18-1 Patriots. Belichick walking off the field with :01 left. Manning’s throw. Tyree’s catch. Fourth and 13. Biggest upset ever? Those rascally ’72 Dolphins. There’s so much to discuss concerning the Super Bowl and I’m ready to delve in.

New England is the Better Team
In my recent memory of college and professional sports history, I cannot recall a time when I’ve looked back at the Championship game and couldn’t say “The team that won was not the better team”, moreover, the best overall team in the league. The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals and this year’s New York Giants are certainly the exception.

The ’03 Wild Card Florida Marlins defeated the heavily favored Yankees in the World Series. And the ’01 Diamondbacks did the same. New England beat the powerful St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Denver beat Green Bay in Super bowl XXXII. In 2006 the Miami Heat upset the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA Championship, and two years prior the Pistons upset the Lakers. 2006 also saw the underdog Florida Gators take down the mighty Buckeyes of Ohio State, and LSU beat Oklahoma in 2003. In Men’s Basketball, the Gators were the highest seed in the Final Four, even though they were seeded only as a 3, and won the National Championship.

Had the number 8 seed Edmonton Oilers beaten the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup in 2006 (they lost in 7 games), I would have had almost no choice but to acknowledge them as the best team in the NHL, even though their regular season record was only 41-28-13. Carolina won 52 games, the Red Wings, who lost to Edmonton in the first round, won 58.

The list goes on and on and on. But the point of all this rambling is that the better team did not win on Sunday.

I wrote in December that the Patriots are the best team ever... Even if they lose, and I stand firm in that belief. When I’m asked in 10 years who the best NFL team in history was, I’ll say the ’07 Patriots. If they played the Giants 10 times, they might beat them 8. I give credit to the Giants for playing a hell o####ame and beating the best team ever, but New York, despite Sunday’s results, was not the best team from the 2007 NFL season.

I Rooted for the Pats Because They Deserved It
Ordinarily, barring an actual rooting interest in a title game such as my favorite team playing in it, I like to root for the underdog. But I wanted the Patriots to win not because I like them, but because they played like the best team all season long and it would have put a nice cap on the season. I wanted to see them go undefeated. I would so love for a team to someday go 19-0 so that those pompous ’72 Dolphins would shut up (Ok, so the Patriots are pompous and arrogant too, but they’re the lesser of two evils for me right now). I also rarely, if ever, root for any New York team (You New Yorkers really do have a way of making Chicago feel like the “Second City”). So yeah, I’m disappointed today. Nobody will ever agree with me that the ’07 Pats are the best team of all times, and everybody will tell me I’m crazy because they didn’t win the Super Bowl. I think the rest of the world is just closed-minded. Listen, there have been other teams that have gone 18-1, 17-2, 16-3, and so on. They are in the discussion for best team, too. It doesn’t matter when your one loss came, in my opinion, as the 1998 Minnesota Vikings are also on my list of greatest NFL teams ever and they lost in the NFC Championship.


Any classy sports hero is in attendance to congratulate
the athletes who break their records. Not these clowns.

The Patriots had one loss, and it was unfortunate for them it came in the Super Bowl. But looking at this season and seeing who they played and how they won was incredible. The 1972 Dolphins only played two games all season long against teams who finished with a winning record. The Patriots beat the Cowboys in Dallas. They beat the Colts in Indianapolis. They beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh. And they absolutely destroyed two really good teams, the Jaguars and Chargers, at home in the playoffs. Heck, they even beat the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants in the regular season. They had the best offense in NFL history, (arguably, by the time his career is over) the best QB in NFL history, and the second best WR in NFL history, not to mention one of the top five coaches in NFL history. That’s my case and I’m sticking to it.

Belichick Gives More Reasons to Hate Him
Nobody outside of New England likes Bill Belichick. From his ridiculous answers to questions at press conferences, to his Spygate scandal, to his hideous wardrobe, he’s an easy guy to dislike. Here’s two more reasons: His arrogance propelled him to go for it on 4th and 13 rather than kick a 49-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter. That field goal, had Stephen Gostkowski made it, would have ended up sending the Super Bowl into overtime for the first time in history. The Patriots were accused on many occasions of running up the score by going for easy fourth and one’s all season long, but they did so when they were well ahead and late in the game. This play made little sense. No weather, no wind, and a decent kicker. Should have been a no-brainer.

But that’s not all. Belichick walked off the field with one second left in the game, and in his post-game interview with the media, never congratulated the New York Giants on a tremendous victory. Bill Belichick is a sore loser.

