The Mike Tomlin era began this weekend as the Steelers opened up the NFL pre-season against New Orleans.  The game itself was just one piece of a memorable Hall of Fame weekend in Canton.

So what does it all mean?  Well, it means that football season is upon on us once again.  And it also means the Hall of Fame in Canton now has several more creepy bronze busts to display.

And as boring as pre-season football can be, it’s really a good warm-up for everyone.  Not just for the players and coaches.  But for the refs.  For the fans.  For us lame-brained armchair quarterbacks sitting at home.  After all, it’s been months since I’ve watched a game on TV.  Once again, I have to master multi-tasking.  And by “multi-tasking”, I mean the ability to focus on the football game while blood trickles out of my ear from listening to Cris Collinsworth and Bryant Gumbel.  That isn’t easy you know…

But since I survived it, I thought I would kick off the season with a few observations.

No Joy In Steelville?

Things couldn’t have started better for the Steelers and Mike Tomlin, as they attempt to erase the memory of last year’s dismal season.  Pre-season final scores don’t mean much, but Tomlin certainly has a lot of positives to extract from their opening performance.

First of all, this team has significant depth at almost every position.  The running game looked strong even without the presence of Willie Parker, thanks in part to Najeh Davenport…who should see a fair share of carries this season.  Even Carey (The Mini-bus?) Davis excited the crowd with lengthy scamper.

In the defensive secondary, rookie corner William #### displayed his hard-hitting style of play…and is a welcome addition to a unit that struggled against the pass at times last year.

At the linebacker position, newcomers Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley should be able to fill the void created by the departure of Joey Porter.  Of course, they will both need to talk continuously day after to day to replace Porter’s mouth…but that’s another story.

Receiving targets Cedric Wilson and Santonio Holmes were both impressive, which gives Roethlisberger and new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians plenty of options to work with.

However, amidst the lopsided victory…there was one glaring weakness.  Offensive Tackle Max Starks.

This behemoth of an offensive lineman (6’8”, 337 lbs.) started 14 games last season, and was a big reason that Ben Roethlisberger took a career-high 46 sacks and spent more time on his back than Paris Hilton.  Starks has extremely heavy feet, and is easily fooled by quick defensive ends.  His instincts are poor, and his execution is even worse.  Last night, he must have missed 4 out of every 5 blocks…showing weaknesses in both pass and run blocking.  He reminds me a little bit of underachieving Big Ole’ Leonard Davis (formerly of the Cardinals).  Only Davis never stunk like this…

The good news is, this can be corrected…and the Steelers’ coaching staff seems to know it.  In the game against the Saints, Starks played longer than most of the other starters…and they tested him on both sides of the line.  If they were paying any attention at all, Max Starks should be done as a starter in this league.  23 year-old Willie Colon should be able to earn the starting nod over Starks with ease.

With a few adjustments on that offensive line, there may be Joy in Steelville after all…

Random Shots

I’m not sure what happened to him, but Bryant Gumbel looks like a homeless guy on crack.  Either that, or he’s transforming into a Gumbel Gollum before our very eyes.  It wouldn’t surprise me, as I find everything about this guy frightening as hell…

Speaking of Gumbels, I hope brother Greg gets to call the first “Chicwago” game.

Was anyone else freaked out by Michael Irvin lip-locking with his own bronze bust?  I guess for someone possessing that much self-adoration, it’s lucky they didn’t #### a full-body statue.

I wonder what Bill Cowher is up to right now.

How long do you think it will be until Commissioner Roger Goodell uncovers a gambling ring involving NFL referees?  Or are we not ready to go there just yet?

Football season is almost here…can you feel it? 

What better way to kick off the season than an ole’ fashioned football party with my blog buddies.  Here is recap of the festivities…

ShooterB paces in his living room, 30 minutes before kickoff.  “I wonder if anyone will show up”, he asks his brother, ShooterC.

 

“You bet they will.  If not, what will I do with all these grilled cheese sandwiches”, replies Shooter’s Steeler-crazed brother.

 

 There is a knock at the door…

“Hey, FlyingPig!  How the hell are you buddy?  I see you brought Ricko and TheDan with you.  Awesome!  What’s that?  Oh, you had to carpool because someone stole your Pacer.  Sorry to hear that.  But come in and try to enjoy yourself anyway(interrupted by Dan)…No, Dan…I don’t have any Molson.” 

