After seing all of the crazy sports news which has gone on in the last few days, I just couldn't resist putting this edition of the Random #### Rant on the presses.
Let me just start by saying this last weeks Monday Night Football game was just insane. My god, the Bears, who looked unstoppable to this point, were being absolutely flattened offensively by a weak Cardinals defense. The Cardinals lead 23-3 heading to the end of the 3rd Quarter, a score that no one imagined, and I went to sleep figuring the Bears had no chance of putting any offense together to make a comeback.
I was right.
The offense continued to suck, Grossman did so bad that I ended up winning a fantasy game against someone who was AHEAD of me. Grossman's game was Leaf-esque, and they couldn't run to boot. But right at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Bears D got a fumble for a TD. Then late in the 4th, they got another defensive touchdown. Even then, the Bears were still down by 6 points...but they get a punt return TD? My God. Then Neil Rackers, who was perfect last year, missed a game winning 40 yd FG?
I have no idea what to think anymore about this NFL season...
The Cardinals choked this game away. They've never had a lead like this, and they sat on the ball. This team has a horrible offensive line, Edge James couldn't gain a yard to save his life. And how about the Dennis Green rant?
But look at all of the teams in the NFL, and can you find a "flawless" team? The Colts have a horrible defense, the Broncos and Ravens have terrible offenses, and the Bears looked like total #### last night. Maybe the Chargers are the best team in football, but this last week was crazy. The Redskins lost...to The TITANS! Cinci lost to the Bucs, the Chiefs got mauled by Pittsburgh, and the Saints beat the Eagles.
Once again, it proves that ANYTHING can happen in the NFL.
YOU'RE FIRED Lots of people fired the last few days. Sticking with the Cardinals, they fired offensive cooridinator Keith Rowen. Maybe he is the reason for that terrible offensive line. Another season and the Cardinals are disapointing...and the coaches are always the scapegoats.
Sticking with the Fired theme, the Ravens fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel. Now Fassel is a talented coach, but once again, when a unit struggles, the coach is to blame. But it isn't Fassel's fault they are bad. They have a offensive line that only has one player that is good, and they have a burnout back in Jamal Lewis. Mike Anderson is also a guy who was really only successful because he was in the Denver system. If the Ravens want an offense, they need to aquire a talented running back.
But wait, more people are fired. Steve Lyons, an announcer for Fox got fired for "Racist remarks." or something. Alrighty then.
But it continues, Ken Macha was fired from his managers job. After he took his team TO THE ALCS! Makes me wonder how high the expectations had to be, last time I checked, getting to the ALCS is pretty good.
THE CUBS....
So now Lou Pinella is the Cubs news manager. I have no problem with this, and I think a smart veteran manager like that could do this team some good.
But some of the rumors about getting A-Rod concern me. Not that I have any problem with the Cubs getting A-Rod, but the rumors are that they would trade Carlos Zambrano.
Now for those of you who aren't Cubs fans, here's the story of Zambrano. He plays for a team with underachieving batters, and constantly hurt pitchers. With all of this, Zambrano each week would pitch great, and he's the guy they would get rid of? Hey Cubs, Pitching wins championships remember? Getting rid of your one good pitcher would be about the stupidest thing you could actually do.
But being a Cubs fan...everything that can go wrong....will go wrong...
JERRY! JERRY!
Jerry Springer reference, back when the show always featured fights. I was saddened to see the Miami/FIU brawl that I am sure you have all seen by now. It is the one of the most pathetic things I have seen, right up there with Haynesworth's stomp, and the Malace at the Palace.
I personally think, the punishment should be that both programs forfeit their remaining games. Not all of the players participated, but the ones that didn't should have tryed to stop this madness, and I don't think many did. Stomping on downed players, and using helmets as weapons is just pathetic and cowardly. NCAA, do the right thing...
And Finally, will they ever actually finish that Mets/Cardinals series? How many times is it going to rain? At this rate, that series will last to November.
It is now time for part 4, of the mildly entertaining, "MrNFL Presents, The NFL Preview Extravaganza!" Today, we finish off the NFC, with the teams of the NFC West. It is the Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks.