The Play that Needs a Nickname
If you watched the game you know exactly what I’m talking about. Manning does his best Harry Houdini impression and escapes the grasp of two Patriot rushers, then rifles a jump ball down to David Tyree who makes a spectacular catch while falling backwards, trapping the ball between his wrists, fingers, and helmet. Nobody ever heard of Tyree before this game, but moments after scoring his first touchdown of the season, he arguably outdoes Lynn Swann for the best catch in a Super Bowl, thus cementing his name in history. Swann’s catch was surely more acrobatic and athletic, but Tyree’s was a brilliant combination of luck, balance, and more importantly, clutch. Hard to imagine anybody making a better, clutch catch, ever.


Tyree's catch was better, and more clutch, than this one.

Franco Hariss didn’t make a great play; he was merely in the right place at the right time for the “Immaculate Reception.” Dwight Clark made “The Catch” in the NFC Championship game, not the Super Bowl. I’ve heard a few suggestions for what this play might go down in history as being called, but haven’t liked one enough to make it official just yet. Maybe some readers will leave suggestions as comments to this blog.


I'm not impressed with Manning's playoff run.

Eli Manning is Still Just Average
Eli Manning played four great games in the playoffs and fared well in the Super Bowl, winning the MVP. I can understand why Eli was given the award; it’s because the real MVP of the game, the Giant’s pass rush, was just too broad, and the best player from that unit, Justin Tuck, just wouldn’t have been quite as “sexy” of a pick as Manning. Here’s the thing though. Before anybody starts touting Manning as an upper echelon quarterback just for winning the Super Bowl, just remember that the four good playoff games he played is a small sample size in comparison to the fact that he’s played three full seasons as a starter and hasn’t had a quarterback rating higher than 77.0, hasn’t thrown more than 24 touchdowns in a season, and hasn’t had fewer than 18 interceptions in a season. I’m no fool. Winning a Super Bowl MVP isn’t going to distract me from the fact that he’s still Eli Manning and still hasn’t played a full season worthy of taking him with the first overall pick in the draft.

The “Roy Williams Rule.”  It was put into place because the Dallas Cowboy safety was the player primarily responsible for ending several player’s seasons via the horse collar tackle.  Williams has been at this since entering the league, and it’s time the NFL makes an example out of him.

Most recently, Williams put the hurtin’ on Eagle’s QB Donovan McNabb.  Though McNabb was not seriously injured on the play, Williams drew a 15-yard penalty.  Williams’ current teammate and former Eagle, Terrell Owens, was a 2004 victim of Williams and ended up missing the team’s first two playoff games, almost costing them a trip to the Super Bowl.

The horse collar tackle adds significant and unnecessary risk to the game.  Through the years, it has caused many Achilles and calf injuries, and also has broken several ankles.  It’s frustrating and painful for the injured player to go through rehab, his team is worse off without him, and the fans become angry. 

Though Williams is not the only culprit in this crime, the rule was put into place because of him and he remains today the primary offender, as the McNabb penalty was Williams’ fourth in the last two seasons.

A one-game suspension is not nearly enough, as it has now become blatantly obvious that Williams has not learned from his previous mistakes.  He should be given a 5-game suspension, and be forced to serve it during the playoffs if the Cowboys advance.  This sort of punishment is unprecedented, but it’s high time the NFL take proactive action against this ferocious penalty.  And Williams should be made the example.

Dallas coach Wade Phillips, furthermore, is off his rocker for defending his player.  Attributing his actions to having “strong hands” and not being able to adjust to the new rule, Phillips apparently gives merit to the appeal that Williams filed today.  Phillips continued “And the way it is now, they tape those jerseys in the back, so you can't grab them, you can't hold on to them.”  Yeah, Wade, they do it so their career doesn’t come to an abrupt end, no thanks to foul play from a certain Cowboy defender.

Here’s hoping the NFL upholds the suspension and issues warning that further penalties, especially from Roy Williams, will not be taken lightly.

No team in the history of the National Football League is as good as the 2007 New England Patriots, not by a longshot. No team’s offense can match what Tom Brady, Randy Moss and these Pats can do. No team’s defense can stop them. No tackle football team that has ever played a game together was as dominant as these guys, and no team in the foreseeable future has any chance of eclipsing them (possibly not even the Patriots themselves).


Moss has reasserted himself as the premier wide
receiver in the NFL

And I’ll stand 100% firm behind this indisputable fact even if they lose a game this season.