 

“Oh my gosh, look what the cat dragged in…it’s Miracle.  How’s it…wait a second.  Who is that in your car?  Is that…Sally?  What are doing with Miracle?  I thought we had something special.  Wow, this is awkward.  Alright, go ahead and come on in.  I’ll be cool.  Just caught me by surprise, that’s all.  And Miracle, I’ll deal with you later.” 

 

Shortly after Miracle’s arrival…ShooterB is sulking in a dark corner of his bedroom with a bottle of Maker’s Mark Bourbon.  ShooterC walks in to see what’s wrong. 

 

“I can’t believe it.  Betrayed by my own friend!  What do I do?” asks a heartbroken ShooterB. 

 

ShooterC replies, “Didn’t you lose rights to Sally in a poker game during the Pig Roast?” 

 

“Oh yeah.  OK, Party on!”… 

 

ShooterB walks back in the living room just in time to greet a few new arrivals to the party.  “CarolynT, nice to see you.  Wow, thanks for bringing the deviled eggs, hot wings, nachos, rack of lamb, stuffed mushrooms, and cheesecake.  I was planning on just serving this 12 lb bag of tortilla chips…but this works much better.” 

 

CarolynT whispers to ShooterB, “Psst, hey Shooter…keep the swine society away from me.  Hogfan just showed up with a basket of apples.  I’m leaving the second this gets out of hand.”

 

Shooter yells across the room, “Hey, Hogfan…I told you no apples!  Put that basket outside pronto.  And I mean it.” 

 

The phone rings…   

 

“Hey, keep it down guys…I’m on the phone.” 

 

“Hello…hey Smoke, how are you?  What do you mean you can’t make it?  No, I don’t have any bail money…what in the heck did you do?  Oh, I saw that in the paper…so you were that crazy Cubs fan that went ballistic on Dusty Baker.  How is he anyway, out of the hospital yet?  OK, I’ll give my best to the gang.  NO, I won’t bail you out!  Geez…” 

 

Hangs up phone… 

 

“OK, what did I miss?  Charlie Batch just threw a touchdown to Hines Ward?  You must be joking.”  

 

By then, several more bloggers had arrived including - Bengals, Norcalfella, MustardMan, Burger21, Siddhartha, Cuzzifer, HalfBaked, Nooch, Gcoach, and SouthernCindi… 

 

“Hold up for a second guys, is there even enough room in here for everyone.  I invited more bloggers that may show up later.  Wait a second, where did Ricko and Miracle go?  And where is my bottle of bourbon?  And my lighter fluid?  Uh oh, I have a bad feeling about this.” 

 

The door swings open abruptly, and the room stops… 

 

“Hey, it’s Tophatal!  Who are these lovely ladies you brought with you?  WHAT?!  They are your girlfriend?  All 3 of them?  Why are they wearing bikinis?  OK, come on in.  But be warned, there are swine among us.  Right over…oh ####, where is Hogfan and FP?  And where is that basket of apples?” 

 

“Forget it.  Ricko, get me a drink…I’m going to sit down and watch the game for a bit.  Why are you giggling?  What’s in this drink anyway?” 

 

“Wow, that Ronnie Brown looks impressive.  2 touchdowns already.  Hey, Burger…don’t cry buddy.  It’s only one game, and there is plenty of time for the Steelers to come back.  What’s that?  Oh, you’re crying because they put Nyquil in your beer?  Hey, don’t worry…you’ll get used to the taste.  But the TV is over here, why are yelling at the wall?” 

 

“Look, Morisato brought some Chico’s tacos.  Awesome.  Go ahead and share with the group.  Just make sure the path to the bathroom is clear.” 

 

The room roars at a big run by Willie Parker to end the 3rd quarter… 

 

Miracle stands up and addresses the room, “Listen up everybody.  I have a joke for you.  Paris Hilton walks into a bar with a priest, a linebacker, and a donkey…” 

 

ShooterB interrupts, “That’s enough Dr. Phil McCracken, the game is back on.” 

 

“A fumble in the red zone?  Oh sweet Moses!  Settle down everyone.  No, no, no!” 

 

An earth shattering kaboom brings silence to the room… 

 

“Thanks a lot!  Now the TV is broken.  I rented this plasma screen just for the party.  Now what are we gonna do?  I guess we’ll make the best of it.  Who’s up for a game of Twister?  FlyingPig, get the game ready.” 

 

After a chaotic scramble the door, the room is cleared except for FlyingPig, Hogfan, and SouthernCindi… 

 

“Why did everyone leave?  Oh no, why is the apple basket empty?  Get out of here Hogfan.”  

