The holiest of days is here. The FIRST full Sunday of NFL action. Can I get some hallelujahs from all the football Home Boys across America?

With football comes opinions, or is it A-Holes. We’ve all got em’ and love to share em’ even if nobody else gives a ####. I’ve got 4 predictions in mind for you.  

 

Mexican Standoff: The marquee game of the day has to be Bears-Chargers. Two stud defenses, two young QBS, two teams that love to pound the rock on the ground, two sets of unheralded big play receivers but only one Antonio Gates. Maybe the Chargers are able to run the ball a bit more effectively…maybe Grossman hits a couple of homeruns early with Bernard Berrien…maybe the defenses and special teams make the deciding plays in the game…nobody knows for sure but I’m watching.

Prediction: A scrappy Bears team falls short and loses 20-16.

 

 

 

Shoot-out: Dunt…dunt…dunt…dunttttt…dunt-dunt…dunt-dunt! Looking for some scoring this week? Look no further than Monday Night Football. Hope the folks on the East Coast are patient cause they’ll have to wait until the second Monday Night special kicks-off at 10:00 PM when the Cardinals play the 49ers.  Matt Leinart, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Edgerrin James look to outscore Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Darrell Jackson and Vernon Davis! What?!?!?!  In names alone this could become a fantasy bonanza especially since both defenses have much to prove.

Prediction: San Francisco has done more to improve their defense and has the better offensive line. Arizona has the best duo of receivers this side of Marvin Harrison & Reggie Wayne. The 49ers outpoint the Cardinals 38-30.

 

Upset Special: Tom Brady is in the house! Bill Belichick is in the house! Richard Seymour isn’t. Rodney “Nobody Gives A #### About Performance Enhancers in The NFL” Harrison isn’t. Asante Samuel just showed up. Randy Moss just showed up (maybe). Somebody wake up old men Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel from their mid-morning naps and tell them they need to go chase somebody. “Eric Mangenius” is in the house! Chad “Tom Brady Light” Pennington is in the house. Little Big Man Laveraneus Coles is in the house! Thomas Jones is in the house! And by the way they’re playing in the Jets house…or is it the Giants house? So freakin’ what.

Prediction: An inspired Jet team gives the Patriots a first week black-eye and kick a late field goal to upset New England 20-17.

 

 

Ugly Rout: The Pittsburgh Steelers go to Cleveland and play marching band as they head up and down the field at will. The chants of Brady Quinn---Brady Quinn---Brady-Quinn start in week one as starting QB Charlie Frye gets pummeled. Willie Parker will shred the Browns on the ground and the combination of Ben Roethlisberger/Hines Ward/Santonio Holmes will carve up the secondary…just like they all did last season. The new Pittsburgh staff led by rookie head coach Mike Tomlin is looking to make a statement that this isn’t Bill Cowher’s Steelers anymore and that they can still play SMASH MOUTH FOOTBALL!

Prediction: Steelers trounce the Browns 31-10.

 

 

Football is back…football is back!!! As Tom Cruise once said to Renee Zellweger in his role as Jerry McGuire, “You Complete Me.” Well maybe not… but the sentiment is the same and I’m happy as can be.

 

 

 

I was strolling through the blogs one day

In the mini-camp month of May

I wasn’t taken by surprise

By several who did surmise

That the Patriots would win run-ning away

 

Tis the season. Every NFL franchise has visions of the playoffs... plum dancing in their heads. As usual we already have some odds-on-paper champions. There are always certain teams that look like pre-season world-beaters. You know, like the New York Yankees and Dallas Mavericks. After an off-season of wheeling and dealing the New England Patriots are a team that many people have already turned their eyes to.  They appear formidable now and perhaps rightfully so.  Personally I see many question marks. They better not stumble and look back once the season starts because some non-flashy Jets may start gaining on them.

 

I know that Tom “Golden Boy” Brady is most everyone’s ideal quarterback. 3- time Super Bowl champ, handsome, charismatic and impregnator of beautiful women… this guy has the life. You know what though? At what point do impending fatherhood, spurned Hollywood pregnant actresses (Bridget Moynahan) and a tabloid lifestyle (super model Gisele Bundchen) start affecting him? Maybe he plugs right along but what if it becomes a distraction? Chad Pennington on the other hand may have suspect arm strength but he's very smart and moves the football without the extra curriculars. He’s a system quarterback who’ll pick you apart underneath all day. Just don’t ask him to lead 21-point comebacks and he excels. Jets fans like to refer to him as “Brady Light”. 