Granted, there will always be controversy if the Patriots, say, lost one of their remaining regular season games with backup QB Matt Cassell mopping things up for Brady while he rests for the playoffs. If they don’t win the Super Bowl (as of November 14th, they were 1/3 odds. By comparison, the 12-1 Cowboys are 7/2), almost nobody would grant them the title of “Best Team Ever.” I’ll be one. Crown them now; they’re unstoppable.

The 1998 Minnesota Vikings currently hold the record for most points scored in a single season at 556. Through 13 games the Patriots have scored 503 and are on pace to absolutely shatter that record as they are on pace for a video game-esque 619 points of offense. Brady will likely break every major single season passing record known to man, including the coveted touchdown pass and quarterback rating records. Moss, who if he retired right now would go down as the second best receiver in NFL history and who also played for those ’98 Vikings catching 17 touchdown passes as a rookie, is having the single best season of any wideout of all times. Moss’s 1264 yards and 19 touchdowns are ridiculous. The offense is achieving these numbers even with no scarcity to injuries to their running backs.

Their defense currently ranks 3rd in the AFC and 4th overall in points allowed. Defensive studs such as Rodney Harrison (suspension), Richard Seymour, and Roosevelt Colvin (injuries) have missed time. Plus, their prized defensive free agent acquisition, Adalius Thomas, only has four sacks on the year.

The Pat’s average margin of victory on the season, 21.7, would absolutely destroy the 1972 Dolphin’s mark of 15.3.

The Patriots have faced a tough schedule too, playing in the strength of the AFC. Sure, the Jets and Dolphins play in their division and they only have 3 wins combined, but they’ve beaten the suddenly surging 7-6 Bills twice. They’ve gone on the road and beaten the 11-2 Colts and the 12-1 Cowboys. New England has also humiliated other AFC playoff contenders like the Chargers, Browns, and most recently, the Steelers.

The only real evidence I need though is to watch the games with my own eyes. The New England Patriots are the best football team I’ve ever seen play.

Every once in a while there is a moment in sports broadcasting that prompts us to beg the question.

What is with the celebrity appeal in sports broadcasts? 

The most recent Monday Night Football telecast on ESPN is the latest example.  The guest in the booth, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, made a smart alec retort directed towards former MNF analyst Joe Theismann. Whether or not Kimmel and Theismann have any kind of adverse history is unclear, but the point is a moot one.  Kimmel had no business being on the air in the first place.


If I want to laugh (or more like
contemplate suicide) I'll watch his
show.  Otherwise, keep him
away from my NFL games.

ESPN has had other “guest announcers” in recent Monday Night telecasts, including NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and movie star and Chicago area meatball Jim Belushi.  I couldn’t tell you what these folks add to the presentation or what the clowns who are in charge at ESPN were thinking when they invited them on, but I could tell you that most football fans could do without their irrelevant comments and opinions.


Chuck knows his basketball, but there's
no reason for him to spew his mouth
about the NFL

MNF on ESPN isn’t the only culprit.  NBC had singer Pink doing their introductory song in 2006, but apparently ratings weren’t high enough, so this year Faith Hill gets the honor.  Anybody who has watched a Super Bowl on any network knows there is almost as much hoopla made of the commercials and halftime show than there is about the game.

Fox is guilty too.  Raise your hand if your baseball intelligence is insulted by Scooter, the talking baseball who teaches us the physics of different pitches thrown by the starting pitcher.  In football, they have those ridiculous football playing robots and celebrity analysts giving predictions on the pre-game show. 

Every single network showing college and professional football games have decided that more people tune into their relay if a past-her-prime female who knows nothing about football updates us on coaches’ halftime speeches and player’s injuries.  The same occasionally is true for NBA games. 

The point of all this complaining is that fans watching the games are more annoyed by this than “turned on.”  I’m not more likely to watch the upcoming Monday Night game between the Colts and Jaguars because I’m curious to know who the guest in the booth will be.  No, I’m going to watch the game because I want to see how Peyton Manning will fare against one of the top three defenses in the NFL and while playing on the road.  I’m going to watch because Maurice Jones-Drew is on my fantasy team.  I’m going to watch because I like football.  Period.  End of freakin’ story.

In the absolute best case scenario, many fans are prone to mute the T.V. and/or listen to the play-by-play on the radio.  In the worst case, sports fans will watch “How I Met Your Mother.” 

