fulfill that potential), they will be coming out of the NFC, and the NFL may just get their dream of a Manning v. Manning Super Bowl.  However, in order for that to happen, Eli needs to play at a higher level than he is right now, and they need to get some of their key players like Pierce back from injury. 

 

The Panthers took care of business against the Saints, with Steve Smith putting on another show, which leads me to a question that has been pestering me for quite some time.  Why are there so many Steve Smiths who excel in so many different sports?  Is it because of the fact that since it is such a common and widespread name, the ratio of good Steve Smiths is proportional to any other name, or is there really something behind this?  We have Steve Smith of the Panthers; Steve Smith, a solid wide receiver for the USC Trojans; Steven Smith, a great under the radar NCAA basketball player at La Salle; Steve Smith, a very solid freshman NCAA baseball player at Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, Massachusetts (my mother’s alma mater), who batted .445 and got a hit in all 39 of his games this past season (a streak that is believed to be the longest streak to begin an NCAA career in Division I, II, or II); and my personal favorite Steve Smith of them all, the former Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Michigan State great Steve Smith.  Not to mention everybody’s favorite angry NBA analyst, Stephen A. Smith.  If there is anything to this, I am thinking of legally changing my last name to Smith so that I can name my son Steve in order to give him a better shot at becoming some sort of prominent sports figure.  I think doing that would be similar to buying up a ton of lottery tickets to increase your chances, and I don’t know anybody who wouldn’t do that if money wasn’t an object.  I think the only name that rivals Steve Smith when it comes to sports is Jason (including Jayson “I’ve had a little too much to drink and I’m angry at my limo driver”) Williams; and the only thing I think the Jason Williamses have over the Steve Smiths is the fact that they can claim a very solid NHL player (Jason Williams of the Detroit Red Wings) as one of their own as well. 

But back to the Panthers.  Even though the NFC is semi-wide open in my mind (I’d say there are 4 teams that have a legit shot to win, and I’m being nice and including the Panthers on that list of 4) there is just something about the Panthers that makes me think that they don’t have a huge run in them.  I think if they had Kris Jenkins, their defense would be dominant enough to do it themselves, but alas, he’s on IR.  I would say the main problem I have with the Panthers is the fact that their main (and virtually only) offensive threat is a wide receiver, and it is very difficult to win games in the playoffs with a wide receiver as your only threat.  Such an offense, makes it much easier for a defense to come up with an effective game plan.  The defense can go one of two ways.  They can concentrate extra effort on stopping Steve Smith and let the defense of the other receivers and the run game take care of itself without too much extra help; or the defense can say to themselves “Steve Smith is going to get his, let’s take care of him just as we would any other receiver and concentrate on absolutely shutting every other element of the offense down” as the Saints, Dolphins, Bears, and Bucs did this season in the only losses the Panthers have experienced (Steve Smith had 8 rec. for 138 yds. and 1 TD; 11 – 170 – 3; 14 – 169 – 0; and 5 – 103 – 0; in those games respectively).  The Bears and Bucs executed that game plan the best way because they didn’t let the speedster from Utah in the end zone during their games.  Come playoff time, the weak teams are weeded out, and the good teams get even better.  They have a great defense (the D and Steve Smith are the only reason I’m giving them any sort of shot), but I just can’t see the Panthers doing enough on offense to succeed in the playoffs and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are one of the teams that are weeded out in the earlier rounds.

 

I spoke about Da Bears and how impressed I was with their defense earlier.  I was also impressed with Rex Grossman (who is the epitome of the old Harry Golden saying, “The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work”) against the Falcons in his first regular season action in 15 months.  I’m glad to see Rex back and I still think he can be a productive quarterback in this league if he can kick the George Jung-type luck he’s been having and remain healthy.  I certainly believe that he can be better than Kyle Orton (who I’m not knocking, because has done a decent job in managing the team this season while learning on the run, I just think Grossman has more potential. -- Also, somebody needs to let him know that he is beginning to look like Adrien Brody near the end of The Pianist).  Unlike the Panthers, I believe the Bears have that 2000 Ravens type of defense that can overcome a mediocre offense and win games for you as long as you control the clock (which Thomas Jones and their offensive line, featuring Olin “Hitman Hearns” Kreutz [ask Fred Miller about that nickname], can do), make a couple of big plays, and limit your mistakes (which Rex Grossman may be able to do both of).  Yes Grossman is still inexperienced (even though he’s a borderline veteran at this point), but he has had nothing to do for the past couple of seasons aside from study film and learn on the sidelines; and if he plays like he did in the 2^nd half against the Falcons, that will be good enough to win some games in the playoffs.  If the Bears gain the 2^nd seed, I believe they will be in the NFC championship game. 