 

Hours later, Ricko emerges from the bathroom… 

 

“What’s up, Ricko?”

 

“Don’t ask”, replies a green and pale faced Ricko.

 

Does this mean no more blogger parties?

Every year, the average arm-chair quarterback morphs into an NFL prognosticator with more confidence than Sean Salisbury.  It is rare to find an enthusiast that refuses to offer an educated (or even uneducated) guess at predicting the Super Bowl champs.  This is a risky proposition with an abundance of variables at play.  It only takes a couple of key injuries to change an entire division.  There will be rookies that surprise, and those that will disappoint.  Players with new teams can adjust quickly, or struggle with a new system and fade into obscurity.  You get the idea...

Wise men say that the best way to predict the future is to look at the past.  In regards to the upcoming NFL season, those may be the wisest words of all.

 

So with that, here are my serious and not-so-serious predictions for the 2006-07 season.

 

Predicting the Storylines

The storylines that develop over the course of a season are almost as entertaining as the actual games.  At least in the same way that a train wreck can be entertaining.  Keeping with that theme, here are a few atypical predictions for the upcoming NFL season.

 

-  Terrell Owens will sustain massive head trauma after being falsely accused of stealing Bill Parcell’s sandwich...and will be beaten badly by the short-fused coach.  Investigation of the incident will reveal the real culprit, Drew Bledsoe, who master-minded the conspiracy to implicate Owens.  Bledsoe will receive a prison sentence for conspiracy to assault, impersonating a quarterback, and grand theft-salami.

 

-  Chris Cooley will donate some of his hair to Matt Hasselbeck.

 

 

-  Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie will fire head coach Andy Reid during the middle of the season.  When reporters ask Lurie about the unexpected move, he states that “I fired him because running a West Coast offense with an East Coast team is just plain weird”.

 

-  David Carr, quarterback of the Houston Texans, will announce that he is homosexual.  Which means that even after he is benched at mid-season, Carr will continue to get pounded by NFL linebackers.

 

-  During a Monday night telecast, Mike Turico of the ESPN crew will initiate an on-air fist fight with Joe Theisman due to a blathering display of stupidity.  Tony Kornheiser will flee from the scene faster than Ike Clanton from the OK Corral.  Sean Salisbury will be called in to finish the broadcast, but will be fired the very next day.  Funny man Steve Carell will be hired to broadcast the remainder of the season, and will become the NFL’s premiere commentator.  The phrase “sometimes you lose, and sometimes you play the 49ers” will make him a sports icon.

 

-  After learning of the Carell development, former Monday Night Football castaway Dennis Miller will be become outraged and beg for another chance at the broadcast booth.  Following several failed auditions, Miller will strike himself several times in the head with a ball pean hammer in an attempt to dumb down his humor for reasonable human interpretation.  Once he is released from the hospital, Miller will be hired by MTV as the character for their new series Return of Beavis & Butthead.

 

-  Following a lackluster 0-3 start by the Raiders, Randy Moss will demand a trade to “whatever team that is that Ricky Williams is playing for”.

 

-  NFL officials will revise league rules to limit team spending on bail bonds.  They will call it “the Bengal clause”.

 

-  Dolphins backup QB Joey Harrington will start the final two games of the season in place of injured Daunte Culpepper.  Shortly after Harrington passes for 320 yards and 5 TD’s in the final game, Detroit Lions owner Matt Millen will attempt to drown himself in a bathtub.  Sadly, Millen will fail at the suicide attempt by forgetting to plug the drain.

 

-  Paris Hilton will shock the sports world when she purchases the San Diego Chargers franchise.  Her first act in office is to issue a memo to all NFL owners titled, "Interesting Trades Considered".  By noon the next day, Terrell Owens will be traded to San Diego in exchange for sexual favors.

 

-  At least once during the season...an NFL player will be at a bar scene when someone is fatally wounded...and he will deny any involvement at first but then after talking to his attorney he will revise his statement saying that he actually owned the knife in question but didn't use it because someone stole it from him and he didn't want to say anything about it because the guy that stole it was his friend or at least he was until that guy ####ed his girlfriend but he wasn't mad about that because he's a nice guy and would never hurt anybody.

 

Going Out on a Limb

-  The Super Bowl could turn out to be a repeat of last year’s, or it might be two completely different teams.

 

-  The Super Bowl will not consist of a Bills/49ers match-up.