Getting back to ESPN and their Monday Night debacle, could anybody out there explain what Tony Kornheiser is supposed to bring to the table?  I enjoy him on “PTI,” but he knows less about play-by-play than Mike Tirico and knows absolutely nothing about analyzing, so what are they paying him to do besides annoy listeners?

Here’s hoping that one day networks will wake up and tailor their sports broadcasts to sports fans and not pray these promotional stunts grab the attention of people who don’t care anyway.

Just for fun this time.  Anyone can chime in for a healthy discussion.  I'll set the over/under, you make your predictions.  Ready?  Here we go...

Number of combined Home Runs for David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez at the end of the season?
(56)

Games played by Oakland Raiders BEFORE Jamarcus Russel signs a contract?
(6)

Playoff game wins by whomever wins the NL Central?
(1.5)

Touchdowns scored by LaDanian Tomlinson?
(25)

Total contract value signed by Tori Hunter this offseason?
($48 million)

Number of games played by Priest Holmes?
(7.5)

Career Home Runs by Frank Thomas?
(539)

Number of Cincinnati Bengals arrested in the next calender year?
(1)

Number of games by which the Red Sox will win the AL East?
(5.5)

Points allowed by the Chicago Bears defense?
(190)

Carries and yards by Larry Johnson?
(380, 1615)

Slot on Foxsports' MLB Power Rankings achieved by Seattle Mariners at end of regular season?
(6.5)

Plus/Minus runs scored by the Diamondbacks at the end of the season?
(-30)

Rushing and Receiving Yards by Reggie Bush?
(715, 900)

Number of times the Chicago Bears change starting QBs?
(.5)

Number of games won by the National League team in the World Series?
(2)

Number of touchdown passes by Brady Quinn?
(7.5)

Number of wins from the San Diego Chargers?
(10.5)

Number of catches for Randy Moss?
(83.5)

Number of New England Patriots in the Pro Bowl?
(5)

Number of Oakland Raiders in the Pro Bowl?
(2)

Total number of playoff game wins by the New York Mets?
(5.5)

Please discuss.

In other words, individuals need not apply.  To win a championship (from here on I’ll be referring to the four major professional American sports—hockey, football, baseball, and basketball), a team needs to be complete; there are very few weaknesses and most championship teams have none. 

To fully understand the basis for this post, you may find interest in reading two previous blogs: Cease and Desist: Sports Related Things That Need to Stop, and The Double Standard QB.  Please also read the ensuing comments and arguments.

 Often times we sports fans find ourselves engaged in hypothetical discussions of “which player would you rather have…”, or “will So-And-So make the Hall of Fame (HOF)?”  Inevitably, one of our friends will always recite the “championship fallacy.”  It has a few variations, but in its most popular form it states “Player A was so great because he won a Championship Title.”

 My goal is to make the championship fallacy go the way of the Dodo bird.  Or at least, slowly decrease its usage.

 I have met dozens of people over the years who agree with me that Barry Sanders was a better running back than Emmitt Smith.  He had a higher yards per carry average over his career, was not used in goal line situations (thus reducing his touchdown numbers), and lacked the luxury of playing behind one of the NFL’s greatest offensive lines (which Smith had for several seasons in Dallas).  The same people who (rightfully) say Sanders was a better player than Smith will occasionally hypocritically say that Derek Jeter is a better shortstop than Alex Rodriguez or that John Elway is a better quarterback than Dan Marino.  Why?  The championship fallacy.

 Smith, Jeter, and Elway are all fantastic players with HOF caliber careers.  There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with holding the opinion that Elway is the superior to Marino.  But, to reason this way because Elway won two Super Bowls while Marino never did is a form of logical lunacy.

Over the course of a 17-year career, Marino compiled passing statistics that are unlikely to be surpassed.  The NFL’s all-time passer with 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns, he played in one Super Bowl as a rookie, lost the game, and never returned to the Promised Land again.  Elway finished his 16^th NFL season about 10,000 yards and a full 120 touchdown passes behind Marino.  Troy Aikman had almost half the yardage and less than half the touchdowns.  Terry Bradshaw fared slightly better than Aikman, but posted a touchdown to interception ratio of approximately 1:1 (Marino’s ratio was 1.66:1).

 How is it that Elway, Aikman, and Bradshaw combined to win 9 Super Bowls compared to Marino’s zero despite playing inferior quarterback? 