 

I don’t think the Redskins could have asked for a better scenario than the one that has emerged as a result of Sunday’s games.  Before Sunday, the Skins’ position in the playoff race was not good, they were on the outside looking in and they needed help.  But with team Sex Boat, Atlanta, and the Cowboys all losing (the Cowboys losing at the hands of those very Redskins), the Skins find themselves back in the saddle with a playoff spot waiting for them.  I think I heard Daniel Snyder giving a Dr. Frankenstein-like scream of “It’s Alive!” from somewhere in the bowels of FedEx field.  I can’t stress enough the obvious disparity in the desire to win the game between the Redskins and the Cowboys on Sunday.  The Redskins absolutely housed the Boys on both sides of the ball.  Gregg Robinson’s blitz happy defense was at its finest and Mark Brunell managed the game beautifully.  But the man who stole the show was tight end Chris Cooley who caught 3 touchdowns and staked a claim to be included in the upper echelon of tight ends such as Jason Witten, Jeremy Shockey, Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates.  Cooley should really try to link up with Coolio and/or the Igloo cooler company for marketing purposes.  For instance, with respect to the Coolio thing, they could make t-shirts with Chris Cooley’s body [a head and torso shot with his jersey visible] and put the patented Coolio braids in place of his real hair; and then every time he catches a ball they could play “Fantastic Voyage” or “Gangsta’s Paradise”.  And with respect to the Igloo cooler company, they could make the Cooley Cooler, a cooler shaped like a big Chris Cooley jersey, with the sleeves serving as drink holders, and a helmet as the lid that can also serve as a bowl for dip and stuff like that.  I think that pretty much sells itself.  I'm somewhat surprised there haven't been any little Skins fan groups or nicknames involving something to the effect of "Cooley and the Gang", these Skins fans (and the King of nicknames Chris Berman) need to step their novelty nickname game up a notch.  I don’t really think the Skins are a contender, but I do think that they will find their way into the playoffs somehow and they could win a game depending on who they play. 

 

At this point, I don’t think Tampa Bay, Atlanta, or Dallas can really be thought of as contenders, especially considering that odds are none of them will get to play at home.

 

That’s it for the NFC for now, if I think of more, I will update it when I get a chance. 

Contrary to popular opinion this season (popular opinion consisting of the media, fans, coaches, etc.; including Sean Salisbury, who seems to be the president of the fan clubs of both the Colts and Mr. Freeney), Dwight Freeney is not the best defensive player in the NFL, let alone the AFC.  He isn’t even the best defensive lineman in the AFC, or arguably, on his own team.  I can’t comprehend why he’s considered better than teammate Robert Mathis, who has more sacks, tackles, forced turnovers, and has flat out impressed me more than Dwight this season.  Yes, maybe Freeney is making Mathis a better player because he is drawing so much attention from the opposing offense, but Mathis has to keep up his end of the bargain as well, and I think he’s doing so at a higher level than Mr. Freeney. 

I believe the following players are better defensive lineman than Freeney and they have proven it with their level of play:  AFC: Richard Seymour (NE), Marcus Stroud & John Henderson (Jax), Jared Allen (KC), Jason Taylor (Mia), Terrell Suggs (Bal), Derrick Burgess (Oak); NFC: Adewale Ogunleye & Alex Brown (Chi), Michael Strahan & Osi Umenyiora (NYG), Simeon Rice (TB), Patrick Kerney (Atl), and Julius Peppers (Car). 