 

-  The Super Bowl could be a quarterback rematch of last year’s Rose Bowl, Vince Young vs. Matt Leinart; Provided that all other NFL teams except the Titans and Cardinals go on a season-long strike.

 

-  Experts and fans that predicted a Patriots/Panthers Super Bowl will disappear faster than a cucumber in a sorority house.

 

Let’s Get Real

I wouldn’t be much of a fan if I didn’t have my own NFL predictions.  So here they are:

 

Division Winners

NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles

 

 I anticipate that this division will be the most competitive in the league.  A healthy McNabb will prove that last year was a fluke.

NFC North - Chicago Bears

 

 There isn’t much offense in this division, and the Bears’ defense will allow them to coast into the playoffs.

NFC South - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

 The Panthers and Falcons will be left wondering what hit them.  A Cadillac and a tenacious defense will be the culprits.

NFC West - Seattle Seahawks

 

 The Arizona Cardinals will make a little noise, but not enough to dethrone the reigning NFC champions.  Not even close.

AFC East - Miami Dolphins

 

 A two-horse race between the Dolphins and the Patriots.  But even the losing horse will make the playoffs as a wild card.

AFC North - Pittsburgh Steelers

 

 The Bengals will push the Super Bowl champs, but do not have the depth to finish them off.

AFC South - Indianapolis Colts

 

 The Colts won’t be as good as last year, but will still run away with this division.  

AFC West - Denver Broncos

 

 The Chiefs will be a close second, but don’t have the defense to keep up with the Broncs.

 What a World!

-  Only in the world of professional sports will you see news like this (as seen last week on Yahoo Sports, News and Notes for Ruben Droughns):  “Droughns could get six to 18 months in jail if convicted of assault and up to six months in jail if convicted of harassment. He expects to be back for practice Tuesday…”

Here’s to another great NFL season, which is bound to be full of surprises.  Sit back and enjoy!

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals Pre-Season Match-up    

Football season never starts quick enough.  Which forces football fans to watch meaningless preseason games.  Maybe it isn’t exactly prime entertainment, but it beats watching Red Dragon for the 118th time (truth be told, I was flipping channels back and forth).

 

But preseason does provide a glimpse of each squad’s chances, as long as you don’t worry about the final score.  

The Arizona Cardinals opened up the preseason in their new stadium today against the reigning Super Bowl champs.  First off, the stadium is impressive.  A retractable, transparent roof is innovative…even by present day standards.  The design will be just as comfortable for the fans as it will be for the players, being able to escape the smoldering heat of the Arizona desert in style.  

Team Analysis  

Pittsburgh

The big story of the Steelers’ off-season was the injury to starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  Two months ago, it appeared that the young signal caller’s season (and possibly career) was in serious jeopardy.  But after a quick recovery, coach Bill Cowher didn’t hesistate to put Roethlisberger in the starting lineup.  

Roethlisberger only played one series, but appeared confident and sharp driving his offense down the field.  He even displayed the elusiveness that has become his trademark.  Steeler fans can rest easy knowing that their beloved quarterback will be ready to lead this team again this year.  

Though the first string offense failed to reach the end-zone, the depth of the squad is impressive.  Leading receiver Hines Ward was sidelined for this game due to injury, but the Steelers have several capable targets for the passing game.  In addition to secondary options in the passing game like Santonio Holmes and Quincy Morgan, tight end Heath Miller will also strengthen the aerial attack. 

Depth in the backfield will be crucial to the Steelers’ season as well.  Willie Parker returns as the leading rusher, and looks to be in good shape.  Duce Staley is healthy again, but did appear to have lost some of the quickness that made him a dangerous double-threat out of the backfield.  Verron Haynes will also be used a bit, which should keep the 2 top backs rested during the season. 

The first string defense gave up a few big plays to the Cardinal offense, which is uncharacteristic of the veteran crew.  The defense did put Warner and the Cardinals’ offense in 3rd and long twice during the first series, but gave up first down completions each time.  The most notable absence on defense was loud-mouthed linebacker Joey Porter.  But with virtually the same defensive unit from last year, there is no reason to believe that they will falter once the regular season arrives. 

Arizona

Not only did the Cardinals get a shiny new stadium for this season, but they acquired one of the top running backs in league.  Edgerrin James looks to solidify the backfield in Arizona, which should compliment their talented passing attack.  The Cardinals may not reach the playoffs this year, but give them credit for some wise investing.  Each home game in Arizona is already sold-out, and Cardinal fans have hope for the first time in quite a while. 