 The Cowboys’ three Super Bowl winning teams contained current or future HOFers Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, and Larry Allen along with perennial Pro Bowlers Nate Newton, Erik Williams, Jay Novacek, Daryl Johnston, Charles Haley, and Darren Woodson.

Aikman won three Super Bowls with some elite teammates...

 Denver’s two Super Bowl teams were loaded with HOFers Shannon Sharpe, Terrell Davis (he was well on his way before injuries ended his career prematurely), and Tom Nalen, not to mention studs like Neil Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Atwater, Bill Romanowski, and Trevor Pryce.

 The Steelers teams for which Bradshaw played and won four titles had HOFers Mel Blount, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, and Mike Webster.  Added to the list are greats Glen Edwards, John Stallworth, and Mike Wagner.

 The Dolphins, during Marino’s stint, only had two HOFers—OL Dwight Stephenson, and LB Junior Seau. Only twice in 17 years did the Dolphins field a top 3 NFL defense and only once did his backfield contain a 1000-yard rusher.  Those who say Marino wasn’t a winner don’t understand what it takes to win.  Teams win games and championships, not players. 

...while Marino had to do the dirty work alone.

 The numbers are staggering.  Counting the quarterbacks being compared the Cowboys, Broncos, and Steelers combined for 18 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and nine Lombardi Trophies.  The Dolphins: three and zero.  Sanders was the only HOFer playing for the Lions in his ten years.

 To say Sanders and Marino aren’t “winners” or that they didn’t do enough to get the job done is crazy.  What would Marino have to do to hoist the trophy?  Maybe if he had thrown 80,000 yards and 600 touchdowns he wouldn’t be underrated.

 Flash back to 1989.  With the first pick in the NFL Draft the Cowboys selected Aikman and at number two went Tony Mandarich to the Packers.  If Dallas had mistakenly taken the drug abusing lineman from Michigan State and Green Bay jumped on the UCLA quarterback what would the picture look like today?  My hypothesis is that the Packers would not have won any championships with Aikman at the helm, not even in 1995 (when they did win it with Brett Favre), but, with the Cowboys’ roster stacked as it was, they might have been lucky to win at least a one with Jason Garrett or another player which they would have been forced to acquire.  As for Aikman, his resume wouldn’t have looked nearly as impressive as a Packer and his name would have been long-forgotten by now.

 Tom Brady is a stellar player in this league, but those who feel he has already assured himself of seeing his bust enshrined in Canton would be committing the championship fallacy.  Brady’s three rings are impressive, but he didn’t earn them alone.  The Patriots’ defense ranked 6^th, 2^nd, and 1^st for his three titles.  Peyton Manning is the best active quarterback and stands a great chance to win at least one title in the future, although the Colts’ loss of Edgerton James certainly hurts that cause.  Regardless of whether he achieves Super Bowl success or not, Manning should be revered as one of the top quarterbacks of all time.

 So many other phenomenal players have come and gone without winning a championship.  Nobody should ever say that Karl Malone and John Stockton weren’t good enough to win the NBA Title.  The Utah Jazz were just one or possibly two players away.  Patrick Ewing came close on several occasions but the Knicks never could find the right combination of shooting and defense.  Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds (steroid usage aside) are two of the greatest outfielders in Major League history.  Together, they hit over 1200 home runs but have never won a World Series.  Don’t blame them, however.  Blame the rest of their Mariners, Reds, Pirates, and Giants teammates because these two players did everything they possibly could.

 Jeter, like Brady, has HOF support from a vast majority of voters.  I hope it’s not because of his World Series Championships.  Jeter has had a steady career; a .300+ lifetime hitter boasting both speed and power, he has been the heart and soul of the Yankees for the last decade.  You would have to be utterly insane to pick him over his teammate, Rodriguez (fantasy draft or otherwise).  Sure, their 2006 numbers don’t necessarily support the conclusion (Jeter is batting .345 while A-Rod has had his worst season as a pro), but Rodriguez, even if he never wins a championship is a far better on-the-field player than Jeter will ever be.  He’ll hit at or above 650 homers in his career.  With the Mariners, A-Rod lacked, among other things, solid protection in the lineup and depth at starting pitching.  While with the Rangers, his teams were utterly pathetic, but he cannot be blamed (he won the MVP in 2003 despite the team’s .438 winning percentage).  Since joining the Yankees in 2004, he’s ran into a Red Sox team whose destiny would not be denied and has since experienced poor team management from Brian Cashman and George Steinbrenner and to a lesser extent Joe Torre.  He also won another MVP last year.