 

We’ve all heard of the new weapons on the outside that Brady will be throwing to. Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Kelly Washington, Wes Welker, along with holdovers Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney. Umm…after Moss and Stallworth all I see is a list of 3rd- string receivers. Stallworth is fast but has never caught more than 70 passes or gone over 1,000 yards. Donte also pulls more “hammies” than a pork farmer. Moss provides former star appeal but has he flamed out? Would you bet your ranch on a return to the good old days for Randy, who has slowed down and considers going over the middle a 3-lane crossover on the local interstate? The Jets may have the less flamboyant Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery, but we know they’re quick and tough. These two precise route runners combined for 173 receptions, over 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.  They could surpass those numbers as they become even more of a cohesive tandem in their second year together.

 

Does anyone else think it was a bad idea for the Pats to let Corey Dillon go? If last year is any indication most NFL teams are looking to incorporate a two-running back approach. Dillon is tough as nails and a valuable player, especially in goal line situations. Laurence Maroney shows great promise but he’d be better off with Corey Dillon instead of Sammy Morris as his bruising change of pace back. The Jets meanwhile added Thomas Jones from the Bears and will pair him with the explosive “Warrick Dunn-like” Leon Washington. Running behind young stud linemen D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, the Jets ground attack is looking very talented and versatile.

 

When the Patriots added linebacker Adalius Thomas from the Ravens, the rest of the AFC East collectively groaned and for good reason. Thomas is big, ridiculously fast for a man his size, can play almost any position on defense and leaps tall buildings in a single bound. He just may need to fly all over the field because sooner or later someone is going to have to cover for AARP members Tedy Bruschi, Junior Seau, Mike Vrabel and Rodney Harrison. I know they have all been instrumental players in the past but Father Time has a way of showing up overnight.

 

Meanwhile the Jets have young and hungry linebackers. They will pair Michigan alumni and tackling machine Dave Harris with the non-stop motor of Jonathan Vilma as the inside backers. On the outside they’ll have the improving Victor Hobson and Bryan Thomas who combined for 177 tackles and 15 sacks in New York’s stunting and scheming defense.  Add in highly touted shut down cornerback Darrelle Revis from the University of Pittsburgh, potential Pro-Bowl safety in the making Kerry Rhodes (99 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 ints), along with vastly improved depth on the defensive line, and the Jets made concerted efforts to address every area of need on both sides of the ball. 

 

Ah yes…the very merry month of May where all NFL teams are contenders or at least think they are.  More than likely the experts will continue and predict great things for Bill Belichick and his boys from Foxboro. Let's just place the bulls-eye squarely on them right now. As we know, for every “sure thing” there is always a cast of characters just waiting to underachieve and earn the dubious distinction of being the biggest disappointment in the league. I hear the Carolina Panthers are tired of winning that award and are quite hopeful that some other team assumes the mantle. From all the early hype thus far, perhaps New England is a most worthy candidate.

 

Well if I wasn’t surprised to see Ricky Williams get caught smoking marijuana again, you could’ve knocked me over with a feather.  Uh…not exactly. Even so I can’t lie.  I feel extremely sympathetic for him. He is by all accounts an exceptionally nice human being. Coaches and teammates, both past and present, usually have nothing but good things to say about Ricky the person. Unfortunately it’s painfully apparent that he has little self-control. A man who plays essentially for free (to pay off a larger a multi-million dollar debt to the Dolphins) and still can’t abstain from marijuana use must have serious personal issues. Under the circumstances does anyone really believe that Ricky Williams wanted to mess up again? 

Many will offer the argument that Williams is a man and must be held accountable for his actions. Others will say that drugs are illegal and their use makes him a criminal. Some will feel that his failure to take advantage of his additional chances indicates an immature, selfish character flaw that has let his family and teammates down time and time again. He will be judged mercilessly for the most part. Ah, such is the life of a professional athlete. The sign at the door says, “Help Wanted: People Needed To Live In A Fishbowl: Professional Athletes And Celebrities In General Are Strongly Encouraged To Apply.”

 

Let me be perfectly clear. I’m not saying that what Williams has done is fine, nor do I remove responsibility from his shoulders. He knew the rules but in my opinion those rules suck. Simply put, it is my opinion that professional athletes are unfairly subjected to higher standards and more intense scrutiny than the common man.  Their wealth and status makes them easy targets of resentment, especially if they “get out of line”.  The general public, as much as we like to see the storybook rise to the top, loves even more to witness the crash back down to Earth.  

 

If Ricky Williams was a man with a more mundane profession, say a mortgage broker or day laborer, who would know or care? Drug use penalties should not indiscriminately fluctuate across white-collar or blue-collar professions, let alone sports. If our friend who worked down at the warehouse smoked marijuana in the comfort of his living room, would we think it was fair that he lost his job when someone told his boss? I understand it’s illegal (so are lots of things) but lose his job?  If that were the case then there would be even more unemployed folks all across America living off the government dime.

Let’s take it a step further. If Williams played in the NBA, would he have these problems? It wasn’t until 2000 that the NBA even tested for marijuana. As far as I know the most time a professional basketball player can be suspended for if he repeatedly uses pot is 5 games per offense. A player caught abusing cocaine or other hard narcotics will receive  more severe penalties and suspensions. (See Michael Ray Richardson, Roy Tarpley, Richard Dumas, etc…) However, the NBA is much more lenient with marijuana users. Incidences of players caught with it at airports or in cars have been well documented.

