Nfl

Here we are at the second week of the NFL playoffs again, which brings up the same question every year.  Is it better for teams that have clinched first-round byes and playoff seeds to rest their players at the end of the regular season, or play them to keep on a roll going into the playoffs?  Lets look at both sides of the issue.

Continue reading "Rest vs Rust in the NFL"

Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart will leave Stanford for the prospects of the upcoming NFL Draft.  He had one year of remaining eligibility due to an injury-shortened 2007.  Many Stanford fans had hoped he might return to play one last year with outstanding freshman quarterback Andrew Luck, possibly building on the success the team had this past season.  Although his decision might not be the most popular, it was the right one for him to make for several reasons.

Continue reading "Gerhart Decision for the NFL the Right One"

I know these 3 clips have nothing to do with sports, but I thought that it would be entertaining because all you need to do is laugh sometimes.  I will probably post 3 videos every so often so stay tuned, I guess:

Continue reading "Funny non-sport related videos!!!!!"

I was listening to ESPN radio when one of the guys, Steve Mason, spoke about a video on the internet that had him rollin'.  I was pretty interested in finding the video and when I did I was shocked, but I had to laugh also.  The tv show Family Guy did its portrayal of Michael Vick and his crime in a short clip from the show.  I am going to stop talking and just show the video:

Continue reading "Family Guy's take on the Philadelphia ..."

College football kicked off last night with offensive powerhouse Boise State going up against an equally dangerous offensive team in Oregon.  Everybody expected this game to be in the high 20's or maybe the low 30's; however, the game transformed into a defensive battle making it less entertaining.  The game featured only 27 points combined with the final score being Oregon 8 and Boise State 19.  The real "entertainment", I use that term loosely, came at the end of the game when Oregon RB, LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State's Byron Hout in the face after Hout allegedly taunted him.  You can see the punch below at this address:

Continue reading "The Punch seen 'round the world: ..."

I understand that Shaquille O'neal is a man that transcends just the NBA, but watching him attempt to play against other athletes in their own sport is extremely difficult to swallow.  Watching Shaq attempt to swing a bat was like watching a baby giraffe trying to walk.  It was hard to watch yet I could not take my eyes off of it, like a car accident.  The 7'1" O'neill attempted to out-slug Albert Pujols, out-spike beach volleyball stars Misty May and Kerri Walsh, and out-throw Ben Roethlisberger, needless to say he could not out-do anybody at anything.  The show is a half hour too long and the hosts are extremely annoying.  The most important part of the show, the actual competition, takes place in the last fifteen minutles of the show making the first 45 minutes irrelevant.  Here are some short examples of the show from Youtube:

Continue reading "What is Shaq thinking doing this ..."

With just one month left in his prison sentence, Michael Vick must endure his last thirty days under house arrest. We know what that means: tons and tons of tv watching. Here are the Top 10 tv shows Vick is most likely to watch:

Continue reading "Top 10 TV Shows Michael Vick's most ..."

This is the year Quinn should be the starter. It's about time the Clevelad Browns start to invest their time into players and make the Browns a legit team. They are always putting players on pedistools them letting them go.

Continue reading "THE BRADY QUINN FACTOR"

As America (and London) prepare for the NFL’s week eight schedule tomorrow, these are bleak times. I know that this isn’t a political or social venue, but I just wanted to fire off some quick words of appreciation for our beloved sport. 

Continue reading "Why Americans need Football"

Continue reading "Week # 1 Recap from Experiment in Bets"

Continue reading "News and Notes From NFL"

Though they don't seem as devastating as the Soriano/Pujols loss I wrote about yesterday, two key players have gone down on two other teams today. Cleveland put Victor Martinez on the DL, while Seattle placed its once-reliable closer JJ Putz back on the DL, both with elbow injuries. And unlike Soriano's freak fracture, there were hints at undiagnosed problems with both Martinez and Putz.

Continue reading "Two Big Injuries, Day Two"

When the NFL schedule was released I was thrilled to learn that the Jets have a primetime game this year, and a good one at that! They square off on Monday Night Football at San Diego against the Chargers in week 3. However, I have since read an article on newyorkjets.com by Editor-in-Chief Randy Lange, entitled "The '08 Sked's Monday Night Crunch." Lange very carefully articulates the perils of having to play a Monday night game in a different time zone (particularly an east coast team traveling into the pacific time zone) and then having to return home for a 1pm Sunday game the following week. The Jets this year are faced with such a predicament and Lange points out how recent history has not looked kindly on teams dealt such a difficult scheduling constraint. First of all, it hasn't happened very often since 2002 which would suggest that the scheduling gurus are possibly making a conscious effort not to put teams in this bind. (For example, east coast teams should be granted byes after a west coast Monday nighter, or possibly a Sunday night game which would afford them several more hours to adjust and prepare.) And when it has happened, victims of this circumstance have not fared well, losing most games for which they return home.

Continue reading "A Sched-you'll Want to Know About!"

With the NFL season at its conclusion, I find myself in a reflective mood. I naturally think about the missed opportunities of my beloved Jets, some of the most spectacular plays of the year, and the biggest off-the-field fiascos. This season, however, I find myself thinking of Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills’ tight end who was severely injured on the second half kickoff of their week 1 game versus the Denver Broncos. All year long, sportswriters and analysts wanted to call Brett Favre’s resurgence the biggest storyline of the 2007 campaign. Others wanted to dub the Patriots’ pursuit of perfection as the ultimate subplot to the season. I, however, cannot think of a bigger story, a more compelling tale of human triumph, than that of Everett. 

Continue reading "It's Only a Game"

After 17 years as the Green Bay Packers quarterback, the legendary and future hall of famer 3 time MVP Brett Favre is set to retire.