 I’m not making excuses for A-Rod.  I’m simply saying that “championships is a team statistic.”  Rodriguez has done his part to win and when evaluating his level of talent it makes no sense to consider his team’s lack of success since he controls only 1/25 of what happens.

A-Rod did more than his fair share while with the Rangers

 Coaches contribute to team success too.  Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were two of the NBA’s biggest superstars, but couldn’t win a title together until 2000 when Phil Jackson came to the Lakers.  Bryant has failed to win a title in L.A. since Shaq left town, but only a fool would say he’s not a winner.  He certainly played well enough to win last year, averaging 35.6 points per game.  But no Shaq equals incomplete team.  Likewise, only a fool committing the championship fallacy would put Robert Horry in elite company.  Horry has been fortunate enough to win six championship rings, but couldn’t have done so without Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Shaq, and Bryant.  Horry doesn’t possess a winning personality per say.  He was lucky enough to play for three different teams employing five different HOF players.

 The opposite is true for Sanders and Marino.  Certainly they were good enough players to win a Super Bowl, but they were unfortunate in that they didn’t have enough talent around them to win.  Bryant’s talents should net him another title with the Lakers because he is that good.  He’s just not good enough to win playing one against five.

 But don’t hold that against him!

 Tony Gonzalez is certainly on his way to becoming one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history and is on pace to break several of Shannon Sharpe’s receiving records for that position.  However, Gonzalez has yet to make it past the first round of the playoffs while Sharpe has three rings with the Broncos and Ravens.  When comparing these two future HOFers head-to-head, all that matters is their ability to block, run routes, and catch the football—after all, that is all they do.  Had Gonzalez played alongside Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, Jonathan Ogden, Sam Adams, Peter Boulware, Chris McAlister, and Jamal Lewis, in addition to the great Broncos players named earlier, I’m sure he’d have at least one piece of bling on his finger by now.  You see, Sharpe didn’t win those titles by himself, so saying he is better than Gonzo for that reason and that reason only is to commit the championship fallacy since Gonzo has proven himself to be an All-Pro TE for ten years and counting.

  Could Sharpe have won the Super Bowl in 1997 with say, Elvis Grbac throwing and Greg Hill running?  Could he have won it in 2000 with the Chief’s defense that surrendered 354 points? 

 Comparing Sharpe against Gonzalez need only involve their personal abilities and not the teams they played for.

 In 2005, ESPN asked Ravens head coach Brian Billick who he thought was the greatest defense in NFL history.  The options were the 1985 Chicago Bears or the 2000 Ravens (for which he coached).  Billick declared the Ravens because they set the record for fewest points allowed and won the Super Bowl.  In contrast, it was the 1986 Bears who (at that time) set the points record and the ’85 team was the one that hoisted the trophy.  The problem is that Super Bowls are won by teams, not defenses or individual players.  I’m nearly positive if you asked Billick who the greatest offense was in NFL history he’d say the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, for whom Billick was the offensive coordinator and who set the record for most points scored in a single season.  However, that year’s Vikings went 15-1 in the regular season and lost the NFC title game to the Falcons.  So which is it Brian?  Is it points or championships?  For the record, it’s points that determine the best offense, and the ’98 Vikings were the best offensive team ever.

 Some people wrongfully say that Ray Bourque couldn’t be considered one of the greatest NHL defensemen ever—until he won his first Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001—or that Frank Thomas couldn’t make the HOF until he sipped champagne in 2005.  It’s absolutely bogus!  Athletes who play a long time and never go all the way cannot be faulted because they were unfortunate enough to play on lousy teams. 

Critics finally gave the Big Hurt credit after last year, but he was great before he kissed the trophy

 Often times great athletes reach the postseason on such atrocious teams that they would have finished several games out of the race without the player in question.  This was certainly the case with Marino, Sanders, Malone, and to a lesser extent A-Rod.  In these instances, the player deserves more accolades for carrying a mediocre team as far as he did, as opposed to less because he couldn’t seal the deal.

 Case in point: the 1990-1993 Buffalo Bills, who had such great players like Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Jim Kelly.  Those Bills teams should be considered some of the best ever, even though at the time they happened to run into some better Redskins, Giants, and Cowboys teams during an era of NFC dominance.  Likewise, Smith is one of the greatest pass rushers ever even though he never won a championship and Reggie White did.