NBA DRUG POLICY

Testing

* All players are tested at least once during the four-week preseason.  Rookies are tested three more times, randomly and without notification, each season.  Veterans are tested once during the preseason.

* If a veteran tests positive, he is tested again during a season only if there is reasonable cause.  A doctor or counselor from the league-mandated program determines whether there is reasonable cause.

 http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n419.a05.ht
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Major League Baseball claims to have an anti-drug policy but we all know that it’s steroids they worry about. Testing for “recreational” drugs is not administered randomly, but on a basis of reasonable cause. In other words they can test you for it when they feel like it. Now you tell me. When was the last time you have ever heard of a professional baseball player being suspended for smoking marijuana? As a matter of fact baseball has a long history of hidden drug use. Players in the 1970’s widely used amphetatimenes even though they had become a prescription drug at the start of the decade. Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher  Dock Ellis claims to have pitched  a no-hitter after using  LSD on June 12, 1970 against the Padres. Many Mets players of the 1980’s, such as Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry were known cocaine users.

Seems to me that Ricky Williams is playing the wrong damn sport.

Let’s keep things in perspective about Williams’ latest drug related issues. Before he gets crucified by the media and the general public let’s ask ourselves: 1)Does the fact that the NFL has a more stringent marijuana testing policy than many police departments, government agencies, teacher’s unions, fire departments, hospitals , or any other professional sport seem slightly out of kilter to you? Does this bother anyone else besides me?  2) When and why did the NFL decide that it was their role to do so? Those football players sure must have the safety of a whole lot of people depending on them.

Some (but hardly most) professions will test you for drug use once when you are initially hired and then leave you alone. Perhaps if your work performance begins to suffer they will warn you and maybe investigate if things don’t change. Right or wrong this is typically standard practice in most workplaces. As long as your job performance doesn’t suffer your private life stays just that, private. Apparently not in the No Fun League.

I hope some readers don’t misinterpret my message. I am not trying to justify Williams’ behavior or glorify the use of drugs. He has to play by the rules of his employer as we all do. Even if his acts were irresponsible  I know in my heart that the NFL is one of the few places in America where this could have happened to him. I have always believed in letting the punishment fit the crime. I guess the punishment for smoking pot for the rest of America isn’t good enough for the NFL. They have to keep those menaces to society like Ricky Williams far away from the field of play.

Ricky's biggest crime is that he's "guilty" of being weak. Ridicule him for that if you must. Just don't turn a blind eye to the hipocrisy of the situation. Most of us interact daily with people who smoke marijuana and think they're just swell. Ricky on the other hand gets dragged through the mud. 

 

They say that perception is everything. If that’s true then what exactly do you make of Keyshawn Johnson? He really has been an extremely unique individual when you stop to reflect on his career. He’s also been an enigma. When you think of every typical perception one might associate with a professional athlete, good and bad, chances are somebody once said, “Yep, that’s Keyshawn”.

Some might claim that Johnson was doomed to be a topic of debate from the very start.  The New York Jets not only chose him in the first round of the 1996 draft, but he was also the #1 overall selection that year. Unless he was going to be the second coming of Jerry Rice, chances are he’d never live up to the expectations associated with going first overall.  Making matters even more curious, how often is a wide receiver chosen in that spot? Then consider that wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Joe Horn, Terry Glenn, Eric Moulds, Amani Toomer and Eddie Kennison were all chosen in that same draft, and you realize that not only did the Jets not draft the best player available, but they probably didn’t even get the best man at that position.

 

Outside of Terrell Owens though, there hasn’t been a more dynamic personality in the bunch than Johnson. Owens however is only interesting because of bizarre antics that hint at some form of emotional instability. Keyshawn on the other hand has mixed an extremely productive career with many memorable moments and sound bytes that are at least in the realm of “normalcy”. These have left many of us genuinely confused as to what this man is really all about.

 From almost the very beginning, Johnson managed to alienate himself to teammates and the general public. He authored his now notorious book, “Just Give Me The Damn Ball!: The Fast Times and Hard Knocks of an NFL Rookie”, after just one year in the league. In the book he referred to fan favorite, and fellow Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet, as a “midget”.  He no doubt felt a bit embarrassed by the fact that the diminutive Chrebet caught 21 more passes than him during his rookie season. People were quick to label him an over-rated prima donna. As the test of time would prove, there have been very few receivers who could play Keyshawn’s hard-nosed style. He’s considered one of the best blockers to ever play the position and will do whatever it takes to win.