Dwight is a glorified pass rush specialist and I cannot understand for the life of me why he gets as much credit as he does (it must be the association with Peyton Manning and the media love fest that is the Indianapolis Colts).  I would actually appreciate it if somebody could give some solid reasons why I should consider him a better player than (just to pick one random defensive lineman who I consider a similar player to Dwight) Jared Allen of the Chiefs.  After watching both Freeney and Allen play this season, I think that they are very similar players in a myriad of ways.  They both have great motors and great moves to get pass their opponents’ blocking schemes.  They both have the potential to make game changing plays.  However, Jared Allen has more sacks than the vaunted Dwight Freeney (Allen has 10 to Freeney’s 9.5), he has 7 forced fumbles to Dwight Freeney’s 5, and he has 47 tackles to Freeney’s 29.  If somebody can give me a legitimate argument for Dwight here, I’m all ears. 

Some other problems I have with Dwight Freeney being labeled the best defensive player (or defensive lineman) in the AFC include the fact that he is taken out of the game for certain downs.  If a player was truly the best player at his position or on his side of the ball altogether wouldn’t it make sense to best utilize him by having him in there on every down?  Also, he has had a few games this year in which he hasn’t shown up at all.  In week 5, against the San Francisco 49ers and their depleted offensive line (minus Jonas Jennings and others), he tallied one whole tackle (it was a sack).  In weeks 9, 11, and 14 (against the Patriots, Bengals, and Jaguars respectively – probably the best opponents the Colts have faced this season) Dwight put up a donut in every single defensive category possible.  His performances were so forgettable in fact, that on a certain web site, his game log for those weeks says “did not play”. 

As I stated before, the fact that Freeney is widely thought of as the best defensive player on his team really boggles my mind.  I understand that Freeney has had a great impact on the improvement of the Colts defense, however it is a team effort, and 3 players (in addition to a 4^th who I have already mentioned, Robert Mathis) have impressed me more this season.  Gary Brackett is playing middle linebacker for the Colts at an extremely high level this season and he is 11^th in the NFL (8^th in the AFC) in tackles.  He also has two interceptions and is playing like he is the true leader of the defense.  Bob Sanders has taken on the role of leader on the Colts and has stepped his game up to a higher level this season.  He has 80 tackles with a forced fumble and a pick, but more importantly, he has been a strong influence in the improvement of what was the weakest area of the Colts’ D, the secondary.  Opposing wide receivers now fear going over the middle against the Colts and Bob is a big reason why.  Last but certainly not least, is one of my finalists for AFC defensive player of the year.  Cato June has been one of the biggest playmakers on either side of the ball in the entire league this season.  He brings a whole different element to the Colts defense with his speed and instinct for the ball.  June has 92 tackles (27^th in the NFL) as well as 5 interceptions (good for a tie for 7^th in the NFL) and 2 touchdowns (which has him in a tie for 1^st in the NFL). 

I think the award for defensive player of the year should reward the player who has the most impact on their respective team’s games on every down, week in/week out, not only with their statistics, but also with their leadership and smarts.  That being said, my three finalists for AFC defensive player of the year are as follows: Cato June (Ind), Troy Polamalu (Pitt), and Odell Thurman (Cincy).  These guys are true leaders and playmakers with classic gamebreaking ability.  I have already stated my case for Cato June.  Polamalu doesn’t have stats that will blow you away (72 tackles, 2 picks), but if you watch this guy play, you will see the light.  I think I’m most impressed with Thurman’s level of play this season given the fact that he came in as a rookie to man the position of inside linebacker for one of the best teams in the league, and helped to improve their defense 2-fold.  He has put up some impressive statistics as well with 89 tackles (good for 30^th in the NFL), 5 forced fumbles (4^th - NFL), and 5 interceptions (7^th) with 1 TD (t-5^th).  I am still open to reasons why I should consider Dwight Freeney the best defensive player/best defensive lineman in the NFL, AFC, or even on the Colts, so if you feel so inclined, please enlighten me. 

 

 
Coming soon… other thoughts and evaluations of the NATIONAL Football League as playoff time draws nearer.