I am scoring each team by my flawed system, which will determine the Super Bowl champ at the end of the year. For how that system works, click here. NFC NORTH NFC SOUTH NFC EAST
With that said, let's start it up!
Arizona Cardinals.
LAST YEAR: Last year was just like any other year for the Cardinals. They sucked, the end. Another bad season as they finished 5-11. This is a team that hasn't had a winning season since 1984.
Quarterbacks: Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Rohan Davey, John Navarre. Warner when at the top of his game is great, however he hasn't looked at the top of his game for a long time, since the Rams last Super Bowl appearance. Warner just can not stay healthy, but if he can stay healthy, he'll be good. Leinart missed some camp with a holdout, and will be a bit behind the curve, and will make muchos mistakeos if he has to play too much.
QB Score 3/5
Running backs: Edgerrin James, J.J. Arrington, Obafemi Ayanbadejo, Marcel Shipp, James Hodgins, Damien Anderson. The Cards were very smart to bring in Edgerrin James, who has been fantastic is his career with the Indy Colts. He is one of the best backs in the league. However, the depth is a concern, as Arrington didn't look NFL ready last year, and Marcel Shipp is the worst NFL running back not named Kevan Barlow. Ayanbadejo is a pretty good fullback however.
RB Score 8/10
Recieving Targets: Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Bryant Johnson, LeRon McCoy, Troy Walters, Leonard Pope, Andy Stokes, Ben Hall, John Bronson. Boldin and Fitzgerald are both young, and both very talented. These are two of the NFL's best recievers. Bryant Johnson is a decent slot guy, and Walters isn't bad. Tight end is a little interesting, but likely the speedy rookie Pope will take over that job, pretty good group here.
WR Score 9/10
Offensive Line: Leonard Davis, Oliver Ross, Shawn ####, Milford Brown, Deuce Lutui, Fred Wakefield, Reggie Wells, Elton Brown, Alan Reuber, Nick Leckey. This line concerns me. Leonard Davis is a pretty good tackle, but everyone else makes me laugh. None of these guys are that good. They have tons of inexperience, and unproven guys on this line. Ross is alright, Brown and Wakefield both mediocre. They need Lutui the rookie to come in and do well, because this line is awful.
OL Score 5/10
Defensive Line: Bertrand Barry, Darnell Dockett, Calvin Pace, Chike Okeafor, Kendrick Clancy, Langston Moore, Jonathan Lewis, Gabe Watson. Barry had a breakout year last year and showed his talent. Dockett and Clancy are alright at defensive tackle. However, those two aren't anything spectactular. Also, the other end spot has a lot of question marks, with tons of unproven and inconsistant guys.
DL Score 7/10
Linebackers: Karlos Dansby, Isacc Keys, Orlando Huff, Mark Brown, Darryl Blackstock, James Darling, Brandon Johnson, Lance Mitchell. This group of linebackers is HORRIBLE. Dansby is young, and decent, but they have absolutley nothing else. Daring is old, but not great. The rest of these guys are unproven, average, and not so good. This may be the downfall of the team.
LB Score 5/10
Defensive Backs: David Macklin, Antrel Rolle, Eric Green, Robert Tate, Robert Griffith, Adrian Wilson, Aaron Francisco, Dyshod Carter, Lamont Reid. The safeties are good, with Adrian Wilson, a very talented player, and Griffith, a smart old veteran. However, the cornerbacks...HAHAHAHAHA. These guys are bad, tons of inconsistancy. Macklin is average, Rolle hasn't proven jack yet, and the rest of these guys have never done anything. This group is better than the linebackers...but not much.
DB Score 6/10
Special Teams: Neil Rackers, Scott Player, Bryant Johnson. Neil Rackers was fantastic last year, draining every kick he could. His strong leg allows him to boot the long ball well, which is a big plus. Johnson is a solid kick returner.
ST Score 9/10
Coach: Dennis Green Green had success a while back in Minnesota, but so far in Arizona, he has done jack squat. He's shown in the past he is good, but he hasn't shown that at all recently.