An unhappy Keyshawn later demanded a trade after 4 seasons in New York. Eager to play for a winner, a deal was brokered with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his last two years with the Jets he had caught 172 passes for 2,301 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Buccaneers immediately signed him to a six-year contract extension that made him the highest paid receiver in the league. In his second year with Tampa Bay he led the team with 106 catches, as well as to Super Bowl victory. Many fans in New York and around the country considered him a disloyal, materialistic crybaby who whined his way out of a contract. Others refused to argue with his end results and the bottom line. A championship.

 

The success in Tampa was short lived. As the fortunes of the team changed, the passionate Johnson began to butt heads with his equally volatile head coach Jon Gruden. After 10 games he was permanently benched for the remainder of the season because of his insubordinate conduct. He now added the dreaded tag, “team cancer” to his resume of extremes. That ensuing off-season he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he reunited with former head coach Bill Parcells in 2004.  Odd that one coach in Gruden could detest Johnson, whereas another in Parcells considers him “one of the best players he has ever coached”.

 

Well 3 years (two with Dallas and one with Carolina) 211 catches and 1 HUGE draft day embarrassment later, Keyshawn finds himself en route to a new home yet again. After being released for the second time in two years, he’s headed to ports unknown. We don’t know where, but we should find him playing his special brand of football this September. You see, as disliked, misinterpreted and overrated as he has been…Keyshawn is also widely respected, a straight shooter and as underrated a receiver that currently exists. A contending team looking for a dependable #2 wideout, or a loaded team who could utilize a 3rd-down chain-moving veteran in 3-receiver formations, would be wise to #### him up. He is still talented enough to be a big difference maker on the right team. Will he humbly settle for being a role player though? At this juncture I would hope the answer is yes.

 

Keyshawn Johnson has had one hell of a strange career. He started off as a #1 overall pick and now finds himself unemployed (due to WR Dwayne Jarrett being drafted by Carolina and from Keyshawn’s alma mater USC of all places). Sandwiched in between he has been considered a “diva” as well as a warrior, a cry baby as well as old school, a cancer as well as a leader, a malcontent as well as ambitious, and an overrated young star as well as an underrated veteran role player.  To put it simply, for better or worse, he has been all things and then some, but always one of a kind. For that he is special and I look forward to watching him play more.

 

Oh, and Keyshawn’s 814 career catches (15th all-time) aren’t bad either. When everything is all said and done, the Hall of Fame Committee is going to have a grand old time figuring him out. Look how long it took us. We’ve been there and back again with him, watching the entire way. 

 

?????

 

 

Who says it takes a tough guy to play quarterback in the NFL? Well I suppose you do have to be a little bit rugged. With new rules of protection in place, the position just isn’t as macho as it once was. As for punters? Those guys are studs.

Seriously though, kickers nowadays are fast becoming heroes to me. In a sport where rules are being implemented across the board to help prevent injuries, the scrawniest guys on the field literally run around wearing bulls-eyes on their jerseys. Just ask Sean Taylor, safety for the Washington Redskins. Yesterday he saw a target in Buffalo Bills punter Brian Moorman during the All-Pro game, that he couldn’t resist taking a shot at. Let’s just say Sean hit the red center dead on.

In case you missed it, (doubtful) Moorman was running with the ball (like in this pic) since the AFC coaches apparently thought calling a trick play would be a good idea in this meaningless game.  As he danced near the sideline, with visions of "Sweetness" Walter Payton dancing in his head, notorious headhunter Sean Taylor obliterated him.  As he lay on the ground for what felt like an unbelievably long 2-3 seconds, Moorman incredibly jumped back up.  His damaged, “Really I Am A Football Player” ego must have been hearing Rocky Balboa’s trainer Mickey screaming, “Get Up!”  In fact he went over to Taylor and seemed to congratulate him on the hit.  I tell you.  Kickers nowadays, “Kick ####”.

As for Sean, I just think he’s an ####.  Football is a tough game. Blah, blah, blah.  He’s one of the hardest hitters in the league and that’s just what he does. More blah, blah, blah. The sport isn’t for sissies. Duh, really?  Please save the same tired out arguments. This wasn’t a real game, even though Drew Brees actually dislocated his elbow yesterday.  The final score meant nothing. Blowing up Moorman apparently meant a ton to Taylor.

It doesn’t surprise me that Sean “Spit” Taylor was the guy to do this either.  In case you forgot, Taylor was fined $17,000 dollars for spitting in the face of Michael Pittman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, during a playoff game in January 2006.  T.J. Houshmanzadeh of the Bengals once claimed that Sean did the same to him prior to that. Only a man with no self-respect and class spits on another.   He is also among the athletes we hear too much about, who make terrible off the field decisions. He’s been arrested for driving under the influence (refused to take a breathalyzer) and for assault with a firearm. Being a star athlete you can guess what happened. Sean plea-bargained his way out of things by using his football millions on some hotshot lawyer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Taylor     http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Sean_Tay
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If it was a regular season game I would expect and accept the hit. If it was a playoff game I might even commend him for it. Hell, if he was some guy trying to make a roster in the pre-season, that hit might have won him a spot on the team.  However, for all intent and purposes the Pro Bowl is like practice…we talkin’ about practice...not to mention a man’s career.