 Saying somebody “knows how to win” is complete garbage.  I know how to win; it’s actually a simple formula.  Following through on the plan is the difficult part.  All you have to do is completely dominate your opponent.  Aikman certainly didn’t do that by himself as he was statistically a run of the mill player for years.  But, he had help from Pro Bowl players around him.  Did Michael Jordan “know how to win?”  Not really, he was simply the best player in the league during his era and had a host of talented teammates like Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Horace Grant. 

 The Jordan who played from 1987-89, averaging 34.7 points per game and won zero championships was better than the Jordan who played from 1996-98, averaging 29.5 ppg and winning three titles.  The elder Jordan was slower and less dynamic than his younger self, but played with a better team.  Larry Bird had Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale and Magic Johnson had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  If Bird or Magic (in their primes) played for the 2005 Raptors then Toronto would have still had a lottery pick.

 A ring on an athlete’s finger is not a clear cut sign of greatness as dozens of role players have multiple championships because they had solid supporting casts.  Horry, Tedy Bruschi, Jim McMahon, Bill Cartwright, and Scott Brosius are all perfect examples.  They are decent players who don’t “know how to win,” but they played on winning teams and cannot under any circumstances be considered amongst the best at their respective positions.

 If you try your hardest and still can’t forget about the number of championship titles, then the easiest way to compare two players is to hypothetically switch their teams.  Would Bruce Smith have won the Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1995 if Reggie White wasn’t there?  Could Ewing have won a title with the Bulls if Pippen was on the Knicks?  Would the Red Sox still have won the World Series in 2004 if they had Randy Johnson instead of Pedro Martinez?  

 A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to the above questions doesn’t automatically presume one player was better than the other, but it does go a long way in finding the truth.

 Anytime somebody says that Player A was great because he won a championship, or that Player B wasn’t so good because he never won it; that is the championship fallacy.  And it’s completely wrong.  From now on, whenever you assess one athlete’s individual abilities look only at what he accomplished alone:  yardage, points, homeruns, MVP’s and Rookie of the Year’s.  No one player can control the indecisiveness of his coach, the dropped pass by his teammate, or the red-hot team he unluckily faced in the playoffs.  Nobody deserves automatic credit because a team won the championship just like he doesn’t deserve blame if the team doesn’t.  Championships is a team statistic and individual players can only do so much.

Check out Wishlist I and Wishlist II.

 

Realistic Attendance – In Franchise Mode it is incredibly frustrating to win the Super Bowl and then have trouble drawing fans the next season just because I lost opening day.  There should be a new category in Owner Mode for season tickets.  A team that wins the Super Bowl or otherwise has a great year, might sell upwards of 80% of all tickets for home games the next season.  Sales for the remaining 20% would depend on the record for the current campaign.  Also, big free agent signings or losses would impact season tickets, so the Cardinals would see a huge boost to season ticket sales this season due to signing Edgerrin James (not to mention building a new stadium would boost season tickets).  Teams that move to a new city would probably come close to selling out their inaugural season.  This isn’t exactly how it works in real life, but it’s much closer than the way Madden has portrayed it in recent years.

 

More freedom to create plays – I like to create my own playbook, and I hate how I cannot make a playaction pass.  I cannot specify that I want my right guard to block the middle linebacker, nor can I put receivers in motion as part of a designed play.  Speaking of men in motion, Madden also needs to allow me to send more than one guy in motion on ANY play, not just the ones I create.  It would be nice to have more freedom when building my playbook.

 

More cut scenes, LOTS MORE – It’s kind of cool when after scoring a touchdown in my home stadium I get a glimpse of my home fans cheering them on.  I’d like to see a plethora of cut scenes, several dozen more per game.  In between plays show coordinators from both teams becoming nervous, anxious, happy, or dissatisfied.  Also show the same with fans, players, and head coaches.  When updating from an earlier injury, show the injured player getting his ankle taped or riding the exercise bike.  Show fans tailgating before the game.  During replays, occasionally show the reaction on the sidelines when a touchdown pass is thrown or a field goal is missed.  Late in the game when a team lines up for a game-winning or game-tying field goal or 2-point conversion, show the sidelines on one knee, holding hands.  Show their nervous facial expressions, the glee if the game is won, and the agony of a loss!

 

Trick plays that actually work – If you’ve never played Madden before, don’t even bother throwing a halfback pass or running a reverse.  NEVER under any circumstances run a screen pass.  EA Sports needs to program trick plays so that they work at least once every 14 seasons.