"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired," Favre, a three-time NFL MVP, told ESPN's Chris Mortensen in a voice mail message.

Continue reading ""Iron Man" Set to Retire"

In the last week, the Jets have made a big splash in the free agent market, acquiring some solid help for their team. Al Faneca, Calvin Pace, Damien Woody, and Kris Jenkins should all make nice additions to the gang green roster. 

Continue reading "Green Spendin' the Green"

How great it is to see our government functioning at its finest, with peak efficiency and an unrelenting pursuit of justice. Not only is the Senate Judiciary Committee listening to he said, he said testimony from Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee with the occasional two cents inserted from Chuck Knoblauch or Andy Pettitte, but now it’s concerning itself with NFL Spygate. It’s not delving into whether or not our president misled us to war. It’s not digging deeper into these no-bid contracts for reconstruction in Iraq. It’s not conducting hearings on campaign finance reform, which could be a momentous catalyst for changing the very system which converts rich Americans into powerful world leaders. No, it isn’t bothering itself with any of these issues; rather it’s leaving this observer to wonder if this is what our founding fathers had in mind when they devised the legislative branch. 

Continue reading "Seperation of Sports and State"

Young, homegrown talent played a significant part in the Red Sox title run last year led by Dustin Pedroia winning the Rookie of the Year and Jonathan Papelbon definitively closing out games. Clay Buchholz pitched a no hitter in his second major league start, Jacoby Ellsbury stepped in when he was needed and became a vital part of the offense, and Jon Lester got the win in the World Series clincher. All are expected to be key contributors to the team this season. However, this influx of talent from the minors has not left this cupboard bare as Boston’s farm system still ranks in Baseball America’s top 5. Here are some of the next big prospects to keep an eye on in camp this spring and follow their progress this summer.

Continue reading "Boston Farm System Still Flush With Prospects"

I have never claimed to be an expert when it comes to predicting outcomes of football games, although last year I nearly predicted the exact final score of the Super Bowl while hitting on seven of my nine prop bets. (My prediction was 26-17, the final was 29-17.) For whatever reason I had a very good feel for that game. This year's Super Bowl, however, remains a mystery to me. Part of the reason I am having trouble getting a good feel for this game is that I am a bitter Jets fan and I can't stand either team. I'm finding it difficult to put my personal feelings aside and look at the game objectively. I think right now I am as close to objectivity as I am going to get, and with that being said, here is my official Super Bowl XLII prediction.

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII Prediction"

The Super Bowl this year has many people predicting an easy Patriots win, even though there is a general acknowledgement that the Giants will bring a solid game plan and sound execution to the contest. Despite the consensus that the Giants are worthy of being in the game on Sunday after an impressive playoff run, almost every NFL fan and analyst has resigned him or herself to the fact that they are just 100% outmatched. Oh, how wrong they are. 

Continue reading "Giant Upset"

Today the news broke that the Detroit Lions are looking to move Shaun Rogers via trade or release and, while I do not understand or agree with their decision, the Jets must try to acquire the seventh year defensive tackle.

Continue reading "Mr. Rogers' New Neighborhood?"

Was I watching “Jerry Maguire 2” Sunday night after the Giants/Cowboys game? T.O.’s tearful comments to the press came off as the emotional climax of a melodramatic Rod Tidwell scene. Where’s the T.O. we all know and love (except for the love part)? Why wasn’t he ripping Tony Romo for his previous week’s exploits or ripping Jason Garrett for limiting him in the second half? Where’s the negativity which reared its ugly head in Philadelphia and San Francisco? What’s with the teammate act he’s trying to pass off as genuine? Is it just another media ploy or is this the new Terrell Owens? 

Continue reading "In Rod We Trust; In Terrell We Can't"

Yoko Romo is breaking up the Cowboys. Remember, the quarterback is not to blame if he is distracted when a hot girl is at the game; it’s her fault. Tony Romo shouldn’t be criticized for going to Mexico this past week because remember! That the blonde temptress lured him away from his work. Poor Tony Romo! He’s just trying to do his job, but she won’t leave him alone! 

Continue reading "Romo, O Romo. Wherefore Art Thou ..."

The Patriots’ days are numbered. In the modern NFL, it is impossible for a team to go 19-0 and even though they seem as poised as any team in NFL history to accomplish such a feat, the odds are stacked against them deeper than a trips bunch formation. 

Continue reading "19-0*"

Eli Manning won a wild card game, but Eli Manning is not a wild card. All season long, and all off-season, too, NFL analysts across the board love to talk about Eli Manning’s unpredictability. People love to lay into him about his demeanor not becoming of a winning quarterback, and his number one overall draft selection as a byproduct of his last name only, not his talent. I’m sure that last name on the back of his jersey just handed him the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2003, as well as naming him SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Undoubtedly, if I had that last name I would have been able to pass for 3,600 yards, 29 TD’s and only 10 INT’s, while amassing a completion percentage of 62% my senior year. Even as recently as this past weekend prior to the Giants/Bucs kickoff, the FOX studio crew was pondering which Eli would show up? The Good Eli or the Bad Eli? And yet as recently as halftime during the same game, the same studio crew was praising Eli saying that we may be witnessing the coming of age of the young quarterback. 

Continue reading "Eli's Coming!"

To paraphrase the old saying: one man’s post-season is another man’s off-season. Well, that time of the year is upon us; the time when Jets fans can put the previous 16 disappointments behind us and look forward to the 0-0 record that awaits us in September. To make matters more painful, we must coincide our forced optimism with a Patriots team that seems to be bound for greatness.

Continue reading "Pennington or Bust"