I know all sports are different, but this was almost as bad as Pete Rose’s collision at home plate with Ray Fosse in the 1970 MLB All-Star game.  Fosse’s career was never the same, as he was severely injured on the play. It would be comparable to Shaq committing a hard foul, a near flagrant worthy foul, on Kobe during the NBA All-Star game as Bryant drove down the lane. Part of the game yes, but absolutely unnecessary within the unique setting of  an exhibition between fellow stars.

Maybe it’s just that it was Sean Taylor. I'll admit I don’t care for the guy. His teammates have nicknamed him Meast, for part man-part beast. They should call him “Over” because his behavior is over the top, he’s over-rated and one hit from him and your career could be over.   Perhaps if it was the legendary Ronnie Lott I’d take no exception to the play.  I can’t remember him ever passing up a snot-knocker shot either, but Ronnie also never laid out a punter in an All-Pro game. At least that I recall.

Yes, by football standards it was a clean hit. By human standards it was totally dirty. I remember dodging traffic while playing football as a kid in the streets of NYC. We called our version 2-hand shove. I mean we were crazy and all, but you just can’t tackle people on asphalt. Besides, flying over the hood of a parked car hurt your side and ego more than enough. Trust me, I should know. It was almost like getting smacked by a transit bus. Yesterday, our 2-hand shove approach would have sufficed for Taylor and certainly Moorman.

It sure was a hell of a hit though. Ultimately, I guess that's all that mattered.

 

 

  

25 is a symbolic number. It’s the age most of us wish we could stay forever.  It also makes me think of a quarter, the blue-collar man’s coin. You can use them to start up the pool table or dartboard at your favorite pub. Bounce one of them into a cup and all of a sudden you’ve got a drinking game going.  Quarters also make me think of the fraction 1/4, which is about how much Uncle Sam removes from each paycheck in taxes. If you take the 1 and 4 out of fraction form and change their order, you get the number 41. Oh yeah, Super Bowl XLI.

Can you tell that I’ve been sitting around bored out of my skull this last week and a half? It’s not the absence of football, although I do miss it. It’s because I don’t think I can listen to another person say that a Super Bowl win, or lack thereof, will define Peyton Manning and his career. So what if Peyton loses? I mean it’s not like Super Bowl victories grow on trees. If they did I’d go out and pick myself a dozen.

Then again, I also get tired of hearing Peyton’s excuse makers get their rally cries going. “Don’t blame him, the line didn’t block.”  “It’s a team game.” “He can’t do it all by himself.”  Please, spare us. If he plays like a sick dog in big games, then expect him to be put down. Maybe getting this one victory really is a prerequisite for “greatness”.

 

 

The debate may ultimately and unfortunately live eternal, but it did get me thinking. Just how many men have actually started a Super Bowl game and won? If you guessed 25, then you’ve been paying attention and are way ahead of the common sense curve.

   

There have only been 25 quarterbacks who have ever won the Super Bowl.  In fact, 9 signal callers have combined to win 24 of the 40 previous games.  If you then take into account ALL the men who have actually made an NFL roster as a quarterback in the Super Bowl era, then this is very rarefied air indeed.  Here are the exclusive members of the Championship Quarterbacks Club. You’ll quickly see that not everyone in this group is what you or I would call elite.

 

 LIVING FAT WITH EXTRA HELPINGS  (WINS IN PARENTHESES)

Joe Montana (4) San Francisco 49ers

Terry Bradshaw (4) Pittsburgh Steelers

Tom Brady (3) New England Patriots

Troy Aikman (3) Dallas Cowboys

John Elway (2) Denver Broncos

Roger Staubach (2) Dallas Cowboys

Jim Plunkett (2) Oakland Raiders

Bob Griese (2) Miami Dolphins

Bart Starr (2) Green Bay Packers

 

THANK GOODNESS I WON OR YOU’D BE JUDGING ME TOO

   

Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers)

Kurt Warner (St. Louis Rams)

Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers)

Phil Simms (New York Giants)

Joe Theismann (Washington Redskins)

Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts---left game early with injury)

Len Dawson (Kansas City Chiefs)

Joe Namath (New York Jets) 

 I’D RATHER BE LUCKY THAN GOOD

Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Brad Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Trent Dilfer (Baltimore Ravens)

Mark Rypien (Washington Redskins)

Jeff Hostetler (New York Giants)

Doug Williams (Washington Redskins)

Jim McMahon (Chicago Bears)

Ken Stabler (Oakland Raiders)

 

Looking at the list of Extra Helpings, you see some of the all-time greats. Hey, maybe Peyton does need to win the Big One to fit in with them. Then again if you examine some of the names on the I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good List, you can’t help but think that being the quarterback on a Super Bowl winning team just might be over-rated. Would you really take any player on that list over Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Dan Fouts, Warren Moon, Fran Tarkenton, Donovon McNabb, Steve McNair, or Peyton Manning in their respective primes? If you would you’re either a homer, a liar or you have an axe to grind.