Coach 7/10
Final Thoughts: The Cardinals brought in free agents to try to make a run this season, and finally make the postseason, however the defense still looks too flawed for them to be taken seriously as a contender.
St. Louis Rams.
LAST YEAR: It wasn't quite the season the Rams had expected, hoping to make it into the playoffs. Well, the offense turned over the ball more than usual, and the D stunk as usual, and they fell well short with a 6-10 record.
Quarterbacks: Marc Bulger, Gus Frerotte, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dave Ragone. Marc Bulger has shown he can throw the ball, since the Rams of the past did that every other play. However, he will have to pass less, which may help him cut down on the INTs. Frerotte with talent around him has done well, and he is a solid backup.
QB Score 4/5
Running backs: Steven Jackson, Tony Fisher, Chris Massey, Moe Williams, Paul Smith, Madison Hedgecock. Steven Jackson is a very talented power back, who if given carries can be a great every down back. However, who is behind him? With Marshall Faulk hurt, it leaves Tony Fisher, and Moe Williams, two power backs who aren't too powerful. (By that I mean they are slow.) Massey is a average fullback, nothing great, but not terrible.
RB Score 7/10
Recieving Targets: Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Kevin Curtis, Shaun McDonald, Dane Looker, Dominique Byrd, Joe Klopfenstein, Alex Holmes, Aaron Walker, Marques Hagans. Holt and Bruce are still two of the best recievers in football. Altough Bruce is aging, he is still solid. Curtis stepped up last year and showed he is a great slot reciever. McDonald and Looker are both solid other options. The only concern is the tight end, with two very young guys in Byrd and Joe K. starting, but it won't weigh them down too much.
WR Score 9/10
Offensive Line: Andy McCallum, Orlando Pace, Todd Steussie, Adam Timmerman, Ben Noll, Alex Barron, Jason Hilliard, Blaine Saipaia, Larry Turner. Orlando Pace is still the best offensive tackle in all of football. Steussie and Timmerman are both very talented as well, and McCallum is a solid center. The other opening is a bit of a concern however, as they have unproven guys there, but a good line.
OL Score 8/10
Defensive Line: Leonard Little, La'Roi Glover, Claude Wroten, Brandon Green, Victor Adeyaniu, Jason Fisk, Brian Howard. Pretty solid line. Little altough he struggled last year is still a good pass rusher. And adding Glover is a big move, as the vet is still among the best. Wroten is inexperienced, but solid. Fisk and Howard are decent veterans. This line is alright.
DL Score 7/10
Linebackers: Dexter Coakley, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Will Witherspoon, Drew Wahlroos, Raonall Smith, Jon Alston, Brandon Chillar. Tinoisamoa is emerging as a impact linebacker. They were smart to acquire Witherspoon, as he is a young talent. Along with the veteran Coakley, they have a solid strating 3. The backups are junk however, so they better fear injury.
LB Score 8/10
Defensive Backs: Corey Chavous, Jeramitrus Butler, Travis Fisher, Tye HIll, Fakhir Brown, Ronard Bartell, Dwight Anderson, DeJuan Groce, Dwaine Carpenter, This secondary is certainly the weak point of the entire team. They have one good player, in the veteran safety Chavous. However, everyone else is inexperienced, inconsistant, and unproven. Butler and Fisher are decent athletes, but lack awareness. The rest of the guys are no names who don't know what the heck they are doing. This group is as bad as can be.
DB Score 4/10
Special Teams: Jeff Wilkins, Matt Turk, Shaun McDonald. Wilkins is a veteran, and pretty old. He still have some accuracy, but isn't quite there on the power. Shaun McDonald is decent at returning kicks.
ST Score 6/10
Coach: Scott Linehan Linehan has had a lot of success in his career as an offensive coordinator, with the Dolphins last year, and the Vikings before that. However, he has never ran both the offense and defense, and lacks head coaching experience.
Coach 7/10
FINAL THOUGHTS: The offense looks to be good as usual, and the front 7 on defense look good too. However, the terrible secondary may end up being the ultimate downfall of the team.
We continue...