 

Off-field issues/suspensions – I believe players have a “discipline” rating that controls how likely they are to commit a penalty during a football game.  Wouldn’t it be cool if it also controlled how likely they were to get a DUI or be suspended for drugs?  Also, Madden should also allow late or dirty (helmet to helmet) hits, and call 15-yard penalties for them and issue suspensions if warranted. 

 

More plays that can be challenged (And fix the stupid QB arm motion animation on which it never looks like his arm was moving forward but it is always ruled incomplete) – In Madden 07 for the X-Box 360, players will have the ability to challenge ANY play including plays at the end of the quarter and plays involving the QB’s arm moving forward (or was it?).  For some reason, all of us who play on other consoles or the PC have to live with the older gen rules.  WHY?!?!  This should have been fixed years ago in Madden 05. 

 

Special teams players actually block on punt returns – Playing as the Chiefs, I have yet to average more than 4.5 or 5 yards per punt return with Dante Hall.  Dante Freakin’ Hall.  NOBODY blocks on punt returns and about 80% of them end up as a fair catch.  Please fix this.

 

Punts and FGs that can be blocked – Maybe it is just me, I don’t know.  But after playing somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 franchise seasons on Madden 04, 05, and 06 I have blocked one punt and zero field goals/extra points.  The computer has never blocked one of my kicks.  This needs to happen with just a little bit more frequency.  Also, if anybody at EA Sports is reading, please remove the psychic computer special teams coach who always knows if I’m lining up to block and then audiles to max protect.  Along similar lines, if I line up to onside kick and the computer wasn’t ready for it, I shouldn’t have to wait for them to lineup in onside prevent formation before kicking.  It is impossible to catch the computer off guard.

 

Customized player celebrations – Last year we saw more real life celebrations (Daunte Culpepper doing the “rolling arms” and Priest Holmes leaping in the air with both arms spread).  Not every player does the same thing after scoring.  Players should have different ways of celebrating.  Spiritual players point to the sky and thank God.  Basketball players do the free throw, layup, or slam dunk over the cross bar.  Nonchalant players hand the ball to the ref and jog off the field.  Others just high five their teammates.  When creating a player, I should have the ability to choose which characteristic I want my player to have.  Drafted rookies should automatically assume a celebration personality.  Also, on scoring plays, more players should celebrate than the guy who steps into the endzone.  Offensive linemen and quarterbacks should high five or chest bump the WR or RB, or at least raise their arms and signal “touchdown.”  Show some kind of emotion.

 

Better sideline awareness – I’m sick of WRs going for a catch near the sidelines and stepping out of bounds.  Most of these plays are not even close.  Offensive players near the sideline should be more aware of their positioning on the field.

 

Piles for fumbles – Every football coach, announcer, and player knows that you should rarely ever try to pick up a fumble and run with it.  We are taught as early as junior high school to cradle it.  Yet, on every fumble and onside kick in Madden, the player picks up the ball while on both feet and tries to advance it.  It would be more realistic if linemen and quarterbacks pretty much just fell on the fumble about 99% of the plays (unless it’s third or fourth down and he has a decent chance to get the first).  Skilled players (backs, receivers, and defensive backs) might occasionally try to advance the ball.  If the ball is fumbled in a crowded area, there should be a pile animation where the user couldn’t see who has the ball and everybody would jump in and attempt to recover it.  You would actually see the referees pulling players off the pile and eventually one player would emerge with the football.  This would be realistic and fun, creating a tense 15-30 seconds in which you wouldn’t know who had the ball (this also creates a great opportunity for cut scenes involving coaches and fans biting their fingernails and the ensuing celebration/frustration afterwards)!

I thought routing the opponent was basically the goal of pretty much any sport played on any level. Apparently the body that governs the state of Connecticut’s high school athletics frowns upon it as unsportsmanlike.

Starting this fall, a football team that beats its opponent by 50 or more points will risk a one game suspension to its head coach.

Say what?

Just as it is never right to taunt an opponent or intentionally run up the score (throwing a double reverse flee-flicker on 4th down leading 45-0 in the 4th quarter), it is never right to ask a coach to let the opposing team score or tell his offense to turn over the football to avoid a blowout. As a player/coach on the winning team, I’d rather end the game prematurely or play with a running clock than submissively let the other team back into the game. On the losing end, I’d expect the other team to give me their best. In what other ways could I judge my own abilities or those who play for me?

The Connecticut high school football “score management” policy is a bush league rule for sissies. I feel bad for players and coaches who lose a game in blowout fashion. But if they can’t cope with it themselves, maybe they should find other hobbies.