Peyton Manning just finished his 9th season in the league and in every year he has:

 

NEVER had to sit on the sidelines (144 straight starts to begin his career)

NEVER thrown less than 26 TDS

NEVER compiled less than 3,700 YDS passing

NEVER completed less than 300 pass attempts

NEVER completed less than 62% of his passes (Except rookie season 56.7%)

 

NEVER won a Super Bowl

Not yet anyway and only time will tell. What’s it all mean? Does anyone know? Chances are you’ve already made up your mind and I couldn’t change it even if that’s what I was trying to do. I guess Peyton is just an enigma. Sometimes you just have to listen to what your heart says. My ticker tells me that he just may be the greatest quarterback that ever lived, who also happens to be a choke artist. Those two things aren’t supposed to go together. It’s a bad mix. It’s also what makes him so unique.

If the Super Bowl took place in the Roman Coliseum, I could see it now. Peyton gazes into the crowd, his fate at their mercy. Amid the sea of hands, it’s impossible to tell if more thumbs are pointing up or down. To avoid this judgment, all he had to do was win. Easier said than done, for there can be only one 26th inductee into the club.

 

 

Sometimes you get tired of the mere formality that the regular season has become in sports. We all know that the Eastern Conference teams in the NBA have no chance against any of the various Western Conference juggernauts. It’s common knowledge that the American League baseball teams have far too much firepower in their line-ups for those inferior National League squads. In professional football the AFC rules. As a matter of fact, it sure was a great Super Bowl last Sunday between the Patriots and Colts, as some people openly considered it. 

I think the NBA champion Miami Heat, or the World Series king St. Louis Cardinals, might have a little something-something to say about that nonsense.  Are there any Florida Gators fans that want to chime in about things? I think I know what they might say: “Crown this!” sounds about right. Thankfully it’s required that the games actually get played.

Early Vegas lines have the Colts a 7-point favorite over the Bears. I know I’m in the minority, but I have to tactfully disagree. I’m here to drop my Super Bowl DIMES of knowledge.

 

Defense wins championships, or so they say. I don’t care what “slump” the Bears defense went through or what improvement the Colts have shown; Chicago’s defense is better. Don’t buy into the media’s accusations of vulnerability.  They have All-Pro playmakers in the trenches, among their linebackers and in the secondary. This is a championship caliber defense and such groups win Super Bowls. Now they’re the underdog and feel disrespected. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not.  That counts for a ton and they are going to absolutely bring IT on game day.

 

Intangibles are easily overlooked or forgotten entirely. The Bears hold the advantage in this area of unpredictability. The Colts have atrocious special teams play. They repeatedly allow huge returns to their opponents on kickoffs and punts. Unfortunately for them, all-world return man Devin Hester plays for Chicago.  The Bears also force turnovers as well as any team in the league. Very few units are as adept at stripping the rock away from ball carriers.  Rex Grossman may have thrown too many interceptions, but it feels like no other quarterback has accounted for more “homerun” touchdown passes. Look for a couple in this game as Indy overloads to stop the run. Finally, even place kicker Adam Vinatieri can’t be considered much of an advantage for the Colts, since Robbie Gould of Chicago is as cool as they come.

 

Mentality is something the Colts do not have on their side. Peyton got the #### off his back when he finally beat Brady and the Pats in a meaningful game. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.  Says who? It’s not a #### on his back in the first place. It’s freaking King Kong and he's still there.  Those same doubt-filled thoughts will be dancing in his head on Super Bowl Sunday. In fact I expect them to be even worse.  He’ll have two full weeks to think about things. If you don’t believe the fear of failure is still on his mind, and in the heads of all his teammates, YOU… ARE… NUTS. It’s just his legacy that we’re talking about here, and perception is everything to some folks.

 

Execution of the game plan (as usual) will be critical to winning. Thanks to their defense, this will be easier for the Bears. Just think back to the NFC Championship game and repeat after me: “Reggie and Deuce who”? Brian Urlacher and crew will do the same to Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes. They may seem to give up too much passing yardage, but that’s what happens when you stuff the run. Manning will get his of course, but the Colts will be forced to play one-dimensional football.  It’s been demonstrated many times that Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne can be disrupted by physical play. Don’t be surprised to see it yet again, leaving Manning overly reliant on his tight ends. The Bears will gladly take that exchange. On offense Chicago can stay true to their plan. They’ll pound the run to set up the passing game for the occasional deep ball. It’s a big if, but if Grossman protects the ball, the Bears will win this game handily.   