San Francisco 49ers
LAST YEAR: They didn't stink quite as much as 2004, but its hard to be that bad. They were still bad as they finished 4-12. The offense couldn't score to save their life, and the defense was faulty.
Quarterbacks: Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill, Jesse Palmer Alex Smith looked miserable last year. He couldn't hold on to the ball, and when he did, he threw it to the wrong team. Luckily they were smart enough to bring is Dilfer, who is a decent veteran. However, these unit looks miserable.
QB Score 1/5
Running Backs: Kevan Barlow, Frank Gore, Moran Norris, Terry Jackson, Chris Hetherington, Maurice Hicks. This is a terrible backfield for the 49ers. Kevan Barlow has never done anything, and he never will. I think its about time the 49ers toss the guy. They lost the great fullback Fred Beasley, and take another hit. Gore is unproven, and has had injury problems. Norris stinks, Hicks stinks. This group gets the lowest rank for any group with 10 available.
RB Score 3/10
Recieving Targets: Vernon Davis, Eric Johnson, Antonio Bryant, Arnaz Battle, Bryan Gilmore, Otis Amey, Taylor Jacobs, Brandon Williams, Jason McAddley, Rasheed Marshall, Michael Robinson This group is pretty bad too. They brought in the rookie Vernon Davis, who is a freak recieving tight end. They also brought in Antonio Bryant, who is decent. However, the rest of these guys are all inconsistant and unproven giuys. Gilmore, McAddley, and Jacobs have yet to do anything, and the other guys are freaking rookies!
WR Score 5/10
Offensive Line: Jeremy Newberry, Kwame Harris, Jonas Jennings, Larry Allen, David Baas, Eric Heitmann, Justin Smiley, Tony Wragge, Adam Snyder, Patrick Estes, Harvey Dahl. Bringing in Larry Allen was a great move, as this BIG veteran will add some talent to this line. Jennings is a solid tackle, Newberry a solid center. Harris, Baas, Heitmann and Smiley are all young and inconsistant, but have the potenial to be solid. The offense has at least one decent part.
OL Score 7/10
Defensive Line: Bryant Young, Anthony Adams, Marques Douglas, Jerry DeLoach, Ronald Fields, Isaac Sopoaga, Melvin Oliver, Parys Haralson. Bryant Young is getting old fast, but still has some talent. Douglas and Adams are both decent, but this is not a very good defensive line. Tons of inexperience and inconsistancy. They need serious help here.
DL Score 6/10
Linebackers: Jeff Ulbrich, Derek Smith, Manny Lawson, T.J. Slaughter, Brandon Moore, Jim Maxwell, Andre Torrey, Renauld Williams, Zak Keasey. Ulbrich and Smith are both decent linebackers. Altough I still think getting rid of Peterson was a mistake. Lawson showed skill in college, but can he do it in the pros? Slaugher has had trouble staying on rosters, and Moore is very inconsistant. The rest of this group seems really weak as well.
LB Score 6/10
Defensive Backs: Walt Harris, Shawntae Spencer, Derrick Johnson, B.J. Tucker, Marcus Hudson, Sammy Davis, Tony Parrish, Vickiel Vaughn, Mark Roman, Chad Williams, Keith Lewis. Adding Walt Harris adds some age to this group. Harris is decent, but this group is hurt by the retirement of Ahmed Plummer. Spencer and Tucker are both very inconsistant. The only solid guy in this group is Tony Parrish. Keith Lewis has shown talent, but is inconsistant.
DB Score 5/10
Special Teams: Joe Nedney, Tom Rouen, Brandon Williams Nedney is a solid kicker, not great, but not bad. He has a pretty strong leg. Williams is a rookie, but looks to have solid returning skills.
ST Score 8/10
Coach: Mike Nolan Last year in first head coaching stint, he didn't do so good. He has a good past with defense, as he was the cooridinator of the Ravens D when they were great. However, he has a bad team to work with.
Coach 7/10
FINAL THOUGHTS: This team really have nothing to be positive about, and they look like a team prepared to be on the bottom....again.
Finally...