Kurt Warner will be leading the offense, and is always an injury risk.  1st round draft pick Matt Leinhart still has yet to sign with the team, and has destroyed any chance of challenging Warner for the starting QB job.  Also, the preseason could have given Leinhart some much needed experience at the NFL level.  So in an off-season of wise investments, Leinhart may stand out as the opposite for the Cardinals organization.  When Warner incurs his inevitable annual season-ending injury, expect Leinhart to crumble like a potato chip underneath John Madden’s foot. 

The first string offense looked impressive early on against the Steelers.  Edgerrin James wasn’t involved too much, but Warner found a rhythm in the passing game.  Boldin, Fitzgerald, and Johnson will give Warner plenty of options for moving the ball up the field.  Involving James will only add to their productivity.  Look for a dangerous offensive attack once the season begins. 

J.J. Arrington should be more comfortable in the role of back-up than he was as the starter.  In his limited play, he looked very impressive both in the running and passing game.  Arrington should see a boost in his development this year, adding even more depth to this talented offense. 

The defense looked surprisingly effective against the balanced attack of the Steelers.  For all the talk about a talented offense, it is often overlooked that the defense has its share of talent too.  Safety Adrian Wilson is coming off an impressive season, and should anchor the secondary.  Experienced defensive end Chike Okeafor also adds some strength to this defense, and should help put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  Even in the opening series of this game, Roethlisberger was sacked and pressured.  An aggressive defensive attack could very well surprise a few teams this year.

The Rest  

Well, the game isn’t over yet…but I can’t watch anymore.  Time to watch Ed Norton cleverly dispose of the Tooth Fairy serial killer one more time.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming season, just as both of these teams are.  The Steelers have the depth and experience to make another run at the title, and the Cardinals could be a surprise team in the NFC this year.

Can preseason football get much better than this?

On May 15, 2006, you might recall that I was elected as the chairman for the Las Cruces chapter of the National Sarcasm Society.  Shortly afterwards, legalities prohibited me from mentioning the NSS.  It seems that the election results were a bit controversial, being that I only received 1 vote (which was probably my vote, but who cares).  But Lady Justice has spoken, and I have been allowed to resume my duties as chairman.

The sarcasm slinging must go on…

First, I’d like to tackle an issue that continues to bother me - the demanding sports fan.  Criticism for officials, professional athletes, writers…it seems that everyone is a critic.  And some of the criticism may be necessary, but keep the source in mind.  It’s easy to criticize an official, but have most of these people every tried to call a game?  Let me tell you, it isn’t easy.  Try doing your normal job with thousands of people screaming at you, just waiting for a mistake.  And when they insult your mother, well that’s just plain mean.

Now that I’m done with that rant, here are a few other things I noticed recently:

-  This past weekend on I-10 deep in the heart of Texas, a guy was driving his motorcycle at over 80 MPH.  Then all of a sudden, he pops a wheelie and sustains it while changing lanes.  And wouldn’t you know it, no helmet.  He could have been an accountant, a stunt man, a fisherman, or even a professional athlete.  I think it’s safe to say that he put his career, and quite possibly his life, at risk.  But you won’t be seeing any articles blasting this guy’s reckless behavior.

-  Roethlisberger received $388 of fines and fees for his motorcycle incident.  Because that’s more likely to teach him a lesson than broken facial bones requiring seven hours of surgery.

-  NBA officials were blasted for the infamous backcourt violation call in game 5 of the Finals.  It seems they misinterpreted the rule that states, “frontcourt/backcourt status is not attained until a player with the ball has established a positive position in either half during a throw-in in the last 2 minutes of the fourth period and/or any overtime period.”  Like any of us know what the heck that means.  The rule must have been written by a lawyer.

-  Mark Cuban was fined $250K for “several acts of misconduct”, according to NBA commissioner David Stern.  But his criticism was primarily about the backcourt violation, which the NBA later admitted was an incorrect call.  So he was fined for pointing out a mistake?  He would have been better off wrecking his motorcycle while not wearing a helmet.  That would have only cost him $388.

-  Roethlisberger’s $388 fine would be the equivalent of 25 cents for most people.

-  Mark Cuban probably earns $250K in the amount of time it takes to walk to the refrigerator. 

-  Phil Mickelson can win major after major, but will always be labeled a “choke artist” after a performance like this last weekend at the US Open.  Remember that this criticism often comes from people with a 20+ handicap.  Possibly even the same people that cheered for Kevin Costner in the movie Tin Cup.  You get the point.