 

Staffing on the teams is remarkably similar. (Enter sarcasm) Hey, did y'all know that Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are the FIRST African-American head coaches to ever make it to the Super Bowl?!?! Oh…you’ve already heard? Seriously, let’s think about Dungy for a minute. If you ask me, more comparisons should be made between him and Marty Schottenheimer, than with Lovie Smith.  Even though Tony has now made it to the big dance, and Marty still hasn’t, both coaches are notorious for having their teams fail when it matters most.  This goes back to when he was leading Tampa Bay into contention, and Lovie was one of his assistants (Watch as the apprentice bests his mentor this year). Tony couldn’t pull it off back then and he’s not about to with the Colts. Oh, and need I remind you that Jon Gruden won it all with the Bucs, the very same season he replaced Dungy? I don’t think it was a coincidence.  For the record I think Tony Dungy is a fine coach and an even better man. It’s just his karma.

 

Ultimately though, what do I know? I’m just not buying that this is Peyton’s year. These are my DIMES and I’m sticking with them.

 

 

I feel terrible for Giants fans. A half dozen head coaching vacancies opened up around the league once the regular season ended and somehow Tom Coughlin made it through unscathed. There’s plenty of blame to go around with the G-Men, and most of it lies with the players. Even so, once a coach loses the confidence of his players that man HAS TO GO. 

Odds makers have already begun taking bets on the probability that Coughlin will crash and burn during his one-year reprieve in 2007.  The word on the street is that this isn't just a good possibility, but extremely likely. House money is being wagered against Tom. Now with Bill Parcells’ sudden resignation in Dallas, there’s even more to fear in New York.   Instantly speculation runs rampant. After a short vacation to reenergize, can a return to the Giants for Parcells  be far behind?

Conspiracy theorists scratch their heads and wonder. Looks like the Mara family just might have hatched a plan.  New York management “charitably” decided to let Coughlin return for one more year. Hmmm…I wonder if they knew Bill planned to resign when they held on to Tom Turkey?  If the Giants underachieve again, the mad gobbler will be gone in a heartbeat, perhaps by Thanksgiving. Maybe the team performs well enough for him to save his reputation and warrant looks from other organizations. No matter what happens, do not expect him back under any circumstances once his contract runs out. They can amicably part ways, leaving Parcells to fill the vacuum. For the sake of the franchise and Giants fans, I hope this isn’t the case.

 

We’ve seen a steady decline in Bill’s productivity since he departed from the Giants with his two Super Bowl rings many, many moons ago. Yes he turned the Patriots around and took them to the Super Bowl. That’s all very nice, but second place is still just another number.

 

Then he fled Bob Kraft’s kitchen to make some soup with the Jets. An AFC Championship game with Gang Green was a decent accomplishment, but hardly the stuff of legends.

 

Most recently he endured working in Dallas for an owner (Jerry Jones), and coaching a wide receiver (T.O.) …with even bigger egos than his. Not coincidentally it also represents the worst statistical coaching job of his long career.

 

Don’t get me wrong. This is not an attempt to #### on Bill Parcells as he walks out the door. I absolutely love the man. He preaches accountability and discipline.  He turned around four losing franchises. He has offered up some of the greatest sound bytes in the history of football. Nobody can dispute that Parcells has been one of the most iconic figures in the sport during the last three decades. That counts for more than just wins, losses and rings. He deserves all the talk of his being a Hall of Fame coach.  It’s just time to hang it up.

 

Did you know that while coaching the Giants, Parcells posted a record of 77-49-1 (.611 winning %) and went 8-3 in the playoffs? Did you also know that in the 16 years / 11 coaching campaigns since then, his record is only 95-81 (.539 winning %) and that in the post-season he is 3-5?  Despite belonging among the greats in Canton, his performance has steadily deteriorated with each successive franchise. Can he still get the job done coaching? Perhaps, but I don’t know for sure. It’s just not a risk the Giants should take after Coughlin is finished being a lame duck, err turkey, next season.

 

You can totally understand if people start waxing nostalgia by talking about Bill finishing up where he started it all.  America has been anticipating another Super Bowl win for him ever since Scott Norwood of the Buffalo Bills went wide right. For that matter the Giants have been waiting for another Parcells to lead them back to the top since the day he left.

 

First it was Ray Handley, who bears the dubious distinction of being the only Parcells protégé that could not coach.

 

Next it was Dan Reeves who came from the same old school of thought as Bill himself. 

 

Then it was the fiery Jim Fassel, who had a very similar “in your face” style.

 

Currently New York is still stuck with yet another authoritarian in Tom Coughlin, who looks as though his aorta could burst at any minute.

 

The franchise has tried to replace Parcells with men just like him over and over again. It hasn’t worked for over 15 years and it still won’t work if they decide to bring back the original.

 

Mount the Tuna on the wall and remember the glory. (Or just let it go swim in someone else’s water.)