Seattle Seahawks
LAST YEAR: The Seahawks had their best season in franchise history last year, finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record, and home field advantage. They continued their great season getting through the playoffs, only to fall short of winning the Super Bowl by being beaten by the Steelers.
Quarterbacks: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Gibran Hamdan, David Greene. Matt Hasselbeck is one of the smartest QB's in football, as he doesn't make many stupid mistakes. He knows what he is doing. If he gets hurt, I don't like the depth, at all. Seneca Wallace is crazy fast, but isn't very good from a throwing standpoint. And Hamdan and Greene are both inexperienced and not good backups.
QB Score 3/5
Running backs: Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, David Kirtman, Josh Scobey, Ran Carthon, Leonard Weaver. Shaun Alexander did pretty good last year. I think winning the MVP and having 2,842,491 touchdowns means you are pretty good. Morris is a solid backup, and Mack Strong is one of the best fullbacks in football.
RB Score 9/10
Recieving Targets: Bobby Engram, Darrell Jackson, Nate Burleson, Peter Warrick, Taco Wallace, Tony Brown, Jerramy Stevens, Itula Mili. This team has 3 solid guys, however none of them are really a number one reciever. However, the combo of Jackson, Engram and Burleson is a solid group, altough I'm not totally sold on Burleson. Warrick is a solid vet who has shown skill in the past. Taco Wallace, well I just wanted to say his name, since being named Taco is classic. Stevens and Mili are both pretty good tight ends.
WR Score 8/10
Offensive Line: Walter Jones, Floyd Womack, Tom Ashworth, Chris Spencer, Robbie Tobeck, Rob Sims, Chris Gray, William Henry, Ray Willis, Sean Locklear. They did lose Steve Hutchinson, and that hurts. But they still have a great line. Walter Jones is among the best tackles in the league. Womack is pretty good, and they got Ashworth from the Patriots. Tobeck is a pretty good center, and Locklear is alright. This line is pretty good, even without Hutchinson.
OL Score 9/10
Defensive Line: Marcus Tubbs, Grant Wistrom, Chartic Darby, Rocky Benard, Robert Pollard, Darryl Tapp, Nathaniel Adibi, Bryce Fisher, Alain Kashama. This is a decent line. Wistrom is pretty good, but the rest is flawed. Tubbs and Darby are both inconsistant, and the rest of the guys lack experience. This D-Line may be the biggest flaw on the Seahawks
DL Score 6/10
Linebackers: Julian Peterson, Lofa Tatupu, Isaiah Kacyvenski, Niko Koutouvides, D.D. Lewis, Kevin Bentley, LeRoy Hill, Cornelious Wortham. Adding Peterson was a big move. Altough he has had injury problems recently, when healthy, he is amazing. Tatupu stepped up last year, and showed his skill. I.K. and N.K (I'm not spelling those names again) are both solid backers. The rest are a bit inconsistant, and the depth looks shaky.
LB Score 8/10
Defensive Backs: Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon, Jimmy Williams, Lance Frazier, Brandon Haw, Michael Boulware, Jordan Babineaux, Mike Green, Shaunard Harts, Ertic Pruitt. Michael Boulware is a pretty good young strong safety, however the free safety spot has its concerns. Babineaux was decent alright, but is still inconsistant, and the same can be said for the other safeties. Trufant and Herndon are both solid corners, but they have no one after them. This backfield looks weak if any injuries occur.
DB Score: 7/10
Special Teams: Josh Brown, Gabe Lindstrom, Peter Warrick. Brown is a decent kicker, he is young, but he still has flaws. Warrick is a solid punt returner, and Scobey is a solid kick returner, however they have no real punter.
ST Score 7/10
Coach: Mike Holmgren Holmgren has done a pretty good job with the Seahawks, getting them in to the playoffs a couple times, and the Super Bowl berth last year. He also did a pretty good job with the Packers when he was there.
Coach 10/10
Final Thoughts: The Seahawks offense looks great, however some simple flaws in the defense may be what prevents them from taking the next step.
Well, that's it for the NFC. The AFC previews in the next week, and at the end, we will put it all together, and figure out, who will be this year's Super Bowl champion?