-  Ocean water tastes nothing like Aquafina.

-  Newly drafted receiver Santonio Holmes was arrested (again) on Monday for assault charges.  Does anyone know what incredible pressure comes from earning millions of dollars to play a sport for a living?  Wait a second, this guy DOES deserve to be criticized.

-  But I see that Santonio Holmes apologized for his arrest.  So that makes it all OK.

-  When swimming in the ocean, a dolphin’s fin is just as terrifying as a shark’s.  Especially if you’ve watched the movie Open Water 10 times in the past month.

-  I haven’t seen a Barry Bonds headline in weeks.  What happened?

-  Gary Payton just made a huge mistake while arguing with a referee…DURING PLAY!  Are you kidding me?  Is this the type of veteran leadership we should expect?

-  When I start being critical, shortly after condemning unnecessary criticism…it’s time to stop writing for the day.

Please support the National Sarcasm Society…or don’t.  Like we really need your support.

p.s. This isn’t really sarcasm, but just a quick “I told you so” about the Braves.  They are currently 14 1/2 games out of first place.  Almost as bad as the Pirates, but not quite.

NFL Championship weekend is over, and fans must pause for the longest 2 weeks of the year.  While we wait, here are a few of my observations over the past weekend:

The Good 

-  The fairy tale continues.  Jerome Bettis returns to his hometown of Detroit for what could be his final game.  There could not be a more fitting way for the Bus to end his remarkable career.

-  The Seattle Seahawks finally may get the credit they deserve.  The best team in the NFC proved it against Carolina.  They made a really good Panther team look really bad.

-  Walter Jones is the best tackle in the NFL.  Shaun Alexander deserves credit for his success, but Jones and this offensive line are a big reason for his MVP season.

-  Troy Palomalu deserves the hype.  After watching his post-season play, it's easy to see why Cowher is so complimentary of this guy.  If there is such a thing, he is a clutch defensive performer.

-  Kobe Bryant scores 81.  We'll get to this later.

The Bad

-  The Panthers end a good season on a bad note.  It wasn't just the defeat, but the manner in which the players handled it that will be remembered.  Players getting unnecessary penalties later in the game.  Sideline tantrums, poor performances...It's a tough way to end the season.

-  Bad week for guys named Jake.  I won't criticize these 2 quarterbacks, but they will definitely wish their first name was John after these dismal playoff performances.  Is it possible for 2 NFL players to share the same nickname?

-  Can Matt Hasselbeck grow a bad beard in 2 weeks?

-  Steve Smith.  He finally got the defensive attention necessary to take him out of the game.  Delhomme had a terrible game, but Smith will take his share of the blame as well.  I was disappointed to see Smith's sideline tantrum.  It's understandable that he was frustrated, but people have been saying all year that he has become a class act.

-  The Denver Broncos still won't get the credit they deserve.  As the game announcers said, the Broncos have been under the radar all year.  This was not a very good performance, but credit the Steelers for making them look so bad.  The AFC had six solid contenders this year, and the Broncos were probably the second best of those six.

-  Kobe Bryant scores 81.  Again, we'll get to this later.

The Ugly

-  The head shot taken by Nick Goings against the Seahawks.  Talk about insult to injury.  The 3rd string back is taken out of the game early by a vicious collision.  I hope that cracking sound I heard was the helmet, and not Nick Goings head.  Either way, he wins the "Coconut Cracker" award for this week.  Ouch!

-  One more missed call.  It was irrelevant to the outcome of the game, but the Panthers early touchdown should not have been.  A penalty flag was thrown, but then later waived off?  I would accept this if the call was never noticed in the first place.  But the official witnessed the illegal block, and threw the flag.  Did they decide the foul wasn't worth taking 7 points away?  Luckily, this game wasn't close.

-  Jake Delhomme's performance.  Perhaps he was jinxed by all the talk of his outstanding post-season QB rating.  He was pressured by a solid Seahawks defense, but many of those throws were just ill-advised.  Throwing into quadruple coverage?  Or how about throwing the football up for grabs while looking the other direction?

-  Kobe Bryant scores 81 points.  I put this in all three categories because I honestly can't decide where it belongs.  Is his performance really good for the concept of basketball being a "team game"?  Is he truly that much more talented than a handful of other NBA players?  At least this performance wasn't in a loss.  I've criticized him before, but I will give him some credit for this incredible performance.  I don't like it, but it's tough to score that many at any level.  Maybe the Seahawks defense could stop him.

And that's what cracks my coconut!