 

A lot of people just don’t get professional athletes and their seemingly senseless behaviors.  Time and again we’re left shaking our heads while watching ESPN or the local news.  Words like ####, lowlife or maniac come from our mouths as we stare in disbelief at the TV screen.   I think our reactions have less to do with what was actually done and more to do with what we consider to be a total and utter lack of discipline. How can people have so little self-control? Well, minus the fat money clips, these guys are just like the rest of us. It shouldn’t surprise anyone.

I bet most of us remember those old ice cream commercials. The ones with the catchy little jingle, “What would you do for a Klondike Bar?” In the case of professional athletes it should be, “What would you do for millions of dollars?” Stop smoking marijuana? Don’t drink and drive? Keep your married hands off some trick looking to sleep with a rich athlete? Stay away from certain “things” that allow you to get a leg up on your competition? Not gamble on sports? Not fight? Over and over the answers to these questions are no, no, no, and no. 

I’m not on some high horse preaching, nor do I condone most of the outlandish behaviors that are reported with regular frequency.  It’s just that we have very little sympathy for those who sel####estruct. There are so many examples of how people who lack discipline wind up judged by others. People in general can deal with a person’s mental or physical limitations. It’s those who can’t stay out of their own way that get our ire and wrath.

 

The latest joke is on Michael Vick and his water bottle with its secret compartment. I personally care less about the fact that Vick smokes pot, and more that he didn’t have the self-control to leave the bottle at home. So what if maybe he's not so bright. I’ve known plenty of intellectually challenged guys who had discipline. They show up to work every day and don’t openly break rules or negatively affect others. Their private business stays in the confines of their home.

 

Let's think about gambling. We have state lotteries, scratch-offs, on-line/off shore poker accounts, Las Vegas, and even local bookies. It’s all acceptable in small doses. Lose the mortgage payment, then it’s a problem.   Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Daly literally blow millions and we hardly bat an eye. They have virtually unlimited funds or the potential to earn it back. Pete Rose gambles and becomes a pariah. Why? He didn’t have the self-control to honor the oldest “rule” in the book.  Do not bet on your own sport and perhaps team.

 

How about drinking? Most of us indulge on occasion and some of us get behind the wheel when maybe we shouldn’t. We tend to accept the drinker and scorn the drunk. We see a super talent like Shawn Kemp prematurely out of the NBA and realize he traded his ability for the bottle. Rather than looking at him as a man with demons, he’s just another alcoholic with no discipline.

 

Anger management anyone? Many people were horrified when Ron Artest ran into the stands in Detroit, even though most of us would clobber a guy who threw a beer in our face. Some people wanted defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth of the Tennessee Titans banned for life when he stepped on the head of the helmet less Andre Gurode of the Dallas Cowboys.   Never mind that Haynesworth has a surgically repaired knee and that Gurode had chop blocked him earlier in the game.  Albert snapped and caused bodily harm to another person. That is unacceptable under almost any circumstance (short of sel####efense in a life or death situation). Haynesworth probably viewed it as sel####efense at the time, in some twisted lack of self-control sort of way. 

 

Even overweight people get similar treatment. Most of us carry a few extra pounds, especially once we get into our thirties. That’s fine though. A little extra padding never hurt anyone.  When we see an obese person it’s another story.  Why can’t they stop stuffing the spoon into their pie hole?  Maybe the person has a thyroid problem slowing down their metabolism.  Perception is everything. We tend to believe that they refuse to control what goes into their bodies.  Athletes who eat their way out of the game are no different. I hear that William "Refrigerator" Perry is hurting for cash and has been doing some crazy stunts to earn money. If he had played a few more seasons maybe he wouldn’t need to. No discipline.

 

So when I hear a person marvel at the stupidity, hostility or lack of integrity of some athlete, my first thought is to say, “Look in the mirror before we judge.” Then I hear that annoying Klondike Bar commercial in my head and think to myself, “Just what the hell would I stop doing for a 20 million dollar contract?” I’d like to say anything and everything but I just don’t know.  Would I lose my extra weight? Would I never lash out in anger again? Would I stop having a couple of pints before I  drive home after dinner at a restaurant? Would I give up betting my illegal football sheets?  Unfortunately I doubt I’ll ever find out, but here’s to being disciplined and demonstrating self-control. (Usually)

 

It’s Tom Brady against Peyton Manning. Again. Now that the AFC Championship Game is set, would we really have it any other way? As soon as our favorite team was done losing, few among us would complain about the opportunity to see this match-up once more.

This isn’t Yankees- Red Sox, Knicks-Bulls, Duke-North Carolina, or Ohio State-Michigan. Nothing else in sports is quite like this this.  The TV listings on Sunday will read New England Patriots against The Indianapolis Colts for the AFC Championship. The truth of the matter is the game will be viewed as a modern day duel between Brady and Manning instead of two teams battling for supremacy.