THAT'S ALL I GOT.
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Jason Allen has signed with the Dophins to a big juicy 6 year deal. This is important for the Phins, as this guy will try to take the role that was once filled by now gone Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain. He will probably help the Dolphins D greatly.
But I know how people are, and to most people, the story isn't this defensive back. It's Matt Leinart.
Matt Leinart, in the tradition of all quarterbacks, feels he is entitled to crazy money. He thinks he's the best guy in the world, and feels if he doesn't get his multiple million, then the Cardinals aren't worthy of him. The thing that Leinart forgets is....
He is over-rated.
Altough Leinart is given a gigantic chunk of the credit for everything USC did (he deserves some) people forget that Leinart had Reggie Bush and LenDale White. People forget he had Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, Dominque Byrd and a great offensive line. Altough he was a good leader, and did a good job, with targets that good, most QB's could have had success in USC. If Leinart had a average offense, he'd be some 5th round pick, and none of us would have heard of him.
The quarterback position is filled with busts. So many QB's drafted in the first round are busts. Is it because they aren't good? Not usually. It's because they had a great offense in college to make them look great, then they had a horrible offense in the NFL, which killed their careers. Andre Ware, Dan McGwire, David Klingler, Rick Mirer, Heath Shuler, Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade McNown. These are the guys from 1990-2000 who were drafted early in the first round, and were expected to be great. How did each of these guys fare? They stunk. Is it because they were bad quarterbacks? Other than Leaf, no. It's because these guys lacked talent around them.
Take a look at guys like Tom Brady, Matt Hasselbeck, Trent Green and Mark Bulger. Most would consider these guys good quarterbacks, some would argue the best in the league. All of these guys were drafted in the later parts of the draft. Was it because they lacked the ability to be a top pick? Obviously not, because these guys have done well. What happened was they didn't have that talented of a team around them in college, and when they got to the pros, they had talented teams around them.
Matt Leinart should be jumping up and down everyday in excitement because he was drafted to a team with two of the best recievers in the NFL, a great running back, and an old QB who will soon retire leaving the job to Leinart. Matt should want to get in to camp as soon as possible, because with targets that good, he could look great. But by holding out, he his hurting his career. The longer he does this, the longer the Cardinals will likely stay with Kurt Warner during the year. And the last time Kurt Warner had weapons this good, he won a MVP and a Super Bowl. If Warner stays healthy and puts up good numbers, Leinart will NOT get to play once. If the Cardinals go on to success with Warner, and Warner sticks around, he will continue to play, and Leinart will be nothing more than a bench warmer.
Matt, you have the opportunity of a lifetime, do you really need the extra couple million? What, you want 2 Hummers instead of one? You want a solid gold toilet and 40 big screen TVs? Wouldn't you rather have a successful career? Get in to camp, work with Fitzgerald and Boldin, establish chemistry, and if you do all that, soon you will be in command of one of the most dangerous offensives in all of football.
But if you continue to holdout, you could end up like so many other first round quarterbacks before you.
THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR
CONTROLS ALL!!!!
THATS ALL I GOT. Sorry about the sucky picture placement, apprently FOX disabled the picture dealy, which baffles me.
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That is correct, the Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a 4 year deal with Edgerrin James. This is big for the Cardinals, as one of their biggest flaws was the running back spot. They have great recievers, and now a great running back. If the Cards can figure out there QB, then they could have one of the leagues top offenses. Kurt Warner is old, and I'm not sure he is the QB they need. The Cardinals next year could be a playoff team.
Onto the Colts, James has been a staple of their explosive offense for the last couple years, and without him, the Colts offense will definetly struggle. Last year, when Edge didn't have 100 yards, the Colts struggled. Dominic Rhodes and James Mungro aren't very good, which leaves defenses to focus solely on Peyton Manning. The Colts I think have lost their chance to be a Super Bowl contender, unless they seriously fix the D. They may be letting Cato June go, a talented young linebacker. (Every year the Colts get rid of good young LBs, Marcus Washington, Mike Peterson...)
In other free agent news, the 49ers traded away talented young reciever Brandon Lloyd to the Redskins for draft picks. This is increbibly stupid, as Lloyd is a good reciever, and the only reason he lacks good numbers is because his QB and RB suck. He made 3 one handed catches along with a lot of other good plays. The 49ers needed to trade Kevan Barlow, because they have no running game, and Alex Smith sucks.
Also the Browns have struck gold, getting great center LeCharles Bentley and veteran wide-out Joe Jurevicius. The Browns do nothing but gain from this. The Seahawks are dumb for letting Jurevicius go, as he was a reciever who could actually catch. The Saints shouldn't have let go of Bentley either, because if they are gonna draft Cutler, Leinart, or Young, they are gonna need to give those guys an offensive line?
The Ravens signed good DE Trevor Pryce. Tough loss for the Broncos, he has been a sack machine for a long time.
LAST and probably least, the kicker. The Vikings signed long time Packers kicker, Ryan Longwell. While Longwell is a good kicker, why are they tossing Paul Edinger. Edinger had a good season for the Vikes, but I guess he gets the drop.
Time for the FAT TUESDAY edition of the Random #### Rant. Lesss go.
NFL
It looks like the Colts are going to let Edgerrin James go. James has been one of the best running backs in the NFL for the last few years. By releasing him, I believe the Colts are killing their Super Bowl hopes. Peyton Manning got flustered by the confusing pass D schemes other teams threw at them. The way to make a passing game better, is by having a solid running game. The Colts are braindead if they think that Dominic Rhodes or James Mungro are going to fill the shoes the James leaves. I don't believe this will work at all. At least the last time they gave up a franchise RB, they had a draft pick to get Edge. They have the 30th overall pick. Sheesh. Also one thing that was talked about this week was Vince Young's crappy wonderlic score. Many of those questions aren't even football related. Vince knowing his math probably won't help him much as a QB. People are making too big of a deal out of this.
MLB
The World Baseball Classic sounds a little stupid to me. Many of the players aren't playing and many don't want to play. Managers and owners fear the thought of players getting hurt. This is just a dumb idea. Baseball gets tossed by the Olympics, so they want to have their little "world cup." Its just a lame idea, these guys won't be in game shape, and won't have great chemistry, which will lead to very sloppy baseball. I may watch the final game, but thats it. And how about the White Sox GM calling out and ripping Frank Thomas a new one. That was funny. He is right, if the Big Hurt had a problem with him, he should have spoken to him face to face and not whine about it to the media. While one of the best sluggers of all time, Frank Thomas was a baby, and the White Sox won't miss em. Hey, they won a World Series and Thomas barely played.
NBA
Kevin Garnett got fined $5,000 after throwing a ball into the crowd and hitting some guy in the face. I don't disagree with this fine, but I question the manliness of the fan. He got hit in the face by a ball thrown with no velocity, and he acted like it hit him in the nuts at 90 mph. They carried him out on a gerney for god sakes. What a freakin panzie. I got hit in the head by a basketball today (true story) and I walked it off. This guy should be ashamed. Also the Suns GM Colangelo resigned today, to GO TO THE RAPTORS. Why would you want to leave a title contender to go to one of the worst franchises in professional sports? Makes no sense.
NHL
So in the Olympics Sweden beat out Finland to win the gold medal. Ummm, I thought that the US team and Canada were supposed to be really good. What the hell happened? They got destroyed. Pretty sad. Now with the Olympics over I wonder if we will start hearing about "Operation Slapshot" again. Sheesh. Also more important, lock future hall of famer Mario Lemieux had a surgery today to control his irregular heartbeat. It is a shame he had to go, but I rather see him retired and alive, then playing and dead.
NASCAR
On Sunday, Matt Kenseth won the race from California Speedway. I ask, why did NASCAR make California the second race? That race was not excting at all. Rockingham had photo finishes and always had great races year in and year out. So what does NASCAR do? Get rid of both races at that track. Pathetic. They even got rid of a Darlington race, which is dumb because Darlington is the most historic track, as well as unique and exciting. Freakin Nascar.
COLLEGE HOOPS
On Sunday, one of those important season college basketball games happened. UConn (3) beat Villanova (2). They need to schedule more games like this because college basketball isn't that exciting until the torunament starts. Hey, tommorow is March 1, March Madness is on its way...
OLYMPICS
The Olympics ended on Sunday, and no one really cared. The Olympics are a snooze. Skiing and figure skating aren't exciting. Our hockey team sucked, so no fun there. Bode Miller was a bust, Kwan didn't come, My god, the Olympics were terrible. Good riddence, I don't want to here about the winter olympics again until 2010...and then I will just mute the TV.
ARENA FOOTBALL
I only got to see one game, the Chicago Rush and the San Jose SaberCats (lame team names) but the game was very exciting. It came down to overtime were the Rush won the game. I wonder why less people watch the AFL, its exciting. I'd watch it over the Olympics any day.
WWE
I only watched Raw from 10 (after 24) to 10:15. I did like the Cena, HHH segment. I think this could be a solid match. I think it is obvious the fans are sick of Cena, because they were cheering for HHH, who we are all "supposed" to hate. I am glad to see Shelton Benjamin and RVD win shots at the Money in the Bank. If WWE was smart, they would give a title shot to one of these guys, espcially RVD because all the fans love this guy. I do wish however that they could end a show better. I didn't watch the end, because I really didn't want to see McMahons ####. I guess they got HBK to kiss it. Sad, I remember better days in Pro Wrestling.
Fianally
BOXING
I remember when people used to like boxing. It used to be a big deal, and every had heard of the Holyfields, and Alis, and Tysons. Now, name me one of the top boxers and likely you couldn't. Boxing is a dying sport, and it really isn't worth it to buy a match on PPV. I think they should toss boxing all together. It is sad to see what it has become.
THAT WAS THE RANT. Feel free to post your random ####, I will respond to comments as soon as I can.
Also I do have one last thing to talk about. The blogs on this site are supposed to be about SPORTS and I have seen many blogs recently that aren't about sports or anything sports related. I ask that posts be about sports, and not anything else. This is a SPORTS blog site, lets keep it that way.
Let me just start by saying this last weeks Monday Night Football game was just insane. My god, the Bears, who looked unstoppable to this point, were being absolutely flattened offensively by a weak Cardinals defense. The Cardinals lead 23-3 heading to the end of the 3rd Quarter, a score that no one imagined, and I went to sleep figuring the Bears had no chance of putting any offense together to make a comeback.
The offense continued to suck, Grossman did so bad that I ended up winning a fantasy game against someone who was AHEAD of me. Grossman's game was Leaf-esque, and they couldn't run to boot. But right at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Bears D got a fumble for a TD. Then late in the 4th, they got another defensive touchdown. Even then, the Bears were still down by 6 points...but they get a punt return TD? My God. Then Neil Rackers, who was perfect last year, missed a game winning 40 yd FG? 
Sticking with the Fired theme, the Ravens fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel. Now Fassel is a talented coach, but once again, when a unit struggles, the coach is to blame. But it isn't Fassel's fault they are bad. They have a offensive line that only has one player that is good, and they have a burnout back in Jamal Lewis. Mike Anderson is also a guy who was really only successful because he was in the Denver system. If the Ravens want an offense, they need to aquire a talented running back.
But it continues, Ken Macha was fired from his managers job. After he took his team TO THE ALCS! Makes me wonder how high the expectations had to be, last time I checked, getting to the ALCS is pretty good. 
Now for those of you who aren't Cubs fans, here's the story of Zambrano. He plays for a team with underachieving batters, and constantly hurt pitchers. With all of this, Zambrano each week would pitch great, and he's the guy they would get rid of? Hey Cubs, Pitching wins championships remember? Getting rid of your one good pitcher would be about the stupidest thing you could actually do.
I personally think, the punishment should be that both programs forfeit their remaining games. Not all of the players participated, but the ones that didn't should have tryed to stop this madness, and I don't think many did. Stomping on downed players, and using helmets as weapons is just pathetic and cowardly. NCAA, do the right thing...
